Understanding Smokey’s Role in East Barrio and His Connection to Officer Harmon

Warning! This article contains spoilers for On Call.

The intricate connection between Smokey, East Barrio, and Officer Harmon ignites the central conflict in On Call. This Amazon Prime Video series, crafted by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf, delves into significant themes such as loyalty, justice, and the quest for revenge. The narrative centers around two police officers, Harmon and Diaz, engaged in a mentor-trainee dynamic as they navigate a multitude of criminal cases. Their journey is marked by dilemmas involving the law and moral complexities.

While each episode of On Call introduces its own unique side stories, a continuous narrative unfolds through Harmon’s relationship with Smokey, a former convict. As the series progresses, the nature of their bond reveals itself as both intricate and perilous. In the climactic moments of the series, the stakes rise dramatically as Harmon faces an excruciating choice, with Smokey confronting the fallout from his past decisions.

Understanding Smokey’s Role with East Barrio in On Call

Smokey: The Mediator Between Police and Gang

Smokey and Officer Harmon talking in On Call

Although On Call leaves some ambiguity regarding Smokey’s specific role within the East Barrio gang, he appears to partake in international drug trafficking, utilizing a contact at the airport for operations. Concurrently, Smokey ensures that the gang operates smoothly in their territory, maintaining a fragile peace with law enforcement. His cordial relationship with Officer Harmon facilitates this uneasy truce.

There exists a tacit understanding: as long as the gang refrains from endangering civilians and police officers, they will coexist peacefully. This balance is disrupted when Officer Delgado is murdered by Maniac, the son of a prominent gang leader. Following this tragedy, Harmon anticipates Smokey’s cooperation to apprehend Maniac, but instead, Smokey reveals the futility of her quest, urging her to withdraw for her safety.

Officer Harmon’s Unique Connection with Smokey

A Deal Made in Shadows

While the series does not explicitly outline the origins of Smokey and Harmon’s alliance, it is plausible that during Smokey’s initial incarceration, Harmon proposed a deal that could potentially shorten his sentence in exchange for his cooperation with the Long Beach police department. This arrangement provides context to Smokey’s reluctance to return to prison, expressed in the series finale. Initially, Smokey seems committed to upholding his end of the bargain until tragic events unfold.

In an attempt to mitigate the chaos following Officer Delgado’s murder, Smokey orchestrates the death of Maniac’s driver, aiming to present it as a peace offering to the police. Nevertheless, Harmon’s determination to pursue justice drives her to track down Maniac herself, thus complicating Smokey’s standing with the gang and highlighting the internal turmoil brewing within East Barrio.

The Fallout: East Barrio’s Betrayal of Smokey

Failure to Shield Maniac from Law Enforcement

As Smokey’s role is to negotiate peace between the gang and the police, the East Barrio members expect him to protect Maniac from the repercussions of his actions. Despite Smokey’s warnings to Harmon regarding Maniac’s invulnerability, the tension escalates as Harmon takes matters into her own hands after Smokey’s refusal to assist in finding him.

Cast of On Call
Actor	Role
Trojan Bellisario	Tracy Harmon
Brandon Larracuente	Alex Diaz
Eric La Salle	Sergeant Lasman
Lori Loughlin	Lieutenant Bishop
Rich Ting	Sergeant Tyson Koyama
Mac Brandt	Officer Barlowe
Lobo Sebastian	Smokey
Robert Bailey Jr.	Officer Holt
Annabella Didion	Leona
Ian Down	Maniac

Utilizing unethical methods—although detrimental to her career—Harmon manages to uncover Maniac’s whereabouts, resulting in his arrest. This action severely undermines Smokey’s credibility within the gang, as he was unable to safeguard Maniac. Consequently, the internal discord amongst East Barrio escalates into a substantial conflict, compelling the police to implement increasingly drastic measures in response to the unraveling situation in On Call.

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