The Badlands

Season 2 opens with a nod to the Season 1 pilot. Reopening the case that originally appeared in the pilot, Detective Lilly Rush and the squad tackle a triple homicide: a restaurant owner and his spouse, along with their teenage employee, are found murdered in a now-condemned diner.

From the get-go, the episode stakes its claim as one of the darker and more emotionally fraught premises in the series. The intimate setting of the crime (inside a family-run restaurant) and the very personal connection that detectives Jeffries and Vera have to the victims brings a strong, haunting resonance to the investigation.

The flashback sequences, often accompanied by a poignant soundtrack, heighten the emotional weight. They reveal not just a crime scene but a disrupted community: addiction, betrayal, and heartbreak ripple through every frame.

Minor flaws remain - some supporting characters feel less fleshed out - but as a season opener, it's an impactful, somber, and emotionally compelling return, solidifying it as a memorable start to Season 2.

I remember this one. It was the first episode. They should have let her solve it then