Warning! This article contains spoilers for On Call.
On Callseason 1 ends on a bittersweet note when Harmon manages to take down Smokey but also gets negatively affected by Lieutenant Bishop’s decision. Bishop’s decision in the show’s finale is surprising because it holds Harmon back from making progress as a police officer. However, a close inspection of Bishop’s actions reveals the real reason why she made that call and significantly impacted the direction of Harmon’s law enforcement career.
ThroughouttheAmazon Prime Video detective show’s runtime, Officer Harmon is portrayed as a morally righteous police officer with a strong sense of justice. All her actions are driven by her desire to make her city a safer place and ensure that justice is served to all wrongdoers. Therefore, she resorts to several extreme measures to catch the man who murdered her former student, Delgado. While she eventually succeeds in sending Delgado’s killer to prison, her methods land her in trouble, prompting Bishop to make some harsh decisions.
Lieutenant Bishop Was The One Who Denied Officer Harmon’s Transfer Request In On Call, Not Sergeant Lasman
She Did It After Harmon Told Her About The Unethical Methods She Used To Catch Maniac
When Diaz joins the police force inOn Call’s opening moments, he is warned to be careful about Harmon because she is known to have gotten another officer fired. Diaz’s curiosity gets the best of him, and he asks Harmon about the rumors surrounding her. She reveals that Lasman’s partner once shoved her, which got him fired from the police force. Even though everyone believed she complained against him, she had nothing to do with him getting fired. Lasman, too, seemingly holds a grudge against Harmon for getting his partner in trouble and holding him back from getting promoted.
…Bishop reveals that she stopped her transfer because she previously used unethical methods to acquire information on Maniac’s whereabouts.
Owing to this, when Harmon learns that her transfer to Koyama’s team was stopped by someone above her,she assumes that Lasman might have done it to exact revenge. As a result, she sets out to confront him. Lasman, however, defends himself by claiming that even though they do not always see eye-to-eye with one another, he believes they share the same vision about criminal justice. With this, Lasman is led to believe that Lieutenant Bishop must have pulled some strings from behind the scenes to prevent her transfer.
On Call Cast & Character Guide
Amazon Prime Video’s On Call walks through a compelling and realistic police procedural while also featuring memorable performances from cast members.
When she confronts Bishop inOn Call season 1’s endingarc, Bishop reveals that she stopped her transfer because she previously used unethical methods to acquire information on Maniac’s whereabouts. Harmon feels betrayed by Bishop because she previously confided in the Lieutenant by telling her the truth about how she learned about Maniac’s location.
Was Lieutenant Bishop’s Decision On Harmon Justified?
She Fulfilled Her Role As A Police Officer But Betrayed Harmon
As much as Harmon feels betrayed, it is hard not to see how Bishop fulfilled her responsibility as a police officer. Unlike many other police officers in the Long Beach department, she does not seem to hold any personal grudges against Harmon. However, when Bishop learns about the questionable means Harmon resorted to before catching Maniac, she is forced to take some actions against herto ensure she does not compromise future investigations or endanger the department’s reputation. Therefore, from her perspective, she made the right call.
Bishop’s decision seems to blur the lines between justice and personal ambition, where her duty to loyally uphold every aspect of the law clashes with Harmon’s desperation to find justice.
At the same time, given how the police department thrives on camaraderie, Bishop could have pushed Harmon’s mistake under the rug and embraced how she helped catch a dangerous criminal before it was too late. She could have warned Harmon about the potential consequences of her actions instead of stopping her promotion. Bishop’s decision seems to blur the lines between justice and personal ambition, where her duty to loyally uphold every aspect of the law clashes with Harmon’s desperation to find justice.
What Bishop’s Decision Means For Harmon’s Future In A Potential On Call Season 2
It Ruined Harmon’s Dreams Of Working With Koyama
Bishop’s decision holds Harmon back from pursuing her dream of working with Koyama and his team, suggesting she will continue as a trainer in the Long Beach police department. While this prevents Harmon from progressing as a police officer, it is hard not to see how it benefits the police department. ThroughoutOn Callseason 1, Officer Harmon puts her ability to mentor new police officers on full display by helping Diaz grow as an individual and as a law enforcer.
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Number of Episodes
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If she stays in her position as a trainer, she will be able to help many other aspiring police officers reach their full potential. If her transfer had been sanctioned, Diaz would have trained under a different police officer during his second shot at clearing the probation. The cancelation of Harmon’s transfer allows her to take Diaz under her wing again inOn Callseason 1’s finale, allowing her to mold him into becoming the best version of himself.
On Call
On Call follows veteran training officer Traci Harmon and rookie Alex Diaz as they navigate the aftermath of a fellow officer’s death and the complex politics of modern policing in Long Beach. The series highlights the challenges and dynamics within the department and on the city’s streets.
