#Amy Aquino

[darkangel1791]

Random Thoughts on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier:

Dr. Raynor is a terrible therapist, part two.

Again, let me say that I am aware that everything said is for comedic and/or dramatic purposes. And I do understand that the constraints of an hour episode of a series makes it necessary to suspend disbelief at times. The opinion I'm expressing is based on the reality of the show as presented.

In the second session that we see, the first thing she does is insist that Sam come to the session with Bucky. Leaving aside the fact that she has no authority over Sam, and that was way out of line, a therapist should never invite a third person into a one on one therapy session without first discussing it with the client. In a therapy session, a client is very vulnerable and sensitive questions will be asked. It should be a place of safety. Demanding that a third person be there without any warning, and without the client's consent is completely shattering that safe place, as well as an incredible breach of doctor-patient confidentiality.

Her excuse for this is that it is her job to make sure "you're okay". She seems to be addressing Sam which is a complete lie on her part, but even if she is addressing both of them, it is still not her place to suddenly make this relationship a priority in Bucky's therapy. If this is the last therapy session she will have with Bucky, then even moreso it should be solely focused on him.

She takes two people that she has never counseled together before, one of whom she met for the first time minutes ago, and immediately starts trying to work on the relationship. She doesn't even know what their relationship is.

Not quite using the Miracle question correctly. You identify the problem first and then say if you woke up tomorrow and that problem was solved, how would your world be different?

Straight to the soul-gazing exercise? Not even funny, Doc. The soul-gazing exercise is a process done in a quiet, relaxed, atmosphere. I'll just say, in no way would a police conference room in Baltimore ever be a place to do the soul-gazing exercise, and not even elaborate.

Then, Bucky has a significant, emotional, moment. He actually verbally expresses a deeply held fear of his. He even becomes emotional, you can hear it in his voice. Dr. Raynor does NOT acknowledge this in any way. And she allows Sam to brush it off as unimportant as well. Terrible, TERRIBLE, therapeutic response! Her patient actually verbalizes a real fear, experiences a real emotion, allows his inner self out for once, and the response is, NOTHING. No one cares, not even his therapist.

Both of my posts are very long, and thank you so much if you read through them both. But I have to tell you, I could have gone through line by line and pointed out how this therapy was just a train wreck!

Again, no shade to the writers, the point of these episodes was not to portray healthy therapy. But I have seen some reactions on YouTube where people were saying that they loved this therapist. "She didn't take Bucky's bullshit" "She ordered Sam in there like a boss!" etc. And, maybe because therapy is something near and dear to my heart, I want to express my opinion about it, because I don't want anyone to be having this kind of therapy experience and thinking it is a good thing.

Dr. Raynor is a terrible therapist pt.1

[steelbluehome]

Collider

On 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Curiously Iffy Relationship With Therapy

By Gregory Lawrence

Mar 28, 2021

I’ve been going to therapy for many years, and if you’re reading this, I suggest you do, too. It’s an exceptional tool in the ongoing journey of one’s mental health, a place where you can speak and be listened to without agenda. The therapists I’ve spoken with in my life have one common trait: Unflappability. They are professionals at navigating the complicated emotional lives of their clients while not becoming destructively emotional themselves. They don’t pursue anything but giving you a runway to find your truth.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a welcomely grounded Marvel Cinematic Universe series, one less interested in the “big three” of supernatural baddies (“androids, aliens, and wizards,” as Anthony Mackie’s Falcon phrases it) and more interested in the traumas and struggles of getting chewed up and spit out by the systems of regular-ass life. Yes, Mackie’s Sam and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky are fierce warriors who have used state-of-the-art tech and super-soldier serums respectively to battle all kinds of strange folks. But two episodes in, the series’ fights are human-to-human, full of shades and nuance, and often hamstrung by the cruel machinations of a society so determined to make life hard for people (especially returning veterans).

That’s why I was happy to see Amy Aquino show up as Dr. Christina Raynor, Bucky’s court-ordered therapist, in the very first episode. As made evident by Bucky’s nightmare of the merciless acts of violence he took while under Hydra mind control (rendered with shocking horror-tinged brutality by series director Kari Skogland), he needs therapy badly. In their initial sequence together, we see Bucky behave the way we often see troubled protagonists behave in therapy scenes: He plays the silent treatment at best and is openly antagonistic at worst. He baldly lies to his mental health professional about his own mental health. I understand that our (anti)hero can’t suddenly be enlightened and peaceful and ready to move on from his inner conflict; I want to see him go through this journey over the season of television. But I still couldn’t help but want to scream through the TV at him, “Just tell her the truth! You’re only hurting yourself!”

