Major Crimes - General Discussion

[Bastet]

On 8/16/2023 at 2:14 PM, Crs97 said:

You know when I disliked Rusty the most?  When he wanted to write an audition article about their investigation into the string of robberies that ended in murder and got pissed that Major Crimes went to professional reporters rather than give him the scoop.  He should have had more than Buzz calling him out.

I've been using my Major Crimes DVDs as comfort TV to fall asleep to lately, and last night watched "A Rose is a Rose"; I remembered someone had recently posted about that moment of Rusty's.  Ugh.  The Rusty Beck, Super Journalist arc introduced in season four is almost unbearable, and that scene is one of the many reasons why.  "You guys knew how important this story was to me, and you released it to the press?" 

Yes, dipshit.  You are five minutes into school.  At a community college.  Whose school paper rejected your article (I just love when he complains that because he missed the deadline, he won't get considered for the paper again until November, even though he writes "ten times better than anyone there", completely oblivious to the reality that if that were true, he'd have been staffed based on the first story he submitted).  So, yeah, when getting a story publicized might get someone to come forward with what they need, they're going to go with, you know, the professional media.  That people actually read/watch/listen to.

And then a couple of episodes later, when he gets in trouble for having interviewed Slider, he's standing there trying to lecture them about his rights as a journalist!  I love this exchange when Taylor cuts him off:

Rusty: Criminals have rights, yes, but so does the press.  The First Amendment states --
Taylor:  Uh-uh.  I am not going to talk about the Constitution with you.

I also love in the episode between those two, when Slider goes to sit down with the "reporter" who's there to see him, and catches a glimpse of Rusty:

- I thought I was meeting a reporter.
- Yeah, that's me.  I'm doing a story on Alice Herrera.
- You're doing a piece on Alice Herrera?  For what, show-and-tell at kindergarten?

But Rusty's response of "This isn't for a school paper, buddy.  I write for an online vlog called Identity" drives me crazy.  Like posting on YouTube because the school paper wouldn't have you is a badge of honor. 

It's incredibly realistic, I know, a kid who's been in college for five minutes thinking he knows everything and the world is just clamoring to hear from him, but goddamn he has a punchable face in all those scenes where he's touting himself as a journalist.  And it's bad enough to have Buzz validating him, but later they get Judge Grove in on it!  The crankiest judge in the entire Los Angeles Superior Court system, whose blood pressure is repeatedly spiked at the mere sight of Rusty, has his wife get Rusty into UCLA, because his blog is just so damn brilliant.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Bastet

[proserpina65]

I watched both parts of Special Master while I was working from home yesterday.  I'd forgotten how pissed off those episodes made me as an employee of a state circuit court.  There's no way in hell a suspect charged with serial rape and murder would ever be allowed to be alone with a judge.  In my court, someone who'd shoplifted from Walmart wouldn't be alone with a judge, never mind a murder suspect.  The complete disregard for court security, in such an otherwise intelligent show, made my blood pressure rise.  And given how much I hated the whole Phillip Stroh storyline to begin with, I really wish I'd decided to watch the rest of Welcome to Wrexham instead.  (I didn't because I would've needed to pay more attention to it.)

[Bastet]

I love "Turn Down" and could be here all day listing the reasons why, so I shall pick one at random:  All the names Buzz gets called based on what he's saying.

- When he lectures Provenza and Flynn that "When addressing the public, LAPD policy requires us to be considerate, polite --" Andy cuts him off with "Thrifty, loyal, brave.  Yeah, we know.  Listen, Mr. Boy Scout, you are here to learn from us, not vice versa."

- When he lays out the reasons for telling his watch commander they found a body under suspicious circumstances, telling Provenza he's said a thousand times there are no coincidences, Provenza says "Listen to me, Barney Fife.  You know when there are coincidences?  On the 4th of July weekend when we're scheduled to go to the Dodger game tomorrow night, that's when.

- When he goes on about the word origin and correct pronunciation of "ukelele", Provenza says, "Thank you, Don Ho."

- When he says if the killer spiked the victim's energy drink with Valium, he'd have been surprised to find him awake and that would explain the attempt at electrocution and the struggle, Provenza says, "Thank you, Sherlock Holmes."

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I watched both parts of Special Master while I was working from home yesterday.  I'd forgotten how pissed off those episodes made me as an employee of a state circuit court.  There's no way in hell a suspect charged with serial rape and murder would ever be allowed to be alone with a judge.  In my court, someone who'd shoplifted from Walmart wouldn't be alone with a judge, never mind a murder suspect.  The complete disregard for court security, in such an otherwise intelligent show, made my blood pressure rise.  And given how much I hated the whole Phillip Stroh storyline to begin with, I really wish I'd decided to watch the rest of Welcome to Wrexham instead.  (I didn't because I would've needed to pay more attention to it.)

