Major Crimes - Turn Down - Review: "Getting To the Ball Game"

Why do I feel like it has been far too long since we’ve had an ep like this one? I’m not sure why but I am mildly embarrassed to admit that I chuckled out loud when Provenza killed the Batmobile.

Buzz just graduated from Reserve Police school and is all suited up for his first ride along. (Perhaps he’s just nearing graduation and this is a last requirement?) Provenza is a little hurt that Buzz asked Flynn to be his ride along buddy. So Buzz winds up with Provenza AND Flynn showing him the ropes. Buzz is as earnest as he can possibly be. He does, IMHO, take his life into his own hands when begins correcting Provenza on the rules of public discourse. Their first call is a domestic dispute.

Buzz whips out his trusty rule book and tries his hand at marriage counseling and conflict resolution. He’s about as successful as you would guess. Provenza and Flynn distract the couple from their fight by getting them both angry at the police. They successfully stop the fight.

Personally, I think Buzz’s handbook’s suggestion that Buzz try marriage counseling and conflict resolution is a subversive way for the police department to rebel against having reserve officers. Get them all killed off by sending them into domestic disputes asking what started the argument…bim bam boom….no more reserve officers.

Buzz’ lament that he was supposed to ask what started the argument sets Provenza and Flynn off on a comedy routine. Their list of lines that start a marital fight is just getting rolling when a housekeeper stumbles out of a room and passes out on the floor. Buzz is ready to call an ambulence, but Flynn gives him one of the golden tenants of being a police officer. “Avoid paperwork.”

Buzz can’t. He can’t do it. When the housekeeper tells him there’s a body in the hotel room’s bathtub Buzz dashes off to check it out. It is evident that Buzz has been hanging around with these people for too long because the moment he sees the body he pulls out his cellphone and begins making video of the crime scene. Flynn and Provenza start on their next comedy routine; finishing the horribly written song written by the victim. They’re still preaching the mantra of doing as little as posible when they realize Buzz has called the murder in to his Watch Commander. There goes their 4th of July Dodgers game and fireworks celebration.

Remember in grade school when one kid would get the whole class in trouble? Buzz is that kid. The ball game is in jeapardy, and they had once in a life time seats thanks to Flynn’s daughter.

Rusty found Alice’s cell phone number and is on a quest to find a way to check her messages.

His questions lead Raydor to checking the murder victim’s (Danny) phone messages, which lead to suspects. Actually it leads to a bizarre stunt, at the coroner’s office to get Danny’s finger print to be read by his cellphone. THAT leads to suspects and more suspects. This batch is hysterical.

This was one of the more hysterical bridal parties I’ve seen in a long time. My first instinct was to describe each of these characters and show you just how funny this all was. But I’m just not that good and more than half the fun was in the writing and directing.

Danny was part of a wedding party. The bride’s sister points them at a video of the incident that made everyone in the bridal party angry at him. Every time I watch the unit (plus the ADA) watch that video of Danny singing a love song to the bride (Danny is NOT the groom), I drop into fits of giggles.

The first time we see the bride, she is trying to shove everything on a restaurant’s menu into her mouth. She’d been starving herself before the wedding. It’s made her a little cranky. Her groom informs Raydor, “She almost never hits me and never in the face.’

The first thing the bride does is confess to killing Danny. It’s quickly clear that she thinks she drove him to suicide. Raydor decides to put the couple in the interrogation room together in hopes one will reveal themselves as the killer. They pulled out the good old “Privacy” sign. Remember that one? The groom suggested they be honest with each other and see if they should still get married. After they BOTH confess to sleeping with Danny in college, they decide their “brand” as a couple is as strong as ever. These two are meant for each other.

But the privacy sign does prove useful…the bride gives up a clue to who the killer is: The Father of the Bride. He confesses to the crime in exchange for permission to attend the wedding. He’ll be allowed to stay through the first dance.

Rusty spent the episode trying to get into Alice’s voice mail. He eliminates the passwords that, according to Tao, 20% of people use: 1234, 1111, 0000. Alice’s sense of security was better than that. Rusty is chatting with someone who volunteers to help him with security questions. Who is this person? Is it someone that will prove a danger to Rusty by the end of the season?

While everyone watched the Dodger’s game on Raydor’s television, Rusty is still at the computer talking to this mysterious person. They’ve discovered that Alice did have a security question. It was her sister’s name and the answer was Paloma. Buzz informs him that it means dove. Rusty makes the connection with drawings Alice had drawn almost everywhere. He converts the word “Dove” to 4 digits, tries that and is in!

Buzz didn’t get the poor rating he spent the whole episode being threatened with. Provenza gave him a 93. Provenza indicates that it will be the highest score in the class while still leaving room for improvement.

I was a little surprised to hear Provenza accuse Flynn of being chicken with regard to asking Raydor out. They were very flirty throughout the episode.

Buzz Nicknames: Mr. Boyscout, Barnie Fife, Mario Andretti

Bride’s Cellphone Pin Code: 1234

Favorite exchange:

Provenza: “Would you believe I was married 5 times and the thought of running away never occurred to me once?”

Sanchez: “What about your wives, sir?”

This was an insane, frenetic and fun episode. What did you guys think? Are these types of Major Crimes eps your cup of tea?

About the Author - Prpleight

Prpleight is a screenwriter and senior software engineer with solid geek cred. When not writing code, screenplays, or watching TV (sometimes she does all three at the same time), she uses her broadsword Bessie to battle evil. She's been a frequent contributor to the SpoilerTV discussion boards for several years now. Currently, she's reviewing Stitchers and Major Crimes.

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