S03.E08: Harvest

[SimoneS]

The mod did not start the new episode thread so I did.

 

A life insurance policy complicates the investigation into a farmer's apparent murder. Branch and Cady check out a lead in Denver. Vic receives an ultimatum from Sean.

 

 

At least, we got a covered up suicide instead of a murder this week. I have to admit that I was surprised that twist. Poor Ferg. Like me, he is tired of being treated as a caddy.

 

I hope that Sean and Vic are finally done because Walt and Vic have reached the breaking point and neither can keep their feelings for each other well hidden any more.

 

So much for Branch being the one to shoot Chance. The picture of Ridges with Branch looked photo shopped. Surely, they could have been a better job. It was so predictable that as soon as Vic tells Walt about Branch, David Ridges shows up in person. The preview for next week looks pretty good.

 

I liked seeing Bob again. I hope that he finds his way back from his addiction into the real world.

 

There are cool Henry/Matthias scenes on the A&E Web site. It must have been cut out of this episode.

 

ETA: Here is think the link to the Henry/Matthias scenes: http://www.aetv.com/longmire/video/henry-recruits-mathias

Edited July 22, 2014 by SimoneS

[Dowel Jones]

Toughness is one thing, but a concussion does some serious damage to the brain.  Take some time off, Vic.  She is not well by any means, and, IRL, I would think it highly unlikely that the County would allow it without a thorough exam and a doctor's sign off.  And, for that matter, Walt has been shot, too!   (But only once).  What with Branch stepping off the edge, Ferg looks to be in line for the big office.

Not to step on Walt's parade, but don't you think the insurance company would like a look at the autopsy records also?  Are they going to hide the fact that a large amount of barbituate was in the farmer's system?  Anyway, I'm guessing that the payout will last only a few months at best, as Snidely Whiplash will find a way to separate the women from their money.  I think they should sell all they can, flood the farm with his water for days on end, and then walk away from it.  Oh, and spread the word around the county about him too.  He might be one of the ten farmers left in the county, but he'll be able to count his friends on one hand with both hands tied behind his back.

[Nilo]

The show this season has just become a chore to watch.  I mean, I know it wasn't a lighthearted whimsy-fest before, but there were moments of amusement in most episodes in the previous seasons.  But now?  Not so much.  

 

I still love the characters and the actors, but I miss Henry and I miss the moments of levity.

[Skycatcher]

Completely agree with Nilo.  It's gotten to be such heavy slogging I find myself wondering why I even bother. I originally tuned in because of the levity, especially the wry humor between Walt and Henry.  With all three main characters angsting all over the screen, and now Ferg showing signs of discontent - and who can blame him with everyone wallowing around in their own personal dramas instead of doing the job that brings them together - I'm about to give up on this one-time favorite.

[fauntleroy]

I'm also tired of the relentless grim and would like the county or somebody to buy them all tickets to Maui. They all need a vacation. Us viewers too. Doesn't seem like any of them even has time to take a shower. Especially Walt jeez, shave and a haircut buddy.

 

As to drugs in the farmer's body, the insurance agent is in the position to overlook or misrepresent the autopsy results to his company. Heck what's another fraud. I wonder if Snidely landowner will get any comeuppance in the future--he certainly seemed to hold all the cards.

 

Ferg needs some respect. He's the only fully-functional member, appears to bathe regularly and wear clean clothes, and is taken for granted. This was done so obviously that I presume it's a setup for something in the remaining episodes.

[Curious5]

Maybe I  misread the  Walt and Vic relationship .  He seemed more than ready to replace Vic.  He's not a stupid man and any deputy who disrespects him that much should be let go.  Think about how she addresses him, with her demanding tone of voice, her hands on the hips, and the attitude of running the office.  Even the way she sits in the chair and throws up her feet on the other chair.  I doubt she would do that back in Philly with a boss.

 

Perhaps he had concerns for Vic as he would for a daughter. And her actions at the hospital made him realize she looked for more.  Another thought was when she said her husband wanted her to quit, he understood that a marriage was more important than a job.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Curious5

[JackONeill]

I read an article in the NYTimes over the weekend that said all the "smaller" channels - AMC, A&E, Food/Home&Garden, etc - are nervous because it's expected there'll be some serious mergers among the broadcasters (or whatever they're called), and when there are mergers that means there will likely be some channels that will no longer exist anymore, which means there will be some shows that will cease to exist.  This has been going on for the last few years, in small ways.  Now, it sounds big.  It always comes down to the bottom line.  Money, money, money.  Forget quality -- that costs.  Better to have a million Duck Dynastys, then a scripted series with actors you have to pay (reasonably good) money to.

