Grade 'Officer Involved'

[Top41]

I have to say, I really had high hopes for this one. Danny used to be an interesting and dynamic character, and this seemed to be an episode with potential to have a lot of great continuity.

My beef with the episode isn't Lindsay. Oh, Anna Belknap still can't act--I've never seen anyone flatter than she was in her scene with Hill when she realized the cases were connected. Seriously where was the frustration about being sideline again? The escalation of her concern throughout the episode? It was on the page, but not in the performance. I think Lindsay would be a far less polarizing character if she was played by an actress with any rage whatsoever. Regardless, Lindsay's actions were admirable. Good for her for going to bat for Danny--I've long said that if she's going to be married to the show's resident damsel-in-distress, she's got to step up. And she really has since they've been married--she shot the serial killer who threatened life and then went after the cop threatening his career. I do think she's made up for her early shoddy treatment of Danny, and paid back the emotional support he gave her with active support.

My problem isn't with Danny not saving himself--that's consistent, too. Danny doesn't save himself. He whines and wrings his hands and does something that makes it worse until Flack or Lindsay or Mac comes in and saves him. What bugged me is that we got nothing of Danny's emotional journey. Yes, he's matured, but does that mean he has virtually no reaction? Aside from the scene with Cooper, we only really see him with the IA guy. No scene with Mac until the end, no scene with Lindsay, no scene with Flack--which would have been nice continuity with "On the Job," by the way. No scene with Lucy, worrying about his job.

And in the end, it's wrapped up in with a neat little bow. Cooper confessed! We never get any scenes with the cops, who are so obviously complicit from the get-go that's no shock to the audience. No explanation as to why they felt the need to cover it up and tried to pin the lie on Danny when they got found out. No depth to it at all.

And then, this much touted promotion? Done in four episodes. Maybe if this was halfway through the season, it wouldn't have felt so premature, but it really, really did feel so predictable, and so quick, it made me question why they did it at all. Did we really see Danny grow as a leader in four episodes? I wish this show was more patient, more willing to stretch out what could be really good storylines. This was supposedly a Danny-centric episode, but because we never got to see his emotional journey, it sure didn't feel like it.

C-

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

I have to say, I really had high hopes for this one. Danny used to be an interesting and dynamic character, and this seemed to be an episode with potential to have a lot of great continuity.

My beef with the episode isn't Lindsay. Oh, Anna Belknap still can't act--I've never seen anyone flatter than she was in her scene with Hill when she realized the cases were connected. Seriously where was the frustration about being sideline again? The escalation of her concern throughout the episode? It was on the page, but not in the performance. I think Lindsay would be a far less polarizing character if she was played by an actress with any rage whatsoever. Regardless, Lindsay's actions were admirable. Good for her for going to bat for Danny--I've long said that if she's going to be married to the show's resident damsel-in-distress, she's got to step up. And she really has since they've been married--she shot the serial killer who threatened life and then went after the cop threatening his career. I do think she's made up for her early shoddy treatment of Danny, and paid back the emotional support he gave her with active support.

My problem isn't with Danny not saving himself--that's consistent, too. Danny doesn't save himself. He whines and wrings his hands and does something that makes it worse until Flack or Lindsay or Mac comes in and saves him. What bugged me is that we got nothing of Danny's emotional journey. Yes, he's matured, but does that mean he has virtually no reaction? Aside from the scene with Cooper, we only really see him with the IA guy. No scene with Mac until the end, no scene with Lindsay, no scene with Flack--which would have been nice continuity with "On the Job," by the way. No scene with Lucy, worrying about his job.

And in the end, it's wrapped up in with a neat little bow. Cooper confessed! We never get any scenes with the cops, who are so obviously complicit from the get-go that's no shock to the audience. No explanation as to why they felt the need to cover it up and tried to pin the lie on Danny when they got found out. No depth to it at all.

