Danny & Rikki - But This Is My Shirt

[Faylinn]

I think that keeping Rikki around next season to help Danny slowly deal with his guilt over Ruben's death should be mandatory--I don't count on it, but I really think that her forgiveness and their shared grief would break through his guilt better than anybody else could do, friend, lover or otherwise. I don't think he'll ever believe it wasn't his fault, but I think he could forgive himself, given time.

Even if they don't continue to have any kind of sexual or romantic relationship, I would dearly love to see them interact--it's probably bad, but I really think the 'what if' is intriguing with these two. What if Ruben hadn't died and they'd eventually gotten together and started a family? That hint of losing 'what might have been' would be just as interesting to watch (dramatically, not from a 'this is how i feel about real life' standpoint) as them actually being together now.

In fact, I can see myself thinking in terms of '10 years down the road, they rediscover the spark they had all those years ago', you know? When they've grown and changed and the pain isn't so raw and hard to bear.

 

[kissmesweet]

While I like the idea that Danny is beginning to deal with his feelings, he does not seem to be doing that. He seems to be only using Rikki as some sort of... escape, which is not exactly what a relationship is about. He seems to be a tad hesitant and less of himself when he's around her too.

I don't know; maybe I'd like this ship... if he wasn't cheating on someone else. I just can't get into the idea of a ship based on lies. I ship a lot of people - from Danny and Lindsay to Danny and Stella, so I'm trying not to be biased here... but it really just seems to me that Rikki will dissapear within this season and will simply be used as an obstacle in the D/L ship... Sort of like Jake's character in Miami.

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

While I like the idea that Danny is beginning to deal with his feelings, he does not seem to be doing that. He seems to be only using Rikki as some sort of... escape, which is not exactly what a relationship is about.

They're both using each other as a means of escape, and no, that's not what a relationship is about. But I can't help but think that once they've helped each other through their grief they could turn into something more.

He seems to be a tad hesitant and less of himself when he's around her too.

I think it's the opposite. He allowed himself to be vulnerable and honest about his grief with Rikki. The only other person we've seen him do that with is Flack. To me Flack and Rikki are the only ones he's allowed to see the real Danny.

I don't know; maybe I'd like this ship... if he wasn't cheating on someone else. I just can't get into the idea of a ship based on lies.

Until Danny and Lindsay's relationship is defined in canon I don't think he cheated or that any relationship between Rikki and Danny is based on lies. That doesn't mean I think it's a solid, healthy relationship at this point; but there's not anything deceitful about it either, IMO.

but it really just seems to me that Rikki will dissapear within this season and will simply be used as an obstacle in the D/L ship... Sort of like Jake's character in Miami.

I agree. I do think it's a shame to waste the great story line and complex dynamic Rikki and Danny have had as a cheap plot device for a relationship I don't care for, though.

 

[Kimmychu]

PerfectAnomaly said:

He seems to be a tad hesitant and less of himself when he's around her too.

I think it's the opposite. He allowed himself to be vulnerable and honest about his grief with Rikki. The only other person we've seen him do that with is Flack.

I totally agree. Danny's behavior in that scene with Rikki wasn't hesitant at all. In fact, it was the complete opposite: he was so hyped up about making his masterpiece omelette for Rikki to eat and the way he said, "It's just breakfast, Rikki. Just breakfast," so fast to persuade Rikki to stay with him ... he knew exactly what he wanted and didn't even think twice about trying his best to convince her to stay longer.

And Danny being 'less of himself'?! To me, he was more himself in those few minutes than he's been for whole seasons. If you want to see hesitant and less-of-himself Danny, take a good look at him when he's in scenes with Lindsay later in the episode. The adjectives 'annoyed' and 'withdrawing' should be added too.

To me Flack and Rikki are the only ones he's allowed to see the real Danny.

Agreed! Considering Danny's had negative experiences in the past where loved ones have pushed him away and such, it makes Danny's openness and voluntary vulnerability with Rikki even more significant. He is in a position right now where he can be very hurt as a result of him becoming intimate with Rikki and Rikki acknowledged this and even straightforwardly attempted to convince Danny she was just using him to feel less alone. Moreover, Danny acknowledged that and told her straight out that he knew and didn't care anyway. Now that's serious trust there.

