Grade 'Exit Strategy'
- Thread starter Top41
- Start date
Geeno
Pathologist
I don't think Gary's talent is wasted on the show. He loves doing CSI so I think it's pretty safe to say he doesn't feel being wasted. CSI: NY is the Gary Sinise show. We were lucky we have an episode per season dedicated for a character.
And I believe the powers that be can continue to give us great episodes. Yes we've had some bad episodes but overall the show has been great.
Thanks Ruth for the song title. :thumbsup:
And I believe the powers that be can continue to give us great episodes. Yes we've had some bad episodes but overall the show has been great.
Thanks Ruth for the song title. :thumbsup:
Ceindreadh
Pathologist
(wretched board ate my post so here's the summary)
Oh come on! Danny came in looking deliberately gloomy. Lindsay *knows* that the Sgts exams are difficult to pass, and it's not like she's seen him do any studying for them. Why wouldn't she be surprized?
Things that did bug me about the ep. The whole 'take down' scene at the start which was solely there to provide Mac with a near death experience. Yes, I know, we've had plenty of eps where the CSI's think they're a SWAT team, but maybe it's just less irksome when it feels like a natural progression of the investigation, rather than being shoved in our faces at the beginning. The kissing of pictures and religious icons etc was just so cliched IMO.
And oh yes, 'super amazing' Mac has only one unsolved case after 9+ years on the job...because he's just *that* good. Oh please. The only cops with unsolved cases are the ones who haven't been given a case yet.
As a season or indeed series finale, it wasn't the worst. No characters in peril, no cliffhangers, plenty of possibilities for the future, but no real loose ends. My only real criticism would be that it was (yet again) a Mac-centred finale. And I get that he's the lead of the show, but when it's ostensibly an ensemble show, I would have preferred the finale to be centred around the team, and not just Mac.
Oh come on! Danny came in looking deliberately gloomy. Lindsay *knows* that the Sgts exams are difficult to pass, and it's not like she's seen him do any studying for them. Why wouldn't she be surprized?
Things that did bug me about the ep. The whole 'take down' scene at the start which was solely there to provide Mac with a near death experience. Yes, I know, we've had plenty of eps where the CSI's think they're a SWAT team, but maybe it's just less irksome when it feels like a natural progression of the investigation, rather than being shoved in our faces at the beginning. The kissing of pictures and religious icons etc was just so cliched IMO.
And oh yes, 'super amazing' Mac has only one unsolved case after 9+ years on the job...because he's just *that* good. Oh please. The only cops with unsolved cases are the ones who haven't been given a case yet.
As a season or indeed series finale, it wasn't the worst. No characters in peril, no cliffhangers, plenty of possibilities for the future, but no real loose ends. My only real criticism would be that it was (yet again) a Mac-centred finale. And I get that he's the lead of the show, but when it's ostensibly an ensemble show, I would have preferred the finale to be centred around the team, and not just Mac.
Rizzoli
Lab Technician
I would have liked more Jo, but Mac, Danny and Don had the most screentime, Sheldon had quite a bit too. I liked how Aiden got a mention too. It was very much coming full circle, centering on the original 4 characters.
I may sound a bit silly saying this, but could the statue of liberty at the end be a hint towards Stella, without mentioning her. She was always described as being like the statue of liberty.
I may sound a bit silly saying this, but could the statue of liberty at the end be a hint towards Stella, without mentioning her. She was always described as being like the statue of liberty.
PHANTOMERIK
Dead on Arrival
You know what spoils this episode why no Stella? Remember her anyone roughly 5.9, green eyes, speaks fkuent greek only been on th show 6 years and Mac's best friend since forever? Remember her the woman Mac left a crime scene for, who he went to Greece for, who raced cars with him, who basically put him back together when Claire died and comforted him when Peyton dearjohnned him? Stella you know the woman who was by his side when Flack was injured, there with Mac althrough the Clay Dobson Enquiry, ate chinese chicken with him when he was injured and juggled running his lab with nursing him Where was she? All I can see around the web is a whole lot of massively disappointed people who have supported the show for the last 7 years and have been treated appalingly. Even if MK couldnot be tempted back for a brief cameo would it have killed TPTB to have Mac call her or have him tell Flack he was going to New Orleans for a few days because it would have made a whole lot of people incredibly happy. As a self confessed Smacked fan I expect TPTB to treat us so cruely but I always though GS was a genuinely nice guy and since there is no way on earth he couldn't know how well loved both Stella and Smacked are there is no excuse for his actions. Unless I'm very much mistaken he holds a Producers credit to his name and is alone amongst the cast in being able to influence story lines but instead of using this power to give us the happy Smacked ending we have been waiting for all this time he chose to ignore that loyalty,in short he dishonoured himself,the show and his audience who care so much about Mac and Stella. If your reading this Mr Sinise then I hope your hanging your head in shame because we all deserved so much better than that.I still think it could go either way re:cancellation but if a S8 is forthcoming then top priorty must be getting our Bonasera back without her the show no longer as it's heart and soul all Jo as done as driven whole legions of fans away and trust me when I say this most of us would happily take cancellation rather than Mac/Jo it's no secret that as soon as the ex-hubby episode appeared the ratings dropped by several million the only chemistry they have together is to make large groups of people feel queasy and get previously decent shows cancelled.
