Going back to this because I re-watched some of season 3 at the weekend.
In “The Lying Game”, obviously the Stella, Hawkes, Flack case was dealing with Transgender and Homophobic issues.
At the time of its airing I remember a discussion on this board (and if I remember correctly in the D/F ship thread), regarding Flack’s attitude towards Frank the perpetrator of the crime, in fact I think Kristine mentioned it in her review.
It was talked about, because of Flack’s parting shot to Frank as he arrests him for the murder of Quentin Conrad. When Frank states that he was doing the world a favour by killing Quentin Conrad, Flack tells him that by arresting him he is doing the world an even bigger favour, by arresting Frank.
But it was the interrogation that struck me. Just like Stella in “Murder Sing’s the Blues” used the fact that she was a woman to connect with and interrogate Jordan (?), it was interesting to see Flack use his body and his sex to interrogate Frank.
At first he pretends empathy with Frank, regarding the fact that Frank didn’t know that the victim was transgender, goes on to imply that Frank may be gay, I think it’s Stella that mentions Gay Pride, but it’s Flack that pushes Frank but not through intimidation. Usually we see Flack pretty much explode or snark his way through interrogations, using intimidation. Apart from when he is just interviewing. Here though he pretends to be intimate with Frank, leaning in close, whispering in his ear, using pet names. Now none of this implies that Flack is gay or bi-sexual. And at the time I think along with the majority of the viewers I just saw it as an interrogation technique, but in all honesty Flack could have done a lot of that from across the table. Yes maybe it wouldn’t have made Frank quite so uncomfortable as it did but I think it probably would have had the same effect.
Something else I picked up on was that Stella nods to Flack, before getting in close to Frank. It’s relatively imperceptible but its there, I guess as a cue. Now maybe it’s me but I thought it was very telling that they did that.
I am in no way implying that the following characters are homophobic but I couldn’t have seen Mac, Danny or Hawkes using there body like that towards a criminal.
Mac uses intimidation and on occasion physical threats, as well as his intelligence. Hawkes tends to stick with the facts, and on the whole remains calm tending to lean towards out-witting someone. Danny will let those one liners and sympathy and passionate views come to the fore, thinking back to Danny and Stella interviewing the paedophile in Season 1 and Danny’s almost venomous comment about “What’s the matter, I to old for you?”
My point to all of this is, that Flack is clearly comfortable in putting himself forward in that way, he could see Frank’s weak spots, and knew what button’s to push – that’s what being a could cop and interrogator are all about - but it seemed that Flack was happy to play on that, use himself to get at Frank.
This says to me that Flack is extremely comfortable with who he is, whether that be hetro/Gay/Bi–sexual and from second viewing of “The Lying Game” for me it wouldn’t take a huge leap of imagination to believe that Flack plays both sides of the field (as it were).
Leading to my next point, this is a personal thing and you guys may not feel this way, but watching Flack in that episode really challenged my view of him, I love Flack, he is by far my favourite character, he is well rounded, a good friend (perhaps more
) to Danny and also to Stella and Mac. He is relatively easy going and is nearly always humorous. But it was that episode that challenged my view of him as a cop, we know he is good at what he does and that he believes in what he does, but he also doesn’t fit the stereotype of a police detective in the way they have been portrayed in the past.
Flack is the one, who took in what Hawkes and Stella were referring and actually looked up Candis Caynes skirt and declare that the victim is in fact Transgender, instead of the Doctor and Female CSI in the room. All the way through he is quite sure this is a hate crime (until the evidence of the congressman and the sister’s rape comes to light). He uses his sex to interrogate Frank.
I guess I have my own stereotypes of the police force and cops and Flack made me think.
To me I think Flack would be a good character to “out” as it were, for me personally I think he would challenge people’s views of bi-sexuality, he can’t really be gay for the reason we have seen Flack appreciating the female form, (we’ve also seen him appreciate Danny’s but that really is a WHOLE other thread
) and how men (in particular) are portrayed usually.
I understand do that there are people who believe that homosexuality is morally wrong, and I respect that it is their opinion and belief. I think someone mentioned this above, I’m not religious, in fact I’m atheist but I do think religion gets a bad rep on T.V, no one is just religious, they have to be fanatical and deranged and taking their believes too far.
I think all parts of society should be respected, but also portrayed and portrayed fairly. Yes these crimes do happen and it shouldn’t be covered up that they do but it is wrong just to show them as killers of victims of the society we all live in.
