Tonight’s S.W.A.T. episode took us deep into the high-stakes world of power struggles, kidnapping, and loyalty. The episode kicked off with Deputy Chief Bennett making an unexpected move—an early annual review of SWAT. It seemed like a standard procedure at first, but we quickly learned that Bennett had an ulterior motive. She wanted to put pressure on Commander Hicks, who had recently crossed paths with her husband, Warden David Bennett. The Warden was in hot water after a disastrous prison riot nearly cost several officers their lives, and in an effort to cover his own tracks, he tried to pin the blame on Hicks. But Hicks didn’t flinch. He called the Warden’s leadership "incompetent," and threatened to testify against him. And now, with the Deputy Chief pushing for a review ahead of that testimony, it was clear she was hoping to use this as leverage to sway Hicks into speaking favorably about her husband.
But Hicks? He wasn’t rattled. He’s a man who runs a tight ship, and the officers under his command are the best of the best. He knew his team was solid, and he had more pressing matters to deal with than political games. Specifically, Officer Tan’s girlfriend, Olivia Navarro, had just been abducted.
Watching Tan in this episode was tough. You could see how much he cared for Olivia, even as he tried to keep his emotions in check. Tan saw his girlfriend being taken from her apartment by several armed men, and despite his best efforts to chase them down, they got away. Olivia was gone, and Tan was left trying to process it all while also dealing with the weight of his feelings. There was no doubt about it—he cared about her, but the situation was bigger than just their relationship.
As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that Olivia’s abduction was part of something much more dangerous. She wasn’t the only victim. DEA Special Agent Gabriel Rodado had also been kidnapped, and his disappearance was linked to a cartel investigation that had gone terribly wrong. It didn’t take long for SWAT to realize that Olivia’s kidnapping was connected to Rodado’s investigation into the notorious cartel boss, the "Bloodhound," who had been trying to rebrand himself as a benevolent drug lord—building schools and hospitals in Mexico with blood money. Olivia, a journalist, had been writing about the cartel for years, and it seemed like she’d gotten too close to the story for her own good.
The deeper we got into the investigation, the more we learned about the Bloodhound’s criminal empire. Through a criminal informant, SWAT tracked down the Bloodhound’s operations to a closed storefront, thinking they were rescuing Olivia. But in a twist that no one saw coming, it turned out that Olivia wasn’t a hostage at all. She’d willingly gone to meet the Bloodhound for an interview. Her goal wasn’t to get caught up in cartel violence—it was to leverage the Bloodhound’s vanity for her story. Olivia believed she could flatter him into revealing secrets about the cartel’s operations, especially information about a previous article she had written about missing students in Mexico. She thought she could expose the truth and give the families closure, but instead, she walked straight into the lion’s den.
It was a tough pill to swallow, especially for Tan, who had spent hours thinking Olivia was being tortured or worse. Watching him wrestle with his feelings for her was gut-wrenching. His divorce had left scars, and here he was again, putting himself out there for someone who might never fully understand the risks he was taking on. But in the end, Tan sided with Olivia. He publicly supported her right to protect her sources, even though he privately chastised her for putting herself in such danger. Tan’s emotional walls were evident—they’d been there since his divorce—but tonight we saw just how much Olivia meant to him. He wasn’t just worried about her safety. He was worried about losing someone who had become so important in his life. He had to admit that if they were going to have a future, they needed to open up to each other and stop holding back.
I really appreciated the way the episode handled their relationship—it wasn’t just about the case or the abduction. It was also about the emotional stakes for Tan. He had a lot to process, and seeing Olivia again, safe but shaken, reminded him how much he cared. There’s something really raw and real about the way S.W.A.T. explores its characters, especially their personal struggles and how they intersect with the high-risk world they live in.
Meanwhile, the investigation continued to heat up, as SWAT tracked down Lagarre, the Bloodhound’s second-in-command. He spilled crucial information, revealing that the Bloodhound was heading toward the location of Maria Lozano, the former cartel member’s girlfriend, whom Rodado had been protecting. With time running out, SWAT caught a break when they cracked Rodado’s phone. They uncovered a lead that led them to a mansion where Maria had been hiding. The team rushed to the location, and in a tense, emotional moment, they found Maria—and Rodado—alive. They also arrested the Bloodhound, who had been causing chaos throughout the episode.
But for Tan, there was a small silver lining. After everything that had happened, he finally got Olivia her interview with the Bloodhound. It wasn’t the heroic moment she’d hoped for, but it was a victory for her—and a chance to expose the truth, even in the face of danger. I couldn’t help but feel relieved that Olivia got out of this situation relatively unscathed, though it was clear that her journey had left its mark on both her and Tan.
In the episode’s final moments, Hondo discovered the identity of the officer sabotaging Gamble’s career and called them out publicly. That move ended up backfiring on the Deputy Chief, who had been trying to leverage that information to pressure Hicks into testifying against her husband. But Hicks wasn’t about to back down. He refused to be blackmailed and stood firm with his team. It was a moment that spoke volumes about his integrity and his loyalty to his officers.
And then, just when things seemed to settle down, we got a lighter moment with Deacon, who found a rare sneaker for his son. The kid had decided to auction it off for a good cause, which made Deacon proud. It was a small but heartwarming moment amid all the chaos, reminding us that even in the most intense situations, family and personal connections are what keep these officers grounded.
What did you think?
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