Payback
Our travels through the world of all things Sentinel bring us to the
episode, Payback. This is yet another gang war episode. Goodie. The
usual warnings, spoilers and frequent comments on Jim and Blair looking
mighty fine.
The two gangs are a biker gang, The Void, and an oriental gang, The
Yakuza. They are doing nasty things to each other and the police seem
to think they should stop it. I say let them wipe each other out, but
unfortunately, innocent people get caught in the middle so the cops
have to try and stop them.
The first Jim/Blair shot is when they're investigating a hit on the
Yakuza. Jim looks very nice in a blue plaid shirt and tan khakis. Blair
looks wonderful in a great red silk shirt. His hair is longer these
days and I really like it this way. Blair doesn't seen the least bit
upset when he watches Jim go over the body in this scene.
Back at the bullpen, there is a great scene with the guys and Simon.
After Jim explains about why the dead guy has a missing digit, telling
Blair that it's a way of pledging loyalty to give a piece of themselves
to the gang, Simon looks at Blair and tells Blair to make a note. Simon
is giving Blair the impression that Simon might ask for a piece of him
one of these days. Blair says, duly noted! Very cute exchange. Blair
also gives that little B chuckle that I love.
So there is a summit to bring the gangs together and a very bad thing
happens there But first when the bad guys are coming to the meeting and
getting frisked, Simon towers over the head Oriental guy and says
there's no smoking when the guy lights up. The guy glares and drops the
cigarette. Simon promptly puffs on his cigar right in the guy's face. I
love Simon.
Jim is in a really fine blue shirt that makes his eyes look so blue.
There is a great shot of Jim when he intervenes between the arguing
gang leaders. Man, those eyes are flashing and he's all business. He
looks so good. Goose bump time. Blair has on that olive green silk
shirt that I really like over a white v-neck t-shirt. Okay, the bad
thing is that someone poisons the Void's leader and he dies. Of course
the biker gang thinks it’s the Yakuza so all out war is declared.
Jim is determined to prove who committed the murder and avoid more
blood shed. Have I mentioned there is a BOTW in this episode? She is
exceedingly annoying.
We are treated to a wonderful scene of Blair and Jim in the truck. I
love truck scenes. They actually talk to each other! Blair is doing his
usual Jim watching. He tells Jim that he's an enigma. Jim kind of likes
that and tells his buddy that there is no way he's revealing all his
personal info to Blair. Surprise! Blair already knows it. Jim thinks he
all private and Blair is already in charge. Jim will get a clue sooner
or later. Blair knows Jim's ATM number, 3840, his parent's birthdays.
He pulls out his tape recorder and says to Jim, tell me the story of
your life starting with the minute your mother had that C-section. Jim
is nicely trapped. Good Blair. BTW, Blair's facial expressions are so
funny. He's all pleased that he knows Jim's info and has this look
like, I'm going to get more whether you like it or not, Ellison. God, I
love that guy.
There is a scene when Blair gets to play cop. Jim tells Blair to wait
in the truck while he follows the BOTW. Blair sees the biker gang try
and hit the oriental gang's car. Blair follows in Jim's truck watching
while the gangs have a shootout on the city streets which ends at the
waterfront when that nice bike gets dunked in the water.
Jim has to make due with what he can find to follow the girl since
Blair's taken the truck so he heists a wrecker and follows her. This is
were we find out she's really an undercover Fed. I'm so surprised. I do
not like Jim panting after this ditz. Good heavens, Ellison, get a
grip. Jim actually asks her if she's sleeping with the mark. Like it's
any of his business.
Jim finally located his Guide down on the wharf all jazzed up about his
part in the excitement. I love this scene. Blair asks if he can drive.
Jim says no way because of three things. He has a $1,000 deductible,
Blair left the bathroom a mess, and the Mariners lost to Texas. That is
so cute.
There is more story line about C4 being stolen and who has taken it,
and some shoe print that belongs to a bike rider. There is another
touchy/feely scene between Jim and the BOTW. Yuck. Oh, and one of the
biker members who was killed turns out to have been a Fed too. Things
are falling apart, it seems.
We are treated to a very nice shot of Blair working at his desk in the
bullpen with his hair down and his glasses on. I love Blair working
away. He is always so involved. Blair always puts his full attentions
into his endeavors.
Turns out one of the old cop, Mike, set up both gangs to wipe them out
because his niece was dragged into their sleazy world. She was a
runaway and she hooked for the Yakuza and used meth from the Void. Mike
decides to take them all out at once, but he didn't realize that one of
the bikers he is responsible for killing was a Fed. Jim does tell him
in the confrontation scene that the BOTW is also a Fed. Mike is
contrite and when one of the bad guys pulls a gun, he throws himself
between the BOTW and the bullet, and dies a hero's death.
And speaking of heroes, our Blair saves the day. When the older cop is
shot, he drops a detonator that would have blown up the entire block
and Blair dives in and catches it. Blair gets a great slow motion shot
saving everybody. Very nicely done, Blair. Jim compliments Blair when
he tells him, nice catch!
Unfortunately this episode ends with a very lousy tag between Jim and
the BOTW. Every episode should end with a Jim/Blair tag. Or even a
Simon/Jim tag. I'd settle for a Blair/Simon tag. This one sucked. Not
one of my favorite episodes, but at least the boys are together for
most of the episode. Every episode, even the "bad" ones, has good
scenes. Since we aren't getting any more, we have to hang on to the
ones we have.
Such is Payback. Next is True Crime. Oh, good, there is "that" scene in
the next one. Yippee!!!
The End
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