I thought this was a great episode and will give it an A.
I loved the fact that Mac’s hearing was at the forefront of the episode. I especially enjoyed seeing how the hearing affected not only Mac, but those he works with. As illustrated by Flack’s discussion with Gerrard and Sinclair, Mac wasn’t the only one who faced possible career repercussions because of the hearing. While the McEnroe case was interesting, and I thought McEnroe himself did a fantastic job, I felt it was overshadowed by the hearing. Nevertheless, it did include a Danny and Flack chase scene, which is always a bonus to me.
What I enjoyed most about the episode was that it highlighted the friendships between the characters, something I wish more episodes would do. Showing Danny and Flack drinking beer and shooting pool was great, and I liked how Stella showed her support for Mac by seeking him out in front of the Police Academy and encouraging him to fight back. I also liked the Mac/Peyton interactions, and think Peyton is great for Mac.
Like others, however, I was a bit disappointed by how neatly everything came together so that Mac could be cleared. I would rather Mac have had his name cleared because he really didn't do anything wrong, and not because he was able to uncover a previous procedural violation against Gerrard.
Great episode. I'm looking forward to the season finale!