S01.E05: The Haunting

[formerlyfreedom]

While investigating a series of eerie threats, the TAU team discovers the victim’s house has a creepy history and is believed to be haunted. When the danger turns deadly, the team spends Halloween night searching a wild costume party looking for a perpetrator long believed to be dead.

 

 

[LakeGal]

Clowns are not my thing.  I found the first part of the show creepy. 

 

I enjoyed this episode.  It had the right amount of surprises and moments to make me pay attention. 

[Dowel Jones]

Obligatory Halloween theme.....check

Creepy clowns.....check

Obsessive boyfriend that looooves her....check

Slutty party theme.....check

Secret room.....check

Newly empowered woman.....check

Nerdy stalker with just enough clues to tempt us to come back next episode.....check.

 

Nothing to see here, folks.  Keep moving.

[auntiemel]

I'm so sick of the storyline of Dylan McDermott's ex hanging some sort of threat over his head to get him to leave dragging on. Although I obviously realize that he's not going to leave (duh), it just keeps dreagging me back to remembering that he is new, and the show is new, and prevents me from falling into that procedural-lull I like to get in where I can relax into the characters like a comfortable shoe and just enjoy the mystery of the week.

[Tony]

Dylan McDermott is dragging this show down. It'll be a huge improvement with him gone.

[CooperTV]

The evil ex returns! And creepy boyfriend returns as well.

 

This episode was delightfully scary, I liked the direction and cinematography in the first half. The second half, however, got messy with the baby stalker being his stalkering self and Beth not picking up on him being future serial killer material.

 

Jack's evil ex, their son and the whole storyline about the big horrible secret Jack has need to go, stat. The ex is boring and obnoxious, and the more writers remind us about her and her huge (but mildly so, apparently) issues with Jack, the more she herself comes off as weird.

 

I liked Jack and the male co-worker bonding. They were comedy gold idiots the whole time. And I like Jack and the female co-worker bonding at the end, very mature.

[thuganomics85]

Come on, Jack!  If you are going to stalk your son during Trick or Treat, you can at least wear a mask.  It's the perfect way not to accidentally get caught!  But, nope: he just follows him around like a normal creepier.  This story-line needs to go.  Either Jack truly did something horrible, and the ex needs to just drop the hammer, or this is all just a bunch of crap, and Jack needs to call her out on her bluff.

 

So, Beth use to be "Michelle", and her family died in a house fire?  And, it sounds like someone close to her is in a mental facility, that she's keeping tabs on.  Now, her stalker has possession of this material.  Unlike Jack's stuff, this is at least kind of interesting.

 

I guess having an obsession with a house, that it causes you the scare the crap out of everyone inside, is some form of stalking.

 

Of course, Jack would claim that he and Janice are cool after the hook-up, only to be all "Syke!  Beth, please pair me up with the dude who hates me instead!"  At least Janice is being mature about it.  I was worried she was going to start stalking him or something.

[methodwriter85]

So, Beth use to be "Michelle", and her family died in a house fire?  And, it sounds like someone close to her is in a mental facility, that she's keeping tabs on.  Now, her stalker has possession of this material.  Unlike Jack's stuff, this is at least kind of interesting.So, Beth use to be "Michelle", and her family died in a house fire?  And, it sounds like someone close to her is in a mental facility, that she's keeping tabs on.  Now, her stalker has possession of this material.  Unlike Jack's stuff, this is at least kind of interesting.

 

 

       I'm interested in that as well. My guess is that when she was a teenager, someone stalker her and killed her entire family, ala the Prom Night re-make.

 

       Jake Weary has such a sleazy bad guy look to him. When he hits his 30's, I can see him doing a lot of bad guy work ala Michael Shannon. Well, t.v. wise.

[CooperTV]

So, Beth use to be "Michelle", and her family died in a house fire?  And, it sounds like someone close to her is in a mental facility, that she's keeping tabs on. 

 

Maybe person in the mental facility is her (first) stalker and she's keeping an eye in case they'd out?

[william0102]

CooperTV that's what I thought when they had Beth say "Patient whatever#" and asked if he was still in custody.

Why do you guys think that the coworker DM slept with was being mature? I thought once she saw that DM and ER had some kind of history, she thought that would be her in, hence her showing up at the end of the episode with beers. Like she was going to get him to let her in as a friend and maybe it will lead to more with time. Now, I don't want that to happen, but I can see these writers doing that. 

