Post by Patcat on Mar 12, 2010 9:25:16 GMT -5
Will air March 14, 2010, at 9pm (EST) and March 15, 2010, at 1am (EST) on the Bravo Network. First aired October 24, 2004. The Fifth episode of Season Four.
Written by Stephanie Sengupta and Rene Balcer. Directed by Alex Zakrzewski
Guest Actors:
Maria Hobel as April Callaway (Ms. Hobel played the young Christina Crawford in MOMMIE DEAREST, the film biography of Joan Crawford)
Tom Riis Farrell as Rev. Douglas Callaway
Henry Stearns as Henry Callaway
Frank Whaley as Mitch Godel (Mr. Whaley played opposite Mr. D’Onofrio in the films THE WINNER and CHELSEA WALLS)
Rita Gardner as Eleanor Callaway (Ms. Gardner was the first actress to play Luisa—the young girl—in the off-Broadway musical THE FANTASTICKS. The production also featured Jerry Orbach as El Gallo.)
Synopsis: The kidnapping and murder of an atheist activist and her granddaughter reveal the family’s tangled lives and finances and leads to an unlikely criminal alliance.
References: “Eosphoros” is the Greek name for the morning star and the ancient Greeks’ name for the planet Venus when it appeared in the Eastern or morning sky. In Christian theology “morning star” is one of the names of Lucifer/Satan/the devil. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eosphorus and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer
Eleanor Callaway and her death are based on the life and death of Madalyn Murray O’Hair, an atheist who fought against public displays of religion, especially prayers in public school. She reveled in the spotlight and was often referred to as the “most hated woman in America.” One of her sons converted to Christianity and became a pastor. He commented that his mother was an evil woman, not because she was an atheist, but because she lied, cheated, and was completely selfish. Ms. O’Hair, another son, and her granddaughter were murdered by an employee, who turned the money he stole from the O’Hairs into gold coins. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madalyn_Murray_O%Z/Hair
Quotes:
Eames (looking at dead man’s scaly hands): “I hope that’s not contagious.” Goren: “Excema.”
Deakins: “Reminds me why my parents never talked religion at the dinner table.”
Eames: “Definitely easier to split $500,000 one way.”
Deakins: “Down from three musketeers to one.”
Wayne Callaway: “I love my niece, but she couldn’t pull off a surprise party, let alone a kidnapping.”
Carver: “Congratulations. You’ve managed to unite atheists and Christians in common cause against police harassment.” Eames: “We do what we can.” Carver: “What you seem to be doing is playing musical suspects.”
Deakins: “Like it or not, this is standard police procedure.”
Goren: “Kidnapping his own mother and daughter. Looks like prison converted the Reverend.”
Goren (about April): “She’s a victim. Let’s see if she acts like one.”
Goren: “It’s not what happened that bothers her. It’s what could happen.”
Eames: “A lot of people getting body work.”
Massage therapist: “I’ll pretend that was a compliment.”
Eames (as she pushes through the door): “Mind if we come in?” Mitch: “I guess not.”
Eames: “It’s all right, Mitch. We’ll protect you.”
Goren: “Well, she didn’t believe in heaven and hell, so how would she know the devil was massaging her back?”
Queries:
How does the title relate to the story? Is Mitch Lucifer?
How smart is Mitch? Is he another perp who thinks he’s too smart for his own good?
Would a good alternative title have been The Three Musketeers?
Is April a stereotype? Does she have self-esteem issues because she’s overweight or is she overweight because she has self-esteem issues?
How much did April know and when did she know it?
Does April believe in her grandmother’s cause?
Is it all about payback for April?
Did Eleanor get what she deserved?
Religion: What do Eames and Goren believe?
Comments:
An episode that gets better for me with repeated viewings. My first viewing of it left me slightly confused, but subsequent encounters with it have revealed a remarkably well put together story that used its ripped from the headlines element as a springboard for a compelling character study. There are not one but several excellent crime scene investigations on the parts of Goren and Eames, Carver complaints and Eames snark, Deakins defending his detectives, and a wonderful final quartet among Goren, Eames, April, and Mitch. (I particularly enjoy the way Mr. D’Onofrio slams the barbells together to reveal the gold.) I found Goren and Eames’ gentle first questioning of April moving (he takes particular care in staying as far away from her as he can). This may not be among the very best of LOCI, but it’s a solid episode.