I haven't watched that one in years, but didn't Stroh manage to convince the judge that since they were old lawyer buddies the judge didn't need anyone else in the room?

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I haven't watched that one in years, but didn't Stroh manage to convince the judge that since they were old lawyer buddies the judge didn't need anyone else in the room?

They were law school buddies, but sort of -- he requested Judge Schaeffer to serve as the Special Master because he knew he'd be naive enough to ignore the deputies' instructions not to approach the prisoner, so Stroh could do his pen dropping routine and set up his plan.  (It wasn't entirely about the deputies being outside - to maintain privilege - since Stroh was chained, but emphasizing from that first scene that the judge ignored the restrictions because he was thinking of Stroh as the guy he admired in law school, not as a defendant.)

Edited October 4, 2023 by Bastet

[proserpina65]

14 hours ago, Bastet said:

They were law school buddies, but sort of -- he requested Judge Schaeffer to serve as the Special Master because he knew he'd be naive enough to ignore the deputies' instructions not to approach the prisoner, so Stroh could do his pen dropping routine and set up his plan.  (It wasn't entirely about the deputies being outside - to maintain privilege - since Stroh was chained, but emphasizing from that first scene that the judge ignored the restrictions because he was thinking of Stroh as the guy he admired in law school, not as a defendant.)

That was the case but still something no judge would ever do.  And no district attorney would ever agree to not having security in the room.

Don't get me wrong, in general I love this show but since I work in the court system, this kind of thing drives me crazy.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Don't get me wrong, in general I love this show but since I work in the court system, this kind of thing drives me crazy.

Oh, I get it; I'm a lawyer, so TV courts drive me batty, too.  And this show is more realistic than most, so when they play fast and loose with reality in service of their plot, it stands out.

[Bastet]

Well, it took until my umpteenth viewing (probably because I was always too busy cracking up throughout the episode), but it occurs to me the timing of "Dead Drop" is odd in terms of Andy's proposal.

On the day (Day One, Friday) they're called in because a body was found in a tree on city property, the background in terms of Andy's plan is this:  Provenza knows he has plans for the weekend, and Rusty knows everything except that there's going to be a proposal, but because it was intended as a surprise for Sharon no one else, including her, knows it's anything other than a typical "Dammit, we caught a case on a Friday; what are the odds we actually get a weekend" situation.

When, later that day, the geofencing software reveals hundreds of potential witnesses via social media posts, far more than they were expecting, Andy knows the trip is not happening and tries to get in touch with Rusty, but he left his phone at work so shows up at the station with the luggage.  Andy tells him to cancel everything, Rusty points out Sharon isn't really into being whisked away somewhere anyway, Andy asks him to get them reservations at Serve for the next night instead, blah blah blah -- we wipe on the skyline shot out the window to show we've progressed to the next morning (Day Two, Saturday), and they're all* - but, put a pin in that, as I'll come back to it with something I just noticed last night - still in the RACR room, running down those social media posts.

By that evening, everybody except Amy and Wes - who are set up on the fake pot bundle they've transferred the GPS beacon to, waiting to see who turns up to collect it - has made their way home.  Sharon gets home to find Andy gussied up and trying to surprise her with a dinner out while they finally have a minute.  Sharon says they can't go out to dinner that night, since they could need to go interview someone at any minute should Amy and Wes make an arrest, Andy reveals to Rusty he's trying to propose, Rusty shoots down his second plan as being even more stupid than his first, etc.  At some point that night, Amy and Wes do indeed nab and bring in the guys who pick up the drugs and everyone reconvenes at the station. 

By the time the killers are nailed, it's the next day (Day Three, Sunday).  It's daylight when Sharon talks with Dr. Morales's dad in her office (I love how sweet she finds it when he asks her not to let Fernando know he knows his son is lying about his job), and by the time she and Andy arrive home to the candlelit dinner Rusty and Gus had arranged for him, it's dark.

So they've been working for three days on practically no sleep*, not exactly conducive to a romantic evening at any age, let alone theirs.  I guess that ring burning a hole in his pocket gave him a second wind, and she's taken enough by the sweet surprise of capping this three-day case off with dinner at home from the restaurant where they had their first date that she's not "Thanks, Honey, but can I eat it lying down?" like I would be.

*Except, this brings me back to my newly-discovered pin that maybe they're not as tired as I'd always thought: On the morning of Day Two, when the squad finally hits on the social media post that gives them a lead on who probably took off with the bale of marijuana (and thus may have seen how the body wound up in a tree), and when it plays like everyone has been there all night wading through those posts, everyone is indeed in the same clothes from Day One -- except Sharon and Andy, who have both changed (and into completely new outfits, not just fresh shirts). 

