AUS Television: City Homicide, Episode 4.9 "The Hit"

City Homicide
Season Four, Episode Nine, The Hit
Original Air Date:  September 1, 2010

Disgraced former Detective Superintendent Gary Beck is killed at his mothers funeral and Terry Jarvis is a witness.  Duncan and Kingston are the primary detectives on the case and, the further they and the team dig into the killing the more surprises they uncover around every twist and turn.  Beck wasn't the target, Jarvis was and who ordered the hit comes as an even bigger surprise.  Duncan must weigh his loyalty to the job with his feelings about his past with Claire and Jarvis.

Duncan Freeman is one of my very favorite City Homicide characters and Jarvis is right up there with him.  I was expecting a great hour of television with this episode and it surely delivered.

As fans of City Homicide know, Duncan Freeman and Terry Jarvis have a less than amicable past with one another.  A drug sting led by Jarvis led to the death of Freeman's fiance Claire Jackson (Kat Stewart).  Freeman never has forgiven Jarvis for Claire's death.  In this episode, that past was put to the ultimate test.

When it becomes clear that Jarvis was the target for the hit and not Beck, Stanley Wolfe orders that Freeman and Kingston stay with Jarvis at all times.  Freeman doesn't want to but Wolfe will not take 'no' for an answer.  All of the old memories of Claire come flooding back to Freeman as he spends long hours at Jarvis' home looking through Jarvis' old case files, including the case where Claire died.  Freeman and Jarvis butt heads in a big way during this case and things get pretty tense.

Jarvis is a forceful man by nature.  He wants his way and goes for what he wants however he feels he'll succeed in getting it.  He pushes and he pushes hard.  Duncan isn't one to be pushed and he will push back.  When it comes down to the nitty gritty, Duncan Freeman comes through and saves the life of the man he hates more than anything.  There is still horribly bad blood between the two but Duncan did the right thing.  That says a lot about Freeman, I think.

This episode also has what has to be one of the best lines ever from a cop show thanks to Ally Kingston.  While searching Beck's room in lockup Kingston and Freeman are assured that the prisoners are very well watched and that "security is so tight even the Governor knew if Beck so much even let one rip".  After Duncan finds a mobile hidden in Beck's toilet Kingston steps up and says:  "Everyone knows when he lets one rip and no one notices when he craps a mobile?"  I couldn't help but laugh at that.  It just struck me funny.

It seems like the episodes this season just get better and better.  Each one becomes my new favorite.  Matt Ryan was noticeably absent in this episode and I truly hope Damien Richardson isn't leaving the show.  We've got a new character coming in, DSC Ryhs Levitt (Ryan O'Kane) and I hope he isn't a replacement for Matt!  Wolfe did mention "with Matt gone" so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

For more information:
City Homicide Official Site:  http://au.tv.yahoo.com/city-homicide/
Internet Movie Database:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024932/
TV Rage:  http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-17228