Frame - Immediate Impressions

All I can say is WOW! A most superb season finale. Warren Leight and company delivered. What a great episode to go out on. They set the bar very high for next season. Here's hoping they will do as well with this now character driven drama as the current crew has done.

For those who haven't seen this episode yet, WARNING! SPOILER! Yes, I tell you who dun-it.

Vincent D'Onofrio & John Glover
as Detective Goren and his mentor Dr. Declan Gage

This one certainly lived up to all the hype. It kept me on the edge of my seat and was nicely put together. No doubt those who yearn for a show that stayed to the strict procedural will not like it but I don't care. If you want strict procedural watch seasons 1-4 on DVD. Leave the emotional stuff to those of us who appreciate it.

Here are my first impressions from Major Case. I have no doubt I will want to revisit this once again. It was full of everything with underlying themes from several seasons.

Wow, what a finale. I'm still trying to digest it all but I have to say my first impression is it certainly delivered!

And I'm so happy! I want to sing 'ding dong, the witch is dead!' Nicole Wallace taken down by Declan Gage?!?!? Ha! In his warped mind, he actually thought he was helping Bobby. Well, killing Nicole was the only good thing he did for Goren, IMO.

So we have Goren and Eames closing out a case and Eames sends Bobby on his way, so he can visit his mother's grave on her birthday. Wasn't her birthday in winter last year, though? Ah well, never mind, that thought didn't enter my mind until just now so I bought it at the time with no second thoughts.

Ah well, Nicole kills Frank, sends Bobby and Declan flowers. The flowers sent to Gwen Chapel in Arizona was sent by Declan pretending to be Nicole. Very good! Sends Goren and Eames on a 'scavenger hunt' to the B&B. In the honeymoon suite they find a package for Bobby from Donny. We're supposed to think the heart is Donny's. Even Goren thought the heart was Donny's.

But it was Nicole's! I was so happy to know that. Wasn't so happy when Ross started wondering if it was Bobby who did all of it. Poor Eames. She was practically in tears and she never doubted Bobby. Went to prove his innocence and got angry on his behalf.

Felt badly for Ross. He obviously cares about Goren but was starting to question what was going on with him. Once again you have Goren and Eames and Ross at odds with each other when Goren discovers he's being investigated.

I wanted to punch Declan when he had the nerve to accuse Eames of setting Bobby up! This woman was victimized by his daughter, the serial killer he was mostly responsible for creating, and he's playing head games with her? Self-centered jerk.

I was a bit freaked out at Bobby going off on ME Rodgers. But if he thought she was talking about personal and confidential things in his life to Ross, I can see how he'd be pissed.

So now we know Mark Ford Brady was really Goren's biological father. It shouldn't matter. But will it? Bobby certainly had his share of horrible father figures. The man he thought was his father was a neglectful loser. His older brother was a drug addicted, gambling user. Declan his mentor was a self-centered jerk who neglected his own child in favor of Bobby but that also left Bobby with tons of guilt in the end.

No wonder he has trouble with father figures.

The upside, Donny is not dead. He can still show up and perhaps be someone Bobby can help and have a good relationship with. I wanted to punch Frank for lying to Donny's mother about Bobby not wanting to help with Donny.

So many twists and turns and finally in the end, it certainly was ironic that Declan tells Bobby he's free. Declan in his insanity thought he was saving Bobby. He was a miserable man.

I hope for all the Eames haters who wanted her to be a doormat for Goren will finally give her credit for everything she did for him in this episode. Despite all the hurt he's caused her she was still there defending him.

In the end, Goren is probably better off without Nicole and Declan but Frank really tugged at my heartstrings. He was a loser and all but he was family. Despite the last confrontation he had with him, Bobby still obviously was worried about and cared for his brother.

Ross might catch some flack from people but honestly, he wanted to help Bobby. He even let Eames do more research - something she wouldn't have been allowed to do had the brass heard about it - before he went upstairs to the brass. By doing that Ross was taking a risk. Sure we all know Bobby isn't capable of doing something like that but Ross has all kinds of other considerations.


I'd say the writers did a great job with this and it was a terrific way to go out. Congratulations and good luck to Warren Leight and company. You certainly set the bar high for the next group of writers.


So what lies ahead for Detectives Goren and Eames and Captain Ross? I think in the end when cooler heads prevail, Goren will understand what Ross did for him. It's not easy being Ross. He has to stand between his detectives and the brass. You can see he wants to help Goren but then starts to wonder if Goren hasn't snapped?

Thank goodness for Eames. Thank goodness Ross let her work the case. I loved her indignation at Ross' not telling her about checking out Goren's finances.

For those who miss Captain Deakins, I understand. He was very likable but Ross keeps things interesting. He does stand up for Goren. But again, like Eames, he's not a doormat. He has his own career and an entire department to worry about.

Great performances all around. John Glover played a Declan in decline most excellently. His whole demeanor changed from his last appearance.

I did think it was so tragic that Jo Gage would rather bite off her own tongue than talk to her father. All her life she just wanted his attention and now his only interest in her was that of her role as a serial killer. How very sad.

Also loved the best conflict of the season - the stare down between Ross and Goren. Despite being much smaller in stature, Eric Bogosian does such an excellent job at going toe to toe with Vincent D'Onofrio. He's the best addition to the show since Chris Noth. He fits in well with both teams and will no doubt do well with Jeff Goldblum next season.

I can't wait for season 8!