Grade "Epilogue"

[symbeline]

Ok, now that I've had some time to think about the episode -I didn't want to say the first thing that came to mind, which was very :censored:-, I'll try to gather my thoughts and write something that I hope is coherent enough, because I'm still processing things.

I must admit that I was wrong. First, because I never thought that Adam/Stella was actually happening. I firmly believed it was just a way to tease the audience and not a real possibility. And second, because after having seen that scene just hours before the premiere, my initial thought was "they better have one hell of explanation for this". And I was wrong again.

Ok, I lied, my real initial thought was "WTF? Who is responsible for this mess?" :lol:

I'm not in the "Stella is a slut/cougar/emotional abuser" bandwagon. At least not yet because I don't have a clue of what happened before that night. Was it just one of this heat-of-the-moment things? Were they growing closer in the month after the shooting and this was the natural progression? Who made the first move and why? If I don't know which circumstances led to their one-night stand, I cannot -and won't- judge them.

NY's writers have the annoying tendency to make the audience fill in the blanks to avoid creating controversy, so they deliberately choose to be vague so everybody can find whatever explanation suits them. As a viewer, I can think of a lot of reasons that led to this situation and I would probably end up understanding it, but it wouldn't be fair to speculate with just one episode and one quick mention. Ask me again after a couple more episodes.

I still don't know why the writers thought it was a good idea to hook them up, other than to shock the spoiler-free audience. Even this is hard to believe since it was hinted in the promo so most of the audience probably knew that at one point Adam or Stella would be caught in bed -possibly- together or -probably- with somebody else. So the writers probably thought that the shock wouldn't come from the revelation itself, but from the events that led to that moment and the consequences that it could have. And that's what I'm thinking -and hoping- that would happen in the next episodes. I swear, if they choose to ignore it and swept it under the rug as just a one-night stand thing, I'm going to strangle somebody.

I said, and I would said it again: that's not a matter of romantic chemistry, I just don't see where are they going with this storyline. But then something hit me: what if they are planning to include the new girl in this mess?

There's one situation that could actually work for me: has Stella thought about the consequences of sleeping with a subordinate? We don't know what's the lab policy regarding inter-office relationships, but I highly doubt that Stella can get a free pass for sleeping with somebody that almost lost his job not so long ago.
What if Lauren Bacall -I mean, Haylen Becall - discovers about Adam and Stella and threatens to tell Mac or Sinclair? She could use this knowledge to make her moves and get the job she clearly ambitions. Mac would probably try to calm things but what about Sinclair? What if he thinks that Adam only saved his job because he is sleeping with somebody with higher rank and he isn't capable enough?

Ok, now that I've said it, it probably sounds more stupid than I thought, but I would like to see how Adam/Stella changes not only the dynamic of their own relationship but things at the lab.

I'll come later with more because it's extremely difficult to find the most appropriate words to express all I want to say in a foreign language -and believe me, I want to say a lot.

I'm trying. :lol:

 

[Faylinn]

Surely the future romantic link for Adam will be Haylen? I think I'd actually be surprised if they weren't flirting some time in the not to distant future. :lol:

The thing that worries me is that Haylen does seem like a potential love interest for Adam (I'll refrain from going off on a tangent about that) - and I just don't want them to go there and then show Stella being jealous. (Or Adam being jealous if Stella starts seeing someone, for that matter, although I think that would be a bit more of a reasonable reaction considering their past interaction.)

I also don't want it to become some sort of deep, dark secret that Mac finds out about and lectures Stella about her conduct (before going to spend family time with Lindsay, Danny and Lucy in the breakroom, no doubt).

I dunno. I'm open to them doing the relationship right, but I'm just worried about all of the ways it could go horribly, terribly wrong. There are so many other ways to create drama... *le sigh*

 

[Duke]

Okey dokey, so far I've only managed to see the first 30 minutes. Thank you YouTube. Hopefully I'll get to see the rest soon. I'm just going to post my thoughts as they come, so I apologise in advance if they're random and confusing.

Flack - No matter how it looks, clearly not over Jess. He's putting on a front and Mac seems to be the only one that's getting it. Looks like it's going to be SuperMac to the rescue there. Big surprise. I don't want to see Flack turn into a man whore, but right now maybe losing himself in other women is the only way he can cope. If it's what he thinks he needs, then that's perfectly acceptable and natural. We all cope with grief in so many different ways. But I want more angst from him, anger, lashing out and chasing down the bad guys, taking no crap. I wouldn't mind seeing him struggle with a drink problem, just to see how he'd cope with it. But the last thing I want is for him to spend most of the season bed-hopping. No thank you. There's so much potential in his storyline and I will go spare if TPTB waste it. :scream: So he can have his hos for now - but only for a couple episodes. Or else.

