I thought that this was the best episode of the season. I thought it was so cute that Marshal cried for Mary. I hope they found the guy who shot Mary. Tell me your thoughts.

And yet another cliffhanger......

Seriously....???! That's where we have to linger until March??
Wow. Excellent episode! I was pretty sure Marshall was going to pop a vessel a number of times. He was Piiiiisssssed! It was nice to see Stan berate and intimidate for once too.
I just completely teared up when Marshall kissed Mary's head as they whisked her into the trauma room.
Just as an FYI...ICU's do allow visitors...the family would've been allowed to spend brief periods with her. Especially if her status was iffy.
Gonna watch it again!!

I'm extremely mad you guys have to leave us off like this, though I'm not sure I exactly liked it because it ended so abrupt, and a serious situation. You could have ended it a lot differently, which I would have liked instead of Mary being shot! I'm really upset it has to end like this, and wait almost half a year for a continuation...

Unbelievably sad, and very worried about Mary. You just had to make Marshall kiss her on the forehead. (Which at the point I did enjoy... ) I also never expected him to be crying. But when Mary isn't breathing, I understood why he would have been so upset... Just like the time Marshall was shot!! But you guys totally suprised me with that kiss.

Now you tell us, USA Network, and you better reply, >:) Does Marshall love her like Raeph does??!?!!??!?!?!?

I'm just probably guessing, that Mary is going to be making a recovery, so um... Now I gotta wait, now I'm sad...

I liked it...

I would have been happier without the cliffhanger ending. It doesn't impress me much and I personally think it takes away a lot of the suspense during the long wait for the next season to begin. I mean we may not know how but we already know that the beginning episode for next season will deal with resolving the questions that were left up in the air. I would have preferred a fresh start for next season and being left with a sense of satisfaction with the ending of this one while wondering what may happen next.

OMG!! best episode yet!! probably my favorite in the series. i am upset however that we have to wait 8 months to see what is going to happen.. its gonna be hard!! ahh!! but i have been rooting for Mary and Marshall to be together and these last couple episodes have really been giving me hope lol. But none like this episode!! as painful as the material was in this episode i loved how hard Marshall cried for Mary because it really showed how much he cared. and that kiss... i kno it was just a little kiss on the forehead (or about) but WOW!. and I'm glad Stan reacted the way he did! finally some emotion out of him I'm glad!! The show just wouldn't be the same if Mary didn't come back. i know its gonna take her a while to recover and all that stuff but she can't be permanently damaged or dead because then there wouldn't be a show. Man i think i need to go watch this episode again.. i LOVED it!!!!!!!!! <3

Alyx!

I'm pretty disappointed that we will not see the second part to the finale this season. It's not as if this episode was much of a cliffhanger. Mary cannot die, as the show is based upon her character, and she cannot suffer brain damage, as the job is her life. But alas, we cannot change what has been decided here.

The episode provided spectacular evidence of the love Mary's friends and family have for her. Marshall (Weller), of course, stole the show for the second half hour with his tears, anguish, and forlorn expressions. It nearly broke my heart to hear him order Mary to stay with him, to see him kiss her forehead, to collapse. He was in utter agony, yet he pulled himself together and tried to console Mary's family.

And here is where I fought off the tears: Marshall, who knows Mary best, who sees her everyday, who loves her with all his heart, consoled Raph. He loves Mary so much that he'll comfort her fiance, because Raph loves Mary and Mary chose Raph (though I desperately hope she changes her mind next season).

Kudos to Stan in this episode, as well. He was awesome in taking on whoever that was that brought Francesca into their lives and death to their doorstep. Okay, I'm being a little dramatic, but the guy needs some sense knocked into that conceited pea-brain of his.


Now again, the cliffhanger isn't in whether Mary will survive, but in who her would-be-killer is, why he shot her, and what Marshall will do when he catches him. To be honest, I'm worried about Marshall's state of mind. In the first season finale, Marshall and Stan hinted that if they met with Mary's kidnapper, the beating he would receive would be an act of revenge. Normally, Marshall is very much a man who follows the WitSec rules to the T. But he's in love with Mary. I wonder if anyone else saw in his eyes the ability and sheer desire to murder Mary's shooter. Slowly. With manic glee. C'mon, must we really wait 9 months?! The corruption of a character's soul is in the making! Marshall is well past his breaking point. I don't know how he even held himself together to interrogate that gang leader.

