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Post by DonnaJo on Nov 20, 2008 19:31:23 GMT -5
Anyone catch this?
I found this episode to be very solid, if not edge-of-your-seat exciting like the first two episodes this season.
Colm Meany did the usual convincing job of playing a sleazoid. This time it was that of a polygamist cult leader who was determined to get his sixth wife back ( teenage girl), which leads to murder.
This was not a feel good episode in terms of the conclusion. I'll leave it at that. But sometimes it's better if the good guys don't always win - more true to life.
DB, I think you will like Cutter in this. He fills the room, more so than he has been. Lionel Roache's Mike Cutter is justifiably upset, angry & outraged, and he shows it beautifully. It's McCoy who must temper Cutter this time.
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Post by annabelleleigh on Nov 21, 2008 13:23:29 GMT -5
Yes indeed, DJ.
I found "Lost Boys" far more compelling than "Challenged." The Richard Sweren-Gina Gionfriddo script was rich with subtext, especially the thought-provoking conclusion. The final scene also reminded me that Gionfriddo is a playwright. It's so beautifully Exit stage right, Curtain.
I thought Jena Malone (as the runaway Mormon fundamentalist wife) gave a fine, nuanced performance. And Colm Meany was perfectly cast as the villainous Prophet. It's been far too long since he has been seen in an L&O franchise series.
Also, I really warmed to Anthony Anderson in this episode. Again, I can see the intriguing possibilities in the Kevin Bernard character -- but I still don't feel any chemistry between him and Jeremy Sisto. By my observation Lupo and Bernard hardly make eye contact in most of their scenes. (Compare it to Goren/Eames or Logan/Briscoe.) Anyone else notice that?
I agree with DJ about the Cutter character. To my surprise, with "Lost Boys," I'm beginning to relish this Chief ADA (even if I don't like "him.") Linus Roache really has that acid, bloodless, ambitious thing down. I'm not so sure I interpret Cutter's motivations in this episode as you do, DJ. He's angry, yes -- but he's no Jack McCoy in that the only thing I can believe rousing Cutter's passions is the ego-blow of losing.
All in all, a very satisfying, first-rate episode.
AL
P.S. BTW, IMO anyone who hasn't seen Colm Meany (with VDO) in the indie film "Claire Dolan" cannot fully appreciate the meaning of "ruthlessness." What a splendid actor.
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Post by DonnaJo on Nov 22, 2008 8:13:04 GMT -5
I know what you mean about Cutter, AL. So true, it's mainly about winning for him. However, I do see the character as deliciously layered. That wide eyed stare he was giving Colm Meany during arraignment, was it? To me, that look was outrage & seething anger. Cutter truly found this man despicable. That's a big reason why he was so upset when the wife chose that path of no resistance. Even Connie had to tell him to stop his verbal guilt trip on her. Too little eye contact between Lupo & Bernard? Hmm...very possible. I'll be checking the episode out again later (a pleasure) & will get back to you.
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Post by annabelleleigh on Nov 23, 2008 13:04:08 GMT -5
"Lost Boys" will re-air at 9 PM on Saturday, December 6, 2008. From the NBCUMV site. AL Guest Actor Jena Malone (as the runaway Mormon fundamentalist wife) with Alana de la Garza and Linus Roache in "Lost Boys." Photo credit: Nicole Rivelli, NBC
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Post by dragonsback on Nov 23, 2008 13:41:58 GMT -5
Well, see, there we are. I thought this ep was really thin, weak even, not so much for what it did, as for what it didn't do.
The 'lost boys' we meet have a great Village of the Damned look to them, but they became extras very quickly. Colm Meany was a great guest villain potentially, but the writers went nowhere with him, too. Not much point in centering a plot around a depraved cult leader when he has nothing more evil or cultishly charismatic to say than "Have a blessed day" , and "Michelle, we're leavin;".
And what an opportunity missed: the boy interviewed by Bernard should have called him the "N" word- not arrogantly, not with a snarl, but in an innocent way that speaks eloquently of life under the Prophet's isolated, hateful rule. It's a power word, and it can be used to condemn its user in ricochet fashion. Let the boy be the echo of the voice of the cult leader - right out of the mouths of babes.
The legal issues were baffling and unresolved.