I missed the first five minutes of the episode because my direct tv box decided not to switch over lol. But, it was an okay episode, just really kind of boring to me like the majority of episodes this season were to me. I won't cry if it gets canceled, but I'm fine with one more season too.
I wish there had been a nod to Stella at the end. When Mac was looking around his office he could easily have picked up a photo with her in it. It didn't have to be her alone, it could have been a group picture. A two second camera shot would have been enough of a gesture. It would have provided some closure for the fans.
PerfectAnomaly
Resident Smart Ass
Yeah, Danny tried to throw her off with the gloomy look, but that doesn't mean she should be surprised he passed. He told her he took the test and if she weren't a complete shrew she would have faith that her husband could pass the test. There's a big difference to reacting to him faking her out with his look and acting completely shocked that he could pass the test.
Jade_Nolan
CSI Level One
ok, I'm not even going to go into why it's entirely ridiculous that Gary Sinise isn't a nice guy just because he doesn't/didn't ship SMacklikeOMG!!!! He's not in any way, shape or form required to agree with the way a certain contingent of the show's fans wanted the plot to go.
However, I do want to address the whole idea that somehow the SMacked fan element makes up the VAST and overwhelming majority of fans and that anyone else who doesn't see it is blind and now the show sucks. Let me first point out that whole legions of fans did NOT get driven away once Melina/Stella left. In fact quite the contrary, proportionately the show's ratings are significantly better in the current time slot of FRIDAY NIGHT! It has pulled a lot of similar numbers to last year, when by expectation rights given the move, it should have tanked. But it didn't. It's done better. In fact, even me who is the hugest Mac Taylor fan, was almost ready to call it quits after the contrived and entirely overworked Greece story arc, and the debacle of s6. And after almost two years of crap writing, the weakest of story lines and episodes, and an attempt to make up for both with stunt casting, I entered s7 with nothing but the most cynical exceptions, and have been entirely surprised and quite pleased.
Also, just because one doesn't ship SMack doesn't mean they ship Mac/Jo by default! I don't, and I know a lot of other people who don't. In fact to be a fan, one isn't required to ship anybody!
(shocker, i know...!) And no, I will not "trust you" that "most of us" would take cancellation over Mac and Jo hooking up. You know why? Because "most of us" don't get rabidly attatched to a fictional story and fictional characters doing exactly want we want them to do...! Quite the novel concept I'm sure... My apologies if that comes across as a bit blunt, but I don't appreciate it when assumed opinions are made about a majority. I fully understand and can appreciate that there are those of you who really wanted certain things in the show to happen that ultimately didn't, and if you want to state your personal opinion that's fine. But don't start presuming to speak for "most of us", and say that other cast members had a responsibility to make things turn out the way you wanted otherwise they're not nice and should be ashamed.
It is in the sense that they haven't taken advantage of the talent he brings to the table. There have been eps where he's been given scope and the opportunity for range and interpretation, but outside of s1, a few scattered eps, and 3 or 4 this season (the finale being the prime one), he really hasn't been given much to work with. It's a bit difficult to get a true perspective on this though, from just watching the show. Most of his work (Forest Gump being the glaring exception), hasn't been exactly mainstream, and his best work certainly isn't well known in the slightest, which is a tragic shame. (watch 'Of Mice and Men', 'True West', 'Impostor', and 'That Championship Season' to name a few. Not to mention his stage productions which have been EPIC!) <-- compared to those roles, he seems almost muted in NY. But the thing is, his muted is most everybody else's (esp in TV) spectacular. He really is realms better than this show.
Don't get me wrong, I haven't been sorry in the slightest that we've gotten the extreme good fortune to watch him in the role of Mac Taylor on a weekly basis for all this time (
), and I am going to miss Mac dreadfully when he's gone. And I completely understand him enjoying the steadiness of it all. But Gary really can do worlds better in the terms of material and performance scope.
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talkingtocactus
Coroner
@jade_Nolan *applause* very well said indeed. and its about time someone did. I don't think you were blunt enough actually...
yeah, fair enough. he obviously likes doing the show altho from what he's said I get the distinct impression it's more because it allows him time to do other stuff in his life rather than the acting calibre it requires (in fact he said this outright himself a few years ago)
I agree it's his show tho, which is why I think it was fitting that this ep was very much the mac show. he's the big constant of the show.
yeah, fair enough. he obviously likes doing the show altho from what he's said I get the distinct impression it's more because it allows him time to do other stuff in his life rather than the acting calibre it requires (in fact he said this outright himself a few years ago)
I agree it's his show tho, which is why I think it was fitting that this ep was very much the mac show. he's the big constant of the show.
hiphugger17
Coroner
Good episode both as a season and series finale. The ending was perfect with the montage and showing everyone. It really made me smile when Mac was looking at Adam and Adam hit his face :lol:. Jo was amazing as usual, as was Flack. The case was interesting and emotional. Would've liked a mention of Stella since this may be the series finale, but other than that it was a great episode. I've never wanted this to be the last season and after watching this episode I hope even more that the show comes back.