Huh?  They went home at some point overnight?  There's no mention they did/were going to, and it's not as if everyone expected them to be gone by them anyway (Sharon still had no idea Andy was planning a surprise getaway, and no one other than Provenza knew Andy had anything planned); if that had been the case, I wouldn't think anything of it, as it would make sense to assume Sharon had told the team, "It's bad enough we had to cancel our trip for this damn case, so we're going to at least go home for the night; call me if you find anything, otherwise we'll start helping again in the morning."  But they, and only they, have different clothes on the morning of Day Two.  So, apparently they did.  And 5-1/2 years later, I noticed, heh.

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, Bastet said:

So they've been working for three days on practically no sleep*, not exactly conducive to a romantic evening at any age, let alone theirs

I was never sure how old Sharon and Andy were supposed to be, so I always aged them down a bit, because it made more sense to me that way.

[Bastet]

16 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I was never sure how old Sharon and Andy were supposed to be, so I always aged them down a bit, because it made more sense to me that way.

I don't know about Andy, but of Sharon James Duff once said she's around Mary's age, maybe a few years younger.  I was glad to have that confirmed, because we need more female lead characters in their 60s (and up) on TV.  (And, good lords, do we need more of them in movies.)

It was also gratifying to see someone her age being given command of an elite squad.  (And, as a terrific bonus, that gave us the early scene where Taylor reneges on making her a commander, saying getting the job every captain in the LAPD wants is the promotion, and it's a gift, one not usually given to people after they've qualified for retirement, and Sharon fires back with:  So, considering how many people would like to replace me and how old I am, I should just take this job and be grateful.  Is that what you're saying?)  Plus, of course, to see her finally get that promotion at an age when people used to be forced to retire.

[Bastet]

I continue to notice things after five+ years:  In "Intersection" (where the mom mows down the guy who'd accidentally killed her son in a car accident years before), the opening scene has them reviewing footage from the victim's helmet camera, declaring there's "no shot of the car".  But then later Sharon asks Mike how it's going slowing down the footage, and he says "I should be able to ID some vehicle plates in a minute".  Only that identification never happens, and they never mention that Mike's attempt didn't work.  We just never hear about it again.

There's no deleted scene on the DVD to explain that gap (a couple of episodes were significantly retooled, but in general scheduling was tight and the deleted scenes are brief moments simply cut for time, sometimes answering a question like this one). 

I like that episode (no surprise, I like virtually all the episodes in which Sharon is alive [yep, still bitter]); I love the dinner with Sharon, Andy, Provenza, and Patrice (and everyone's reaction to Andy's disgustingly healthy cake), and absolutely adore the scene between Sharon and Provenza in her office at the end.  She hugs him AND calls him Louie.  She's always been entitled to the latter per his rule ("Unless I divorced you or you outrank me, my first name is Lieutenant") and everyone else she calls by their names, rather than their ranks, at times, but with him she waited all this time to exercise that privilege and it's perfect.  So sweet, and so well earned given their history.

Edited October 12, 2023 by Bastet

[Simba122504]

I just finished the entire series for the first time ever. I would have been down with a third spin off with the two new detectives being transferred to another city. I actually cried when Sharon died. If I watched live, I would have shipped Andy & Sharon before the writers did because my brain works that way when it comes to shipping. I just know. They dragged out PS too long. When this happens, the villains become comic book supervillains. I hate that. Rusty annoyed me in the early seasons, but I understand why he was the way he was. His relationship with Sharon was beautiful. Because of their relationship. You get more choked up compared to  "The Closer." She saved that boy's life and showed him unconditional love. The type of love a mother should have for a child. I understand because S6 only had 13 episodes,  they couldn't do any stand alone episodes. I also love the relationship between Flynn & Provenza. 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Simba122504

[Bastet]

On 10/29/2023 at 2:51 PM, Simba122504 said:

Rusty annoyed me in the early seasons, but I understand why he was the way he was. His relationship with Sharon was beautiful. Because of their relationship. You get more choked up compared to  "The Closer." She saved that boy's life and showed him unconditional love. The type of love a mother should have for a child.

I found Rusty more annoying in the later seasons, but I'm with you in loving his relationship with Sharon throughout.  I appreciate the times he straight-up acknowledges she completely changed his life, and quite possibly saved it, that without her, he might have wound up like "Alice" or any of the other homeless kids who die in the streets.  And that she always tells him he needs to give himself credit, too.  It was a beautiful relationship, as you said, and refreshing in being different from most relationships seen on TV -- we're certainly not inundated with tales of foster parents and their wards.

On 10/29/2023 at 2:51 PM, Simba122504 said:

I understand because S6 only had 13 episodes,  they couldn't do any stand alone episodes.

