Monday’s latest episode of 19-2, “Borders,” had a couple common themes running through them, namely the relationship between fathers and their children and the ongoing stresses suffered by Ben and Audrey.

Audrey clearly isn’t over the effects of her beating, something that came to a head during an electric scene involving she, Beatrice and several citizens. What began as a yelling match and snide remarks degenerated into Audrey tackling a well-known folk singer on his doorstep. Things only got worse when his friends came to his defence. Being surrounded by all those men clearly brought Audrey back to the beating, and I’m actually surprised she didn’t pull her gun on anyone. (This is, by the way, the second week 19-2 has stacked a large man against one of Montreal’s finest. Audrey riding on the singer’s back earned a chuckle from me.)

Bear has got to be wondering what she’s done wrong to get such flawed partners. First it was Tyler and now Audrey. She must be pining for someone like Vince to be with her. Speaking of Vince, it appears as though the girl he shagged last week has got the hots for him, though I’m not sure how she managed to get J.M. and Vince sent to her place for the 911 call.

Daddy issues popped up for Ben, Nick and Commander Gendron. Ben and Nick arrested a homeless man named Leon (Serge Houde) who was scaring folks with his row of dead squirrels and form of Tourette’s, and Ben had visions of his alcoholic father in the man. Despite trying to get Leon the help he wanted for him, there was none to be had and Leon was last seen flipping Ben off and wandering away. Ben had a lot on his plate Monday, alternately faking showers to keep up on his notes regarding his fellow officers, discovering Nick’s iPhone unlock code for the SQ and attempting to find out what sort of business his partner and Kaz had cooked up.

Charged with finding Gendron’s drug-addicted daughter—who has some Daddy issues of her own—Nick and Ben used the downtime to discuss the former’s father, who was a criminal of some stripe and whom Nick assumes is dead though no body was found. I’m glad that, now that we know these characters, the writers are exploring their back stories. It’s fascinating to me that Nick’s father was a crook, and goes a long way to explaining why he became a cop. Is Nick a bad cop, or a good one? It’s too soon to know for sure.

As for who the mole in 19-2 is? I think it’s Audrey. Just a gut feeling. What does everyone else think?

Notes and quotes

• “Idiot.”—J.M. to Vince
• I can’t tell you how happy I am that Tyler is clean. I like a basketball bouncing, orange shoe wearing Tyler way better than a slurry, drunk one
• “It’s such bullshit. A folk singer with clout?”—Beatrice

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

A lot was made of 19-2’s second season return last week and for good reason. The storyline—student goes on a shooting spree at his high school—and a 13-minute tracking shot were dramatic, shocking and stunning. But the strength of 19-2 has always been its characters, so I was glad to return to that for Episode 2.

Every week I watch this show with a mixture of excitement and dread. Excitement because it’s so fricking good and dread because I’m afraid something bad is going to happen to these characters I’ve fallen in love with.

“Disorder” picked up just over a week following the school shooting and things were slowly getting back to normal. J.M. was back to his scallywag ways, teasing Audrey that her scar made her look like a hot zombie cop. After such a heavy episode last Monday, I really appreciated the scenes between J.M. and Vince, the former because at his best J.M. makes for good comic relief and the latter because he scored with a young woman who was very appreciative to get her stolen purse back. The foot chase Vince had with the young purse thief, followed by him wrestling with the man in charge of the purse thefts was entertaining as heck.

Speaking of wrestling, Ben was doing that both figuratively and literally. Still reeling with the knowledge he killed a 15-year-old (shooter or not), Ben hasn’t been sleeping, can’t communicate with Catherine and is seeing the young deer again. The only person he feels like he can relate to is Nick and the SQ has got him keeping tabs on his own partner; can’t a guy catch a break? As soon as I saw Amelie helping the surviving high schoolers get over their grief I knew Ben would hook up with her again. What I can’t understand is why Ben and Catherine don’t have that same connection. Is it because Amelie is related to a cop, or because she deals with damaged folks all the time? Regardless, if seeing her helps Ben hold back from spearing and choking out cyclists I’m all for it. (That was some WWE-inspired spike Ben delivered to that cyclist, wasn’t it? Edge would be proud.)

As for Nick, we’re getting a wonderful peek into his past via cousin Kaz (Richard Chevolleau), with whom Nick has been staying. Hearing Kaz talk about he and Nick’s wild old days was one thing, but to see the two pair to steal Nick’s motorbike back was something to behold. I’m looking forward to more revelations at the apartment complex this season.

Audrey and Beatrice, paired for the time being, provided another few minutes of levity when they discovered a dentist doing work in the back of his car. After quizzing the prostitute he was examining, they learned the doc had a particular fetish that left them both scratching their heads … and likely fighting their gag reflexes.

Notes and quotes

• “Sweet scar. You’re like a hot zombie cop or something.”—J.M. to Audrey
• I’m guessing it’s hard to pull off because not many shows do it, but the dialogue on 19-2 is effortless and conversational; no one comes off like they’re acting
• “Stop resisting arrest!”—Vince, pinned under a 500-pound perp
• “Dentistry for jizz-breath in the face?”—Audrey’s suggestion at the charge she and Beatrice could lay on the backseat dentist

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