I keep hearing people worrying that Bobby's become an "alcoholic"... but somehow I just don't see it. Him being in the bar during Purgatory is a GOOD sign, not a bad one. He's drinking water out of the pub glass it looks like, and anyway, drinking publicly means that he has to stay in control otherwise he'll have difficulty getting back home. It's when they start staying in and drinking, I've heard, that it becomes more of an issue.

Yes, he's drinking, but some adults enjoy drinking alcohol without being addicted to it. Using it as anesthetic on the rare occasion WITH the understanding that the alcohol does not solve the problem and is only an avoidance mechanism, I think, is just human.

Yes, in Purgatory he says "I can't do that", but I'm pretty sure he's reacting to Ross saying "Chief of Ds want you undercover" and not the "No drinking" that Ross steamrolls in there.

Yes, he's gained weight, but god knows I do when I'm under a lot of stress and I hardly drink.

I'm sorry but I just don't see someone as astute and self-aware as Bobby not catching on pretty quick that he's using alcohol "innapropriately". His father and brother are both addicts, so he's got to know the signs. Yes, he could be blind to it, but man it would seem so out of character.

I think he was responding "I can't do that " to the comment Capt Ross made about not drinking . I think that was obvious .I think it would be very interesting to see Bobby go thru recovery it would change his character a lot.It might open the show up to new possibilities.

I do remember his "I can't do that" comment. But overall (from what has been presented on the show) I never considered that Bobby Goren could be an alcoholic. Albeit a very high functioning one. It certainly would have surfaced before now. But with his family history, it's definitely a possibility. Bobby has been on a downward spiral lately and alcoholism could be the reason. Personally, I don't think *I* want the show to go in that direction. (Yeah - like it's all about me - hehehe). It's too easy for it to slip into melodrama. Perhaps his alledged drinking is 'situational' and is due to his increased stress as of late and will only be a temporary issue. Just a theory. Sorry to ramble on.

I don't remember anyone posting about Bobby being an alcoholic. We discussed the line, "I can't do that" and how he meant he couldn't work in a nightclub and not drink as part of his cover. Since this is part of the episode Purgatory, this should of been posted in that thread.

Sorry for keeping this thread up top, but I have to give my opinion.

I too at first thought that when Ross told Bobby that he can't drink and Bobby responded with "I can't do that", that Bobby couldn't give up drinking. Then I thought if they start a "oh poor Bobby is now an alcoholic" storyline, I would not be happy.

I believe, although others do not, that Bobby is not perfect. He has flaws. Very few though. However, why would Ross want him back on the force if he had a problem with alcohol. That lady cop only had a DUI and look what happened to her. Ross did not even explore Bobby's comment. Alhough in all other bar scenes I can't recall Bobby drinking. Did he have a beer on the table when he almost did that line of cocaine?

Also, I believe it was a beer he was drinking in the opening scene at the bar. But in one shot over Stoat's shoudler, it did look like water, then beer again. Depended on the camera angle. If it was beer, it looked flat. I even asked my husband to watch the glass. He said "beer, no water, no wait beer". Could be a blooper.

I don't think Bobby is an alcoholic either, high functioning or otherwise. One can be a drinker and not be an alcoholic, and I don't see it negatively impacting any part of his life. His emotional issues stem from his upbringing and the current circumstances of his life.

Bobby is at an extremely low point in his life right now, possibly the lowest point he's ever been at. His downward spiral began with his mother's terminal diagnosis of lymphoma. He hit rock bottom when he was suspended from his job, and that was where we left him, at the bottom and hopefully starting back up. A large part of that will certainly depend on Eames. His weight gain, I believe, is a combination of extreme stress and not taking proper care of himself--not eating right, not sleeping well. Drinking too much might have contributed or not. I don't think it's a significant contribution. Poor diet and poor sleep are much more likely contributors.

Yes, I think he drinks. Absolutely. As I have said, there are very few coping mechanisms open to him and that's one. I do not for a second believe he was sitting in his neighborhood bar drinking water. That was a beer in front of him. It was a light beer (meaning a wheat or weiss, not necessarily Bud Lite or Coors Light) so the lighting and the angle of the shot in question made it appear more transparent. Lighting can do funny things.

Do I think Bobby has a problem with alcohol? I do not. Could it become one? Yes, but I think he's cautious and as well aware of the addiction potential in his life as he is of the genetic predisposition to schizophrenia he carries in his genes. He is far too responsible to drink and drive, which is one reason he stays in the neighborhood. I think he's in control of at least that part of his life. It's not a problem.

I also hope they do not take his character down that road. He's been through enough. It's time to let him recover. He has to regain his bearings and get his life, and his relationship with Eames, back on track. Right now he's very out of balance. Give him a chance to regain it.

I too think his "I can't do that" refers to the whole mission and not to a need to drink. I don't know but if he was alcoholic, I don't think he would be lucid enough to admit he's really addicted and then says something indicating he can't do without alcohol , and even if he was conscient of it, Ross would be the last person he would say that, it's his boss and he wants get back his job, it's not the thing to say. And as HelloBobby said, Ross doesn't seem heard his sentence an indication of alcoholism, if he had any doubt about the sense of Goren's response, he wouldn't let him go back on work.

Infinity brought up several good points (actually everyone did).

I don't see alcoholism here....but at this point it looks like he's using it as one of his few coping mechanisms. He's had an extremely difficult 12-18 months (we all know what about). Considering the addiction potential he has, I would like to think he's smart enough not to go down that road. He probably has major caretaker burnout as well (remember how frequently his mother was calling him during "The War At Home" and threatening to leave the hospital?). We got a poster at work about the signs of caretaker burnout and Bobby has most of them.

I did have that trouble too, with trying to figure out what was in his glass at the bar. The 1st time I saw Purgatory, I actually thought he was drinking water and not a beer. You'd figure if they were putting beer in the glass, it would be a Yuengling Lager or Guinness.

I get the impression that Bobby drinks when he's distruaght, like right after his mother died and during his suspension. Is that alcoholic? He seems to turn it off during the other times of his life...

I agree with you on this point. I don't think Bobby was really paying any attention to what Ross said after he learned that the Chief of D's wanted him to go undercover. I think Bobby's "I can't do that" comment was related to the undercover assignment. At this point in the conversation Bobby hadn't even agreed to go undercover, so why would he be concerned about not drinking while undercover. He was still looking for a way out of the situation. He went on to express his concern that the Chief of D's might be trying to get him killed and wanted to know why normal channels weren't being used. He finally agreed to the assignment as a last resort only to get his shield back.

alcoholism is hereditary, if you have family members who have it your more at risk, we are not sure if dad was, or if Dad Goren is his dad, but Frank is an Addict.

That may be true, but it is also up to the individual to make choices. Both of my parents are alcoholics. Of the 5 children in our family only one has made the decision to abuse drugs...my brother. I am aware of how alcohol is in our family and have made choices NOT to become as my parent are. It is a also choice thing...you have to make the decision on how YOU want to live.
I do not think Goren is an alcoholic.

I don't thnk he is either, but saying if Daddy Goren is his Dad, and he was an Alcoholic, he could be at risk.

When he said, I cant' do that, Ithought that it was in reference to no drugs...

I thought he meant that he couldn't not drink because then Mike and the people at the bar would get suspicious. They were getting a little suspicious when he didn't do drugs, remember? So I guess he remembered the Captain's words.

I thought he meant he couldn't go undercover, betray another cop, they all already hated him anyway...he wasn't actually responding to the "no drink, no drugs" warning Ross was giving him. He knows how undercover works, at this point.

He didn't drink tonight....