Didn't see it so much as surprised, more excited and happy.
Didn't see it so much as surprised, more excited and happy.
byline
CSI Level One
Well . . . NBC cancelled "Law & Order" without any hoopla (and that show was a network staple for 20 years, spawned multiple spin-offs, etc.). In fact, the last episode of "Law & Order" was written in such a way that it could serve as a series finale, not just a season finale, but at the time it was written and filmed, I don't think it was set in stone that NBC was going to cancel the series, so no one really knew. There could be a parallel with the way this "CSI: New York" episode was handled. I hope not . . . but then, I was hoping that "Law & Order" wouldn't be cancelled, too.
I enjoyed the ep a lot.
I loved the b/w to monochrome to color beginning, the stormy weather to clearer weather transition, the darker, rainier, more gritty feel, the sense of a daily grind, the feel of a toll taken, the contemplation & deep breaths with the repeated lock and load seen thu-out. It really was a City That Never Sleeps type thing, & is the tack I'd hoped the show would take, should it be done as a series.
That repeated lock n load element also helped to lessen the contrived nature of the opening, as it was presented as the risk they all take every time they get a call.
What I was slightly surprised by was that the near death moment wasn't just a hail of bullets/was it my time or not; it was a fleeing criminal having the time to decide whether or not he was gonna kill a cop & determining that yes would be the answer.
The misfire was well done, and still let Mac work his way out of the situation, as opposed to being rescued. Had this happened mid-season, a rescue would have worked fine, but I'd expected/hoped for nothing less than Mac being plagued by doubts despite the fact he kept his skin intact by chance combined with his own actions after.
It was also in keeping with Mac's character to retreat inwards instead of reaching out as it replayed in his head. That the day cleared & brightened while Mac didn't became a nice premise for the episode.
I liked the meeting scene. Beautifully put together. That he was so internalized that the others registered in his awareness via their physicality as opposed to the work or their words was also great, so too that details remained heightened for him after the fact. Also liked the "alone in a crowded room" type thing, complete to him leaving the group discussion altogether. Was further emphasized for me in that the labs had been cleaned up, glass freshly installed etc., but that things were clearly not back to normal for Mac after the incidents both leading up to and occurring within this ep.
Can I also just mention that I was absurdly happy to see Sid at the meeting, moreover inferred as being a part of the team, participating in proceedings outside the morgue? Sid. Aw. Yay. :lol:
I also liked that Jo was watching Mac, keeping tabs on him throughout. I enjoyed all their scenes together, I like the dynamic between the two very much. I like that Jo is probably right, that she knows Mac better than he thinks or might admit to, & their dueling "entitlement" was fun.
I was surprised by how far afield the ep ranged, from mentioning Baltimore, going to Boston, Georgia, NC.
I appreciated that a somewhat anonymous bodega robbery/homicide in Queens was the basis and one case left on Mac's desk. It was perfect in scale for the finale; it wasn't something of extremely heightened social or political importance or inflated consequence, it was a seemingly mundane cold case that became very human in focus, finding a little girl. That too was nice to see NY return to.
I liked the old-school string method vs. "it's amazing what computers can do nowadays," aspect. The show has been on for 7 yrs, Mac has been head of the crime lab for 9; that there would be a curve in tech is not really my point; it's the juxtaposition, his mindset in revisiting an old case with old habits, re-treading the same ground & not progressing until the case met the rest of his present tense & present team.
I like that uber-tech did not overly feature, despite the acknowledgment, & Sheldon's words that the tests which picked up Olivia's transfer did so rather by chance, not by design. It was also fun to hear Hawkes, of all people, say "...machines: sometimes there's no rationale for what they do."
Along with Queens and the bodega homicide for scale, I also liked Flack's mention of compstat. It's like the show became re-grounded, found it's feet again. (I mean, can you imagine if the season/potential series finale had been yet another glitz flash-bang rich-victim neon-laced club-tracked type ep? I was very, very happy with the approach the last few eps took).
I liked the Flack/Mac interaction, that Mac was consulting Flack, asking his take on a case personally important to him. In that sense, it was nice to see Mac starting to reach out, after his talk with Jo, even if he wasn't letting anyone in on what he was motivated by. Flack's "you alright, buddy?" was also nice, & a nod to the interesting relationship those two men have had over the years.
I thought the photo of Lucy in the beginning, along with Don's badge, and Mac's cross, all worked well. It was rather symbolic, reaffirmation, family, duty, faith, yada, which also worked well as part of the premise. It fit each character too, not only of what drives them all, but what happens when those anchors become fractured or threatened. Danny's world was rocked when Shane Casey came calling, now he's thinking of his family's future in a different way. Don's was when Angell was killed and he in turn killed Cade; he seems increasingly driven & duty bound.
