Directed by Rob Bailey
Written by Anthony E. Zuiker, Ann Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn & Timothy J Lea
"Charge of This Post" is the 24th and final episode of Season 2, and the 47th episode overall. It originally aired May 17, 2006.
Synopsis:
An explosion rocks a crime scene that Mac & Flack have been called to, severely injuring Flack and trapping the two of them and an office worker.Tropes for the episode:
- After-Action Healing Drama: Mac enlists the office worker's help in stabilizing Flack, borrowing the man's shoestring to tie off a profusely bleeding artery in Don's gut.
- Clothing-Concealed Injury: Justified and downplayed by Mac, whose battle scar from the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks bombing is naturally covered by his shirt. When Stella sees it when he's being checked out by the paramedics after the ordeal, he merely comments, "Old injury."
- Comatose Canary: Before Flack regains consciousness following his surgery, Mac asks him to squeeze his hand. He has to say it a few times before Flack barely does it.
- Flashback Echo: Flack's injuries take Mac back to the barracks bombing, when another Marine was injured in much the same way.
- From Dress to Dressing: After tying off Flack's artery with the other man's shoestring, Mac uses strips from his own shirt to staunch additional bleeding.
- He Who Fights Monsters: The bomber is trying to prove that NYC is not ready for another terrorist attack, but ends up becoming a villain himself.
- Jurisdiction Friction: Downplayed with the Department of Homeland Security. The officer in charge agrees to let Mac lead while insisting that her team be involved:If there's a bombing in New York City, then here's where we're paid to be.
- Mad Bomber: The bomber has delusions of being a Marine. He had tried 5 times to get into the Corps and had resorted to using aliases when he applied.
- Monochrome Past: Mac's flashbacks to Beirut are shown in sepia tones.
- Non-Fatal Explosions: Thankfully, no one is killed by the blast.
- Scars Are Forever: Mac's still has his battle injury scar from 1983 more than 22 years later.
- Shirtless Scene: Mac, briefly, when the paramedics cut off his bloody t-shirt to bandage his neck injury.
- Terminology Title: Taken from the first of the 11 Marine Corps General Orders, "To take charge of this post and all government property in view."
- That's an Order!: Mac plays into the perp's delusion by taking on the role of a superior officer and giving him a direct order to put down his weapon and release his hostage.
- Torso with a View: Played very realistically with Flack's abdominal injury. Blood, guts, a spurting artery... it's not for the squeamish.
- Unbroken Vigil: The team all come to visit Flack after his surgery when he has not yet regained consciousness. Everyone but Mac & Stella leave shortly after arriving. Later Mac is shown to be the last one by his bedside, trying to get his friend to squeeze his hand. The episode closes just after Flack does so.
