The title of this episode is "Honor Among Strangers" (not to be confused with 'Thieves Among Thieves' from earlier in this season). Directed by Chris Nyby. Written by J. Larry Carroll and David Carren.
U. S. Army intelligence gets involved in a bank robbery using stolen military grade weapons, because the robbery is connected to a larger terrorist plot. First Lieutenant P. J. Garrett (Brittney Powell) coordinates with the Major Crimes Unit.
Former Army officer Cliff Eagleton (David Keith) is now a white supremacist terrorist who intends to blow up a major construction project for Tanaka Bank, using Stinger missiles.
Grace goes undercover to a neary Army base as an enlisted soldier named Chen. Terrell follows later as Captain Parker.
Texas Ranger Cordell Walker (Chuck Norris) shows up to help out with the case. He's involved because Eagleton killed one of Walker's colleagues. Eagleton's probably planning something bad in Texas, too.
Tropes
- Artistic License – Military:
- For the most part, the uniforms look authentic and are worn correctly.
- However, when Terrell, as Captain Parker, questions Grace as Chin, he refers to her as "private" even though she has on her collar what looks like staff sergeant insignia. She should've said something to the effect of "That's not my rank, sir."
- Lt. Garrett does not wear her cover (hat) indoors like we see on at least one other show created by Carlton Cusenote . However, in a later scene when she's outdoors wearing a camouflage uniform, she has cloth rank insignia on her shirt collar but a silvernote rank insignia on her cover. That defeats the point of the cloth rank insignia. Granted that she's not wearing camouflage face paint, but the silver insignia's likelier than her face to glint and give away her position to Eagleton's men.
- Men in the U. S. Army are allowed mustaches, but not goatees nor beards (except as a religious exemption, e.g., Sikhs, orthodox Jews). Terrell's goatee is acceptable as a Los Angeles police detective but not as a captain in the Army.
- As with so many other shows, the writers seem to be under the impression that an entire Army career is like boot camp. Once graduated from boot camp, soldiers, even at the lowest rank, are due certain courtesies that they were not due in boot camp, such as being addressed by their proper rank and name. Yet all the lower-ranking soldiers are treated like recruits at boot camp. While a captain can certainly order a staff sergeant to do pull-ups for no apparent reason, that is extremely unlikely in real life. A captain simply has bigger fish to fry.
- For the most part, the uniforms look authentic and are worn correctly.
- Crossover with Walker, Texas Ranger. This is Part 1 of 2. The Walker episode "Day of Cleansing" is Part 2 of 2.
- Does Not Like Guns: Walker has a big, shiny gun locked and loaded to go deal with Eagleton's men. Walker asks Sammo what he'll do for a weapon. "I'll find one," Sammo replies.