Mac's personal history of service, sacrifice and loss are well-known, but not overtly spoken of often; that's why it was interesting to me that some of Mac's foundations were fractured more recently when he was obliged to unravel that his training officer and first partner not only committed grand larceny & killed a woman but used Mac to get away with it; further that karma came calling & won, with Mac and his labs rather helplessly caught in the middle of it. His faith in duty, professionalism, and in someone he considered (estranged) family was under assault as much as his office was. So, a little cheezy? Yes. But different from how he's typically been portrayed, still in keeping, and it was indeed interesting for me to see Mac have his self-assurance dented of late - to the point where he was, in the finale, asking, "what am I doing? What have I managed? Maybe I have done my part. Maybe I'm done."
It was also nice to see Mac, Danny and Flack, core from day 1, remain a tight unit.
Moving on. The DL drug mule/Pacino thing was vaguely amusing as a way to broach them considering their future. It was reasonably palatable in terms of performance, & staged the potential future conflict concisely enough I can't have a beef with it, it's just not something I as a viewer was tickled by having to sit thru.
I was happy to hear that the issue would be whether or not Danny would accept a transfer should he accept the promotion to Sgt. A predictable upward hurdle, all told.
Mac with Mrs. Dalton was pretty restrained. Mac's "I'm not here to judge you" seemed to echo thru the ep as some sort of learning curve for him too, or at least the writers. Perhaps they really did have some sort of ritual burning of the soap box in the parking lot :lol:. Letting Mac be human and interact on that level as opposed to Uber-Chief-CSI-Detective come to either save you or kick your ass was very welcome.
It was also welcome that not only was Mac brought down to rainy earth with the misfire (even if it was on a rooftop), but that when Mac tried to deflect and put up the "entitled" Uber-Chief-CSI-Detective shield, that Jo duly poked it and dragged him out from under it. If NY gets a S8, this is a direction for Mac that's been long overdue.
Mac's "it's never too late" (to try/to have hope/to seek resolution etc) to Mrs. Dalton was also an interesting line. For a man struggling with "what am I doing," it may depend on having something to do, rather than whether or not he feels he's capable. Given that the city never sleeps, that wouldn't be an issue, should he find his faith is not completely eroded; perhaps he is not done.
Jo's scene with Jacquie was good. Jo does have a knack for getting under people's skin, & it was satisfying to watch the back n forth there; I liked Jo pushing, I liked Jacquie pushing back. I also liked the turn the scene took when Olivia was mentioned. The "you've got mail" post-card plot-device was a little hard to swallow, but it was fun to see NY go on the road, so to speak. Boston PD will get a fruit basket every xmas from here on for the unseen legwork in finding Kenny. Poor Flack. Always getting sh*t tossed at him :lol:.
Was nice to see Adam get some screen time with the post card, & it was kind of amusing to hear Adam (of all people) complimenting Mac (of all people) on Outside the Box thinking :lol:. Guess Mac put the string away. Or Jo did. No one will ever be able to find it now if it's on her desk.
I didn't foresee Wes essentially adopting Olivia. (I thought Olivia might run to the house behind Kenny after Wes beaned him with the revolver). Didn't know how to feel about that for a bit. They did have a few nice scenes though.
Also kinda nice to see that the various SWAT/assault teams/cops were given different looks in each stop along the road trip.
The Wes/Olivia relationship took an interesting small twist after the hint that Olivia should go get their runaway-bag (doughnuts/cops), implying that they've bolted before, & that she's helped them to do so. The scene was done well, Wes being killed despite Mac trying to wave the team off, and the shot of Olivia rising with the gun was great.
I liked that here, again, Mac didn't judge or criminalize Wes to Olivia, and that he was able to try and see things from her perspective, enough to be able to defuse things. I guess Doubt and a Search For Perspective was the common ingredient.
The Mac/Jo/Mrs. Dalton/Olivia scene was nicely low key. I also liked that while Jo was still mostly keeping an eye on Mac, that there was something in SW's performance that made me see Jo as also thinking about her own daughter as well, while Mrs. Dalton tried to will herself thru the door to see Olivia.
The final Mac/Jo scene was also very good, and their interaction continued past the dialogue as well. It's also not the first time that Jo has learned something by reading a report by Mac and reading between the lines. The Carver case was another, with her commenting on Mac likely being a good poker player. Kinda fun to see that revisited here, and while Jo has become more adept at reading Mac's tells, she still hadn't quite seen all the way thru; which was also nice in that it enabled Mac to choose to confide in her after being prodded, instead of her just pulling some insightful reveal.
The last montage of each team member as Mac filed the now closed-case in his newly renovated office, with Jo yet still keeping an eye out, was good. Had it stopped with DL, I would have been enraged :lol:. Their last scene was thankfully less cheezy than their first one. Flack is apparently just as much a workaholic, driven, and duty bound as Mac. Sheldon and Camille are apparently still getting in trouble together; I loved that Sheldon and Sid had that small scene, because they've always been fun as colleagues on a level that the others as non-med professionals don't broach.