 

I haven't heard anything about the ratings for Longmire this season.  I know in the first season it got fairly good hype.  The second season the hype started dying back (probably because A&E didn't really support the show).  And we all remember how it took them forever to renew it.  Very unusual. At the time, I read something about the ownership interests in Longmire.  I don't remember the details, but it's different from most shows, and makes it more expensive (some way or another).

 

Does anyone know how many episodes were planned/written/scheduled for this season?  We're only going to get ten, which is what we had in Season 1, but three less than last season.  I get the distinct impression that things are getting . . . rushed.  The Henry plot is going sideways (much like the murder of Walt's wife), to the point we almost never see Henry, who is, or should be, the second character behind Walt.  Instead, we've wasted so much time on Ed Gorsky -- for what??  And the Branch thing.  I mean, I do get he was shot and like he said, "He's still alive" but no one seems to care.  So I get Branch's angst.  But where is it going (I can guess) and will we ever get there?

 

As to the show last night: I liked it.  I liked Ferg showing his impatience at being the errand boy.  Although I'm real tired of Vic and Sean, it does seems like we're heading to a resolution.  And Vic & Walt -- well, that can be talked about and criticized forever.  But, again, it looks like we're getting somewhere.  (Although, Walt vacillates from wanting it to be being oblivious.  I wonder if that's cause Robert Taylor isn't keen on the idea of them hooking up.)

 

I liked seeing Bob again.  I liked Walt trying to counsel him.

 

Henry was missed, and I think that's a problem this show has always had.  It tends to emphasis the wrong characters.  I like Vic (somewhat, but like the actor more), but I think it ought to be the Walt and Henry show.  They have such built-in and natural tension with Mathias.  But it rarely gets the light of day.

 

I like the Branch character, but I'm not crazy about this Ridges-thing.  I never liked Branch and Cady together.  And the show doesn't quite know what to do with Cady.  So, another example of the shows going off in uncertain and unfulfilling directions when it would do better to focus on Walt, Henry and Mathis (to a lesser extent), and let the other characters be supporting characters.

 

That's all for now.

[SimoneS]

I am enjoying this year as much as before but the lack of Henry is taking a toll on me also.  I still think it's one of the best-written and certainly the best in cinematography.  This season has been shortened to 10 episodes. Perhaps someone can explain why A&E would take its  #1 show from last year and cut 3 episodes out.  This is not the network I want handling my show.  Anybody got any ideas about how we can save this?

 

I think that all we can do is wait and see what happens. Unfortunately, A&E does seem to be cutting back on scripted shows in favor of cheaper reality shows. Also, it has done little to no promotion for this season of Longmire. A&E is repeating the promo from the episode. None of this bodes well for Longmire. However, I am optimistic because the show's key 18 to 49 demo rating is stable (.6-.5). I just hope that the writers are planning to wrap up most of the major stories this season without a cliffhanger just in case.

[dubbel zout]

what's another fraud

 

Yeah, way to encourage insurance fraud, Walt. Though I found the case sort of interesting with that twist, I don't really like Walt playing God here. He's only postponing another showdown between the landowner and the wife. Who's to say that one won't end tragically?

 

Better to have a million Duck Dynastys, then a scripted series with actors you have to pay (reasonably good) money to.

 

If a reality show takes off, you end up paying a lot to the actors because they want their share of the pie, too. Production is still cheaper, but it's not as if reality shows stay dirt cheap forever.

 

And the show doesn't quite know what to do with Cady.

 

It really doesn't. She's not a love interest, she doesn't have much father-daughter interaction with Walt, and she's a TERRIBLE lawyer. There isn't much to do with her when those three things have failed.

 

I kind of wanted Vic to pass out so that she was forced to take time off. Then maybe she'd deal with her marriage once and for all. Sean telling her to quit her job was a punk move and a very passive-aggressive way to bring up the Walt situation. Ugh.

 

I don't know if I can watch the show if Walt and Vic hook up. It's so wrong on so many levels.

Edited July 22, 2014 by dubbel zout

[JackONeill]

I try not to get into the Vic/Walt thing, but -- though I like Robert Taylor -- he doesn't seem like a lovey-dovey kind of guy, and I certainly don't want to see him that way.  I'm a guy who likes women, but I admit there are certain men out there that I can see in relationships (Redford, Pierce Brosnan - or any of the other Bonds -, etc.).  But Walt dating?  Bringing flowers?  Getting cutesy?  (Okay, I think I'm going to throw up now!)

