Main cast: Chris Rydell (Johnny Mattel), Andrew Gillies (Richard Mattel), Andrea Roth (Young Woman), Matt Cooke (Matt Strate), and Page Fletcher (The Hitchhiker)
Director: Mark Rezyka

What’s with the constant use of the “some guy that thinks he’s so tough until he meets actual tough guys from the streets… and pay the price” plot lines so frequently on the show these days? Strate Shooter is another one of those episodes.

Oh right, this is the final season of a long-dead show. Why even bother asking these questions, right? Let’s just get on with the show.

Johnny Mattel is a hilariously over the top tool that mugs for attention by playing an air guitar in the middle of the record store, arguing with the store supervisor, and then stealing some CDs. Yes, CDs, because those were the lovely 1990s, when one actually owns the music they pay for instead of “renting” them from streaming platforms that can and will pull the music whenever they feel like it.

He crafts his entire persona by emulating the protagonists of his favorite action flicks, from the tone of his voice to his swagger right down to the vapid lines he will say such as those to the young lady that catches his eye.

Too bad for him, she’s the moll of some crime boss, but Johnny is confident that, like his heroes, he can just swag his way in and rescue the lady from her situation. Yes, that goes as well as one can predict.

There is some amusement to be had from Chris Rydell’s portrayal of his absurd character, but really, what’s the point of this episode anyway?

We have a delusional moron decides that he can just walk in and drag the girl out of there into his arms, and finds himself awfully out of his depths as a result. Is this so much of a surprise that it warrants an entire episode to drive home the message that it’s not a good idea to think that one can get away in real life with the things macho men get away with in movies and such?

Don’t they have more interesting stories to make an episode out of?