"Loyalty" Part I - Comments & Observations

I may be a bit late with this post, but wanted to get my thoughts and comments about this episode "on record" before tonight's "finale" airs. Not that I have any earth shattering insights to impart...just a few offhand observations.

Well, right off the bat, I can say that it wasn't a truly "horrible" episode...a little confusing, perhaps, but not awful. My initial reaction, after it was over, was that it was a pretty far-fetched plot. I mean, proposing that Ross could create/head-up a law enforcement agency in Somalia or Puntland or wherever, and take on a corrupt government and merciless pirates...come on. Ross? Who thinks up these things? Oh, yeah. Walon...dumber than a box of rocks...Green. If they had to kill him off, they could have at least come up with a more plausible, or at the very least...understandable...story line.

For the record, never for a New York minute did I believe that Captain Ross had gone over to the dark side. I figured out fairly early on that he was undercover -- for what -- I had no idea. But I decided that "the woman" was most likely an FBI contact for whatever covert operation they had going.

Since the show moved to the USA Network, I have noticed that the morgue scenes have gotten progressively more "graphic." It's not as bad as "Bones;" I have to watch a lot of the lab scenes of that show through my fingers. I did find the whole exchange between Ross and Rodgers to be quite amusing. When she popped open the container of stomach contents and extended it toward Ross for him to "sniff" in order to ascertain the wine the deceased had with his dinner, I had to laugh. I loved the look of trepidation on his face. He clearly wanted no part of it, but he "manned-up" and took a whiff and said, "Too yeasty, I'll go with champagne." For a second, I thought he was gonna toss his cookies, but he held on and Eames' reaction shot was priceless.

Okay, can someone tell me when did Goren go all "shy" about a woman's anatomy, or anything for that matter? I'm still in the lab with the two victims when he pointed out...falteringly...that the woman had breast implants. He's sort of looking around and acting like he wants to "touch" it...cause we all know how he loves to fidget with stuff. Do you remember back in Season 1 in "Faith" when a self-assured, unabashed, cocky Detective Goren questioned a "supposed" 13 year old teen-age girl about her menstrual cycle? What happened to that guy? THAT guy wouldn't fumble over or mix words about a couple of boobs. And I believe Bobby would have known that implants have serial numbers...even I knew that.

Did anyone notice how "blond" Vincent D'Onofrio's hair looked sometimes in this episode; specifically when Eames is recounting how she saw Ross with a woman. I assume it was the lighting and the way it was reflected by the camera or something like that, but I found it hard to concentrate on what was being said because all I could focus on was Bobby's blond highlights.

I laughed out loud at Eames' reaction/facial expression when Bobby made the comment about Fox Hunting having been outlawed in England...how ever many years ago he said it was. I mean, she didn't say anything, but her expression spoke volumes. Something on the order of, "Yes, I get it. You're a freakin' walking, talking encyclopedia, but after eight years of it...ENOUGH already."

And I, for one, was happy to have the "doink-doink" back. I know a lot of viewers didn't care about it one way or another, but I have missed it. I always liked being able to follow the time line of the investigation; see how long it took them to nab the criminal and solve the case.

I know others picked up on this, but there were a couple of scenes where it almost appeared that D'Onofrio and Erbe had switched roles. For example, when the two of them are at their desks and they're discussing the redacted files, and Eames says she'll call and get a warrant, and Bobby, I repeat...BOBBY...says, "No, we should tell Ross." I found myself screaming at the TV, "Who are you, and what have you done with Detective Goren?" I mean, Bobby has always been the rogue, bull-by-the-horn cop, and Eames has always been the by-the-book, no nonsense cop. It's a little late to change them now, don't you think? Then there is the scene when Ross tells them to put the files on his desk by the end of the day. And later, Eames tells Bobby that she's going through the emails she found, and Bobby says, "Ross told us we should have this on his desk by the end of the day," or something like that, and I thought, that's not Bobby. He wouldn't say that. Eames would say that...not Bobby. So, like...WTF was that?

That whole scene with Bobby in the plane hangar was interesting, and I quite enjoyed his plane imitation. Don't know why, but it was these quirky little things that made us all fall in love with him in the first place. Have you ever noticed how Bobby always looks so "hurt" when people make him out to be a cop when he is trying so hard for them not to know?

As death scenes go, I have to say that the writers didn't do Ross justice. It was pretty lame and ho-hum. Don't know anyone else's thoughts on this, but Ross just didn't come across as the undercover cop type...not suited for it. Poor Bobby thought the Chief of Detectives was hoping he would get himself killed when he went undercover in "Purgatory," and here Ross is the one who gets snuffed out.

