Doggone

[bump]

kenina said:

Love you like a sister, Becks (as the expression goes), but it's just waaaaay too coincidental in my opinion that this Hispanic guy would choose the phrase "Sonny boy" for someone actually named Sonny!

LOL! Ok....point for you!

Funny that you mention the Hispanic thing because the other time I heard it used was on TV comedy show that aired on the local PBS station in Miami years ago. It was about a Cuban-American family adapting to life in the States. The show was called "Que Pasa U.S.A.?" and one of the stars was teenaged Stephen Bauer (whose real name is Rocky Echevarria). The dad would also use "Sonny Girl" when referring to the daughter.

[greenbeing]

Ah! Oh... Awww. Wow. If one more person asks me if I'm okay... Gotta get a drink. Sigh. Pull yourself together, Dunbar.

Wow! I'm... speechless. Wow. Ohhhh. Aw, oh, wow.

I just spent the past half hour watching that scene, and wow. Wow. If only my co-worker hadn't come back from break (we're not supposed to watch things or listen to music here), I'd still be watching, analyzing. Wow. It says so much! Ohhh...

Karma to you both, LL and mlm! Except it wouldn't let me do that. But I promise, as soon as it does, I'll hook you both up.

Wow. Put a lump in my throat. Amazing. Stoic, he's fine, back to work, just another day, business only. Stop asking if I'm okay! Of course I'm okay! Karen, not you, too, don't ask--yeah I need a second. Anger, frustration, fear, sadness, but needing to keep his head up, always be in control, never let anyone see weakness.

Sort of wonder if Fisk was watching him out the window of his office... Jim was right there, composing himself, probably didn't know there was even a window there.

Oh, Jim. Wow.

Gotta get a drink. That line to Karen, trying to get it out there... "I'm f-- Good, I'm good. I gotta get a drink." (And then moving toward her, like, get out of my way, I do need a moment, but only one.) That walk to the water cooler had to feel like the longest walk of his life.

--GB

[hoosier]

Was Ted a persona Jim used before, like when he was in anticrime? If not, where in the world do you think they came up with the name Ted???

I know it was intially a homocide investigation, but wouldn't narcotics have been involved since they were setting up a drug buy? I don't know much about police procedure, but if its like everything else in life, don't you have channels you have to go through and people to contact who handle specific things? I know they didn't have a lot of time--only about an hour--but still wouldn't they have called the narcs just to get an idea of what was out on the street about the dope?

[mlm828]

hoosier said:

Was Ted a persona Jim used before, like when he was in anticrime? If not, where in the world do you think they came up with the name Ted???

I have always thought that Jim had been "Ted" on other occasions when he worked with Sonny in the past. It's also possible one of them came up with the name that day.

hoosier said:

I know it was intially a homocide investigation, but wouldn't narcotics have been involved since they were setting up a drug buy? I don't know much about police procedure, but if its like everything else in life, don't you have channels you have to go through and people to contact who handle specific things? I know they didn't have a lot of time--only about an hour--but still wouldn't they have called the narcs just to get an idea of what was out on the street about the dope?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this scheme of Sonny's was totally hare-brained. It was based on a major unsupported assumption -- that Debbie would have the drugs with her. There was no planning for the contingency that she wouldn't have the drugs with her, no back-up for the back-up, no checking with the narcs, etc. This scheme would have had a lot of questionable aspects even if Jim could see. In other words, Jim's initial reaction was right on the money; he told Sonny, "You're an idiot."

I have often wondered if Jim's ego might have gotten in the way and prevented him from from saying the obvious, that the whole idea was crazy and poorly thought-out. Perhaps he didn't want Fisk and his fellow detectives to think he had any doubts about his ability to handle the situation.

[hoosier]

[quote author=mlm828 board

I have often wondered if Jim's ego might have gotten in the way and prevented him from from saying the obvious, that the whole idea was crazy and poorly thought-out. Perhaps he didn't want Fisk and his fellow detectives to think he had any doubts about his ability to handle the situation.[/quote]

I agree Mim and I think he wanted to prove to the squad that Sonny was a reliable informant because it also reflected on him.