Stella/Adam - Say whaaaaat?!? :wtf: I have no idea what to make of this, seriously. Where did it come from? Did TPTB just think, "Oh, let's put in a random pairing and see how it goes down." If it's going to go somewhere [which I highly doubt, c'mon! It's Stel and Adam!] then fine [I can try and accept it...can't I??] but if not - then why bother doing it? Adam's always had a bit of a crush on Stella - remember the eyelash on her cheek? Awww...BUT, I fear he's headed for heartache. Stella's taste in men is abysmal, she's always picked the wrong guy. No one could blame her for wanting a little normality in her life. Can't get any more normal than sweet, adorkable Adam. The fact that he was so happy and goofy at the crime scene only proves he's in way deeper than Stella is. Which breaks my heart. I just hope when she breaks his, that she's gentle. And that their relationship doesn't suffer because of it. I don't want to see Adam leaving the Lab because he can't cope being around her and ends up being replaced by...Haylen Becall!!

So, yeah, Haylen - First impression, she seems sweet, okay...I guess. But I'm not sure if I like her or not. Can't make my mind up. The reason I didn't like Lindsay was because she was a replacement for Aiden and a poor one, and I think I feel the same about Haylen - just a poor replacement for Jess. If they're going to get rid of a strong female character, then they should at least have the decency to replace her with another strong, female character. Thank God for Stella. Maybe they think she's enough. But I think we need another one. I have a feeling Stella's character is going to take a few knocks this season because of the whole Adam thing. Which pisses me off. Can I say that? I can however, see Haylen & Adam getting freaky. It's way too obvious they'll end up that way. He might not like her now, but when Stella rips out his heart he'll probably turn to her for comfort.

Lindsay/Danny - Ok, this one was an even bigger shocker than Adam & Stel. For me, anyway. Lindsay really surprised me in this episode. After we all discovered that Danny was going to be wheelchair bound I think we all presumed she was going to get even more whinier, and "Poor me." She was anything but. I loved everything about her in this epi, and I can't believe I'm even saying it! She reminded me of the early Lindsay from Season 2, who used to get up to her ears in cow-dung and lube and rummage in Dumpsters for shotguns, until she got boring. I hope she keeps it up, I really want her to become a strong and independent character that I can really grow to like. [someone that doesn't need to rely on another character to become something herself, saying that I couldn't bear it if Danny was in that wheelchair for so long that he lost his identity and became reliant on Lindsay - I want the old Danny back ASAP!] I think with hubby in a wheelchair and a baby, she's going to have to be strong. I hope she pulls it off. When she told Danny, "I'm here to stay" my heart actually melted. Suddenly I'm all - I♥Lindsay. Go figure. But I want her to come through for him, show us what she's made of. I truly do. Early indications show that she's planning on doing just that. Mind you, I do NOT want to hear her say, Boom! again. No, just no.

So yeah...that's all I have right now. Oh, wait, it was nice to hear Stella call Mac out on the whole, "Me, I" thing - they're a team and he has an awful habit of sometimes forgetting it. And Hawkes, he's never been one of my fave characters, I've always said that if he or Lindsay were to leave I wouldn't miss either. He annoys me. He knows way too much about the field for a guy who's only been in the field a couple of years. He comes over as a know-it-all. Sid, dear old Sid, nothing changes there, he still rocks.

Sorry for the long ramble. :alienblush: When I get to see the rest I'll come back. But that's all I have for now. Hallelujah! I hear you all cry.

edit: Forgot to add Grade. I gave it a B.

 

[Trillian42]

So, here's my impression of the first episode (now that I've watched it twice):

Adam/Stella - Totally pointless. Completely useless waste of 2-3 minutes that would have been better spent elaborating on the actual plot (which was weak to say the least). Grade F

Danny/Lindsay - I actually liked their interaction. Seems like she's matured quite a bit, and is willing to put someone else ahead of herself. The optomism that she showed seemed like a bit of a front that she put on for Danny's benefit. This seems like the character that she should have turned into if they hadn't gone off on the "selfish and whiny" tangent of seasons 3 to 5. I think Danny's reactions to being in a wheelchair were kind of justified. He's always been a highly emotional individual, so it seems well within character for him to seem bitter and secretive and unkempt. Grade A

Flack - I'll have to reserve judgement on him. I don't really think he was in the episode enough (not character-wise anyway). What I did like was that he was able to actually contribute some of his detective skills to the plot. He was the one who noticed the blood trail away from the security guard, he knew that semi-automatic weapons jam, he reviewed the surveillance footage, etc. I liked that he wasn't just an errand boy being told how to track down leads. The writers put him in that situation too often, so it was a refreshing change of pace. Grade B

