The murder of a congresswoman sees the wife of a Venezuelan migrant contact McCall in order to save her husband from prosecution.

The politician in question offers an intentional resemblance to real life US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, better known just as ‘AOC’, giving the viewer an easy reference to her as a force of good for the communities of the accused. In that way, it almost creates the investigation out of a parallel universe version creating her sudden absence. Although a good basis to start from, the remainder of the episode stays close to the procedural formula viewers regularly see, offering no real surprises for seasoned viewers. However it continues the tradition of the show maintaining topical discussion around social and political matters the writers perhaps feel the US could be doing far better with.

The B-plot is perhaps more interesting: Aunt Vi struggles with a pupil of hers who leaves a clue in his artwork that not all is right in his life. The persistence and compassion which Vi personifies once again comes to the aid of a child in her class and his missing brother, with an assist from Detective Dante. We are reminded that it has been quite some time since the two have seen each other directly in a pleasant moment in the show, which rounds out Vi’s own investigative work.

Dante himself provides a link for upcoming storylines. His pursuit of his good friend Sonny’s attacker has evidently ruffled the feathers of another law enforcement department, offering the immediate suggestion that he has stumbled upon something far larger than his rather personal matter. Alternatively, it may show that his quarry has friends in high places. Either way, a small moment in the episode appears to herald a much larger one.

Verdict: A solid main story, but not as memorable as it might have been given the interesting premise behind it. This is probably a skippable episode in terms of the season’s overall standing, with the exception of some small details. 6/10

Russell A. Smith