The Soundbox--Speculations and Whatnots

^Ah yes, I can definitely see why they fell in love with Eddie. :p

Hmm...let's see what else we can speculate on...

I'm curious about Mac. There's been some nice development for him (compared to some of the other characters at least), but I still wonder about him. Why did he become a CSI? Did he make the decision before or after he joined the military? The way that he spoke about wanting to be a Marine makes it sound like he might have planned for it to be a life-long career--what made him change his mind if that's the case? I wonder what sort of degree he has? Would he have gotten it before or after he enlisted? Why did he move to NYC?

And these questions relate to Claire--did she work in the World Trade Center, or is it possible that she could have been in the NYPD, FDNY, etc.? I'm inclined to think she probably worked in the towers, but I was thinking about it earlier and it's possible that she was there trying to save lives when she lost her own...

Alright, kiddies, speculate away. ;)
 
If I'd like to add another query on Mac...

After serving the Marines, could he have skipped a few ranks when he joined the NYPD? I just checked out the CBS site, and it mentioned that his heroism as a Marine earned him a spot as New York's finest. How would that work?

And going back to Fay's question on what drove him to be a CSI. I think his stint in the police force might have driven him to that direction, most likely. Something he saw while on the beat, needing a deeper involvement in solving the crime.

Mac was quite young when he joined the Marines. He had ideals about it, just like when he and Stella had that "Mac-man" conversation in "Necrophilia Americana"--you couldn't get him out of his fatigues. :D It's been already hinted that the incident in Beirut hit him hard, and other events might have compounded to turn him away from pursuing a military career. I can't recall at the moment if he was honorably discharged or not (as hinted at in COTP)--if that was due to his stint in Beirut or not.

For his jump from military to law enforcement, I think Mac can't deny his patriotism and his commitment to serve his country, in any way he can. Maybe he realized that he can serve his country while closer to home.

As for Claire... I don't see her in law enforcement, for some reason. I'd see her somewhat like Rose in the S1 finale--someone who literally brightened his day, a welcome sunshine in his days of violence (it's the romantic sap that exists in some dusty corner in my head :D ). Got no idea what her work is, though.

Hope that makes sense. I was just speculating out loud... :)
 
Hope that makes sense. I was just speculating out loud...
Click to expand...
That's what it's all about, darlin'. ;)

I like your ideas. I especially like the way you described why he'd want to become a police officer after he got out of the military. ;)

I wonder if Mac became a cop before or after he moved to NY? Why the move to NY in the first place? Maybe he married Claire in Chicago and she got a job offer in NY, so they went...I'm curious about what she did, and I agree that I don't think she was in law enforcement, but I thought I'd put the possibility out there just for discussion's sake. ;)

As for if Mac was honorably discharged--what do you mean 'as hinted in COTP?' Do you mean that it was hinted that he was dishonorably discharged or that he was discharged after Beirut? I don't see why in the world Mac would have gotten a dishonorable discharge (which is defined on answers.com as "Discharge from the armed forces for a grave offense, such as cowardice, murder, sabotage, or espionage." Nope, not our Mac. ;))

***

Looking at the profile on cbs.com, it seems like I might have been a bit off in some of the speculations earlier in my post (but I guess they're still worth giving, so I decided not to delete them. ;)). From what I gather from the site, he got out of the military and moved to NY, where he became a cop. He worked his way up in the NYPD and eventually found his way to the Crime Scene Unit...

So that makes me wonder if he has a science degree of some sort. If he started as a cop, maybe he didn't need one. :confused: I still don't quite understand whether or not they need certain degrees...
 
*delurks* if mac was dishonorably discharged then he could never work for the government again... they won't hire you...unless he lied on his CV *relurks*
 
See, more evidence that he was honorably discharged--not that I ever saw it any other way. Not our Mac. ;) :lol:

But don't lurk, afrikana, this thread is kind of dying here :(...maybe we should go back to talking about Flack, it was moving right along then. ;) :lol:
 
I don't think there's any way Mac got anything other than an honorable discharge. The only question would be why. Did he just come to the end of his sign up time and want out? Was it for medical reasons? Maybe the 'clue' in COTP was the Beirut bombing. We know Mac was injured on the day, maybe that's why he left.

Okay, back to speculation. Will we ever get to see for sure if Flack does have a tattoo!
 
Honorable discharge--I say it was hinted in COTP because Stella was reading Mac's form (couldn't exactly recall if it was his discharge papers).

Discharge papers notwithstanding, I have doubts that Mac ended his service right after his Beirut stint. Just not in his character, imho, that he'd just up and go after his first taste of war. Like I mentioned earlier, he must have witnessed several atrocities after that before finally deciding to quit.

About his moving to NY--must have had a very good reason to move out of a quieter lifestyle. (This is coming from a kid who has close to no idea how life is in different States :D ) He might have been offered a job there, and likely was highly recommended (duh, did I just repeat what's been said on his profile? Sorry folks, am multitasking).

Mac with some sort of science degree--who knows? I don't he took a degree in between shifting careers, is my take on it. I get the impression he just learned as he went. Maybe some sort of specialization course? CSIs don't have to know everything, since they have the best resources available to them. What do you guys think?

...maybe we should go back to talking about Flack, it was moving right along then.
Click to expand...
Oh, I'm all for that. But y'all would know that by now, if my avatar and banner ain't clues enough... ;) Where did we stop, anyways?

