It was a great season premiere, right? First Adam was staring down the barrell of a gun, and that was A Scene. I held my breath through it all. Then her and his new partner talked about how she watched her partner die, and then... that ending! I kind of knew she was a goner, considering how much spoilers were about that other actress joining the team and nothing about her. But still, the way it happended, and the look on Adam's face? Brilliant. (btw, I'm still bitter his near-death experience only had a one-episode consequences last season, but it was a weird season, so I can forgive it, if they dig into it now ;)
OH it really, really was !!
When we got Adam staring down the barrel of a gun, I was like damn this season is starting off HOT and I thought that would be the peak of the amazingness of the episode. But no... we had THAT ending as well which was just...so fucking good for an ending.
I too knew something would be up with her, depending we had heard nothing about her, but damn, I did not think death (my brain also did forget reading the press release for ep2, otherwise it probably would've lmao) but even if I did, it DEFINITELY did not think like that.
That was cold, shocking to the system in such a very real fashion and oh so devastating for our poor boy Adam.
I really loved how they managed to settle her in within the episode, establish enough backstory and connection (especially to Adam) AND weave in the foreshadowing with the near miss and the talk of her old partner enough to actually make the death hard hitting even though we, the audience, only just met her but without overdoing it and making the episode really clunky, especially as the connection establishment was the b plot to the voight a plot.
And YES I am also still salty his shooting only got briefly touched upon last season but I'm thinking we're going to get something like we got for Kim -- a season later and the long term consequences are showing up, and I'll be really interested in seeing how the situation affects Adam differently.
And I love how the premiere already touched upon the affect of seeing your partner shot, through Adam's facing the gun (which the way he squared up to it even though now he KNOWS what it's like to feel your life fading?? Oof) and him checking on Emily after and now we get to see that becoming Adam's reality, with an extra helping of guilt because he got her into intelligence.
I am a little sad we don't get any Kim during episode 2 to see her being there to be an emotional rock for Adam, even if it's in the background (likewise that we didn't get to get a quick few seconds scene of Kim checking if Adam was a-ok himself after facing the gun this episode) but I think it's pretty clear this will be, or will lead into, Adam's storyline angst this season so hopefully while we won't get her this episode, we will get her later.
(Plus we've seen in the past with Adam that when things like this happen, in the immediate aftermath he likes to throw himself all in and just rage and dwell in his guilt and feelings so I kinda like we'll get to just focus on him this episode feeling all that to really explore how it feels to have your partner shot in the head right next to you).
But I do hope we at least get a mention of Kim (like Kim being that emotional rock for him despite being apart; which she still is because she knows the first hours are just going to be so hectic for Adam and he can't rest until at least initial justice is served for Emily and he'd want her to finish off because she can do all she can from there (except physical intimacy but yes it's different but he DOES still have Kev, and Trudy (and Mack) so he's not going to be deprived of a hug if he so needs it and he's going to be around people he has and can cry around if needed) and her coming home early may just add an unnecessary burden of guilt onto him some more - because we know our boy can really feel that guilt when he gets rolling.
And it's almost more powerful seeing how deep and secure and just loving their relationship is now that they can be there for each other without being in physical proximity. That Kim trusts him to not completely spiral, that they have a support system, that Adam KNOWS he'll get love and affection from Kim just the same even if it's days after the initial trauma so it's not a take this now or not get it at all situation.
I mean, that is, if they have Kim stay at the conference. They could just end up making her get stuck on her way home which is fine I guess.
ANYWAY sorry this took literally a whole week to get around to, I wrote up most of this last week but life really has gotten ahold of me and I didn't have the energy to complete it and I really wanted to make this a detailed answer to you, not just an 'i agree'. Better late than never?
Thank you for asking!!! 💞💞💞