And then, this much touted promotion? Done in four episodes. Maybe if this was halfway through the season, it wouldn't have felt so premature, but it really, really did feel so predictable, and so quick, it made me question why they did it at all. Did we really see Danny grow as a leader in four episodes? I wish this show was more patient, more willing to stretch out what could be really good storylines. This was supposedly a Danny-centric episode, but because we never got to see his emotional journey, it sure didn't feel like it.

C-

The problem I have with Lindsay "saving" Danny is that they made him look like an incompetent five year old in the process. Even if Danny has always needed saving he was never sitting on the sidelines letting things happen to him. Lindsay is his wife, not his mommy.

But I do agree that a lot of frustration also came from not knowing the motives of the cops and having Cooper confess so easily. Although I think it wasn't to tie it up neatly but to show Lindsay having an imaginary catfight with the "DL threat" and having "the other woman" back down because no one comes near Lindsay's man!!1!

This should've been a Danny episode, not a Lindsay episode, and that is what it turned out to be. Plus I agree that Belknap's acting does nothing to make me feel anything but annoyance and dislike for Lindsay no matter how noble her actions might be intended to be.

 

[Geeno]

And then, this much touted promotion? Done in four episodes. Maybe if this was halfway through the season, it wouldn't have felt so premature, but it really, really did feel so predictable, and so quick, it made me question why they did it at all. Did we really see Danny grow as a leader in four episodes? I wish this show was more patient, more willing to stretch out what could be really good storylines. This was supposedly a Danny-centric episode, but because we never got to see his emotional journey, it sure didn't feel like it.

I agree it was quick. I don't know why I'm suspicious but I think it might be CBS's wishes to bring the team back together. It was starting to look like NY was copying Blue Bloods if Mac is in a different lab and Danny is on the streets. CBS is pretty much a "hands-on" network regarding its shows. Though it's not always good thing. Look what happened to Criminal Minds last season.

I'm guessing the writers have a few stories for Danny outside the lab but their hands are tied because of CBS. Maybe men in suits entered the writer's room one day and gave a letter and a cake and balloons with "Happy Season 8, Love CBS".

 

[mrsjrewing]

Overall I give this episode a rating of B+. I have not liked Danny in uniform on the street. It broke up the flow of the show for me. So I am glad with the end results of the episode. I really did not like Cooper. She had a bi**hy vibe from the get go. I think Lindsay did the right thing standing up for her husband. Most women would. I loved Adam's scenes in the episode. Not enough Mac for me, of course. I thought the case was good, but it lacked a personal side story of any of the characters that the other episodes have had this season. Sorry if I jumped around in this, but I was trying to cover everything.

 

[Mac&Adam Fan]

I have to say, I really had high hopes for this one. Danny used to be an interesting and dynamic character, and this seemed to be an episode with potential to have a lot of great continuity.

My beef with the episode isn't Lindsay. Oh, Anna Belknap still can't act--I've never seen anyone flatter than she was in her scene with Hill when she realized the cases were connected. Seriously where was the frustration about being sideline again? The escalation of her concern throughout the episode? It was on the page, but not in the performance. I think Lindsay would be a far less polarizing character if she was played by an actress with any rage whatsoever. Regardless, Lindsay's actions were admirable. Good for her for going to bat for Danny--I've long said that if she's going to be married to the show's resident damsel-in-distress, she's got to step up. And she really has since they've been married--she shot the serial killer who threatened life and then went after the cop threatening his career. I do think she's made up for her early shoddy treatment of Danny, and paid back the emotional support he gave her with active support.

My problem isn't with Danny not saving himself--that's consistent, too. Danny doesn't save himself. He whines and wrings his hands and does something that makes it worse until Flack or Lindsay or Mac comes in and saves him. What bugged me is that we got nothing of Danny's emotional journey. Yes, he's matured, but does that mean he has virtually no reaction? Aside from the scene with Cooper, we only really see him with the IA guy. No scene with Mac until the end, no scene with Lindsay, no scene with Flack--which would have been nice continuity with "On the Job," by the way. No scene with Lucy, worrying about his job.

