Oh boy... I hope I can somewhat make sense in this post. I apologize for rambling... but I feel like in a daze!
I don't think I've ever had such ambigious feelinsg towards a LOCI episode. Part of me loved it - the other part - not so much...
First, I've never felt so "dumbed down". I couldn't shake the feeling that they were being repetitive, kinda like "make THAT connection already", really rubbing my nose into it. And the thing is - that shouldn't be happening to me! Of all the eps that were relevant for Frame, I've only seen Anti-Thesis & Endgame (I've seen Purgatory, but since it was the first episode I saw I'd rather count it out, because I didn't know enough about LOCI to understand the ep.) The flashbacks felt redundant for me, explaining things that need not be explained because it was mentioned in the dialogue, too. I really expected Frame to be kinda like "Whoops, what's that all about" - and that's not what happened. I thought it was sad, because usually LOCI is cryptic. Or at least they expect the audience to think just a little bit. Not this time, I felt they were feeding me more info than I actually needed. It was strange...
Another thing, and the shippers are probably going to fry me, but those outright references to Bobby and Alex being more than friends/partners have to go. It's like being hit over the head with a huge hammer, and I don't like it. I'm not a shipper, but I usually like the subtle shipping that we've seen. I like it when Eames asks for a drink in "Third Horseman" or that kind of stuff. I even thought the girlfriend reference in Endgame was cute, though that was on the edge. I tend to like subtle shipping and scenes that the actors "ship up". Scripted shipping is a whole different territory. It can be cute, like in Endgame, but most of the time it's right in your face. And this is were I get in trouble. If I may draw a parallel to "The Whole Wide World"? In the commentary, Dan Ireland says that Novalyne Price Ellis mentioned so often that she never was in love with Robert Howard, that in the end Ireland was convinced that she was in love with him (and the others present, including VDO, felt the same). That's really what I see happening here - the more they're going to bring it up the thinner their reasons for keeping them apart are going to get. So please, just drop it, because this show is not going to exist with Bobby and Alex as a romantic couple.
Then I really want to know whoever does the math on this show. The glitch with Frances Gorens birthday was inexcusable. They should've made it the first anniversary of her death. It's just a small detail, but it bugs me. Just as much as her birthdate. The headstone on her grave says 1938 (!). Now that doesn't fit, because Bobby has said his mother was 25 when she had him (which fits other references to his mom being 32 when she had her first crisis and to Bobby being 7 years old when he noticed his mom was different). Another minor glitch, but it either screws the timeline or we ignore it.
It really makes me wonder how many of the other references that other members have pointed out were intentional or - dare I say it - just mere coincides. Especially DR's mention of the "puzzle"...
The whole DNA paternity test story... screwed, I'm sorry to say. First, there's clinics that do those tests, and I think that since Bobby is such a private person he should not have turned to Rodgers. I mean he's so private that he doesn't talk to Eames about his private life but then he asks Rodgers to do the test - I don't see it happening, especially not when there's so many other options these days. It either puts the Eames-Goren relationship into bad light or isn't working as a story device. I especially don't understand since because they killed off Frank, all they really would've to do was to create the need for him to be identified via DNA. I mean, let's just suppose there's no sample of DNA from Frank to compare whatever remains they found, so they compare whatever they find to Bobby's DNA... and bang!! Or let's find evidence at the scene that indicates Goren (he was being framed anyway!!) and when Rodgers compares it to Frank it becomes evident that they don't have the same father... Even from a scientific point of view that would've worked nicely because of that little thing called Y-chromosome...
And Rodgers betraying the confidence. No-no.
Btw., if you do the math, Bobby must have asked for the paternity test around the time he got back on the job (Rodgers said that he asked for it two months ago). Interesting possibilities here... after the events of Untethered & Purgatory - was he questioning his own sanity?
The story had plot-wholes - and as Patcat phrased it - "that a truck could drive through". I know nothing about when Frame was written, but if they were going to bring back Declan and suggest that Bobby had been in contact with him - why not mention it now an then? All he had to do was drop a reference about "visiting an old friend". Or maybe picking up Declan's book? I mean LOCI used to be superb at "seasoning" episodes with those little tidbits of info, and I find that they make those character driven episodes work at all. I think that was really missing, especially since Declan seemed to be VERY WELL informed. He definitely knew a lot about Bobby from when he first came to know him, but the rest... I wish they would've offered us a good explanation.
For being Bobby's nemesis, Nicole's exit was rather plain. As someone said - she just "faded". Yet I can't shake the feeling that Bobby never wanted to see her die. He wanted her to rot in some prison, but to die? I don't know. And Nicole herself even seemed somewhat redundant in that episode... it was more about Declan than about Nicole. But okay, I can deal with that, it doesn't ruin the story for me, it was only so prominent because Nicole was supposed to be his "nemesis".
