I can't believe there isn't a thread about this one yet. Great "year one" show, I thought they handled the strike team going over the edge rather well. Another great episode in the best series on TV! I was surprised that next week is another new episode, jumping back into the regular timestream. I thought this episode would be the last of the season.

Well this one was kinda weird. It said "14 months ago", but does that mean 14 months before the first episode of season 1 or 14 months before the current month of say, last week's episode. IMO, the second answer makes a little more sense, but not really.



Tuan Jim

Yeah, I wasn't sure about that myself. I've got the Season 1 DVD, but haven't watched the first episode since it originally aired. I'll have to go back and check.

The original episode aired 3/12/02. That, and the fact that this was titled "Co-Pilot" leads me to believe that the was a prequel to the original pilot, and takes place a week or two before the pilot.

That's my overall feeling, but it just doesn't seem to give enough time for them to create the basic infrastructure that you see in later episodes -- anyone remember how long that one dealer had been paying Mackie under the listing of "landlord" -- earlier this season?

Tuan Jim

It was a prequel but I beleive the closing scene with Vic taking Terry into the strike team room was one of the first scenes from the pilot. I'll have to go back and watch season 1 but I don't get how him and Robinson became partners so quick. I remember Terrey taking pictures of Robinson and Vic together but using the timetable with this ep it seems like they just met. I think this episode was a good idea but it opened up alot of plot holes.

I thought it was funny how Corrine pushed him into joining the strike team and now it's the reason she doesn't want him around.

The pilot aired March of last year. This episode takes place 2 months before that...with the exception of the last scene, which take place several weeks later (after Terry is approved for the team, and right before the Pilot).

A good episode, but a bit gimmicky. It was nice to see some of the old characters, but I would have rather had a new episode.

I didn't pick up on several week delay between the main story and the last scene. It does make more sense now.

It was a good ep overall but I agree it was gimmicky. I did think it was funny during the arresting of the gang members on the street, Lem was the one who was beating the crap out of someone and Vic and Shane were the ones objecting to it.

The only episode I have missed is the Pilot from the first season. Whatever happened to

I really liked this episode, I thought it was well done for those that have been around since this show started. Rondell was introduced in really a strange way, because in Season One (1) his character is more of a Im doing a favor for the cops or Im terrified that Ill get hurt by those around me.

But Im sorry having the rookie in the locker room staring at Curtis' a$$ was too funny.

I liked this too, it was great to see Gilroy back, I liked his character (even though he turned out to be evil at the end).

The third detective (the old guy about to retire) is the same detective that Dutch's girlfriend is looking for in the Season 1 episode that introduced her. He hasn't been seen until tonight, and presumably retired between the pilot and this episode.

The more I think about this episode the less I like it. There were a lot of "cute" and "didja notice" type moments and references last night. Stuff like that is fine for "Star Trek" and "Buffy," but it doesn't belong here. Quite frankly, it felt more like fan fiction than like a real ep. What's next, an alternate reality where Mackey is by-the-books and Julien runs the strike team?

If this had been the actual pilot, I doubt I would have stayed for the second episode.

I don't get it is the basic premise of this episode that Mackey was a good cop than went off the deep end?

Based on the episode with Carl Weathers I got the idea the he taught Vic how to be a dirty cop. So wouldn't Vic already be dirty before he got to the Strike Team?

They said Mackey had a some stuff in his file that made Acevada question bringing Mackey in. I think the things such as partnering up with drug dealers and the planting evidence happened once the strike team was formed.

Finally got around to seeing this last night. A good standalone episode, but like has been said, doesn't seem to fit in real well.

I also didn't pick up on the fact it was a few months between the bulk of the episode and the last scene. If it was that amount of time (and maybe my memory is failing me), why does Vic act the way he does to Dutch in the original pilot? Vic acts like they had just met shortly before?

An intresting episode, but I really didn't like how is was Acevada that pushed Vic into the cop we see today. For me, it took away from Vic's mystique.

Question, so was this filmed during this session, or filmed (and written) when they made the orignal pilot?

It's a brand-new episode.

I'm just guessing here...

but my feeling was that this episode was actually shot well back in the beginning as the pilot... and was replaced by the actual episode that aired...

and this "co-pilot" episode was a producers use of recycling unused footage to piece together a "new" episode.

Which I don't mind at all... it was like a featurette...

Nope. It's a brand-new episode featuring all-new footage.

I don't know if this makes sense but their were to many things is this episode that contrasted current events to make me believe that this was shot back at the start of the show.

Corrine who blames Vics work for the family problems was pushing Vic to join the strike team in this ep.

Lemonhead has been the voice of reason and restraint this season and in this ep he's the one who starts to assault a suspect whilw Vic and Shane are the ones who pull him off.

It seems like they made a point to emphazie the first meeting of Vic and Claudette being cordial to one another.