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Major Crimes S4 Homebase
Yeah, it's that time again. This is the
MAJOR CRIMES SEASON 4 HOMEBASE POST!
Welcome back, or welcome newbie, make yourselves comfortable. If you're not sure why you're here because you don't watch the show, go get started immediately. If you're not sure you should, go look at this primer and then get started immediately. Because season four is upon us!
(PSA: I can't actually watch the episodes until Tuesday morning (GMT) but I'll definitely be around after.)
Oh, and stealing from Tash, if you click the
above, you'll get emails whenever there's a new comment on this post!
SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS, OBVIOUSLY.
Welcome back, or welcome newbie, make yourselves comfortable. If you're not sure why you're here because you don't watch the show, go get started immediately. If you're not sure you should, go look at this primer and then get started immediately. Because season four is upon us!
(PSA: I can't actually watch the episodes until Tuesday morning (GMT) but I'll definitely be around after.)
Oh, and stealing from Tash, if you click the
above, you'll get emails whenever there's a new comment on this post!SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS, OBVIOUSLY.
General Comments
Re: General Comments
Re: General Comments
would beDANCING THROUGH THE LIVING ROOMif it wasn't so hotRe: General Comments
1) I am super excited for new MC tomorrow night (eeee)
2) I just saw something on tumblr that kind of shocked me, and I don't want to start shit there, but I do want to organize my thoughts somewhere, and this seemed to be a good place.
So the whole "omg they have defanged Darth Raydor" trope is one of my least favorite things surrounding this show, and it's always bothered me on a stupidly deep level, mostly because it's always seemed to me that it isn't true AT ALL. Sharon is still perfectly capable of raining down terror on anyone, and MC has had quite a few examples of that. I get irked when people try to say that she's been lamed down, because it just isn't true. The narrative has pivoted around her, so that she's no longer an outsider to the team with whom she used to be adversarial toward. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that necessitates a change in the way she interacts with them.
But in this particular post I just saw, the poster went through the typical "ugh Raydor is so lame now I can't even watch the show anymore it just makes me sad," but then added the gem of, "honestly I hope Flynn dies."
First reaction: WOW, WHAT. Because that seemed to come out of nowhere, mixed in with the mourning over the rumored death of kick-assedness.
Hmm. And now it all kind of comes crashing into focus. Because the people I tend to see lamenting the loss of Darth Raydor are a particular set of hardcore Brenda/Sharon shippers from way back. And most of the examples I've ever seen of Sharon losing her "edge" or whatever are in relation to how she interacts with Andy, because they're definitely not using examples of how she deals with suspects or rogue FBI agents or her ex-husband or Rusty's mom. So bringing up the commonsense explanation of, "No, Sharon actually still has plenty of edge, she just treats the squad differently because she's their leader now and she behaves differently toward Andy
because she likes himbecause he's her significant other. Andy is Sharon's boyfriend. Canonically (finally). And they spend a lot of time together. Also canonically. So they're not going to be death-glaring and bitching at each other constantly like they used to. Because the nature of their relationship has changed. Bye, Felicia." isn't going to have any kind of effect, because this is just petty ship war shit wrapped up as some kind of pseudo-psychological insight.Lord. Now at least I know why something so logical, plot-wise, is so hard for this contingent to grasp (because that's the part that's always bothered me...Sharon's method of dealing with the squad has always made sense in terms of the story). And I can brush it off as the usual fandom bullshit. Can't we all just ship what we wanna ship and leave the rest alone, jfc.
/rant
Needless to say, I HOPE ANDY DOESN'T DIE. And I look forward to Sharon wielding her still-considerable wrath onto whomever hurts him.
4x01 A Rose Is a Rose
Re: 4x01 A Rose Is a Rose
Re: 4x01 A Rose Is a Rose
Re: 4x01 A Rose Is a Rose
Now that Rusty is over living like a Stroh victim, he's leaning back into the self-centered realm of things, which is an interesting story choice. But his interactions with Buzz were good.
I'm glad the Alice Herrera case is coming back up, though. And I'm glad that we get to see that there were repercussions for Julio's actions in the finale (even if those actions still don't make sense), but these threads are reminding me again how much was left unresolved at the end of season 3.
Speaking of Julio... If anyone was going to be conflicted about his return, it had to be Andy. Not because Andy has any particular affinity for rules (though maybe at this point he has, let's say, a secondary affinity for rules), and not even because he was concerned about having to keep and eye on Julio or looking out for Sharon as he said, but because he values loyalty so highly. Julio didn't just violate departmental policy when he beat down that suspect. He also violated his word to Provenza and Sharon and nullified the deal Sharon put together for him. If loyalty is the battlefield, it seems that Andy is generally most likely to be the aggressor, but doubly so given *who* Julio let down.