I also liked the TOD Friday between 7-11pm, :lol:, although it hurt to smile at it, I admit; Sid's "go ahead, ...he's not going anywhere" shortly after was also fun. Same again for "A. Burn" being noted on the bodega file report. (Given these nods, I'd not have been averse to something like Dreamboat's suggestion of a photo of Stella somewhere, but Stella did get a mention recently, and I'm glad the focus was really on the present team).
I so adored Adam's montage moment, lol'd, perfectly timed & edited in, and Mac smiling at that. It made his walk thru seem more about family & his ties to the labs than just about each character getting a moment as a possible fade out. Ditto for Jo's moment, and subsequently turning to watch Mac. A nice shot to see him walking in the hall with her on the balcony behind, before heading out to actually be a part of the city-not-sleeping, instead of just responding to it.
The music worked well too. Wasn't intrusive thru the ep, heartstrings successfully tugged at the end.
The ep was not overly melodramatic, and not so depressing should that be how the series ends. Should NY return, it's also at an interesting plateau to start from, a place of it's own choosing, instead of being obliged to work from juggling a cliff hanger needing to be addressed, and a series of changes, in slot, casting, pace of production, etc.
Call this one an A-, coming after a few eps I'd have in the high B range. I'd be happy to see the show come back. NY did the ep proud, be it season or series finale.
-
.
. I disagree. But I do understand.
Aside from a few eps that read like they were personal pet scripts some writers had secretly been grooming, NY's recent seasons felt like they just churned out generic content.
I think SW & Jo have had the kind of impact I hoped for, and more than I was expecting. I hoped that the opportunities inherent in a character transition would bring good things. Was a bit rocky at first, but good things did come. The intangibles though, have been the warmth & heart Jo has added, the humanity she enables, the humor that compliments that of other characters so well. I would have to guess that SW as a personality and new presence also helped the show recharge.
Parachuting in a new character likely knocked over a few coffee cups in the writer's room, made a bit of a mess. It's only fitting that was Jo :lol:. NY was certainly better for her addition this season, and the changes prompted.
. Perhaps he might be amenable to adapting/directing a play for a film. You could start a campaign for which one...
As for what's "better..." :lol:. I still won't kick popular entertainment in the teeth. It's a living, and not without some merits.
"Film makes you rich, tv makes you famous, theater feeds your soul" may have (some) truth, but being able to feed your family and being known enough to get calls, or support for your own projects (including theater) is also a good thing. Someday someone clever will find a way to work games and new media into that as well.
I just hope they all had a good time this season. Despite the wobbly consistency and some old-habits-die-hard resurgences, there were some fun eps. There was also less stunt casting and far better guests making appearances.
I was entertained more than I felt my time was wasted this season, and that's not something I could say of the preceding three years.
I don't think anyone has forgotten her. She was mentioned in an ep just recently.
I (who am not Legion, for I am not many) speaking only for myself, disagree with that assertion. I am however, slightly boggled. Plural.
Jus-
I-
Wh-
Um.
What?
* Gonna take a small and discreet step back for a sec the then return and be as tactful as possible. *
...Right. This kind of comment is why I find Castle so freakin funny at times. Eps with an actor shadowing a cop, let alone a writer observing an actor shadowing a cop, let alone a writer responsible for the situation enabling an actor to shadow a cop he's shadowing, let alone a tv show crimedy-dramz about said stuff, cases about late nite wars, cases about soap-set murders and tv ships as possible motives.
Bullet points. Dear Legion,
I will not re-hash the same points over again. I've said my piece quite clearly in previous posts. On a few variants brought around this time:
...I'm gonna take the poor zombie horse back to a nice quiet spot for a bit of respite.
--
I also don't disagree that Gary's most moving or challenging work has not been on this show, despite a few nice glimmers, ...but a 43 minute crime procedural is not going to be the platform that frequently offers pithy opportunities for any actor or writer of the sort that some viewers might like. Nature of the tasking. Different kind of challenges.
And yeah, I think Gary/CSI were after a different kind of symbiosis as part of the trade off :lol:. 7 yrs points to a reasonable success :lol:
I loved the b/w to monochrome to color beginning, the stormy weather to clearer weather transition, the darker, rainier, more gritty feel, the sense of a daily grind, the feel of a toll taken, the contemplation & deep breaths with the repeated lock and load seen thu-out. It really was a City That Never Sleeps type thing, & is the tack I'd hoped the show would take, should it be done as a series.
That repeated lock n load element also helped to lessen the contrived nature of the opening, as it was presented as the risk they all take every time they get a call.
What I was slightly surprised by was that the near death moment wasn't just a hail of bullets/was it my time or not; it was a fleeing criminal having the time to decide whether or not he was gonna kill a cop & determining that yes would be the answer.
The misfire was well done, and still let Mac work his way out of the situation, as opposed to being rescued. Had this happened mid-season, a rescue would have worked fine, but I'd expected/hoped for nothing less than Mac being plagued by doubts despite the fact he kept his skin intact by chance combined with his own actions after.