Mac - Same ol' Mac. Didn't notice anything out of character for him. Going to a building in the middle of the night to meet a possibly dangerous informant probably wouldn't fly if anyone else had asked him, but he's always been a bit more permissive with Danny. I didn't see anything new there. Grade C

The New Girl - You know how that old saying goes..."you never get a second chance to make a first impression"? Highly unfortunate for her. Hated her from the second she stepped on screen. Smug, self-centered, over-enthusiastic, annoying. And I was actually impressed with the set-up! When I heard that she was starting out as a "person-of-interest" I thought that there was no way that this was going to end well. I was impressed with the WAY that she was introduced (it didn't seem as unbelievable as I feared), it was HER that I didn't like. I really don't like this actress....at all. My hate for her is so deep that I won't even type her name here. They can get rid of her now. Grade F

Overall, I gave the episode a high grade. I was happy to see where everyone was with their lives, and aside from the occasional slip, I enjoyed everyone's stories. The weaknesses weren't enough to take away my enjoyment of the episode as a whole.
Of course, my grade may just be based on the fact that I've been jonesing for a CSI NY fix for weeks

Looking forward to next week!

 

[talkingtocactus]

Stella/Adam - Only this one episode. That's how I saw it. And about this Stella being a "Sl*t" thing well, I guess I'm about to be shunned from here because I think that could be farther from the truth. From what I saw she was in pain, she might not have shown it but you could see it in her eyes. I mean her friend just died, then this random shooting happens, which almost killed her and made her good friend be put in a chair. That's a lot to take in in a few days. Sure she didn't go to Mac, but he never would have done that; he's not that kind of man. Not that Adam is either but I digress. What I'm getting at is that is how they both felt the need to grieve. Stella said it best, it was a one time thing and it would never happen again.

To me this will just strengthen Mac and Stella bond. No relationship is strong from the beginning or even in the middle; there's always something to stop them from getting what they wanted. And from what I gathered anyway, Mac hadn't really been around, instead it looked like he lived in his office, until Stella called him on it, which strengthened their bond. Just the looks enough said all, and even if Mac did find out I don't think he'd think any less of her.

yep, that's pretty much my thoughts on it too. that goes for all the other "stella and adam wasn't actually that crazy, and stella's definitely no less strong a woman for doing what she did" thoughts as well!

Mac - Man that man has some nice shirts *fans self* anyway, in all seriousness Mac was exactly how I thought a man would be hwo had gone through something like that. He could have drown his sorrows in beer and did things he knew was wrong, but instead he wanted to solve this case, even if it meant shutting himself out from the rest of the world. He finally admitted - though it wasn't a verbal admittance - to Stella he needed her most of all, needed her guidance and strength even if she wasn't feeling strong herself. Once Stella had called him out on his behavior, he changed. Just a testament of how strong their bond is, or will become.

definitely! his wardrobe in that ep was excellent, i hope it continues! but either way, i think the scenes between him and stella said a lot, and probably more in the non-verbal bits than in the verbal bits.

Stella/Adam - this was so much better than I'd anticipated. I thought they were cute and I can so see how 'it' happened. My fear from the spoilers was that they'd have Adam being hurt by their hook up because he had feelings for Stella - I'm so glad that didn't happen. It was very clear that Adam saw it for what it was (mutual comfort etc) and just seemed happy that he'd had the opportunity. They say it won't happen again but I have to admit I might even be able to get on board if it does, as long as it's kept light - I really wouldn't want to see a more substantial something coming out of it. Oh, and I really really don't see this as Stella 'sleeping around' - it takes more than one guy to be doing that and even if she was sleeping with more than one then so what? People really do deal with loss in unexpected ways, they often seek comfort wherever they can and that's fine.

definitely - i wasn't as freaked by it as i thought i would be, i think in the context it sort of makes sense.

Flack - I kind of love how Flack is 'dealing' with things. He's full of bravado and dealing with his loss by putting on a front. It's not the Flack we've come to know but I kinda like that. Grief will bring out all sorts of sides in a person and it's interesting to see. It's clear he's going to fall at some point and I can't wait to see how that unfolds. I'm really hoping that his fall comes at a point where Danny's in a position to support him. Unfortunately I can't help but think it'll be Mac to the rescue - the look that Mac gave him when he was flirting with the blonde seemed very telling i.e. 'I'm onto you, don't think I'm not.'

i don't mind it being mac to the rescue, but then i never do, and i think flack's "dealing" is interesting - it's pretty believable for someone to put on a front at work even if they're losing it otherwise (ha! and i should know!), so it'll be interesting to see how far the front carries, and how the others help him with it.

