Grade 'Help'

[calleighspeedle]

This episode was great and I gave it and A. I loved the part where Stella beat up and shot the rapist (great stuff).:thumbsup:

I also agree, Hawkes storyline didn't have much closure at all.

I am also glad that Flack and Angel had some serious scenes together (without the flirting), they are great together on screen.

 

[xfcanadian]

A+

Hawkes is one of my fave (after Mac), so i loved his storyline. Hopefully we will see more this season!!

Let me get this straight: The FBI determines the DNA protocols for the New York City crime lab? Since when? When, pray tell, did NYC become a protectorate of the federal government? I'm not saying that the FBI doesn't have an influence over DNA protocols in New York; my knowledge of criminology and criminal procedure begins and ends with the dubious realism of television crime dramas.

There is one set of scientific standards for DNA fingerprints in North America, and i think the FBI established the standards. It isn't about who controls who, its about scientific accuracy. What they mentioned in this episode was the concentration of DNA (which can be measured) was too low to do create a DNA fingerprint. Most likely there is a set minimum for the DNA concentration to run it. Yeah, in previous eppys they have mentioned degraded DNA, but i guess it was always assumed it met the standard, or they just ignored this. What happened in this episode is actually more realistic than what we usually see, since DNA isn't usually recovered from sweat or saliva.

 

[jolein]

I voted A,simply because I can:lol:

Seriously now,I really enjoyed the episode,although I do wonder how someone in a flits can identify her own necklace and decide to grab it.

The Hawkes scenes when really powerfull,expecially his scenes with Mac.
It was a really different Hawkes then I had seen before,almost like he was more human then human(although that probally doesn`t make sense)

While the ending was weird,I didn`t mind it so much because I felt the scene between Mac and Hawkes before the club,more or less was a spoken agreement between them and a ending for Hawkes.
He knows Mac will keep his word.

 

[Ghawazee]

Overall A+

Everytime we have a "Hawkes-centered" episode is always a good one

I know i will forget some points but it doesn't matter (I was taking notes meanwhile i watched the episode. Also i'll use some comments i made in another thread

Sheldon&Kara ------> I don't think we have seen the last of them together. Nichole was really fine portraying Kara and she seems to be still in love with him after so many years.
Also i didn't find annoying a last scene with them because when my Stell caught Colin was in minute 39 of 41 (with credits included). And seriously, they didn't have time to a heart-to heart-conversation to close or to open a relationship

Sheldon---> oh my!
He broke my heart completely. When you give space to a talented actor you have scenes like these ones. He had two great scenes with Mac and Stella but my most beloved scene is when he talked to Stella. He could express all his vulnerabilty meanwhile with Mac he expressed all his frustration for not being there to help Kara

Stella--->The connection Stella had with the Sheldon and Kara was amazing but in special with Sheldon. Stella was a victim of the violence. She understands the rage and the frustration and the sadness which invaded him (and her). Also i liked how she tried to explain Sheldon's feelings to Mac. Why he worked so hard trying to catch Kara's rapist even bending rules or even breaking them a little bit. I'm glad Mac and Stella didn't argue. She disagreed with him but in a nice way. They didn't jump to each other's throat

Lindsay---> she was nice. Certainly her comment inside the Conference Room wasn't appropiate. But she wasn't being Lindsay. The Living Encyclopedia is Hawkes. I blame writers for turning Lindsay into Hawkes. Also it wasn't the right moment to a light comment because two cases connected is not exactly the type of thing to make a joke of.

But I was so glad DL monster didn't fagocitate the episode i could have accepted another demostration without making me angry:lol: See? individual Lindsay is possible. Just i wish she had more interactions with everyone

Direction---> i have not any idea who directed this episode but i truly enjoyed it. At the beginning when they found vic's body in the bathtub, the background music and the way it was filmed made me remember a thriller movie. Also i liked all sequences in the episode except one

Rambo Stella---> Awwwwww i LOVE LOVE LOVE Stella going Rambo. Actually it tells me a lot about her this behaviour. She can't stand injustice. And she often gets frustrated when she is not allowed to catch the bad guys because of bureaucracy. It was obvious her frustration when Mac told them inside the Conference Room they might keep both cases separated until they found a stronger connection between both cases. She was to Colin's place trying to convince his girlfriend. No way she knew Colin was going to appear so quick. The only scene i didn't enjoy (In terms of direction) was this one. Perhaps it was the PC i was in yesterday but it was too obvious he never hit Stella. Perhaps there wasn't enough rehearsal of that scene. However it was good when he threw Stella over the couch and then when she shot him

Again i had a "Frankie" déjà vù

Church as home--->Awwwwww i don't think it's an homage but it reminded me "Providence" when a church was used as a clinic for free by my beloved Dr. Sidney Hansen :bolian: (Melina's former character)

Mac---> :drool: I understand him so well. It's heartbreaking to anyone but he is the boss and he MUST play Devil's Avocate reminding them they have to follow protocols if they want to use any little trace they find in court. It's part of Mac's job. because you can delegate Authority but not responsability. If any of them screw up a case is Mac's responsability because they are under his command.
In this case, it was personal and a SVU type case. He couldn't allow Hawkes to follow this case because it was affecting him personally and profesionally

The ending--> ADORABLE:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool: Sid couldn't be with Hawkes (maybe he was dealing with his ghosts or talking to Kara) so he was with his closest buddies the newly roomates Mac and Stella.

