Sentinel

**Sentinel** is the fourth episode of the fifth season in the remake version of *S.W.A.T.*, and the eighty-eighth episode overall, which was aired on October 22, 2021.

## Summary

As the team races to stop a violent band of armed robbers, the search is complicated by civilians using a public safety app that encourages vigilantism. Also, Street receives difficult news that alters his future.

## Recap

Dominique Luca and Jim Street arrive on scene, ordering people to get across the street away from the scene or they will arrest them. Inside the house, Street and Luca find a man inside with a gun, claiming he lives a few blocks away and he is not who they are looking for. They call in for an ambulance as the man they arrest claims to have seen the robbery alert on Sentinel and came to help.

Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson and David “Deacon” Kay learn from Luca that this is a robbery gone back but they have been called back to HQ by but all of them are concerned about what Rodrigo Sanchez is really after; in the meantime they will take witness statements.

Meanwhile, Jim returns to HQ where he is asked to sit-down by Robert Hicks and is informed that his mother passed away this morning. There are no signs of force or trauma, but it looks like it was drugs. He is furious that he gave her a piece of his liver and she is out of prison for less than 2 months and he overdoses. He is offered help and to talk, and taking time to process but he prefers to stay with the team. Everyone there knows his relationship with his mother was messed up but now he knows she is at peace and he insists he is okay. Hicks tells him that if he focus flips at all he will pull him from the field offering his apologies; feeling there is no right call with this kind of situation.

SWAT interviews the man they arrested, saying the man played vigilante and that is what might have gotten his neighbor killed. Sanchez says they need to up their game before robberies turn into homicides.

Hicks and Victor Tan, reveal that the neighbor is right about Tomas Hernandez doing the shooting; but they have no look at his associates; he robbed a pharmacy the day before and Serena’s house today but there is no surveillance. Apparently they are not the only ones looking for him because of his gambling debts, Tan reveals they have been dealing with him before; Tan tells Hicks that he downloaded the Sentinel app and learned that Vince Jones just put money down on their suspect, Hicks hoping that if he has this many followers maybe he has some useful information for the case.

Christina Alonso finds Street in the locker, saying she admired what he did for his mother, scared her but she admired him for it; saying she is there for him if he needs her. Meanwhile, Sanchez and Hondo talk about Street in the kitchen, suggesting that Sanchez gives him a few days off, regardless of what Street is asking for. Hondo says he is looking out for a teammate as Sanchez says he is an adult but he will keep it in mind, offering Hondo to go for burgers but he declines.

Chris and Tan come to see Miquel, saying they are looking for one of his associates Tomas Hernandez, but he tells them that they better hope they find him first. He says Tomas mentioned something about needing the money for his brother and that is the only thing he has for them before he takes off on his motorcycle.

Deacon and Luca come to see Vince Jones, who tells them he is getting tons of tips on Sentinel. He says they are there to help the police and doesn’t encourage vigilante behavior but what happened this morning, had it not happened the woman could have been dead. He agrees to send over all the data he has received, over 900 files. Chris speaks to Deacon about the case for a moment, then voices her concern that there are zero female applicants on this year’s list for the academy. Deacon asked for a 48 hour extension but he doesn’t know if that is enough time to fix this.

Chris goes to see Fowler, who sprained her ankle and didn’t think Chris even liked her, but Chris feels she should have been more supportive. Fowler explains how she was told how bias it was and how much deeper it is, how the tests are biased and female are more likely to injure themselves on tests that have nothing to do with SWAT careers; Chris offers to look into it but Fowler says she needs to look after her own 6 for now.

Tan shows Deacon that the data he got them shows the three accomplices, Tomas Hernandez, Danny Hernandez and Jamie Mejia. Danny has a record and they have an address for him; the Sentinel app goes off and shows an address not far from Danny’s place, SWAT rides out. When SWAT arrives, there is a crowd of civilians with phones recording everything, even arguing over who spotted them first. SWAT spreads out to take over the place, Sanchez telling the team to engage when they don’t seem to see any hostages. They arrest the man inside, Hondo angry at Sanchez that it isn’t Hernandez and Sentinel got it wrong!

Luca and Deacon are back at HQ where they fret that the guy they gassed is a third grade teacher and they could be looking at law suits, if Vince keeps up this bounty they are going to keep getting these false leads, They are averaging a call per minute and now Vince has doubled the bounty. Tan shows that Danny Hernandez is also deep in debt as Hicks wants to find out the connection between the two men.

Hondo finds Street in the bathroom, saying they need to talk about his mom. Street insists he is fine as Hondo thinks he needs to take some time off, offering his condolences. Street mocks him, saying he could take a quick trip to Mexico. Jim bites back on him, saying Hondo preaches all day about family and the team being a family but when he was laid up in a hospital bed where was Hondo. Hondo says he was dealing with pretty heavy stuff but Street reminds him that he doesn’t get to pick and choose when he can be around. Sanchez hears the conversation and orders Hondo to leave Street alone.

Chris tells Deacon everything that Fowler told her, him wanting to know how they change things. He is all for improving everything but they cannot lower the bar for their female officers as Chris says there is something clearly broken in their recruiting process and it is time they fix it.

