Episode 8x22 - "Mommie Dearest" - **CONTAINS SPOILERS**

[MiamiWolfe]

This is just me, and I know someone had mentioned it in another thread, but does anyone besides me long for the days when there were no "nailbiting" cliffies, when "something you've NEVER SEEN BEFORE" is going to happen (Actually we have, in another form), or when someone DIDN'T get killed off, arrested, or ruined in the name of suspense?

I'd love to see endings like "Innocent" or even just a scene like the closing scene of "Death Pool 100" - everyone walking on the beach together as a team looking like they enjoy being in each other's company. No drama. No excitement. Just contentment.

You guys too? I am tired of spending the summer worrying if my favorites are coming back.

That and the "Who's betraying the team?" "They'll never be the same!" "Friends will be torn apart forever!" Somebody mind telling me where the "demand" came from?

Can't the team just get along, why does every season have the team split into factions instead of unifying to solve cases?

Ryan being the scape goat, someone betraying the team, the team splitting apart. I've just NEVER seen that on CSI Miami before. [/sarcasm]

Poor Ryan.

I would hope that this would help to bring Eric and his "holier than thou" attitude down a few notches. Perhaps he'll now be able to understand and sympathize with how Natalia felt when they all came down on her (Eric actually used their brief intimate relationship against her by telling her FBI superiors that she used sex to get information - what a lowlife!). I would also hope that he will start to understand how his never-ending ostracism of Ryan, is unwarranted, inexcusable and beyond unfair.

Eric has screwed up in more ways than any CSI should be allowed and keep his job and he's never been held accountable because Calleigh and Horatio baby him and cover for him. Ryan has always taken responsibility for his mistakes and has never allowed others the pay (i.e. Calleigh re-taking her proficiencies to cover for Eric and he allowed her to do it).

I am glad someone is said what I have been thinking for awhile now. It will be interesting is seeing how Eric deals with being the outsider (maybe he could go to Ryan for tips).

 

[electra]

Great post ,GNRF.I don't think anyone is saying that murder is OK but those kids were seriosly abused.Let's not forget that one of them die ,even if it was an accident.But also the show only presented the mother bad side .It could have been different if we could say something positive about her.

 

[ruby&theheadmen]

GNRF's post was well thought out and well written, but, I agree to disagree. The mother was a monster and I don't disagree with that, but I still say you don't kill your parent in cold blood, when she's lunging unarmed- you CAN run away! I hope that son of hers does a long prison term- he was old enough to know what he was doing and it looked quite calculated to me.

As for the daughter, not every parent wants their underage (or even adult children that live at home) to cohabit as it were. This is probably to many, very old fashioned and out of date, but some of us who believe in the old ways DO exist. Some of us DO believe in the old rules, raise our kids with them (I don't have children, but was raised with the old rules) and expect them to be obeyed as non-negotiable expectations of behavior. Breaking those rules can and does have consequences. I would have never done what the mother did of course, but in earlier times, escorting an incorrigible minor to Foster Care, disowning them and letting them fend for themselves was an acceptable option, leaving many a young adult thinking how easier life would have been if they had not just thumbed their noses at their parents' rules. Actions DO have consequences.

I don't wish to go into my personal life too much here, but I too suffered from Parental abuse and a parent unwilling to leave the situation- but I never committed murder no matter how tough things got!

 

[inthewind]

Let's not forget that one of them die ,even if it was an accident.

Forcing a 5 year old child to drink lighter fluid doesn't qualify as an "accident" anywhere in the world.
Trying to rationalize what anyone, teen, preteen or adult, would do under the constant cloud or fear of both verbal and physical abuse is an exercise in futility. We all react differently to such ongoing maltreatment. The boy was guilty of nothing except letting his self-preservation mode kick in. Self-preservation is the first law of nature. The only guilty party in this scenario was the father, who allowed it to continue unabated. He should be incarcerated.

 

[Jag Lady]

As for the daughter, not every parent wants their underage (or even adult children that live at home) to cohabit as it were. This is probably to many, very old fashioned and out of date, but some of us who believe in the old ways DO exist. Some of us DO believe in the old rules, raise our kids with them (I don't have children, but was raised with the old rules) and expect them to be obeyed as non-negotiable expectations of behavior. Breaking those rules can and does have consequences. I would have never done what the mother did of course, but in earlier times, escorting an incorrigible minor to Foster Care, disowning them and letting them fend for themselves was an acceptable option, leaving many a young adult thinking how easier life would have been if they had not just thumbed their noses at their parents' rules. Actions DO have consequences.

I stand with you, Ruby. And you're not as old-fashioned as you think.

 

[ruby&theheadmen]

As for the daughter, not every parent wants their underage (or even adult children that live at home) to cohabit as it were. This is probably to many, very old fashioned and out of date, but some of us who believe in the old ways DO exist. Some of us DO believe in the old rules, raise our kids with them (I don't have children, but was raised with the old rules) and expect them to be obeyed as non-negotiable expectations of behavior. Breaking those rules can and does have consequences. I would have never done what the mother did of course, but in earlier times, escorting an incorrigible minor to Foster Care, disowning them and letting them fend for themselves was an acceptable option, leaving many a young adult thinking how easier life would have been if they had not just thumbed their noses at their parents' rules. Actions DO have consequences.