Depiction doesn’t equal endorsement, especially when it comes to a complicated character like Bucky who has objectively committed murders, but there’s something that continues to be complicated about seeing the center of our journey, the person we’re to align ourselves with being so resistant toward mental health wellness, perhaps to provoke a response of “Aw, I understand, I’d behave the same way. Therapy is weird!”

Then again, Dr. Christina Raynor might not be the best therapist for Bucky, or any client. Dramatic license must be taken in any depiction of real life. Unlike the often aimless moments of regular-ass life, dramatic scenes must involve conflict, intention, agency, and a visible drive toward a visible goal. Thus Dr. Raynor, like many film and television therapists before her, takes an aggressive approach toward “meeting the goal of making Bucky well,” poking and prodding at him, trying her best to “get him there.” She simply drips with derision and disdain at every level of her interaction with poor Bucky, even snarkily acting out his past tendencies to commit brainwashed murders. On the one hand, she needs to behave like this for the function of the scene; to watch a character be a blank slate of non-provocation without any goal of her own would likely make a boring scene. The way the scene plays is a strong visualization of Bucky’s resistance and Dr. Raynor’s (and the audience’s) desire for him to know peace. But as she kept poking and prodding and needling and frowning, even while insisting that Bucky needs to trust her, I thought to myself, “Of course he’s not speaking up. Who’d want to spill their innermost secrets to this force who obviously has an aggressive agenda?” The scene attempts to justify some of this behavior by reminding us that Dr. Raynor is a soldier who’s seen combat herself. But the moment a therapist tells you “That’s utter bullshit” is the moment you find a new therapist, dramatic license or not.

Episode 2 pumps up some of the oddness of this therapy dynamic by injecting it with one of the key secrets to the MCU’s sauce: Tension-cutting banter. After Bucky is arrested for not showing up to one of his court-mandated sessions (another complicated moment of positioning the viewer as finding therapy to be an impediment to the characters’, and show’s, action), Dr. Raynor forces both Bucky and Sam to sit down in front of her and figure out what’s tearing them apart. Surprisingly, and quite touchingly, Stan and Mackie play this scene earnestly, the pain they feel toward each other and themselves seeping from the corners of their eyes into their full figures, even as they do bantery things like move their chairs close together without knocking their knees together.

But Dr. Raynor is over here roasting and toasting them like a damn Friars Club gala. She glibly but stridently positions the exercises she wants them to do as normally being done by romantic couples, not giving them any chance to breathe at the slightest moment of resistance, cutting her patients off at the knees under the auspices of helping them stand. She is sarcastic throughout, saying things like “No volunteers? How surprising,” and “Sweet Jesus” with the tenor of a middle school gym teacher ragging on the math nerd who’s getting whomped in dodgeball. And yes, there’s an attempt at fun and bravado in these back-and-forths, the way we see all kinds of other fun back-and-forths in other “serious” MCU moments, the way we see Sam and Bucky constantly treat each other like bickering children. But not every single moment of the MCU needs to possess this kind of tone, especially not when we’re trying to watch a mental health professional deal with such clearly damaged clients.

All of this, this brevity and impatience and snarkiness, is perhaps more understandable and better played in this episode, given the emotional states of our title characters and the fact that it’s framed by an increasingly sleazy, dehumanizing new Captain America (Wyatt Russell, simply throwing away the line, “He’s too valuable of an asset to have tied up, so just do whatever you gotta do with him, then send him off to me”). But it’s still odd and brittle in a way I find unnecessary, even unhelpful. The sequence ends with a genuine moment of clarity and understanding — a breakthrough, even — between Sam and Bucky, even though it ends with Sam leaving the room. Dr. Raynor’s response, simply, is a sarcastic, “Thank you. That was really great.”