Even I hesitate to call what's going on between them to be love or that they're in a relationship, but I can certainly see the beginnings of something between them. Carmine himself said it in his interview too. Guess we'll see where and how far they go.

About Danny 'cheating' on Lindsay: Still unproven, so fanon is not canon. I'll leave it at that.

 

[Faylinn]

Honestly, even if Danny cheated on Lindsay, I don't care at this point. He's not an evil person, it's not going to change my opinion of the scenes with Rikki, blah blah blah--pointing out that it's 'cheating', it might be 'cheating', we could find out it's 'cheating'--I don't care. Danny didn't seem at all guilty in the scenes with Rikki, and that says a lot more to me than maybes and fans getting upset. That's the end of the discussion as far as I'm concerned.

I think it's extremely likely that Rikki will disappear before the season is over--I think it's a mistake because seeing Danny and Rikki deal with their grief longterm would provide a nice 'emotional hook', as Matt Roush said the other day, and it would be good for continuity's sake, but nonetheless, I'm not denying that she'll probably be gone. While that might put certain people's minds at ease because the competition is gone, that has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the way I feel about these scenes and what potential I can see in them.

If she disappears, don't be surprised if I write a '10 years later' story about Rikki coming back into the picture and her and Danny reconnecting after time and personal growth have played a part in their lives.

So basically: Sorry, I'm not going to drop it. I'm f*cking stubborn like that.

 

[ladyhunter]

I don't see Danny cheating on Lindsay either. I don't think he would do that. Now like I have said, I haven't seen all the NY episodes, but I think Danny is a stand up kind of guy. And if he for one minute thought he would be cheating on Lindsay, I don't think he would have invited Rikki into his bed. I think that's the idea here, don't you think?

Yes, Rikki isprobably going to disappear, but I hope they resolve something between her and Danny. Obviously the writers put them together for a reason. They could have just kept them at a mild flirtation or she could have been really vendictive and angry at Danny for a long time.

The found comfort and solance in each other, I really don't see a whole lot wrong with that. :wtf:

And since luvingmyHoratio made a hot WP with the words Angel ... I bring more song lyrics....

Angel by Sarah McLachlan


Spend all your time waiting
for that second chance
for a break that would make it okay
there's always one reason
to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
oh beautiful release
memory seeps from my veins
let me be empty
and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

in the arms of an angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort there

so tired of the straight line
and everywhere you turn
there's vultures and thieves at your back
and the storm keeps on twisting
you keep on building the lie
that you make up for all that you lack
it don't make no difference
escaping one last time
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

in the arms of an angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort there
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort here

 

[cSiNyFrEaK30]

I don't see Danny cheating on Lindsay either. I don't think he would do that. Now like I have said, I haven't seen all the NY episodes, but I think Danny is a stand up kind of guy. And if he for one minute thought he would be cheating on Lindsay, I don't think he would have invited Rikki into his bed. I think that's the idea here, don't you think?

EXACTLY!!!

Alot of D/L fans have been saying how angry they are at Danny for "cheating" on Lindsay and how it was so out of character and it ruined him--well, isnt that a hint? The Danny we've seen in the last four seasons has been a person who cares deeply about his friends, never intentionally hurt anyone (unless they hurt someone he cares about), and who all around is a caring and sympathetic guy. Taking all that into account, and then seeing how he behaves in Right Next Door is just more evidence for me that he is NOT cheating.

If he were a different character, maybe I might be able to see that character taking a turn for the worst by cheating, but I just don't see that happening with Danny. He wouldn't do a complete 180 from the nice and loving guy he's been to being a cheater...


Anyway. I love that song hhunter =]

I know some good songs for Danny/Rikki...just gotta figure out which ones =]

*goes through itunes to find one*

 

[Faylinn]

Danny is more sensitive and vulnerable now than usual--on par with when Louie was hurt or when Aiden died. In those situations, he gets emotional, he doesn't turn into a bad person who hurts other people.

