At the end of last week’s episode of SWAT Exiles, Hondo (Shemar Moore) discovered who is working against him. But rather than blow the whistle, he’s planning to follow the leads to see the bigger plan of who is working against him. He puts that plan in action this week during a crucial mission in the episode, “Molotov Cocktail Attire.” Let’s dive in. SPOILERS BELOW.
As we open, Malik (Adain Bradley) gets a call from his handler (Caitlin McGee), who happens to be the mayor's chief of staff. She wants to meet with Malik before his shift, as she has news. He agrees, but that proves to be trickier than he anticipated.
As Malik exits his house, Hondo is there. He wants to give Malik a ride. On the trip, he shares that there is a mole in the unit, but he doesn’t know who it is. This disarms Malik, who begins asking questions. Hondo shares he wants to rotate the Scout position as a means of feeling people out. Malik says he understands, but they don’t have much time to dwell as they’re called on a new mission.
A special detail
Malik and Hondo arrive at headquarters to learn that 44-Squad has been tapped for special protection for a new summit with Bolivian leaders. It’s a special request from the mayor (Jerry O’Connell) who is on hand with his chief of staff. Hondo takes the assignment seriously and taps Cassidy (Zyra Gorecki) as the Scout for the mission. She is honored but feels conflicted.
As Cassidy and Hondo head to the pre-meeting setup, she confesses that she testified against him at the hearing. Cassidy apologizes and says she was wrong. Hondo says he never faults someone for being honest. That seems to set Cassidy at ease as she settles into the job. As they arrive to meet with the mayor and the delegation, including Princess Selena (Cristina Rodlo), the protests get louder.
Soon, the protest turns violent. People attack the facility, so Hondo goes after the attackers while Cassidy gets the group out. The mayor is safely in his vehicle, but when Princess Selena approaches her car, a gunman arrives. Cassidy repels the attack, but it’s clear there is someone targeting the princess.
As the team digs in, it turns out some were paid to ramp up the protests as a distraction for the assassin. Hondo goes to the chief of staff to get the event called off, but it’s a no go. So, the team makes a plan, puts on their best cocktail attire, and tries to blend into the crowd.
A mole uncovered
Malik tries to warn Cassidy that she’s being used, but she sees it as Malik’s jealousy. Malik is trying to protect her from a false accusation, but he’s losing allies on the squad. He gets placed at a remote position, which he perceives as a punishment. But while there, his handler approaches him. Hondo spots them and gets Ethan (Freddy Miyares) to call a burner phone that confirms that the mayor's chief of staff is pulling Malik’s strings.
Hondo confronts Malik, but before he can get answers, things pop off at the event. Hondo and the team are able to protect the mayor and Princess Selena, dispatching the attackers. It’s a happy ending for the mission, but Hondo still isn’t satisfied. He’s uncovered who is coming after him and 44-Squad, but he doesn’t know why.
Malik finds Hondo after the mission. He’s at the firing range and isn’t offering much of a warm greeting. Malik tries to explain why he did what he did and offers to leave the team. But Hondo wants something else. He doesn’t want excuses; he wants Malik to own up to what he did. He asks Malik to continue in his assignment to discover why the Mayor’s office wants to break up the team. Hondo tells Malik that’s what he owes to his squad.
The case of the week here was interesting enough. It was helpful that it involved the mayor so we could get momentum on the larger ongoing story. I’m curious to see why the mayor's chief of staff is trying to break up the team and whether she’s doing it on the mayor's behalf. There’s more to come here.
S.W.A.T. Exiles airs Fridays on Starz.
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