If anyone was looking for the name of the song at the end of the season finale, Don't Cry for Me Albuquerque, its The Lightning Strike by Snow Patrol.

We've seen that side of Stan a couple of times. The last time was when Agent O'Connor demanded their work product regarding Brandi. Stan is not a man to be messed with. You do not want to get on his bad side.

Management and Writers: Shame on you!

You have an established show with a solid fan base and you do this to us? If I wanted uncertainty and loose ends, I would just live my life instead of watching TV. In real life the bullet in Mary's stomach would pass through her spine and any further episodes of this show would be retreads of Perry Mason.

Exactly. It's like reading a suspenseful novel and finding out, right before the climax, that the rest of the book is missing and won't be released to readers for a very, very long time. Not fair. And it'll hardly encourage the interest of those who've recently begun to watch the show.

Omg is all i have to say i hate how they had to end the season fianle.. someone just had to shoot mary that just isnt right... and you got to see how much marshall really cares about mary and same with stan.. i loved and hated this esp but i gotta say it was the best espiode yet... cant wait till this spring...

that song was so good it was distracting me from what was going on in the episode! lol

i too wish that they showed the 2nd part of the episode. especially cuz its already been taped!

if anyone wants a spoiler that only KIND-of helps with the wait, click the link below
plotline and casting call 2.16

i really like this show. i just wish it had a finale like last season where you knew mary was ok and then the aftermath of the kidnapping was the premiere.

I was sitting there saying to my t.v. 'Don't do it Marshall.' I too thought he was about to go off on his @ss when he said 'we is who we is', not just because of Mary but because of his bad grammar. LOL I actually think it will be interesting to see a darker side to Marshall. He is such a perfectionist in his job and always seems to follow the rules. Mary is his achilles' heel, the one thing more important than his job. Hope to see more next season about Marshall's family and what makes him tick.

I also have to give kudos to the actor that plays Stan. Very good scene with him going off on that guy.

Did Francesca shoot her? It looks like she dropped something right after the shot.

No, I don't think it was Francesca. When Stan said that the bullistics proved Mario didn't shoot Mary, he also said that Francesca couldn't have seen the shooter, so that rules her out.

But wow....that episode was intense. And yes, while it is annoying that they had leave us with such a cliff hanger, at least we know that Mary is going to survive. I just wish we didn't have to wait until March to find out!

I also liked the interrogation scene with Marshall. You could just see him fighting to keep in all his anger. I fully expected him to blow, with all the pressure you could see building up inside of him.

And Kudos to Weller for doing such an excellent job. It was heartbreaking when he told Stan "She wasn't breathing." It's apparent that he cares so deeply for her. To see him in such intense grief is painful. (Although I do admit that I thought the end of that conversation where Stan and Marshall are talking about Mary, and Marshall ends with "until they're beaten" and then promptly bursts into tears was a bit over the top).

And Stan. I have to agree with whatever that one guy said in that one episode (oh yes, I am very descriptive...) about how Stan has a trigger. Most of the time he's an amicable guy and it seems like he doesn't get truly pissed at much. But oh Lord, watch out if he does. I could feel the fury radiating off of him when he yelled at the one guy (again with my wonderful descriptions). For being a short guy, he sure can be intimidating.

All in all, excellent episode. I was thoroughly engrossed. Haha, when the episode ended, I was like "What? Its over already?" I can't wait until the next season!

thanks i was! lol i knew i heard it but couldn't remember who sang it!

the season finale was phenomenal. So touching to see Marshall break down and cry for Mary. Although i cant believe we have to wait till SPRING for the new show !!!!!!!

I cried too when Marshall kissed her and then broke down and I was soo proud of Stan for almost putting that guy through the wall. Just FYI on the ICU, it might depend on the hospital and/or circumstances. I was in ICU after my spinal fusion surgery because I developed a pneumonia and my family was not allowed to see me until I was stable, even though it was touch and go for a while. They were allowed two at a time for thirty minutes.

I loved it!!! I think Marshal is great! I was so touched with his show of emotion towards Mary. He's a great partner. I'd love to see it be more with them. They have good chemistry! Hope to see you next season! Loved this series from the beginning!!!!