WHY can't New York State get Michelle back if she goes to Arizona. My god, in that great two-parter ep of yore, Jack McCoy got a powerful LA studio heavy back, despite the array of a crack legal team and a hostile judge against him. Maybe would have been an opportunity to explore and test the outmoded concept of states' rights. And how could Michelle be accused of child abandonment? Couples split every day, for any number of reasons, and no one accuses the parent who leaves of abandonment. And is religion confused with religious practices when it comes to evidence?
When Michelle announces she is returning to raise her children, she cites financial support that she won't get if the prophet goes to jail. She wouldn't get any support whether he was behind bars or not. It's a non-issue. And why wouldn't she fight for custody to get her own 'lost boys' out of the cult compound? Lawyers love that high-profile pro bono work, and cults absolutely hate publicity. She probably have her boys back quick smart.
Instead, the 'twist' to the story is that she voluntarily returns to accept what she thinks now is her lot in life. What she is really doing is condemning her children to that life. I think we are supposed to view Michelle as a tragic heroine of sorts. I thought the character was just badly written. At the very, very least, the twist in the tale could have been the revelation - right at the end - that her unborn child, soon to be a compound captive, is a girl.
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Post by annabelleleigh on Nov 23, 2008 14:14:53 GMT -5
I agree, DB, that Colm Meany was terribly underused.
However -- on one of your other points -- I believe that it's easier to get a Hollywood bigwig back to New York from L.A. (despite his crack legal team) than to extract a powerless young woman from the jurisdiction of a Mormon fundamentalist-controlled county in rural Utah. The former case was also potentially aided by press scrutiny reserved for the rich and famous -- whereas near-anonymous people can get "lost" up there in the mountains.
I also fear that now there are too many Michelles and insufficient high-profile lawyers willing to take them on. The Michelle kind of story, sadly, is no longer new. More important, Michelle did not believe she could win. I find that credible, given her history.
Your question about the differences (if any) in the law about "religion" versus "religious practices" is spot on, and needs more exploration.
Why was mention of polygamy excluded from the trial? Polygamy is illegal in all 50 states. Isn't the cult leader's polygamy evidence of a pattern of crime?
And on the character front: Why wouldn't Jack McCoy want to put polygamy on trial? Is he becoming -- horrors! -- a politician?
On the unborn child's sex: I see your point but I also think it was the right coda for this particular episode, in that it was about "lost boys." As in, there goes another helpless teenage Mormon fundamentalist wife carrying yet another future male outcast.
And last -- yes, the boys did have a little of that "Village of the Damned" look but, to me, it communicated more as fear and self-loathing.
Love debating you, DB! Keep those meaty critiques coming. ;-)
AL
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Post by jeffan on Nov 24, 2008 12:50:59 GMT -5
Excuse my interjection in a good critique DB and AL (I haven't watched this particular episode), but just want to say that I also think Colm Meany is a very good actor. Thing is, Star Trek always pops into my mind when he is mentioned!
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ZackNicholsgirl
Detective
I love both doggies and kitties. I could just scrunch up their cute little faces! - Jeff Goldblum
Posts: 423
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Post by ZackNicholsgirl on Nov 25, 2008 2:19:37 GMT -5
LOL I remember him in Star trek as well, Just like Brent Spiner who was in "Shrink-Wrapped" which was a good LOCI Episode
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Post by annabelleleigh on Nov 25, 2008 8:02:12 GMT -5
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Post by jeffan on Nov 25, 2008 12:36:26 GMT -5
Thank you for the link AL. Will be fun checking out the L&O trekkies!
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ZackNicholsgirl
Detective
I love both doggies and kitties. I could just scrunch up their cute little faces! - Jeff Goldblum
Posts: 423
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Post by ZackNicholsgirl on Nov 26, 2008 16:43:50 GMT -5
Sure, I'm gonna check this out.. I'm not a trekkie though XD
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Post by GorensGirl on Feb 5, 2009 17:02:46 GMT -5
Does anyone know when this episode will rerun on NBC or CTV? I'd be very interested in seeing it because I followed the original case quite a bit.
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Post by annabelleleigh on Feb 5, 2009 19:13:35 GMT -5
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Post by GorensGirl on Feb 5, 2009 20:52:43 GMT -5
Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for it.
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