Wouldn't any stalker be grateful that it was Halloween? They could stalk their victims without any chance of being recognized, so what's Jack do? He stalks his ex, who has already seen him stalking them once, in his normal clothes, no costume, no mask. Then he even goes up to his kid and talks to him? 

I really don't understand what they are doing with DM's character here. I'm willing to believe he's done something really bad since he's stalking his ex and ER won't allow him near the kid, but they basically make him Horatio "I have all the answers" Cane when it comes to the crimes. But all the promos and commercials about the show focus on Maggie Q? The show needs to settle on who is the lead, and just get on with DM's backstory either way.

Plus, Jack, that's how you take down a suspect if you have to shoot. Not beat the crap out of him or shoot him three times.

[CooperTV]

I really don't understand what they are doing with DM's character here. I'm willing to believe he's done something really bad since he's stalking his ex and ER won't allow him near the kid, but they basically make him Horatio "I have all the answers" Cane when it comes to the crimes.

 

This storyline just isn't working, IMO. The worst thing Jack realistically could to get his ex to be so hostile and threatening is to be child molester/rapist. But that's not possible, for obvious reasons: Jack is a male lead that should be somehow sympathetic. The most vile thing Jack could do in this show is tempering with the evidence from  sensitive case or beating some sleazy jerk half to death. Otherwise I got nothing.

 

Why do you guys think that the coworker DM slept with was being mature?

 

My first thought was that she wanted know more about his situation with the ex.  I'd prefer to think she analyzed Jack and decided he's a charity case more than anything (this dude needs outside perspective for his crazy).

Edited October 30, 2014 by CooperTV

[unbrokensavior]

I loved this episode.  I've never seen Chucky (or whatever that clown movie is), so I'm not afraid of clowns, but I found the opening scene to be really creepy.  I guess I'm in the minority because I'm addicted to this show.  I especially love Beth, and I want to feel sympathetic toward Jack, but I can't for some reason.  And his ex-girlfriend/wife needs to either leave the show or explain.  I get that the writers are trying to be mysterious with Jack's backstory, it's just that she can't pull it off, and they're being too mysterious.

[Guest Accused Dingo]

Stalker Murder House staring Dylan McDermmot. I am surprised they didn!t throw a AHS joke in there somewhere.

And Clowns!!!!

Edited October 31, 2014 by Accused Dingo

[threebluestars]

I actually hope they set up Jack to get worse as a stalker until he becomes the focus of an investigation. They need to turn him into a bad guy, and they have to bring in a new male cop who has chemistry with Maggie Q, and they have to go after Jack as a stalker. Because that's the only way his character will work for me. He can't be some good-guy cop on a stalker task force and be a stalker at the same time. It just doesn't work. I HATE his character. I HATE HIM.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think they're going to be creative about this, and my guess will be that Beth already knows Jack's deep dark past.

 

Now, Beth's character on the other hand - this is intriguing and interesting! I really like her, I'm interested in her past, and I am invested in what her stalker will do next and how she'll deal with him.

 

Jack can go take a flying leap.

[Texasmom1970]

Why must they subject us to the butchering and weird renditions of good songs at the end of each epidode. Please stop that crap!

[Shanna]

Why must they subject us to the butchering and weird renditions of good songs at the end of each epidode. Please stop that crap!

I think they are trolling us. At least it was a werd guy warbling this time instead of a girl but that song choice threw me. That version was just wrong!

[alexvillage]

I wish this show were more about stalking. I do't care about the take down of the stalker. I think the theme is interesting but this is turning into another cop show, anything goes as long as one person "stalks another for half a day.

I don't like when they have one pelt dragging through the season, but the kid who is stalking Beth is more interesting than all the other plots. He is doing the research, he is following her, drawing, all the stalk-y things.

The "oh-so-hurt" wife is annoying and DM is too lukewarm. How about this: make him a real stalker, with real mean reasons, instead of a "I am a daddy and I want to meet my son" guy. Make him evil and then make the wife die. Win-win. We get a character with some definition, and we get rid of the other character.