Of course, just because loyalty is noble doesn't make Andy right. And one of the cool things about this episode was that Sharon shot nonverbal "cool it on the Julio front" vibes toward Andy like three times before he explained why he was being standoffish (at which point, of course, she actually said that he needed to chill). The final "cool it" gesture was BY FAR my favorite, though: when she sent Julio in to do the interview of the siblings with Andy. That was awesome. I actually said to my friend, "Ohhhh, you know that's her way of telling Andy to STFU." And then there were about ten things happening during that interview and the interview itself was probably the least interesting.
Also on the awesome front: three cheers for Sharon going toe to toe with Taylor throughout the episode. Actually, she was pretty salty overall, which was interesting and not unwelcome. I kind of think of it as so much of her energy or brainspace has been committed toward the threat posed by Stroh that she can't devote anything toward blunting her approach. So straightforward it is, with good results.
Um, straightforward like, "I don't need you for that." IDK, I love that for about a hundred reasons, but mostly because I've been waiting for her to say something along those lines since Jack showed up to defend Zippo last season (specifically since "You don't need to deal with his attorney"). Andy being protective of Sharon is kind of adorable because it's been one of the big cues as to how he feels about her, but on the other hand we all know she doesn't need protecting. It's a big step, actually, for her to draw this line. And notice that she qualified her ability to look after her own interests with "especially at work," which, by needing to make that distinction, also serves to bring the Not at Work into play.
And yeah the nonverbal action in that last scene was, um, yeah. *fans self* *has feelings about smug grins*
I'm actually not as put off by the "close the door" ending as I might have otherwise been because a) it was hot, b) there's still 90% of the season left, and c) it sets the tone for their story in the rest of the season in a really promising way.
What else? Tao having fired his weapon was kind of awkwardly crammed into that one hallway convo where about ten things were discussed, so I totally missed it the first time. Also, Provenza caring for Amy after she got tazed was so cute ("That's my girl, " DAWWW). I of like Odernio? Not as a replacement for Julio, of course, but it's nice having a newish face around.
SUCH FEELINGS WITH THIS ONE.
Re: 4x01 A Rose Is a Rose
Re: 4x01 A Rose Is a Rose
Re: 4x01 A Rose Is a Rose
Sharon is the Queen Bee ISTJ, all about order and regulation (the rules, basically). And that's directly related to control -- 9 times out of 10 she's able to will and/or muscle a situation into her comfort zone (which isn't a bad thing most times, since she is so aligned with the rule of law and such). But Stroh is now this huge loss of control situation for her. After three seasons of doing everything she can to keep Rusty safe, Stroh is on the loose and everything is more uncertain now than it has been before (and it wasn't that great to begin with).
What we saw in this ep was the culmination of four months of her fighting to control the Stroh situation as best she can (keeping Rusty under surveillance mostly, but also receiving reports from Interpol). But it's taken a toll. She hasn't slept well, she's short-tempered, and on the verge of freaking out (regardless of what she wants Rusty to think) -- in terms of MBTI, she's "in the grip" of the intuitive function, which displays as angry/catastrophic/critical.
At the end of the ep, though, she calls Cooper's team away from Rusty. This serves to represent her acceptance of the situation -- she can't control Stroh, and she can't watch Rusty wherever he goes (at least while keeping it under wraps from him). So, in a healthy way, she's giving in to her lack of control in the situation and taking it as it is.
And right after that, she decides to (finally? I still wish we had some context...) have a conversation with Andy. About a situation under which she will have about 1/2 of the control she's used to having in a given situation.
:D
Re: 4x01 A Rose Is a Rose
I like Oderno. Not nearly as much as Sanchez, of course, but I thought he could've been a good addition to the team.
Stroh is in Europe? Fine by me. He can stay (t)here. Just keep him away from Rusty pls and ty.
Provenza's 'That's my girl' made my heart do funny things. Remember how awful he was to / about Sykes when she first started working there? And now they're all such bffs. :')
Sharon having Rusty watched isn't a big surprise, is it? It can't possibly end well, but it's certainly no surprise. And while we're on the subject of family, Rusty reffering to Sharon as his mother never fails to make me smile. Everyone on this show has come so far, it's wonderful. Character development ftw! (And Buzz! Big brother Buzz! ♥.♥)
I've already talked about Andy's reaction to Julio on twitter, but I'll do it again here because while it bothers me (because I want everyone to get along and love each other), I understand it completely from his point of view. He's not upset with Julio for his own sake. He's angry on Sharon's behalf. She's put so much of herself and of her reputation into this team, and Julio went and threw all that trust away after promising her he wouldn't. And Andy is a hothead, too, and yet, he's been behaving himself very well ever since Sharon came along as their new boss, and I think he expects the same from the others. Let's not forget he's all about loyalty. And that's also where the 'looking out for your best interest' conversation comes in. He doesn't want Julio making the same mistakes again because ultimately, that would fall back on Sharon. That said, I love that Sharon told him in no uncertain terms that she can look out for herself, especially at work.