And in the end, it's wrapped up in with a neat little bow. Cooper confessed! We never get any scenes with the cops, who are so obviously complicit from the get-go that's no shock to the audience. No explanation as to why they felt the need to cover it up and tried to pin the lie on Danny when they got found out. No depth to it at all.

And then, this much touted promotion? Done in four episodes. Maybe if this was halfway through the season, it wouldn't have felt so premature, but it really, really did feel so predictable, and so quick, it made me question why they did it at all. Did we really see Danny grow as a leader in four episodes? I wish this show was more patient, more willing to stretch out what could be really good storylines. This was supposedly a Danny-centric episode, but because we never got to see his emotional journey, it sure didn't feel like it.

C-

I do agree, I wished we had seen more of Lindsay and Danny interactions about his job. I did think it would take maybe 10 episodes for him to realize this isn't for him.

 

[La_Guera]

Does anyone here know what CBS's tweet #MacandCheezNight and #HappyMac&Cheese mean? I kind of LOLed when I read those in my timeline. Was it Mac Taylor but who's the cheese? Or it's just that CSI: NY and Blue Bloods go well together like Mac and Cheese.

And way to imply that all street cops are duplicitous scumbags.

Totally different. Danny said he want to work with people who he can fully trust. That doesn't necessarily imply all street cops are dirty. I think what he means is that he wants to work with people who he's comfortable with.

lindsay going on at the iab guy about the 24hr rule was horrible - he's not a bloody child, lindsay, stop acting like his harridan mother

That scene is more of a "let's get out of here and tell me wgat happened." And the IA guy didn't question her further. So she just did what's best for Danny.

According to the show, only Mac and the denizens of the lab are trustworthy, and poor, fragile Danny just can't function without the safe, spoon-feeding confines of the lab, where he has Lindsay to wipe his ass and protect him from the scary outside world. Jesus Christ. Some cop he is.

And really Danny? You've been a sergeant for four episodes, and you're going to claim you treated the officers under your command "like family"? Let's be charitable and assume you've been a sergeant for six months. It takes longer than that to establish a family, especially in a unit as fluid and shifting as an NYPD stationhouse, where turnover is constant and rookies are trying to find their rhythm on the job. Your put-upon whining is consistent, but it's also irksome. There was a time(many, many moons ago now)when I would have felt sorry for you, but after eight years, constant rescue efforts by your friends, and your absolute lack of growth, I find my reserves of give a shit utterly exhausted. You're not a wet-behind-the-ears twenty-something or even a youthful thirty-something anymore. You're pushing forty and look fifty. Grow up.

And if you really thought Cooper had the makings of a good cop, then your judgment, I do not trust it. Maybe I would have if the show had shown her being remotely competent, but no dice. As usual, the writers are happy to flaunt their credentials from the Tell, Don't Show School of Lazy Writing.

Season 7 was such an improvement, and it gave me such hopes for this year, but the show had cheerfully returned to insipid mediocrity. It should have gone out gracefully last year, and I hope this season is the last.

 

[La_Guera]

I think she knew he had been drinking and if he had talked to IAB at the time, they would have tested him.

Except that Danny stated multiple times that he hadn't been drinking at all.

 

[Ceindreadh]

I'm not sure that I've ever been so shocked by a CSI episode...a character actually stepped back from a case that they had a conflict of interest on!!!!

That said, I don't particularly care for Danny, so the "OMG he could lose his job!!!!" didn't exactly have me on the edge of my seat. And of course there was a nice neat resolution. Rookie cop confesses all, Danny did nothing wrong, and everybody lives happily ever after. Meh. Honestly, I wish they'd left it a bit more ambiguous and had it that - while Danny didn't actually tell the cop to lie - that maybe he'd told her, I don't know, just to be confident in her story because I.A. would jump on any hint of weakness.

As for the rest of the ep, nothing really stood out for me, except when Mac and Flack were interviewing the guy in hospital and Flack makes the comment about how the nurses in Rikers aren't as cute as the ones in the hospital. The look that Mac gives him, heehee!

