(Photo by: NBCUniversal)
Tonight is the season finale of Shades of Blue, a cop drama we have become consumed by thanks to Ray Liotta and Jennifer Lopez. Check out our live recap of the finale below as it airs.
Harlee is shown bundling up her new fortune of 12 million dollars … but it isn’t what it looks like … Harlee wants to actually give the 12 million back to the feds. She wants to use it as a bargaining chip for her team’s immunity.
In the meantime, her FBI tail (Stahl) comes face-to-face with Wozniak as he’s looking at a photo of Harlee on his laptop at a random diner. Wozniak sits down with Stahl and Wozniak warns him to stay away from his crew.
Cristina meets up with her con father as she rebels against her mom Harlee. Meanwhile, Wozniak and Donnie are at odds. As Donnie steps out of Wozniak’s house, Loman confronts him with a gun and Donnie tries to convince him that he’s been investigating his crew. Donnie tells Loman that his crew is dirtier than he even knows. Once bringing Loman into Wozniak’s house, Donnie attacks Loman.
Bottoms up. #ShadesofBlue
Wozniak comes home and finds Loman sitting at the kitchen table with Donnie’s dead body on the floor. Loman tells him that it was self-defense. He then tells Wozniak that he should have originally come clean about his original shooting (which happened on the premiere episode). After a discussion with Wozniak, Loman decides to join Wozniak’s philosophy of playing by their own rules. In turn, Woz and Loman dispose of the body.
Next, Stahl’s partner Agent Chen goes to his apartment and comes onto him. The two end up having sex.
Distractions… Do they work? #ShadesofBlue
The next morning, Harlee finds out that Cristina has left the hotel where she was keeping her. Harlee had stayed overnight at James Nava’s apartment and he ventures out with Harlee to track down Cristina and Zupeta. Meanwhile, Harlee leaves her bag at Nava’s apartment with the money she stole from the feds.
The rest of the crew is nursing Tess in a hotel room after her being shot. In the meantime, Harlee and Nava confront Zupeta at his home. He tells Harlee that Cristina is out with his mom “at the store.”
When Harlee confronts Cristina, she finds out the truth and then tells Zupeta she’s going to give him the money she promised for him to stay away.
In the next scene, Woz meets with a middleman (played by Jennifer Lopez’s boyfriend Casper Smart) who tells Woz the deal in store for him.
@Jlo @dreadematteo in the house. #ShadesOfBlue
Harlee is then shown in a locker room on the phone with Stahl and Gail. She says that she needs written confirmation that her crew will receive immunity if she gets them the money. Harlee says Donnie had the money all along and that he’s meeting up with Wozniak later on (a lie). Then Harlee calls Woz and says she needs to see him immediately. The two end up meeting in a graveyard. Harlee tells Woz all about Stahl picking her up and threatening to put her in jail … but she says the situation had gone down “last night,” not weeks before … Harlee tells Woz that the feds found the $12 million and that Stahl gave it to her to “put it back in play.” She then makes up a big story about how she’s supposed to set him up. Woz then tells Harlee that Donnie is dead and that the only person left to sell out is him (Wozniak). Harlee tells him to take some of the money and leave. Woz then asks her to go with him and she promises to meet up with him later …
Meanwhile, Harlee’s daughter Cristina begins to wonder why it looks so easy for her mother to lie.
Tsk, tsk… #ShadesofBlue
In the next scene, Harlee is caught with the money by Nava and she tries to dance around the truth with lies. When Harlee drops off the money for Zupeta, his mother pleads with her to see her granddaughter. Harlee warns her to stay away.
Harlee calls Stahl and tells him that she has the money and is willing to trade it for her crew’s immunity.
Stahl tells Agent Molly Chen that he’s basically making her his “fall-guy.” It looks like the future for Chen’s career isn’t so bright.
Finally, Harlee levels with daughter Cristina about Miguel Zupeta. She tells Cristina that Zupeta is a monster and he cannot be trusted. She said that she’s just been trying to keep her daughter safe. Harlee also cries to her and says that she’s let her down in so many ways, but that she always thought she was doing right by her. Harlee cries and tells Cristina that she has to go live with her aunt in Jersey City. Cristina sobs and hugs her mother begging her not to leave her. The scene ends with Harlee walking away.
She’ll always do right by you. #ShadesofBlue
The crew talks with Loman and thanks him for saving their butts. Harlee goes to get the money and finds it’s all gone. Wozniak took most of it and left Harlee a portion of it, telling her it’s Cristina’s college fund. Wozniak talks to Harlee on the phone and says he cut a deal with the feds. Harlee confesses that she was the mole and Wozniak tells her that he already knows that. Both of them cry to each other on the phone and Woz tells Harlee that he forgives her because she was trying to protect her kid. Because he lost his own daughter, he understands the importance of protecting a child and thinks of Harlee as his own daughter. Woz tells Harlee, “Everything u would do to protect Cristina, that’s you for me. I don’t want to lose another daughter.”
As the police pull up, Wozniak says to Harlee that unless she has dirt on Stahl somehow, that it’s the end of the road. A light bulb goes off in Harlee’s head and dishes to Wozniak online. Viewers aren’t let in on what she tells Woz, but he looks content as he hears “the dirt”. He stands up and looks at the flashing lights of the cop cars as the scene ends.
Woz gives himself up. #ShadesofBlue
Next we see Harlee talking on the phone with her sister saying that she may be able to pick up Cristina in the morning. Harlee then hears a noise in her apartment. It’s Zupeta sitting at her kitchen table. As Harlee searches for her gun, she sees that Zupeta has it. Zupeta tells Harlee that he’s still taking the money she dropped off but that he’s taking back his old life. Zupeta hits Harlee and threatens her. Then Zupeta starts to undo Harlee’s robe and starts to touch and kiss her against her will. As he begins to kiss her down her body, Harlee snaps his neck, killing him …
Don’t worry. NBC has renewed the show for a season 2, so there is more in store for viewers in the future. How will Harlee cover up Zupeta’s death? Will Woz work out a deal against Stahl? We’ll just have to wait and see …