Dowel Jones

Top flight work again, NATS. You have a guy moaning about how "they'll" kill him, everything is wrong, yada yada, and he's standing by the window! Did none of you clue into that? Why do bombs always stop at 1 second before detonation? (Shout out to Galaxy Quest!) Wouldn't it have made more sense for the bomb guy to freeze spray it right of the bat? And Miranda seems to have taken the lesson from the earlier episode about not evacuating the building. Was she essential? I think not. What the hell was that supposed to be, anyway? Weekend at Bernadette's? Any chance to pull on the super scoop neck "uniform" tee shirts, I guess. And Shelby keeps a supply of semi-formal dresses in her dorm closet? You know the acting is deteriorating when the actors with a natural accent start to sound like they are parodying that same accent.

What do you bet that the US will suddenly find a Russian mole/spy somewhere that they can exchange for Dmitri? Everything else on this show seems to sort itself out on short notice. So Lt. Col. Arm Candy surfs the internet now? So cute about Stevie's new boyfriend. He's actually a 40-ish hedge fund trader with two ex-wives and apack a day habit. There was a lot of material in that treaty agreement. I can't see the President managing to arm wrestle the Senate into a quick approval. And their case against Madame President wasn't all that strong that her PR group couldn't come back with a charge of planting evidence, especially after the US absolutely tanked their investigation of the original AF1 hack. One thing would be that Henry realizes that top level government work is not always about cut and dried right and wrong, and should be left to top level government officials, not outside academics who happen to be related to them. Maybe for the sake of their marriage he should search out another job than teaching ethics at the National War College. Enrollment is sure to drop as word leaks out (bit by bit) that a lecturer used his influence to create a spy in a foreign government.

Billy is lucky that Cody rolled over for him. Since he signed on as partner, any divorce settlement next season would have hammered him. At least Hap's lawyers would have something to do, besides getting Hap out from under all the contracts once the oil boom died.

And I thought that was the winning tenant, not his wife as he claimed. Christina probably got the better deal by walking away.

There is an excellent documentary called "A Class Apart", usually available through PBS, that addresses the legal distinctions that plagued Latino/ Mexican-American citizens in the South during the 1950's. They weren't considered black or white, and thus were not always afforded the rights fought for through court decisions and legislation. Seems hard to believe now.

Reason #1 why you never ever send doctors to an emergency incident. Although they all did their jobs, there has to be some sort of command system in place. Yeah, the DIC was overbearing, but someone has to be the ultimate HFMIC. And jeez, you guys, you're effing DOCTORS! You didn't have any exposure to the triage system in med school? Mario must have watched too much Monty Python with his toe-tag mania. Jesse rules. "I'm not a patient, I'm a nurse." That was fog? You want fog? Come to the San Joaquin Valley where I live and you'll have fog. That episode was actually pretty realistic in some areas. We regularly have major pileups on Hwy 99, the record being something like 100 cars. It's terrifying for the first responders to work in those conditions. That little girl with Christa is going to be walking the big dog walk when she goes back to school. She's already learned more than some of the residents. And I hope Christa has a good supply of painkillers for that shoulder. Ouch.

Sure looked like Christina OD'd to me. We'll have to wait til next week, I guess. I hope not, because that would drive Nate and Jay over the edge into something really stupid. Alvey ought to use that $4500 to hire a PI to find his loathsome "friend". I thought they might even show a "heaving bowl" (I think that's what it's called) in one of the cutting weight scenes. That's what jockeys use at the horse races to make weight.

Or maybe tried shutting off the valve on the pipe right next to the leak. But, hey, you know, that would have required a Gabby-esque course of action.

To change the subject, another thing I noticed: Why does it have to be the black guy who knows how to hotwire a car?

That makes more sense. Normally, though, shifts are referred to as A shift, B shift, and C shift, but that could easily be different at any FD. I think FDNY actually works 8 hour watches, leading to the title of the series Third Watch. In any case, the firehouse is not a rehab/cultural center and Otis should have made other arrangements.

He used the "firehouse family" defense, which was pointless. Would he say something like that to a paying customer at the bar (assuming someone from outside 51 ever stops by)? Patterson earlier made the comment that Freddy stopped by during third watch (Midnight to 0800). That's reason enough to set him down. "I'm Gabby. Hear me roar". Jeez. In real life, regardless of the paid provocateur, that should have merited a suspension, at least. Ditto for the shower stunt. And the painted Christmas ornaments in the barracks. Although they didn't know it at the time, that's a misuse of city-funded resources. But I did like the Stalag 17 system they had set up. "I didn't become a lawyer to defend criminals". What part of due diligence 101 and presumption of innocence did you skip out on during law school? Besides, your parents lost their business in a civil case, not a criminal case. I can just see one of Maddox's other attorneys saying "How exactly did Narcotics get involved in this case, and how did they find out where the woman was hiding? And why wasn't she afforded the presence of an attorney after requesting one?" Mistrial! But, of course, this is the Christmas episode so everything has to turn out good for everyone. Except some of everyone.

