Harlee and Wozniak learned that you can only fight a war on so many fronts on Shades of Blue Season 2 Episode 13.

The problem with having so many enemies is that eventually, you’re going to get outflanked.

For Wozniak, the bullet came from an enemy he thought he’d subdued, and a shooter her never saw coming.

But we’ll get to all of that in a bit. Let’s start with Shades of Blue Season 2 Episode 12 and Bianchi walking free on bail.

Wozniak: I don't like the idea of him being out and about. I mean, things could go south fast.
Harlee: He already shot Nate and kidnapped Cristina, I don't know how much further south it can go.

Permalink: He already shot Nate and kidnapped Cristina, I don't know how much further south it can go.

It was hard not to laugh at that Shades of Blue quote considering that just when you think circumstances have hit a new low on this show, there always seems to be a basement door.

It was obvious that no good was going to come from Bianchi confronting Nava in the bathroom, but I thought that the mobster would find a way to make Nava doubt Harlee.

I didn’t expect him to end up dead!

Correction, I suppose he was only bleeding and incapacitated before Harlee intervened.

Harlee: I will not let this man hurt you.
Nava: Harlee, I hurt him.
Harlee: You can either explain that he stabbed you, or I did.
Nava: It won't just be me explaining.
Harlee: Yes it will.
Nava: Harlee, what are you doing? Harlee?
Harlee: He was dead when he hit the ground.
Nava: That's not true.
Harlee: The truth is in the paperwork.

Permalink: The truth is in the paperwork.

Nava wasn’t wrong about Harlee. She is adept at creating her own reality and she can flip a switch and do what needs to be done to protect those she loves.

Can Nava live with that? Maybe, especially now that he’s followed her lead to save himself.

But Nava isn’t built for a steady diet of deception and bending the rules to fit the outcome. As much as I enjoy Harlee and Nava together, I still question their long-term sustainability as a couple.

The thing that really pisses me off is that he deprived me of the chance to bash Bianchi's brains in myself.
Wozniak

Permalink: The thing that really pisses me off is that he deprived me of the chance to bash Bianchi's...

Yeah, Wozniak was really hoping to take out Bianchi himself. Instead, he learned information about Julia that he never saw coming, although the audience certainly did.

The one upside to Julia’s betrayal was that in the end, it brought Nate and Wozniak closer together.

It also healed the wounds between Wozniak and Harlee.

Harlee: What are you going to do?
Wozniak: I'm going to forgive.
Harlee: What, before you even talk to her?
Wozniak: Not Julia, she made choices to serve her ambition. You made yours to protect your little girl.
Harlee: I'm sorry.
Wozniak: Sometimes when everything's cracked, that's how the light gets in and it shows you the way out of the darkness if you let it.
Harlee: Do you think we can make it out?
Wozniak: I think we already have.

Permalink: I think we already have.

And that might have been true if it weren’t for Agent Stahl and his never ending obsession with Harlee.

Which leads us to Shades of Blue Season 2 Episode 13.

I think everyone assumed that Wozniak had burned Miguel’s body in the crematorium until we heard that the gas had been shut off and he had to find another option.

If it weren’t for a tiny little surgical screw in Miguel’s leg, he would have been an unidentified pile of goo in a barrel.

The only upside I see to Miguel's body being identified is that maybe now Cristina can move forward and let him go.

Verco tried to play hardball with Woz and Harlee but I never thought for a second that they’d turn on one another. These two are experts at this game. They know that keeping their mouths shut is their best option.

Which led them to Stahl and his listening device and a war on far too many fronts.

Bianchi, Julia, Verco, Stahl, and Quince. That’s a lot of wars. It’s no surprise there would be some casualties.

Starting with Julia…

Julia: I always knew that it was going to come down to her or me.
Wozniak: She didn't make you do this!
Julia: And somehow I knew it would end up being her.
Wozniak: I would rather die than betray you. I trusted you. I loved you.
Julia: You still do. You still do. Even if you don't know why. This can stay between us. It's the best for everyone. For you, for Nate. We have all made mistakes. You know mine, I know yours, but we can all walk away from this.
Wozniak: It's tempting. It really is.
Julia: It's the best way to go, Matt.
Wozniak: It's the easy way.

Permalink: It's the easy way.

It made my stomach tighten when Julia mentioned that it would be better for Nate if Wozniak hid the truth. Would Julia have turned on Nate to keep Woz quiet, to try and broker a deal, or out of revenge?

I’m not sure, but I was happy that Woz had confronted the therapist earlier.

It wasn’t really a shock when Julia put the gun to her head, but I was surprised that I felt sympathy for her, even though she’d effectively dug her own grave.

I've survived too much already. I'm so tired of surviving. I'm so tired.
Julia

Permalink: I've survived too much already. I'm so tired of surviving. I'm so tired.

When she said, “I’m the mayor of New York,” just before the trigger was pulled, it really did hurt to realize she’d gotten what she’d fought for only to lose it all.

With Bianchi and Julia both dead, and Quince supposedly out of commission, that left Verco and Stahl.

The plan appeared solid. Harlee lured Stahl to her place while Espada and Tufo planted evidence in his apartment to tie him to Miguel’s murder.

Be careful not to touch any surfaces, especially if there's a picture of Harlee near by.
Espada

Permalink: Be careful not to touch any surfaces, especially if there's a picture of Harlee near by.

So gross and yet such good advice, because Stahl had long ago fallen over the edge into the stalker zone with Harlee.

I know that you hate me just as much as you want me. That's why you dimed me out to Verco, so I would need you to save me.
Harlee

Permalink: I know that you hate me just as much as you want me. That's why you dimed me out to Verco, so...

Stahl may be twisted and creepy, but he’s also smart, and he anticipated Harlee’s next move.

I’ll never understand why Tess and Loman didn’t move in closer to Harlee’s apartment after Stahl was inside. If they had, they would have seen him dragging her unconscious body out of her building.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the crew to realize what had happened, and Wozniak wasn’t about to let Verco get in his way…

If you get in the way of us finding Harlee, one of your Internal Affairs cronies is finally going to get the chance to arrest me for what I do to you.
Wozniak

Permalink: If you get in the way of us finding Harlee, one of your Internal Affairs cronies is finally...

Stahl and Harlee played a nasty game of cat and mouse that drew blood, and although I cheered for Harlee as she ran from the house, I wished she had killed Stahl before she left.

Because I had no doubt that house would be in the middle of nowhere with no help in sight.

Unfortunately, she may need Stahl to make sure she doesn’t bleed out on the grass.

The scene that blew me away was Karen’s little boy telling Wozniak he was sorry, just before he shot him at point blank range!

I never saw that one coming.

The poor kid, he's been through hell. It’s clear the child didn’t want to do it. Quince was holding his mom and told him this was the only way to save her.

Now who will save Wozniak? Can the team get to Harlee before it’s too late?

Shades of Blue Season 2 has been one hell of a ride. It’s left me shaken, exhausted, and hungry for more.

Too bad we have to wait until Spring of 2018 for Shades of Blue Season 3.

Check back in later this week as our Shade of Blue round table team gets together one more time.

And don’t forget that you can watch Shades of Blue online here at TV Fanatic.