I just finished watching "Audrey Parker Came and Went" (I messed up the title, didn't I?), and I thought it was amazing. But one, and only one, thing bothered me.

In the first few seasons, Diana Skouris was portrayed as kind of untouchable, hard as nails, and definately determined to be unattached from emotion. That's why it was so fun to see her caring side, like with Tom and Maia. She would crack a little, allowing the audience to see the soft side.

Well, I think the heat in Spain allowed her to crack wide open, and stay that way! It's not that I don't like this different portrayal, but I kind of miss the tough, dedicated NTAC agent. She was rough with a tremendous caring side that she only rarely showed, and now she's a pear. A pear that's been sitting out for a while. A pear that's been sitting in the bottom of a back-pack for a few days (p.u.). Squishy.

So what do you guys think? Has she changed? And was it for the better?

You know what? You are dead on. I knew something was off, but couldn't put my finger on it. You nailed it!

Why, thank you! So what did you notice? Too much sensitivity? Hee hee, okay, I realize that sounds pretty picky, but it did seem weird coming from Diana. "I know what she's saying. She's saying goodbye." I expected her to start playing a violin. Oh well, I can blame it on Ben.

Yeah, you said it perfectly, in previous seasons, it was a treat to see her softer side and it would make you smile. Now, it's just her. She came back to NTAC with a different frame of mind and her defenses down or something. Could that be a weakness?

Blame it on Ben...and maybe she's rethinking some choices...like about being with him???

Hmm...hopefully not a weakness (love should never be seen as a weakness, according to a very cool gargoyle), although since I'm not a big Ben-fan, I could say the love is trickery. Maybe Diana is just tired and touchy. Pretty overwhelming times she's in! but that's also reason for her to stay rock-hard. Tom hasn't completely shifted. He's still cynical and caring, big-hearted and observant with a sharp eye. Good ole Tom! But who knows: Diana could bounce back.

By weakness I mean that maybe she's not on top of her game professionaly. That could leave her vulnerable.

That I can definately see. I'm rusty in school when I've had a couple months on a vacation I knew would end. Diana spent three months doing no work in Spain, believing she'd never return to NTAC! I'm surprised she remembers how to hold a gun

True, she definately was allowed to deprogram. I hope she toughens up again.

Maybe this is an ability of Diana's after all-maybe she can identify with people, or empathize with them, or something.

Maybe it's the writers way of showing that Diana is 3 dimensional, that she's not just a tough as nails NTAC agent?

Raising a child, finding love with Ben, living in Spain... these are things that allowed us to see that Diana wanted to move away from her role as an NTAC agent, that she wanted a different life. Even her reason for returning to NTAC was due to her sister, not because she wanted to get back to work.

It's interesting to see more than one dimension of a character, and it's what I've been whining about ("more regular character development, please!"), so I am enjoying it.

I think she'll be tough as nails when she needs to be, but that her empathy will allow her to choose her path, vs just playing it by the rules.

Totally agree with that. Diana is probably my favourite character but rewatching old episodes it was great to see her softer side in glimpses.

I like it now how she has changed a bit but I hope we see her tough side again soon too

I agree, EasyMac. I felt Diana was moving total left and then total right and then to the middle. By that she was tough when Meghan and Tom felt that they needed to investigate Audrey Parker but then went to the softer side of things when she connected with the lady. It seems to me that she is moving through her life now understanding that she has choices. During the first three seasons, we saw her as a person closed to committed relationships until Ben came along. Now we are watching her come into her own as she is understanding what it means to connect with the rest of the world outside of NTAC. Maia was bringing some of those thought processes to the surface but it wasn't until Ben came along did she really begin to live for herself...not just the job. We are watching a transformation.

Exactly, Mickey!! I really enjoy that, too. It's nice to see characters evolve, and for her, I think it's all for the good.

Wow, great post Mickey!! I like it, I was going to mention April being a softening factor as well. Diana is at a point where she does not know if she will see her sister alive again or with an ability, and i think that Audrey was a bit of a kindred spirit to April which is why she connected with her. Granted Audrey wasn't quite as "flaky" as April but she had more of a balance that is seen between April and Diana making her all the more relatable.

Diana has always been my favorite character, and I really liked her quip in the beginning of this episode: "Tom, strap on the riot gear. I'll get the tear gas." Now, don't get me wrong, I really like seeing the domestic angle, of her at home being a wife (sort of) and a mom (especially the mom part!). It's just, she's never gotten that emotional over a case before, Gone excluded. It's weird to see, but I still really like Diana. She's great!

Oh and Zippy, I so loved that statement. I thought "Whoa, Diana is back!" Sometimes I feel that Diana provides us with a centering for this show.

And a full smile to you, Elessar!

It's what most REAL people (esp women!) are all about! None of us has one dimensional personalities (unless we have a personality disorder!). It's great that they can get past the one-dimensional approach and give Diana nuances. I think we're starting to see more of that with all the characters, and I love it, since my rallying cry (or whine) has been "more character development!"

Like a Steel Magnolia. Fabulous comparision of characters, Elessar.

Steel Magnolia! Now I understand the title of that movie! I'm glad Diana's not one-dimensional, it was just weird to see her so wide open over someone she didn't know well. In Gone, it wasn't weird at all. It was really powerful. Now I gotta go before I type a lengthy, wonderful review on that episode.

Okay, this last episode, the one w/ the old lady that could leave her body, from like the first commercial, i thought it would be that nurse's kid who did it, because (i was explaining this to a friend of mine) they could have gotten the point across that the nurse had to go just as easily if she'd gotten a phone call, or whatever. You guys know how networks are, they're not ganna hire people, pay them, and such if they can get avoid using them.

The point of that little...'mini-story' was to say that i don't think that Diana is going soft w/o reason. IMO, they're probably just trying to get the actress to have more of an...emotional range. She's played the 'tough cop' role for the past how many episodes? She (the actress) probably wanted to get away from that 'tough cop' role, and show how she can act as the 'sympathetic' person. But i don't think they're doing this w/o reason. Maybe they're setting her up for some big charecter sub-story-line (Not that there arn't enough of those already...) but that's just my opinion...

~BF~

I agree, I don't think diana has lost her tough cop attitude. there's a difference between being a softie and being sympathetic