About Rikki leaving--I think it's fine so long as they do it on good terms, show that she's leaving for a good reason and that they're okay with each other. I want them to leave it open to bring her back some time. Maybe they could have her guest star next season in an episode or two to show how she's coping and for her to interact with Danny and, via their interaction, show how he's coping. I'd hate for her to just disappear--she's a character that in only about 7 scenes has made an impression and made me want to know more about her and see her more.

 

[Kimmychu]

hhunter said:
I don't see Danny cheating on Lindsay either. I don't think he would do that. Now like I have said, I haven't seen all the NY episodes, but I think Danny is a stand up kind of guy. And if he for one minute thought he would be cheating on Lindsay, I don't think he would have invited Rikki into his bed. I think that's the idea here, don't you think?

In season one, when he was at a massage parlour with Aiden, Aiden was joking about him visiting such places and he mentioned that 'he had girlfriends for that kinda thing'. It was never specified whether he had multiple girlfriends at the same time or whether he just meant in general, heh. Then in season two, there was Cindy and then there was that random woman on the train. But throughout all that time, it was never, ever hinted, much less confirmed, in any way that Danny cheated on any of the women he dated. (The season one comment alone may have painted him as something of a player but even that comment is ambiguous.)

After having watched four seasons of Danny character development, I don't see Danny being a cheater either. Doing so would make him like the people who broke his trust or abandoned him in the past: he knows what the emotional pain feels like, would he inflict the same on other people, particularly people whom he cares about?

By the way, I love that song by Sarah McLachlan.

oh beautiful release
memory seeps from my veins
let me be empty
and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight
in the arms of an angel

Those lyrics are bloody perfect! Now who between them is the angel?

Faylinn said:
I think it's fine so long as they do it on good terms, show that she's leaving for a good reason and that they're okay with each other. I want them to leave it open to bring her back some time. Maybe they could have her guest star next season in an episode or two to show how she's coping and for her to interact with Danny and, via their interaction, show how he's coping. I'd hate for her to just disappear--she's a character that in only about 7 scenes has made an impression and made me want to know more about her and see her more.

Amen! I would love to see her again next season! And indeed, I also want to know more about her, like what she does for a living, who Ruben's father is/was, how she and Danny first met, etc.

So guys, now that episode 4x17 has aired, has it shed any new light on your opinion of whether Danny may have 'cheated' Lindsay or not, and where his relationship with Rikki may go?

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

So guys, now that episode 4x17 has aired, has it shed any new light on your opinion of whether Danny may have 'cheated' Lindsay or not, and where his relationship with Rikki may go?

Not really on either counts. Danny and Lindsay both acted weird considering what happened in 416, IMO. Danny did say "we should rent that movie" to Lindsay after they quoted "Jaws," so that leads me to believe TPTB are trying to paint the picture that they have been dating - but not necessarily exclusively, I'm still not convinced of that. But then in the episode thread Fay pointed out that renting and watching movies is something friends do, so maybe they were trying to show that Danny was making a peace offering.

Rikki wasn't mentioned at all, so we have no clues about where she and Danny are headed.

Faylinn said: About Rikki leaving--I think it's fine so long as they do it on good terms, show that she's leaving for a good reason and that they're okay with each other. I want them to leave it open to bring her back some time. Maybe they could have her guest star next season in an episode or two to show how she's coping and for her to interact with Danny and, via their interaction, show how he's coping. I'd hate for her to just disappear--she's a character that in only about 7 scenes has made an impression and made me want to know more about her and see her more.

I agree. For her to be a recurring character would be wonderful and would really strengthen the story line started in "Child's Play." It was already strong, but for them to keep the thread going in some way would be amazing especially considering CSI: NY's track record on continuity. Rikki and Danny are too intriguing together, regardless of romance, to just drop it.

 

[ladyhunter]

I stilll don't think he did. Let me say this now after the episode has aired...

When Mac was asking Lindsay if she was okay she answered... "Well yeah, I know leaving evidence out could cost a conviction.." etc...
She also went on to say...

I KNOW I SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH SOMEONE I WORK WITH..I know it was stupid.

Now, to me that says that whatever Danny and Lindsay 'had' is gone.
Her actions when they were talking about the Jaws scene said so.