Assuming the FBI knows that he is a terrorist, why is he allowed any visitors at all?

Well, first off, judging from this episode, the writing staff from Beverly Hills 90210 finally got some work again. "Boo hoo, nobody likes me, nobody trusts me." Shaddap. My guess is that the reason all the cadets were told to appear before the review committee is that the committee adjourned to the room behind one-way mirror, poured some good red into those Scandal glasses that we all like so much, popped some microwave popcorn, kicked back, and said "This is gonna be good." How does Caleb go about exposing Ms. Catfish should she decline his demand? She lives in another country. What leverage does he have over her? Plus, she obviously has the money now to create havoc in his life should he try anything. I don't think we've really seen the end of Chekhov's Scar, yet. The reason people kept barging into the surveillance room is that some joker taped up a UN- to the Authorized Personnel Only sign outside, and those top flight cadets went for it.

EVERYbody got a chance to throw some venom at someone else tonight.

Sure didn't take Alicia long to change her mind. A few well-landed punches will do that to you. I can see Nate's concern, though. In that extremely macho and very likely homophobic environment, rumors among the other fighters would be rampant, no matter how false or exaggerated (he'll get his blood on me, etc.) and no one would be willing to go up against him. Thus, his career is over.

3. There's a good chance the ME's office didn't like DA Smugface either, so there's that.

In real life, probably, but there is a chance that his heart had continued to beat even after his collapse, however slowly and erratically. Thus, absent some sign of obvious death, CPR would, and should be started until some type of advanced care can be initiated or a decision made.

I thought the actual problem was an existing blockage in one of his heart arteries, which then stopped the blood flow, necessitating the placement of the balloon to open it back up. As pointed out above, that's not something that gets signed off the next day. I really thought that the show was going to use that scene as a cliffhanger, and Mama would be suspended in asystole until next episode. If they had killed him, that would be it for me. That ER has one hella huge staff, though, judging from the recovery scene. Winner of the night for me was the new chief, who (besides saving Mama) admitted that she knew her position in the hospital might be fractious with the staff, and got Dr. Highhair to address everyone with the pep talk. Loser? Dr. Highhair, for letting Mario get away with it AGAIN. Just because he invoked Jesse's name. I'm glad to see that the show is bringing up the backstory of Cole's anger, so the previous ER scene would not be an anomaly. He needs some help and his father sees right through it. Who could do any serious work in that ER with a peanut gallery shouting at you at every move??

That's the deal with a guilty plea, though. She has to testify in open court as to what she actually did, and then she is sentenced. There is no actual trial to "prove her innocence" (except maybe in tvland). That's why it makes no sense to me either.

Chili? My guess is that there is someone else in the picture. Confrontation to follow! Does anyone in this FD have a lick of common sense? Boden needs a babysitter to keep him from himself. Jeez, guy, you're smarter than that. Maybe Cruz could have Freddy do a few favors one night. So the detective walks into the bar (stop me if you've heard this one), confronts Boden, and says "Turn around, and place your hands on the bar." Hey, dick, he'a already facing the bar. You want him to turn around to face away from the bar? Which is what he actually did. Relative to my earlier comment, I guess Donatello at least had the common sense to go inside before Otis got back with the truck. Top flight work by the PD too. Didn't search the vehicle before towing it? Good one. And now, if the firehouse tries to give the empty wallet back to the wife, any complaints about theft end up on their heads. Good move, guys. I liked Mrs. Boden's comment after the car sped away. "There's someone else in the car!" Really? I thought it was a Google self-driving SUV. If Casey didn't have enough brains not to stand underneath a suddenly unsupported aluminum duct with a 150+ pound weight on it, he deserved it.

It's the second time they've used the scene as "you sit down while we stand over you". I wonder if a head of state would actually take that kind of intimidation in stride or would he/she stand up and look everyone else in the eye?

I thought the same thing. In addition, wouldn't the virus infect her also when she opened the valve and sprayed him? I loved that antidote syringe. Wasn't that Agent J's gun in another life from Men in Black? Not so much credibility: Madame Veep railing against the CIA rep for "state sponsored murder". Lady, where have you been for the last three episodes?

On the bright side, at least the cases back in bond court are proceeding at a proper pace.

I'm not sure I'd want this crowd running the affairs of state. Such incompetence borders on the absurd. Even Stevie, wherever she is, would fit right in on the decision making panel, and none of the various agencies seem to be talking to each other or sharing critical information. Yes, I know, throwback to 9-11, but DoD isn't talking to CIA who isn't talking to the President, and Russel Jackson is talking to everyone, apparently. Sheesh.

They should save on expenses by leasing and moving into the same building. Wait a minute.... And in five years when she is practicing law on her own, that very incident will be brought up in pre-trial motions. Because that's how TGW rolls.