And while that whole "This is why your mom favored your brother and why your dad never paid attention" seems to work nicely if MFB is his biological father, I thought it was the easy exit and makes the Goren family dynamics seem to be so simple. First off, Frances herself said "I never knew for sure" - indicating that she had - sorry to be blunt - bedded with both men around the time Bobby was conceived. But now we're supposed to believe that Mr. Goren knew although Frances didn't? Of course, he could've suspected something, but then MFB continued to see Frances and the kids until Bobby was 4 - why would Mr. Goren tolerate that? Why not leave his family there and then? Granted, MFB only came over whenever Mr. Goren was gone, but I'm sure he knew anyway. That whole thing just seems to be too simple to really explain the Goren family dynamics, especially since I never had the impression that Mr. Goren was that easy on Frank, either.
As for where Frank will be buried - I think that he'll be buried with his mom. He'd want that, and she'd want that - and Bobby will honor those wishes. Frances tough definitely wasn't buried next to or in the same plot as Mr. Goren. His name wasn't on the tombstone, and also, they'd been divorced. Bobby even said that when his father died there barely was enough to cover the expenses. He definitely was buried, but somewhere else I'd guess. I also think that Bobby will pay for the funeral. He may get Eames to help, or Donnie's mother, but he'll make that work. He's still a decent guy.
If you've followed me down to here - I have some positive things to say, too. ;D First off, I'd like to point out that I thought we never crossed the line to soap-acting. I thought that both Bobby-outbursts were rather restrained (I was like - that's all?!), but also the other scenes seemed to be quiet. Strong, but not "overdone". It set a good tone to a script that could've easily tipped over the edge.
I will confess that I actually liked the Bobby outbursts. For me, this does seem in character. Bobby had a pattern of reacting when he was "hit" personally as early as Season One. Usually it involves a physical reaction, some kind of repelling or short display of anger. He does it in "Badge", and he does it more prominently in "Anti-Thesis". And compared to "Frame" he had to deal with "Peanuts" back then. So just like in TWAH, I do not mind those scenes. And I gotta congratulate VDO on the acting, because he manages not to overdo it, and it never comes out of nowhere... there's always a "build-up", like him pacing, or being twitchy or whatever... This is why I feel that the morgue scene is incomplete. I'd really like to know if there was more in the script or even shot (but ended cut?). I've absolutely fallen in love with the little "eyebrow twitch" though!
And I find I love Eric Bogosian more and more! He's really got the tough job on the show, and not flinching in that scene! WHOA! GREAT. I really understand the insurance joke now
I wonder how many takes there were, because it's know VDO likes to "stay in the mood" between takes. I expect he wasn't very pleasent to be around that day...
But on the whole, I liked Ross, too. He's got a tough job here, and I can't stop thinking about Deakins saying "cover all the bases" - I get the feeling that this is what he does. He's the little voice of reason that has to question Goren/the investigation. I really like how Ross is written and how Bogosian has played him.
Because of those superb scenes though, I was a little befuddled because VDO seemed to sleepwalk through others. Was this maybe to convey how Bobby was struggeling? How he was trying to hold together? Or even a kind of "blunt effect"?
I really loved the aria. First off - hey, they still have that interrogation room!!! Also, I like how it changes from Declan being the interrogator to Bobby being the interrogator. I like the glimpse of "Goren North" we get, and I like how quiet it is, the message it conveys (You're free now)... I just absolutely love it!! So well scripted and so well acted. I agree that the Eames exit was planned, and Patact, if you read this: As I said, I've never seen Blindspot, but I actually got the impression that Jo & Bobby were more than just people that happened to know each other. I got the idea that maybe Jo had a "Teenie crush" on Bobby but it was never requited because Bobby felt she was off-limits? Maybe that's what turned her jealousy into animosity towards Bobby? Maybe her crush on Bobby was also because she saw it as means to get her fathers attention? Either way, I notice that I so have to see "Blind Spot" sometime soon.
I cannot remember another episode that has accentuated VDO's height as much. From the shot in the elevator to him stooping a little when they entered the B&B, to all the "totals" we got. That was new - and I agree with those that have said that he seemed to stoop on purpose. Like he was trying to look smaller...
I would also like to say that the one who I really enjoyed in this episode was KE. Her acting was dead on solid, I was in awe. Involved, but never over the top. She's just gorgeous... I also liked how Eames sticked with Bobby, WOW... well done.
I doubt Declan will ever see the inside of a prison, more the inside of a mental ward. He really is crazy. But he's severed many ties for Bobby, even the one they had. Now Bobby really is lonely, and strangely, free. I would also like him to get therapy. I don't need to see it, but maybe mention it? Much like they did with Eames.
I'm not going to put a label on this one. I cannot. There was bad stuff and there was good stuff. I have to leave it at that.