 

[Ollie]

I'm sort of in the middle with this episode. The case itself, putting Danny's storyline on the side, wasn't worse than average, I think. It had all the usual points covered and it could be decent. What sort of killed it for me, was how predictible it was. From the very first seconds, it was obvious how it's going to end, with this annoying, happily-ever-after bit and this is what I found difficult while watching. Every time I COULD have gotten interested, I was like "Oh, okay, who really cares what they will find out, since everything's going to end up good for Danny anyway?" Knowing the ending before you know what's leading to this ending is NOT a good thing with a show like this. Of course, it CAN work, but in this case, it didn't.

DL's episode, then. I'll go with Lindsay first. I expected myself to hate everything about her in this episode, but actually, I didn't. Her general attitute was understandable and I think I'd behave in a similar way if it was about my man. Sure, she was a little cheeky towards this invastigator guy, but I can hardly blame her. I kind of even liked the fact she studied formal procedures about this sort of cases (as she said to Sheldon), or that she decided to step back from the case (rare thing in CSI), or even the way she talked with Cooper. I found all of this believable and even if Anna didn't amaze me with her acting (wow, that's a surprise), it was ok.

What I didn't like, was her conversation with Adam, early in the episode. It was just rude. Nothing from the usual way the rest of the lab treats Adam, patiently (or not, vide Mac) waiting for him to get to the point. I understand she was all puzzled and nervous, but still, she could have said that she can't (or chooses not to) talk about this from the very beginning, instead of doing this... something she did.

Now, while I was pretty okay with Lindsay, I was definitely NOT okay with Danny. I mean: what the hell happened to him? Usually, I was more team Danny than team Lindsay when it came to choosing between the two of them, but here? What I got, was completely petulant, not masculine, unsure guy with no balls at all. :wtf: And you know what? I didn't like it. Lindsay and Cooper were more capable than him in this episode. He was like a shadow somewhere in the background and it was painful to see. I agreed with the invastigator guy immedietely: he was incapable.

I'm happy he's back in the lab. But I don't really understand what was the point of getting him out of there, then (and I'd really like to believe there was a point in it). For what? Merely 4 episodes, in which we saw him patroling the streets, screaming at Cooper and then realising it's not for him? Waste of time, waste of plot, waste of everything. This episode could have been so much better if it was just about some random cop shooting the guy who seemed to do nothing wrong.

Good points? Oh dear, that's difficult. Let's see... I liked Adam, no surprise here. Because he's Adam. Because he got his time at the crime scene and because he had his scene with fishing.

Speaking of which, I have to say I'm in love with every scene he shares with Jo. Or, like in this episode, with Jo and Mac. It's always nice to see them interacting and I'm more than happy to see Adam really enjoying Jo's company, without this bit of intimidation he had towards her at the beginning (which was funny to watch as well, obviously). Sure, he likes to challenges her, but it's kind of cute.

I just have to say that I finally found someone I do not like paired with Jo : Sheldon. My goodness he even brings Jo down!! I just kept hoping they didn't have any more scenes together!! I just find him dull and boring and makes me even like Lindsay more.

I have to disagree here. I like them. Not as much as Jo/Adam (I leave Jo/Mac aside, for obvious reasons), of course, but I do like their interactions every single time. Okay, in this ep. they were pretty... formal, but they got really boring moment. Looking for a bullet? Hardly a task to make a room for a joke. I think it would be pretty boring with anyone else.

There was Flack somewhere in this episode, too and I know I liked it, but without Danny at his side Flack's not getting enough time, in my opinion. So, another reason to be happy with this Danny's comeback.

This is not the episode I'd like to watch again, that's for sure. Which is bad. It was all about Danny (honestly, I don't think I can tell if I liked Mac in this episode, I simply cannot remember scenes with him) and, as I said, I don't like where they went with him.

But this episode leaves me kind of interested in the rest. From the season premiere, it was the only one I really, really had problems with and it was only because of this whole Danny-and-his-sergeant-mess drama, so I'm thinking... Since he's back in the lab and we don't need to deal with this anymore, maybe we can have decent episodes again?