“No bullshit tough love,” to use a word Dr. Raynor is fond of, is a sensible stylistic choice for any character in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but I worry it comes at the cost of actual human connection, change, or empathy in these very sensitive moments. And I worry it all comes at a cost of further demonizing seeking therapy as a viable option for anyone watching. I love the way The Falcon and the Winter Soldier pushes forward in its darker-than-usual plottings, but I really love the way it stands still in its darker-than-usual emotional explorations. I don’t want Dr. Raynor, nor performer Amy Aquino, to suddenly become clipped or dampened or in any way made less of a human being. I just hope Dr. Raynor’s own in-universe therapist tells her to get out of the way of her own bullshit and let the characters explore themselves in future episodes.

[camyfilms]

BEAUTIFUL BOY 2018

He will sometimes send you funny emails. He prefers spaghetti over penne. Have you seen my son? Have you seen my beautiful boy? Tell him I miss him.

[loveboatinsanity]

[acautionarytale]

Started watching Bosch and Lt Billets is established as queer in the first season. I approve and love her.

[myoldsox]

Bosch (TV Series 2014–2021) - IMDb

Just watching for the 2nd time....so good

[wexlermendelssohn]

Incredibly silly low-effort OC upon remembering Amy Aquino is a counselor type in both Weeds and Falcon & Winter Solider.

[painted-doe]

Came across this neat interview with the actress who plays Raynor while doing some research for my fic today!

[therewillbekpop]

undefined

[demonicshowdown]

And now, to reveal The Bracket

Beneath the cut you will find a text list of the matchups (links coming soon) as well as the media they are from.

666,

Furfur

Top Left:

Sebastian Michaelis (Black Butler) vs. Lucifer (Obey Me!)

King (The Owl House) vs. Allistair Ash (Fantasy High)

Dahlia Aquino (Monster Camp) vs. Asmodeus (Puppet History)

Tahm Kench (League of Legends) vs. Gorthalax (Fantasy High)

Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls) vs. Red Son (LEGO Monkie Kid)

Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) vs. Ghost Rider (Marvel)

Lorne (Buffyverse) vs. HIM (Powerpuff Girls)

Barbatos (Obey Me!) vs. Millie (Helluva Boss)

Bottom Left:

Asmodeus.exe (Pony Island) vs. Luci (Disenchantment)

Mammon (Obey Me!) vs. Devil Cookie (Cookie Run)

Courtney (Dead End: Paranormal Park) vs. Lord Garmadon (LEGO Ninjago)

Morax (Catholic Canon) vs. Ob Nixilis (Magic: the Gathering)

Alastor (Hazbin Hotel) vs. Fiddlesticks (League of Legends)

The Devil (Cuphead) vs. Lead Shax (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun)

Giratina (Pokemon) vs. Lucifer (The Bible)

n°1 (Artemis Fowl) vs. Hellboy (Marvel)

Top Right:

Crowley (Good Omens) vs. Crowley (Supernatural)

Asmodeus Alice (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun) vs. Lucifer (Shim Megami Tensai)

Amy Kiriwo (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun) vs. Gary (Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell)

Beelzebub (Catholic Canon) vs. Opera (Welcome to Demon School Iruma-Kun)

Jamie (Cryptid Crush) vs. Verdilet (Tomb Raider)

Fig Faeth (Fantasy High) vs. Leviathan (Obey Me!)

Damien LaVey (Monster Prom) vs. Temtation (The Temptations of St. Anthony by Salvador Rosa)

Beetlejuice (Beetlejuice) vs. Stolas (Helluva Boss)

Bottom Right:

Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist) vs. Raven (Teen Titans)

Bendy (Bendy and the Ink Machine) vs. Pazuzu (Catholic Canon)

Abyssal Chicken (D&D) vs. Shredder (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Blitzo (Helluva Boss) vs. Hastur (Good Omens)

Naberius Kalego (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun) vs. Asmodeus (Obey Me!)

Moxxie (Helluva Boss) vs. Marceline (Adventure Time)

Rukia Kuchiki (Bleach: Brave Souls) vs. Luo Binghe (The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System)

Mazikeen (Sandman) vs. Furfur (the mod of this poll wait how did I end up here?)

[darkangel1791]

Random Thoughts on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier:

I am aware that every line in every scene is there for dramatic and/or comedic purposes. So there's no need to point that out. It isn't that I didn't get the point or the joke. This is also nothing against Amy Aquino, who plays Dr. Raynor. This is just an opinion piece based on the reality that the show wants us to accept.