I know I'm probably going to get a lot of crap for saying this but I liked the Adam/Stella hookup. I would agree that there is definitely something there between Mac and Stella but it's been how may years and still nothing has happened whatso ever between them. Do you all really expected Stella to have to wait for Mac to have an realization? I'm proud of Stella that she potentially found something that could be great. (i don't believe the "Let's forget it ever happened" line)
Way to go Stella, Cougars Rule, lol

I agree with you. I actually hope they go somewhere with this, it could be amazing. I mean, just a mention, or maybe word spreads around, goes to Mac. I don't know, I just don't see the reason to include it in the show, just to give it a minute and a half of screentime.

i think the "forget it" line is dodgy too - no one who ever says that on tv ever finds it actually happening! i suspect there might be more to come, but i'll be interested to see if anything does, and how they both deal with it - and mac, of course, if he finds out, which could be very interesting - i wonder if it would provoke jealousy (i hope so!) but i hope it doesn't alter his high opinion of stella.

neither threatened lives of people I cared about... why past tense?

i wondered that too...

In general I don't know, I did not really enjoyed the episode. Kids playing with jammed guns? it left many holles in the script if you ask me. Initally they seemed more powerfull and then in order for the episode to be rupted up they mighty gang ened up to be just some kids who got cocky... Lame if you ask me... I wanted something more.

it was a slightly anticlimactic conclusion i guess, in terms of it being just random kids and not some horrific vendetta, but then i thought about it again and actually i think that's quite interesting - it kind of shows how often the job they do (and especially if they get caught up in it) can be pointless and random, with no real answers or reasons for bizarre behaviour. i quite liked how it almost stumped mac to find out that it wasn't some awful plot to kill csis or cops, but actually just some bored kids with no reason whatsoever.

Granted, sleeping with someone to heal a hurt isn't the best way to handle it. But I don't think that's what happened. Stella said what they did was spontaneous, meaning that she didn't just walk up to Adam and say lets sleep together. Maybe it was one too many drinks, maybe it was recognition of a mutual hurt. We'll probably never find out. Point is Stella isn't the only one at fault. Yes Adam is the somewhat innocent, quirky, cute little lab tech, but there was no indication that he ever said/did anything to stop her.

yeah, i think this makes a lot of sense. plus as has been said, the fact that adam is the upbeat, kooky one, maybe that was just what she needed - maybe she didn't want seriousness and depression, she wanted something frothy and fun and light.

I also don't want it to become some sort of deep, dark secret that Mac finds out about and lectures Stella about her conduct (before going to spend family time with Lindsay, Danny and Lucy in the breakroom, no doubt).

i don't either, but i would be interested to see just how he does react to it, should he find out...

Lindsay/Danny - Ok, this one was an even bigger shocker than Adam & Stel. For me, anyway. Lindsay really surprised me in this episode. After we all discovered that Danny was going to be wheelchair bound I think we all presumed she was going to get even more whinier, and "Poor me." She was anything but. I loved everything about her in this epi, and I can't believe I'm even saying it! She reminded me of the early Lindsay from Season 2, who used to get up to her ears in cow-dung and lube and rummage in Dumpsters for shotguns, until she got boring. I hope she keeps it up, I really want her to become a strong and independent character that I can really grow to like. [someone that doesn't need to rely on another character to become something herself, saying that I couldn't bear it if Danny was in that wheelchair for so long that he lost his identity and became reliant on Lindsay - I want the old Danny back ASAP!] I think with hubby in a wheelchair and a baby, she's going to have to be strong. I hope she pulls it off. When she told Danny, "I'm here to stay" my heart actually melted. Suddenly I'm all - I♥Lindsay. Go figure. But I want her to come through for him, show us what she's made of. I truly do. Early indications show that she's planning on doing just that. Mind you, I do NOT want to hear her say, Boom! again. No, just no.

i was also very pleasantly surprised by lindsay, she really did seem to return to the s2 version and it was lovely to see her being strong and supportive instead of whiney!

 

[GregNickRyanFan]

Stella/Adam - Say whaaaaat?!? :wtf: I have no idea what to make of this, seriously. Where did it come from? Did TPTB just think, "Oh, let's put in a random pairing and see how it goes down."

I think they put a bunch of different pairings with Stella in a hat and drew one at random. :lol:

And I have been seeing people commenting on Haylen's attire. Oddly enough, I didn't actually notice anything about her attire. :lol: But, if they plan to keep her around, I hope they flesh her out and mellow her out a bit. She's a bit obnoxious as is. :lol: Reminds me a lot of Alex on Invisible Man. That character never did grow on me. I didn't feel the show needed a new character, the team was fine the way it was. The character was very Mary-Sue-ish.... and Haylen seems headed that way too. :lol:

 

[Curiosity]

Had to watch it twice because I missed some of the episode the first time. Sorry, this is rather long-ish....