It wasn't because of the limited number of episodes (season one only had ten, and they were all stand-alones), it was because the new head of TNT - who hated the show, despite it remaining his network's number-one drama no matter how many times he changed the timeslot, because it wasn't the "edgy" fare* he wanted to be known for - made it a requirement.

*Also, fuck that guy.  You know what's edgy?  In a landscape of police procedurals that normalize, justify and even celebrate police misconduct to the extent viewers - who are potential jurors - have their view of crime and the justice system skewed, having a show about a squad run by a former IA captain, who requires her team to do it by the book, and accept that sometimes that means they can't make a charge stick against someone they know is guilty, and for said team to acknowledge that, in doing so, she made them better cops.

Also, to have a show led by a woman in her 60s, a workplace drama about the best of the best at what they do populated by people old enough to have garnered the experience and expertise necessary to be the best of the best. 

To have diversity in age, race, gender, and sexual orientation and to have those characters address the ways their age, race, gender, and/or orientation affects them in completely natural, situation-specific instances of quick looks or cutting remarks, rather than ignoring it or turning it into Very Special Episodes.

To show normal, well meaning but realistically-flawed characters doing their best and generally treating people with a baseline of respect and compassion.  Not anti-heroes.  Not superheroes.  Just plain ol' good people trying to make a bit of a difference in their little corner of the world.

In contemporary television, that's what is edgy.

Edited October 31, 2023 by Bastet

[Simba122504]

On 10/29/2023 at 11:12 PM, Bastet said:

I found Rusty more annoying in the later seasons, but I'm with you in loving his relationship with Sharon throughout.  I appreciate the times he straight-up acknowledges she completely changed his life, and quite possibly saved it, that without her, he might have wound up like "Alice" or any of the other homeless kids who die in the streets.  And that she always tells him he needs to give himself credit, too.  It was a beautiful relationship, as you said, and refreshing in being different from most relationships seen on TV -- we're certainly not inundated with tales of foster parents and their wards.

It wasn't because of the limited number of episodes (season one only had ten, and they were all stand-alones), it was because the new head of TNT - who hated the show, despite it remaining his network's number-one drama no matter how many times he changed the timeslot, because it wasn't the "edgy" fare* he wanted to be known for - made it a requirement.

I didn't know that. I hate when that happens. The Closer/Major Crimes universe could have went on like NCIS, CSI and Law & Order.  

[Bastet]

12 hours ago, Simba122504 said:

I didn't know that. I hate when that happens.

The cast equated it to dying by slow gas leak; they knew it was coming, they just didn't know when.  The old TNT leadership was very supportive of the show -- of course; the show was their idea, and it was a big hit for them -- but as soon as the new guy came in, he made it clear by his lack of engagement he didn't care about it. 

He stopped sending them to the upfronts (which is where networks promote their new and returning shows to the media ahead of each new season), stopped submitting them for award nominations, etc.  Then over the next couple of seasons he commenced actively shuffling the show around, new nights and times, and each time the ratings either stayed the same or increased, but he still didn't care -- he wanted to make his name (which, good going, dude, as I've already forgotten it as I haven't watched anything on the network since) with "edgy" content.

They weren't sure if they were going to get renewed after season five, as he had some new shows on the air or in the pipeline and seemed like he might be getting ready to pull the trigger, so the season five finale (the two-part "Shockwave") had two versions, one that would be a series finale if they knew for sure they weren't coming back and one meant to be a season finale but that wouldn't leave big things hanging as a series finale if it came to that.  They found out they were renewed (but just with a 13-episode order; the back nine wasn't included, but it also wasn't explicitly stated it wouldn't happen [that's not uncommon]) just in time for shooting, so we got the season finale version of "Shockwave".  (Which, in my re-watches, sometimes stands as the series finale -- since Sharon is, you know, ALIVE -- as I have to be in the right mood to watch season six [and I've only re-watched the final four episodes once, and don't intend to ever again, as I don't give a fucking shit about Rusty Beck vs. Phillip Stroh]).

The viewership was still great (the networks top-rated drama), and the producers/writers would have happily continued, as would the cast -- it wasn't the most creatively fulfilling work they'd ever done, no, but they absolutely adored each other and truly enjoyed working together (plus, steady paychecks and qualifying for full benefits each year is nothing to sneeze at) -- so cancellation was due solely to the new guy's vision for the network.  Under the old leadership it would have kept going.

[Simba122504]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

The cast equated it to dying by slow gas leak; they knew it was coming, they just didn't know when.  The old TNT leadership was very supportive of the show -- of course; the show was their idea, and it was a big hit for them -- but as soon as the new guy came in, he made it clear by his lack of engagement he didn't care about it. 

He stopped sending them to the upfronts (which is where networks promote their new and returning shows to the media ahead of each new season), stopped submitting them for award nominations, etc.  Then over the next couple of seasons he commenced actively shuffling the show around, new nights and times, and each time the ratings either stayed the same or increased, but he still didn't care -- he wanted to make his name (which, good going, dude, as I've already forgotten it as I haven't watched anything on the network since) with "edgy" content.

