S02.E08: Ouroboros

[Trini]

When world-famous Europol profiler Simon Hoxley (guest star Alan Cumming) shows up in New York and claims that Major Crimes' current case is connected to the discovery of Endicott's body overseas, Bright fears he and Ainsley's secret is about to be exposed. Meanwhile, Martin gets to know Dr. Vivian Capshaw.

Airdate: April 13, 2021

[Chaos Theory]

Well that was fun.

Alan Cumming is a fun guest star to have on a show and pairing him up with Bellamy Young just had them Eating up the scenery.    I loved how Hoxley like everyone else assumed Malcolm was the one to follow in Martin’s footsteps when in truth it’s Ainsley.  
 

The Martin and Vivian Capshaw pairing is going to be interesting.   I love the scenes at Clairmont and seeing the kind of doctor  Martin actually was is an interesting place for the show to take the character.

Line of the night:  “How did a clever woman like you get entangled with so many homicidal men?”  

 

 

Edited April 14, 2021 by Chaos Theory

[OoogleEyes]

Alan Cumming is so OTT; I adore him!

If Catherine Zeta-Jones' eyebrows were stretched any tighter, they would disappear into her hair line. I barely recognized her.

[FormerMod-a1]

This seems to wrap up the Endicott murder plot too well.  I have a feeling it's not really wrapped up yet. 

[MyArchangel]

3 hours ago, OoogleEyes said:

Alan Cumming is so OTT; I adore him!

If Catherine Zeta-Jones' eyebrows were stretched any tighter, they would disappear into her hair line. I barely recognized her.

I just don’t understand why women especially one like Catherine Zeta-Jones would resort to either going under the knife or inject Botox or a myriad of fillers on the market into her face. She was stunning when she stared in the 2 Zorro movies and in Chicago. She or the doctor who did those procedures should retire. She looks nothing like she did when she was younger. Eventually time catches up to all of us. 

[dippydee]

17 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Alan Cumming is a fun guest star to have on a show and pairing him up with Bellamy Young just had them Eating up the scenery.  

They were my favourite part of the episode. I loved her snatching the martini back.

Im glad the Endicott thing has been stopped (at least for a while), poor Bright needs a little break. Although given how smug Ainsley was about getting away with murder it seems both he and Jessica are going to have to be extra vigilant. 

[tennisgurl]

 Alan Cumming is a great guest star, he is just so MUCH. He fits into this show really well, especially paired with Jessica and Malcolm, he fits their energy perfectly, especially Jessica. It was nice of Malcolm to give him the spotlight, he really a good guy, even if he struggles to see that. I would be totally down for Alan Cumming to show up again. "I cant believe I'm going to die in Brooklyn." 

This all seems to wrap up the murder quite nicely, but I doubt that's going to be the end of it. The ouroboros symbol isn't just about a snake eating its tail, its often a metaphorical symbol of the circle of life, death, and rebirth, the connections between all things, or the cyclical nature of the universe. I could be reading too much into things, but it makes me wonder if Endicott's death might be gone now but will show up again later, or even that this is the start of Ainsley's descent into becoming more like her father, continuing the cycle of murder and mayhem that has defined their family. 

Malcolm needs to just deal with the fact that Ainsley is a stone cold killer, its just how she is, and be lucky she doesn't have a murder basement quite yet. She was about to start full on cackling watching her interview Alan Cumming about catching "Endicott's killer" on primetime. While Jessica and Malcom are about falling apart about all of this, Ainsley is just smugly gloating about getting away with murder. Hopefully at least with this handled for now Malcolm can finally get some sleep, and we can take a break from this plot and move onto something new. And Malcolm can  stop trying to see every young women involved with his cases as an Ainsley stand in to protect, because they keep turning out to be murderers. Maybe the universe is trying to tell him something? 

Martin really does take being a doctor very seriously, he was quite offended when he was accused of killing his patients. He was a real surgeon when he wasn't being THE surgeon I suppose. Not sure where things are going with the doctor, but I suspect there is more to this then her just being attracted to his scraggly haired charms. 

