Review: The mole revealed on 19-2

Turns out I’d aimed a little too high in 19 when I thought that Commander Gendron was the mole. I should have gone one level lower to Sgt. Houle. Yes, the man who had the best connection with his officers—not to mention the nicest house—was identified by Ben and Nick as the one leaking information out of the squad house and to the bad guys.

But, as is the case with 19-2, that wasn’t the only news regarding Houle. In a tragic twist I didn’t see coming, Houle is a pedophile who was a participant in the child sex ring that involved the late Mr. Tremblay. The fact Houle had a palatial home was glossed over in Season 1 during the pool party; now it looks like the funds he got from being a mole paid for the place. All it took was a quick visit to Houle’s home for Ben to put the pieces together, especially after he spotted Houle interacting with that young girl in the greenhouse. I actually said, “Oh no!” out loud when everything clicked in my head.

The conclusion of “Orphans” showed a police house shattered when one of their own stood accused of transgressions. Isabelle was rocked by the news and Gendron … the poor bugger. Now he knows why his daughter keeps running away and doing drugs: Houle took care of her several times when she was younger. Gendron was unknowingly offering his daughter up to him thinking that she was in good hands.

But rather than view Houle as a villain I wanted to see bad things happen to, I truly felt badly for him. 19-2‘s writers and actor Conrad Pla have been so good at breathing life into this guy that I genuinely felt sorry for Houle as he spoke in the group therapy session.

Next week is the Season 2 finale of 19-2, and there are a few loose storylines that need to be wrapped up:

  1. Will Audrey return to 19, or is she done being a cop?
  2. Where is Kaz, and will he turn up as a dead body or arrested?
  3. Will Bear book that trip to Thailand and leave Montreal in her rear-view mirror?
  4. Will the blonde J.M. attempted to collar return to cause more trouble for him?

What do you think will happen in the season finale? Comment below or via @tv_eh.

Notes and quotes

  • “Bad shit happens when we get together.” Truer words were never spoken, Kaz.
  • Not to be a stickler for details, but those kids playing street hockey should have yelled “Car!” and “Game on!” once Ben’s car had gone past.
  • “If I wanted any lip from you, I’d rattle my zipper.” J.M.’s message to the rookie was funny and pretty disgusting.

19-2 airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo.

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One thought on “Review: The mole revealed on 19-2”

  1. I too thought the mole might be Gendron, mainly because he’s kind of a shifty guy, but I guess he was the obvious choice and ultimately a red herring. But man, not Houle!! I liked his character and his relationship with his squad, but I feared the worst when things clicked with Ben as he watched him with the neighbour’s kid.
    .
    And in typical “19-2” fashion, Houle’s unveiling as the mole is not just a case of him being a cut-and-dry “bad guy” – this is a character we’ve come to like over two seasons and we can’t help but feel for the guy. Seeing him at the PA meeting and talking about his personal victory at the motel room (where I initially thought he might off himself) really added layers to his situation.
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    And what a powerful scene when Gendron delivered the news to Isabelle. Great performances by both actors there. I almost felt as sick as they did. I wonder who will fill the soon-to-be-available sergeant position? Could Isabelle qualify for that by the time next season rolls around?
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    Looking forward to the finale and more fall-out from the Houle situation.

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