So, now I think possibly Danny and Rikki can continue their relationship or they can just slowly say goodbye to each other. But, I do hope that we get some resolution between Danny and Rikki.

 

[miss_blue]

I think Rikki is scared to start something with Danny. She said it was just sex, but she didn't believe herself, let alone Danny. I think she is scared and disoriented she might be feeling like she's doing something wrong. And I think Danny felt something for her even when Ruben was alive, but he wasn't sure either. I would be very pleased if TPTB will bring Rikki in more often (not every episode, but for a couple of more) considering the positive reaction the fans have towards her. And it will be so nice to see a relationship being born outside of the lab. Maybe if they build Rikki as Danny's comfort person, after everything he's dealing with daily on the job and given the fact that he's always emotional about the cases, she can be his safe person to go to.

 

[ladyhunter]

And I think Danny felt something for her even when Ruben was alive, but he wasn't sure either

I totally agree, I think Danny and Rikki had an attraction before Ruben died. I think he hung around them because he liked both of them. And Rikki felt comfortable enough to have Danny take him for the day. It's not always easy to trust someone else with your children.
I do hope to see some resolve between them. A possible romance or some sort of decent goodbye.

 

[kinkapoodles]

I KNOW I SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH SOMEONE I WORK WITH..I know it was stupid.

Now, to me that says that whatever Danny and Lindsay 'had' is gone.
Her actions when they were talking about the Jaws scene said so.

I have to agree with this. If they weren't over Lindsay wouldn't be upset (assuming she doesn't know about Rikki) and I think she would have said: I know I shouldn't be involved with...
Just the way she said it sounded like whatever it was, it was now over. I really don't think Danny saw her as an exclusive girlfriend.

In season one, when he was at a massage parlour with Aiden, Aiden was joking about him visiting such places and he mentioned that 'he had girlfriends for that kinda thing'. It was never specified whether he had multiple girlfriends at the same time or whether he just meant in general, heh.

I don't think that Danny has taken any relationship seriously. Remember in Til Death Do We Part when he said (can't remember exact quote) he'd never do that and Mac was like..what, marriage? and Danny was like: no, love. I think all of his relationships with women are merely sex and friendship but with Rikki, it looks like he is ready for more. I didn't buy either one of their arguments that it was just sex and it was only to ease the pain. Neither Danny nor Rikki was convincing me they meant what they said. Their actions showed there was much more between them.

Even though Rikki said Danny was just the guy she said hello to and joked with, I'm thinking she meant that when it came to them as a couple instead of in general. Ruben was what brought them together and there was no way that Rikki would just turn her son loose with Danny if she didn't know him, cop or not.

 

[Kimmychu]

hhunter said:
I KNOW I SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED WITH SOMEONE I WORK WITH..I know it was stupid.

Now, to me that says that whatever Danny and Lindsay 'had' is gone.
Her actions when they were talking about the Jaws scene said so.

She not only said that, she also added, "Really stupid," at the end. I agree that whatever was going on between Danny and Lindsay is officially over. After what Lindsay said to Mac, she would look incredibly stupid for going into a relationship with Danny or anyone else at the office for that matter.

miss_blue said:
I think Rikki is scared to start something with Danny. She said it was just sex, but she didn't believe herself, let alone Danny. I think she is scared and disoriented she might be feeling like she's doing something wrong. And I think Danny felt something for her even when Ruben was alive, but he wasn't sure either. I would be very pleased if TPTB will bring Rikki in more often (not every episode, but for a couple of more) considering the positive reaction the fans have towards her. And it will be so nice to see a relationship being born outside of the lab. Maybe if they build Rikki as Danny's comfort person, after everything he's dealing with daily on the job and given the fact that he's always emotional about the cases, she can be his safe person to go to.

Good points! That's what I loved about their interaction in that scene ... the messages between the lines in what they said to each other as well as their body language and constant eye contact. They both know it's the beginning of something between them, but like you said, they may be worried about it moving too fast and want to slow down and assess the situation first. I really like that they talked about things and made sure there were no illusions between them.

And yes, it would be lovely to see a positive relationship developing outside of the labs. Especially for Danny!