Post by Patcat on Aug 26, 2010 9:35:00 GMT -5
Will Air on USA on August 30 at 8am (EST). First aired May 5, 2005. 21st episode of Season Four.
Written by Gerry Conway and Rene Balcer. Directed by Jean de Segonzac
Synopsis: A suicide car leads Goren and Eames to a loan company with a troubled executive.
Guest Actors:
Darrell Hammond as Leonard Timmins
Ayre Gross as Hubert Skoller
Note: Jamey Sheridan had to wear an eye patch due to Bell’s Palsy, and in this episode his character also suffers from it.
Quotes:
Nicholas (Young man in car about Carmine): “What’s he afraid of? Getting fired?”
Doctor: “Three months in advance? I’m afraid she doesn’t have that long.” Son: “I’m afraid she does.”
Deakins (about Nicholas’ video): “He makes it sound so damned normal.”
Eames: “A matchmaking service for suicides. It was bound to happen.”
Carver: “If you see a bleeding man, it is your responsibility to help; you can’t look away and do nothing. It is not your responsibility to grease the skids of his demise. Doing that is criminal.”
Deakins: “If I were Timmins, I’d be looking at train schedules.”
Eames: “Secret Santa. That’s a new one.”
Goren: “Hubert Skoller. Office enigma.”
Goren: “He’s just letting it all slide. Even the things that matter to him. He’s sliding into depression.”
Goren: “Killing Carmine, he’s really killing himself.” Eames: “It’s a step he should’ve skipped.”
Eames (watching Goren play with an unfinished model ship): “You gonna finish it for him?”
Eames (to suicide website master): “Thank you. You can go do your little dance in Hell now.”
Queries:
From Domenicaflor from the original discussion of this episode: “Another apropos title: everyone was feeling trapped both physically and emotionally: Edie, Carmine, Hubert. And, unfortunately, the only exit they saw was the final one.”
One of our members was very upset in the original discussion by the use of suicide in this episode. Was it used callously or in an exploitive way? Do TV programs dealing with suicide promote suicide? And was this a thoughtless way to commit suicide? What about the danger of that toxic gas? Are the people in the car responsible for Carmine’s death?
One of the people in the car faced the prospect of developing Huntington’s Disease. Did that justify suicide? Is suicide ever justifiable? How do Goren, Eames, and Carver feel about suicide? Has any of them ever contemplated it? Are suicidal people capable of an informed decision?
Was Carmine’s turn about the only reason Edie lost her case?
Did Edie have other options? Has Timmins faced similar suits in the past? Why hasn’t this guy been fired?
This seems an unduly complicated and risky way of killing someone. Would Hubert have found another method to kill Carmine if Carmine hadn’t got in the car? Did Carmine deserve to die? Did Hubert have another option for dealing with Timmins?
Why didn’t Skoller resign? Tell someone? This has been going on for fifteen years. Did Timmins have something on Skoller?
Who’s worse—Carmine, Timmins, or Hubert?
Where does Timmins rate on the list of LOCI villains?
Will Timmins see any jail time?
Will Skoller survive jail? What will happen to his family?
We finally get to see Carver in action. How effective is he?
How well does this episode and others handle Mr. Sheridan’s bout with Bell’s Palsy?
Comments:
Timmins—What an infuriating, smug bastard. Somebody really needed to say “GIVL You,” to this guy.
An episode I find more engaging on repeated viewings. There may be too much going on to get everything in one viewing. I like Ayre Gross’ depiction of Skoller’s growing despair and depression. There were a lot of nice, little moments, such as Goren and Eames working together, and Eames demonstrating her computer skills. There’s the moment when Eames brings Goren a cup of coffee, and he gently thanks her for it. And the episode is full of great teamwork among the detectives, Deakins and Carver. For once, everyone seems to be on the same page, and it’s refreshing to see them work so well together.
Give this one another viewing. I think it’s worth it.
Patcat