Post by Patcat on May 5, 2008 8:49:58 GMT -5
I was stunned, stunned, to discover there wasn't a thread for this episode (or else completely blind and unable to find it!)
Will air May 9 at 4 AM EST on the USA Network. Also in syndication that day.
45th Episode. The last episode of Season Two. First aired May 18, 2003.
Directed by Frank Prinzi
Written by Warren Leight and Rene Balcer
Guest Actors:
Olivia d'Abo as Nicole Wallace
James McCaffrey as Dan Croydon
Richard Joseph Paul as Gavin Haynes
The death of a nurse, the disappearance of anthrax, and an angry government scientist bring Eames and especially Goren back to an old rival with a score to settle.
Quotes:
Eames: "You didn't listen, Bobby."
Nicole Wallace: "Hello, Bobby. I would call you Detective Goren, but given your press coverage lately you'd probably want a low profile. Keep your hands on deck. We don't want your playing with your pistol under the table."
Nicole Wallace: "Oh, right, your little theory. But like many of your theories lately, it couldn't butter your parsnips. What will they do with you, Bobby? Do you think they might find a nice tunnel for you to guard? Well, I mean there is a bright side. You have more time to spend at Carmel Ridge."
Nicole Wallace: "Read the papers, detective. Your insights have no currency anymore.
Gavin Haynes: "Nice to meet you. Elizabeth tells me you're one of New York's finest."
Goren: "Not these days."
Goren: "She chose a man like my father."
Goren: "Hello, Nicole."
Nicole: "If you insist on calling me that name, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ignore you."
Eames: "Nicole Elizabeth Wallace Hitchens Haynes, whatever. All of you are under arrest for attempted bribery."
The second, and to my thinking, the best of the Evil One's appearances.
Do the victims get lost in this one?
We tend to concentrate on Goren's reaction to Nicole (as will a lot of my questions on this episode.) But what about Eames, Deakins and Carver? What are their reactions to her?
I can't recall a case where an individual NYPD cop has been singled out for abuse from the press. Groups, yes, but not an individual. (Maybe I don't read the right papers.) Would Goren be a target of the press? If he was, would he deserve it?
Nicole appears to believe Bobby has been disciplined in some way. Has he? Should he be?
Yes, I know we're dealing with fiction here, but just how realistic is Nicole's plan?
Why does Nicole feel the need to discredit Bobby?
If Nicole didn't have to come back, could she have lived happily ever after with Gavin Haynes? If she hadn't felt the need to rub Goren's nose in her victory, would her role have been discovered?
How did Nicole come to meet Gavin? He's wealthy--didn't he do a background check?
Does she love Gavin?
What has Nicole told Gavin about Bobby?
Especially after this episode, how realistic is it that Goren would be allowed to deal with any cases involving Nicole?
What's Nicole's body count after this episode?
Is there any significance to the fact both Nicole and Eames are small blondes?
Why is Nicole obsessed with Bobby? Are there other Bobbies in her life?
Is this the first time Bobby has been hit so hard by an opponent?
Heroes are frequently defined by their villains. How does Nicole define Bobby?
Comments: I usually feel that this is where the Nicole Wallace saga should've ended (although I like the way GROW shook up a lot of my assumptions about the character). From a practical side, even if Carver can't make his case stick--his failure to do that makes me question just how good he is--the Australian authorities should have enough to make a case against her. From a dramatic standpoint, this is the confrontation that completes the Bobby/Nicole arc. She attempts to destroy him. Although badly hurt, he recovers and wins the battle. The story is over.
The episode is really about the Nicole/Bobby confrontation, and, as a result, some things get lost. I've seen this episode several times, and I'm still not sure exactly how Nicole's plot worked. It's a little too much like those plots from B movies of the 1930s and 1940s where the master villain has these unduly complicated machinations. If Nicole really wanted to hurt Bobby, she should've just shot Eames (mind you, I'm not advocating anybody hurt Eames anymore).
There's a lot to like in this episode, though. The writing for her character is frequently uneven and the justification for Nicole's action dubious, but Olivia d' Abo is always wonderful. I like the way Deakins and Carver rally around Goren once they realize what's happening. There's some wonderful writing for Eames here, with her acting appropriately critical of Goren, but going into full support mode when he needs her. And, of course, Kathryn Erbe handles it all magnificently. How many ways can I praise Vincent D'Onofrio's performance? He presents Bobby's pain so convincingly that it's painful to watch. The crucial scene in this episode and the one directed, written, and acted wonderfully, is the one where Bobby wanders in front of the interrogation room mirror after revealing what he's learned about Nicole to Carver, Deakins and Eames. It's perfectly constructed, with Bobby starring at his reflection in the mirror to the room where he's enjoyed some of his greatest triumphs. Mr. D'Onofrio shows the depths of Bobby's despair, and then Ms. Erbe arrives as Eames to rescue him. It's great.