It was also in keeping with Mac's character to retreat inwards instead of reaching out as it replayed in his head. That the day cleared & brightened while Mac didn't became a nice premise for the episode.
I liked the meeting scene. Beautifully put together. That he was so internalized that the others registered in his awareness via their physicality as opposed to the work or their words was also great, so too that details remained heightened for him after the fact. Also liked the "alone in a crowded room" type thing, complete to him leaving the group discussion altogether. Was further emphasized for me in that the labs had been cleaned up, glass freshly installed etc., but that things were clearly not back to normal for Mac after the incidents both leading up to and occurring within this ep.
Can I also just mention that I was absurdly happy to see Sid at the meeting, moreover inferred as being a part of the team, participating in proceedings outside the morgue? Sid
. Aw. Yay. :lol:I also liked that Jo was watching Mac, keeping tabs on him throughout. I enjoyed all their scenes together, I like the dynamic between the two very much. I like that Jo is probably right, that she knows Mac better than he thinks or might admit to, & their dueling "entitlement" was fun
.I was surprised by how far afield the ep ranged, from mentioning Baltimore, going to Boston, Georgia, NC.
I appreciated that a somewhat anonymous bodega robbery/homicide in Queens was the basis and one case left on Mac's desk. It was perfect in scale for the finale; it wasn't something of extremely heightened social or political importance or inflated consequence, it was a seemingly mundane cold case that became very human in focus, finding a little girl. That too was nice to see NY return to.
I liked the old-school string method vs. "it's amazing what computers can do nowadays," aspect. The show has been on for 7 yrs, Mac has been head of the crime lab for 9; that there would be a curve in tech is not really my point; it's the juxtaposition, his mindset in revisiting an old case with old habits, re-treading the same ground & not progressing until the case met the rest of his present tense & present team.
I like that uber-tech did not overly feature, despite the acknowledgment, & Sheldon's words that the tests which picked up Olivia's transfer did so rather by chance, not by design. It was also fun to hear Hawkes, of all people, say "...machines: sometimes there's no rationale for what they do."
Along with Queens and the bodega homicide for scale, I also liked Flack's mention of compstat. It's like the show became re-grounded, found it's feet again. (I mean, can you imagine if the season/potential series finale had been yet another glitz flash-bang rich-victim neon-laced club-tracked type ep? I was very, very happy with the approach the last few eps took).
I liked the Flack/Mac interaction, that Mac was consulting Flack, asking his take on a case personally important to him. In that sense, it was nice to see Mac starting to reach out, after his talk with Jo, even if he wasn't letting anyone in on what he was motivated by. Flack's "you alright, buddy?" was also nice, & a nod to the interesting relationship those two men have had over the years.
I thought the photo of Lucy in the beginning, along with Don's badge, and Mac's cross, all worked well. It was rather symbolic, reaffirmation, family, duty, faith, yada, which also worked well as part of the premise. It fit each character too, not only of what drives them all, but what happens when those anchors become fractured or threatened. Danny's world was rocked when Shane Casey came calling, now he's thinking of his family's future in a different way. Don's was when Angell was killed and he in turn killed Cade; he seems increasingly driven & duty bound.
Mac's personal history of service, sacrifice and loss are well-known, but not overtly spoken of often; that's why it was interesting to me that some of Mac's foundations were fractured more recently when he was obliged to unravel that his training officer and first partner not only committed grand larceny & killed a woman but used Mac to get away with it; further that karma came calling & won, with Mac and his labs rather helplessly caught in the middle of it. His faith in duty, professionalism, and in someone he considered (estranged) family was under assault as much as his office was. So, a little cheezy? Yes. But different from how he's typically been portrayed, still in keeping, and it was indeed interesting for me to see Mac have his self-assurance dented of late - to the point where he was, in the finale, asking, "what am I doing? What have I managed? Maybe I have done my part. Maybe I'm done."
It was also nice to see Mac, Danny and Flack, core from day 1, remain a tight unit.
Moving on. The DL drug mule/Pacino thing was vaguely amusing as a way to broach them considering their future. It was reasonably palatable in terms of performance, & staged the potential future conflict concisely enough I can't have a beef with it, it's just not something I as a viewer was tickled by having to sit thru.
I was happy to hear that the issue would be whether or not Danny would accept a transfer should he accept the promotion to Sgt. A predictable upward hurdle, all told.
Mac with Mrs. Dalton was pretty restrained. Mac's "I'm not here to judge you" seemed to echo thru the ep as some sort of learning curve for him too, or at least the writers. Perhaps they really did have some sort of ritual burning of the soap box in the parking lot :lol:. Letting Mac be human and interact on that level as opposed to Uber-Chief-CSI-Detective come to either save you or kick your ass was very welcome.
It was also welcome that not only was Mac brought down to rainy earth with the misfire (even if it was on a rooftop), but that when Mac tried to deflect and put up the "entitled" Uber-Chief-CSI-Detective shield, that Jo duly poked it and dragged him out from under it. If NY gets a S8, this is a direction for Mac that's been long overdue.