[webruce]

COTW Laurie and Annie are after slutty outfits for their off-campus Halloween Party. Laurie is ofcourse left alone in the dark dressing area in the stockroom or a costume store. Annie must have tried it on awful quick, to be back out front with the clerk. Then ofcourse scary clown person comes in. Laurie thinks it is ex bf Bobby Hughes. But it turns out to be ex bf buddy, Max Lupton did it. He didn't apologize until Jack and Ben Caldwell grabbed him.
I at first thought Annie was in on the stalking/haunting/harassment. She wasn't around when the clown and the intruder came after Laurie. She pushed Laurie to file a complaint against Bobby.
I liked at end to that Laurie stood up to Bobby after the UnSub was stopped and she was shaken up. He was mean to her and maybe thought with her in a bad situation she would take him back with open arms. Beth watching may have made me think, what else would she say, but if she took him back it would have pointed to Beth's classes on women standing up for themselves against Stalkers.And her need to press on with it.

The haunted house history was a good addition. The history was good and I figured that Greg and Beverly Miner had died in house. I do believe that the reason Greg Miner targeted Laurie was that she reminded him of his deceased wife.
The Dr. Louis Atwood voodoo angle was a good red herring. Him jumping Ben and Jack at his house "Probable Cause" after entry was a twist. To bad at the party Greg took him out. I was surprised that others didn't go to basement for a make out place. Laurie chased them out of the upstairs for that. Then ofcourse how did a Greg take out a sick Bobby and then take Laurie to the basement without being seen? Hopefully Jack will learn not to be left alone at a suspected crime scene while Beth goes for Paramedics again. That is the 2nd time he was jumped. The Sheetrock room was interesting. Where was the entrance?

Was nice to see Ben out in the field. He and Jack working together was fun. Ben knew or surmised that Jack and Janice did the dirty and it became awkward. It was nice that Jack and Ben stumbled over each other in interrogation because both thought they were the lead. Also nice that Jack and Janice were awkward and kinda didn't talk about their night together.

Perry Whitley got some information on Detective Beth Davis. Not sure if he was at the Halloween Frat party by coincidence, or he planned to do something to draw Beth there? He found out that Beth changed her name from Michelle Weber. I could not read the newspaper story fast enough to get any particulars. It seemed to be a house fire that killed her family. She did at end call a prison to find out about a certain person, and if they had visitors? Is it her dad, or someone else? Who did she think would visit them? An accomplice? Can't be she knows Perry found out and would go to get dirt on her? To change her name and move away, was she running from the Mob? Corrupt Politician? Psycho Relative? Not sure what her parents business was.

Liked how Janice Lawrence came to be Jack's friend after she saw that Amanda Taylor was telling him his 2 weeks was running out. He had to leave soon or she would tell his bosses.
Also thought it was nice that Jack Larsen was watching his son Ethan Trick or Treat. Mom gets distracted and Jack chases off 2 would be Bully Candy Robbers. He said he would call the Police, which doesn't tell Ethan or those kids who he was other then a concerned neighbor. Cute Ethan was a fireman.

Edited November 2, 2014 by webruce

[shelley1234]

I'll hold camp as one of the lone people who likes Dylan McDermott.....always have. However I do agree that they need to decide what his charscter is and the weird drama with his ex is just not cutting it. Is he a good guy battling his demons? Is he a bad stalker who is good at his job because he can all too easily associate with the stalker o' the week? I know they think they are building suspense and intrigue with the whole deep dark secret angle, but it's just not playing...nothing seems real there.

The actual stalker guy stalking Beth.....now that I do find interesting. However, I am calling how it will all play out now. Beth and Jack will get closer as friends and maybe even the potential for more....ex will drop the bomb of her secret which will send Beth running for the hills just when stalker boy makes his move and takes Beth (because he loves her as must have her), Jack comes to her rescue as only his damaged self can and in the process of saving Beth.....stalker boy, Jack and even Beth realize that it is Jack who loves Beth. Cue season. I hope I am wrong because I really hate predictable tv, but it's how I see it going down.

I would also appreciate tv this season to stop sending creepy clowns at me. Not cool.

[DeeDee79]

I'll hold camp as one of the lone people who likes Dylan McDermott.....always have. However I do agree that they need to decide what his charscter is and the weird drama with his ex is just not cutting it. Is he a good guy battling his demons? Is he a bad stalker who is good at his job because he can all too easily associate with the stalker o' the week? I know they think they are building suspense and intrigue with the whole deep dark secret angle, but it's just not playing...nothing seems real there.