Will we ever get to see for sure if Flack does have a tattoo!
Click to expand...
I think we would only see that down at Gutterville. :( They've steamrolled over Flack and Danny's relationship, what more with his tattoo? :rolleyes: But I wish they'd make something out of that. If we're loud enough, then maybe... :D
 
tiqlado said:

As for Claire... I don't see her in law enforcement, for some reason. I'd see her somewhat like Rose in the S1 finale--someone who literally brightened his day, a welcome sunshine in his days of violence (it's the romantic sap that exists in some dusty corner in my head :D ). Got no idea what her work is, though.

Hope that makes sense. I was just speculating out loud... :)
Click to expand...

I agree given the make up of offices in the WTC she was probably in finance, insurance, not-for-profit, or something else along those lines. If it was law enforcement, I imagine it would deal in computer or internet security rather than the NYPD. Though that is from the point of view that she was one of the victims at work rather than one of the rescuers that died in the aftermath, which is plausible though I can't envision that reality.

I've never seen their relationship as a romantic one, I do believe that they loved one another very much, but I can see an aspect of neglect existing within their marriage. However, I'm basing that on the Mac we see now and I'm sure he is a very changed man, but I think the stalwart demeanor has always existed. I think like in many cases death, especially tragic and premature death, can create an almost deity like status for the deceased in the minds of those left behind.

He possible left Chicago, a big city in its own right and not quiet in the least, for job growth possibly. The position opened up and he took it rather than stagnate where he was. Perhaps, Claire's job forced the move.

Ali
 
^ Definitely with you, JDonne, on Mac and Claire's relationship. They got together for all the right reasons, but that didn't mean that everything was rosy. What Mac said in Blink ("Her breath was still in there") gives me the impression that, here is a man desperately clinging to that single link he has to his wife, and had belatedly realized what he had missed. He might have likely had a lot of regrets, as anyone left behind has.

He possible left Chicago, a big city in its own right and not quiet in the least, for job growth possibly. The position opened up and he took it rather than stagnate where he was.
Click to expand...
Yep, another plausible point, something I can see in Mac: ambition. :)
 
Superb ideas and speculations from everyone, in this thread.

I agree with the Mac/Claire idea of more of a partnership of sorts, built out of love and respect, and desire for lifelong companionship, but not one necessarily born of passion. I guess I feel that way because we always see Mac as so incredibly...practical. Even though Mac might have changed somewhat after her death, become a bit more stoic, when all is said and done he was always Mac, and that means an obsessive workaholic who probably put his work first, many many times. And I like what one of you said about his comment about the beachball: his last tangible link to Claire, her actual breath - and he possibly only realized afterwards just how much of their relationship he had given up while she was still alive. The beachball became not only a symbol of Claire, but a symbol of his regret.

I also see Claire in the role of the nurturer, the caregiver, she fussed & fretted over him, and even though he probably didn't show it - more of that Stoic Mac - he secretly welcomed it, relished it, needed it. I think he seems to seek those same attributes out in Stella - she also fusses over him, tells him he works too hard, worries that he wore his wedding ring too long, wanted him to loosen up, etc. That makes me wonder if their friendship was like that before Claire died, or did it evolve into that afterwards? Mac's silent, unspoken desire for a nurturer, and Stella's cognizance of that, her realization that her friend still needed the caregiver/mother hen, but Heaven Forbid that he would ever admit it? He seems to allow Stella to "fuss" over him more than he would ever allow anyone else to.

Sorry, I've got a major Stream of Consciousness thing going on right now, I hope that I'm making some sense! :lol:
 
I'm seeing and have been reading a lot about Mac and Claire but nothing really from the producers are coming out. I mean, all we know is that she died in the Towers and that she is Mac's wife.

A lot of unanswered questions about her are in the air. And how are they related to Stella (apart from NYPD). I read something that they knew each other prior to Stella entering the force. Then again, that can be from a fanfiction. Still, nothing on Claire is being said apart from what we already know.
 
Interesting take on the Mac/Claire relationship MBGris :) Mac is so practical there's probably another language out there with the definition Mac = Pragmatism. Heh. I'd like to think he has a passionate nature underneath all that though. And not just about his work. It's buried underneath but it's still there. Wasn't it Stella who said it in Officer Blue? The old Mac Taylor who let his heart out of his chest once in awhile (I'm paraphrasing, gak). As for friendship, I'd like to think that it was like that (stoic!mac and nurturer!stella) even before 9/11. Fits their personalities, as you said.

I'm leaning on the honorable discharge-NYPD-working his way up route for Mac as well (as someone posted upthread). He's obviously not a science geek, he's more of a tough cop who picked up things because he needed it to move up in the world.

I'm trying to search for a Gary interview where he talks a lot about Mac's background. Can't seem to find it, demm.
 
Very nicely put, everyone! :D And I also liked how MBGrissom's analogy of Stella's relationship with Mac (and maybe Claire, too) even before they came on board the CSU. What are your thoughts on how far back their friendship has gone? Just like what ranma mentioned, I picked up from the same ep that they go way back. But how long have they known each other, I wonder?
 
I remember reading a figure somewhere of 10 years, as far as how long they have known eachother - but I don't know if that was taken directly from something said in the show or a bio, or if it was an assumption on a poster's part. At any rate, 10 years sounds about right, to me. They obviously knew eachother very well even before Claire died, and that would be 5 years ago.

I'm guessing that they always had a good friendship, but I'm also figuring that it deepened, or evolved if you will, after Claire's death. Stella, being the closest to him, was probably the main person there at a grieving Mac's side, and she easily - and perhaps even unconsciously - slipped right into Claire's role, not in the wife aspect, but as the nurturer, the fussbutton, the voice of comfort, stability and care in his shaken world.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top