Recap / SWATS 04 E 12 U Turn

When 20 Squad is called to a domestic disturbance, they uncover a plot to silence witnesses to a war crime whose testimony could have major repurcussions.

Tropes

• Abusive Parents: One of the Guatemalan hit squad is also an abusive father who abducted his two daughters, threatened to kill them if their mother reported the abduction and frequently hit the girls.
• Chekhov's Gun: A literal example; Hicks mentions to Hondo that the gun the little girl used to try and kill her abusive father was flagged as a murder weapon of a journalist who it turns out was about to publish an article including testimony from the refugees regarding the Guatemalan military's war crimes.
• The Dog Bites Back: The episode kicks off when the daughter of one of the Guatemalan assassins finally snaps from her father's abuse to her and her little sister, steals his gun and tries to kill him.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: The four Guatemalan refugees get to tell their story publicly, causing a major backlash against their country's government, Deacon mentions they've been able to claim political asylum in the U.S. and Street is able to reunite the two abducted girls with their mother.
• He Knows Too Much: The four refugees were witnesses to the Guatemalan military violently suppressing a peaceful protest, and if their testimony goes public, it might convince the U.S. government to back out of a foreign aid deal to Guatemala, hence why a hit squad is targeting them and a journalist who agreed to publish their story.
• Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: 20 Squad getting called out to deal with a domestic disturbance uncovers evidence of an assassination plot.
• Papa Wolf: Zig-zagged; while Hicks admits he's not happy with Street for breaking up with his daughter, he appreciates that Street didn't string her along.
  Hicks: Look, my daughter's hurting, so are you my favourite person right now? No. But Molly says you didn't play games and you treated her with respect.
  Street: Trust me, I do respect her. The fault was all me.
  Hicks: Oh, I have no doubt that's the case.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Implied; the magazine editor who clued the Guatemalan assassins into the location of their targets is heavily implied to have been targeted as well. Deacon comments that sooner or later, he'll realise the hit squad was there to kill him too and will cut a plea bargain.