 

Does anyone know what the ratings are for Longmire this season???

The salaries paid to those who populate the reality shows are significantly lower than for scripted shows.  It's also true that the salaries for actors like Robert Taylor are significantly lower than for, say, Mark Harmon (even at the start of NCIS) because it's A&E v. CBS.  Yes, salaries get raised (maybe, depending upon the economic environment).  I mean, that's part of the problem, these "networks"(A&E, AMC, etc) don't have the deep pockets to weather an economic crisis like a CBS does (and even they are hurting).  A lot of the crisis is coming because people aren't watching TV like they used to.  Hulu, Apple TV, Netflix are the hot things now.  And with those there are no (or few) advertisers, which is where the network makes the big money.

 

(In a slightly different way, look at what's happened to newspapers and magazines.  They're folding because no one's reading them in print form.  It's all on-line, nad few have figured out how to make money like that.)

[SimoneS]

  Anyway, I'm guessing that the payout will last only a few months at best, as Snidely Whiplash will find a way to separate the women from their money.  I think they should sell all they can, flood the farm with his water for days on end, and then walk away from it.  

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same. The money that the wife and daughter are inheriting is not enough to keep the farm for more than a few months. They are better off selling what they can and taking the money to start over somewhere else. I thought it was really sad how they had to go away and clean houses to help keep farm afloat. I read an article a while ago about the death of the small farmer as the agribusiness industry has grown. I think that the writers might have been trying to capture that tension in this episode.

[JackONeill]

Okay, I found the ratings.

 

Season 2's average was .80 for the 18-49 crowd (is that the only segment they care about?)(That was rhetorical.)

 

Season 3, not including last night's episode, the show is averaging .57.

 

So, sounds like the writers need to wrap up ALL the stories in the next 2 episodes.

[Toaster Strudel]

I will echo the dissatisfaction with the "angsting" - especially that of Vic.  I loved her when she was happy and funny.  I don't care about the multitude of men at her feet, her crush on Walt, her relationship with her husband.  She needs to get back to being Walt's jokey sidekick.  It's sad that she's become an insufferable nag and harpy.

 

I actually like Cady more now, she's become more light-hearted.  It's refreshingly funny that she's incompetent, it foreshadows that she'll pull through for Henry despite herself.

 

What I love about The Ferg is his eager boy scout quality.  I hope he's not just frustrated because Vic doesn't notice him, please.  He'd make Walt a great partner, that's for sure.  Walt & Ferg would be like Batman and Robin.

[Ohwell]

Maybe I  misread the  Walt and Vic relationship .  He seemed more than ready to replace Vic.  He's not a stupid man and any deputy who disrespects him that much should be let go.  Think about how she addresses him, with her demanding tone of voice, her hands on the hips, and the attitude of running the office.  Even the way she sits in the chair and throws up her feet on the other chair.  I doubt she would do that back in Philly with a boss.

 

Perhaps he had concerns for Vic as he would for a daughter. And her actions at the hospital made him realize she looked for more.  Another thought was when she said her husband wanted her to quit, he understood that a marriage was more important than a job.

I also got the impression that Walt was ready to let Vic go.  Whatever feelings he may or may not have for her, I think that he feels it might not be a bad idea for her to go and to try and save her marriage.  I also think that she annoys him as mentioned above:  the demanding tone, hands on hips, and she was even sitting at his desk last night. 

 

I hope the mother and daughter take the money and get outta Dodge.  I got the impression from the mother that that's just what they're gonna do.  She's not the type to let Farmer Dickhead harrass her for too long.   

 

I'm so tired of the Branch/Ridges storyline.  I want Branch to either take a leave of absence or transfer to Denver or something.  I'd like for Ferg to be Walt's second in command.   

 

I'm also tired of the Martha's murder storyline.  Free Henry and bring him back to the bar dammit!

Edited July 22, 2014 by Ohwell

[alias1]

Count me disappointed this season.  I really didn't care for Walt playing god once again (and just delaying the inevitable, as others here have said).  There seems to be no continuity.  So where did Branch go after coming upon the abandoned cars in last week's episode?  He just went back to the office???  What happened in the aftermath of Walt shooting Chance??  Oh yeah, Super Walt just got a flesh wound.   A reason for Vic to look at him with mooning eyes. 

