Re: Your Thoughts on the upcoming Danny/Lindsay development (SPOILERS!
I might be straying somewhat beside topic in continuing this on, but I just thought it was interesting stuff on the rankings. Got me curious, even within the liberties TPTB love to take. Decided to look into it a bit.
Huuuugely over-simplified, and I'm paraphrasing a few different sources, but what I've gathered is:
You do the academy, start out as Police Officer 1. Then P.O. 2. Then P.O.3. Then you gotta choose. Possible to mix an investigative route (Detective) and a command route (Sgt, Lt, Capt., etc) in one's career arc, one doesn't preclude the other, (and some choose not to pursue either one, staying officers, for that matter), but mostly one path or the other is chosen. A sgt. is a PO that's passed the civil service examination. A detective is a PO that's earned a shield.
Comand: With enough time in you can apply to take the sergeant's exam (typical red tape, you need 3 yrs to be eligible to take the test but five in to qualify for get promotion, I think...). More time in, apply for Lieutenant's exam. Time in again, apply for Captain's exam. Any appointments made above Captain are no longer based on exams but are discretionary, by the PD. All exams are stand alone civil service tests. Merit surely helps your career, but your advancement depends on your success on the exams. Qualifications also mandate a degree. A sgt. is often an XO, but can run a squad (8 cops) or up to a platoon of 30 when there's no Lt. on. They are a supervisory rank (to whom I'm not sure, mainly other POs I would guess), and this begins the Boss route.
Investigative: All Detective appointments are discretionary appointments, and are merit based. Or, some more cynical and free speaking would suggest, often based on talent in buttkissing. As a PO, you hafta somehow find your way into an investigative unit or assignment, and then hafta stay there for at least 18 months to turn your silver shield into a gold one. Far far easier said than done. There are many units the dept does not consider 'investigative,' a way around having to promote many thousands of POs to detective. Can take years just to get from PO to Det 3. Detectives get grade after several submissions of approval by their squad supervisor requesting they get grade. Some detectives have specialized skillsets in addition. Not just a rank but a lifestyle.
They can easily do their twenty and then some as detectives, but it can also lead to opening doors to other previously unattainable units and joint task forces. They are also relatively independent, and run their own cases start to finish. Many detectives feel they are better off trying to make the grade instead of pursuing Sgt. But their schedule is incredibly demanding and unpredictable, hence the lifestyle. It can take years, and it can take its toll. And in RL, the elite of supersleuth 1rst Graders are apparently fewer and far between.
As for Mac. I wonder if it's meant, within the convenient realm of TPTB's New York, for him to be running the Forensic Investigation Division? Call it another example of a discretionary appointment made in the aftermath of 9/11 before Sinclair and Gerrard moved up? (didn't he say he was the last one appointed?)
FID apparently includes the Police Labs, the Ballistics Unit, the Latent Print Unit, the Crime Scene Unit, and yes, ...the Bomb Squad. (But I do recall an eppie of Mac and Danny geard up with the helmets and kevlar...
)
Seeing as his team and all the lab techies all work on all those aspects of processing, and all report to him...? [Uncertain how current that FID structure is, but it was also mentioned, not in it's own right but in context, on the NYPD site, so I'd guess its umbrella stands the same].
Dunno. Just a theory.
Mebbe someday a long-suffering sergeant will come and kick the "don't call me sir" ex-major's butt... :lol:
Also retro-thinking that this Blu Flu ep was supposed to be topical because the NYPD recently renegotiated pay parity issues and increases. Their 'Pay Lag' used as a vehicle to touch on the subject of paying NYPD properly for the work they do, or at least with some parity with other major cities. (There was also a time in NYC that a garbage man made more money than a cop patrolling the streets, though both were city employees...)
And yes, finally really on topic, the moment Danny smooched the baby belly did in fact have me among the weirded out. And I'm not sure I can articulate why. There's just something with her where I'm simply unable to sink into the show.
I'm cringing at thinking how 5.17 will go down, and hope DL don't feature too much in the ep, but in light of sweeps coming up I'm already rolling my eyes. TPTB've apparently jinkied the schedules to run it for ratings...