They weren't sure if they were going to get renewed after season five, as he had some new shows on the air or in the pipeline and seemed like he might be getting ready to pull the trigger, so the season five finale (the two-part "Shockwave") had two versions, one that would be a series finale if they knew for sure they weren't coming back and one meant to be a season finale but that wouldn't leave big things hanging as a series finale if it came to that.  They found out they were renewed (but just with a 13-episode order; the back nine wasn't included, but it also wasn't explicitly stated it wouldn't happen [that's not uncommon]) just in time for shooting, so we got the season finale version of "Shockwave".  (Which, in my re-watches, sometimes stands as the series finale -- since Sharon is, you know, ALIVE -- as I have to be in the right mood to watch season six [and I've only re-watched the final four episodes once, and don't intend to ever again, as I don't give a fucking shit about Rusty Beck vs. Phillip Stroh]).

The viewership was still great (the networks top-rated drama), and the producers/writers would have happily continued, as would the cast -- it wasn't the most creatively fulfilling work they'd ever done, no, but they absolutely adored each other and truly enjoyed working together (plus, steady paychecks and qualifying for full benefits each year is nothing to sneeze at) -- so cancellation was due solely to the new guy's vision for the network.  Under the old leadership it would have kept going.

That's terrible. The universe still had life in it. The series finale was pretty mediocre. I still don't know who that Tammy woman was supposed to be?  

[CheshireCat]

I haven't really watched any episodes since the show ended because they killed off Sharon (I think the wedding episode was the last I watched). Then I caught a rerun a few weeks ago and found myself watching quite a number of episodes as the show just draws me in. I told myself to just enjoy the stories and it worked for a while until it didn't. It kind of makes me mad as it's a fantastic show with a great cast (except for two characters that I could have done without) and the decision to kill off Sharon really ruined it for me.

I know they're just characters but at the same time, they are characters. We're supposed to care and they're brought to life and they portray relationships and feelings and all that and the more episodes I watched, the more I thought about what they were doing to Rusty and Andy and Sharon, too. Rusty finally has a family and a mother who cares about him, Andy finally finds love and above all, after she had a crappy husband, Sharon finally finds someone who loves her, respects her and truly cares and she also gets the promotion she desired and neither she nor Andy nor Rusty really get a chance to enjoy it. Yes, sometimes it's life but a) I don't need life on TV, I've got life in life, TV is supposed to provide an escape and b) I read that the showrunner killed Sharon because the show was cancelled, so out of spite. That is not only immature but, I feel, disrespectful to the characters as well. And it's what gets me mad about this whole thing, that it wasn't done to tell a story but because an adult threw a temper tantrum and then didn't even bother to do the story and the characters he created justice.

Now, I never watched the episodes after Sharon's death but from what I read, they're not even properly dealing with how her death would have affected the characters. The way my grandmother passed away isn't entirely the same but it's similar. She had COPD (which she hid from my parents and I), she continued to smoke (which she hid from everyone, including my granddad) so she made a decision which she knew could lead to her death even sooner and she still died unexpectedly. So, while Sharon didn't hide her health condition, the choice she made (choosing her job over her loved ones) and that she died rather suddenly, adds a whole different layer to the grieving process. There are more things that you have come to terms with and accept than the loss of a loved one and regardless of what I thought of him in later episodes, I would imagine that it would have been especially tough for Rusty. His birth mother chose drugs over him and then there's Sharon who chooses her job even though she know it could be a fatal decision. So, I'm sure Rusty would have had moments where he would have been quite angry and felt like maybe Sharon wasn't all that different than his birth mother as she (Sharon) had chosen her job over him and abandoned him, too.

There's also the question what it truly would have done to Andy. Many alcoholics fall off the wagon at one point, so it's hard for me to believe that he wouldn't have struggled, at least, to the point where he would have considered a drink in one form or another and/or would have needed to be reminded that Sharon wouldn't have wanted that for him.

In other words, I think the show completely ignored the complexity of the situation they created and that it wasn't "just" a loss but more, well, complex than that and the time they would have needed to dedicate to address it properly would probably have added up to at least a whole episode.

I'm never a fan of killing off a character because loss always hurts and I don't understand why anyone would want to put a character they brought to life through that when they don't have to. But if it's done right and if there's a point to a death then I can deal with it. I don't think the show did either. As far as I can tell, all the show did was inflict pain on characters that didn't deserve it for no reason at all.

 

[Bastet]

On 11/1/2023 at 4:05 AM, CheshireCat said:

So, while Sharon didn't hide her health condition, the choice she made (choosing her job over her loved ones)

I don't think so at all.  Every step of the way, as the prognosis changed with the world's most rapidly advancing case of cardiomyopathy, she did what she was advised to do, including taking a medical leave from the job that made her the happiest she'd ever been.  She wasn't going to leave that night without making sure that horrible woman was going to pay for her role in what was done to the victims, that wouldn't be Sharon Raydor, but she didn't have any reason to think it was going to kill her -- she had that pacemaker or whatever it was that was supposed to reset her rhythm when her heart had one of its episodes, and it had worked before.  But her heart "seized" instead (or whatever they said in the funeral episode), and they couldn't get her back.

On 11/1/2023 at 4:05 AM, CheshireCat said:

I read that the showrunner killed Sharon because the show was cancelled,

He's given about half a dozen different reasons, some of them contradictory, but fan consensus is certainly that, ultimately, yeah, he just threw a fit.

 

Edited November 6, 2023 by Bastet

[Bastet]

On 11/1/2023 at 4:05 AM, CheshireCat said:

There's also the question what it truly would have done to Andy. Many alcoholics fall off the wagon at one point, so it's hard for me to believe that he wouldn't have struggled, at least, to the point where he would have considered a drink in one form or another and/or would have needed to be reminded that Sharon wouldn't have wanted that for him.

I forgot to respond to this part yesterday.  I wasn't invested in Sharon and Andy's relationship - since it was so woefully under-developed - but it's heartbreaking to contemplate his loss.  I mostly focus on the kids, especially Rusty, but when I really sit and think about Andy -- ouch!  He didn't get a single anniversary with her.  A first Christmas as spouses.  Hell, he got their wedding photos delivered the night after he attended her funeral!  That's brutal. 

He's been sober a long time, and I appreciate this was one of the few recovering alcoholic characters we saw not only never fall off the wagon, but never have one of those tired order a drink and stare at it scenes.  (Of course it happens, I'm just sick of it happening on every damn show.)  But they say "one day at a time" for a reason, as slips can happen even well into recovery.  (Take Andy's reaction to the sponsor in "Personal Effects", who fell off after 20 years, even though he thought he knew all his triggers.)  

Andy loves three things: his job, Sharon, and his kids.  He's stuck on desk duty, probably permanently, at work.  Sharon is gone.  He had rebuilt a good relationship with Nicole, but she was MIA for the wedding and funeral (because the actor was filming in Chicago, so that doesn't necessarily mean he and Nicole were estranged again; they never bothered to toss in a line explaining her absence).  If he's going to have a fuck it moment after all this hard work maintaining his sobriety, this would be the time to do it.  I tend to think he didn't, but I certainly think he'd struggle.

Both Andy and Rusty break my heart to contemplate.  Ricky and Emily, too, of course, but a) they had longer with her and b) they're going to go back home to daily lives that didn't include Sharon's physical presence.  She'll be their first thought when they wake up and it'll hit them throughout the day, but they'll get distracted for longer stretches of time and sooner than Andy and Rusty will.  Because those two get hit in the face with her absence all day/night long -- at home and at work.   

While nowhere near my normal route, I had to drive past Los Feliz Towers (Sharon's condo building) a week or two after Sharon died, and I actually teared up in the car, thinking if this was all real, and Andy and Rusty were really up there without her - probably both simultaneously never wanting to leave and wanting to be anywhere else, both feeling like they had to stay for the other* - it would be just devastating.

*Just as I love that, although Andy obviously raised the issue, he also obviously didn't have any problem when she decided to stay Sharon Raydor after they got married, I love learning via the funeral episode that she didn't join their finances, but she did leave him a life tenancy in the condo (the kids inherit it, but he's entitled to live there the rest of his life if he wants).  Not that she figured her kids were going to say "You're outta here!" but she made 100% sure it's up to him when he leaves.

[Bastet]

Continuing the theme of things I notice years later:

Near the beginning of "#FindKaylaWeber" (Ep 4x17), we see Julio give a scent dog an article of clothing to smell, to set up his report to Provenza that two K-9 units both converged on the driveway leading up to the house, a pretty meaningless result as Kayla would have been there frequently on her own.  I just this umpteenth viewing recognized that shot of him giving the dog a sniff as reused footage from a previous episode -- it comes from a larger sequence, which included the whole field squad and several more dogs, in "Boys Will Be Boys" (Ep 2x6), when they were searching the park for Michelle (and ultimately found her body thanks to said dogs).

[mammaM]

Season 5, episode 6. "Tourist Trap"

Happen to catch this. Love the lieutenant Mike story line with Badge of Justice winning the platinum tv choice award for "best teleplay for non-serialized 60 minute episodic police procedural on basic cable" 😂😂😂😂 Still makes giggle.

And after reading the previous couple of posts, yes, I'm still annoyed they killed off Sharon (never watch season 6) and cancelled the show😠😠

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, mammaM said:

Love the lieutenant Mike story line with Badge of Justice winning the platinum tv choice award for "best teleplay for non-serialized 60 minute episodic police procedural on basic cable" 😂😂😂😂 Still makes giggle.

It's one of the few episodes I don't like, but I dearly love that award title.

The cartoon character that is the woman whose grandson stole her gun is one of the many things that bug me about the episode, but my favorite moment of the entire thing involves her:  When she walks into the Murder Room and sees Sharon, Taylor, and Provenza standing together, she assumes the white guy is the one in charge.  Something that happens every day in real life workplaces, but is not often shown on TV.  And it's just there; nobody comments on it.  Many viewers will not even notice, and I always appreciate when writers accept that as okay and just trust the audience as a whole rather than hammering a point home. 

Edited February 13 by Bastet

[TrixieTrue]

On 2/12/2024 at 7:37 PM, mammaM said:

Season 5, episode 6. "Tourist Trap"

Happen to catch this. Love the lieutenant Mike story line with Badge of Justice winning the platinum tv choice award for "best teleplay for non-serialized 60 minute episodic police procedural on basic cable" 😂😂😂😂 Still makes giggle.

And after reading the previous couple of posts, yes, I'm still annoyed they killed off Sharon (never watch season 6) and cancelled the show😠😠

I also really enjoy this episode. I think this is when Mike is still wearing his tux and the reporter who's observing asks and Amy replies, "Well, it is a formal investigation." 

[Chaos Theory]

I actually find Rusty being “annoying” kind of refreshing.  Too many adult oriented shows especially cop shows have whatever kids there are there for the sole purpose of being mirrors of whatever plot is going on.   So they are either perfect or trainwrecks.    Rusty was a fully drawn out person.  You understood why he was annoying.   But there was also some truly beautiful scenes with him.  I really liked the early scene where the team got Rusty’s father to sign away his parental rights and everyone signed as witnesses.    

[shapeshifter]

1 minute ago, Chaos Theory said:

I actually find Rusty being “annoying” kind of refreshing.  Too many adult oriented shows especially cop shows have whatever kids there are there for the sole purpose of being mirrors of whatever plot is going on.   So they are either perfect or trainwrecks.    Rusty was a fully drawn out person.  You understood why he was annoying.   But there was also some truly beautiful scenes with him.  I really liked the early scene where the team got Rusty’s father to sign away his parental rights and everyone signed as witnesses.    

During the first run of the show it was Rusty's hair that just really bugged me, LOL.

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I really liked the early scene where the team got Rusty’s father to sign away his parental rights and everyone signed as witnesses.    

"How weird is it that I'm happy to be an orphan?"

"You're not an orphan, Rusty.  You may not have a mom and dad, but you are family."
 

[CheshireCat]

On 2/12/2024 at 3:01 PM, Bastet said:

It's one of the few episodes I don't like, but I dearly love that award title.

The cartoon character that is the woman whose grandson stole her gun is one of the many things that bug me about the episode, but my favorite moment of the entire thing involves her:  When she walks into the Murder Room and sees Sharon, Taylor, and Provenza standing together, she assumes the white guy is the one in charge.  Something that happens every day in real life workplaces, but is not often shown on TV.  And it's just there; nobody comments on it.  Many viewers will not even notice, and I always appreciate when writers accept that as okay and just trust the audience as a whole rather than hammering a point home. 

I think Major Crimes did a lot of that and it's one of the reasons I loved that show.

It's kind of contradictory. The show got so many things right with regards to how society views women and Rusty's attitude and his relationship with Sharon and then they treated Sharon the way they did...

On 2/14/2024 at 8:07 AM, Chaos Theory said:

I actually find Rusty being “annoying” kind of refreshing.  Too many adult oriented shows especially cop shows have whatever kids there are there for the sole purpose of being mirrors of whatever plot is going on.   So they are either perfect or trainwrecks.    Rusty was a fully drawn out person.  You understood why he was annoying.   But there was also some truly beautiful scenes with him.  I really liked the early scene where the team got Rusty’s father to sign away his parental rights and everyone signed as witnesses.    

I also loved how Sharon responded. At the beginning, she was understanding and allowed him to be angry at her but then there was the point where she had enough. It felt natural and right.

I also liked how she would often guide him by asking questions rather than telling him what the right or wrong thing to do would be. I think she demonstrated really good parenting.

[Bastet]

On 2/16/2024 at 3:29 AM, CheshireCat said:

I also liked how she would often guide him by asking questions rather than telling him what the right or wrong thing to do would be. I think she demonstrated really good parenting.

