Just watched 'Blacklist' and I loved it. Another Mac-centric episode, but then I love those! I think they did a really good job of making Mac look younger, though I think our 'natural', older Mac is hotter. He did look a little weird, because of whatever they did to make him look younger, but then everyone looks different when they are younger-young Danny in RSRD looked a bit weird too. I'm really glad they let Gary play the role and not a younger actor because he really brought the character and emotion of Mac to those scenes with his father, and it was great to see Gary and John Terry working together again! I think the bits we learned about Mac were very interesting, especially that he joined the NYPD to honour his dad, and that when he was talking to him, he seemed unsure both about joining the NYPD (like it was something he wanted to do, but was nervous about) and about having kids with Claire - a nice little bit of continuity there with both Consequences when we found out he knew Claire had had Reed before she met him, and with the s5 episode, I forget which one, where he told Danny he had been hesitant to have kids with her.
So, our Mac has a 'distinguished military career' and a Silver Star, yay! I'd be interested to know what he got that for. *pokes writers - Marines flashback for Mac*
Having read the reviews of the episode after it aired in America, I thought there was gonna be some scene where Mac started preaching about the healthcare system, when all there was was him saying the guy should write his Congressman. That did shock me, I thought it was very harsh, but then I wouldn't have expected Mac to sympathize with the guy either, and as the guy said, he didn't want Mac's sympathy anyway. I think the line about the Congressman did show Mac's tendency to see things in black and white, but it was very in character for him. Though the episode could have done without that line- it was clear throughout that Mac didn't sympathize with the guy or approve of his choice of the way to send a message, so we didn't need to hear that from him. So it shocked me a little, but it seemed in character for Mac and honestly didn't bother me as much as it seemed to bother other people here and to be honest if someone other than Mac had said it, I probably wouldn't have even paid it this much attention. I disagree with the view that Mac
never sees shades of gray, I actually think we've seen a few times when he does see things in more than black and white, this episode just wasn't one of them. I think we saw a similar attitude towards the healthcare issue in Live or Let Die when he got so mad at the doctor who tried to steal the liver so he could move his wife up the waiting list.
Loved seeing emotional Mac and how much memories of his father still affect him, once again in those scenes with his dad, and when Victor was taunting him about his dad (b*stard!) Gary conveyed a lot of emotion without actually saying much. I really liked the scene where he was having a flashback at the coffee machine and he walked away, forgetting his coffee.
I thought Mac's lack of sympathy for Victor was dead on. Had Victor not been killing people to make his point, I actually think Mac might have sympathised with him, but he has a very strong view of what is right and wrong and so his lack of sympathy for Victor was very in character.
I think this episode makes a nice contrast to COTP, where Mac did sympathise with Lessing even though he disagreed with his method of conveying his message about New York not being ready for another terrorist attack. Again, Lessing was playing on Mac's personal experience in 1983, and perhaps unknowingly, on his loss of Claire on 9/11. I think the difference was Lessing actually wanted Mac to stop him killing people and seemed to genuinely be reaching out to him for help, whereas Victor was just taunting him.
Loved seeing Mac grab that nurse Lisa and throw her out of the elevator when it started to move, that was hot!
Loved it too when he made the 'call me' signs.
*grabs phone and dials 555013*
Oh, and Mac, of all people, asking Flack when he last slept was hilarious.:lol:
All in all a very good Mac episode, one of my favourites, I think.
I may not always like Mac's views on certain issues (not sure I agree with him entirely on the death penalty issue, for example) but I like that the writers seem to be keeping his views in sync with his character and that they're not afraid to give him views that may be unpopular with some people.
Oh and I thought it was really cute that Mac told the newspaper his dad was his hero. Awwwwwwwwwww. What with that, and the final flashback scene, I just wanted to hug him at the end.:adore:
Hmmm, lots n lots of words up there, time for some pics....
) but i think there's like 35 of them for you to paruse and enjoy!!:hugegrin::hugegrin:
