CBS' The Red Line - Episode 1.02 "We Are Each Other's Harvest"
Grieving widower Daniel Calder files a civil suit against Officer Paul Evans, the cop who shot his unarmed husband. Daniel's adopted daughter, Jira, tries to connect with her birth mother, Tia Young, who is conflicted about meeting her daughter. Paul is assigned a new partner on the force, Officer Diego Carranza.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of CBS' The Red Line.
"We Are Each Other's Harvest" was written by Shernold Edwards and directed by Kevin Hooks
The show could only withhold the truth about Tia being Jira's birth mother for so long. Sure, it still defines a whole lot of story. There is a lot of back-and-forth on that specific plot development here. This hour explains how Harrison knew who Tia was but Daniel didn't. The show offers the somewhat easy explanation of saying how difficult adoption to gay couples was back in the day. It's still difficult today but the show is prioritizing the personal drama of Daniel and Jira not knowing. Jira wants this connection because she wants more family to process everything that is happening in her life. Daniel sees it as his daughter rejecting him because he's not offering her all the love she needs. He is the parent who is always there for her. But she feels isolated because he is presenting too strong of a front. It's meaningful for her to see him break down to know that he isn't coping well with any of this either. That's a significant moment that will allow them to move forward with their lives despite the uncertainty of the new civil lawsuit. They are hoping to get some justice for Harrison. But that won't be the absolute answer to all of their problems. Daniel fears that he will never love again. Jira worries she won't have a connection to her own cultural identity. Meanwhile, Tia is concerned about adding even more pressure to Jira's life. She understands that Jira is already going through a tough time. She may not know how she is doing personally but this tragedy is still defining the conversation around the city. People are noticing Officer Evans on the job. They feel the need to record him immediately. That leads to another damaging tape of him being scared of a cell phone. He is paranoid at the moment. That mostly comes as the police side of the story is more interested in being a classic mystery of what's truly going on with a bunch of complications stemming from this central action. And so, Paul confronts Vic about the tape she stole on his behalf. She says she destroyed it only for him to break into her private safe and realize it's still there. That may only increase his suspicions of the world conspiring against him. But that too may paint him in an unflattering light that will increase the pain and suffering for everyone involved. He didn't know that there was a cover-up of his crime until after the criminal proceedings were done. And now, he is an active participant in it because he knows the tape exists and he wants to destroy it. That's the advice that his brother gives him. Paul sees it as the best thing he can do to ensure the stability of his life moving forward. Right now, it also seems impossible to get back to that place. His perception in the community has forever been changed. And that all harkens back to Tia's campaign proposal that there needs to be better police in the city not more of the same of what currently exist. That's her priority at the moment. She is making her campaign pitch to her potential constituents. Some are more accepting and supportive than others. But she is able to win over votes. And yet, her connection to Jira is overwhelming to her as well. She initially doesn't want any contact. However, she does reach out because it seems like the world is conspiring to put this family together. Now, it's a question of whether or not Jira will share that email with her father or if Tia will tell her husband about it. Jira saw her dad in a new light here. She understands how much he loves her. But she may also be prone to keeping secrets because this could offer a new and vital connection that she has desperately needed.