Trigger warnings for mental health and mental health treatment, and power dynamics.

From an actual standpoint of mental health and therapy, in 2024, Dr. Raynor is a terrible therapist.

So many reasons! Let's start with when she said to Bucky "The government wants to make sure you aren't gonna (mimes stabbing people)". A therapist, of all people, would always use their words! Always! Bucky communicates verbally, so the therapist must also. If she was afraid to say it to Bucky then she shouldn't have brought it up. Also, if she hasn't caught on yet that Bucky's major problem is that he was a killer and that haunts him, Bucky should have a different therapist. So she shouldn't have approached such a sensitive topic in such a flippant way. That would just make him shut down.

I think this plan about making a list and making amends with the 3 rules was something she put in place as part of his treatment plan. Doesn't seem like the sort of thing Bucky would come up with on his own, and I doubt that the government would condone him making contact with former Hydra members or families of his victims unless it was part of a sanctioned treatment plan, at least. That shows that as a therapist, she is results driven. If a results driven therapist asks if you're having nightmares, they will next want to know what you are doing to alleviate the problem. So Bucky most likely says no because he knows she doesn't actually care about the nightmares. They have probably already had that conversation once. When Sam asks the same question, Bucky says "All the time," without hesitation. Also, if she was any kind of a therapist, she would have asked enough questions to know that Bucky isn't having nightmares, he is having flashbacks, which is a different mental process.

"Give me your phone." No, absolutely not! That tramples on so many privacy boundaries, it is unreal! It is also a misuse of power, and the power dynamic, because what if he says no? She has the power to tell the government that he is a dangerous psychopath and get him locked away forever.

But, after invading his privacy in this way, she uses the information she gets to criticize and mock him? No. That is doubling down on the abuse of the power dynamic.

"What do you want now?"

"Peace."

"THAT IS UTTER BULLSHIT!"

Ummmmm, no. If a client is lying to the therapist, or to themselves, you deal with it in a completely different way. Yelling is never okay. Telling a person with mental health problems that you don't believe what they are saying, calling them a liar, is not treatment. She gives no context for why she thinks that is a lie, or why she thinks Bucky would lie to her. Or why she thinks that he would lie about that subject.

Finally, the notebook thing is absolutely passive aggressive. "You don't talk, I write." That is psychological manipulation. I can only imagine that whatever she writes is used in the weekly report she sends to the government. What if she writes that he is being uncooperative? The parole is revoked, he gets locked up. So she is putting him in a situation where he is forced to say something. But not about his true problems, nor will it be truthful information. We see that he lies to her when describing what he did to cross the most recent name off of the list. Which, of course he does! Along with that, step 3, being forced to identify yourself as the Winter Soldier and by name as who you are now, is incredibly dangerous and puts him in a very vulnerable position. That entire thing is completely out of whack with good, safe, mental health treatment.

I'm sure I have left things out, but this is long enough already. I'll do another post on the second session that we see.

Again ymmv, your mileage may vary. Meaning that these opinions are mine alone. They do not invalidate yours, or anyone else's who has written or spoken on the subject. No offense is meant. Your view of the subject is valid and I am not trying to negate that view by expressing my own.

In closing, when you first enter the office of a therapist, take pictures of, or write down, the information on the credentials they have displayed. If there are no credentials displayed, ask why and what their credentials are. If your therapist ever makes you feel threatened or ridiculed, don't go back! Ever! And report them to whatever organization their displayed licenses are from.

Dr. Raynor was a terrible therapist pt. 2

[syfyhq]

FCS MISSING FROM MANIFEST   ─

alaqua cox, jordan alexander, thomas weatherall, dilraba dilmurat, morningstar angeline, tasia zalar,  hailie sahar, ricky whittle, kiowa gordon, brian michael smith, zion moreno, sidharth malhotra, ming na wen, ivory aquino, jana schmieding, cody christian, gabourey sidibe, laith ashley, melisa dongel, shraddha kapoor, amber midthunder, daniel ezra, serkan cayoglu, & ariela barer !

MISSED CONNECTIONS AT THE AIRPORT   ─

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PURCHASE YOUR TICKET TODAY   ─

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THE MAIN ⌱ JOIN THE BUZZ ⌱ WANTED CONNECTIONS

[logicalstansadvice]

Where is the info you dropped about Sebastain improvising in TFATWS? // The Sam & Bucky couples therapy scene was largely improvised and went on for much longer than what ended up in the show. The actress who played the therapist talked about it in an interview. (Sorry, don’t have a link.)

