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Post by DonnaJo on Dec 26, 2008 9:42:32 GMT -5
Per Annabelle on the General discussion thread"
"When the wife of a "zero carbon footprint" blogger is bludgeoned to death in the couple's organic garden, Lupo and Bernard are called in to investigate. They soon discover that the victim's secret visits to a hotel bar may not have been solely for the toilet paper."
This explains the first half of the episode, which was excellent in itself. Clever dialog, witty exchanges between Lupo, Bernard & Lt. Van Buren, especially when Lupo explains how many people in the world use instead of toilet paper..." left hand and a bowl of warm water." The Lieutenant's response - "That's nasty." HeeHee ;D
The "Order" half of the episode?...Simply fantastic! Ned Beatty was heartbreaking as the Judge who has lost his mental faculties and is being propped up and controlled by his law clerk, played beautifully by Sherry Stringfield. And finally, Cutter does the right thing ethically & morally over & above his zeal to win. Good for him.
The last scene between Beatty & Waterson is Emmy worthy for both.
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Post by dragonsback on Dec 31, 2008 19:41:02 GMT -5
My god. Just saw this one. I suspect that the last scene with Waterston and Beattie will become a signature closing clip, to be shown in years to come when the series is over, and the L&O Retrospective Special is made.
In that final upward arc of McCoy's head, that inaudible intake of breath, all the emotion of the character for the moment of Things Ending, going and gone - was expressed wordlessly and completely. Did you feel an ache, too, a dreadful sense that this was a Waterston/Balcer gesture, the obbligato of a distant horn sounding for Sam's inevitable departure? I did, and I was amazed at the sudden pang of great sadness that swept over me.
And I really, really, appreciated that the camera did not go for an obvious close-up, but framed McCoy from in front of the DA's desk, and brought the viewer into the room, into the moment.
Ten stars for the Order part of this episode.
As for the Law bit: The detectives left me impatiently drumming my fingers, waiting for them to stop milling around. And Epatha having to repeat the "nasty" line twice was just tedious. (And when, in living memory, has that actor/character ever been a bore? )
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Post by diablodeblanco on Dec 31, 2008 19:48:26 GMT -5
That whole scene was emotionally charged. When the judge was remembering in great detail about the sandwiches and how they were made it was so sad. All his years on the bench, all the law he had forgotten, all the "important" things he no longer had in his memory and the thing that grabbed hold of his mind was the delicious tuna sandwich that was shared with his old friend Adam. Perhaps his mind had it right.......time shared with an old friend is of greater importance than the stuff we bury ourselves in.
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Post by DonnaJo on Jan 2, 2009 7:34:46 GMT -5
It's interesting that all references to past DA's in the last two seasons (or is it since Balcer has returned?) have been about Adam Schiff. It's as if the other DA's (Nora Lewin & Arthur Branch) had never been there. Yeah, I know Adam was Jack's mentor, but still......
For me, the saddest scene was when the Judge continued to hit the keyboard on his computer for instructions from his law clerk, even when she was sitting on the witness stand right next to him.
The last scene with the addled Judge was vital for the new"it's all about winning" Jack McCoy to experience. Jack needed to see how badly the Judge's condition was, since he had just reprimanded Cutter for throwing the case. Jack needed to be taken down a peg, like he's been taking Cutter down the last few episodes.
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