Perhaps the single lamest episode of any show of any series of any network since television was created.

Cliffhanger -- will Mary survive? Oh what suspense!!!! It'll have me on the edge of my seat until the spring. Let me go out on a limb here and guess. Let's see -- the entire show is built around her character, so I'm guessing that she survives. I don't know, what do you think, is that a wild guess or what?

Everybody showing their love for her. Yeah, a bunch of characters sitting around in the waiting room, mostly sleeping when they're not sobbing. Wow, what character development! What pathos! What a way to really get deeply into their psyches! What a way for the script writers to just phone it in instead of actually writing a script!

Marshal showing his feelings for Mary. Okay, yeah. He already did that last week at the engagement party for her. Whoopee. We know he's in love with her. He's made that obvious.

Now, his interrogation of the guy. In real life, anybody who conducted an interrogation the way he did would quickly be transferred to running the evidence locker in the Thule, Greenland sub-sub-substation. Especially the end where his whole body language (e.g., the arms out on the table) shows total defeat. You don't ever show that kind of weakness to a suspect or gang member.

As for who shot Mary. They'd have to undo some things in the script to make it Francesca since they've said that she couldn't see the shooter. Also, the blood that was found on the front tree would have to be too far away to have come from Mary -- unless they found it with a bullet embedded in the tree, but they made no mention of a bullet embedded in the tree. While it might not have been Las Vegas CSI doing the investigation, I suspect that ABQ CSI is quite capable of finding a bullet embedded in the same tree where they've also found blood.

And the scriptwriters have painted themselves into another corner too -- any semi-intelligent revolutionary or CIA agent or State Dept officer would have immediately started making noises about it having been a plot by El Presidente to silence Francesca. The scriptwriters may still do that -- but it would be weak and lame given the fact that they didn't make any noises about it in this episode. Of course, given how weak and lame this episode was, it wouldn't surprise me if they try a stunt like this.

All in all, this series has been great fun and I've enjoyed every episode. Nice little twists (giving a false identity to someone who was an imposter to begin with), excellent tight writing that really develops Mary's character (and the other characters), fun dialog. Until now. This one was so lame I question whether I'll come back for Season 3.

Loved, loved, LOVED this episode! I don't even care that it's a cliffhanger. I just wish I didn't have to wait 8 MONTHS to see the second part. (Seriously, USA can't show 8 episodes in the winter and 8 in late spring/early summer? Or better yet, order 24 episodes!) Fred Weller and Paul Ben Vincent did a seriously excellent job in this episode. My little shipper heart was vastly contented with Marshall's reactions to the shooting (the kiss! squee!!). And wow! to Stan's interaction with Agent Clay. I was genuinely afraid that Clay wasn't going to make it out of that room without some kind of physical injury. It will be extremely interesting to see how both characters come out of this.

I stayed up to watch it a second time (I'm not cool enough to have DVR) and here were a couple of things I noticed:

I'm 75% sure Mary shot first. I wonder if Bobby D is covering for her or if it's one of those "It happened so fast I don't remember exactly so I'll assume the bad guy shot first"

Was it just me or did anyone else not notice the kiss until Marshall's flashback? The sequence when Mary is rushed into surgery happens so fast and Marshall leans down to kiss her, the camera is on the other side of the gurney so you don't get a clear view.

What exactly do Jinx and Brandi know about Mary's job (and, by association, Stan and Marshall's job)? Stan and Marshall weren't exactly being shy about flashing their badges around when they were with the family and Marhsall didn't even wait until the door closed to ask the doctor about the slug.

We do know that Mary will be back and alive but I think Jinx's question about brain damage may play out for longer than we think. Brain damage is tricky and display's itself in many ways (attitude changes, memory loss, physical impairments, etc.)

And, is it my imagination, or has the 'car driving between Mary and Marshall' thing from commercials changed? I thought it used to be Mary in full view of the camera while we only see Marshall reflected in the windows of the passing car. But at the end of the 'preview' for next season, it's the exact opposite. It's Marshall in plain sight (haha) with Mary reflected in the windows. But, maybe I just need more sleep.

As the story goes, the newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst sent one of his artists to Cuba to cover the uprising against Spanish colonial rule. The artist sent back the following report:

"Everything is quiet. There is no trouble here. There will be no war. I wish to return."