It was just adorable. I'm an overseas fan so some groups won't be edited here. That's enough reason to enjoy them. I didn't know the guy was really a musician so i don't complain at all:bolian: also i liked Sharon Little's song:bolian:
Favorites quotes:

Sheldon to Mac : Kara needed me, she tried to reach and when she did i wasn't there
Stella to Mac: "It's hard to control your emotions when someone you love is being attacked".

Flack and Angell---> their scenes were really good. I'm glad they go slowly again. They will kiss again ....in the right moment:bolian:

I believe at some point Mac won't be able to keep his cold head. I felt there was a hint regarding the Season Finale OH God the last part of the Season will be so great:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:

Debbie

 

[jolein]

Since when are Mac and Stella roommates

Anyways,I actually forgot to mention that I really liked how Stella talked to Mac about Hawkes and how you could see the conflict in Mac.
He knows what it is like to lose someone you love but he also knows that in order to catch that perp they must follow procedure.

And I have to say the Danny/Flack scenes were priceless as usual.
The only that slightly dissapointed me was that Flack didn`t put on the bunny ears:lol:

 

[Ghawazee]

Since when are Mac and Stella roommates

Visit the Smacked Family Thread and you will find out. You will be very welcome as anyone who wants to join us:thumbsup:

But if you don't want to it's an hypothesis we have in there. We believe Stella did accept Mac's extra room offer a year ago and now they are living together (not as lovers but as friends). It was very suggestive what Melina said in the latest CSI NY Magazine:bolian:
Every time they leave the building they do that together. And even their behaviour is different. They act as a couple without being a couple. Maybe it's something producers do trying to make us happy a little. Even those scenes where we have Danny/Lindsay or Flack/Angell with Mac and Stella give us a little hope

Anyways,I actually forgot to mention that I really liked how Stella talked to Mac about Hawkes and how you could see the conflict in Mac.
He knows what it is like to lose someone you love but he also knows that in order to catch that perp they must follow procedure.

i agree. And i like in special she knew he also felt frustrated by the circumstances. I had a strong feeling when Stella was trying to explain to Mac Sheldon' feelings she was trying to justify her own behaviour. I don't know what Mac is going to do when he finds out she dissobeyed him but it's obvious Stella knows he is not going to be happy

 

[jolein]

Visit the Smacked Family Thread and you will find out. You will be very welcome as anyone who wants to join us

Thanks for the invition but I politly decline as I don`t ship them.
but I thought she said she was going to get an hotelroom.
Back on topic

i like in special she knew he also felt frustrated by the circumstances. I had a strong feeling when Stella was trying to explain to Mac Sheldon' feelings she was trying to justify her own behaviour. I don't know what Mac is going to do when he finds out she dissobeyed him but it's obvious Stella knows he is not going to be happy

I doubt she thought of her own situation in this case.
These are 2 completly different situations cause Hawkes feelings are far more close to him and it is someone he knows intimite
She might thought back at frankie when the guy barged in and she had to shoot him,although I doubt that too.

 

[eyewitness]

One of the best episodes of Season 5.
The plot was great, the scene with Stella talking to Kara with Hawkes watching from behind the glass was amazing.
Not perfect due to details (the lack of Hawkes at the end and closure scenes with him and hi ex).

 

[miss_blue]

Basically, I wanted to grade it as a C, because let's face it, if it weren't for Sheldon's involvement in the case the episode would have been boring. But, Hill saved the day with a good performance. He shone a few times, but it seems to be this trend around that set (possible bad inside joke) that a Hawkes related episode doesn't have that much Hawkes. Like in 'Raising Shane', the other Hawkes related episode, we didn't get to see much of him. But cheers to Hill for doing an awesome job with that little material.

Now on The Mac. It didn't make much sense to me that they couldn't convict that Colin dude with a DNA sample from the victim's shirt, but in other episodes, a snowflake is enough to put someone away for murder. Right... Not so much, no. This one was thrown in by the writers to bring angst to the yard. To make Hawkes feel frustrated that the evidence was there, but it wasn't enough. And as well to make Mac feel like the king of NYC.

I don't know why, but I kind of lost interest in Danny's character. He just seems flat, and the line he delivered to Sid "Have you been hanging out with Lindsay?" made me think that he felt like "oh noes! moar Lindsay", and it shouldn't be that way given the current situation. Anyhoo, I just lost interest in his character.