💄

[loveboatinsanity]

[ulkaralakbarova]

Tess McGill is an ambitious secretary with a unique approach for climbing the ladder to success. When her classy, but villainous boss breaks a leg skiing, Tess takes over her office, her apartment and even her wardrobe. She creates a deal with a handsome investment banker that will either take her to the top, or finish her off for good. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Tess McGill: Melanie Griffith Jack Trainer: Harrison Ford Katharine Parker: Sigourney Weaver Mick Dugan: Alec Baldwin Cyn: Joan Cusack Oren Trask: Philip Bosco Ginny: Nora Dunn Lutz: Oliver Platt Turkel: James Lally Bob Speck: Kevin Spacey Armbriester: Robert Easton Personnel Director: Olympia Dukakis Alice Baxter: Amy Aquino Tim Rourke: Jeffrey Nordling Doreen DiMucci: Elizabeth Whitcraft Tess’s Birthday Party Friend: Maggie Wagner Tess’s Birthday Party Friend: Lou DiMaggio Tess’s Birthday Party Friend: David Duchovny Tess’s Birthday Party Friend: Georgienne Millen Petty Marsh Secretary: Caroline Aaron Petty Marsh Secretary: Nancy Giles Petty Marsh Secretary: Judy Milstein Petty Marsh Secretary: Nicole Chevance Petty Marsh Secretary: Kathleen Gray Petty Marsh Secretary: Jane B. Harris Petty Marsh Secretary: Sondra Hollander Petty Marsh Secretary: Samantha Shane Petty Marsh Secretary: Julia Silverman Jr. Executive: Jim Babchak Jim: Zach Grenier Dewey Stone Reception Guest: Ralph Byers Dewey Stone Reception Guest: Leslie Ayvazian Cab Driver: Steve Cody Dewey Stone Receptionist: Paige Matthews John Romano: Lee Dalton Phyllis Trask: Barbara Garrick Barbara Trask: Madolin B. Archer Hostess at Wedding: Etain O’Malley Bridesmaid: Ricki Lake Bitsy: Marceline Hugot Bridegroom: Tom Rooney Trask Wedding Orchestra: Peter Duchin Trask Secretary: Maeve McGuire Tim Draper: Timothy Carhart TV Weatherman: Lloyd Lindsay Young Bartender: F.X. Vitolo Clerk at Dry Cleaner’s: Lily Froehlich Heliport Attendant: Michael Haley Helicopter Pilot: Mario T. DeFelice Jr. Helicopter Pilot: Anthony Mancini Jr. Trask Receptionist: Suzanne Shepherd Rhumba Guy (uncredited): Matthew Bennett Staten Island Secretary (uncredited): Trish Cook Pretty Brunette Office Girl (uncredited): Priscilla Cory Cyn’s Aunt (uncredited): Marilyn Dobrin Trask Executive (uncredited): Kevin Fennessy Receptionist (uncredited): Anita Finlay Office Worker (uncredited): Tom Sean Foley Staten Island Ferry Commutor (uncredited): George Gerard Secretary (uncredited): Dhonna Harris Goodale Young Businessman (uncredited): Daniel Henning Office Party-Goer (uncredited): Eric Kramer Secretary (uncredited): Elisa London Secretary (uncredited): Karen Starr Petty Marshall Secretary (uncredited): Alison Wachtler Film Crew: Director of Photography: Michael Ballhaus Editor: Sam O’Steen Screenplay: Kevin Wade Costume Design: Ann Roth Makeup Artist: Joseph A. Campayno Makeup Artist: J. Roy Helland Art Direction: Doug Kraner Director: Mike Nichols Unit Production Manager: Robert Greenhut Set Decoration: George DeTitta Jr. Casting: Juliet Taylor Executive Producer: Laurence Mark Producer: Douglas Wick Hairstylist: Alan D’Angerio Gaffer: John W. DeBlau Production Design: Patrizia von Brandenstein Location Manager: Richard Baratta Supervising Sound Editor: Stan Bochner Transportation Captain: Tom O’Donnell Jr. First Assistant Camera: Florian Ballhaus Production Supervisor: Todd Arnow Boom Operator: Linda Murphy Still Photographer: Andrew D. Schwartz Assistant Costume Designer: Gary Jones Camera Operator: David M. Dunlap Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Lee Dichter Art Department Coordinator: Samara Schaffer Transportation Co-Captain: Louis Volpe Script Supervisor: Mary Bailey Assistant Art Director: Tim Galvin Production Coordinator: Ingrid Johanson Production Sound Mixer: Les Lazarowitz Music Editor: Patrick Mullins Sound Editor: Marshall Grupp ADR Editor: Michael Jacobi Property Master: James Mazzola Cableman: Mike Bedard First Assistant Director: Michael Haley Stunt Double: Vic Armstrong Original Music Composer: Carly Simon Stunt Coordinator: Jim Dunn Stunt Coordinator: Frank Ferrara Stunts: Phil Neilson Stunts: ...