Hearst supposedly replied: "Please remain. You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war."

I couldn't help thinking about that little anecdote, while watching the episode last night. Kinda makes you wonder how often our government "furnishes the war".

What a mess. What we saw was filmed as the fifteenth of sixteen episodes, and not intended to be either the season finale or a cliffhanger. Mary's going to make it, that's obvious because the series was renewed. Why USA found it necessary to play the disingenuous cliffhanger game, and go so far as to have the Admin here claim Ep. 16 was filmed as the S3 opener when it clearly wasn't is beyond understanding. It left us with a choppy, unfinished and sadly unsatisfying mess.

The Francesca story was OK, but really a means to an end: she was Mary's happy-happy opposite. And it underscores one of IPS's major weaknesses: witness stories have increasingly been developed to drive Mary's personal storyline, and in this case, was little more than an secondary element of the story designed to get Mary somewhere she could be shot. The nepotistic casting so far has given us really fun work by Maples' and Weller's wives but this gal playing Francesca had nothing to recommend her as an actress but a marriage license and the desire to execute the in-joke with the two women leering at Raph on the TV. Too bad, given the scarcity of Latino and Native American characters we see in a show set in Albuquerque. This episode might as well have been set in East LA. But that's always been IPS's most glaring weakness: it rarely reflects anything of the rich culture of the city where it's shot. Albuquerque is only significant when it gives a witness a mechanism to bitch about being stuck in the sticks. My friend who lives there complains about that, and the use of one street for 90% of the locations, constantly.

Can anyone please give me a rational explanation for why they spent 3/4 of the season building up to an appearance by Mary's father, which seemed to be the inevitable conclusion to the season, then dropped it in favor of this sappy and idiotic "Marshall wuvs Mary" story? Some of the early episodes with Jinx' experience getting sober, and the correspondingly fabulous work by Lesley Ann Warren, as well as the potential for interesting story coming from Joshua Malina's character seem to have utterly evaporated, as did whatever might of followed the mysterious appearance of Mary's is-she-or-isn't-she sister. I can see why USA wants to replace David Maples as showrunner if he's lost control of the main narrative to this degree.

One the other hand, it was criminal of USA not to show episode 16, which clearly would tie up some of the mess we're left with. Their executive was quoted as justifying turning Ep. 15 into the finale as a means to show a finale that "sings" rather than being sad, as Ep. 16 apparently is. Yeah right. The mess we're left with is an off-key, unfinished song. Bad decision, USA. I'd go so far as to conjecture they mean to rewrite and reshoot at least part of Ep. 16 if not junk it altogether. They already had to do that with the original season opener (which came back around in a reworked form as Ep. 13) so USA has obviously got issues with the show. I just hope the new showrunner can give it a consistent voice and a bit more substantive (and less soapy) plotting than we've seen from the first two seasons.

Which isn't to say the episode, or the show, is all bad. I enjoyed it well enough, for all its flaws. It got a lot better in the second half, which is peculiar, given we didn't see Mary at all. But it gave us a wonderful opportunity to see the ensemble shine, even if this was an odd, odd decision to end a season with the show's lead missing for half the episode. It certainly gave the male characters in particular something substantive to do (although I'd run a mile before describing Marshall's tears as "cute.")

But what an end. What were David Maples and USA thinking?

Maybe it's just me, but I really didn't enjoy the whole "Mary shot in the gut, her life hangs in the balance" finale. For one thing, the show is coming back, so she's recovering. No real cliff hanger there. But I'm probably just disgruntled because any episode which requires the appearance of Jinx, Brandi, or Raph tends to annoy me. I love the Mary character, but those two dingbats...God. And when Raph was hot sex Raph, in season one, he was fairly tolerable. But the self-righteous used car salesman...ugh! Kudos to the writers for letting us enjoy some "Marshall's true feelings" time. Now, in the next episode, can we get the Francesa b**** smacked around? (Or locked in a room with the droning Brandi and drunk Jinx, which would actually be more painful for her than taking a bullet in the gut) And then let's get back to Witsec business. I love Mary, Marshall, Stan, Dersh, and even Eleanor. Can we have more episodes where the plot/drama revolves around those characters and not be forced to endure the inanity of Brandi and Jinx between those scenes. Please!!!!! And for Pete sakes, Mary...ditch Raph. We need you available (yet unattainable) for Marshall!!!

