I'm going to put a positive spin on "D.O.A." When they were writing the episode, they obviously wanted all of the focus to be on Sharon and the surprise of Jack Raydor showing up unannounced, so they left the rest to just kind of muddy up the waters in the background.

Is that a fair enough assessment?

The crime of the week was a snoozer. And it made half the squad question whether if someone cleans up their act over time, they should be given special circumstances in - say - a murder investigation. No, Major Crimes, we don't even want to dip our toes into those waters. 

DDA Rios continued to annoy with her scenes in the morgue via her compulsion to gag and roll her eyes as the victim was being examined. We get it, she's not comfortable in the room. Either get her out or force her to do some body rubbing on a cadaver or something to get over it. They force people afraid to fly to get onto airplanes, don't they? That's an episode I would enjoy: torture Rios into no longer irritating me.

As this Major Crimes Season 2 progresses, it's becoming more apparent that the writers have lost their flair for the actual crimes. There is little tension or originality left to them. Did anyone not finger the driver in the hills as the murderer immediately? I wasn't always able to do that before. Since trials aren't a concern, it seems the cases aren't overly detailed and layered any longer.

But we did have the good stuff. The meat of the hour. Jack Raydor, who apparently had worked in LA a while back as everyone knew him, made a surprise appearance at Sharon's place at 3 one morning. Even Taylor managed to whip out a good quote about him:

TNot a great husband, I guess. But a lot of natural charm! | permalink

Those people with natural charm are the worst to try to get rid of, and that must be the "other things that don't concern you" besides financial issues and religion that Sharon spoke of to Rusty about why they were still married, but not together. 

Jack told great stories, got everyone involved in conversation no matter where he was and even managed to get a laugh out of Sharon. But she knows how to push his buttons, too. While she could have very easily sent him down the road into a new apartment, she would have had to co-sign a lease for him 

Instead, she allowed him to stay with she and Rusty while he stabilized his financial situation - as long as he called his children. He actually had to think about it, make a choice between a hotel and calling his own kids. Things must be pretty bad for it to have gotten to that point and I hope we explore it. Jack brings out a new side of Sharon we've never seen and surely their dynamic as a threesome with Rusty as a surrogate son will only bring out more tasty Raydor nuggets for us to chew on.

I've been saying it for a while now, and this episode proved it. Major Crimes isn't about the crime at all, but about the relationships between the characters and the family they've created by working so closely together. That's why DDA Rios has been such a thorn in my side and why I like seeing someone like Jack come on board. Each new character that adds to the family is welcome; those who detract are not.

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.