Grade = C for this episode. I thought it was just average, especially for a season opener and as others mentioned, a bit anticlimactic as a resolution for the events of “Pay Up.”

I was disappointed in the case itself. Yeah, I understand why they didn’t make it some big elaborate plot or personal vendetta, but I still thought they could’ve done more with it. The motive for the shootout seemed a little too random and coincidental to me. It would’ve been more interesting to find that there was some type of indirect link to the team. Maybe if the killers had staked out the place in advance so they knew it was a gathering place for policemen and thought shooting at the police would raise the profile of the case and help them get the ransom.

And the whole plan didn’t seem that well thought out anyway. Maybe I missed some exposition, but how were they planning to collect the ransom? Did they have non-U.S. bank accounts lined up somewhere to receive the money, or were they planning to just walk up to the city offices and collect it? Sorry, I just didn’t find the case itself that compelling.

The other thing I found underwhelming was the follow-up on Angell’s death. I know they mentioned her a few times, and the implication was that they were all recovering/reacting to her death and the shootout in some way. However, the emotion just didn’t seem that strong, especially for only four weeks afterwards.


As for the individual stories (which I guess were supposed to be the true focus of the episode)….

I haven’t been a big Hawkes fan in the past, but I’m actually quite interested in his storylines this season. I’m glad they’ve given him his own unique thing this season – working with the Park Medical detail…It’s an interesting development and one that should take him out of the lab more and possibly expand the types of cases that he and the team tackle.

Mac was Mac – the stalwart leader – perhaps a bit more driven, intense, and animated but still essentially Mac. I thought the clutter in his office was a nice touch to show that he was not quite himself and had become a bit obsessive and desperate.

I feel for Flack – he obviously is not ok and the implication that he is going into “player” mode is sort of sad. I’m curious to see where the writers will take his arc though and how far he will fall before starting to recover.

So far, so good, for handling of the Danny wheelchair storyline. I thought CG did a good job showing a range of emotions without venturing into melodrama. I admit the hair and beard were distracting, but I just assumed they were trying to show that his outlook and everyday life, routine, etc. had been significantly impacted by the paralysis.

And hurray for AB/Lindsay! I actually liked her scenes and the interaction with Danny. It was just the right amount of support as well as toughness and not a hint of the martyr to be found. If they keep this up, I might start to find the D/L storyline interesting.

I thought Haylen’s first appearance was ok. Yeah, her voice was a bit strange, but I actually liked that because she didn’t come across as too perfect. Also I liked that she was pretty straightforward about her agenda and am curious to see to what lengths she will go to get a foot in the door.

As for the Adam/Stella stuff, well, I have a range of feelings about that development. Disappointment with a bit of exasperation because they managed to expose all the flaws in the way the franchise handles romance/sex in just this one episode – minimal build-up, poor continuity, key events happening offscreen, etc. And I still don’t quite understand Stella’s motivations in the whole matter. The interviews made it sound like this liaison was part of Stella’s reaction to the shooting, but that wasn’t clear at all to me, and Stella didn’t really seem any different than normal. The only time she seemed a bit vulnerable was when she was talking to Mac. So when she told Adam it wouldn’t happen again and went to help Mac pack, did that mean she had “recovered?”

That said, I also was filled with a vague sense of relief that the writers didn’t try to make more of this “relationship” than there was (not sure that sentence made sense). I was worried that Stella might come out of this seeming weak or like a user. However, that conversation between Adam and Stella at the end made it sound like this was just a mutual, casual, spontaneous one time fling – no regrets but also no pretense of deep feelings or conflict about continuing. I thought MK in particular played that scene in a straightforward way, with no coy or conflicted looks to contradict the words coming out of her mouth. So, I didn’t come away with the feeling that this was a serious “romance” or something that might happen again – at least not from that scene.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the writers won’t reverse course and have them suffer a “relapse” again. I wish they hadn’t even attempted this storyline, but in the end, I think the writers were clever enough to hedge their bets. They threw a one-night stand into the mix, without spending much time on it or even having the actors touch or kiss (Thank you, thank you for sparing me that!) and wrapped it up in a way that allows them to move on and never pick it up again if they wish. Whether they choose to do that remains to be seen.

I can see how this “relationship” might bolster Adam’s character with the audience because if Stella is willing to spend time with him, then maybe it means there’s more to him than meets the eye. But I don’t think it does much for Stella from a development standpoint, and I certainly don’t have any interest in seeing her involved in a casual affair. They might be able to get away with putting her in a one-night stand, but a continued dalliance with Adam calls into question Stella’s judgment and professionalism. They can and should do better for the female lead, especially one that they’ve built into such a strong, positive character – at least up to this point.

