Diaz learns that Harmon has enemies within West Division, and begins to fear she cannot be trusted. Desperate for a lead, Harmon goes off book resulting in a major breakthrough and a deadly showdown.
Harmon is upset over the insinuation she got her fellow officers fired for doing their jobs. That's the rumor going around the precinct. She shouldn't be trusted. Any mistake she sees will be weaponized. As a result, it's better to leave them out of the report. These officers are human. The rookies especially are prone to mistakes. Diaz losses his gun while in pursuit of a suspect. He forgets about it because he's stunned by the trauma of watching the guy jump off a parking structure. Holt provides backup. He also shares these rumors. It leaves Diaz unsure of what to do next. Harmon is absolutely keeping secrets. She doesn't want her rookie to get caught up in that drama. She wants to leave it in the past. However, she's still being punished for what happened. She doesn't believe she can be kept on patrol forever. She has opportunities for promotion elsewhere. She still needs her superiors to sign off on such moves. Right now, Lasman is furious with her. The department is being sued because of her assessment of a situation. A crowd was too wild for her and Diaz to control by themselves. They had backup. She still opted to let criminals run away instead of holding them accountable for their actions. As a result, a local business was looted. That's how Lasman frames the case. The police were called to action. They didn't take any. That was the order given. Yet plenty of mysteries persist.
Moreover, Harmon isn't dropping her search for Maniac. The department is now being told he has gone across the border to Mexico. He's no longer within their reach. It's better for them to accept the suspect who was murdered and delivered to them cartel-style. It was gruesome. A message was delivered. The local gangs don't want this war with the police to escalate. Yet Harmon isn't giving up. She needs the truth. She is told to stop looking. She would only receive that warning if there was something still to find in Long Beach. That motivates her. Diaz is a partner to her in that regard. He still doesn't know if he can trust her. She knows everything about his life it seems. He knows nothing about her. She shares anecdotes about her previous trainees. She uses that to help guide him through the demands of this job. She sees potential within him. He is also tentative because he doesn't know the law. That's dangerous in this profession. The police have to know exactly what they can and can't do. The situation doesn't escalate further when Diaz hesitates. He helps achieve a peaceful solution. That's only one aspect of the shift. It ultimately concludes with Holt being stabbed in the neck with a needle. Diaz has to act quickly to save his friend's life. Even then, he's left reeling by the sudden and jarring danger. Harmon has to calm him down. He has to be grounded in reality. Everyone has to carefully manage expectations. Yet they live in a world where people are inflamed in their beliefs and act boldly against those they perceive as harming them.
A domestic violence call leads to the apprehension of Delgado's killer. It occurs on the same day as her funeral too. It's an emotional and grueling day for Harmon. She needs everyone to trust her instincts. That's difficult because everyone in the precinct has an opinion of her. It's not always favorable. Her argument prevails because they are hunting a cop killer. She succeeded while the task force failed. And yet, her life is changed during this experience too. She is forced to fire her weapon for the first time in her career. She is at peace knowing she honored Delgado. She still feels on the outside looking in amongst her fellow officers. Koyama provides emotional support. He asks how Diaz handled the bust. He comforts Harmon too. He knows what this moment means to her. He didn't stumble upon her with a gun at Maniac's head like Lasman did. In fact, she states she was never tempted to pull the trigger. Someone else may have made a different choice. Harmon was the one in that position. She suffers the devastating blows to her body. She also has to answer many questions for how she found Maniac. It's good enough right now that she did. She was suppose to drop it though. She was meant to do her regular job. She went out of bounds. She asked Diaz to join her. He could only do so if he supported her completely. That trust must come regardless of what happened in her past. He has to make his decision based entirely on how they have interacted on their shifts so far. In his previous dealings with her, he knows her to be honest and fair. He doesn't have contempt even though he knows she is keeping him in the dark. Harmon takes lead. Diaz is her immediate backup. They each rise to the occasion.
At times, the propulsive energy of the story keeps the narrative from lingering on any moment for too long. Diaz receives an update on Holt. He has survived. However, he has likely sustained injuries that will prevent him from returning to the job. That's devastating. Diaz couldn't have done anything differently. He isn't responsible for what happened either. In this job, the police need to operate with no fear and no hesitation. That's especially necessary in the raid that results in Maniac's capture. He runs. Harmon is the only one who pursues him. She seemingly makes the same mistake Diaz did in his first shift. She keeps her fellow officers updated on her whereabouts and the support she needs. Lasman eventually arrives. At that point, Harmon's body cam was already knocked away. She had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. Her fellow officers would have understood if she killed Maniac. They still feel like celebrating afterwards too. Maniac is arrested. That's a victory. Harmon is invited. She is only tempted to go because Diaz offers to buy her a drink. That dynamic matters more than anything else. They are strong. Yet Harman still needs a moment in her car alone to break down. She can't lean on Diaz for all of her emotional support. He didn't know Delgado. He arrived at West Division after her murder. He was assigned to the one training officer who refused to give up the search. She was rewarded for her efforts. He was alongside her every step of the way. She still needs a moment to cope with it all herself. The show providing that allows the emotional stakes to radiate more. It's ultimately brief. It also reveals how much more depth the narrative can provide by digging deeper with these characters.