 

shelley1005 I'm right there with you. I've always been a fan and I'm enjoying him on this show. I too feel that the weak point on this show is the ex wife and the big secret. Is Elizabeth Rohm a regular? She hasn't been in every ep and she's not shown as often than the others so I'm hoping that this storyline will wrap up quickly.

[alexvillage]

I like DM too. I don't think he is a great actor but he is good enough and no worse than the majority of actors in leading roles on TV today. And I like his voice. 

[LolaRuns]

This was my first exposure to the show, I'm always on the hunt for new crime dramas, so I've been checking out this and Mysteries of Laura. I really, really enjoyed Maggie Q in this, which really impressed me because I couldn't get into Nikita. 

 

I agree that the setup with both a stalker and a stalkee being on the same squad about stalking seems really contrieved, but imo the cases have been fairly good so far. A good number of twists and turns as to usually not make it too straightforward, but also not going too far into moon logic territory.While I can think of a couple of real life stories/situations they could still cover, I do wonder if the premise (stalking cases) isn't going to be hard to stretch out beyond a season or 2.

 

Still, really enjoying Maggie Q in the boss role and her interactions with people.  

[unbrokensavior]

 

Beth and Jack will get closer as friends and maybe even the potential for more....ex will drop the bomb of her secret which will send Beth running for the hills just when stalker boy makes his move and takes Beth (because he loves her as must have her), Jack comes to her rescue as only his damaged self can and in the process of saving Beth.....stalker boy, Jack and even Beth realize that it is Jack who loves Beth. Cue season. I hope I am wrong because I really hate predictable tv, but it's how I see it going down.

While I think that is probably the most likely scenario, I hope they put a twist on it.  I don't want Jack to end up saving Beth.  It happens too often in TV (nearly every time).  It would be nice for a change.  Maybe Perry could take Jack to lure Beth where he wants her?

 

Also, was it just me, or did anybody else see a hint of tears as Beth was looking through her scrapbook thingy?

[webruce]

Yes i saw that too.

[Kromm]

A much better episode than most of them.  This one had an actual interesting case of the week, as well as actual movement on Beth's ongoing arc storyline.  Sadly Detective Practicing His Crazy Eyes and his story stayed in pretty much the same place--a boring, yet slimy one.  In fact, the case of the week almost seemed like it was paralleling Jack's situation, minus the house.  The crazy guy attached to the house, because his family was out of reach.  We're supposed to look at Jack and see the parallel, even though his family is still alive.  And the speech the girl gave the boyfriend at the end almost seems like the same kind of speech Jack's wooden ex-wife might have given him as some point... you know... if Elizabeth Rohm could actually speak with as much emotion as that actress playing the girl had.

 

Beth really needs to realize soon she's being stalked--and I hope that's what "Michelle's" call to the institution was about.  You could take that as her realizing the kid popping up at that party and trying to psych her out with her real name was about.  Of course the alternative is that the call to the institution is one of her trauma rituals (and thus unhealthy in its own way) and she does it anyway and she DOESN'T realize she's being stalked.  But I hope she does, so she doesn't come off like a clueless victim.

[Kromm]

Also thought it was nice that Jack Larsen was watching his son Ethan Trick or Treat. Mom gets distracted and Jack chases off 2 would be Bully Candy Robbers. He said he would call the Police, which doesn't tell Ethan or those kids who he was other then a concerned neighbor. Cute Ethan was a fireman.

I don't think we're supposed to be seeing that as nice.  We're supposed to be seeing it as creepy.

 

It IS complicated by the fact that we don't know if there are any legal issues behind why he can't see the kid or not.  If it were as simple as a father being denied his son then Rohmbot's threats against him would be empty.  She's either got something legal over his head, or if she doesn't he did something else so crazy back in New York that it kept him from ever demanding any kind of DNA test.

[anstar]

She keeps saying my son. Stay away from "my" son. I'm beginning to wonder if they were ever a 'couple' planning to raise a family together or if she was one of those driven career women who decided she wanted to be a mother and Jack was cheaper than the sperm bank down the road. In my little fan fic version, she knew Jack in New York, thought of him as a playboy type who was not the slightest bit interested in being a husband or father and would bolt at the first hint of commitment. Perfect! She deliberately gets pregnant but somehow manages to have the baby without him figuring out that it's his. When he does learn the truth (because in television land, secrets never stay secret), he's angry with her for the deceit, and wants to be a part of his son's life.  She has no intention of sharing. He starts to stalk, she starts to threaten and blackmail.

