‘Nemesis’ Episode 2 Recap: “Breaking Protocol”

Once LAPD detective Isaiah Stiles called out Coltrane Wilder’s crime crew live on air — boldly detailing their two choices, prison or death — he announced his obsession to the whole city. So now everyone can give him shit for it, from Cruz, his partner, to Viggiano, working the Patek Philippe case, to Captain Seales, and all the way to a family therapy session, where Candace tells the doctor Isaiah still needs to be more present. If he commits to be more available, more in his family’s life, if he commits to turning off his phone and police radio and attending the Baldwin Hills Cares Gala with Candace, “then we can talk about him moving back in, and ending the separation.” Now Isaiah’s the one getting called out. 

Cruz was handling witness interviews while Stiles was at therapy, and a pattern is emerging from the jewelry store heist. One young woman, supposedly an innocent customer, was caught in a lie that proves she was the inside plant. And though the heist turned violent, it was otherwise part of the method Stiles has identified. High-end product, high stakes tactics, precision movements. When another witness recalls what was said by the robbers in glittery masks — slang Stiles recognizes as Crip-coded — the pattern even begins to point somewhere solid. Captain Seales allows Stiles to open a task force, and places on the team Dave Cerullo (Domenick Lombardozzi), a transfer to LAPD from major crimes in New York.

While the cops work the case here in Nemesis Episode 2, the robber works the problem. Deon taking the Patek made Charlie angry, because if he fences it, their entire criminal network could be exposed. But when she orders Trane to make the delivery of the diamonds they stole personally, with his crew, he sniffs out her ulterior motive. Deon definitely screwed up, stealing the watch. But Trane’s not gonna let one of his guys get smoked. At the drop, on a point overlooking Los Angeles, to the exquisite sounds of David McCallum’s “The Edge,” Coltrane has Choi in place with a sniper rifle. And when the double-crossing diamond buyers make their move, his crew makes theirs. They shoot everybody, escape with the cash, and spread the stolen diamonds all over the bodies. For the cops it will look like a deal gone bad, and the stones will complete their circle. Case closed.

“You need to put some neck bone stock up in there!” It’s Thanksgiving, and there is a lot of family commotion in Isaiah and Candace’s kitchen. Isaiah is in good spirits, and staying present, but he has a hard glare for Amos when his father shows up unexpectedly.  “Little man invited me,” he says, and Noah is overjoyed to see his grandfather. The good vibes last for at least a few Earth, Wind & Fire songs before Amos makes a tough observation about his son. “You keep blaming everybody else, but now you fucking up your own family just like me.” This remark, and Amos calling Noah “Little Nightmare” – as in a version of his longtime gang nickname – is too much, and Isaiah kicks Amos out of the house.

Isaiah’s relationship with his father is as fiery as it is hesitant, as if they both know they need to get past their issues, but can’t quite put that into words. And at their own Thanksgiving celebration, we learn how fathers figure into Ebony and Coltrane’s lives. Trane’s sister Ella (Khalilah Joi) speaks harshly with Ebony and says her becoming pregnant was a mistake. (“Bringing another life into the type of childhood my brothers and I had is wrong.” Yikes, maybe next time just bring a casserole to Thanksgiving.) But Ebony dismisses Ella. She says her own father was a criminal who worked to leave the life, and that is exactly what Coltrane intends to do. 

Which is true! Trane really does want out. It’s why he has an entire legitimate business, Wilder Holdings, where he buys and sells real estate and establishes community redevelopment projects in Inglewood. It’s also why he tails Isaiah in his all-black Audi S8, taking photos of his movements.. He wants to know who this cop is, the one from the news with the obsession, and Coltrane soon connects his crew’s exploits to the past and Manny Shaw, Stiles’ dead partner. 

Stiles was dead-set on the existence of an elusive criminal crew responsible for the most elaborate jobs, the same crew who got away with killing his old partner, and despite the gripes of his colleagues, he was exactly right. And while Coltrane and his guys conduct surveillance on him, Stiles has gathered crucial evidence on them. The police have identified Deon. Which linked them to Stro. Which further linked them to Choi. Which has finally added one more name to Stiles’ It’s All Connected board. Coltrane Wilder.

Cops & Robbers for Episode 2 of Nemesis (“Breaking Protocol”):

• The needle drops continue! Especially with family over for Thanksgiving, which brings out classics like Luther Vandross with “Never Too Much,” “I’ll be Around” by the Spinners, and Aretha with “Rock Steady.”

• While Isaiah’s theory links Coltrane with the robberies, their wives are likely setting them up on a collision course in real life. Candace and Ebony are friends, and both serve on the charity board throwing the Baldwin Hills Cares Gala.

• After Isaiah kicked Amos out, Noah went alone to his grandfather’s house. “I founded my own set, you know,” Amos says, and shows Noah old photos in a scrapbook. Josiah, the brother Isaiah lost to street violence, was also known as “Little Nightmare.”

• Besides adding the always-welcome Domenick Lombardozzi as Detective Dave Cerullo, in Episode 2 of Nemesis, Captain Seales also saddles Stiles with a new trainee detective, Jamel Brinkley (Jay Reeves). At first Stiles thinks this will only distract from his obsession. But Brinkley’s one of the only cops to also believe It’s All Connected. 

Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.