Training Day: Is Alonzo Really THAT Bad? Hear Me Out...

Okay, film fanatics, Priya here! Just rewatched "Training Day" (classic, I know!) and it got me thinking… is Alonzo Harris really just a straight-up villain? Hear me out before you grab your pitchforks! We all know he's corrupt, but I think there's a (twisted) logic to some of his actions. He's operating in a world where the lines are so, so blurred. Maybe he thinks he's doing what's necessary to keep the REALLY bad guys at bay? Yeah, terrible methods, obviously, but maybe he sees himself as some kind of necessary evil. I'm not excusing anything, but just playing devil's advocate. I love analyzing characters like these. Think about the scene where he's confronting those gang members in the apartment. He's ruthless, sure, but he does get the job done. And Jake (Ethan Hawke, amazing performance!) is so idealistic at the beginning – would he really have been effective dealing with street crime without some, uh, 'training'? Alonzo clearly tests him over and over, like that whole "smoke PCP or quit your job" moment. That seemed like a way to see how adaptable he was, not necessarily to corrupt him. Maybe to force him to face the kind of hard choices that will be necessary in the field? I know, I know, I sound like I'm defending a bad guy, but it's more about exploring the gray areas, right? The movie does such a great job of never fully letting you off the hook. You're constantly questioning your own judgements and what the 'right' thing to do even is in that messed-up world. The ending is what it is, but I think the movie invites us to think about what it takes to be a good cop in a place like South Central. What do you guys think? Am I way off base here? I'm really interested in hearing your theories too! Tell me what your favorite movies are that delve into these moral questions as well! :)