Holy shit, H:LotS!
Last night we watched 5x19 "Deception", the one where Kellerman does THAT THING.
What I knew about Luther Mahoney, going into this season, was that there was going to be a big arc and eventually a shooting in the squad room. I think maybe at one point I read that Kellerman killed him, but at the time they were just names without faces and I guess I forgot. So last night when we saw the ep, I was completely blown away.
I'm still not sure how I feel about it, whether I believe the killing is really an organic development from Kellerman's dirty cop arc (or even whether it's meant to be organic). I guess I could try to buy it as a development which all of Kellerman's frustrations and disillusionment and depression contributed to, following a trajectory in which he's disassociated himself/been forced to disassociate himself from the good cop ideal he always aspired to reach.
But as for that disassociation manifesting itself in an act of homicide against Mahoney in particular, I'm not sure that's been earned. I only recall one scene this season in which Kellerman and Mahoney really stepped toe-to-toe -- as he was on desk duty for so long, it was mostly Lewis getting endlessly frustrated by the man. So it did feel organic for Lewis to completely lose his shit and his common sense and go after Mahoney by himself. (And I was shouting at the idiot the whole time -- Meldrick, you are one of my faves and you need to take fucking good care of yourself or I will never forgive you!)
But it's difficult for me to believe that one confrontation was enough to make Mahoney's death justifiable to Kellerman. It wasn't something he seemed to be building up any conviction for over the season. And maybe I need to rewatch the scene again, but Kellerman seemed quite calm in the moment as well -- i.e. it wasn't like emotions were running so high that I could see how he might have made a snap decision. It was just, boom! Where the fuck did that come from?
I didn't find Mahoney himself all that compelling as a bad guy. While the actor did his best to give him a slick exterior, he just never seemed terribly smart or complex to me. He fucked up once in the box and then he COMPLETELY fucked up shooting the dealer in broad daylight. And I didn't think there were any deep waters running beneath, as opposed to Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale. So on the whole I found him irritating rather than threatening. I'm glad, from a narrative perspective, that he's now dead and the show can move forward into the dramatic fall-out.
And as for my other faves, Pembleton and Bayliss. I don't even know what I can say. Perhaps I'll be able to formulate deep thoughts later, but for now: they might just be my favorite couple ever. They hurt so much, individually and together. Whenever they're at odds (and I'm not talking about the everyday grumpiness, which just makes me want to draw sparkly hearts around them), my S/O and I clutch each other's arms and make fretful scared noises. The universe is just not right when Pembleton and Bayliss act like they don't love each other!!!
What I knew about Luther Mahoney, going into this season, was that there was going to be a big arc and eventually a shooting in the squad room. I think maybe at one point I read that Kellerman killed him, but at the time they were just names without faces and I guess I forgot. So last night when we saw the ep, I was completely blown away.
I'm still not sure how I feel about it, whether I believe the killing is really an organic development from Kellerman's dirty cop arc (or even whether it's meant to be organic). I guess I could try to buy it as a development which all of Kellerman's frustrations and disillusionment and depression contributed to, following a trajectory in which he's disassociated himself/been forced to disassociate himself from the good cop ideal he always aspired to reach.
But as for that disassociation manifesting itself in an act of homicide against Mahoney in particular, I'm not sure that's been earned. I only recall one scene this season in which Kellerman and Mahoney really stepped toe-to-toe -- as he was on desk duty for so long, it was mostly Lewis getting endlessly frustrated by the man. So it did feel organic for Lewis to completely lose his shit and his common sense and go after Mahoney by himself. (And I was shouting at the idiot the whole time -- Meldrick, you are one of my faves and you need to take fucking good care of yourself or I will never forgive you!)
But it's difficult for me to believe that one confrontation was enough to make Mahoney's death justifiable to Kellerman. It wasn't something he seemed to be building up any conviction for over the season. And maybe I need to rewatch the scene again, but Kellerman seemed quite calm in the moment as well -- i.e. it wasn't like emotions were running so high that I could see how he might have made a snap decision. It was just, boom! Where the fuck did that come from?
I didn't find Mahoney himself all that compelling as a bad guy. While the actor did his best to give him a slick exterior, he just never seemed terribly smart or complex to me. He fucked up once in the box and then he COMPLETELY fucked up shooting the dealer in broad daylight. And I didn't think there were any deep waters running beneath, as opposed to Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale. So on the whole I found him irritating rather than threatening. I'm glad, from a narrative perspective, that he's now dead and the show can move forward into the dramatic fall-out.
And as for my other faves, Pembleton and Bayliss. I don't even know what I can say. Perhaps I'll be able to formulate deep thoughts later, but for now: they might just be my favorite couple ever. They hurt so much, individually and together. Whenever they're at odds (and I'm not talking about the everyday grumpiness, which just makes me want to draw sparkly hearts around them), my S/O and I clutch each other's arms and make fretful scared noises. The universe is just not right when Pembleton and Bayliss act like they don't love each other!!!