[xtwheeler]

What on earth is happening with CZJ's accent? It is weird enough that she can't move her face, but that is one hell of an inconsistent accent, even compared to Martin. It took me right out of the show.

Why couldn't the prison doctor just be Welsh and have moved to NYC for school, etc? Far less weird than the accent.

[Trini]

Yep, Hoxley was fun. But things do seem to be wrapped up a little too neatly.

9 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

This seems to wrap up the Endicott murder plot too well.  I have a feeling it's not really wrapped up yet. 

Spoiler

When they announced Cumming as a guest star, they said he'd be in two episodes. But even if he doesn't return, I'm guessing this isn't over anyway.

 

No Edrisa, and very little of Dani and TJ. Hope we see more of them next time.

The only way I can accept whatever's going on with Martin and the new Doctor is if she is playing him for her own reasons; otherwise - ick. I don't want her to be some type of serial killer fangirl.

[Sweet Tooth]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

Yep, Hoxley was fun. But things do seem to be wrapped up a little too neatly.

It would be nice if it was wrapped up.

On so many shows, they draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag this stuff out until you want to strangle the person doing the investigating.

Here, they had a conclusion that made everyone happy.  And Cumming came away a likable character.

What I don't think is over is watching little sis for more crazy. Anybody else, they'd be psychologically traumatized. She's not even breaking a sweat. They keep pointing at Martin, but he seems to have a conscience, having nightmares and generally suffering after effects, whereas Ainsley seems to sleep a little too well after slitting a man's throat.

[cameron]

Thought they used too much makeup on Alan Cumming's face.

[sharifa70]

I was completely skeeved out by Alan Cumming in this episode and I don’t know why: I usually really like him. He was giving me serious Circle of Friends Sean vibes. That accent didn’t help; it made my skin crawl.

I don’t like the Endicott plotline at all. I feel like they've written Malcolm into a corner and his part in covering up the murder just feels contrary to his character. I don’t want to see a show where he becomes more and more complicit in Ainsley’s actions to the point where he can’t ever be reconciled to his team. How does he ever explain it to them and keep those friendships, let alone his freedom? I would have preferred something a little more Ainsley is independent and always a step ahead of Malcolm or something like that. I don’t know.

Yeah, Catherine Z-J’s accent is all over the place. I did laugh at the scene with her, Martin, and Hoxley and I realized we had a Scot and two Welsh people who were all doing different accents, and I really think Malcolm should have been part of that scene just to get England represented as well.

I am kind of interested in the doctor’s story and what she wants from Malcolm. I agree that I hope it’s not just some fetish.

Edited April 15, 2021 by sharifa70

[rove4]

19 hours ago, Trini said:

The only way I can accept whatever's going on with Martin and the new Doctor is if she is playing him for her own reasons; otherwise - ick. I don't want her to be some type of serial killer fangirl.

Exactly my thoughts! I will have zero respect for her if it turns out that she succumbed to his dubious charm that quickly...or ever.  

Hoxley was fun and had several chuckle-worthy lines. Not that I wanted the Endicott murder to drag out the rest of the season but I, too, thought it was wrapped up a little too quickly.  I am confused though about why the courier lady was murdering everyone else in the chain. 

At this point, I'm actively rooting for Ainsley to get caught.

[Sweet Tooth]

On 4/14/2021 at 4:45 PM, Trini said:

The only way I can accept whatever's going on with Martin and the new Doctor is if she is playing him for her own reasons; otherwise - ick. I don't want her to be some type of serial killer fangirl.

They showed what's coming up throughout the season, and I don't think this is the direction they're going. 

Spoiler

What it seems like, is she's going to help Martin escape.

 

[springbarb]

On 4/15/2021 at 1:52 PM, sharifa70 said:

I was completely skeeved out by Alan Cumming in this episode and I don’t know why: I usually really like him. He was giving me serious Circle of Friends Sean vibes. That accent didn’t help; it made my skin crawl.

I still think of Alan Cumming primarily as Creepy Sean Walsh.

I, too, was surprised that the Endicott murder was wrapped up so quickly. I'm not complaining, and I guess we'll see the continued effects on Ainsley. But it just seemed abrupt. And we didn't really get a reason for the courier to be killing everyone off. Bizarre.

