‘Tommy’ Episode 10 Review: Chief Thomas argues reformation for kids carrying guns for self-defense
The debate’s been on for a while, whether it is okay to carry arms in lieu of self-defense or the whole idea of having weapons in one’s possession is a threat in itself. While adults might be able to have some kind of control in using weapons for protection, it does not apply to kids and youngsters. Shootouts at schools, public places and on the open streets, continue to be rampant. This issue was once again brought to light in the case of the day on CBS hit crime procedural.
Chief Abigail Thomas aka Tommy (Edie Falco) was on a case where a rising baseball star, Jiovani Perez, was charged with carrying a gun. He sees a man trying to rob a grocery store, where he was present and to protect the store owner and himself he draws the gun and gets the robber arrested. It is a heroic act for a young boy, you would assume, but he gets arrested for illegal possession of firearm, considering he is only 17 and the gun is registered in his father’s name.
Tommy is assigned the case where she gets the boy in a probation program, and this upsets the entire LAPD, including the union, but most importantly, it upsets his chief of staff and close friend, Donn Cooper. He argues that giving such leniency to youngsters is only going to give them more levies and make them bolder in the future and they would go around assuming they can carry weapons on the pretext of self-defense. He also adds that there are already several cases of innocent people being locked up, with false charges of carrying arms, and ruling in favor of Perez does not do justice. There are guns on the streets and social crimes continue to surmount when everyone thinks that they can carry a weapon to protect themselves. Hence he pushes Tommy to charge the sports star with a felony just like anyone would. But Tommy has her own argument.
She thinks that the boy is no criminal and has a clean record. He is a popular baseball player and is about to hit the national league and move up his career ladder. Charging him with a felony will not only ruin his life but also scare other kids like him who would turn into criminals. Cooper then also cites an incident from his past where he saw a kid being killed by another 10-year-old and that makes him hate guns from the core of his heart. Even Tommy is not in favor of young people (or any commoner for that matter) carrying arms but she makes this case special because she thinks that a probation can help change Perez and other youngsters like him, so they would not repeat similar things in the future.
In the end, Perez gets arrested again for another shooting using the same gun. After further investigation, it is revealed that the second crime was committed by his cousin who was perhaps jealous of his more successful cousin.
The point of the episode ‘Packing Heat’ was not to defend or oppose the Second Amendment. Rather, it was to bring the reality of today in front of people and how children, young individuals, despite everyone’s best efforts, continue to fall prey to gun violence and how they can be protected by the state and encouraged for reformation.
‘Tommy’ airs every Thursday at 10pm/9c on CBS.