Episode three does a great job of balancing the main narrative with the surrounding supportive beats. As Cross’s team heads to Texas for its next lead, John battles his inner child’s feelings and his mother’s return. Still upset that Alex never told him his mother was alive, John attempts to push any olive branch away. He deflects Alex’s attempt to apologize, and keeps his mother at arm’s length, when questioning her about the night of her alleged crime.
The one person that tends to get through, girlfriend Malika, remains as stubborn as him, refusing to abandon him. It is a nice touch to see John being so vulnerable. As many times as he withstood as Alex’s accountability partner, it’s good to see him receive the same support.
Meanwhile, the expedition to Texas brings the team to a stakeout at a gas station. After hours of no movement, a simple truck driver switch erupts into a shootout due to a DHS agent’s eager trigger finger. They realize they happened upon a child trafficking ring, sending undocumented children off for labor. Fortunately, they rescue the precious cargo, but Lincoln evades custody, leaving Alex and Kayla’s investigation at a standstill.
The episode’s immigration storyline fits seamlessly with the overall story, drawing a nice parallel between John’s personal narrative and a young undocumented child they rescue named Roberto. Alex’s exchange with him was a nice touch, keeping the series topical and feeling current.
We learn a bit more about Luz and her mother as she and Donnie continue on their crusade. Evidently, the trafficking of children goes back for decades, as Luz connects with Francisco, a victim who escaped and survived a horrific incident.
The weaker moments of the episode definitely came with Bobby Trey’s scenes, as he is working to make Agent Craig’s dilemma disappear. While his method is creative, it feels tonally different from the rest of the show. His eccentricity seemed to work better in the first season.
Episode three remained entertaining, with strong developments that should keep viewers intrigued.
Rating: 8/10