Wow! Even though the Larsen case was actually "Stonewalled" by the FBI and their terrorist investigation, this episode proved to the most compact and well-developed hour of the show. We found out a lot about characters that have remained somewhat aloof for weeks and saw some dangerous changes for others.

Linden was once again the focus of the episode and Mireille Enos has no problem holding my attention. Although she was face down on the floor of the meat locker with FBI guns at her back, Linden was still eyeing the room for clues, and she found one. She's always working through the evidence and it's still exciting to watch her analyze the situation.

You could actually see the frustration on Linden's face and watch it grow as more and more roadblocks were put in front of her. The more she was told to walk away from the investigation, the more committed she seemed. This was especially true when Mitch came to see her and berate her for the released photos and their lack of progress. Already determined to figure the case out, this meeting lit a fire in her.

There's no chance of her leaving now, but maybe Rick won't mind too much. When an "Emmie" answered his phone, it was clear that Linden was suspicious and was also getting the brush-off from her ticked off fiance. Her dedication might be great for the Larsens, but as Jack pointed out, she doesn't seem to put that much care into her own family. Which is probably why Jack emailed those crime scene photos, to get her attention.

Linden has owned this case from the beginning, which hasn't worked out so well for Holder. I, like Linden, haven't really trusted him, but his emotional speech at AA revealed how nuanced and tortured he really is. Although it was difficult to have this part of his life revealed to Linden, he seemed glad that she knew and that she was really giving him a chance.

The FBI investigation not only stalled the Larsen case, leaving Linden and Holder to wait on their phone tap, it also created more problems for Richmond. Now the teacher/coach/murder suspect is connected to a terrorist organization, which the media can easily connect back to Richmond.

His decision to leak a story about the mayor's mistress seemed really contrived. This character has been all about his integrity and the positives of his campaign, and then he suddenly made a radical change in direction. Perhaps the actor is just not selling this change of heart. It also wasn't very shocking that he regretted this decision once he saw the mistress crying on t.v. when the media came to question her. His development over the past weeks has been predictable and kind of uninspiring.

Perhaps, the biggest (and worst to watch) development was the shift in Stan and Mitch's relationship. Things have been rough, but once Mitch almost killed their remaining kids because of her obsession with the murder case, Stan had to forcefully remind her of her other responsibilities. This didn't go well and Mitch refused to move on. Their relationship will no doubt continue to degenerate as she becomes consumed with her quest for vengeance.

Mitch has always been a troubling character, but its starting to get a little excessive. She has so little regard for anyone but herself that's it's becoming unappealing.

What did you think of the episode?