I've gone on a bit with this one, which I hope you'll forgive.
Have at it.
Patcat
Will air May 9 at 4 AM EST on the USA Network. Also in syndication that day.
45th Episode. The last episode of Season Two. First aired May 18, 2003.
Directed by Frank Prinzi
Written by Warren Leight and Rene Balcer
Guest Actors:
Olivia d'Abo as Nicole Wallace
James McCaffrey as Dan Croydon
Richard Joseph Paul as Gavin Haynes
The death of a nurse, the disappearance of anthrax, and an angry government scientist bring Eames and especially Goren back to an old rival with a score to settle.
Quotes:
Eames: "You didn't listen, Bobby."
Nicole Wallace: "Hello, Bobby. I would call you Detective Goren, but given your press coverage lately you'd probably want a low profile. Keep your hands on deck. We don't want your playing with your pistol under the table."
Nicole Wallace: "Oh, right, your little theory. But like many of your theories lately, it couldn't butter your parsnips. What will they do with you, Bobby? Do you think they might find a nice tunnel for you to guard? Well, I mean there is a bright side. You have more time to spend at Carmel Ridge."
Nicole Wallace: "Read the papers, detective. Your insights have no currency anymore.
Gavin Haynes: "Nice to meet you. Elizabeth tells me you're one of New York's finest."
Goren: "Not these days."
Goren: "She chose a man like my father."
Goren: "Hello, Nicole."
Nicole: "If you insist on calling me that name, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ignore you."
Eames: "Nicole Elizabeth Wallace Hitchens Haynes, whatever. All of you are under arrest for attempted bribery."
The second, and to my thinking, the best of the Evil One's appearances.
Do the victims get lost in this one?
We tend to concentrate on Goren's reaction to Nicole (as will a lot of my questions on this episode.) But what about Eames, Deakins and Carver? What are their reactions to her?
I can't recall a case where an individual NYPD cop has been singled out for abuse from the press. Groups, yes, but not an individual. (Maybe I don't read the right papers.) Would Goren be a target of the press? If he was, would he deserve it?
Nicole appears to believe Bobby has been disciplined in some way. Has he? Should he be?
Yes, I know we're dealing with fiction here, but just how realistic is Nicole's plan?
Why does Nicole feel the need to discredit Bobby?
If Nicole didn't have to come back, could she have lived happily ever after with Gavin Haynes? If she hadn't felt the need to rub Goren's nose in her victory, would her role have been discovered?
How did Nicole come to meet Gavin? He's wealthy--didn't he do a background check?
Does she love Gavin?
What has Nicole told Gavin about Bobby?
Especially after this episode, how realistic is it that Goren would be allowed to deal with any cases involving Nicole?
What's Nicole's body count after this episode?
Is there any significance to the fact both Nicole and Eames are small blondes?
Why is Nicole obsessed with Bobby? Are there other Bobbies in her life?
Is this the first time Bobby has been hit so hard by an opponent?
Heroes are frequently defined by their villains. How does Nicole define Bobby?
Comments: I usually feel that this is where the Nicole Wallace saga should've ended (although I like the way GROW shook up a lot of my assumptions about the character). From a practical side, even if Carver can't make his case stick--his failure to do that makes me question just how good he is--the Australian authorities should have enough to make a case against her. From a dramatic standpoint, this is the confrontation that completes the Bobby/Nicole arc. She attempts to destroy him. Although badly hurt, he recovers and wins the battle. The story is over.
The episode is really about the Nicole/Bobby confrontation, and, as a result, some things get lost. I've seen this episode several times, and I'm still not sure exactly how Nicole's plot worked. It's a little too much like those plots from B movies of the 1930s and 1940s where the master villain has these unduly complicated machinations. If Nicole really wanted to hurt Bobby, she should've just shot Eames (mind you, I'm not advocating anybody hurt Eames anymore).
There's a lot to like in this episode, though. The writing for her character is frequently uneven and the justification for Nicole's action dubious, but Olivia d' Abo is always wonderful. I like the way Deakins and Carver rally around Goren once they realize what's happening. There's some wonderful writing for Eames here, with her acting appropriately critical of Goren, but going into full support mode when he needs her. And, of course, Kathryn Erbe handles it all magnificently. How many ways can I praise Vincent D'Onofrio's performance? He presents Bobby's pain so convincingly that it's painful to watch. The crucial scene in this episode and the one directed, written, and acted wonderfully, is the one where Bobby wanders in front of the interrogation room mirror after revealing what he's learned about Nicole to Carver, Deakins and Eames. It's perfectly constructed, with Bobby starring at his reflection in the mirror to the room where he's enjoyed some of his greatest triumphs. Mr. D'Onofrio shows the depths of Bobby's despair, and then Ms. Erbe arrives as Eames to rescue him. It's great.
I've gone on a bit with this one, which I hope you'll forgive.
Have at it.
Patcat