S06.E01: The Platform

[thewhiteowl]

 

When it appears one of our own shot an unarmed man on a busy Boston subway platform, the team must fight to find the real killer while clearing our detective’s name. But with Internal Affairs breathing down our necks, it becomes clear that the circumstances surrounding this shooting are anything but clear.

 

[CarpeDiem54]

I didn't watch last season because I didn't have cable and the thought of Jane having a baby was so annoying that I didn't bother trying to watch it elsewhere. Reading here, I discovered she didn't have the kid after all, so I decided to watch again.

It was a pretty decent story, however, it was over shadowed by the extremely irritating ugly old chair and Frankie's new apartment subplots which were stupid and unnecessary. I kind of liked the dorky new assistant ME guy with the toe shoes. Who's the Asian gal with glasses hanging around the morgue?

I never did see the gun in those videos. I guess it was there since everyone in the show saw it. And when Jane found the wi-fi signal booster, an important piece of evidence I would assume, why did she smash it and leave it on the street instead of turning it off and keeping it?

I was amused that the actress who played the IAD cop, Hickock, played Kate's (Sasha Alexander's) sister on NCIS.

[craziness]

CarpeDiem54, the Asian gal with the glasses is Senior Criminalist Susie Chang. She was/is Maura's primary lab assistant, and we found out interesting snippets about her in the last couple seasons. She is a nudist who likes to make very detailed diaromas, and apparently like to sing when nervous (my favorite part of the episode).

I liked Holiday better this episode than in the past, she just seemed too fit in/be more useful than in the past. Angela didn't bug me too much either. All in all, a good beginning for the season.

[l star]

Hands down, my favorite part of this episode was Maura talking about how she deals with the job. That might be my favorite part of this episode and all of last season.

 

I thought this was a great ep. I didn't even mind Angela and the stupid chair because it gave a lighter through line to the reason they all really went to Frankie's apartment a half-dozen times. That is how Angela should always be used IMO- a supporting player to lend a little heart and humor to the main story.

 

This ep just had a really, really great balance overall. There was the case, Frankie's involvement, the Angela sideline, Frankie's new apartment and a Maura storyline in addition to a cute Susie moment, Holliday getting the chance to really join the team, and the reveal that Frankie is trying to get a new job. That is a lot for one hour to juggle, much less well. That makes me excited for this season.

 

While I got Frankie's fear of the IAB Devils, he was obviously going to be cleared so my focus was more on the morgue story. I'm not sure how I feel about the new guy. I liked the way they introduced him before we saw him but the ruse was fucking creepy. I kind of thought Maura was appreciating the new dynamic at the end though, and I have to admit I did a little too. They laid enough foundation for the sense of 'game on' to be deserved but I'm not sold on him yet. Maybe if he loses and I forget the creepy.

 

In addition to her answer about how she dealt with the bodies and cases (which rang so true for Maura), I also appreciated getting to see more of her job. I enjoy seeing her with the bodies but after five seasons, the bits of the larger scope of her job that were shown tonight are earned. She's never so clearly been shown as The Boss before that I sometimes forget that she runs more than just her little domain of her office and autopsy room. And she wears business clothes instead of scrubs or some other field clothing because she has business meetings and other Boss things to do in between bodies! I loved it, almost as much as I loved that leather and plaid opening dress and the blue twirly end one.

 

I've seen some freak out elsewhere over the 5 year comment. I thought that made sense. When the show started, Jane and Maura were good friends but they didn't seem to be great work friends. I remember a fight early on about Maura not being on Jane's side and Maura not even realizing the issue. So I can buy that though they had known each other longer, they had only been working together all the time for a year or less. My guess is that before that promotion, Maura ran one of the other morgues in Boston. Considering how young for her job she is, it actually helps me that she hadn't been in it for long when the show started.

[MsFlibbles]

Is Tommy in the attic with Chuck Cunningham? You think that with Frankie having a crisis they would at least have Tommy call. But, no mention of Tommy or his son in ages.

[LisaM]

I love Susie. Hope we get to see more of her.

[Latverian Diplomat]

 And when Jane found the wi-fi signal booster, an important piece of evidence I would assume, why did she smash it and leave it on the street instead of turning it off and keeping it?

 

Ostensibly, there was an imminent threat that the guy could trigger a subway crash at any moment, so she didn't want to waste any time. 

 

Really, it just looks cool (and reflects Jane's attitude toward tech?)

 

Don't really care for the tired depiction of IA as people who are just out to nail cops regardless of the merits, (especially since the reality seems to be the opposite in real life -- and Frankie was cleared by a civilian video, again, opposite to recent events). 

 

Also, it seemed a little weird that the case of the week was what could have been a significant terrorist attack, but the focus was all about OMG, Frankie might go to jail.

[peacheslatour]

Loved Frankie's apartment.  Hated The Chair at first, but it kind of does fit the eclectic style so I guess it works.

 

 

Don't really care for the tired depiction of IA as people who are just out to nail cops regardless of the merits, (especially since the reality seems to be the opposite in real life -- and Frankie was cleared by a civilian video, again, opposite to recent events).