I stand with you, Ruby. And you're not as old-fashioned as you think.

Thanks, Jag Lady. I really appreciate the support. Now, if only Rick would appear more often! As I said before, he's the one that can get under Horatio's skin like no one else and there must be MORE to the eye than just mere annoyance when Horatio reacts to it- still love the "come hither" sub tone he used when he was "telling Rick off" from 2 episodes ago. I wonder if H is even aware of it coming out when he does speak LOL. H may think it's a secret weapon to disarm our charming Southern Lieutenant, but that it turns out that it attracts as much as it is supposed to repel :thumbsup:

 

[Grissom rules]

That was an awesome episode.CSI:Miami finds it's rythm exactly in the right time.Horatio's interactions with the kids were as always great,I liked the fact that Natalia got more screentime than any other CSI.
So,Sally is involved in the diamonds theft?I think we'll find in the next episode.
Walter confronts Delko about the fact that he is sharing information with Rebecca.(we needed some conflict in the lab).
I can't wait for next week's episode as I want to see Ebecca's killer,and who stole the diamonds.

 

[GregNickRyanFan]

I don't think jail is the right thing for him. I don't think it's ever appropriate to place a 12 in jail with adult inmates. He'd be much better suited for a lengthy stay at some kind of mental facility. The boy needs help. Jail is not going to do him a bit of good and in the long run may even be worse. Think about it this way: If he were to be sentenced to ten years in jail (out when he's 22), by the time he's out, he may be highly aggressive and even attack people who just accidentally bump into him on the street (because he hasn't gotten the mental help that he so badly needs). Wouldn't it be much better for him to be sentenced to a lengthy stay at a mental facility where he would get the help that he needed?

Also, I forgot to mention that I think the daughter is culpable in the mom's death as well. The boy said "we need to call 911" and the daughter said "no" and didn't call for help for the mom (who might have possibly still been alive- most likely not, but possibly) and didn't let the brother call for help for the mom. So wouldn't she also be culpable?

 

[Ninja0980]

This issue hits close to home for me as I knew someone who was abused so forgive me for the bluntness I'll show in the post.
I have to strongly disagree with several posters here. This woman is NOT a victim. She was an abuser who looked for any excuse to beat ,berate,and torture her kids.
My parents had rules and boundries for my sister and I and yes (gasp!) we did break them sometimes. You know what our punishments were? We lost our videogame system,phone rights etc. Never once did they hit,degrade or instill fear in us as a way to get us to respect that. And we both (IMO) are both adults who respect our parents,have good jobs and are productive citizens.
In the long run abusing your children to earn respect won't work. If your kids obey you, it's out of fear,not respect. It's not old fashioned to expect your kids to obey rules and to respect you.
But,having DNA doesn't automatically make you a parent or deserving of respect. And a parent who abuses their children deserves none. And this case, she murdered one of her children. She deserves nothing but scorn and disguist from her kids.
As to the punishment for the son,adult prison in a case like would be barbaric. In his young life, he's seen his mom murder his little brother(yes,shoving lighter fluid down your child's throat is murder in my book,has no doubt been hit by her countless times as well as enduring emotional abuse.
And what was done to stop it? Nothing,nada,zip,zilch. The one time police did come out to the house,she put on a show,they bought her story and left. And I'm sure the minute they were gone there was hell to pay. The father didn't do anything to stop it and the teacher who suspected abuse failed to notify anyone about it. The arguments the boy should have tried to reach out to help don't really apply here. They were several adults and investigative services that could have stopped her... and they all failed. I didn't see a child who was looking to kill his mother in cold blood. I saw a child who was terrified of what his mother was going to do to him and decided to get her before she got him. He needs some time in a juvenile facility where he can get help and therapy, not adult prison.
I do agree with one point someone made, all actions have consquences and the mother's actions finally caused one of her kids to kill her out of fear that he would be getting hit or worse for accidently ruining the couch. You reap what you sow sometimes.

 

[Half]

While I agree that murder was not really the best option, I do not think that Cody (it was Cody, right?) should be severely punished for killing his mother. He was scared, he's young, and the only thought in his head at that moment was "Mom's going to hurt me." There's no way to rationalize a reason that he should go to actual prison for the crime.

Some of the previous posters have mentioned the teacher- the teacher had a small hunch, so she tested her theory at the anniversary party... mere hours, possibly even mere minutes before the crime. How exactly was she supposed to have time to do something in that time frame? Once she found out that the evil woman was dead, the fact of that could easily have distracted her from her discovery until she was talking to the police, at which point she told them of the suspicions that she'd recently discovered.

 

[Ninja0980]

Read the review and I have to agree 100% with what Kristine said. Mommy dearest was simply a sadistic individual who tortured her children. My truly most hated victim this season.