McCall and Dante form an uneasy alliance…

Last episode, I mentioned that Detective Dante was firmly working a parallel subplot to McCall’s, relentlessly on her trail. Even from the recap, it is clear this is going to be a more focal point of Episode 3. And so it proves, with Dante front and centre in this tale.

This week though, the game of cat and mouse between McCall and Dante continues, yet who is who in this dynamic? (For me, McCall’s the cat. McCall is definitely the cat). The strength of this is that the themes of the episode are crafted around the matter of law; specifically, justice and who holds the power with such.

This actually segues nicely into our client of the week, on the run from authorities at the start of the show, having broken out of his detention, It’s soon apparent all is not as it seems. It leads to the reopening of a cold case with some enemies in high places which require McCall’s particular expertise and contacts. Not to mention a little bit of tradecraft here and there.

The operational function of ‘Team Equalizer’ is cemented here. Melody and Harry are looking after her calls, though play a smaller role in the episode. As they remain adorable, I can cope with this. Interesting that even though the audience know what her nickname is, even if not from the title, it was mentioned in the previous episode. However, the ad continues to say otherwise. “We gotta find something better to call me than that…” McCall says. Guess it’s not quite earned yet, even three episodes in.

The summoning itself comes from Dale’s old lawyer, to which McCall firmly states, “I don’t help criminals”. Despite the judgment, the lawyer explains Dale’s innocence, leading us into notably the first white client she’s had so far on screen. It isn’t a plot point in itself but where it plays in is the following scene, in which ‘Preacher’, the first investigation lead, who is Black, provides us with the only real fight scene for McCall. The joint framing of these beats, and I use the word intentionally, plays a clever trick on us and carries the themes of both episode and series very well. It’s when he quickly points out that she broke into his house that the narrative both foreshadows a part of the conversation.

McCall acts as a lens here for Preacher to…in fact do just that. It defines McCall’s sense of justice as focused rather than fanatical at this point. Also, Preacher’s points are not heavy-handed. What happens if the system for justice fails us? Does anyone care? What of those on the path of redemption in this instance? Important questions here smartly asked.

While the writers kept McCall and Dante at a distance last time, their paths are forced to cross once more. We learn more about him than simply that he’s a paragon of integrity and a champion of justice, albeit one who works within the system. Compare and contrast of course to McCall’s need to work outside it, but of course here we have the two paths colliding. Or perhaps complementing one another. The game, the chase, intensifies, both professionally and personally for both. It makes for a fine reinforcement of McCall’s excellent espionage credentials and the diligence she puts into knowing who the crew are dealing with at all times. Having a high-level hacker helps, of course.

Even with Dante being a person of interest for more than simply professional reasons, that balance between getting the files on him and stalking is not crossed. The focus of her finding knowledge of him remains professional rather than personal, steering it away from potentially being problematic.

The central theme of justice really burns through this episode. The system doesn’t always work when it’s stacked in favour of the rich and powerful. “What are you willing to risk to make this right?” McCall asks Dante. Which Dante passes on to the D.A right after. I don’t know if it’s a deliberate reference to it, but it certainly echoes the strand in The Untouchables (1987) when Malone burrows into our subconscious, and particularly Eliot Ness’s, when he asks, “What are you prepared to do?” It ends with a great little call back to the first episode when Dante is asked how he ‘solves’ the cold case. “Good old fashioned police work. And a good lawyer.” This is, after all, how Dante meets McCall.

Meanwhile the Delilah subplot this week is about best friends not being so any more. McCall’s desire to fix this, one of her central character traits, is a source of tension between mother and daughter, with Aunt Vi continuing to be the voice of conscience, the reminder to us that even the supreme McCall isn’t infallible. “Who are you really trying to fix this for?” Vi asks McCall, knowing her better than anyone – at least on this side of affairs. The resolution isn’t the happiest ending, but a reminder that McCall can’t fix everything.

As for Dante, the more I think about it, the more I wonder about a certain intention to his name selection. He certainly attempts to walk on the path of the angels. His placing suggests we might later come to a conversation on corruption within the police, at which point, he’s going to be front and centre. And back to happy endings, the interactions between McCall and Dante stoke a set of embers which are most definitely slow burning now. Keep an eye on this one.

Verdict: Another enjoyable episode, with the investigative side far more heavily focused this week, and the show feeling comfortable enough in its own shoes now. It follows the beats I’d expect from a procedural but twists and turns constantly and felt focused. Where the premise of this show excels is that if episodes are crafted well, it provides them the option to follow a detective narrative, an espionage narrative, or anywhere in between and they certainly got the detective balance right for me this time around. Despite this, there’s still the sneaky espionage angle, which is so seamlessly blended in you barely notice McCall pulling on her disguise. 8/10

Russell Smith