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Episode: Training Day
Original Air Date: April 1, 2009
NOTE: This series and recap contain mature themes and language.
If you think someone’s going to explicitly tell you who died in the explosion at the end of the fifth-season finale during Reno 911!‘s sixth-season premiere, you’d better think again.
The action begins with hot-shorted Lieutenant Jim Dangle’s exclamation, “Holy poop. I thought we got canceled.” I can’t tell if he’s happy or sad to have the camera crew back around, though.
Dangle immediately dangles the suggestion that we’ll learn who bit the dust at the end of Season Five. But, no, he actually only reveals that two of his former colleagues died, not their names, because he can’t even remember who they were. Deputy Trudy Wiegel has to correct him when he claims that one was the African-American guy because Deputy S. Jones, the only officer that fits that description, is still very much alive and kicking.
According to Dangle, since we last saw the squad:
(1) They got the new light bulbs that save you three cents every three days
(2) A new form of hepatitis started spreading in the jail, and you can thank the Reno Sheriff’s Department if you contract it
(3) The show wasn’t canceled
(4) A couple of deputies got exploded in an explosion
(5) And the new coffee cups came in
Absent from the sixth-season premiere are Deputies Clementine Johnson (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Cherisha Kimball (Mary Birdsong), and James Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui), and we have two new crime fighters in their place. The first is dry, boring, and very literal Jack Declan (Ian Roberts) from the Chicago Police Department.
During one segment, he and Deputy Raineesha Williams run into local lowlife and regular “informant” Terry Bernadino (Nick Swardson), who’s obviously lying to Declan about midnight “diarrhea embargoes” and other equally silly nonsense. Instead of noticing Williams’ snickering and getting the not-so-subtle joke as a result, Declan instead thinks that “Big T” is speaking in secret code. Duh!
The second newcomer is Frank Salvatore Rizzo (Jo Lo Truglio) from Ozone Park, Queens, a place he’s now banned from because of “mistakes” he made. Rizzo quickly admits he’s worked in lots and lots and lots of places, sometimes for as brief as just one day. Deputy Travis Junior accurately describes him later as a man with a very long résumé in law enforcement and not one letter of recommendation on file. That tells you pretty much everything you need to know about Rizzo.
Unsurprisingly, Rizzo eventually gives Jones reason to believe he’s also a dirty cop when they partner up on undercover operation Cobra Fist to apprehend PCP dealer Jesús del Gallos. Rizzo spends more time hooking up in alleys with male prostitutes dressed like women and scoring drugs (and persuading Jones to follow suit), allegedly to maintain their cover, than acting like a law enforcement officer. But, just when Jones decides to bust him, Rizzo collars the mark singlehandedly.
The episode’s special quest star, Jonah Hill (Superbad, Knocked Up), plays Daniel Shahim. Dangle and Williams show up at his job to escort him off the premises because security called the cops complaining he won’t leave after being let go.
Following scenes with Daniel running away from the officers, cursing profusely, giving Dangle the finger, trying to bribe the cops (for $7 or $70 — choose your preferred number of zeros) not to arrest him, and pulling the lieutenant’s own gun on him, the two realize they’ve got the wrong guy. The right one is named Jack Shahim, and he works in the building across the street.
Just another day in Washoe County.
Reno 911! airs Wednesdays on Comedy Central at 10:30pm ET.