So much THIS^^

[shapeshifter]

...Who's the Asian gal with glasses hanging around the morgue?...

CarpeDiem54, the Asian gal with the glasses is Senior Criminalist Susie Chang. She was/is Maura's primary lab assistant, and we found out interesting snippets about her in the last couple seasons. She is a nudist who likes to make very detailed diaromas, and apparently like to sing when nervous (my favorite part of the episode)...

I love Susie. Hope we get to see more of her.

Just wanted to add: I think Susie may hold the distinction of being the only new character introduced on a show that was embraced without reservation by all posting members of the audience. If not the only, am I at least correct in assessing that she has been universally liked?

In contrast, I did not like the plots in this episode: Frankie facing jail and The Chair (not the electric chair, of course, although there's talk of bringing it back in some states).

[Bastet]

Was that Wendy Makkena playing the IAD investigator?  I got onto IMDb last night during the episode because it was bugging me so much -- It looked like her, but it didn't.  It's not on Makkena's page, but the page for the episode didn't have the character listed at all, so it's possible.  It would have been a small role for Makkena - although admittedly I haven't seen her in anything in a while - but I kept thinking it was her.

 

(Ah.  I just checked IMDb again, and now the role has been added to Makkena's page, so it was her.  She looks different.)

 

I was at my parents' house last night, and we had this on but sort of as background noise.  I'll have to watch the repeat before next week's episode. 

Edited June 17, 2015 by Bastet

[UncleChuck]

 

That is how Angela should always be used IMO- a supporting player to lend a little heart and humor to the main story.

I doubt that this "supporting player" bit will last.  A fact of Hollywood is that the producers and writers don't always get to make the decisions about which actor to feature in "X" number of episodes.  That stuff is all written very clearly in their contracts.  To acquire a known actress such as Lorraine Braccho, her agent would get it IN WRITING just exactly how much involvement she has in a season.  Then it is up to the show runner and writers to make it happen.  Also, when you see that one of the actors has suddenly directed an episode, that did not just "happen".  Again the actor's agents get those details hammered out long before a season begins shooting.

 

On the question of that chair...I agree with Angela:  "FREE covers a lot of ugly".

[l star]

I agree with what you are saying but I think my point about her different use here still stands. She really didn't have less screen time than she normally does. It's just that normally, she is used as an irritant to be funny. In this ep she still brought the humor but she also had sincere interactions with her kids, both meddling and supporting. And as far as material, she got some of the best stuff Bracco has gotten in years.

I would also like to point out that she also didn't have much direct interaction with Maura. While I like their scenes early on, I feel like recently they have just brought out the worst in both characters- entitled and mean for Angela, stupid and passive for Maura.

Edited June 19, 2015 by l star

[zoey1996]

Hands down, my favorite part of this episode was Maura talking about how she deals with the job. That might be my favorite part of this episode and all of last season.

...

This ep just had a really, really great balance overall. There was the case, Frankie's involvement, the Angela sideline, Frankie's new apartment and a Maura storyline in addition to a cute Susie moment, Holliday getting the chance to really join the team, and the reveal that Frankie is trying to get a new job. That is a lot for one hour to juggle, much less well. That makes me excited for this season.

 

 I'm not sure how I feel about the new guy. I liked the way they introduced him before we saw him but the ruse was ... creepy. I kind of thought Maura was appreciating the new dynamic at the end though, and I have to admit I did a little too. They laid enough foundation for the sense of 'game on' to be deserved but I'm not sold on him yet. Maybe if he loses and I forget the creepy.

I agree with most of this post.  I don't understand what is meant by, "the ruse." Was that when he revealed why he'd worn the "foot shoes?"  I did like the new guy, and see nothing creepy about him.  I thought the interaction with him and the rest of the team seemed realistic.

[shapeshifter]

I'm not sure how I feel about the new guy. I liked the way they introduced him before we saw him but the ruse was fucking creepy.

I agree with most of this post. I don't understand what is meant by, "the ruse." Was that when he revealed why he'd worn the "foot shoes?" I did like the new guy, and see nothing creepy about him. I thought the interaction with him and the rest of the team seemed realistic.

Maybe I wouldn't use the word "creepy," but how can you ever trust someone who pretends to be someone/something he is not? IDK, we all do it to some degree when meeting new people, but this was over the top. On Bones they had Aristoo pretend to be a devout Muslim and speak with an accent at first, but they did a pretty good job of explaining his motivations. Here I didn't really get the point other than because he could deceive. Plus they had Jane not like him, which sends a bit of a message that Maura is once again trusting/liking someone she should not. Edited June 20, 2015 by shapeshifter

[romantic idiot]

I just hope he doesn't end up as Maura's love interest this season. I'd hate for her to go from someone like Enver and the character he played, to this guy who is just plain plain. 

[Notwisconsin]

...the Asian gal with the glasses is Senior Criminalist Susie Chang. She was/is Maura's primary lab assistant, and we found out interesting snippets about her in the last couple seasons. She is a nudist who likes to make very detailed diaromas, and apparently like to sing when nervous (my favorite part of the episode).

The question, is Dr. Chang the substitute for the author/creator of the books/show, who was a sr. criminalist of Asian heritage.