While I don’t care to see the writers continue an Adam/Stella affair beyond this episode, I do think it might be interesting to see some follow-up on the consequences. I like symbelline’s idea about having Haylen find out about it and using it as leverage to get Adam to help her out.


So…not the strongest episode, but it was good to see the characters again, and I’ll be back to see what’s in store next week.

 

[Top41]

So much good discussion in here... I'm probably going to keep my thoughts brief and just reply to some of this here.

I gave the episode an A-. My major beef/regret was that it didn't show more of the immediate aftermath of the shootout. I get what they were going for with the month-long jump, but I think a lot of the drama was sacrificed. That being said, I think the goal was to reset a lot of the characters... and they definitely accomplished that.

I was most surprised by how much I liked the interaction between Danny and Lindsay in this episode. This is the first time they've ever felt like a believable couple to me. They bantered back and forth a bit, joked with each other, Lindsay was both protective of and concerned for Danny and Danny, yes, lied to her, but did it out of that old fear of abandonment he has. They felt real to me for the first time. And it was so very refreshing to see Lindsay finally realizing she needs to be there on an emotional level for her very vulnerable, very needy (and he's always been this way, long before the shooting) husband. Her optimism was refreshing, and new--it's almost as if the shooting caused her to wake up and realize what she's so fortunate to have. An interesting development for her.

I'm intrigued by Stella and Adam being drawn to each other--I don't think it's a bad thing at all that Stella is seeking out someone who is interested in her and is a healthy, kind, warm person. He's not a bad boy, and sorry--eventually you have to outgrow the bad boys or you're just going to have one bad relationship after another. Not to say this is going anywhere anyway, though I hope that one night stand wasn't just a one night stand. I've never been a fan at all of the idea of any sort of romantic relationship between Mac and Stella, so I'm intrigued to see where this goes.

I'm not sure how I feel about Flack's sudden man ho/faux carefree ways, but I think it's sweet and adorable--and shows that the old Flack is still in there--that it was Danny going back to work that got Flack to go back to work. A nice nod to continuity, to how protective Flack has always been of Danny. The fact that he stayed in the background and didn't share any scenes with Danny makes me wonder if he's not harboring some guilt/grief over the fact that he wasn't able to protect Danny when he got shot.

The new girl I just found annoying. From her lame name to her squeaky voice, she just grated on my nerves. I hope that will lessen with future appearances.

I really loved Lindsay in this one. I have at times been frustrated with her character but she really hit one out of the park in this one with just the right amount of caring concern and threatened ass-kicking. Top called it right with her protective manner around Danny when Adam was teasing about his wheelchair. I didn't pick up on that on the first viewing. The bantering between her and Danny was refreshing and sweet...him saying she was too cute to be threatening, her kissing him on the top of the head. Very much needed.

It seems to me that Lindsay in this episode was very much like early S2 Lindsay with a bit more life experience behind her. It's the way I would have expected Lindsay to progress organically as a character if TPTB had stuck with one solid characterization for her throughout the series. I liked Lindsay in S2 so I have to say even if Lindsay stays as nothing more than a love interest for Danny I will like her if they keep this personality and Anna Belknap keeps selling it the way she did last night.

I think Kristine put words to why I liked the episode so much. Even though it wrapped up the cliffhanger it felt very much like brief glimpses of what's to come for the rest of the season and it got me excited to watch again.

Yes and amen! I also liked S2 Lindsay and think they should have kept her on that track. She came across in this episode as warm and mature and positive and not at all self-serving or self-sacrificing. With TPTB establishing her as such at the beginning it will be more acceptable for her to have a bad day where she gets overwhelmed and has the pity party. It happens to everyone at least once in a crisis and I wouldn't expect her to not go through that.

I think she finally felt real to me as a character in this episode, something she so rarely has before--not since season two, really.

Dear Danny,

This may come as a surprise to you,but even lowly cripples comb their hair and bathe before going to work. Disabled/=filthy slob. Just because your legs and magical man plumbing are currently out of order, that doesn't mean you have to inflict your nigh-visible funk onto your hapless co-workers and Lindsay. I'm no Lindsay fan, but even she doesn't deserve to be enveloped in that level of butt fug. Pull yourself together and stop wallowing. Despite his grief over Angell, Flack manages not to look like a hobo. Paralysis is no excuse.

La Guera

LOL, this cracked me up big time. Other than being in a t-shirt and having a beard, though, Danny didn't really look that bad. I never got the feeling that he was not washing himself or anything yucky like that. I was actually surprised--I expected him to be angrier and more downtrodden than he was. The fact that he was able to joke around quite a bit showed me his spirit wasn't completely crushed.