<shrug> She just doesn't seem to be a woman scorned. Not to me, anyway.

Edited November 2, 2014 by anstar

[unbrokensavior]

 

She keeps saying my son. Stay away from "my" son. I'm beginning to wonder if they were ever a 'couple' planning to raise a family together or if she was one of those driven career women who decided she wanted to be a mother and Jack was cheaper than the sperm bank down the road. In my little fan fic version, she knew Jack in New York, thought of him as a playboy type who was not the slightest bit interested in being a husband or father and would bolt at the first hint of commitment. Perfect! She deliberately gets pregnant but somehow manages to have the baby without him figuring out that it's his. When he does learn the truth (because in television land, secrets never stay secret), he's angry with her for the deceit, and wants to be a part of his son's life.  She has no intention of sharing. He starts to stalk, she starts to threaten and blackmail.

Anstar, that seems like a very likely scenario.  If only we had even a tiny bit of Jack's past.  I think we're supposed to feel sympathetic toward him, but I don't.  I think his storyline could be interesting if Rohmbot wasn't playing Amanda.  Or are we supposed to think that Jack's super duper creepy and weird?

 

Right now, the only reason I'm staying with this show is Maggie Q.  Beth is one of the most interesting characters I've come across in a few years, and I think Maggie plays her perfectly.  I could care less about Jack and his storyline as long as I have Beth's.  Heck, even Ben's nonexistent storyline is more interesting than Jack's.

[webruce]

Yes it is creepy that Jack still stalked Amanda and Ethan even after she gave him another warning. I was worried that Jack would have to break up a kidnapping when she lost sight of him. They had kidnapping on Criminal Minds so it was fresh on my mind. In my opinion, Jack did a good job foiling the bullies from taking Ethan's candy. If he tells his story to his mom, she may suspect Jack, but he never said he was a cop. The kids figured he was a dad out with his kids who intervened.

i do think we need much more depth to this story line to make it more believable. In my opinion this could go a couple ways to solve it a good way. 1)One is Jack learns what he is doing is wrong. Being in the Stalking team,TAU(?) shows him he is doing wrong and he learns and apologizes for it. 2)Or there is someone else that caused whatever big bad thing Jack is accused of doing and they are found out and Amanda learns to allow Jack into Ethan's life. 3)Jack is caught and warned and if he escalated it, he is arrested, or he is fired. 4) Amanda and Ethan are harassed and stalked. Jack is blamed and warned. It is not him this time. They are continually harassed, maybe even kidnapped. Jack rescues them. 4) Ethan is kidnapped, Jack somehow is taken too, or goes to pay ransom and is grabbed. He gets to know Ethan a little and saves him. Now he has to be in his life? None are great ones but can be worked with to make it better/and  or resolved.

 

 

Beth's is more intriguing right now. Perry Whitley didn't like her interfering with him and his ex buddy. He was hoping she would apologize for roughing him up. She didn't, and he checked into her history. Found out quite a bit. Perry with his chance meeting with Beth at the frat party must have kinda put him back on her radar. Probably his little "Michelle" slip did it. She is checking into the mystery person at the ward. But he is dating her gf, and probably will use her for leverage. He is checking into Beth's history, and shadowing her. He may even end up interfering in her cases? He may have a crush on her or be mad that she worked him over, and got away with it. Or stop a Stalker to show Beth he is good? Maybe even stake Beth and her gf, Tracy Wright, against each other over him.

Both could have many possibilities and maybe some I haven't though about. I hope the writers/actors can work it out well and not short change them and us the viewer.

Edited November 2, 2014 by webruce

[anstar]

Perry with his chance meeting with Beth at the frat party must have kinda put him back on her radar. Probably his little "Michelle" slip did it.

Except it wasn't a "chance" meeting or a "slip".  This is the one stalking this show is getting right so far. Psychological warfare. He's doing nothing illegal, but his intent is pretty clear. She knows what he's doing.  I think the "Michelle" rattled her though. She expected him to follow her around, but not to find as much as he did.

