When LAPD detective Isaiah Stiles went on air to openly challenge Coltrane Wilder’s crime syndicate—laying out their fate as either imprisonment or death—he made his relentless pursuit public knowledge. This bold move opened him up to criticism from his partner Cruz, who is actively investigating the Patek Philippe case, Captain Seales, and even during family therapy sessions. There, his wife Candace insists to the therapist that Isaiah must be more present in their lives. She proposes that if he can commit to being there for his family, such as attending the Baldwin Hills Cares Gala and disconnecting from work, they might discuss reconciliation and end their separation. Now, it’s Isaiah who finds himself in the spotlight.
While Isaiah was at therapy, Cruz conducted witness interviews, and a pattern from the jewelry heist began to surface. A young woman, initially believed to be a bystander, was caught in a lie, revealing her role as an insider. Despite the heist’s violent turn, it fits the method Stiles had predicted: targeting high-value items with precision tactics. When another witness shares that the thieves used slang linked to the Crips, Stiles finds a solid lead. Captain Seales gives him the go-ahead to form a task force, bringing in Dave Cerullo, a seasoned investigator from New York’s major crimes division, to join the team.
As the police work their angle in Nemesis Episode 2, the robbers are dealing with their own dilemmas. Deon’s theft of the Patek watch infuriates Charlie, as it risks exposing their entire operation. She instructs Coltrane to personally deliver the stolen diamonds with his crew, but Trane senses her hidden agenda. Despite Deon’s blunder, Trane is determined to protect his crew. During the handover at a scenic Los Angeles overlook, with David McCallum’s “The Edge” playing, Choi is positioned with a sniper rifle. When the double-crossing buyers make their move, Trane’s team strikes back. They take out the buyers, escape with the money, and scatter the diamonds over the bodies, making it appear as a deal gone wrong to the cops, effectively closing the case.
Thanksgiving brings a lively scene to Isaiah and Candace’s kitchen, filled with family activity. Although Isaiah is trying to stay engaged and cheerful, tension arises when his father, Amos, unexpectedly arrives. “Little man invited me,” Amos explains, to his grandson Noah’s delight. The familial harmony lasts through a few Earth, Wind & Fire tracks until Amos makes a sharp remark to Isaiah. “You keep blaming everyone else, but now you’re messing up your own family just like me,” he says, also referring to Noah as “Little Nightmare,” a nod to his old gang nickname. This is the last straw for Isaiah, who then asks Amos to leave.
Isaiah’s relationship with his father is fraught with unresolved tension, as both seem to recognize the need to move past their issues but struggle to articulate it. Meanwhile, at their Thanksgiving gathering, we see how paternal figures influence Ebony and Coltrane. Trane’s sister, Ella, bluntly tells Ebony that having a child was a mistake, implying that bringing another life into a difficult upbringing is wrong. (“Maybe bring a casserole next time,” she quips.) However, Ebony dismisses Ella’s harsh words, asserting that her own father was a criminal who worked to change, just as Coltrane plans 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.