[mlm828]

kytdunne said:

On the other hand, I didn't think he fumbled at all getting the leash attached to Hank's collar. Locate, align, hook.

I meant to comment on this a while back but never did. I totally agree that Jim did not fumble when attaching the leash after Hank was found. I think Artie realized Jim was blind, because he noticed that Jim was not looking at what he was doing, and he was attaching the leash by touch.

[hoosier]

I had thought of adding a + to the chief of d's column but he has already met his demise I actually had a good comment for him concerning Doggone so I will go ahead and post it here!

I think that the chief didn't entirely believe Jim's answer to his question of how he became lost in Hoboken. Cops, especially detectives, don't "just get lost" without there being extenuating circumstances. Of course, Jim had a lot to lose if the truth was told--that he was a liability in the field and could wind up on permanent desk duty--and he was protecting the squad's collective backs. Wonder if Fisk had gotten an earful earlier--like why was Dunbar undercover in the first place, why was there inadequate backup etc.? The chief was sure to see the squad's faces and body language while Jim was telling his story--they were uneasy and squirmy--and the chief gave Fisk a couple of looks while it was all going on and Fisk looked less than comfortable!

But I think the chief decided not to push the issue. Maybe because he saw this as an in-house situation that Fisk should address so no further problems arose. Maybe he saw that Dunbar was fitting in as part of the squad because he didn't make a complaint--which he could have if he had really wanted to stick it to Marty for all the grief he had given him. If all seemed well within the squad, why rock the boat with allegations?

[mlm828]

hoosier said:

I think that the chief didn't entirely believe Jim's answer to his question of how he became lost in Hoboken. Cops, especially detectives, don't "just get lost" without there being extenuating circumstances. Of course, Jim had a lot to lose if the truth was told--that he was a liability in the field and could wind up on permanent desk duty--and he was protecting the squad's collective backs. Wonder if Fisk had gotten an earful earlier--like why was Dunbar undercover in the first place, why was there inadequate backup etc.? The chief was sure to see the squad's faces and body language while Jim was telling his story--they were uneasy and squirmy--and the chief gave Fisk a couple of looks while it was all going on and Fisk looked less than comfortable!

But I think the chief decided not to push the issue. Maybe because he saw this as an in-house situation that Fisk should address so no further problems arose. Maybe he saw that Dunbar was fitting in as part of the squad because he didn't make a complaint--which he could have if he had really wanted to stick it to Marty for all the grief he had given him. If all seemed well within the squad, why rock the boat with allegations?

You have brought up several very good points. At the beginning of the scene, Fisk and the Chief seem to be coming from Fisk's office, where they must have had a conversation about the day's events. I too suspect he knew Jim didn't tell him the whole story. Perhaps the Chief, having been a detective himself at one time (I assume), knew what Jim was doing and didn't expect him to rat out his fellow detectives. After Jim tells his story, you can see the Chief considering it, then he nods to himself, and turns to leave, telling Fisk to keep him informed.

You also touch on another aspect of this whole situation which is easy to overlook because we're all so focused on Jim. This must have been the "day from hell" for Fisk. He is not only concerned about Jim's safety and well-being, he has to be worried about repercussions for himself, too, since he approved the undercover scheme. There is no way the information about Jim's being lost could have been kept within the squad. Other officers were involved in Jim's return, not only the Jersey troopers, and Fisk had to alert the patrol officers to look for Hank. Fisk surely would have had to let his own bosses know what was going on, so it wouldn't "bite them in the ass." No wonder he looks so uncomfortable when the Chief is there:



Finally, you also remind us what a high-wire act Jim's return to work is. There are any number of things which could go wrong and result in his being restricted to desk duty or even off the job. It isn't explicitly mentioned in this episode, as it was in "Under the Gun," but I wonder if Jim was also worried about whether there would be repercussions for him, as a result of being "lost." He definitely looked worried while the Chief was quizzing Marty, Tom, and Karen about the case:

[Katryna]

Thank you, mlm for this screen cap.