Victoria Mejia arrives at HQ with her daughter to speak to Hondo and Tan, asking her about her relationship with Danny Hernandez. She doesn’t know about the robberies but explains that Tomas is her ex and the father of her daughter and he is the one who sends money to her, helping to pay for her medicine as she is type 1 diabetic but now that she knows where the money is coming from she will not accept it. Street explains to Hicks that the victim, Serena from this morning is also a diabetic and that is why they robbed the pharmacy and Serena to get the insulin. Tan comes in, saying multiple Sentinel users have spotted their suspects and they are onto something, Hicks tells them to roll out.

The three men rob a pharmaceutical van, but he had already made the delivery, SWAT arrives and are able to arrest one of the robbers, Tan and Luca giving chase to the other two but having to stop when they are pinned in by pallets that dropped off a forklift.

Sanchez learns from Deacon that they are still after the insulin as Tan says the van made 10 deliveries today, and the shipping depot got the largest supply; leaving Hondo behind at Victoria’s house but allows Deacon to call him when he says they could use him. A Sentinel users thinks he spots the guys that Vince Jones is offering a bounty for and follows them into the warehouse; SWAT also breaches the warehouse, telling workers to get out of the building as they walk down the aisles, saying the insulin needs to be refrigerated.

Chris yells for a suspect to lay down and he begins to fire at them, Deacon tapping the shoulder and ordering his team to spread out. Deacon is able to jump and arrest Tomas, while Hondo, Luca and Tan work together as the Sentinel user tells his fans that he needs to get out but he is taken hostage by Danny. Sanchez tells Street to get into position while Hondo tries to talk to Danny, explaining how there are legal ways to take care of his daughter. Street tells Hondo to move two steps to his left but he doesn’t listen to them, as Sanchez says the same thing, but Hondo just wants Danny to listen to him.

Sanchez orders Hondo to stand down as he begins to talk to Mitch the hostage, saying he knows Danny knows what he is talking about, having a young daughter and both of them want to go home to them. He begs him to put the gun down and Danny does. Hondo does it as Sanchez rushes in and arrests him, saying they have the suspect in custody but gives Hondo a dirty look.

Back at HQ, Hondo stops Street, saying he is sorry about his mom and sorry about the other stuff too; not excusing for leaving everyone in the dark. He wasn’t there then but he is there now. Street wants to go home and unwind but he appreciates what Hondo said and shakes his hand. Street hops on his bike as Chris finds Fowler in the locker room, saying Deacon is modifying the program as Fowler said her and a few other women are resubmitting as soon as she is healed up and thanks her for doing what she did.

Vince Jones finds Deacon and Tan, saying their real users want to see them, as Deacon says they are not interested in this as Tan says they should give the bounty to Victoria Mejia who lead them to the apprehension of the robbers and it may as well be her who gets it to pay for her daughter’s insulin.

Street opens his door to find Chris there. He invites her in, saying Luca went to grab beers with Deacon, but he wasn’t in the mood, He is feeling sadness, anger and regret but she feels that is normal but he doesn’t think there was anything normal about his relationship with her but he feels relieved when she died; Chris admitting she felt the same when her mother died and a whole weight was lifted off her shoulders when she went away. They both feel a common ground. He always dreaded this day not because she was gone but because when she died he would truly be alone. Chris says he isn’t, but he says he can’t do this half relationship thing and he doesn’t want her to compromise herself at work but he can’t keep doing whatever this is and walks away from her.

Hondo comes into Hick’s office, where he is asked if he directly disregarded a direct order from a commander and Sanchez is angry about it when Hicks says he will be the judge of it. Hondo reveals to Hicks that Sanchez is there to destroy him because he was a whistleblower and the brass wants him out; he is not the architect. Hondo says he is a brown man who is taking out a black man for calling out white cops. Hicks orders Sanchez to stay in his lane as Hondo says they can send a dozen more people like him as Hicks says he will not keep signing papers but Sanchez tells Hondo to have some dignity and walk away first or follow every order he gives him to the letter. Sanchez nods to the commander, causing Hondo to look at Hicks concerned.

## Cast

### Main

* Shemar Moore - Daniel Harrelson
* Alex Russell - Jim Street
* Lina Esco - Christina Alonso
* Kenny Johnson - Dominic Luca
* David Lim - Victor Tan
* Patrick St. Esprit - Robert Hicks
* Jay Harrington - David Kay

### Recurring

* David DeSantos - Rodrigo Sanchez
* Norma Kuhling - Nora Fowler
* Cathy Cahlin Ryan - Dr. Wendy Hughes
* David Rees Snell - Det. John Burrows

### Guest

* Oscar Peña - Mitch Cartwright
* Kenny Barr - Marc Grantley
* Michael B. Silver - Vince Jones
* Evan Sloan - Deron
* Eric Urbiztondo - Danny Hernandez
* Mikal Vega - Mikhal “Russian Mike” Kovic
* Javier Calderon - Jaime Mejia
* Yeniffer Behrens - Victoria Bayon
* Natisha Anderson - Glenna
* Julianna Mia Behrens - Sammi Bayon
* Joey Anaya - Tomas Hernandez

## Trivia

* Jim's mom (Karen Street) passed away at the hospital.
* Hondo was mentioned to Sanchez about Jim's mom passing.
* Chris Alonso has a new best friend and team mentor Nora Fowler, after she hires her new job.