Mac's "it's never too late" (to try/to have hope/to seek resolution etc) to Mrs. Dalton was also an interesting line. For a man struggling with "what am I doing," it may depend on having something to do, rather than whether or not he feels he's capable. Given that the city never sleeps, that wouldn't be an issue, should he find his faith is not completely eroded; perhaps he is not done.
Jo's scene with Jacquie was good. Jo does have a knack for getting under people's skin, & it was satisfying to watch the back n forth there; I liked Jo pushing, I liked Jacquie pushing back. I also liked the turn the scene took when Olivia was mentioned. The "you've got mail" post-card plot-device was a little hard to swallow, but it was fun to see NY go on the road, so to speak. Boston PD will get a fruit basket every xmas from here on for the unseen legwork in finding Kenny. Poor Flack. Always getting sh*t tossed at him :lol:.
Was nice to see Adam get some screen time with the post card, & it was kind of amusing to hear Adam (of all people) complimenting Mac (of all people) on Outside the Box thinking :lol:. Guess Mac put the string away. Or Jo did. No one will ever be able to find it now if it's on her desk
.I didn't foresee Wes essentially adopting Olivia. (I thought Olivia might run to the house behind Kenny after Wes beaned him with the revolver). Didn't know how to feel about that for a bit. They did have a few nice scenes though.
Also kinda nice to see that the various SWAT/assault teams/cops were given different looks in each stop along the road trip
. The Wes/Olivia relationship took an interesting small twist after the hint that Olivia should go get their runaway-bag (doughnuts/cops), implying that they've bolted before, & that she's helped them to do so. The scene was done well, Wes being killed despite Mac trying to wave the team off, and the shot of Olivia rising with the gun was great.
I liked that here, again, Mac didn't judge or criminalize Wes to Olivia, and that he was able to try and see things from her perspective, enough to be able to defuse things. I guess Doubt and a Search For Perspective was the common ingredient.
The Mac/Jo/Mrs. Dalton/Olivia scene was nicely low key. I also liked that while Jo was still mostly keeping an eye on Mac, that there was something in SW's performance that made me see Jo as also thinking about her own daughter as well, while Mrs. Dalton tried to will herself thru the door to see Olivia.
The final Mac/Jo scene was also very good, and their interaction continued past the dialogue as well. It's also not the first time that Jo has learned something by reading a report by Mac and reading between the lines. The Carver case was another, with her commenting on Mac likely being a good poker player. Kinda fun to see that revisited here, and while Jo has become more adept at reading Mac's tells, she still hadn't quite seen all the way thru; which was also nice in that it enabled Mac to choose to confide in her after being prodded, instead of her just pulling some insightful reveal.
The last montage of each team member as Mac filed the now closed-case in his newly renovated office, with Jo yet still keeping an eye out, was good. Had it stopped with DL, I would have been enraged :lol:. Their last scene was thankfully less cheezy than their first one. Flack is apparently just as much a workaholic, driven, and duty bound as Mac. Sheldon and Camille are apparently still getting in trouble together; I loved that Sheldon and Sid had that small scene, because they've always been fun as colleagues on a level that the others as non-med professionals don't broach.
I also liked the TOD Friday between 7-11pm, :lol:, although it hurt to smile at it, I admit; Sid's "go ahead, ...he's not going anywhere" shortly after was also fun
. Same again for "A. Burn" being noted on the bodega file report. (Given these nods, I'd not have been averse to something like Dreamboat's suggestion of a photo of Stella somewhere, but Stella did get a mention recently, and I'm glad the focus was really on the present team).I so adored Adam's montage moment, lol'd, perfectly timed & edited in, and Mac smiling at that. It made his walk thru seem more about family & his ties to the labs than just about each character getting a moment as a possible fade out. Ditto for Jo's moment, and subsequently turning to watch Mac. A nice shot to see him walking in the hall with her on the balcony behind, before heading out to actually be a part of the city-not-sleeping, instead of just responding to it.
The music worked well too. Wasn't intrusive thru the ep, heartstrings successfully tugged at the end.
The ep was not overly melodramatic, and not so depressing should that be how the series ends. Should NY return, it's also at an interesting plateau to start from, a place of it's own choosing, instead of being obliged to work from juggling a cliff hanger needing to be addressed, and a series of changes, in slot, casting, pace of production, etc.
Call this one an A-, coming after a few eps I'd have in the high B range. I'd be happy to see the show come back. NY did the ep proud, be it season or series finale.
-
:lol:
It is. But. I'm glad that they did produce quality eps. I'd be upset if I cared less, if that makes sense. S7 made me care again. The bastards
.No pocky, dim sum nor pizza between us on this one
. I disagree. But I do understand.I've felt for years :lol: that the majority of scripts had hit a disappointing standard of what was acceptable, reliant on formula, coasting, certain production habits.
Aside from a few eps that read like they were personal pet scripts some writers had secretly been grooming, NY's recent seasons felt like they just churned out generic content.
