Episode Title: "Bait And Switch"
Writer: Rick Muirragui
Director: Matt Shakman
Previously on "The Good Guys"
Detective Jack Bailey (Colin Hanks) and Detective Dan Stark (Bradley Whitford) were stuck on the lowest rung of the Dallas police department — "routine investigations." While tracking down a stolen humidifier, the duo stumbled upon a gun battle between a thief named Julius (RonReaco Lee) and the self-described "second-best assassin" in the world. Bailey and Stark subsequently took down the assassin's boss with the help of both Julius and the "second-best" assassin, who each received lighter punishments as a reward. Bailey and Stark also regained a measure of respect from their colleagues in the police department.
Story:
Stark and Bailey investigate a broken window, which Stark uses as an excuse to finagle his way into bed with one of the female victims. From his newfound vantage point, he discovers that the street lamp nearby was also broken to cover the theft of a vintage car. Unable to convince Kiersten (Lauren Stamile) — the newest member of the major crimes task force — to help their investigation despite her apparent attraction to Bailey; Stark and Bailey concoct a scheme that uses their beloved Trans Am as bait, with their informant Julius locked in the trunk so his ankle bracelet can let them track the car.
On the other side of town, we meet Nigel (Steve Valentine), the main car thief. He is British, refined and carries himself like a James Bond villain. He is also apparently very neurotic and insecure, as he constantly calls his girlfriend for reassurance. Nigel and his crony steal the Trans-Am, allowing Bailey and Stark to track it to their warehouse and recover Julius. However, before they can successfully execute the raid with the rest of the police force, Nigel receives a warning from his girlfriend — Kiersten.
Wanting to know how they found the first warehouse, Kiersten takes Bailey on a lunch date and starts to seduce him before taking him hostage. Stark tracks down Julius, believing that he sold them out to the car thieves and reveals that he illegally removed Julius' ankle bracelet after the first sting. Tricking Julius into climbing back into the trunk to recreate the conditions of the first sting, Stark is able to get him to remember that Nigel spoke about Kiersten while stealing the car. After Stark tries several unsuccessful attempts to use the computer, Julius simply turns it on to find that the ankle bracelet is active again — and in the possession of Bailey.
Stark rigs Bailey's car to crash through the warehouse, allowing Bailey to break free. Julius continues to assist them as they take down Nigel and Kiersten. Bailey's ex-girlfriend, Assistant District Attorney Liz Traynor (Jenny Wade) is impressed by the bust and asks Bailey out to a Rangers game. Bailey declines in order to celebrate the bust with his partner.
Breakdown:
Some of the early criticism for this episode has been picking apart the characters and story for being unbelievable. Which is odd...
Everyone knows "The Good Guys" is supposed to be a comedy, right?
This show has got a lot of potential. And while this episode isn't quite as funny as the first, it's the villains who make it shine. Nigel — the James Bond-like villain — was a terrific foil for the show. Everything about him screamed debonair and "Bond," even his theme music and his golden gun! Steve Valentine has the best comedic moments of the hour as Nigel frequently loses his refined airs while desperately afraid that Kiersten doesn't love him.
Likewise, it was great to see RonReaco Lee back as Julius, even if it was just for a guest spot. Julius is one of the more entertaining characters on the show and Lee should absolutely be a regular on this series. He brings out the best of Whitford and Hanks.
Jenny Wade showed up again as the A.D.A. Liz and she was pretty useless. Or uselessly pretty. She's just not very good in this role. Everyone else seems to be having a blast, but she's basically just there. It's a shame that Lauren Stamile won't be sticking around as Kiersten. She was a lot more fun to watch.
Unfortunately, one of the reasons "The Good Guys" hasn't quite gelled yet, is that Whitford and Hanks haven't been able to really define their partnership through Stark and Bailey. They get a few good moments here and there, but when the villains and criminals are still more interesting than the leading characters, that's a problem. Of course, this is only the second episode, so it's too early to declare failure there.
The recurring theme of Stark ending up in bed with minor crime victims could be a good running gag and it was amusing to see that it actually led to a break in the case. Stark also had a great moment of melodramatic tension as he stressed to his fellow officers how the recovery of his Trans-Am was the top priority. Even the theme music swelled to carry the moment! That was a nice touch.
Stark also had some great scenes with Julius built around Stark's inability to understand anything that happened after 1989. Again, Stark's character doesn't work if you take "The Good Guys" as any kind of serious drama. But this is a comedy and Whitford is great for that.
Now the writers just have to find a way to make the detectives as funny together as Stark is by himself.
Crave Online Rating: 7.5 out of 10
