Overall, great episode. And I was prepared to dislike it, because I was getting tired of the persecution storyline.
The resolution of it did kinda feel like some production manager said "oh crap we only have four minutes left, wrap it up!" but I am glad that the Hearings etc. won't be carried into next season. Hopefully Sinclair and Gerrard will continue to make appearances, but wont' exist as some ominous cloud hanging perpetually overhead. Maybe now we can return to investigating crimes in the city instead of the people investigating the crimes...
MacEnroe was one of the better celebrity guests they've had on the show. His story-line kinda felt tacked on to the main drama of the hearings, but I guess it was good to show the lab continuing to function inspite of everything.
What I liked about this episode was seeing sides to Mac beyond anger and self-righteousness.
Zuiker referred to Mac once as the "moral center of the show," so you know Mac may be portrayed as flawed, but not as completely off the mark or without some elements of justification. The court scenes were pretty harsh and did acknowledge double standards. Mac did get pulled off his high-horse and actually LISTENED to people (Stella, Peyton, and indirectly, Flack).
Were it not for Stella, he would not have decided to play politics at all, preferring to see if his reputation would carry him thru. Were it not for Peyton, he would not have gone to see Truby. Without that he would not have been directed towards useful information about Dobson and Gerrard. With that information he was prepared to follow Flack's advice and testify on his own behalf, if Sinclair and Gerrard had continued to throw him to the wolves.
I loved seeing Flack & Danny behaving like normal people having a life, bitching about work and philosophy etc; I loved how Peyton's part was handled, and that she has things to do as a character besides being a love interest, and the sense of humour she has. (That said, the scenes between her and Mac are always well-done, and I increasingly find I'm a softie/sucker/shipper for them). I liked the moment between her and Hawkes too. Here's hoping Hawkes gets more screen time soon, and that Peyton returns next season.
The best moment of all was the ending with Stella and Mac, when she says, "so it must have been satisfying to see the look on Sinclair's face when he knew you had him..."
And Mac seems be be his old self, saying "Well, I do not take pleasure in other people's discomfort," and then kind of sideways laughs/sniggers into admitting that "yeeeessss it was."
Squeaky-clean Mac is human!!!
Bodes well for next season, and the previews bode REALLY well for the finale (where he is soaking wet if not squeaky-clean)! :devil: