a few facts
Regarding the 100th episode of CSI:NY. (I've been meaning to post this for a week.)
Specifically regarding Mac and Julia Ormand's character, Gillian.
And quite a bit about Mac's issues with authority.
I will say that they shouldn't have introduced her character in the 100th episode. I'm pretty sure someone in the CBS heirarchy said "we want to pimp the hell out of this, therefore cram in as many guest stars as humanly possible." The episode did suffer for that. I suspect it would've been much better had they made it a ninety minute ep.
I will also say that the last scene between Mac and Gillian was horribly misplaced. It would've been fine to end on that note in a different episode, but at the very least, the last three scenes should have been re-ordered if they were going to do this in ep 100.
However, in admidst those errors in judgment, I suspect people have missed some important facts.
Gillian is the new deputy inspector.
i.e., she is Gerrard's replacement.
(You remember Gerrard, right? You remember what kind of relationship Mac had with him?)
And Mac has asked her out for coffee.
Mac has increasingly apparent issues with authority. They were there from season one in his interactions with Gary Morton's character Chief Hillborne in "Supply and Demand" and "On the Job." Hillborne tells him to reign Stella in, and Mac gets snappy. His relationship with Hillborne is painted as a long-established adversarial relationship, regardless of the clusterfuck that was his relationship with Danny in "On the Job." In those episodes, Mac is correct to defend Stella and Danny, but he does get overly defensive to Hillborne, when it is within Hillborne's to come in and question what's going on with Mac's team. Mac's issues show up in Season Two, when--acutally I think it was the DA, I can't remember the episode well--whoever comes to Mac and says lay off of DJ Pratt. Granted, the lab is not harassing Pratt, but Mac gets all snappy rather than listening to what the DA is telling him and cutting himself off from possibly concluding that Aiden is behind this harassment. (Keep in mind I'm not at all blaming Mac for Aiden's death, just pointing out a pattern of behavior. Mac gets snappy, at best, when people try to tell him what to do, especially when they are within their rights to question his actions.)
More importantly, Mac's authority issues seriously make an appearance at the end of Season Three, when he goes completely off the rails. Gerrard may have not been entirely in the right, but he warns Mac over and over, and his warnings are reasonable. Mac doesn't listen, doesn't handle the situation well, and in fact very nearly screws himself over to the point that he rightfully could've been fired if he hadn't basically come up with blackmail material. Also, Mac came up with blackmail material, which I think is another example of how far off the rails his authority issues will push him.
These issues are clearly re-emerging now in regards to the budget cuts. They are the reason he pretty much spent all of "Sex, Lies, and Silicone" yelling at people.
One of the many things I love about CSI:NY is that they have made Hillborne, Gerrard, and Sinclaire three-dimensional. They are placed in an adversarial relationship with Mac, but they typically have a point and they are rightfully doing their jobs. Mac is chronically unable to see this.
Now that I've outlined all of Mac's issues with authority...
Allow me to go back to the start: Gillian is the new deputy inspector. She is above Mac in the chain of command. She is one of Mac's bosses.
Now, if they bring Julia Ormand back--regardless of whether Mac's relationship with her is friendly, flirty, or romantic--what is going to happen the first time she comes in to do her job and say, hey, I'm your boss and we have a problem here? Hell, what is going to happen the first time she casually refers to the budget cuts?
Mac is going to go ballistic.
All the moreso because it will feel personal.
(I expect Gillian will have this shellshocked look on her face for about five seconds and lay right back into him.)
Of course, Mac won't be right in doing so, but it will be interesting and immensely fun to watch. One of the things I love about the show is that they allow Mac to be a flawed character. (While still, of course, making him likable and sympathetic.)
Therefore, I think anyone who is concerned about a hearts and flowers romance between Mac and Gillian needn't worry at all.
And, if you remember, he had issues over the fact he worked with Peyton--he hurt her at least twice because of those issues--and they weren't remotely in the same chain of command. Moreover, I don't believe for a second that he's really over those issues. This is *Mac* we're talking about.