 

I'm not surprised viewership is down.  No resolution to Walt's wife's murder.  Very little Henry.  They don't know what to do with Cady.  They don't seem to know what to do with Branch either.  The individual case of the week plots aren't bad, and some are quite poignant, but the writers don't know what to do with the continuing arc they've created.  The show has become disjointed, and except for Ferg, I don't even like the characters that much any more.    

[dubbel zout]

I hope he's not just frustrated because Vic doesn't notice him, please.

 

I think Ferg is frustrated because he does all the grunt work. He calls the hospital to get the autopsy going, he calls the suspects, he gets the lab reports, he collects the files, etc. A lot of what Ferg does is administrative work, which is important to every case, but it keeps him tied to his desk. Walt rarely takes him to question a suspect.

 

I also think that she annoys him as mentioned above:  the demanding tone, hands on hips, and she was even sitting at his desk last night.

 

Then he needs to tell her that.

Edited July 22, 2014 by dubbel zout

[Ohwell]

Yes, I agree.  He needs to tell her that.  Just like he told her that was his beer.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Ohwell

[3jt]

I really hope that we don't lose this show. One of the things that I like best about it is that it takes place in small town America, with a beautiful rural setting. I love cop shows, but it's really refreshing to be in this environment as opposed to a big city. Plus I love Walt and Henry!! 

[CoderLady]

I think Ferg is frustrated because he does all the grunt work. He calls the hospital to get the autopsy going, he calls the suspects, he gets the lab reports, he collects the files, etc. A lot of what Ferg does is administrative work, which is important to every case, but it keeps him tied to his desk. Walt rarely takes him to question a suspect.

 

Which is sad because from the beginning Ferg has been shown to be smart, enthusiastic about his job, supportive of his co-workers, and possessed of some really mad outdoorsman skills. I like that all this is packaged into what looks like a borderline useless guy so it never stops being surprising that he's better than that. He does have his moments of assertiveness. I hope he's building up to one really soon.

[Skycatcher]

Come to think of it, if Ferg weren't holding down the admin fort, the others might actually have to do something related to their own jobs instead of wallowing in their personal issues! If anything happened to Ferg, the office would come to a screeching halt.

 

 

Plus I love Walt and Henry!!

That's what I loved too.  Didn't care so much about the COTW, just looked forward to their banter.  Sad that the best part of the show has gone missing.

 

The tone of this season is so different from the previous seasons.  Was there a major change in TPTB or the writing staff or something. IMO - this season has been pretty awful.

[JackONeill]

Oh, another thing:  First Branch goes looking for David Ridges in the woods, with complicated camera setups.  Then Branch goes looking for David Ridges in this bar, that bar, any ole bar.  It'd be helpful for the audience to understand (maybe) why this is being done.  Or, is that why the writers have made an issue out of Branch's stability?  That way, no one has to explain anything.

 

By the way, I saw the link that shows the missing Henry/Mathis scenes from last night's episode.  I hate to say it (not really): but that's what this show needs.  That kind of stuff, instead of Vic & Ed Gorsky or Vic & Sean or Vic & Walt or (even) Vic & Branch.  Instead, it gets left on the editing room floor.  It was good stuff.

Edited July 22, 2014 by JackONeill

[Ohwell]

The tone of this season is so different from the previous seasons.  Was there a major change in TPTB or the writing staff or something. IMO - this season has been pretty awful.

My sentiments exactly.  I wonder if there have been some writing changes.

[dubbel zout]

It was good stuff.

it really was, and there was a lot going on in it: Henry warning Matthias that Malachi might not be as good a friend as Matthias thinks; underlying tension between Henry and Matthias over Indian matters, Henry ragging on his legal team (hee). But no, we have to watch Vic and Walt stare at each other instead.

[Bobcatkitten]

Vic has annoyed the crap out of me this season. She is over the line aggressive. And I would say that if she were a male deputy too. I'm over her. And I really liked her the first season. 

 

Similarly this Ridges storyline has killed anything I liked in Branch. And I actually don't even see Walt liking Vic that way but maybe I'm wrong. And now Ferg is upset. Can we have one dysfunction at a time please?

[Skycatcher]

 

ETA: Here is think the link to the Henry/Matthias scenes: http://www.aetv.com/...ecruits-mathias

SimoneS - Thanks so much for posting this link!  I really don't understand why it wasn't in the show that aired. It has significant impact on Henry's situation vis-a-vis Matthias, as well as adding insight to why Henry is somewhat estranged from the reservation folks. But then, I've come to realize that this has become the "Vic and Branch Angsty Hour", not the original Longmire that I once enjoyed.