[agentcable]

Law & Order Special Victims Unit Season 22 Ep. 1 "Guardians and Gladiators" Recap

The Special Victims Unit was called in to investigate after Blake Morris, a black man, was accused of sexually assaulting a man and harrasing a woman and her son in Central Park. Morris claimed he was innocent. A new suspect was found, leading to Morris' acquittal. However, Morris filed a lawsuit against Special Victims Unit, causing the community to lose trust in law enforcement.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

The first episode of season 22 is based on the Central Park birdwatching incident. The episode follows the investigation for an hour. Olivia Benson and her squad investigate a rape in the same area of Central Park where Amy Cooper, a white woman, called the New York City Police on innocent birder Christian Cooper, a Black man, in June.

In the fictional version presented on Wednesday, a white woman calls the police and reports a Black man who is exercising near them in the park, claiming that he is "scaring my son". The situation escalates when the boy discovers a man in the trees who is injured. The woman even insists that she is "not one of those Karens", which is questionable. Upon the arrival of the uniformed officers, a physical altercation ensues, resulting in the exerciser being handcuffed. SVU arrives next. Eric Aquino, the man found in the bushes, was raped and is in bad condition. He is unable to identify his attacker.

Olivia and Fin feel the pressure to keep things moving as the crowd grows and everyone holds their cameras to capture the action. Since the exerciser, Jayvon, is uncooperative and has two outstanding warrants, they decide to arrest him and take him to the station. However, it should be noted that Jayvon's warrants were for protesting. He has no history of violent offenses. He was rightfully angry that the police assumed he was involved in the rape. They were only in the park because of the racist woman's false call.

After they realized Jayvon was innocent, he sued the department and specifically named Fin and Olivia. Deputy Chief Garland warned Fin that with the current anti-police sentiment, a "purge" is coming, and no one is safe, including himself, Fin, and Captain Benson.

Olivia speaks with Internal Affairs to give her statement about what happened. During the interview, a Black officer points out that Olivia never checked the white woman's priors. Olivia is surprised to learn that the woman has a history of making false reports and also has a restraining order against her. Olivia also mentions that she and Amaro had encountered Jayvon before during a stop-and-frisk when they were looking for a serial rapist years ago. Olivia is visibly upset as the interviewer explains that there are two types of white cops: gladiators, who are racist and struggle to contain their anger towards her, and guardians, who consider themselves allies but refuse to work on dismantling their own biases. Olivia later tells Garland that she is reeling from this information.

At the precinct, Rollins and Kat locate a man who shouted "Defund the police!" during Jayvon's arrest. However, it is discovered that he had met Eric at a bar earlier that night and had gone with him to the park. The man is arrested, but during Fin's testimony at the grand jury proceedings, things fall apart when the jurors bein questioning his involvement in the shooting from the previous season. During a heated argument outside the courtroom, Fin accuses Carisi of being a racist from Staten Island. The argument is interrupted by the arrival of Punchable Face's lawyer, who informs them that his client will testify before the grand jury. PF testifies that he had consensual oral sex with Eric in the park but went home before anything bad happened to Eric. He tearfully tells the jury that he, Eric, and Jayvon are victims because the cops are lying. The grand jury votes not to move ahead with the case, and Punchable Face goes free.