P.S. And Lindsay DID have a purse! I'm still not sure why it was so important, but I'm happy I didn't missed it. :lol:

 

[Faylinn]

Does anyone here know what CBS's tweet #MacandCheezNight and #HappyMac&Cheese mean? I kind of LOLed when I read those in my timeline. Was it Mac Taylor but who's the cheese? Or it's just that CSI: NY and Blue Bloods go well together like Mac and Cheese.

It has something to do with NKOTB. Joey McIntyre was on NY, of course, and Donnie Wahlberg is on Blue Bloods. The Mac makes sense, but IDK what Donnie has to do with Cheese.

 

[Mac&Adam Fan]

Some of you have made points that I hadn't thought of with Danny and the sergeant thing. I think he just wanted to take over the lab so much that he wasn't really thinking of how much work there really is. Maybe he just isn't cut out to be the boss like Mac but I do think maybe the writers didn't want Danny out of the lab for long because they might lose viewers.

I think this could have been a few more episodes with Danny on the streets which I thought maybe by episode 11 he is back in the lab.

I did like Lindsay's line to Adam. 'Say hi to Edna for me'.

Adam says, "Edna!"

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

Some of you have made points that I hadn't thought of with Danny and the sergeant thing. I think he just wanted to take over the lab so much that he wasn't really thinking of how much work there really is. Maybe he just isn't cut out to be the boss like Mac but I do think maybe the writers didn't want Danny out of the lab for long because they might lose viewers.

I think this could have been a few more episodes with Danny on the streets which I thought maybe by episode 11 he is back in the lab.

I did like Lindsay's line to Adam. 'Say hi to Edna for me'.

Adam says, "Edna!"

I agreee they wanted Danny back in the lab, pronto.

I think it was Faylinn who said that they probably wrote the promotion into the finale because it would be a good way to close out Danny and his family if the show didn't get an 8th season. Once they got an 8th season they realized they were screwed because there wouldn't be a logical way to incorporate Danny into the storylines because there's only so many times he can convienently be at the same crime scenes as the other core characters. I realistically knew they had to get Danny back in the lab; I just wished they'd have done the story better than the way it turned out.

 

[Mac&Adam Fan]

Some of you have made points that I hadn't thought of with Danny and the sergeant thing. I think he just wanted to take over the lab so much that he wasn't really thinking of how much work there really is. Maybe he just isn't cut out to be the boss like Mac but I do think maybe the writers didn't want Danny out of the lab for long because they might lose viewers.

I think this could have been a few more episodes with Danny on the streets which I thought maybe by episode 11 he is back in the lab.

I did like Lindsay's line to Adam. 'Say hi to Edna for me'.

Adam says, "Edna!"

I agreee they wanted Danny back in the lab, pronto.

I think it was Faylinn who said that they probably wrote the promotion into the finale because it would be a good way to close out Danny and his family if the show didn't get an 8th season. Once they got an 8th season they realized they were screwed because there wouldn't be a logical way to incorporate Danny into the storylines because there's only so many times he can convienently be at the same crime scenes as the other core characters. I realistically knew they had to get Danny back in the lab; I just wished they'd have done the story better than the way it turned out.

Well, I'd rather they make that kind of screw up than the writers from Cold Case who didn't give the show a good finale. CC was canceled and I feel there were too many loose ends at the end of that episode.

You had Vera, Miller, and Jefferies getting the deputy commissioner's gun from his office file cabinet that was supposedly used in a murder. The D.C.'s son committed that murder but didn't say anything for a number of years and how much you want to bet that case would get thrown out because there was no warrant.

You had Valens who pretty much in a round about way committed murder of a rapist who was shanked to death in prison. People didn't like that part.

You had Valens and Rush committing assault and robbery as well as breaking and entering as she went to find her sister.

I wished the CC writers had been smarter and giving them a good finale.