[JackONeill]

If one were a pessimist, one would think the network is desperately trying to appeal to the coveted 18-49 age group by throwing Vic and Branch down our throat.  This show when it started had a good mix of everyone, but it was Walt's show.  And Henry is his best, and trusted, friend.  But they're both over 50, God forbid.

 

I liked the show the way it was.  Now . . . not so much.  The missing scene exemplifies what was right that has now gone wrong.

 

Like some others have said, this show was always a little dark.  (Walt lost his wife, for pete's sake.)  But it had good characters that liked one another, and who worked well together.  Even Branch, when he was running against Walt, knew to do the right thing (despite his father telling him to do otherwise).  But now we're spinning off into . . . what exactly?

Edited July 24, 2014 by JackONeill

[Quickbeam]

My husband just adores this show; even he is tired of the drawn out arc-iness of it. I need Henry resolved and branch back to being Branch. The whole David Ridges thing has not worked for me. It isn't because Bailey Chase can't act it, it is just too wrong for the character. with 2 eps left I am afraid of how this will wrap up. I can't see another season getting greenlit after this. 

[catray]

I knew as soon as Sean and Vic got into bed and started getting frisky that it was going to end badly. I think they've reached a crossroads and need to take steps to end their marriage. Even if they did (or do) love each other, things are not working now and haven't been for awhile.

I feel like Walt was prepared to accept Vic's resignation, had she been offering it. Even if he does have feelings for her and likes having her as his deputy, he's not going to sacrifice her marriage for that.

I was really weirded out hearing the Vikings credit theme playing at the end of the episode-- it was appropriate given how dark Branch's storyline is, but it was very strange. I hope they wrap up the David Ridges storyline, as well as Henry's trial so this show can get back to what it was. My husband and I will be really sad if Longmire isn't renewed.

[Woopwoopkitty]

I agree that the deleted scene was more important to the story than some of the other stuff. Watching this show is more out of habit waiting for it to get good again than out of enjoyment. I liked Branch better when he was merely an asshole not dark and crazy. Wrap it up and get back to Walt and Henry and his wife's murder.

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

Ferg may be getting the unglamorous jobs not because the others don't respect him, but because he's the low man on the seniority chain. Just about all organizations work that way. He may wish for more, but it's not unfair. 

 

The thing that's bothering me about the Branch storyline is that Walt takes off on his hunches all the frikken time, but I believe this is the first time Branch has asked Walt to trust him despite reason and evidence, and yet everybody is treating Branch as if such behavior is unprecedented in their office. 

[shapeshifter]

Anyway, I'm guessing that the payout will last only a few months at best, as Snidely Whiplash will find a way to separate the women from their money.  I think they should sell all they can, flood the farm with his water for days on end, and then walk away from it.  Oh, and spread the word around the county about him too.  He might be one of the ten farmers left in the county, but he'll be able to count his friends on one hand with both hands tied behind his back.

Too bad that wasn't a line in this episode.

The show this season has just become a chore to watch.  I mean, I know it wasn't a lighthearted whimsy-fest before, but there were moments of amusement in most episodes in the previous seasons.  But now?  Not so much.  

 

I still love the characters and the actors, but I miss Henry and I miss the moments of levity.

Me too. I just watched this one and almost didn't after the last one.

I also just watched the Henry and Matthias scene. It was pretty grim too.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I think Ferg is frustrated because he does all the grunt work. He calls the hospital to get the autopsy going, he calls the suspects, he gets the lab reports, he collects the files, etc. A lot of what Ferg does is administrative work, which is important to every case, but it keeps him tied to his desk. Walt rarely takes him to question a suspect.

I agree that he is getting stuck with the admin stuff. Most of this season, his job duties have been on par with Ruby's. He's usually in the office and even when he manages to get out, he gets told to do things like call the coroner. I understand that it's a small office and he's the junior guy so stuff like that has to get delegated to someone, but it just seems like a waste of his enthusiasm not to get him in the field more. My guess is that Walt thinks this is a good way for Ferg to learn the basics of the job so that he has a strong foundation for investigating.

[ali59]

I was really weirded out hearing the Vikings credit theme playing at the end of the episode-- it was appropriate given how dark Branch's storyline is, but it was very strange.

 

I liked it a lot!  I thought it fit very well with Branch's weirdness and the last shot of David Ridges with his hair flowing out behind him.

