My Alter Ego

My life as of late has surpassed human expectations for manageable stress. Without getting into details, suffice it to say that things continue to spiral crazily around this place. I'm a horrific model of how to manage stress and I've been telling myself for the last week that I MUST renew my YMCA membership. I've got to find a healthy outlet for some of this!

Of course, one of my favorite outlets is cop shows. I've been so excited that lately the reruns of Criminal Intent have been from the first few seasons. In those first few seasons, the show was more raw, less refined. Bobby Goren was all over the place--in people's faces and spaces, being quirky and nutty and everything that is so gloriously, geniusly Bobby. And Alex was along for the ride, trying to make sense of her partner, delivering the necessary information on the case, connecting the dots for anyone who's a little...well, slower...in the TV audience.

I'm always amused by people who get so up in arms with the character of Bobby Goren. I remember reading one time a post from some guy who was criticizing Goren's investigative techniques, claiming that any detective who did that kind of stuff would be fired. Really? It's not okay to stick your hands in open wounds on corpses? To sniff dead bodies so you can identify the last thing a person consumed? To stick your head in trash cans to identify the smell of vomit? To pull out a potential suitcase bomb and open it up without a bomb squad? Relax, dude...it's called fiction.

I put my Criminal Intent DVD's up shortly after my son went into treatment. I haven't had the time nor the inclination to revisit them. But having the pleasure of watching those early episodes again on TV has reminded me why I'm absolutely crazy about that show. I want the kind of job that I don't have to follow the rules! That I can be as nutty and unique as I want to be without consequence. I want to be able to wave my arms and hands around while explaining myself, put my face in other people's and have them confess their demons at the drop of a dime. I want to have a partner who puts up with my crazy antics because he or she believes that ultimately I'm some kind of freaking genius. Dammit, I want to be Detective Goren!!!

I guess if I had to, though, I'd settle for Alex Eames. At least she gets to hang around the dorky genius. Just don't make me carry his water. ;-)