Dear Flack,

How did you know Danny was off playing superhero if Mac and Danny were on a secret mission known only to them?

Because Flack has a special radar for when Danny is in danger. I did think it was cute that he mentioned Danny as his reason for coming back to work. I wouldn't be surprised if Danny himself had called Flack--I wish we'd seen that or something between them.

For once, I found myself on Team Lindsay(well, except for the "I took a longshot before and ended up with you" comment, which stopped her laudable momentum like a punch in the face).

That comment struck me as off, too. I don't think she meant it as hurtful, though it easily could have been taken that way by Danny. I chalked it up to her awkwardness with dealing with "this sort of thing." It wasn't a comment that made me loathe her, the way her "I know you" in "The Box" did, or that whole monologue from RND.

I might buy the argument that Danny was unkempt because he was depressed if he hadn't managed to be clean and tidy during his slow collapse over Reuben's death. He was clearly devastated and depressed then, yet he managed to be reasonably clean. Ergo, I can only assume his unkempt appearance is related to his disability. Now, if the writers are trying to convey that Danny can't groom himself as well because his bathroom is inaccessible, then I applaud them for thinking that far, but if so, they should've been more explicit. Had we seen Danny struggling to get into his bathtub at episode's end, it would've been a clear yet subtle explanation of why he looks so filthy. As it is, it makes it look like paralysis renders you incapable of self-care.

As Maya pointed out, his hair got a little wild and his clothes a bit wrinkled during the Ruben arc. I think part of the reason behind his unkempt look in this episode was that he wasn't able to be at work. Mac had his badge and ID--clearly Danny was on some sort of forced or mandatory leave. I took it as being more about that than he was like, "I can't walk anymore, so being clean doesn't matter." I bet the beard is gone by next week.

I knew we predicted that it'd be Stella's character (more than Adam's anyway) that would get the backlash of Adam/Stella. But I'm actually this close to hoping they do stay together and get married and become D/L v.02 complete with all the angsty nonsensical drama, only this time done right. If only because it's very uncool how Stella's being called everything from a "slut" to the writers' "most hated character".:wtf: It's seriously that shocking that she dared to hook up with someone from work who wasn't Mac?

I'm also surprised at the Stella backlash. I know women are harder on other women than they are on men, but the hate being heaped onto Stella just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Not forgetting that we live in a fairly liberated society. I haven't really come across any of those sorts of comments about Stella but it really bugs me that women are still seen as sluts whereas men are get a pat on the back and labelled as a player (and the term 'player' is often admired or at least laughed off). That's not to say that's what people are saying here, because honestly I wouldn't know.

Amen. I have to say, I hate how easily the word "slut" is thrown at women for daring to indulge their sexual desires/needs... and how women are "sluts" and men "players." That's bullshit, frankly. Sleeping with someone you know, even if it's a one time thing, is pretty damn far from being a slut.

You want to know who's being a slut? Flack. If he's going out bed hopping in the wake of Angell's death... that's slutty. Though the whole concept is kind of silly and judgmental to begin with. I don't get why people like to sit and judge others because they're what, having too much sex? OK, climbing off the soapbox now. :lol:

 

[Messers fan]

I liked the episode and give a A even if I am a little disapointed about the immediate aftermath of the shooting. I was expected more reaction of the team to buy the behaviour of them after.

- Stella Adam well come from nowhere I don't like the way Adam act after satisfied of himsel it's it not the Adam I like well wait and see

- Lindsay I liked the way she told Danny what he needs to hear they were cute when they bantered

- Danny is Danny, insecure but the fact he is married now give him more strenght to go trough this situation. but he lied to Lindsay and it's the proof that he thinks she might leave him if he stays like that. the way he looks.. I don't agree that he is dirty, not shave and long hair yeah but not dirty his shirt is bloody because he crawled to the girl on the floor. As Mac has still his badge on his desk I assume he didn't get back to the office yet, and maybe leaves in a rehab center for the moment, he is not at home at the end of the episode and Lindsay is alone with Lucy.

- Flack I don't like the way he flirts but if this lead to a good story for him why not

- the new girl I hate her please let her go

Mac is Mac let's go for season 6

 

[Duke]

While I don’t care to see the writers continue an Adam/Stella affair beyond this episode, I do think it might be interesting to see some follow-up on the consequences. I like symbelline’s idea about having Haylen find out about it and using it as leverage to get Adam to help her out.

Oh, now I think that's only going to make me dislike her a little bit more. I like a girl who's willing to allow nothing to stand in her way of getting what she wants - but emotional blackmail? Nuhuh. If she's going to be a member of the team then I hope they find another way to work her into the Lab rather than stoop to that level of deceit. [actually, truthbeknown, I'm secretly hoping they don't bother] Can't see Adam taking it very well if it happens that way. And what of the ramifications if Stella finds out? It's funny, but even though my first impression of Haylen was that she was sweet and ballsy, I did also feel a "sneaky" vibe coming off her. I don't like sneaks.