[dubbel zout]

How green is Ferg? I get the feeling he has at least a couple of years under his belt. Maybe he doesn't have Vic's big-city experience, but he's not a total newbie.

Edited July 28, 2014 by dubbel zout

[Irishmaple]

And, to his credit, he is the only active officer with his shit together and his focus on his job.  I'd vote him for Sheriff.

[MaryPatShelby]

I always had the impression that Vic was the newest deputy on the staff, and that Ferg had been around for awhile.

[anstar]

I think Vic is the newest to the department, but she came in with more experience as an investigator.  Ferg may have been there a few years but something tells me he only recently graduated to writing out speeding tickets and spent an awful lot of time on the phone before that.

[DittyDotDot]

Gawd, I know I'm so far behind you guys...again, not their best effort, but better than some, IMO. So how exactly did Walt get shot in the back, but the other guy was shot straight on? They really needed to make a better transition...I'm not sure that Vic crying at Walt's hospital sow up was really all that helpful to me. Oh well.  

 

As to the case of the week, I was sure that the daughter was going to be the one that shot him--not that killed him, but shot him after the fact for the insurance money. The insurance mook was a bit of a surprise to me, so kudos for that show. I agree that Walt didn't do the wife and daughter any favors, but I'm hoping that they have a better business sense than the husband/father appeared to have, so I'm gonna believe they make it some how.

 

What's even more sad to me that they cut those scenes of Henry and Mathias is that they wasted their money paying those actors and then cutting their scenes. This episode was seriously hampered by no Henry and Mathais is always a delight to see. They could have cut that whole bit of Vic and her husband having then not having sexy times--none of that was particularly eye-opening or new. Oh well, again.

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same. The money that the wife and daughter are inheriting is not enough to keep the farm for more than a few months. They are better off selling what they can and taking the money to start over somewhere else. I thought it was really sad how they had to go away and clean houses to help keep farm afloat. I read an article a while ago about the death of the small farmer as the agribusiness industry has grown. I think that the writers might have been trying to capture that tension in this episode.

 

But they don't own anything. The land and the equipment belong to the asshole neighbor guy (sorry can't recall his name right now). There's nothing for them to sell, that was the entire issue. I could have sympathized with asshole landowner guy--he wasn't entirely wrong, just went about it all wrong and should have given the family enough time to grieve before repossessing things and kicking people out of their houses. I never understand that sort of thinking.

 

From someone that grew up on a small family farm...yeah corporate farms are taking over and it's a shame. My mother still owns her property and lives there, but she works elsewhere in order to pay her bills. Very few small farmers can survive these days.  It's a way of life that is almost completely gone now and I lament it, but things change and evolve otherwise we would still be living in caves, right? I'm pretty sure that's what they were trying to capture here, I'm not sure that they really hit the mark though. I think they were also trying to go for that whole family feud thing, too. This is how old-time family feuds started and why they last generations sometimes. Plus, there were many family feuds started over water rights in the west (little water makes water worth fighting over).  Although, water rights don't really work the way they were depicted here--or at least they didn't where I grew up. But they rarely get these details right on this show anyway, so I'm movin' on.

 

So where did Branch go after coming upon the abandoned cars in last week's episode? 

 

I was wondering that, as well as my above question. So, Branch found their abandoned cars and decided to go home for supper? I realize Branch looking for them in the last episode was mostly just set-up for he and Vic having tension this episode about the letter...but you can't just leave something like that out there and expect me to not notice.

 

I think Ferg is frustrated because he does all the grunt work. He calls the hospital to get the autopsy going, he calls the suspects, he gets the lab reports, he collects the files, etc. A lot of what Ferg does is administrative work, which is important to every case, but it keeps him tied to his desk. Walt rarely takes him to question a suspect.

And...

How green is Ferg? I get the feeling he has at least a couple of years under his belt. Maybe he doesn't have Vic's big-city experience, but he's not a total newbie.

 

I agree that Ferg isn't all that green. It seemed like he had a better understanding of the community and their responsibilities than Vic did in S1. Wasn't he kind of exposition bunny for Vic back then. I don't think he's that green, but he's also not as seasoned as a Vic with her big city knowledge. Still though, seems a bit asshole-ish that Walt and Vic are sitting around with their feet up eating their lunches (or dinners) and Ferg doesn't even get a chance to take a bit of his burger before Walt sends him out on another errand boy's task. Let the man eat, at least. I love Ferg and believe he is more competent than the whole lot of them. ;)