Aren't you glad last week was lighter fare?

There was nothing light about Major Crimes Season 3 Episode 4 and it was the first time we really got to see Sykes shine during an investigation.

When an accused rapist, Lucas Cross, is set free (dancing his way out of the courtroom, no less) his two victims are the top suspects.

Rusty also finds himself dealing with trouble, by way of his rotten mother. Let's take a look.

Watch Major Crimes Season 3 Episode 4 Online

When a lab tech lies on his resume and he works in law enforcement, everything he or she touches is thrown out. That's what happened to Jackie, a woman who was brutally raped, but played by the rules. She went though the humiliation of an investigation and through most of the court process only to learn her case was inadmissible because of a tainted chain of command on the evidence.

The rapist's other victim was raped overseas on a military base. Kind of. The rapist was a private contractor and had his own housing off base. If he had been in the military himself, maybe things would have been different.

Lucas Cross was a vile human being. He had double keyed locks on his doors to make sure he could lock people out and in. He raped two beautiful women and ruined their lives. When he was freed, he contacted them as if he was an old boyfriend. The pain and humiliation wouldn't end for his victims, because the system had failed them.

It's difficult to care about someone like that being murdered. He committed two major crimes. But, as Sykes pointed out, it's not called the fairness system. Things don't always work out as they're supposed to. Sometimes the pain gets to be so much that the victims turn into the aggressors. 

Here, we had one woman who did it and another who was willing to serve time if only to try to find peace. She didn't have the guts to cut his throat himself and since she'll never know if that would have brought her some relief, she's perfectly happy to help the real killer get away. They're partners in crime, but they're not even friends.

Sykes military background served her well in the case. She has keen instincts and and understanding of what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated career. She's still in that situation. She could tell that the innocent was lying, but she also didn't want to see the killer go down for more than she needed to. She really just wanted to help.

The killer called it self defense. After all, Cross was contacting her. But she wasn't in immediate danger and set up the kill. Unfortunately for many women, they are often not capable of using their defensive skills when they need them most, in the heat of the moment. Women kill their abusive husbands while they're sleeping for the same reason. When someone can overpower you, you feel defenseless and must take different routes to what seems a logical conclusion.

It was a disgusting case and there were no winners. The plight of those who are unable to protect themselves and who spend time fighting demons as a result is horrific.

Rusty has been fighting those same demons for most of his life. His mother is a piece of work. Rehab didn't work out for her, to say the least. Not only did she get a fake prescription that Flynn recognized as a regular medication for junkies, she asked Rusty to fill it.

When Rusty told her no, she unleashed both barrels of her lovely personality. She blamed Rusty for her drinking, her addiction. She said it was his sexuality that forced her down that road. How would anyone deal with a kid like him? Then he sold himself on the streets and made it worse. But she forgave him. The way she vomited those words out and they slapped Rusty's face was so unpleasant.

Through it all, Sharon steadfastly refuses to speak ill of Rusty's mom. She's always on hand with a kind word and concern that one day he will want to explore it all. She won't break the bond they have by speaking ill of his mother when he's vulnerable. So, his mom is not in the halfway house and she's standing in the trash, right where she belongs. 

It's not the way I would have wanted to see Rusty come out, but he didn't refute what his mother was saying about his sexuality. Of course, it's a pain he likely felt long before she expressed it. Thank God he has a better Sharon in his life now.

Hit the comments with your thoughts on the installment and watch Major Crimes online for your fix.

Should Rusty cut ties with his mother again?

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.