Submitted, as always, for your comments and considerations.
Patcat
Written by Stephanie Sengupta and Rene Balcer. Directed by Alex Zakrzewski
Guest Actors:
Maria Hobel as April Callaway (Ms. Hobel played the young Christina Crawford in MOMMIE DEAREST, the film biography of Joan Crawford)
Tom Riis Farrell as Rev. Douglas Callaway
Henry Stearns as Henry Callaway
Frank Whaley as Mitch Godel (Mr. Whaley played opposite Mr. D’Onofrio in the films THE WINNER and CHELSEA WALLS)
Rita Gardner as Eleanor Callaway (Ms. Gardner was the first actress to play Luisa—the young girl—in the off-Broadway musical THE FANTASTICKS. The production also featured Jerry Orbach as El Gallo.)
Synopsis: The kidnapping and murder of an atheist activist and her granddaughter reveal the family’s tangled lives and finances and leads to an unlikely criminal alliance.
References: “Eosphoros” is the Greek name for the morning star and the ancient Greeks’ name for the planet Venus when it appeared in the Eastern or morning sky. In Christian theology “morning star” is one of the names of Lucifer/Satan/the devil. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eosphorus and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer
Eleanor Callaway and her death are based on the life and death of Madalyn Murray O’Hair, an atheist who fought against public displays of religion, especially prayers in public school. She reveled in the spotlight and was often referred to as the “most hated woman in America.” One of her sons converted to Christianity and became a pastor. He commented that his mother was an evil woman, not because she was an atheist, but because she lied, cheated, and was completely selfish. Ms. O’Hair, another son, and her granddaughter were murdered by an employee, who turned the money he stole from the O’Hairs into gold coins. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madalyn_Murray_O%Z/Hair
Quotes:
Eames (looking at dead man’s scaly hands): “I hope that’s not contagious.” Goren: “Excema.”
Deakins: “Reminds me why my parents never talked religion at the dinner table.”
Eames: “Definitely easier to split $500,000 one way.”
Deakins: “Down from three musketeers to one.”
Wayne Callaway: “I love my niece, but she couldn’t pull off a surprise party, let alone a kidnapping.”
Carver: “Congratulations. You’ve managed to unite atheists and Christians in common cause against police harassment.” Eames: “We do what we can.” Carver: “What you seem to be doing is playing musical suspects.”
Deakins: “Like it or not, this is standard police procedure.”
Goren: “Kidnapping his own mother and daughter. Looks like prison converted the Reverend.”
Goren (about April): “She’s a victim. Let’s see if she acts like one.”
Goren: “It’s not what happened that bothers her. It’s what could happen.”
Eames: “A lot of people getting body work.”
Massage therapist: “I’ll pretend that was a compliment.”
Eames (as she pushes through the door): “Mind if we come in?” Mitch: “I guess not.”
Eames: “It’s all right, Mitch. We’ll protect you.”
Goren: “Well, she didn’t believe in heaven and hell, so how would she know the devil was massaging her back?”
Queries:
How does the title relate to the story? Is Mitch Lucifer?
How smart is Mitch? Is he another perp who thinks he’s too smart for his own good?
Would a good alternative title have been The Three Musketeers?
Is April a stereotype? Does she have self-esteem issues because she’s overweight or is she overweight because she has self-esteem issues?
How much did April know and when did she know it?
Does April believe in her grandmother’s cause?
Is it all about payback for April?
Did Eleanor get what she deserved?
Religion: What do Eames and Goren believe?
Comments:
An episode that gets better for me with repeated viewings. My first viewing of it left me slightly confused, but subsequent encounters with it have revealed a remarkably well put together story that used its ripped from the headlines element as a springboard for a compelling character study. There are not one but several excellent crime scene investigations on the parts of Goren and Eames, Carver complaints and Eames snark, Deakins defending his detectives, and a wonderful final quartet among Goren, Eames, April, and Mitch. (I particularly enjoy the way Mr. D’Onofrio slams the barbells together to reveal the gold.) I found Goren and Eames’ gentle first questioning of April moving (he takes particular care in staying as far away from her as he can). This may not be among the very best of LOCI, but it’s a solid episode.
Submitted, as always, for your comments and considerations.
Patcat