I thought I'd throw in my observations for discussion. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good episode. I have to agree with a previous poster that the waiting room scenes were pretty lame for the most part. I was surprised when the doctor came in that no one asked "when can we see her?" That question is usually pretty high on the list. Actually, I thought we'd have a few bedside moments. It was sad at the end when she was all hooked up to the machines and no one was with her.

A few other thoughts.

1. I always have a hard time with the timeline on this show. It looked like Raph was asked to do the commercial and it aired the next day. But wasn't that the same morning that Mary told Marshall Francesca kept her up until 5 a.m? There must have a been a few days' passing in there. And why didn't Raph tell Mary he did the commercial?

2. Why was Francesca put up in a tricked-out mansion? That seemed a little much. I guess they thought it was appropriate.

3. Why was the house in the bad neighborhood ever approved? Now that I think about it, Francesca must have really held something over their heads. (Like threatening to go back or something.) But what was the point of putting Mary in charge of her if she wasn't allowed to do the job? She'd have let them know it was a bad neighborhood and a bad idea. Besides, if Francesca was supposed to be either in the mansion with the alarm on or with Mary, when did she have a chance to scope out the town and find a Latina neighborhood. The whole set-up for Mary to get shot made no sense at at all.

4. On that note, why was Derkowitch (however you spell it) there? It was just a routine patrol job. Like Mary said in an earlier episode "are you the only cop in Albequerque?" I just didn't see any reason for him to be there. (Edited to add, I didn't realize Mary called Bobby directly. I thought she'd called 911 again. Now it makes sense.)

5. I think Francesca was right, Mary did overreact. The people were sitting in front of their own house on their own street doing their regular thing. But Mary's first priority is to keep her charge safe and at first glance, it didn't look safe.

6. I thought Raph did really well covering Francesca and Mary's real connection. Francesca was about to tell all. Although Marshall was listening and would have said something first.

7. It seemed pretty clear to me that Marshall is still not happy that Raphael knows. Although maybe he's a little jealous, too. Whichever, he didn't look all that comfortable sitting next to him.

8. In the interrogation room, I thought was Marshall was going to do to Mario what Stan did to whats-his-name (Day?). It looked like all the fight had gone out of him.

9. And why was the guy (what's his name and what was the agency handling this?) blaming Mary. He's the one who told Francesca she could move there in the first place.

Well, you can tell I've had a while to mull this over.

I'm new. Hi

Anyway, I joined to say this:

This episode worked really well as an episode, but not as a finale. Can we write to USA with a petition and say we want them to air the second half? I read that article and the cliffhanger was supposed to be their personal relationships, no? I figured this meant the suddenly prominent Raph/Mary/Marshall triangle (dude, even Raph wasn't weeping).

I read that article about Maples being driven out for what seems to be, more or less, creative differences - how much do you want to bet he didn't want to focus on the love triangle? Not that I don't love a good triangle, but it could have been a little less sudden. There have been hints that Marshall's in love with Mary since season one (remember that episode last season where she messed up his hair and smeared lipstick on his face for effect and he thought he was actually going to get laid?), but all of a sudden, there it is as a major plot point.

So, you think there's any way we can get USA to air the actual last episode? Because this show is off the air for 9 months and I find this cliffhanger particularly annoying in the sense she HAS to live. The show is ABOUT her. USA must think we're stupid or something. I'd be much more satisfied wondering whether or not her engagement is over, or whether she actually loves Marshall as much as he loves her. This "WILL SHE LIVE!?" crap is just that - crap. It's a cheap ploy by USA to try to gain viewers when anyone who's ever seen the show before, or even just the commercials on TV, knows she will.

I agree that, as a season finale, this episode was pretty horrid. But the real cliffhanger is in who shot Mary, and what Marshall will do when he finds him. Marshall is breaking in front of our eyes and I'm worried about him. One can only keep so composed for so long in his situation.

I liked the actress's portrayal of the character Francesca. You couldn't help but admire her strength and dedication to her cause. Yet for all of that, there was something cold and calculating about her that was off-putting. She seems all chipper with her "come on loosen up Mary" attitude, and "oh, I'm just out hanging with the people attitude", yet you have no doubt that she has a spine of steel.

