Critics at Salon.com argued that Bill Paxton's portrayal of Frank Roarke felt more like a "stubbly faced guy with an overemphasized cowboy swagger" than a truly engaging or complex anti-hero.
Overall, while the episode provides the high-energy action expected of the genre, it largely serves as a "carbon copy" of tired cop show tropes rather than recapturing the excellence of its namesake. "Training Day" Code of Honor (TV Episode 2017) - IMDb [S1E4] Training Day
The fourth episode of the Training Day television series, titled "," centers on the personal stakes for Detective Frank Roarke when a long-time friend and CI is murdered by yakuza assassins. Episode Summary Critics at Salon
Critics generally found the episode—and the series as a whole—to be a "hackneyed" copy of standard police procedurals that lacked the grit and nuance of the original 2001 film. [S1E4] Training Day
The writing was often criticized for relying on platitudes rather than convincing dialogue, making many characters feel like "cardboard cut-outs".
Reviewers from The Hollywood Reporter noted that while the episode features a "ballsy and silly" fight scene involving a yakuza sword and a metal baseball bat, it failed to show significant plot progression or character improvement from the pilot.