[foxfreakinmulder]

On 4/15/2021 at 12:32 PM, rove4 said:

At this point, I'm actively rooting for Ainsley to get caught.

Me too! Especially when she wanted to toast getting away with murder.

So am I right that Hoxley eyebrows are their own character, lol :-)

I can't figure the doctor out, one minute she's yelling to get Martin out of the room and the next she's kissing him. I still think she took that job to get close to him. But I don't think she's a fan, I think something else is going on.

Once again the bad guy/girl is trying to kill Malcolm before the cops get there. Rinse and repeat.

 

[sugarbaker design]

On 4/15/2021 at 1:52 PM, sharifa70 said:

eah, Catherine Z-J’s accent is all over the place. I did laugh at the scene with her, Martin, and Hoxley and I realized we had a Scot and two Welsh people who were all doing different accents

Right, CZJ and Sheen have most likely have settled into a Welsh-American hybrid accent.  Now that they're working together, I'm sure they're full-on Welsh off-camera.  And FWIW, it's season 2 and Sheen's accent is still all over the place.

[Trini]

7 hours ago, foxfreakinmulder said:

Once again the bad guy/girl is trying to kill Malcolm before the cops get there. Rinse and repeat.

I realize this show is half procedural, but they really need to refresh the formula, because it's already getting old.

[Lady Calypso]

I'm trying to figure out what this show's plan is with the Ainsley murder stuff. Because, with Malcolm continuing to lie to everyone outside of his family, no way he wouldn't be immediately fired and no way should Gil and the rest of the team EVER help him cover up the Endicott murder if they were to find out. This show may lean heavily into the serial killer stuff, but I would hate to see good characters become like the Whitlys, who are complicit in murder left and right. The police department, especially. would just look super corrupt, and it's already not a good look for Malcolm to be hiding this secret for now eight episodes.

The Hoxley plot was...alright. I adore Alan Cumming but....is he REALLY just a one and done character? I have to imagine he turns back up later on. It just felt too neatly wrapped up for him. But please, don't bring him back just for Ainsley to murder him. And they're ALL over the place with Ainsley. I'm not sure whether the show wants her to be more of a sociopath than a psychopath with her inability to care about the person she killed. She should be more of a psychopath like her father, one who is able to hold down a job and is more calculating, but even Martin is able to pretend to care (and they established here that he at least cared enough to not kill his patients, not necessarily him caring about the person but about his job) while they're really going overboard with Ainsley being so cold hearted. But she also displays some sociopathic tendencies with her fits of rage and her murder (so far) not being planned. It's hard to tell where they're going with Ainsley, especially if Malcolm turns her in or if she eventually has to be killed by her family.

Martin and his doctor lady is going in a direction I'm uncomfortable with.

[nodorothyparker]

Finally catching up with this. I didn't realize what the show was missing was a dishy somewhat bitchy British investigator to snipe at Malcolm but I didn't hate it. While the rational part of my brain was wondering what authority the man had to go around interrogating random members of the Whitly family before I remembered that it's this show and to just go with it, I did love that in the end he was "totally sorry for accusing you all of committing that murder you totally did commit in pretty much the exact manner I deduced." Snippy Malcolm pulling rank and class was weirdly hot for a character who really doesn't generate a whole lot of heat.

I wonder too if this is really the last of the Endicott murder. If so, that really is a case of "all smoke, no fire" and I guess we're all just accepting that Ainsley's a murderer now. I'm sure it will be fine.

I was all set to appreciate the balls on Catherine Zeta-Jones' character being confident enough in her ability to keep Martin in line to go to his room unattended after the surgical scissors (ignoring how wildly dangerous and inappropriate it was) and then they just had to throw that kiss in. Please, show, don't go there.

[sinkwriter]

On 4/14/2021 at 3:14 PM, tennisgurl said:

I would be totally down for Alan Cumming to show up again. "I cant believe I'm going to die in Brooklyn." 

I think that was my favorite line of the entire episode. Alan's delivery was unforgettably hilarious.