I've always wondered about the folks with a "break a few eggs", mentality. She was willing to deceive her followers and let them revolt, fight and die because they thought she had been abducted by the opposition. You have to be careful with "visionaries" because sometimes, somewhere along the way, The Cause is the thing and people are secondary.

I don't think that Francesca shot Mary, but I do believe that if she felt that Mary was somehow a threat to her cause, she would do it in a heartbeat. With Francesca, I'm thinking: a landmine covered with whipped cream. The actress did a great job of capturing the subtext of the character.

Francesca-Haters, take heart, I know this is part one of two, but since they relocated her at the end of part one, it's not likely that you will ever have to see her again. (I'm glad I didn't know at the time that she "is somebody's wife", then I probably would have been watching the person-in-the-role instead of the actress-in-the-role.)

Oh! If only! If only! If only from your keyboard to His ears!!!

A suggestion to the network: Most of your viewer base seems dissatisfied with the cliffhanger structure. Why not run the second half of the episode (with maybe a marathon of old episodes or something) as a ratings stunt during the November sweeps? It would mitigate the REALLY LONG eight-month gap between seasons and make everybody happy.

I'm really looking forward to how you resolve the Marshall/Rafa thing. Marshall's the obvious winner (the scene in the hospital hallway was faboulous), but I hope you can find a way to keep Rafa on the show. I like his character.

I think it depends on the ICU. I'm an ICU RN at a major metropolitan hospital and we have 24/7 visiting hours. We try to keep it two at a time (especially if there's a lot of equipment), but it's almost better when the family can see the patient that's really sick. They get a better idea of how hard we are working to keep them alive.

Awww, as soon as I saw Marshall break down and start crying, I was no more good.
I had tears too.

I thought it was a great episode. Poor Mary.
It sucks that we have to wait so long for the new season.

A couple interesting points in the more recent posts. I'd have to agree with the level of contrivance from which this episode suffered. It's absurd that Francesca would be cleared to live in that neighborhood unless someone wants her dead, and Mary just got in the way. But then, that doesn't pass the laugh test, although it's entirely possible that's what will happen.

I'd also argue we didn't have a cliffhanger, despite USA's attempt to cast the end as one. We've just got a few unanswered questions about who shot Mary lost in the muddle. Without any procedural scenes, the key details about Mario and the bullet were lost in the breast-beating and temper tantrums.

Mary, far better USA runs Ep. 16 next week as it was meant to be run. What we have now is a debacle. But I've said before and I will continue to argue that we'll never see the Ep. 16 as it currently exists. Once the casting calls for S3 start coming out, we'll soon be able to tell if they'll do reshoots or trash it altogether and start over. Given the planned casting changes, I suspect we'll see a reshoot and a different shooter than originally planned.

I think most people realize the cliffy isn't if Mary lives or not. But who shot her and how is Marshall going to handle all this. Also, does this put a dent in the engagement? Will Raph want Mary to quit?

I think this is going to force Mary to learn how to depend on others. This was a serious injury and she's going to need some TLC and PT. So, who's going to give it to her? Marshall or Raph?!!


You know what I'd like to see sometime in the near future..........Marshall's dad visiting (I don't believe we know who he is, right? and whether he is alive or dead). And his father would be played by..............duh, duh, duh.............Peter Weller!

Yeah, I know they're cousins but there's 20 yrs difference in age. AND there is definitely a family resemblance.

What casting changes?

This could be just exactly what Mary needs. She's always taken care of everyone else along with herself. She was able to brush off the psychologist or whoever at the beginning of the season, but if she needs physical help, well, she's going to need it. It'll be good for her to have to depend on someone else and learn the world won't come to an end.

Funny, seeing Mary there, I wasn't thinking so much about her being alone, as I was wondering about how are all the people who are attached to and depended on her are going to deal with being WITHOUT her. I guess it is would be bad to say that the only way Mary could get some Mary time was to get shot. It is as if by being connected to the machine, she is finally disconnected from them--all emotional parasites in a way.

You're right. It won't hurt Jinx and Brandi to have to do a few things on their own, either. Mary needs a week at the beach, not a long hospital stay, though!

