Re: Grissom & Sara #30: Pin Me Down..But Not With a Mustang
Alyssa said:
Ecklie seems to have gotten over all his past issues with Sara. I'm glad. They have a good onscreen chemistry either way, but it made it a lot more relaxed and casual.
Alyssa, your comment really interested me because, when I watched the episode, I interpreted this scene in exactly the opposite way. Granted, this time Sara wasn't nearly as angry or volatile as she was in Season 5's unforgettable "Nesting Dolls" office confrontation, but I still perceived her as somewhat edgy and defensive. Her pointedly emphatic use of the word "are" and her "We've always had a relationship" signaled to me her flat-out refusal to be ashamed, back down, or attempt to get on Ecklie's good side (that is, if he even has one
). I wasn't afraid she'd blow her top like she did last time -- she remained totally professional, and that speaks to the development of her character -- but in my opinion she was still letting him know she won't be pushed around and hasn't forgotten his past treatment of her. In fact, the line "I think it was a Sunday" reminded me just a little bit of "The Accused is Entitled," where the evil defense lawyer condescendingly asks Catherine to confirm that she stripped for a living, and Catherine saucily responds, "A very good living." (Seriously...that was probably the funniest line in all of Season 3.)
I also caught the throwback to "Who Shot Sherlock?" with the gel dummy experiment, which was a really cute tongue-in-cheek reference...complete with Ecklie serving as the team's wet blanket at the end. It wasn't as effective for me this time around, though; I could almost touch the tension in the air during Ecklie's questioning of Grissom, and it was hard for me to believe he'd voluntarily hang around for the experiment afterward, even if only to snark at them for wasting the gel. I guess I'm just darn determined not to like the guy, as if you could tell...
The end of the episode was very moving...definitely not insanely heart-rending, like last week's premiere, but still a bona fide tear-jerker, IMO. Jorja Fox once again demonstrated her magnificent acting ability: without uttering a sound, she managed to convey a mixture of relief, pain, love, and bittersweetness to a degree almost rivaling the end of "The Return of the King" (and coming from this "Lord of the Rings" uber-fanatic, that's the highest compliment you're going to get). I can't say, though, that I expected Sara to do anything other than give up her place on the team so Grissom could stay on the night shift; for all of her internal battles and her general distrust of people and their motives, she's a truly honorable, self-effacing character who would rather bear the burden than share it, so to speak. Not a big surprise for someone who's an introverted loner by temperament and upbringing, and I can't help but think her decision will cause conflict (whether seen or unseen) between her and Grissom; however, it was still a hugely selfless act, and again, one that speaks volumes about how much she's developed as a character over the past seven years.
Alyssa does long posts at least 100 times better than I do, so I am voluntarily shutting up now.
~ geekprincess
