Major Crimes, S2xE13: Episode Review
Parents trying to protect their children
Eric & His Parents
Mani & Selina
Sharon & Rusty
Jealous Andy
Rusty + Chess
Sharon & Therapy
I love Provenza's opening line of the episode.
"85 degrees in December. Sykes why am I not sitting in front of my air conditioner."
Not only is he complaining. I mean what else is new? But that their in the middle of a heat wave. Also that it's December and that means it's getting close to Christmas. Which the holiday season is a big deal with the MC crew and as we later learn with Sharon as well. I personally love seeing the squad room being decked out in Christmas decorations.
I love that once Andy finds what could be Eric (or one of his victims) it's Amy that and fit herself through some tiny ass bars to examine the body. Julio tries but all he can get is his arm through. Mike doesn't have any bolt cutters to cut the chains. Provenza sees how far the doors won't open and grumbles. I'm sorry I wish I could remember who mentioned this a while back but after this Mike makes sure to bring bolt cutters with him whenever he goes into the field.
Tipsy Morales. Got to love tipsy Morales! Once Morales tells the squad he's running on alcohol. Sharon wants to make sure he's all there. He reassures her that he'll redo the tests when he's sober.
"No. I'll just repeat these tests tomorrow and we'll be good. Just don't expect my usual genius."
Even tipsy there's his wonderful ego.
And then he forgets what he was going to say.
Parents going overboard protecting their children
Eric & his Parents
Eric’s parents protected him from the police because they didn't want him to go back to jail. Later it turns out that it's Eric's mother that is really protecting him from the police. And that his father was the one who killed him because the police let him out of jail and that he knew his son would prey on another girl. When the squad appears at Eric's house his mother definitely does not want the cops in there. She even tells them it's not Eric's house but theirs and they can't barge in their. But according to the law that doesn't matter when Eric is paroled and the address given his parents house.
They are HUGELY uncooperative. It seems that Eric's mother would rather he be off committing rape than be in jail. Like I get that she's his mother but the kid is a criminal who ran away.
Even Eric's sister Kim goes off. She starts filming with her phone after Julio yells at her because she doesn't want them to take photos from their home.
"I'm Kim Reilly from Los Angeles. And the LAPD is robbing my home because apparently if your brother is a rapist you get treated like one too."
I'm split here because it's got to be hugely uncomfortable having to live with the fact that your brother raped someone and on top of that have the cops barge into your home. On the other side because he skipped that means they are on a time crunch so the cops will be mean because they need to stress the importance of finding him as quickly as possible before he rapes again. Which none of the Reilly family seem to take (except for Eric's father).
Once Provenza yells at them for fighting it's Kim that tells them that Eric took off in Mom's car.
"And you quickly remove your anklet. Boom. Nobody knows your not wearing it."
"Except the 8,483 people who have seen this video."
Not to mention Eric's entire family when they let him take off in Mom's car.
Eric's parents are so completely unhinged. Once we find out that it was Eric's father that killed him because he knew he was going to rape again. We start to see the true colors of Eric's parents and how much rage they both have. Eric's father explodes at the police and questions how they could let him go because he was so dangerous. Eric's mother the hauls off, punches him right in the face and starts to pumple him. Also I feel really sorry for Kim here finding out her father killed her brother who was a rapist and then watching as her mother beats the crap out of him.
Mani & Selena
An overprotective dad finally lets his daughter go out on a date and she ultimately ends up dead. He wouldn't let her date until she was 16 which if you ask me isn't too strict of a rule. My problem with Mani is him using Eric's victim's sister Heather Shore to provoke Eric. Even though he wouldn't allow her to go to him - it did put her in a terrible position. He abused his position as a police officer to stalk and set up Eric into another situation that would put him back in jail.
One has to wonder if something like that happened to their children. Just what would Sharon, Andy, Julio and Mike do? There are some startling similarities between Selena and Rusty. Although Rusty is alive and is still dealing with the emotional fallout of his prostitution.
"I don't care who you are. You don't use a picture of your own kid as bait for a rapist."
- Thank you for being a decent human being, Andy Flynn! Add that to Mike shaking his head in agreement.
Later on we see the two fathers looking at each other when Provenza questions Heather on why Eric Reilly would have a picture of her.
This exchange.
"Hey Sanchez. Do you know this guy?"
"Oh yeah right because all us LA Latinos know we each other right Flynn?"
"Uh...I do know him."
I love both of their responses. Why would Andy expect Julio to know this guy just because he's a Latino Cop? And then Julio actually turning out to knowing the guy accompanied by one of Andy's infamous eye rolls. Also what is up with that walk Julio?
When Sharon, Provenza and Andy are talking to Mani. Mike and Buzz are performing a comedy routine in the background.
I love how Mike is trying silently to grab Sharon's attention as he and Buzz have found something. Once she acknowledges him, he turns away only to bump straight into Buzz.