[greenbeing]

That's a very nice Screencap with Fisk and the Chief. You can see the little smile on the Chief of D's face that clearly says, yeah, okay, looks like you're part of the team now. Like maybe he's going to finaly accept Dunbar as part of the squad, too. No matter what actually happened, it doesn't matter so much because everyone's okay and they're working together. He's not going to rock the boat, either, if he doesn't have to.

--GB

[hoosier]

Great screencaps! I also wondered what could have been the chief's rationale for assigning Jim to the 8th in the first place. He was saddling Fisk with a blind detective who was on the outs with the department over his lawsuit (which I think was probably the main reason Jim didn't return to his old precinct) plus he was already involved in a major serial killer case that was getting lots of press coverage. He going to have to try to integrate Jim into a squad already under extreme pressure while trying see what Jim was made of. Chief doesn't make it easy for anyone does he?

[maggiethecat]

hoosier said:

I also wondered what could have been the chief's rationale for assigning Jim to the 8th in the first place. He was saddling Fisk with a blind detective who was on the outs with the department over his lawsuit (which I think was probably the main reason Jim didn't return to his old precinct) plus he was already involved in a major serial killer case that was getting lots of press coverage. He going to have to try to integrate Jim into a squad already under extreme pressure while trying see what Jim was made of. Chief doesn't make it easy for anyone does he?

Or -- cutting the Chief of Ds some slack since we know and are shown so little of his character -- he could have assigned Dunbar to the Eight knowing that, if anyone could make a dicey situation work, it would be Fisk.

Works for me.

[mlm828]

maggiethecat said:

hoosier said:

I also wondered what could have been the chief's rationale for assigning Jim to the 8th in the first place. He was saddling Fisk with a blind detective who was on the outs with the department over his lawsuit (which I think was probably the main reason Jim didn't return to his old precinct) plus he was already involved in a major serial killer case that was getting lots of press coverage. He going to have to try to integrate Jim into a squad already under extreme pressure while trying see what Jim was made of. Chief doesn't make it easy for anyone does he?

Or -- cutting the Chief of Ds some slack since we know and are shown so little of his character -- he could have assigned Dunbar to the Eight knowing that, if anyone could make a dicey situation work, it would be Fisk.

Works for me.

Maybe we should cut the Chief some slack. If he wanted to sabotage Jim's return to work, all he had to do was assign him to a precinct where no one would give him a chance, and everyone would make his life as difficult as Marty did. I'm sure there were plenty of such precincts available. By assigning him to Fisk's squad, the Chief at least gave him a boss who would give him a chance, even if Fisk did so grudgingly at first.

There is another possible interpretation, however. I still think no one except Jim thought he could do the job. If the Chief subscribed to this point of view, he might have thought it made no difference where he assigned Jim, because his failure was inevitable.

It is interesting to speculate about the Chief's opinion by the time of "Doggone." The fiasco in Jersey would seem to have given him an ideal opportunity to limit Jim's activities, but he didn't take advantage of the situation to do this. We know he acknowledged in "Seoul Man" that Fisk had told him that Jim was doing a good job. But is he one of those who will always think Jim shouldn't be a detective, no matter how many times Fisk tells him what a good job Jim is doing? Unfortunately, we probably don't have enough information to answer that question.

[hoosier]

Was Artie as wet as Hank? Didn't seem to be. Do you think he just found him and immediently called Jim and didn't even towel him off? Poor puppy! Our dogs have id tags but I pity the person who tried to read them! The bad guys must have ditched Hank's harness. Another dog on the street probably wouldn't raise much attention but a stray Seeing Eye dog? Different matter indeed!

[hoosier]

Does anyone remember any of the others calling in an APB on Debbie's car as it sped away with Jim and Hank? If they didn't, why not! They would have known make and model, maybe not license plate and which direction it was heading as they disappeared. Of course for dramatic reasons they couldn't find Jim too soon, but I wondered if they did this or not.