I feel for Flack – he obviously is not ok and the implication that he is going into “player” mode is sort of sad. I’m curious to see where the writers will take his arc though and how far he will fall before starting to recover.

This is the one that's worrying me. Worst thing they could do is have him go a little crazy for a few episodes and then suddenly see the error of his ways by episode 7 and Boom! we're back to the old Flack that we all love. Yes, I want him to get his life back and all the rest of it - but not until we've seen him go apeshit with a few perps, hit the booze, break down and all that other angsty stuff. Keep it going until the end of the season, TPTB. Please! Oh, I'm mean. But seriously, his storyline has the most potential. It's too juicy. I'll go spare if he's fine within a few episodes. :scream:

Because Flack has a special radar for when Danny is in danger. I did think it was cute that he mentioned Danny as his reason for coming back to work. I wouldn't be surprised if Danny himself had called Flack--I wish we'd seen that or something between them.

Agreed! Yet another great scene that they failed to give us. A whole month has supposedly passed since the shooting, what a waste! They could have - at the very least - showcased the aftermath of the shooting in the season opener, just to give us a wee glimpse of how terrible those hours and days after really were. Instead they gave us stupid bloody flashbacks and expect us to fill in the blanks.

 

[talkingtocactus]

Mac was Mac – the stalwart leader – perhaps a bit more driven, intense, and animated but still essentially Mac. I thought the clutter in his office was a nice touch to show that he was not quite himself and had become a bit obsessive and desperate.

yeah, i really liked that about it - although i wondered why stella felt a need to point it out, it wasn't like we couldn't tell just by looking!:guffaw:

 

[meggzie]

I can't really post too much on this because altough i watched it on you tube they only had 4 out of 5 parts:scream:

but the bits i saw i have to say i was quite dissapointed, first of all what the hell has happened to everyone?

-Mac was in pretty much every moment of the episode which is quite expected but he was just a bit overused.
- stella and adam im not even gonna comment.
- what is up with everyones outfits when exactly in 4 years has lindsay worn jeans? maybe im wrong but i dont really remember her dressing like that. and mac without his suit:wtf:
-Also what is up with D/L, suddenly lindsay has gone from a self-involved whiney mary sue to the perfect wife?:wtf: im not saying people cant change but it just seemed too far for me.
- D/L were also in too much of this episode and it just kind of took over. I expected it to be a lot about them but more at home than at a crime-scene
-Liked haylen I don't know why but just something about her made me think she will be a good character.
-poor don missing angel at least they are actually mentioning her shes not in the black hole with louie and aiden, hopefully this will continue and csi has learnt that grieving is real and you can't just forget it by the next week.
-I liked the begining but would have liked it to start from the time it happened not a month later, i suppose they were trying to go for a new, intresting way to tell the story but it just didnt work for me, i didnt get the full affect of what had happened, other than what the characters were saying.
-Liked adam in this episode but i would like to know what and how whatever happened between him and stella happened, i mean was it grief?,comfort?,a bit of fun?,


Wish I could comment on the ending but cant find it if anyone knows were i can plz let me know thanks x

- Also: dannys beard definitaly dont like it

 

[Lightrock]

Best 3
Lindsay, I don't know why but I thought she was great in this
More Adam=hooray
The flashbacks to the shooting were very cool

Bottom 3
Adam and Stella
Danny's hair (fine with beard)
No funeral for Jess

Unfortunately this was rather disappointing

 

[v*a*l*y]

I haven't seen the whole episode but I gave A
I liked it especially at the end very sweet :adore:
Adam & Stella please no way :scream: !!

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

- Danny is Danny, insecure but the fact he is married now give him more strenght to go trough this situation. but he lied to Lindsay and it's the proof that he thinks she might leave him if he stays like that. the way he looks.. I don't agree that he is dirty, not shave and long hair yeah but not dirty his shirt is bloody because he crawled to the girl on the floor. As Mac has still his badge on his desk I assume he didn't get back to the office yet, and maybe leaves in a rehab center for the moment, he is not at home at the end of the episode and Lindsay is alone with Lucy.

I never even thought about Danny living in a rehab facility. That would make a lot of sense since I highly doubt his and Lindsay's apartment is wheelchair accessable and he needs to learn how to do things while in a wheelchair while simultaneously working on trying to walk again.

Although, if he was in a rehab facility it doesn't make sense that he'd be able to leave and work cases. Although I can see TPTB making that possible in TV land. :shifty: