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Post by Patcat on Dec 11, 2009 9:24:04 GMT -5
Ninth episode of the Second Season. Will air December 14, 2009, at 8pm (EST) on MyNetwork TV, and December 19, 2009, at 6am (EST) on the USA Network. First aired December 1, 2002.
Written by Rene Balcer (a rare solo effort). Directed by Steve Shill
Guest Actors:
Kadee Strickland as Sandi Tortomassi Linda Lavin as Ursula Sussman Ned Eisenberg as Danny Sussman Max Cassela as Nicky (Some of you may recall Mr. Cassela as the best friend of the title character in DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D. Mr. Cassela has a thriving career as a character actor.)
Synopsis: The murder of a young mother leads Goren and Eames to an influential and wealthy Jewish family whose matriarch has many things to hide.
Note: Shandeh is a Yiddish word meaning shame or embarrassment.
Quotes:
Eames (as Goren investigates the murder scene): “Amateurs…”
Eames: “Charity events…Charity must be the girl who takes the bubble baths.”
Deakins: “What’s this guy doing running a strip club?” Eames: “You have to ask?”
Deakins (looking at Sandi’s information): “And she spells it with an I…”
Sandi: “I wanted to pursue other interests.” Eames: “Like baking cookies?”
Goren: “You must give him a good workout in that big bed of yours.”
Eames: “Murderer, arsonist, Jack of All Trades.” Goren: “Yea, and master of none.”
Danny: “I can’t think…” Eames: “You proved that by getting mixed up with a blonde boom boom.”
Goren (after looking at the hotel records): “When did you find the time for sex?”
Goren (about Danny to Carver): “He’s not an ordinary man.” Carver: “He’s a murderer.”
Goren: “Crystal meth.” Eames: “No thanks.”
CSU Tech (after translating a phrase): “Three years of Hebrew school.”
Deakins: “Am I going to kick myself for asking?”
Goren (to Ursula Sussman): “If it wasn’t for you, Kelly might’ve turned them into who knows what.”
Goren (picking up the pickles): “We’re good at connecting the dots.”
Goren (to Danny): “C’mon, Danny. When are you going to grow up? When are you going to take your balls back from her?”
Goren: “You commit one sin, the next one’s a little easier.”
I discovered no thread for this second season episode. There are two opportunities to view it in the next week for some of us, so I hope we can have a lively discussion. Oh, and I just realized Hanukkah is about to start. I mean no disrespect or anything along those lines in selecting this episode, although there is some strange synchronicity about it all.
Queries:
Are the characters, especially Sandi and Ursula Sussman, close to caricatures?
Does Ursula Sussman realize she’s done anything wrong? She doesn’t appear to be a very good criminal—Is she another of those people in the LOCI world who believe they’re smarter than Goren and Eames? Or does she believe she’s too powerful?
How can Ursula Sussman claim to be a devout follower of Judaism and plan to kill her daughter-in-law, the mother of her grandchildren?
Will Danny Sussman and his family survive? Will the Sussman business?
Did Danny love his wife? Did she love him? What about her family—Did they abandon her or did she abandon them? Is it possible that Ursula Sussman’s nightmare that her grandchildren may not be raised Jewish may come true, that they may be raised by Kelly’s family?
Where did Danny get the guts to defy his mother and become involved with Kelly?
Is there any good about Danny? Do Goren and Eames feel any sympathy towards him?
Would other detectives have stopped with Sandi as their suspect?
How does this episode compare with other LOCI episodes dealing with religion?
Do Goren and, especially, Eames seem particularly angered by Kelly’s murder?
Where did Deakins learn so much about strippers?
Comments:
There’s much to like about this episode: Goren and Eames working well with each other (I particularly like the grin Mr. D’Onofrio gives Goren after Eames’ response to the “Crystal Meth); some great depictions of scene investigations (Goren at the murder scenes and in the perps’ apartment); good work from Jamey Sheridan and Courtney Vance in small scenes where their characters challenge the detectives; and lots of Eames’ snark.
And then there’s the Sussman family, with Ursula Sussman (whose name suggests to me some kind of witch) a woman whose concern about maintaining her status in her religion leads her to planning the murder of her daughter-in-law. And there’s Danny, excellently portrayed by Ned Eisenberg. He’s a weak man, fighting the ghost of his father and the monster of his mother, but I can’t help but feel sorry for him. He seems to be a good man in some ways, and at least he has enough of a sense of right and wrong to feel extremely guilty about his behavior.
Submitted, as always, for your comments and consideration.
Just a note about next week’s EOTW—It’s CONTEXT, and it will air right after SHANDEH this week on MyNetwork TV at 9pm(EST) on December 14. It’s also airing at 6am(EST) on December 20, which is why it’s scheduled for next week.
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Post by wilmingtonfan on Dec 11, 2009 23:29:20 GMT -5
Note: Shandeh is a Yiddish word meaning shame or embarrassment. I always wondered what the title meant. Thanks.Quotes: Eames (as Goren investigates the murder scene): “Amateurs…” Eames: “Charity events…Charity must be the girl who takes the bubble baths.” Deakins: “What’s this guy doing running a strip club?” Eames: “You have to ask?” Deakins (looking at Sandi’s information): “And she spells it with an I…” Sandi: “I wanted to pursue other interests.” Eames: “Like baking cookies?” Goren: “You must give him a good workout in that big bed of yours.” Eames: “Murderer, arsonist, Jack of All Trades.” Goren: “Yea, and master of none.” Danny: “I can’t think…” Eames: “You proved that by getting mixed up with a bottle blonde boom boom girl.” Goren (after looking at the hotel records): “When did you find the time for sex?” Goren (about Danny to Carver): “He’s not an ordinary man.” Carver: “He’s a murderer.” Goren: “Crystal meth.” Eames: “No thanks.” CSU Tech (after translating a phrase): “Three years of Hebrew school.” Deakins: “Am I going to kick myself for asking?” Goren (to Ursula Sussman): “If it wasn’t for you, Kelly might’ve turned them into who knows what.” Goren (picking up the pickles): “We’re good at connecting the dots.” Goren (to Danny): “C’mon, Danny. When are you going to grow up? When are you going to take your balls back from her?” Goren: “You commit one sin, the next one’s a little easier.” There are great classic quotes in this episode.Queries: Are the characters, especially Sandi and Ursula Sussman, close to caricatures? I don't think Ursula Sussman is a caricature, but Sandi sure is and was played that way to the hilt.Does Ursula Sussman realize she’s done anything wrong? She doesn’t appear to be a very good criminal—Is she another of those people in the LOCI world who believe they’re smarter than Goren and Eames? Or does she believe she’s too powerful? Linda Lavin is such a good actress and she makes this show in my mind. Ursula believes she is too powerful and that is what makes her untouchable by anyone. She hired loyal people and expects her influence to shield her. I don't think it ever occurred to her that any police would be able to touch her. Very naive -- power and the narcissistic attitude it breeds (of invincibility) can't always protect you. (See e.g., Tiger Woods)How can Ursula Sussman claim to be a devout follower of Judaism and plan to kill her daughter-in-law, the mother of her grandchildren? The fear that her grandchildren would not be Jewish any longer is what she felt threatened about. She knew that her daughter-in-law's conversion was forced and she feared she would go back to her Catholic faith and take the grandchildren with her. This would break with the Jewish tradition so important to her and would break the family chain. This was an intolerable thought to her. This was a justified religious killing to her.Will Danny Sussman and his family survive? Will the Sussman business? The best Danny can hope for is that he doesn't destroy the business until his son can take over (assuming he has more balls than his Dad). Otherwise the business has to be sold or doesn't survive. Clearly, the prominence of the family is in jeopardy. But on the other hand maybe not -- others in the community may feel it was a justified religious killing.Did Danny love his wife? Did she love him? What about her family—Did they abandon her or did she abandon them? Is it possible that Ursula Sussman’s nightmare that her grandchildren may not be raised Jewish may come true, that they may be raised by Kelly’s family? This is an interesting question and one I had not considered. I assumed the children would stay with their father. There will definitely be pressure from the community and from his mother, even though she is in jail, to do this. However, Danny is the weakest character I have ever seen and he may very well let the children go over to the relatives because of the guilt he feels for Kelly's death.Where did Danny get the guts to defy his mother and become involved with Kelly? He fell in love and she was obviously a strong woman. Then of course, she became pregnant and this changed everything. There was no choice once there was a child involved. Ursula had to bring her into the fold. If Kelly had not become pregnant, I don't believe they would have been married. Ursula would have prevailed because Danny could not have stood up to her.Is there any good about Danny? Do Goren and Eames feel any sympathy towards him? He is too pitiful to feel sorry for. I can't find anything good about him. The weakest man I have ever seen. Completely emasculated. It makes you wonder what his father was like -- was he a good quiet man, or more in charge and dominating Ursula?Would other detectives have stopped with Sandi as their suspect? Obviously yes. This is the point of CI -- they take the case whereever it leads and don't make assumptions. They find the real criminal, not the obvious suspect other detectives would charge. This is seen in many CI episodes. Other detectives are not as competent as G/E.Overall, I like this episode. The snark, quotes, interplay of the Major Case Squad is very good. However, Danny is such a weak character that it is painful for me to watch. He cannot be changed and is completely helpless to deal with life. Linda Lavin's portrayal is what makes this episode so memorable for me. She is a very good actress and makes the episode work because of her portrayal of Ursula. And I admit that I speak with some prejudice. She lives in my town (and bought her house from a client of mine). She has become very involved in the local arts community here and is a very active advocate for the arts. She has also built a small community theater and she and her husband put on some productions.
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Post by DonnaJo on Dec 12, 2009 10:53:02 GMT -5
Oy! Linda Lavin played the perfect Jewish matriarch. Thanks for the personal info on her WF. ;D As much as Mrs. Sussman dreaded the idea of her grandchildren becoming Catholic, having your daughter-in-law murdered? That seemed extreme to me. But since it made for a great episode, that's OK.
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Post by Techguy on Dec 12, 2009 15:37:27 GMT -5
From memory and not re-viewing, my take on Danny and Kelly is that their relationship was based partly on love, but also as his way to subtly defy his mother Ursula, knowing that she would never fully accept her daughter-in-law even after she converted to Judaism. I also agree with Wilmingtonfan that Danny is arguably the weakest character we've ever seen on CI, too weak to take on the responsibility for raising his children. The irony here is, despite Ursula's murderous machinations to ensure her grandchildren continue to be raised in the Jewish faith, they just might ultimately end up with Kelly's family, their closest blood relatives, and be raised Catholic after all.
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Post by Patcat on Dec 12, 2009 19:06:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the comments!
Is this episode part of a theme in LOCI about people who care more about their religion than about people?
Patcat
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Post by wilmingtonfan on Dec 12, 2009 19:22:35 GMT -5
That's an interesting thought. What other episodes do you think fit into this them?
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Post by Techguy on Dec 12, 2009 20:30:54 GMT -5
One example I can think of where the character cared more about his religion than other people is "A Murderer Among Us." Actually Lance Brody cared more about not being Jewish than any religion of his own, so much so that he committed murder because of it.
An example of the opposite situation is "The Faithful" when Father Michael McShale kills his own son in order to protect his long ago girlfriend, the young man's mother. The priest cared more about protecting her than the life of his son, his vows, and the teachings of his church about the sin of murder.
And before I stray too far OT, this question raises another related topic that perhaps deserves its own thread in General CI Discussion.
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Post by idget on Dec 13, 2009 16:02:29 GMT -5
As I sit here watching the Bengals lose big time to Minnesota I thought I might feel better thinking about one of my favorite LOCI episodes. WF, thanks for the info about Linda Lavin, I agree with you she definitely makes this episode great. I used to love watching Alice when I was young. They sure don't make sitcoms like they used too. Alice was filled with so much heart, yet so funny. Queries: Are the characters, especially Sandi and Ursula Sussman, close to caricatures? I don't think Ursula is a caricature, I think Linda Lavin fills her with such great pathos. This is a woman who will do what it takes to see her agenda met. Sandi, I don't know. I have to say, in my white bread existence I haven't come across many Sandi's. I did enjoy her though. One of my favorites scenes is Goren trying to figure out her statement about "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free". I love that this statement was said by a woman about a man. Such a turn around from how its usually used. Does Ursula Sussman realize she’s done anything wrong? She doesn’t appear to be a very good criminal—Is she another of those people in the LOCI world who believe they’re smarter than Goren and Eames? Or does she believe she’s too powerful? I don't know if she thinks she is smarter, but I believe she is used to getting what she wants with very little questions asked. I think she feels she will get away with it because of her power and influence in the community. How can Ursula Sussman claim to be a devout follower of Judaism and plan to kill her daughter-in-law, the mother of her grandchildren? Thats an interesting question. I don't know all that much about Judaism, but in the Old Testament God directs the Jewish people many times to kill others, especially non Jews. So maybe she is looking at it that way, as a justifiable killing, ensuring the continuation of the Jewish religion in her family. Will Danny Sussman and his family survive? Will the Sussman business? Since Danny had nothing to do with his wife's killing I can't see the kids being taken away. What the kids will think of their father when they find out about his non affair relationship and that their grandmother was responsible for their mothers killing is anybody's guess. As for the family business, hopefully there is a cousin or uncle that can step up and take over the running of it. I can't imagine Danny being able to effectively manage the company when all his dirty laundry is aired. Did Danny love his wife? Did she love him? What about her family—Did they abandon her or did she abandon them? Is it possible that Ursula Sussman’s nightmare that her grandchildren may not be raised Jewish may come true, that they may be raised by Kelly’s family? I think he probably loved her in the beginning, not so much now, I think he did respect her in his own way. She probably loved him in the beginning also, but as the years passed and she saw what kind of man he really is and what kind of relationship he had with his mother I am sure it evaporated like the wind. I don't think Kelly's relationship with her family is one of abandonment. As Kelly became more involved with Judaism it probably became more awkward with her family and there was probably a gradual widening between them. Where did Danny get the guts to defy his mother and become involved with Kelly? Thats another good question. I think Danny wanted to taste that forbidden fruit so bad he didn't care what his mother or even his wife thought. I find it so ironic that he ruined his whole life and his families and was never able to taste it. Is there any good about Danny? Do Goren and Eames feel any sympathy towards him? Danny is pretty pathetic. I don't think there is any evil in him and if there is any good, hopefully he will use it in rearing his children. I don't think Goren and Eames feel any sympathy for him and neither did I. Would other detectives have stopped with Sandi as their suspect? Probably. How does this episode compare with other LOCI episodes dealing with religion? I think it ranks right up there as one of the best. Do Goren and, especially, Eames seem particularly angered by Kelly’s murder? Yes, but they are usually angered by innocents being needlessly killed Where did Deakins learn so much about strippers? Where men usually learn about strippers.
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Post by wilmingtonfan on Dec 13, 2009 21:57:55 GMT -5
idget -- sorry your Bengals lost, but thanks for adding your comments to the episode discussion.
I love you bringing up the quote from Sandi: "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free" and how it is reversed from the regular context. She really milked Danny didn't she?
I have always liked Linda Lavin -- she has a lot of range as an actress. Thinking about last week's episode and the discussion of Doris Roberts being miscast and how that affected the episode and contrast it with Lavin and how she made this episode. It is a big difference.
I think this is another episode that stands for the theme that power corrupts. I think Ursula didn't think she was smarter than anyone else, but she believed she was more powerful and no one could touch her because of that.
I guess I should add that to TechGuy's new list of themes.
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Post by idget on Dec 14, 2009 12:57:56 GMT -5
Good points WF. Shandeh and Privilege are the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to casting and perfect examples of how much casting can enhance or detract from the show. I also agree that the corrupting influence of power is one of the major themes that run thru LOCI.
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dimarec
Silver Shield Investigator
Posts: 111
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Post by dimarec on Feb 1, 2011 21:01:40 GMT -5
I just watched on cable. Some thoughts that have not been discussed: I have the feeling that Danny did suspect what was going on between his mother and wife (forcing a conversion). He was more comfortable letting things happen than taking charge of the situation. I believe that he was used to having everything solved by his mother, and he was just afraid of doing something against her, and reluctant to take charge. So, he just accepted the murder. I find this repulsive, and I believe may be both detectives do. On the other hand Ursula must feel that her son cannot even help her for once, and get her out of jail, and she must feel somehow betrayed. Ursula is some sort of feminine Don Corleone at the beginnings of her criminal family. (Or, Don Corleone would not exist if we have a MCS like this one! This is one of the reasons I love LOCI).
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Leonore
Silver Shield Investigator
Posts: 145
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Post by Leonore on Sept 26, 2011 11:41:42 GMT -5
Bumped this up because the episode is playing now on USA. One of the things I find interesting in this episode is that at the very beginning you see Danny being controlled and dominated by the three women in his life. Yes, he is a weak pool of jelly, but he keeps surrounding himself with women who are forceful and to some degree ruthless (or at least willing to fight for what they want!).
Kelly wanted the divorce and child custody and was more than willing to blackmail Ursula to get what she wanted. Ursula disposed of her. Sandi wanted money and knew she could talk Danny into anything and Ursula burned out the strip club and tried to frame her for Kelly's murder. It's Ursula's motivations that are interesting to me.
I could almost understand (crazy though it is) Ursula if her motive was to protect her son Danny. but it wasn't about Danny, it was about the family name and respect, the family business and the position she enjoyed within the community. It was all about her!
Many of the episodes of the second season are among my favorites. Balcer had the show running well and we see the overriding arch of the selfish, powerful and privileged in episodes such as "Chinoserie" (Mrs. Mowbry) and "See Me" (the Garcias) and here with Ursula.
This is a great episode and I love the "connect the dots" scene with the pickle slices!
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Post by maherjunkie on Sept 26, 2011 13:09:42 GMT -5
What did she want to blackmail her over? I forget.
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Post by Patcat on Sept 26, 2011 13:33:16 GMT -5
I believe Kelly was going to reveal that Ursula essentially paid her to convert to Judaism, and there was at least an implied threat that Kelly would divorce her husband, take the kids, and return to Catholicism.
Patcat
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Post by banbonet on Feb 2, 2012 13:33:51 GMT -5
Just finished watching a rerun of Shandeh. And as much as I love LOCI, it never ceases to amaze me that, whenever they represent Judaism, they always get really important stuff wrong. I wonder why they don't check with someone on this stuff? In most episodes it's just the l'vush (garb) that they get wrong - usually on Hasidic men, but when women are represented they do the same. Blatant to anyone who knows. But in Shandeh, the entire plot was predicated on a faulty premise - if the Sussman family was indeed "really religious" as pointed out over and over (and again, the garb is all wrong all over the episode: Ursula was wearing suit with a deep v with no shirt underneath in the final scene - a definite no-no. And Kelly covered her hair (as married Orthodox women must) to meet her sister in the restaurant but left her bangs out! OY!) they would not have accepted Kelly into their family without a truly kosher conversion. Kosher conversion is REALLY HARD. It can take months, even years. And it is never, ever predicated on keeping a romantic relationship. It has to be a completely personal decision. But ok, let's say she somehow managed to have a kosher conversion under the circumstances suggested but the episode: the Sussmans were worried that if Kelly decided to leave the Jewish religion she would take her kids and they would no longer be considered Jewish, thus embarrassing the family and tainting the Sussman name? Uh, no! Once a Jew, always a Jew. A child born to a convert is as much a Jew as one born to a born Jew. And once a someone converts (kosher conversion) , they are considered Jewish forever. And a "really religious" Jew knows that, beyond a shadow of a doubt. It's not a mistake Ursula would have made. And I'm not even going to go into the stupidity surrounding the "get" and "N'shei Chayil". I never get why they get these details wrong. Ok I feel better now. Thank you for humoring me. B
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