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.
