Nearly every sniper scene that I've watched on TV or in movies is the same. The first person is shot and everyone just stands there. In this episode, after the first shooting, the woman nearby just stands there and screams...and is the next victim. Now, unlike most people, I have studied human nature for decades. You probably won't find a major course of study at any college or university with "human nature" in the title but what really sparked my interest was a course entitled, "Effective Listening". It changed my thinking. Even though the recent incident at Dallas Love Field Airport (July 2022) wasn't a sniper, it was a type of active shooter and some people in the terminal just froze. Lucky for them, a Dallas Police Officer shot the shooter as soon as she lowered her gun towards him. No one was hurt except the shooter. The female shooter had fired multiple rounds into the ceiling. I can't help but think that smartphones have led to a decrease in awareness and vigilance. I was the victim of a violent crime in 2015 and that changed my approach to awareness and vigilance. I have told motorists at gas stations that it's best to turn off your car and lock the doors because you are most vulnerable in a transitional space like that. Not to mention the danger of leaving your car running while pumping gas. Even at a red light, in a fast food drive-thru lane or bank drive-up lane, you are vulnerable. Vehicles can make great self-defense weapons. Think about that. Back to sniper scenes, obviously there will be some surprise and/or shock after the first shot but with the prevalence of shootings nowadays, we all need to think about how we are going to react if we are in that situation. Avoid distractions when you are potentially vulnerable. Safety is very important to me so I don't care if someone thinks I am paranoid. Back to this episode, the sniper's motivation is bizarre. He lost his girlfriend to cancer, was evicted and lost his job. Before his girlfriend dies, he befriends teenage orphan from Somalia who is an illegal immigrant. Seems to me, someone who experiences loss like Cole did would commit suicide - not go on a killing spree - or surrender to help the teenager. He told Maggie that life had no meaning. Maggie may have been able to get Cole to surrender if she would have told him her husband had been murdered. Overall, the second half of this episode was disappointing because the motive doesn't make sense when you look at who Cole shot and who he was angry with.
9 out of 10 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