Still upset at Duff for not showing us the actual conversation though. AGAIN. STOP TEASING, DUFF.
4x02 Sorry I Missed You
Re: 4x02 Sorry I Missed You
Everyone watching the car chase was hilarious.
Sanchez saying he wasn't sure he was coming back really scared me for a while. DON'T LEAVE, JULIO. D: Idk, I am having a lot of Julio feelings in this ep.
But I also love Rusty's investigation into Alice. I've watched the vlog entries, and I love that they're doing that. The vlog is very cool.
'Okay, Sharon, err, Captain.' Andy you doofus. :') That makes me even more curious about the ~conversation. And Buzz's and Mike's faces are perf. :')))))
Jeeeesusssss I have been waiting to hear about Julio's wife ever since I started this show, and dear GOD that was a horrible story. :((((
4x03 Open Line
Re: 4x03 Open Line
and tomorrow, i'm rewatching the last two eps and finally jotting down some thoughts.
Re: 4x03 Open Line
Jamie Bamber is still hot, dear god. Although the accent makes his voice sound so different! Makes him even more attractive tho. :o I was hoping for a tiny BSG nod, but nothing. (They could've at least made it 33 women he stalked...) Still great to see him again, though.
"The facebook, the twitter." :'DDD
I'm so happy Andrea is there all the time now. ♥♥♥ I'm in love with Andrea. That judge, on the other hand, I despise. I still haven't forgiven him for being directly responsible for that guy's death in, what was it, season two? Anyway. More Andrea always, pls. I also wouldn't be opposed to her and Sharon hanging out after work once in a while. Preferably with a glass of wine.
4x04 Turn Down
Re: 4x04 Turn Down
I KNEW this was gonna be a good one. Because antics combined with the Dodgers is always a good time.
Before I get too into the flailing (because I will), I want to start out by pointing out that Flynn and Provenza taking Buzz out on his first patrol, and fighting over which one of them was going to take him, and imparting all of their policing wisdom on him was freaking adorable all around and just bringing allllllll of the bro feels. I especially like the idea that Provenza didn't act as if he wanted to do it at first, then Andy stepped in and said he would, and then Provenza got all offended. So typical (in a good way).
I feel a little bad because I literally did not care what was happening with Rusty and the whole Alice case.
The entire episode was hilarious (outside of the Rusty parts, which I think added to the feeling that those scenes didn't really fit in). I was laughing the whole hour. So many good little moments. The bride's sister especially had me cackling.
“Tranquilizer darts?”
“For the suspects or Lieutenant Provenza? HA! Don’t answer that.” OMGGGG
“You wanna tell me why Reserve Officer Watson gets the Batmobile and we're still driving a car from the 90s?” Y E S I love any and all comments about the Crown Vics that they’re still driving (though Sharon and Mike/Julio have Chargers now, at least).
That tableau at the end with everyone at Sharon's condo watching the game on TV... I HAVE SO MANY SQUAD FEELS OMG, and a six pack of Leinenkugel Summer Shandy on the coffee table (and Sharon drinking one), lmfaooo I can’t believe they went there. I laughed hard when I noticed that.
And then...
I missed the first three minutes or so when the episode was first on, because I was in the kitchen trying to make popcorn, but the friend I watch with was freaking out, and I finally made her tell me why... So I didn't see it until the second airing but OMFGGGG SHARON FIDDLING WITH ANDY'S TIE. THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED AND THIS EP WAS LIKE SHIP OVERLOAD AND I'M SO....
no, really, let's break it down from that scene:
Sharon sooooo excited for Buzz with the cake and the making everyone act like it’s no big deal when he walked in and she got to make an occasion out of it
Andy in uniform (and apparently he and Provenza just don’t have patrol uniforms anymore, only dress uniforms? unless the only purpose for that was literally just so he’d be wearing a tie omg) yes please
(no literally like as soon as this ship even hinted at canon I told my friends that I needed to see them flirting while in uniform [why, I don’t know, just because] and it half happened and I’m just...this is important)
the two of them stepping away to have a convo while everyone is distracted with cake
Sharon making hearteyes alllll over the place, including over how Andy offered to take Buzz on patrol
Andy saying how proud he is of Nicole, cueing even more hearteyes, and promising that he’d “never dream” of teasing Buzz (which is ridiculously untrue enough to be cute)
Sharon noting that Andy might not be able to sleep because “everyone” might be thanking him for the amazing Dodger tickets, I meannnn...
