She acted like a complete psychopath in that episode. I would've sued the living *beep* out of LAPD and named that bitch personally if were that poor grandfather.
shareI had a few of those moments in season 5, as well.
shareI'm just wondering what you think she did that was so inappropriate, much less like a "complete psychopath."
Their son was a person of interest in a murder investigation. When they came back to talk to him again (and conduct a search of the house) his dad said flat out that they'd only cooperate if the police had a warrant. She produced the warrant and they came into the house demanding to talk to the son, which they had every right to do. The son chose to lock himself in his room (having figured out what his mother had done) and kill himself in order to protect his parents and ensure his daughter's being able to stay with them after he died. Not only was that not their fault; they were clearly desperate to get into the room and concerned about what he was going to do, especially after he told his parents he loved them. His death was no one's responsibility but his own as tragic as it was.
When she had the parents brought into the station later, it was because she knew that one of them killed the ex daughter-in-law. And she was right. She had no way of knowing which one did it until she questioned them. Which is exactly what she did.
Having sympathy for them and their situation is one thing. Letting them get away with murder is another. Brenda and her squad were doing their job. They didn't abuse the suspects. They didn't do anything to be intentionally cruel. But as she pointed out to her people, they don't get to decide who to bring to justice and who to let go because they feel sorry for them. Their job is to investigate crimes and arrest the perpetrators. And as much as we the viewers might sympathize with those people too, cold blooded murder is not an acceptable solution to a problem.
I genuinely didn't see anything wrong with the way she behaved toward anyone in this episode. And I can't imagine what cause anyone would have to sue her for anything. So I'm just curious which things you thought were psychopathic on her part and what you would sue her and the LAPD for.
Thanks.
'Having sympathy for them and their situation is one thing. Letting them get away with murder is another.'
I love this show, mainly for the writing and the plots. It doesn't have many memorable lines (nothing quotable) but the dialogue really leads to some understanding of the characters. Not the team, not Brenda, not Fritz, or her parents. The actual victims and criminals.
This is the one show I have watched where I almost always feel like the criminals have gained my sympathy. They are who they are. They think the way they think. It's almost like they have no choice but to be stupid, greedy, and devious. It would just take too much energy - a miracle, really - to be other than what they are.
Brenda, on the other hand, is the somewhat pampered 'little girl' to her parents and Fritz. She just loves all the doting. In one episode, Fritz compares her to a criminal by describing the person and then says, 'Does that remind you of someone?' It goes right over her head.
She is as incapable of introspection as any of her criminal suspects. But that's OK, because she's on the side of the good guys.
I'm convinced she has no real sympathy for the people she interviews, although she's got the act worked out perfectly to convince them that she does. She's right to catch them and not let them get away with murder. That's life, that's justice, that's the law.
I think that people with lots of empathy and compassion wouldn't be able to *do* what Brenda does -- they wouldn't be able to compartmentalize, plus they'd burn out. And she gets high marks for using her ability (to manipulate others) for social good rather than for personal gain.
The show indirectly raises interesting questions about society. Millions of people with different viewpoints, abilities, inclinations live together and try -- should try, have to try -- to get along. Everyone is needed. Brenda is good at what she does, but she'd be a lousy teacher, for example, and we need teachers. We also need people who don't mind cleaning toilets, something that most of us don't want to do, or people who at least *will* do it -- and get little money and no respect for doing it.
Makes me think about the fact that we're all interdependent, that everyone deserves respect and appreciation, and that most (perhaps all) anti-social behavior results from a failure to treat people decently.
"All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people."