If they bring Julia Ormand back, there is no way it can end well. I, for one, am gleeful.
Specifically regarding Mac and Julia Ormand's character, Gillian.
And quite a bit about Mac's issues with authority.
I will say that they shouldn't have introduced her character in the 100th episode. I'm pretty sure someone in the CBS heirarchy said "we want to pimp the hell out of this, therefore cram in as many guest stars as humanly possible." The episode did suffer for that. I suspect it would've been much better had they made it a ninety minute ep.
I will also say that the last scene between Mac and Gillian was horribly misplaced. It would've been fine to end on that note in a different episode, but at the very least, the last three scenes should have been re-ordered if they were going to do this in ep 100.
However, in admidst those errors in judgment, I suspect people have missed some important facts.
Gillian is the new deputy inspector.
i.e., she is Gerrard's replacement.
(You remember Gerrard, right? You remember what kind of relationship Mac had with him?)
And Mac has asked her out for coffee.
Mac has increasingly apparent issues with authority. They were there from season one in his interactions with Gary Morton's character Chief Hillborne in "Supply and Demand" and "On the Job." Hillborne tells him to reign Stella in, and Mac gets snappy. His relationship with Hillborne is painted as a long-established adversarial relationship, regardless of the clusterfuck that was his relationship with Danny in "On the Job." In those episodes, Mac is correct to defend Stella and Danny, but he does get overly defensive to Hillborne, when it is within Hillborne's to come in and question what's going on with Mac's team. Mac's issues show up in Season Two, when--acutally I think it was the DA, I can't remember the episode well--whoever comes to Mac and says lay off of DJ Pratt. Granted, the lab is not harassing Pratt, but Mac gets all snappy rather than listening to what the DA is telling him and cutting himself off from possibly concluding that Aiden is behind this harassment. (Keep in mind I'm not at all blaming Mac for Aiden's death, just pointing out a pattern of behavior. Mac gets snappy, at best, when people try to tell him what to do, especially when they are within their rights to question his actions.)
More importantly, Mac's authority issues seriously make an appearance at the end of Season Three, when he goes completely off the rails. Gerrard may have not been entirely in the right, but he warns Mac over and over, and his warnings are reasonable. Mac doesn't listen, doesn't handle the situation well, and in fact very nearly screws himself over to the point that he rightfully could've been fired if he hadn't basically come up with blackmail material. Also, Mac came up with blackmail material, which I think is another example of how far off the rails his authority issues will push him.
These issues are clearly re-emerging now in regards to the budget cuts. They are the reason he pretty much spent all of "Sex, Lies, and Silicone" yelling at people.
One of the many things I love about CSI:NY is that they have made Hillborne, Gerrard, and Sinclaire three-dimensional. They are placed in an adversarial relationship with Mac, but they typically have a point and they are rightfully doing their jobs. Mac is chronically unable to see this.
Now that I've outlined all of Mac's issues with authority...
Allow me to go back to the start: Gillian is the new deputy inspector. She is above Mac in the chain of command. She is one of Mac's bosses.
Now, if they bring Julia Ormand back--regardless of whether Mac's relationship with her is friendly, flirty, or romantic--what is going to happen the first time she comes in to do her job and say, hey, I'm your boss and we have a problem here? Hell, what is going to happen the first time she casually refers to the budget cuts?
Mac is going to go ballistic.
All the moreso because it will feel personal.
(I expect Gillian will have this shellshocked look on her face for about five seconds and lay right back into him.)
Of course, Mac won't be right in doing so, but it will be interesting and immensely fun to watch. One of the things I love about the show is that they allow Mac to be a flawed character. (While still, of course, making him likable and sympathetic.)
Therefore, I think anyone who is concerned about a hearts and flowers romance between Mac and Gillian needn't worry at all.
And, if you remember, he had issues over the fact he worked with Peyton--he hurt her at least twice because of those issues--and they weren't remotely in the same chain of command. Moreover, I don't believe for a second that he's really over those issues. This is *Mac* we're talking about.
If they bring Julia Ormand back, there is no way it can end well. I, for one, am gleeful.