Sharon truly flirting, like FINALLY, and poking Andy in the chest and then going right into messing with his tie, but then his tie tack interfered yet she wouldn’t be deterred, so it went straight from hot to a lil’ awkward to SUPER ADORABLE
Andy’s expression at that point looking like Clayton Kershaw just showed up to personally hand him the keys to a new Porsche
Literally all of this happening in the Murder Room with everyone else like two feet away
And undoubtedly both of them are still like, “NOPE, we’re totally not dating,” but I’m willing to forgive it because we actually SAW SOMETHING for a change and they are so cute together jfc
No, really, this episode turned me into a squealing 13-year-old. The following conversation actually occurred in my apartment:
My friend: Dude, you’re missing it! It’s everything you wanted. She played with his tie.
Me: WHAT.
Friend: Oh yeah.
Me: *flails* Wait, was he was in uniform? Or a suit?
Friend: UNIFORM
Me: *inhuman screeching noise* Oh my god, OH MY GOD. *smacking the floor* I CAN’T BELIEVE I MISSED IT!
BEYOND THAT, we got the whole situation with the Dodger game, with Andy getting tickets from Nicole apparently, and then offering to take the entire division and Rusty. Way to go! But then he gets straight up CALLED OUT by Provenza:
"Yeah, and if you could ask the Captain out on your own without dragging everyone with you..."*
Which Andy doesn’t deny! I’m a little confused, because hasn’t it been established that they’ve done alll sorts of stuff together outside of work already? But I’m willing to roll with it because it involves squad feels and because OMG she is clearly *so into* him but they’ve both been shown to be so oblivious that I can buy it. Also because of the synopsis for next week’s episode.
But the most important part of the situation (to me, anyway, because, when combined with the total flirt session covered above, it represents the buy-in I’ve been waiting for) is that Sharon is ADAMANT about going to the game. How many times during the episode did she say something along the lines of, “We are going to a Dodgers game tonight. We are going, we’re gonna get this murder solved, WE ARE GOING TO A BASEBALL GAME, DODGER DOGS AND FIREWORKS, IT’S GONNA BE FUN.” And at least on two of those occasions she finds an excuse to touch Andy while she’s saying it, like HELLO. SO GOOD. She is officially on board.
Like, a big helping of ‘ship combined with baseball. These are a few of my most favorite things. Speaking of, MY OTP HAS MATCHING DODGERS HATS OKAY, it’s fine, I’m TOTALLY FINE.
*I love that Provenza has gone from “Have you LOST YOUR MIND?!” to just being resigned to the fact that his partner has a big ol’ crush on their boss and has moved onto just wishing that Andy would ask her out already and get it over with.
Re: 4x04 Turn Down
Your comments are the best.
But I suck and never have time to reply to them because they're so awesomely long.Anyway.Since I don't usually watch previews, I had no clue what was coming in this ep, and it was amaaaazing.
I couldn't agree more on the bro-ness of Andy+Buzz+Provenza, though I guess that goes for the entire squad. They're all best bros and that makes me so happy.
And I did care about Rusty and the Alice case, too, even beside all the other stuff. Like, I love the whole Identity storyline so much. But yes, that was certainly not the high point of the episode.
“For the suspects or Lieutenant Provenza? HA! Don’t answer that.” OMGGGG THAT. That must be my new favourite line. At least this season.
a six pack of Leinenkugel Summer Shandy on the coffee table (and Sharon drinking one), lmfaooo I can’t believe they went there. I laughed hard when I noticed that. I know literally nothing about beer, so thanks for pointing that out; that is hilarious on so many levels. The writers seem to ship it as much as we do at this point lbr.
THAT TIE SCENE KILLED ME. KILLED ME DEAD. Like, I actually had to go and rewind and watch it again just because I could not believe what had happened. I just wish so badly we had seen how they got to this point where they're just shamelessly flirting and touching each other in the middle of the squad room. IDEK. I need to know more. chinhands. If I didn't know any better, I would say they're already sleeping together and everything. Because that's what it felt like to me, that scene. They're teasing each other and touching and doing all those things that just a few weeks ago, they did not do at all, so it kind of feels to me like they had that ~close the door conversation a while ago and then ended up sleeping together, and now they're semi-officially dating. (That had better not be true, though, because if we don't at least get to see their first kiss, I am going to come all the way over there and kick Duff.)