"I am not the kind of person that likes to get bogged down in all the rules."
I love her super huge lie here! Everyone's reactions to it are priceless. Provenza who looks to Andy and then Julio. Julio who suddenly is paying attention now and Andy look looks towards Sharon with a raise eyebrow. If Mani had any idea of what kind of reputation she had, then he'd know they were on to him.
Look how fast both Andy and Julio pull out their guns on Mani. As soon as he reaches for his phone they whip out their guns in no time flat!
Sharon & Rusty
"There's a difference between being mentally ill and emotionally injured."
I love how both Dr Joe and Sharon's conversations in this episode finally start to make (uber thick headed) Rusty look at his emotional state and his past as a prostitute in a different way.
I also love how just like Sharon, Dr Joe doesn't let Rusty get away with anything. Or for that matter how much he looks out for Rusty, even from Sharon. As one of the first things he tells her is that he's not into forcing anyone into therapy. As this whole thing was Sharon's idea. And later on when Sharon is trying to get some info on how Rusty is doing in therapy by trying to get Dr Joe to bend the rules.
On the other hand - I am not sure if Rusty would ever have sought out therapy if Sharon hadn't pushed him into this little deal they made. I have to give to Sharon who always is so methodical and organized. She really does some great research when she found Dr Dr Joe. He's looking out in Rusty's best interests, even from his nosy mother. And on top of that as I also mentioned he doesn't let Rusty walk over him. Plus theirs the whole playing Chess thing which was a stipulation of Rusty's.
Not to mention having Dr Joe lay everything out in front of Rusty. In the way that Sharon never could. He outright tells Rusty that he was legally raped. Sharon never could or would have said that to him. Not because she didn't think that but because she was and is still careful about how she parents him. She always nudges Rusty in the right direction but she doesn't ever forcefully pushes him. She ultimately lets Rusty come to his own conclusions. Her talking of him being raped would have him running the other direction. Emotionally and (probably) physically away from her.
Jealous Andy
Not to mention that we get a jealous Andy here. Sharon's attention is completely taken away from him as soon as Dr Joe walks in. She kind of gets a little flirty with him and Andy's not to particularly thrilled by that.
Rusty + Chess
"My standards of weird might be higher than yours."
"I doubt it."
This exchange. hahaha! I love it.
and this...
"I always play to win. Even with 12 year olds."
I love this line and I can't believe I missed it. Kind of feels half serious. He doesn't actually play seriously as we see at the end of the episode. He was holding back from Rusty. And also as a jab at Rusty who acts as if he's 30 some of the time and at other times acts like he's 12.I also love how Dr Joe makes a deal with Rusty to get some information out of him.
I love this tiny scene in which Rusty is some completely flummoxed on how Dr Joe beat him. He's attempting to study his stragedy and it seems like he really isn't making any progress.
Sharon & Therapy
Once Sharon admits to being reluctant to therapy in the past and how it ultimately helped her when she shot and killed someone. Rusty seems more open to it. I think that a huge part of him was in some serious denial. He was in survival mode for so long that he didn't really stop and take a look at all of the damage that his abandonment, abuse and prostitution had in his life. I also think that another part of his reluctance for therapy was just as he said. He wasn't crazy therefore he didn't need therapy. To which Sharon makes a wonderful argument that it's not just the mentally injured that need therapy.
Sharon admits to having shot someone. Which makes me wonder if she killed him or just wounded him? Although we do see some emotional fallout from her having shot and killed Dwight Darnell in season 5. And she tells Rusty that she was forced to relive it by the courts and how much therapy helped her get through that.
Then she pulls some reverse psychology on him. After trying to talk him into it for a year and a half. And her conversation with him here, the awesomeness of Dr Joe really starts to get his wheels turning in his head.
What I don't like:
Not really anything comes to mind. Pretty much all of the characters, have a tiny moment in this episode. Even Amy who managed to slip through that gate when no one else could. I think maybe the fact that Mani gets pissed at MC for catching him and then blames them for what he did.
What I like:
The introduction of Dr Joe. Who is an awesome awesome character. I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in season 6 as we know he'll be popping up at some point. I really like how both Dr Joe and Sharon bring different perspectives to Rusty on therapy. I love Rusty's confession at the end of the episode that no matter how bad things got for him that in the end he did find some light. He found people that love and care about him in the way he never had before. Also...Laura Roslin and her father in law Joseph Adama
Also I just noticed that Andy has a toy snake with a frog in it’s mouth on his desk. Julio having his wedding photo and one of him and Mark. Provenza’s trophy, Retirement Funds Jar, Provenza Bobble head and mouth with feet. Sharon’s abstract dancing sculptures and her motivational framed poster. I love noticing little details on their desks and how much it shows in their personalities.
This show is rather amazing in it’s visual details when it doesn’t have the time to inform us through words.
