User Reviews

As Crockett and Tubbs move in to bust a drugs deal they find their operation thwarted when somebody in an ice cream van calls out a warning! They have no idea who the man was but he turns up again causing another operation to fail; although strangely he doesn't blow their cover even though he must know they are cops. As Crockett and Tubbs leave the scene they are bundled into two cars and driven away. It turns out their kidnappers are fellow police officers who are running a force within a force; doing whatever it takes to make sure the bad guys end up in jail. They invite Crockett and Tubbs to join them and they accept… then inform Lt. Castillo about what is going on. He orders them to continue so they can take down the rogue cops.

This was a decent episode with some good action; although it wasn't of the level one would expect in earlier seasons; the reduced budget is clearly showing. When it emerged that the episode's main villains were cops going too far to get the bad guys I feared that it was going to turn into a 'Magnum Force' rip-off but thankfully it didn't go that far; they may have been breaking the law but they weren't committing extrajudicial executions… at least most of them weren't. We were also shown that not all of them were comfortable with what they were doing. The case took place against a background of police budget cuts which went someway to explain why some officers would break the rules to secure convictions without justifying their actions. Some humour was injected into the situation by the appearance of Izzy; this time he was literally a snake oil salesman… claiming it worked as a sunscreen! Overall this was a solid enough episode although not a classic.

This was a strong and solid episode, full of thought -provoking ideas., though insufficient use was made of the plot line. The idea of vigilantes within the police force was presented as almost acceptable- the judicial system was failing to rid the community of serious crime partly due to corruption, partly due to underfunding and partly due to the sheer overwhelming amount of criminal behaviour in and around this drug capital. It seemed logical that some people within the seemingly ineffective police force would begin to enforce their own justice system. Quite a few law-abiding citizens would be cheering them on, I have to say, including myself..until it becomes apparent that this is a flawed solution, without control and becoming dangerous abuse of power. Crockett and Tubbs, being the good guys, realise this at once but take the risk of joining the group, pretending to be in sympathy and hoping to round up both the villains and the rogue cops during one operation. This is only partially successful and yet again Crockett and Tubbs are left frustrated with the system they are forced to work with. The way is being ever more clearly paved towards their eventual total disillusionment and exit. I do think there was enough material here for two rather than one episode, it seemed rushed where it could have been dwelt on. I did like Crockett's hair though. He really suits it long and wavy, softening his older features.