Same here.  It was clear this woman had already successfully raised two kids to adulthood, and by the third time around Rusty's typical adolescent attitude was something she could deal with using about three brain cells, plus she was equipped to take on the challenge of Rusty's special circumstances.  Although she did proceed cautiously because of those circumstances being unfamiliar to her:

On 2/16/2024 at 3:29 AM, CheshireCat said:

I also loved how Sharon responded. At the beginning, she was understanding and allowed him to be angry at her but then there was the point where she had enough. It felt natural and right.

I love that we see Sharon just a few days into Rusty's stay with her reining herself in when dealing with him.  She's come home from Provenza's "It's not fair" fit at the office to this kid's stuff still being all over her living room and it's too much at the moment, so she starts slamming it into his bag.  They're getting into it a little, with him tossing out another one of his threats to leave and tank the Stroh case, and when he says she can't tell him to go to his room, because she's not his mother, that's the last straw and she snaps, "You're right, I'm not your mother.  And how do we know that?  Because I am here."  But then, as frustrated as she is, she softens her voice and instead repeats "I'm here" with all that frustration changed to compassion, then goes on to say, "Your mother is not.  And you're gonna have to try and make the best of it."

And we see her several times pull herself back from touching him; it's her habit (we saw her touching her squad members on the arm and such back when she was in FID), but she knows he's not comfortable with even a hand on the back, so she stops herself.  It's not until she has to send him off for a weekend at Daniel's that she hugs him, but she gives him a chance to back out of it before she squeezes him.

Her caution with Rusty is wonderfully illustrated by contrast when Ricky comes to visit and, his head filled with Jack's manipulations, acts like a spoiled jackass about the adoption.  There's no treading carefully with this one, no leading questions instead of pronouncements.  She doesn't have to check herself; she raised him from birth, she knows he's better than this, and she's going to tell him about himself.  The maternal smackdown of the year in "Sweet Revenge" is one of my favorite things in the entire series, all of it, but especially once it really gets going:

- If you don't develop a little human compassion for this young man who grew up with none of the advantages you took for granted every day of your life, then I'm going to leave here wondering where I went wrong as a mother.

- [Ricky says he and Emily are both going to have kids some day, and does she really want her grandkids calling that boy "Uncle Rusty"?]

- That is a whole lot better than what I'm thinking of calling you right now.  Richard William Raydor, you listen to me, and you listen to me good.  You've got one chance to get this right.  You need to turn your attitude around right this minute, because if you make Rusty feel unwelcome in this family after all of his and my hard work, I will be just so ... disappointed.  Oh, my God -- I am so disappointed in you right now, I don't even know what to say.

It is all perfectly written (Mary called James to rave about it) and delivered even beyond perfection.  Sharon realizes as she's talking that she's not just frustrated with him, she's probably more disappointed in him than she's ever been, and it hits her so hard she has to pause before she admits the word. 

[fastiller]

On 5/10/2021 at 2:39 AM, Jaded said:

It's been a few years and I'm still pissed that they killed Sharon off and not even in the final episode. I admit to not watching the episodes after that all the way. I FF'd through most of them especially the last two mainly because of how much they focused on Rusty's annoying ass. 

Add another three years on since the above was posted and I'm still pissed that Sharon was killed off before the series finale.  I never watched The Closer so I was totally new to all the characters and it was McDonnell's Raydor that pulled me in 100%. 

[Raja]

4 minutes ago, fastiller said:

Add another three years on since the above was posted and I'm still pissed that Sharon was killed off before the series finale.  I never watched The Closer so I was totally new to all the characters and it was McDonnell's Raydor that pulled me in 100%. 

Well Lieutenant Provenza may have been fine with Rusty's final action but at least Commander Raydor didn't know that is how her influence ended with her son 

[Bastet]

At the closing of a call with a colleague, she expressed frustration with ongoing printer problems in her office and the delay in her organization replacing it.  She declared she should just go buy a new one herself, and, knowing she is a fan of this show, I asked if she would pull a Provenza and charge her co-workers per page.  We had a laugh and hung up, and I'm still smiling because it reminds me how much I love that for the entire next five years of the show, whenever we saw a character grab something from the printer, we also saw her/him put coins in Provenza's jar (or slam it on his desk, as Buzz did once while in the midst of a hissy fit at Provenza telling him his creepy ass relationship with Bill Jones's family was a mistake).  It was almost always in the background, but it was there.  And sometimes, especially when it was Andy, they'd make a face as they did it.

The only one (among the squad; there was also an early scene where Taylor refused) who never paid was Sharon, but we also never saw her grab something from the printer directly; people always handed stuff to her.  She probably would have refused to go along with Provenza's little scheme if she had, and he probably would have let her get away with it -- just like how, starting in season two, she was the only one allowed to sit on his desk.

It was one of the little bits of continuity that delighted me about this show, because most don't bother keeping little threads like that going.