I felt really sorry for Rodgers when Bobby and Eames found her at the crime scene. Given her line of work, she always comes across as pretty blase about the whole dead body thing. It's different when it's one of your own, however...and someone you obviously care about. It was sweet when Bobby reached out to console her.

And, please don't misunderstand, I know that Bobby and Eames would be upset about Ross' murder. I like Eames' line about it not being about jurisdictions and politics...he was their friend. Nice line, but I never got the "friends" feeling from Ross. And Bobby...being Bobby...would have, of course, "demanded" access to the crime scene if for no other reason than the FBI was hell-bent on keeping him out. But his, "We do what our boss tells us. Our boss is over there," line didn't do it for me. Again, after eight years of a decidedly different Goren, that comment just didn't ring true...to me. Quite frankly, I believe Bobby deserved a better line. Too bad the writers were not up to the challenge, or simply didn't understand the character.

Here's a question: Ross took two shots to the body, right? Then, how come, when Bobby is looking at Ross in the body bag, there is smudged blood all around the left side of his face and across his forehead? His face looked scratched-up, too. Maybe it happened when the perps dumped the body. Hey, I answered my own question. Go figure.

It was a very nice...unspoken...moment that Bobby and Eames shared when they were standing there, watching the proceedings. Eames was getting upset and Bobby reached out to comfort her. She sort of lets her guard down for a split second and leans in to accept his embrace, but then pulls herself together before she loses control and pulls away. But that's Eames...stoic to the bitter end.

Which leads to...perhaps...my favorite line/scene of the episode. As they are walking away from the crime scene, Bobby says he thinks their investigation may have gotten Ross killed. He goes on to tell her about how he confronted Loftin in his hangar and how he "thought" that Loftin read him for a cop. Point of order, Bobby. The man flat out asked you if you were a cop, and asked to see your ID. So, yeah...he made you, darlin'. Anyway, as they continue to walk, Eames gives him this look and says, "We don't have time for you to "torture" yourself. We have to beat the FBI to his files." Ah, there's that no nonsense Eames again. The Eames equivalent of, "Snap out of it!"

Meanwhile, back at the ranch; i.e., the Major Case Squad, there they go doing that role reversal thing again. Bobby is at the computer, going through files and deciding they need to take the hard drive and Eames is rifling through the captain's desk, looking for clues. Whoa Nellie, hold the phone...do you remember when Bobby found "scrolling" to be a challenge and needed Eames' help to restore a screen saver? Who is this guy?

Okay, here we go. Did anyone else hear the "Snidely Whiplash" music playing oh so softly in the background when Zach Nichols entered the captain's office? Actually, to be fair -- she writes, adroitly dodging the bushels of rotten tomatoes being hurled at her virtually through cyberland -- had it not been for the way the USA Network mishandled this whole fiasco regarding Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, and Eric Bogosian leaving the show, the inclusion of the Zach Nichols character made perfect sense. He was, after all, Ross' former partner, they had a history, and Ross was his captain, too. Now, having said that, it thoroughly pissed me off that Nichols got to interrogate the bald dude all on his lonesome. Yet again, I found myself screaming at the TV, "Bobby should be the one questioning this guy. You get the show in a couple of weeks. Go do your little dance in hell now!"

I did love it when Bobby asked him if he had a screwdriver. Don't know why that sticks out in my memory, but it does. Yes, folks...it sucks being me.

Here's another question: Did anyone else not find it totally absurd that-- given the whole post 9-1-1 era-- that someone shot off a heat seeking "missile" -- a MISSILE -- at a warehouse on Staten Island in broad daylight...and no one noticed. I'm not sure if that's bad writing or just plain scary.

Oh, and did you catch the FBI "bitch" calling the Major Case cops, and I quote, "pricks?" I sincerely hope that Bobby nails this witch in tonight's episode...and not in the way we all want to be "nailed" by Bobby.

And one final note: I have a feeling the "Goren lean" in the interrogation room was purposely done by VDO for the devoted fans who have followed this wonderful character's every move for the past eight years. I have no way of knowing that, of course, but it gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in my tummy to believe it, so I'm going with that.

Well, it is almost 8:30p.m. as I put the finishing touches on this post. Only an hour and a half to go until we are forced -- against our will -- to bid a melancholy farewell to our dashing detective extraordinaire. I am, to say the least, full of conflicting emotions.

Just Bobby Slideshow - "Loyalty" Part I - Season 9