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Recap

Harmon has always pushed and advocated for better relationships within the community, whether they are people like Ava, just trying to raise their kids and handle their business, or Smokey. However, while Harmon is able to make inroads with Ava thanks to getting Gabe transferred, after one of Smokey’s places gets hit and a seven-year-old dies, Lasman decides to go scorched Earth and destroy all the other inroads Harmon has made.

As you can imagine, she isn’t happy about this and goes face-to-face with Lasman about it. He finds this amusing since he was born and raised in Long Beach, and his mother still lives there. He even reminds Harmon, who tries to assert she has roots, that his Long Beach and hers are very different.

But if there is one silver lining in all of this, Alex seems to be learning how to make his own inroads. While his efforts with Smokey’s daughter, Leona, only lead to finding one of Smokey’s victims, it seems he is learning the benefits of soft power.

This may explain the reward of Sergeant Koyama, Harmon’s mentor, showing up and offering her and Alex the chance to be part of him taking down Smokey. Mind you, not for murder, but for drugs, which both are immediately down for.

Collected Quote(s)

It doesn’t matter who they were yesterday. Today, they are our victims. — Harmon

Episode Details

Episode Title	War Machine
Originally Aired	January 9, 2025
Network	Prime Video
Director(s)	Brenna Malloy
Writer(s)	Bryan Gracia, John Conley
introduced ACTOR(S) NAME	Annabella Didion

New Character Descriptions

Leona (Annabella Didion)

Leona in the hospital — Leona (Annabella Didion)

Leona is Smokey’s daughter, potentially his only child, who gets caught up in the insurrection caused by his inability to protect Maniac.

Review

Trajectory (82/100): Plateau

It’s a very interesting thing to watch Harmon and Lasman conflict over how to be a cop. Lasman, born and raised in Long Beach, likely knows how brutal cops could be, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t had a run-in during his lifetime. This makes him wanting to be the type who cracks down interesting – especially since “On Call” has been void of politicians thus far, so it isn’t like the mayor or whoever is giving orders.

But with that in mind, you have to also appreciate Harmon’s side of things. Gangs are going to exist no matter what, and taking people in for the most minor of charges due to the assumption they are part of East Barrios to take them off the street for a night, maybe a week at most, since the cops lack significant charges? What is that going to do? Who is that going to help?

In the battle of hard power vs. soft power, you see what hard power ultimately has to do through Smokey and the consequences of continued use via daughter. Soft power, on the other hand, yes, may mean gangs on the streets and random flare-ups, but for cops to do their jobs, they need to make inroads like Alex does with Leona or Harmon had with Smokey. Otherwise, if you choose the Lasman way, it won’t just be 7-year-olds who end up collateral damage but a bunch of cops, too, creating an escalating cycle that will leave many dead or weeping.

With all that said, I wonder, with Leona one of Alex’s first main contacts within East Barrio and things getting kind of flirty, will he cross the line? He is single.