The eighth episode of "On Call" kicks off with an exhilarating scene, depicting Diaz, Harmon, Koyama, and Koyama's crack team inside an armored truck. They strategically surround a house and swiftly interrogate the occupant, a key figure in the dockside drug trafficking operation. With the specter of trafficking charges looming over him, the man is coerced to spill the beans on the upcoming delivery—fifty kilograms of fentanyl smuggled in from China by the notorious Smokey.
Elsewhere, the news broadcasts the aftermath of a police crackdown on criminal gangs, revealing that over forty individuals have been apprehended. Lieutenant Bishop brands them as violent criminals, while a parent, visibly shaken, recounts how her son was manhandled and hauled away like a beast.
In a private moment, Diaz and Harmon discuss Harmon's upcoming performance review. Just then, Koyama arrives and pulls Harmon aside to reveal that his commander has greenlit Harmon's transfer to his elite team. Harmon, beaming with excitement, eagerly anticipates joining Koyama's ranks. Lasman soon joins them, and the trio outlines their plan to use the fentanyl delivery as a bait to smoke out Smokey and nail him.
Koyama then holds a briefing session with his team, outlining the meticulously crafted strategy. They lie in wait for the delivery man to fetch the drugs and facilitate the handover to Smokey, at which point they will strike. When Diaz inquiries about the murder charges pending against Smokey, Koyama senses a personal grudge driving Diaz's pursuit. He sternly cautions Diaz to stay focused on the mission.
Later, Diaz vents his frustration to Harmon, branding Koyama and his team as bullies in uniforms. Harmon, sensing Diaz's discontent, confides in him about her impending transfer to Koyama's team. The team tails the delivery man to a truck stop, where he cunningly conceals two suspicious packages in the rear of a vehicle. However, their target, Smokey, fails to materialize. Instead, his daughter and another woman arrive to collect the consignment, setting the stage for an unexpected twist in the narrative.
Suddenly, another vehicle, laden with a group of men, speeds into view. They unleash a brutal assault on the women, triggering a fierce gun battle that quickly engulfs the scene, with the police also throwing themselves into the fray. Leona, sensing the danger, bolts away from the chaos. Diaz, disregarding Harmon's strict orders to remain behind, charges after her, driven by sheer bravado. In a dramatic twist, he confronts Smokey, but fate has a different plan as it is Leona herself who pulls the trigger, wounding Diaz. Just before she can deliver the fatal blow, Koyama intervenes, his shot ringing out and bringing Leona's life to an abrupt end. He springs into action, trying to staunch Diaz's bleeding wounds, while Harmon dashes off to confront Smokey.
Inside a diner, Harmon discovers Smokey, lying in a pool of his own blood, shot by Diaz in their earlier encounter. She seizes his gun and, with urgency, instructs him to apply pressure to his wounds, awaiting the arrival of paramedics. Smokey's thoughts wander back to the inception of their turmoil—Maniac's murder of Delgado. He reflects on a time when only he and Harmon kept the peace.
Later, at the hospital, Harmon confronts Diaz. He acknowledges his mistakes, but instead of reproach, she envelops him in a hug. Koyama enters the room, delivering a blow to Harmon's plans—her transfer has been denied, orchestrated by a higher-up who deliberately blocked her path.
Harmon, assuming the worst and bracing for confrontation, storms into Lasman's office, convinced it was he who thwarted her inclusion in Koyama's drug task force. Yet, Lasman surprises her by revealing that it wasn't his doing. Instead, he admits to possessing footage of her intimidating a civilian but chose to conceal it, shielding both her and Diaz. A bond of mutual understanding forms, leading them to pledge their trust and collaboration moving forward.
As Diaz's evaluation unfolds, his personal statement glows with praise for Harmon, crediting her with steering him towards personal growth and betterment. However, in an unexpected twist, Harmon returns the sentiment with a cautionary tale, highlighting Diaz's courage that often borders on recklessness, ignoring directives and diving headfirst into perilous scenarios. She recommends a reinstatement of his probationary period.
After Diaz exits the room, Harmon confronts Lieutenant Bishop, seeking clarification on whether she was the one who halted her transfer to the drug unit. Bishop confesses it was due to her own disregard for orders when pursuing Maniac, a mission she handled off the books. She emphasizes that any other officer in her position would have dismissed her.
Harmon exits the building, leaving Diaz reeling from her decision. Though she admits to grappling with the choice, she stands by it, insisting he isn't quite ready. To his astonishment, Harmon reveals she insisted on being paired with him for the duration of his probation. They climb into the patrol car, where Diaz hands her the get-out-of-jail-free card—a token from his first day that now symbolizes a renewed partnership. Together, they hit the road, ready to resume their duties, marking the end of On Call Episode 8 with a sense of renewed commitment and purpose.