I think SW & Jo have had the kind of impact I hoped for, and more than I was expecting. I hoped that the opportunities inherent in a character transition would bring good things. Was a bit rocky at first, but good things did come. The intangibles though, have been the warmth & heart Jo has added, the humanity she enables, the humor that compliments that of other characters so well. I would have to guess that SW as a personality and new presence also helped the show recharge.
Parachuting in a new character likely knocked over a few coffee cups in the writer's room, made a bit of a mess. It's only fitting that was Jo :lol:. NY was certainly better for her addition this season, and the changes prompted.
PLEASE listen to this. there are better things out there for you and they're called plays
. Perhaps he might be amenable to adapting/directing a play for a film. You could start a campaign for which one... As for what's "better..." :lol:. I still won't kick popular entertainment in the teeth. It's a living, and not without some merits.
"Film makes you rich, tv makes you famous, theater feeds your soul" may have (some) truth, but being able to feed your family and being known enough to get calls, or support for your own projects (including theater) is also a good thing
. Someday someone clever will find a way to work games and new media into that as well.I just hope they all had a good time this season. Despite the wobbly consistency and some old-habits-die-hard resurgences, there were some fun eps. There was also less stunt casting and far better guests making appearances.
I was entertained more than I felt my time was wasted this season, and that's not something I could say of the preceding three years.
Perchance because she's no longer on the show?
I don't think anyone has forgotten her. She was mentioned in an ep just recently.
Rly. Rly? Appallingly? Rly.
I (who am not Legion, for I am not many) speaking only for myself, disagree with that assertion. I am however, slightly boggled. Plural.
...Oh. My.
Jus-
I-
Wh-
Um.
What?
* Gonna take a small and discreet step back for a sec the then return and be as tactful as possible. *
...Right. This kind of comment is why I find Castle so freakin funny at times. Eps with an actor shadowing a cop, let alone a writer observing an actor shadowing a cop, let alone a writer responsible for the situation enabling an actor to shadow a cop he's shadowing, let alone a tv show crimedy-dramz about said stuff, cases about late nite wars, cases about soap-set murders and tv ships as possible motives
.Bullet points. Dear Legion,
I will not re-hash the same points over again. I've said my piece quite clearly in previous posts. On a few variants brought around this time:
- Producer credits may not always mean what you think they mean.
- Viewers aren't owed anything. Viewers don't owe a show anything. "Let us entertain you (while other people try to sell you sh*t)" is the weekly offer.
- I think we differ on what "support" means.
- I think we differ greatly on what constitutes dishonor, and what kind of behavior might be worthy of shame
- I think we differ on what the heart and soul of the show are
- on citing ratings in support of certain arguments by some Smack fans: I understand your preferences; I'm dubious of your math.
- The show was mindful of its fans, by producing a season finale that could serve as a series finale, or as a new plateau should it get renewed. It was further very appropriately focused for a crime procedural.
...I'm gonna take the poor zombie horse back to a nice quiet spot for a bit of respite.
:rommie:
*...urge to Slow Clap is building...*
*...cannae resist much longer keptin...*
* :beer: *
--
I also don't disagree that Gary's most moving or challenging work has not been on this show, despite a few nice glimmers, ...but a 43 minute crime procedural is not going to be the platform that frequently offers pithy opportunities for any actor or writer of the sort that some viewers might like
. Nature of the tasking. Different kind of challenges. And yeah, I think Gary/CSI were after a different kind of symbiosis as part of the trade off :lol:. 7 yrs points to a reasonable success :lol:
I agree, hiphugger. It was a natural reaction. I'm sure there was nothing negative on her part about it. I would have probably reacted the same way and nowhere in my mind would there be even an inkling of a thought that he wasn't capable of passing. I personally would have been more worried that the higher ups would be hardasses and would hold against him any and every error in judgment he's made (which everyone makes an error in judgment at some point in their lives, cops are no exception). Considering how supportive she was when he told her he took the exam, there is nothing to indicate that her reaction to the results were nothing more than a natural happy/excited reaction. There was nothing in that scene to suggest she didn't have faith in her husband. Perhaps the writers should have made it more clear like having her say: "I knew you could do it, babe!" or something like that lol. We also can't be 100% sure that scene wasn't cut a bit. That sometimes happens with shows, they cut a bit of the dialogue in scenes they deem less important to the storyline.
Can I just say as someone who would have been fine with Mac/Stella (not opposed to Mac/Jo either, though I'd rather have Flack/Jo lol), I'm disheartened to see other M/S fans accuse Gary of being disrespectful just because Melina decided to leave the show and the show's writers chose to move on instead of dwelling on her absence. I just can't even fathom that comment. It just a shame that someone would state that Gary should be ashamed because his opinion may differ from theirs. Gary is NOT obligated to share the same opinion as anyone or any one group of fans. He has his own opinion and he is very well entitled to it. And besides, just because the writers didn't write in a line about Stella does NOT mean that Gary wouldn't have supported a Mac/Stella pairing on the show. Its very unfortunate that someone would assume to know how Gary feels about a pairing based on what the show's writers have and have not done. :shakes head:
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