Major Crimes - Heart Failure - Review: Our Little Rusty is Growing Up + POLL

We’re back for the back half of season 5. Am I the only one who feels like it was an overly long hiatus?

This episode opens with a bang instead of a body. The Major Crimes Unit marches into an office building to deal with a hostage situation. I began to suspect the button on the sequence when Provenza took point. Provenza doesn’t take point. (Flynn survived the heart attack and is on desk duty pending medical release.) When Provenza looked into the muzzle of a gun, I was certain they were participating in an exercise.

Aaaannnndddd Major Crimes failed the exercise. Turns out that Provenza was shot in the head, then yelled a warning to the rest of the team. Provenza claims they were his last words but, it is pointed out, ‘there’s no talking after death’. One of the things that really tickled me about this sequence was Provenza plopping himself in a chair after he was “shot”. Apparently, Provenza doesn’t run and he doesn’t fall down.

In the middle of the discussion about Major Crimes performance in the exericse, Major Crimes is informed they’ve got a body and have to leave. Provenza’s attitude, ‘Every now and then we actually have to go out and perform the job that we’re training to do.’, doesn’t help the unit’s score at all.

This set up the part of the episode that concerned me the most. Provenza’s cheating brings on the wrath of Deputy Chief Winnie Davis, one of the LAPD officers who is after Assistant Chief Taylor’s job. What concerns me about this is the potential for the repetition of the political machinations of Pope's quest for the top job.

Winnie Davis supposedly has had a burr under her saddle for Raydor for a long time. I’m guessing Raydor’s knowledge of and, nearly pathological (kidding), adherence to those rules left Davis with little chance to hurt Raydor. Personally, Davis didn’t come off looking too good to me. Her rant about Raydor “bullying” an officer into letting a drunk driver go was ridiculous. She comes off as petty and churlish. I don’t know that I want to watch them cover this territory again.

The case this week wasn’t one of their most challenging. It felt like they wanted to use most of their time setting up the LAPD politics story. A young woman’s body was found on city property. I’ve said before this show is best for me when they keep me guessing as to whodunit. I was right there with Provenza in figuring out who the killer was before Raydor got her man. Rusty was rather impressed that his mom took a punch in order to keep the killer in custody until they could find the evidence needed to put the guy in jail.

The most pleasant surprise about the episode was Rusty’s story.

Rusty is freaking out because he got a text from Gus saying he wanted to sit down and “discuss the future” when he returns from visiting his mother in Las Vegas. It never occurs to Rusty that it could be something good. He immediately tries to figure out what he did wrong.

When Sharon asks if they’ve been having problems, Rusty notes that he’s been watching himself for “unconscious selfishness.” That made me laugh out loud. I’ve been mumbling the phrase ‘unconscious selfishness’ to myself since I watched the episode.

Sharon’s suggestion that it may something good sends Rusty into another bout of panic. He’s not ready to get married so, Rusty assumes, turning down proposal means he’ll be dumped. He’s certain that he’s doomed regardless.

The proof that Rusty’s efforts to consider other people is actually working is the fact that he noticed that something is bothering Buzz and inquired if he was okay. Our little Rusty is growing up. His timing is a little off though. Buzz basically tells Rusty that he’s too busy to talk. Rusty’s first thought is that he did something wrong. I think it might take Rusty a long time to get over the knee jerk reaction that it’s always his fault. The thought of Rusty’s birth mother doing that to him just makes me growl.

When Buzz confesses that he’s received a letter from the son of the man who killed his father and uncle, Rusty tries to help Buzz believe that he’s not responsible for what happened to that family. Buzz doesn’t want to believe it, but IMHO Buzz is wrong. Note to young Gabe Jones (and Buzz for that matter): apparently your parents didn’t teach you this, but there are consequences for your actions. We all have to face the consequences of our actions. Gabe’s parent need to be teaching that lesson not encouraging him to beg someone to let his dad off the hook.

Gus shows up at the station to talk to Rusty. Rusty wants to know why the torture. Gus knows how he is. Gus just wanted to see the look on Rusty’s face when he asked Rusty to move in with him.

We don’t find out in this episode but my guess is that Rusty’s answer to Gus’ question is going to be yes. I suspect Rusty will be pondering (by which I mean, freaking out over) the question for at least an episode, but I think he’ll do it.

For those of us who have been asking if they were ever going to tie up the story with Stroh, it seems they will be. Apparently, Stroh has returned to the US. This wouldn’t be mentioned if we weren’t going to see him before the end of the season.

I had a few issues with the episode but there were plenty of moments that made it a fun watch. What did you guys think of the episode?