Out-of-all-the-cops-in-all-of-Albuquerque-why-did-Bobby-D-show-up-in-answer-to-Mary's-call?

Why was Bobby D there—to torment us? It was part one of two—wouldn't do to answer all the questions in the first part. This just gives us one more thing to mull over during the excruciatingly loooooooooong break.

Hmm, all good points.

What it really comes down to is that they should just air the episode. This isn't a show that goes off the air in May/June and comes back in September/October. This is a show that goes off the air in August and doesn't come back until April or May. That's a ridiculously long time to wait with this ending, when we know she's going to live anyway and what we really want to know is who shot her, why, and what will happen with Raph & Marshall.

I'd be so much happier if they just aired the damn episode. Really, USA, the people who were watching are going to be watching next season anyway. You're not going to pick up more viewers this way, you're just pissing off the viewers you already have.

I just want to know:
When Mary wakes up, who does she ask for first...Marshall or Raph?
I noticed a distinct lack of emotion on Raph's part...almost like he didn't even know what to feel. And he was really surprised when Francesca told him Mary talked about him. He seems quite dazed...which would be appropriate. Mary's not the only one rethinking the engagement at this point, I'm sure.

Maybe she'll ask for her mother! I think Raph is kind of the strong, silent type. Also, I think it's all just sinking in what she really does and how dangerous it can be.

I think Raph was just kind of in shock. Some people just kinda go numb during a crisis and can't really feel anything in the moment.

I didn't get the feeling that Raph was rethinking their engagement, but I'm sure he hates her job a whole lot more now. I do with they'd call it off or take a step back or something. Mary can't handle something like combining finances with Raph and she was freaking out a little too much over that silly commercial. I don't think this is the right relationship for her, or at the very least, she is not ready at all for a marriage-like commitment.

Maybe it was easier having him there than finding another actor to play the responding police officer? And we got to see his terror at Mary being shot. It's not implausible that he would have shown up... just slightly improbable. Besides, if he wasn't there, Marshall wouldn't have been notified of Mary's injury so quickly and wouldn't have seen her before she went into surgery. It all works out somehow. I think.

Well, that would answer all questions, wouldn't it? I think she'll either ask for Marshall or Raph will see/hear her interacting with Marshall and figure it out on his own. I like Raph a lot, but he should be with Brandi, he's way too mismatched with Mary.

re: Bobby D answering Mary's call

He did say on the phone with her that it was a really busy night and he'd try to send someone through but couldn't make any promises. He and Mary are friends. It wouldn't surprise me if he went there to help her out.

I think people are missing the point to why Mary got shot. Yes, it was sad and we all know she'll be fine but it was to basically give us confirmation of Marshal's feelings towards Mary.

Anyways, I thought it was a great episode.

I had forgotten about Mary's call to Bobby D asking him for help in getting the police to respond to her call and giving him the address. I can see why he showed up.

He is her friend and a fellow law enforcement officer. When he couldn't get anyone to respond because it was such a busy, busy night busy, he didn't want to leave her at the mercy of WhoKnowsWhat in such a dangerous neighborhood. After all, Mary is pretty tough herself, and if she were calling for help, then he would have to figure that help was really needed.

I think quite a few of us are wondering the same "Raph? or Marshall? or Neither? thing. Yes, Raph was kind of sedate, but maybe as the other poster said, you can attribute that to shock. And also too much angst says that you are losing hope and expecting the worst. Plus, he is "the man of the house" if he falls apart, where does that leave Jinx and Brandi. We each cope in our own way. This was his way. Who are we to judge?

But, I did get the impression that he was suffering from some is-this-going-to-be-what-I-have-to-worry-about-every-time-she-leaves-the-house thoughts. Maybe he was wondering/doubting whether HE could handle it.

I'm not much for "wallowing in your grief". That's why I can appreciate that Raph had the presence of mind to catch the "Mary's job ball" before it went over the fence. That is, explaining away Francesca's relationship to Mary. He turned what could have been a disaster if misplayed into an easy out.

Kinda of reminds me of what he did with the meth. No doubt, the man is worthy--but, is this what he wants to do with the rest of his life?

I didn't catch that she called Bobby directly. I really thought she'd called 911 again. I'm going to tape the re-run tonight and watch again and see what I missed.