When a shootout at a truck stop exposes a sex trafficking ring operating in L.A., the race is on to catch the ring's leaders before they kill the girls they're holding to cover their tracks. With Deacon still catching flak for reporting Durham and his racist cohorts, Hondo makes a decision to force the L.A.P.D. into a confrontation about institutional racisms that could have severe repercussions for his career.
Tropes
- Anger Born of Worry: Hicks's anger towards Hondo for talking to the press about institutional racism in the L.A.P.D. seems less about Hondo going outside the chain of command and more that his friend and colleague might have destroyed his career with no guarantee it will achieve anything.Hondo: I thought I should tell you because I know the L.A.P.D. is gonna catch blowback from this.Hicks: And what about you? What about you?! The Mayor's gonna have your head for this.
- Badass Bystander: Long Haul Protectors, a group of truckers who look out for signs of women being used by sex traffickers and try to help them. Chris dismisses them as a bunch of amateurs, but Deacon respects what they do enough to ask for their help in bringing the traffickers to justice.
- Car Fu: When the leader of the sex traffickers flees in a petrol tanker with a female hostage, Tan and Street use some creative driving to run him off the road.
- It's Personal: Tan explains to Lynch that a girl he had a crush on in high school fell victim to sex traffickers, and while L.A.P.D rescued her eventually, the sexual and psychological abuse had taken its toll on her. Tan also adds that finding out what happened to the girl was what motivated him to join Vice Division.
- Jurisdiction Friction: Deacon gets a lot of verbal abuse from L.A.P.D officers angry at him for secretly recording Durham and his cohorts to report them for racism.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Hondo's reaction to realising Leroy's efforts to drum up money to help Darryl are legitimate after practically accusing his old friend of sliding back into his criminal ways.
- No-Sell: When finally cornered, the ringleader of the sex traffickers threatens to kill the girl he's holding hostage unless S.W.A.T. back off. Tan responds by non-fatally shooting him, putting the creep out of action long enough for Hondo to overpower him.
- Papa Wolf: It's revealed Leroy sold his apartment and put the funds towards helping Darryl's autoshop.
- Rural Gangsters: The main plot involves the team dealing with a sex trafficking ring that operates on the outskirts of LA, with them transporting the girls to truck stops and distant motels to pimp them out.
- Stuff Blowing Up: A leaking petrol tanker the bad guys used to flee from S.W.A.T goes up in flames.
- We Used to Be Friends: Both Hondo and Leroy lament that they've become this after being so close in their youth.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Deacon and Hicks are less than happy about Hondo talking to the press about institutional racism in the L.A.P.D, though mainly because they're worried it'll cost him his career with S.W.A.T.Deacon: Hondo, what you're talking about...it's career suicide.
- Street is also less than pleased to learn Chris confronted his mother in his hospital to tell the latter to stay out of her son's life. She in turn is angry Street is even considering being a liver donor for his mother, regardless of her manipulation of him in the past and the fact such an operation could have major health complications.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: When Tan is lamenting that he wasn't able to save his college friend from sex traffickers before, Lynch points out he saved five girls from the same fate.
