I think that maybe killing Lindsay off at this point could be detrimental to the show. Viewers have just been introduced to the happy family storyline. It was rushed and completely out of left field with the baby and the writers need to allow the fans to get invested (those of the fans that actually enjoy the storyline) and let D/L/L become more cohesive before bringing in some tragedy such as a parent dying. They have given a lot of airtime to D/L in S5, which I know has left some fans with dry heaves, and have promised scheduling issues and new parent drama and a few surprises thrown in for fun. So they need to let them have some of that before yanking our chains again. Of course that all goes up in smoke if Anna wants less screen time and more time with her children.
I agree that it would definitely be rushed if they killed her off at this point. If the whole thing hadn't been so rushed this season, that might be jarring, but they've gone from barely speaking--and from last season, him sleeping with someone else--to her getting pregnant, them getting married and her having the baby. That's a lot in the course of a season for a couple that wasn't really together the season before, and has always been rocky.
That being said, I think this is one of the strongest arguments for not killing Lindsay off...at least, not yet.
I don't know if I could stand Danny if Lindsay died right now. If Danny died, Lindsay would compartmentalize the whole thing and shut down, but if Lindsay died I think Danny would be a slobbering blubbering pile of emotions and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. And I'm not sure it would play well off of Flack's stoic self-contained grief in the face of losing Jess. Too drastic a difference in the confines of one show for one season.
Another good reason, but I do think that Danny has been somewhat muted this past season. Let's face it: Danny is at his most interesting when he's suffering. Danny's most compelling storylines are Tanglewood/RSRD, Trapped, Snow Day and the Ruben arc in season four. None of those really involve Lindsay, and I think he's a less interesting character in this happy little family.
Now for other responses:
1. Lindsay Hair and Makeup - Top41, you said it. The haircut was unfortunate and they need to change makeup and wardrobe for this actress. If I were her I'd pull a sit-down strike until they fixed it. Unfortunately, post pregnancy hair is hard to deal with because the prenatal vitamins give your hair a lot of volume and body. When you get off the vitamins sometimes the hair reacts drastically. A lot of women with new babies end up getting it cut short fairly soon after birth. Also because it's just easier to deal with.
The haircut was a big mistake. She looked like she aged a decade between seasons three and four. Not sure if it was her call or the show's stylist, but it was a big mistake. They should let her grow it back and bring back the waves.
2. Bringing in a new character will be good, now that I've had a chance to digest the possibility. This cast has been together since season 2. Adding a new person to the mix will, hopefully, bring fresh life to the show. I like the cast, but I think I've gotten too comfortable with them and it's becoming predictable.
The show could definitely use some fresh blood, that's for sure!
3. Rude vs. harsh. Harsh is a better word to use and I'm glad you used it yourself, Top41. I've had to get used to your honesty in your assessment of Lindsay and had to get past taking it personally. You definitely speak your mind, and I think that encourages others to speak theirs as well. Sometimes I think you just love a good debate!
I absolutely do love a good debate! That's why I'm here. Sure, looking at pretty pictures of Danny and Flack is fun, but I'd rather get into a honest-to-goodness discussion of an episode, a character or a plot twist any day of the week. I enjoy debating quite a lot, and just because I do it passionately doesn't mean I don't respect the person on the other side of the fence, or that I'm discounting their opinion.
You said that Lindsay started to grate on your nerves during "All Access". I, on the other hand, started to feel sorry for her. She had three tough cases right close together involving violence against teenagers and women, and quite frankly, that should be hard for anyone to cope with, let alone someone not used to the pace and drama of NYC. What I saw was Lindsay having to cope with all that plus the past that she left behind and not handling it well. Things started piling up and she freaked. Was that portrayed well by either the writers or the actress? It could have been done better by both, I think. At that point we didn't know what her past was so it came across more clearly to me in the DVDs after I saw season 3 than on TV first runs.
I saw it as Lindsay making what happened to Stella about her. In the same way Danny's dumb wall punch in "Pay Up" frustrated me, Lindsay's reaction bothered me. What happened to Stella wasn't an excuse for Lindsay to act unprofessionally and storm out of an interrogation. She was being a drama queen, and I found that incredibly unsympathetic.
Okay, I'm done. Well, maybe not. I would like to see someone that Lindsay had a good dynamic with. She and Stella have never seemed right together. Stella sometimes comes across as rather superior and smug with her interactions with Lindsay and I think Lindsay could benefit from having a female friend at work. It would flesh out her character without having it involve Danny.
What I like about Stella is that she doesn't put up with Lindsay's BS. She's tried to be nice to her, but she's also someone who will call Lindsay on her bad behavior, like she did in "Silent Night." Lindsay strikes me as a hard person to befriend, so I would like to see the new girl be someone who is outgoing and gets along with everyone, even Lindsay. Lindsay could definitely use more moments to make her more sympathetic, so if the new character could bring that out, that would definitely be a plus.