Eric's family is incensed when they hear the news. Kat and Rollins are yelled at by Jayvon Brown's brother, who blames them for the situation. Olivia finds her son Noah watching the video of Jayvon's arrest and he asks her if she's a racist and if she has apologized to Jayvon. The following morning, Olivia goes to the park to inform Jayvon that the woman who called the cops on him has been charged. He lost his job, and he's angry that PF left. "The NYPD has, I have a lot of work to do," she tells him. "Yeah," he says before jogging away.

Central Park Birdwatching Incident

Amy Cooper (unrelated to Christian Cooper) was walking her dog in Central Park's Ramble on May 25, 2020. The incident occurred on the same day a the murder of George Flyod in Minneapolis. Both events received immediate media coverage because videos of them were shared on social media.

While birdwatching in the park, comic book writer and editor Christian Cooper noticed that Amy's dog was running free without a leash, despite the requirement that dogs in that are be on-leash according to the Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park under contract with the city. Christian asked Amy to leash her dog, but she refused. According to Christian, he told Amy that if she continued to do as she pleased, he would do the same, but she would not like it. He then called the dog over to him with a treat. Amy responded by shouting, "Don't touch my dog!" Christian explained that he frequently encounters dog owners who do not leash their dogs in areas where leashes are required. This is harmful to birds an disrupts birdwatchers like himself. He carried dog treats to offer to off-leash dogs as a method of tricking owners into leashing their dogs. He found that dog owners tend to distrust strangers and will leash their dogs to prevent them from taking the treat. Amy became upset and threatened to call the police, leaading Christian to begin recording on his cellphone.

In Christian Cooper's video, Amy Cooper approaches him and asks him to stop recording while pointing her finger in his face. He asks her to stay away from him, and she responds by threatening to call the police. She called the police and falsely reported that an African American man was threatening her life while recording her in Central Park. The video ends with Christian thanking her as she leashes the dog. According to the police, both individuals had left by the time they responded.

The video of Amy Cooper, who called the police on Christian Cooper in Central Park, went viral after Christian's sister posted it on Twitter (now known as X) and he shared it on Facebook. Amy's behaviour in the video was heavily condemned. She was accused of falsely presenting herself as being in immediate physical danger. This was in the context of the tendency for people and police to treat Black people with suspicion. In the video, Amy was seen dragging her cocker spaniel by its collar. On May 25, she surrendered the dog to the shelter from which she had adopted him two years before. The shelter's veterinarian evaluated the dog on June 3, and it was returned to her.

Amy Cooper was charged by the Manhattan District Attorney with filing a false report on July 6, 2020. The misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to one year in jail. During Amy Cooper's court appearance in October 2020, the New York County District Attorney's prosecutors disclosed that a 911 dispatcher had made a second call to her. However, in February 2021, the charges against her were dropped after she completed a five-session educational and therapeutic program that focused on racial identity.

After watching the video, Amy's employer, Franklin Templeton, put her on administrative leave while they conducted an investigation. The next day, the company terminated her from her position as head of the firm's insurance investments. In the statement, Franklin Templeton stated that they do not tolerate any form of racism.

The August 3, 2021 episode of the podcast "Honestly with Bari Weiss" titled "The Real Story of 'The Central Park Karen'" describes the incident and suggests that the original media reports were biased against Amy Cooper. Amy released her own op-ed in "Newsweek" on November 7, 2023, detailing her vision of the event and the long-term damages she has faced. In both the podcast and op-ed, Amy claimed that Christian's actions had made her feel threatened. "As a woman alone in the park, I felt like calling 911 was my only option." The speaker also revealed that she had received death threats and was doxxed, which caused her to feel suicidal and ultimately led to her leaving the United States.

Amy Cooper filed a lawsuit against Franklin Templeton on May 25, 2021, alleging wrongful termination. She claimed that the company violated several anti-discrimination and defamation laws when they fired her. In her lawsuit, Amy Cooper described Christian Cooper was a birdwatcher who had a history of aggressively confronting dog owners in Central Park who walked their dogs without a leash. Christian Cooper intended to make dog owners feel unsafe. Franklin Templeton stated that they responded appropriately. The company defended against the baseless claims made against it. In August 2021, the company requested the dismissal of the lawsuit. On September 23, 2022, the lawsuit of wrongful termination against Franklin Templeton by Amy Cooper was dismissed. As of May 19, 2023, Cooper has appealed, but the Manhattan appeals court dismissed the appeal on June 8, 2023.