Indeed, I want to echo someone's opinion regarding Stella and her going at a suspect's house without any backup? I mean, seriously Stella, you should know better than this. And maybe this is just me and I just had a Frankie flash back when she was fighting Colin.

Overall, the case wasn't really logical to me, or I didn't pay enough attention. It is sad that I managed to spot Colin as the baddie, when the CSIs find all these "convienent" suspects that obviously didn't do it, just because they were found in the beginning.

B from me. According to the promo (which I shouldn't trust) next week looks like an episode worthy for A. Let's wait and see...

 

[Curiosity]

Overall, I thought this was an average type of episode, elevated mainly by Hill Harper’s scenes.

I have applauded the writers before for their efforts to use the entire cast in a single episode, but this is one time I think they overshot the mark. Was it really necessary to have two worm discussions between Mac and Lindsay, or each of the evidence scenes with Adam? This is one time it might’ve benefited the storyline to put some of the characters way, way in the background so that more time could be devoted to Hawkes, especially seeing more of his current relationship with Kara and how the resolution of the case impacted both.

The case had an interesting premise, and the way they introduced the two different crimes was intriguing. Like others, I thought the filming of the bathtub murder scene was well done – very sad, haunting, and a bit eerie. The connection between the two cases was a clever idea too, but it was weakened by a few logic holes – like the question of timing and how the blood was actually transferred to the brooch part of the necklace. It didn’t help either that I also pegged Colin as a “person of interest” as soon as he appeared onscreen and was fairly certain he was the rapist once the connection was discovered, so the red herring stuff with the musician didn't really hold my interest.

That said, I thought Hill Harper was really the standout element in this episode. He did a great job with what he was given – just wish he had more stuff to work with. His best scene was the one with Mac outside the club – very powerful and poignant. The writing for Mac in that scene, however, was very disappointing. This was the perfect opportunity to have Mac open up a bit and talk about how Claire’s death had (almost) broken him and how he had eventually been able to move on, etc. Instead, we got a rather stoic and pragmatic Mac. What happened to the guy who held Don’s hand after the bombing and also comforted Danny after Louie was hospitalized? That’s the one Hawkes needed at that point.

I thought the office scene with Hawkes, Mac, and Stella also was well done. The family element was in place there – with Hawkes the defiant and frustrated child, Mac, the stern father, and Stella, the maternal intercessor. Actually, I didn’t think Mac was too out of line in this one, especially considering the way he acted in “Murder Sings the Blues.” After Hawkes left, I also thought Stella was talking about herself as much as Hawkes (when she said it was hard to turn off emotions) and was perhaps looking for a hint of understanding from Mac. That little look of distraction/worry/guilt on her face as Mac left makes me think she is already wondering how her own situation will play out when he finds out what she has done.

Speaking of Stella, she really is one tough cookie! I also had flashbacks to Frankie when she grabbed the gun and pointed it at Colin, but she didn’t seem fazed at all and even had the presence of mind to wound instead of kill. Also, it was nice to see Flack and Angell working together again and getting the subway action scene. I liked the scene between Danny and Sid, too.

The ending scene in the subway was cute but seemed a bit contrived and awkward – made me wonder if the actors weren’t that comfortable being part of such an obvious promo. If the writers really had to include that type of scene, it would’ve been better to have Sid and Hawkes together, especially since it was Hawkes that Sid had told about his connection to the subway musician. That might’ve also given us a glimpse of Hawkes’ mindset after the case was solved.

So, basically this episode was a mixed bag – some good things but also a few missteps and missed opportunities. Hoping they’ll be back with a stronger outing next week.


Grade = C+

 

[athens]

I really liked as many of you the fact that Hawkes had a storyline for his character.It was a shame that he didn't get really what he deserved some episodes in the past seasons.It was good that we also saw the Hawkes pre-ME,CSI.

I also liked the Mac/Stella scene in his office and the last scenes in the subway.Gotta l0ve Sid .

It still had some points that could be better but overall a good episode.

A-

 

[PepeBee]

I liked this episode! What a way to start the New Year! Yay!

The way that incorporated music, albeit minimally, to the plot was nice since I'm so into music. Add to the fact that that swaaanky geetaaar was swanky! :lol: I've been a long-standing Alex Band fan ever since I heard The Calling back when I was in 5th grade and now seeing him in my favorite show in the world, and put him in a scene with Flack, awesomeness!

Anyway.

I give it an A because of the Mac/Stella loving, the music and most of all, giving Hawkes his due! It's about damn time we get to see a part of Hawkes we've never seen before. I hope more Hawkes-centric episodes will come.:thumbsup:

P.S. Flack episode this week! *squee!* I can't wait. All of us Flack-lovers will have the time of our lives. But will also hate the IAB for being hard on Flack.

 

[Robin]

Re the church house, I have one of those right down the street from me

I thought the church house was cool. It would be awesome to have a window like that in the bathroom.