She is officially on board. YES. I have waited for this for such a long time, and yet again, I wish we had seen how that came about. Like, what changed her mind? Or made her be more confident in that arena. Or whatever you want to call it. How did she go from suuuper awkward when she found out everyone thought they were dating to this, here? I NEED TO KNOW. FOR REASONS.
Lbr, Provenza is their number one fan. Secretly ofc.
4x05 Snitch
Re: 4x05 Snitch
I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY PUT THIS IN THE EPISODE DESCRIPTION.
I AM SO READY.
Re: 4x05 Snitch
S A M E. HAVE NEVER BEEN SO READY FOR A SHIP IN MY LIFE (OR AT LEAST SINCE SPACEPARENTS).
4x06 Personal Effects
4x07 Targets of Opportunity
Re: 4x07 Targets of Opportunity
Re: 4x07 Targets of Opportunity
Anyway.
Given the subject matter (officer involved shooting) (...)
Hee! That first shot was amazing, with her walking up to the scene looking like Darth Raydor, yespls. Reminded me of the good old days so much.
Re: 4x07 Targets of Opportunity
Interesting case! Though it often bugs me just how much they tend to intimidate suspects. :s
That scene with Sharon and the fake cop at the end was amaaaazing, though. How she goes from ~regular person with a high voice to her deep pitch and no-nonsense cop attitude is incredible.
But now it's time for some real talk. I think this is what happened: OTP had a date. We know this much. On said date, they actually talked about their relationship and what they want out of it / each other. They agreed to give it a go, but also to be careful not to let it interfere in their work relationship. Exhibit A: Them calling each other by their ranks all through last week's episode. Exhibit B: Sharon needing to talk to Taylor about ~something. I don't even feel the need for more evidence. I do, however, feel the need to FINALLY SEE SOME OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON. Honestly, I am getting fed up. I am loving everything that's happening, the development in their relationship seems to organic and wonderful, but I WANT TO SEE IT. I realise that MC is a procedural and they need to solve crimes, and I love all the bits about Rusty, too, but honestly, they could've cut one or two case scenes (espesh that bit at the end, about how unfair it is that the guy only gets to stay in the country because he's a witness, not because he grew up there--we KNOW this. We all know how shitty US immigration policy is for those directly involved) and given us a tiny, tiny bit of ship. Drives me nuts. Especially now that the Rusty scenes aren't even about him and Sharon and a family anymore. I thought that was supposed to be the ~heart of the show, Duff? Grrr.
Re: 4x07 Targets of Opportunity
Yes, they've clearly taken their relationship up a notch from wherever it was before. There has been enough subtext this season to show that they are involved in a real way.
This is why avoiding showing their relationship on-screen (and maybe even going out of the way to avoid showing their relationship on-screen, which is what it feels like at this point) makes zero sense. Just enough has been shown to make it clear that it's happening. It's obvious. The will-they-or-won't-they stage is past, but TPTB still want to play by that rulebook. It seems like a play to build tension, but without some kind of conflict there is none. It's like... Why build it up for three or four episodes and drop it? That's been the pattern for how many half-season blocks now?
It's frustrating for so many reasons, but mostly because the potential conflict is ready-made and built into the freaking plot! It's right there for the taking!
Why not SHOW Sharon dealing with her hesitation to get into a relationship in general or in a relationship specifically with one of her detectives vis-a-vis her regard for rules/privacy? Why not SHOW any of the apparently many times that Andy has had to awkwardly come up with a pretense for spending time with Sharon outside of work? Why not bring up the fact that they pretty clearly have some kind of history, and how that makes it messier and sweeter at the same time? Why not SHOW the two of them hanging out like adults so that the audience can have a sense of, I dunno, how they talk and behave around each other in these situations (especially considering that we're supposed to believe that they went how long without realizing that they were basically dating? even after their kids were like 'you're totally dating'?) If the dating/not dating distinction isn't important to them at this point in their lives, hmmmm maybe SHOW THEM DISCUSSING THAT?
I honestly want to know the writing logic behind the decision to keep it all off screen, because the longer we go without seeing any of it, the more I suspect that the answer is just that they're dragging it out for the sake of dragging it out, and that's just stupid. Will-they-or-won't-they loses its magic when it stops being believable. Give me a reason as to why they're not progressing (though at this point they are), because there are plenty of valid reasons that I would accept should those reasons actually be shown, or show what's actually happening instead of throwing random mentions in every three episodes.
4x08 Hostage of Fortune
posting late because i was out of the country. sorry about that.