[Chas411]

Gof the stalkee of the week was such a draaaaaaaaaag. I couldn't figure out why any college girls would want to hang out with her. She was like the mommy of the group.

[Shanna]

Except it wasn't a "chance" meeting or a "slip". This is the one stalking this show is getting right so far. Psychological warfare. He's doing nothing illegal, but his intent is pretty clear. She knows what he's doing. I think the "Michelle" rattled her though. She expected him to follow her around, but not to find as much as he did.

Yep! Best thing the show has going by far and what a coincidence, it's one of the few stories that is actually about stalking!

The only thing I could think of serious enough to make rohm keep Dylan McDermott away from his son would be if he drugged her or something but that is probably darker than they want to go if they plan to keep him as a cop. I could really enjoy this story if I thought they were going to take it to a dark enough place but then they would have to kick him off the team. So I don't know what they will do.

I did think this episode was an improvement.

[Kromm]

Beth's is more intriguing right now. Perry Whitley didn't like her interfering with him and his ex buddy. He was hoping she would apologize for roughing him up. She didn't, and he checked into her history. Found out quite a bit. Perry with his chance meeting with Beth at the frat party must have kinda put him back on her radar. Probably his little "Michelle" slip did it

Do you really think it was a slip (as in an accident)?  I don't.

 

It's in the air what he thought he would accomplish. Did he think it would just unnerve her, because that's what would happen with a typical victim?  Did he want to push her into being suspicious of him (because it would count to him as "being noticed")?  Does he WANT her to know he's stalking her, want her simply to wonder, or think she'll dismiss it, but he got his jollies/jerk off session at home from seeing her face to face again?

[Kromm]

Yes it is creepy that Jack still stalked Amanda and Ethan even after she gave him another warning. I was worried that Jack would have to break up a kidnapping when she lost sight of him. They had kidnapping on Criminal Minds so it was fresh on my mind. In my opinion, Jack did a good job foiling the bullies from taking Ethan's candy. If he tells his story to his mom, she may suspect Jack, but he never said he was a cop. The kids figured he was a dad out with his kids who intervened.

i do think we need much more depth to this story line to make it more believable. In my opinion this could go a couple ways to solve it a good way. 1)One is Jack learns what he is doing is wrong. Being in the Stalking team,TAU(?) shows him he is doing wrong and he learns and apologizes for it. 2)Or there is someone else that caused whatever big bad thing Jack is accused of doing and they are found out and Amanda learns to allow Jack into Ethan's life. 3)Jack is caught and warned and if he escalated it, he is arrested, or he is fired. 4) Amanda and Ethan are harassed and stalked. Jack is blamed and warned. It is not him this time. They are continually harassed, maybe even kidnapped. Jack rescues them. 4) Ethan is kidnapped, Jack somehow is taken too, or goes to pay ransom and is grabbed. He gets to know Ethan a little and saves him. Now he has to be in his life? None are great ones but can be worked with to make it better/and  or resolved.

While Beth's plot seems to be getting good, I just don't see a way out with Jack's plot that doesn't totally suck/necessitate us to throw our hands up by the end of it. In the framework of this show there's zero chance he should be allowed to keep that job, no matter how this goes.  While again, we don't know the whole story, and at least from her personality it's at least believable that Rohmbot is not just some totally innocent victim, that's SO again the rest of the message of the show, I can't see it not causing a viewer shitstorm of tuning out, turning off, and lots of season ending "Fuck you, Kevin Williamson!" tweets and articles.  If they're simply using a high profile actor like Dylan McDermott for a single season arc, then ditching him--well... that would be brave.  But I'm skeptical. It's not just something like a woman that cheated on her husband with a guy, denied the paternity, and he followed her (which is already bad enough).  She's got something on him.  There's some legitimate basis for her to think her threat has weight, and we first hand have seen him display fucking insane stalker like tendencies.  A father denied his kid might be label-able as determined instead of nuts for SOME of these behaviors, but not having a fucking crazy stalker wall, peering out from the shadows every chance he gets, and most of all seemingly (to what we can see I mean) not trying to use legal methods at ALL to establish paternity.  Also, clearly he's massively bribed/manipulated/used favors to get that position (which we know was somewhat forced on Beth).  It smells. I don't see how they can make this nice and pretty.

[Netfoot]

Best thing the show has going by far and what a coincidence, it's one of the few stories that is actually about stalking!