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

Some of you have made points that I hadn't thought of with Danny and the sergeant thing. I think he just wanted to take over the lab so much that he wasn't really thinking of how much work there really is. Maybe he just isn't cut out to be the boss like Mac but I do think maybe the writers didn't want Danny out of the lab for long because they might lose viewers.

I think this could have been a few more episodes with Danny on the streets which I thought maybe by episode 11 he is back in the lab.

I did like Lindsay's line to Adam. 'Say hi to Edna for me'.

Adam says, "Edna!"

I agreee they wanted Danny back in the lab, pronto.

I think it was Faylinn who said that they probably wrote the promotion into the finale because it would be a good way to close out Danny and his family if the show didn't get an 8th season. Once they got an 8th season they realized they were screwed because there wouldn't be a logical way to incorporate Danny into the storylines because there's only so many times he can convienently be at the same crime scenes as the other core characters. I realistically knew they had to get Danny back in the lab; I just wished they'd have done the story better than the way it turned out.

Well, I'd rather they make that kind of screw up than the writers from Cold Case who didn't give the show a good finale. CC was canceled and I feel there were too many loose ends at the end of that episode.

You had Vera, Miller, and Jefferies getting the deputy commissioner's gun from his office file cabinet that was supposedly used in a murder. The D.C.'s son committed that murder but didn't say anything for a number of years and how much you want to bet that case would get thrown out because there was no warrant.

You had Valens who pretty much in a round about way committed murder of a rapist who was shanked to death in prison. People didn't like that part.

You had Valens and Rush committing assault and robbery as well as breaking and entering as she went to find her sister.

I wished the CC writers had been smarter and giving them a good finale.

I did like what they did in the finale. It made sense all things considered. I was just disappointed in how they resolved the Sgt. storyline.

 

[Top41]

The problem I have with Lindsay "saving" Danny is that they made him look like an incompetent five year old in the process. Even if Danny has always needed saving he was never sitting on the sidelines letting things happen to him. Lindsay is his wife, not his mommy.

Well, to be fair, I think to some extent, Danny has always been something of an incompetent five year old. He's just been a bit more active or at least emotive in previous episodes. But Danny has always needed other people to save him--it's just usually been Flack or Mac in the past. It makes sense that it's Lindsay now that they're married.

But I do agree that a lot of frustration also came from not knowing the motives of the cops and having Cooper confess so easily. Although I think it wasn't to tie it up neatly but to show Lindsay having an imaginary catfight with the "DL threat" and having "the other woman" back down because no one comes near Lindsay's man!!1!

I think Lindsay would have been just as forceful if it had been one of the male cops who had grabbed Danny's gun while Danny was out cold. What bugged me more was the IA guy trying to be like, "Oooh, were you having an affair with Cooper??" during the interrogation. That was just silly. But again--if this has been episode 10 rather than 4, it probably would have had more of an impact.

This should've been a Danny episode, not a Lindsay episode, and that is what it turned out to be. Plus I agree that Belknap's acting does nothing to make me feel anything but annoyance and dislike for Lindsay no matter how noble her actions might be intended to be.

I think it could have been an episode for both of them had it been handled better. But yeah, nothing is going to help Belknap's acting at this point. She's just so limited.

I think it was Faylinn who said that they probably wrote the promotion into the finale because it would be a good way to close out Danny and his family if the show didn't get an 8th season. Once they got an 8th season they realized they were screwed because there wouldn't be a logical way to incorporate Danny into the storylines because there's only so many times he can convienently be at the same crime scenes as the other core characters. I realistically knew they had to get Danny back in the lab; I just wished they'd have done the story better than the way it turned out.

Fay's right, and I'm sure that's the rationale. What bugs me is that the episode did have promise. It could have been better than it was. I loved the teaser, and I think if we'd seen it more from Danny's point of view, it could have been cool and interesting and a great way to showcase that yes, he's grown as a character. Rather than do that, though, they just kind of swept over him and made him passive. Danny has always been something of a victim character, but he's always had reactions to that that have made him interesting (or annoying, depending on how you feel about Danny :lol. But he's never just been wallpaper like he was here.