 

Actually, it's a little silly that the only two close-to-real-stalking cases we've seen involve the two key officers in the Stalker-squad.  Because the Stalk-of-the-Week cases are a real stretch to pass for any sort of stalking!

 

Maggie Q is being stalked by a teenage kid who seems to be pretty darned good at it, if you ask me!  Slow, subtle, and nuanced.

 

Donald McDuck on the other hand, is such a clumsy stalker, it's hard to believe.  Given his professional position, the bumbling about in the dark under windows, surreptitiously following on the street only yards away, hiding behind lampposts and a domino mask (for Gods sake), and approaching the kid directly so he can be identified at any later point of contact?  Frankly, his behaviour should legitimately end up with him under arrest when it comes out.  And given his clumsy bungling, it can't help but come out.

 

Whatever dark secret ex-wife Amanda holds over his head can only make matters worse, unless it's something stupid like "I caught him kissing my sister under the mistletoe!"  The only possibility for him to come out of this clean, is if he can show that Amanda somehow had the son at risk, and he had to "investigate" in order to save the child.  The "investigation" would be off the books, of course, because she had a restraining order against him, issued immediately after the mistletoe incident!

[Kromm]

They should go all cable TV level brave with this and not only end the season with Detective Crazy Eyes arrested, but maybe with Maggie Q dead by her stalker, and then reboot the show with a new main cast next year (but the two lesser characters in the squad consistent to tie it all together).  Not that I'm not enjoying Maggie Q--I quite like her--but if they're already giving us this fucking nutso situation where we couldn't possibly believe one of the two stars coming back, then why not go balls to the wall and have some totally gonzo situation where they change the main stars every season?

[webruce]

I don't believe that Perry "slipped" out Michelle by mistake. But he would not know if he was the "big man" and had her worried, or if she would have beat him again. Granted Perry was pretty safe at the party, but Beth if not on a case could have waited for him. But Perry following her and confronting her probably helped him get his fantasy going and his rocks off for sure.

 

 Also If we don't get more backstory on Jack and Amanda, i believe the story will fall short. Unless Jack is put away, or fired.

[shrewd.buddha]

If I were to meet MQ's character Beth is real life, I might impart the following advice : "If you don't want people (D.M.) to continually try prying into your private live, stop making it seem so damned  mysterious. Chill out, girlfriend." 

Her character is sending out loads of mixed messages - don't look at me - I like to dress sexy for myself - I don't want to talk about my past - I use my past experience to make me better at my job - I need you to tell me everything you know , while I use my position to give you information on a need to know basis...

 

I found it a bit hard to believe that the police could not get a full history on the house and it's former occupants within hours. Days? The writing quality suffers when the needs of the plot stomp all over logic. 

[webruce]

Maybe the Jack and Janice jumping quickly into bed after only a few days working together is to show that he has a pattern. We know he did that with a higher ups wife back in NY. Maybe he and Amanda did it after "just going for a drink" back in NY. Maybe it turned into more and then she stopped it. Maybe she got pregnant and he either split or pushed for an abortion? Maybe she said no. Maybe he tried to make it her loose it? Then she left town and he tried to track her down, especially after he found out she had a child. That is probably why she moved here. We are not sure how long she has lived and worked here either. Depending on Ethan's age, it could be several years. It seems Beth knows Amanda at least as an associate at her office. They don't know either personally. But Beth keeps her private life, her private life. And Beth causes questions and suspicions by being vague on her life. But that is a defense mechanism for what happened in her past.

[unbrokensavior]

 

  But Beth keeps her private life, her private life. And Beth causes questions and suspicions by being vague on her life. But that is a defense mechanism for what happened in her past.

I know a lot of people don't like these types of characters, but I find them absolutely fascinating, and Beth is no exception.  I get that the writers are trying to make Jack be mysterious by not sharing a lot about him... but it falls flat to me.  And maybe Beth does cause questions/suspicions (and I'm totally agreeing with you, webruce), but if she doesn't want to talk about herself or explain her actions, then she doesn't have to.  I think Jack's a little too pushy in that respect.

[candall]

I like the show and I, too, like DM.  (Although not enough to wade through Hostages.)

 

But Elizabeth Rohm has given him her stern look three or four times now and warned him that he has two weeks to get to steppin'.  Enough!  It's sweeps month--can we please move this along?