ACTS OF CONTRITION: EOTW

[Patcat]

Will air 1pm(EST) on October 23, 2010, on WGN. First aired on October 23, 2005. Fifth episode of Season Five.

Written by Warren Leight and Rene Balcer. Directed by Frank Prinzi.

Guest Actors:

Susan Misner as Sister Olivia (Ms. Misner would play Mary Devildis in FAMILY VALUES and played Becky Stark in SMOTHERED. A very talented actress.)

Amy Wright as Sister Dorothy

Larry Gilliard, Jr., as Eddie Roberts

Leslie Hendrix as M.E. Rodgers

Synopsis: The investigation of a nun’s murder leads to a tragic history.

Quotes:

Eames (to the girls): “We need you to be brave.” Sister Olivia: “They already are.”

Eames (to Goren): “You’re the lapsed altar boy. What’s the significance of wax?”

Sister Olivia: “Schizophrenics have it very hard. You don’t know.” Goren: “I do know, Sister.”

Goren: “It had to be something powerful to drive him to spend the last year and a half searching medical databases.” Carver: “I’ll rely on your own obsessiveness to find out what that thing is, Detective.”

Goren: “The speculation is that she maybe died from an overdose.” Eames: “I don’t know about died, but maybe gone to heaven.”

Eames: “Everything about him is off. He can’t look me in the eye. He talks about himself in the third person.” Carver: “Another eccentric New Yorker.”

Goren: “Was he big like me?” Sister Edwina: “Not so big. And not so Caucasian.”

Eddie: “Eddie Roberts is happily single. It’s the only way to get things done.” Eames: “Alex Eames says he’s a big phony.”

Deakins: “Black shirt. White shirt. Saturn Boy has a few loose rings.”

Sister Olivia (to Goren): “Don’t pretend to know me, Detective.”

Eames: “The department should hire a phelobotmist. They do a better job finding a witness.”

Goren: “Angie. You want deliverance. This is how.”

Eames: “You were right. There’s never enough truth.” Goren: “Or enough justice.”

Note: For information about Thalassemia, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalassemia

Queries:

A highly regarded episode in our initial discussion, with a great deal of praise for Courtney Vance and Susan Misner’s performances. Several people felt Sister Olivia got off too easily, and that Goren was especially sympathetic to her. Did she? Was he?

Is this episode too much like THE FAITHFUL? How is it different? In particular, how is the relationship between Carver and the detectives different?

How does this episode treat the Catholic Church? How does LOCI treat the Church?

Is the use of the “N” word justified?

If Eddie hadn’t worked with human blood, would he have been able to find Angie?

How long will Eddie be in prison? Who will take care of Jimmy?

Would it have been so terrible if Eddie had found and spoken to Angie/Sister Olivia?

How much time will Sister Olivia spend in jail? Who will take care of her girls? Will all of her good work be destroyed?

Has Sister Olivia confessed everything to the priest?

One of the great questions of this episode—Does a life of good work and unselfishness make up for one terrible act?

Comments:

I hope there will be some responses to my comments on this episode, one that I find richer, more moving, and more troubling with repeated viewings. The best LOCI episodes deal with moral conundrums, and there are many of them moving through this very well-written, deliberately paced, and well staged episode. Even characters with smaller parts are well written and acted. Sister Edwina, for example, is charmingly written, and the young actress portraying her is wonderful opposite Mr. D’Onofrio and Ms. Erbe. Larry Gilliard, Jr., is both infuriating and touching as Eddie Roberts, who is a remarkable mixture of a good man (obviously an exceptional brother) and an obsessed one. Mr. Gilliard’s delivery of Eddie’s eloquent speech about justice coming too late for old white men is extraordinary. And I’m not sure I can praise Susan Misner’s performance as Sister Olivia enough. She allows us to see the frightened, angry Angie Di Marco and the tough, good Sister Olivia. It’s one of the great LOCI guest performances. And applause for Courtney Vance. Every once in a while LOCI allowed him to show his great range and depth as an actor, and this is one of those episodes.

Lots of moments to like in this one as well. Eames tripping Enrique’s second during the raid. Goren playing with fire in front of Enrique. Rodgers, for once, gets to tell Goren something. The final scenes set in the church.

This is why I love LOCI. Subtle, multilayered, an exploration of moral issues, beautifully acted. (You may gather that I like this one.)

Submitted for your comments, considerations, and queries.

Patcat

[jeffan]

A highly regarded episode in our initial discussion, with a great deal of praise for Courtney Vance and Susan Misner’s performances. Several people felt Sister Olivia got off too easily, and that Goren was especially sympathetic to her. Did she? Was he?
I agree, a good episode. I don’t agree that Sister Olivia got off too easily. Even though she didn’t confess until she fully realized she was backed into a corner, her looking at the plaque of Christ carrying the Cross, begging forgiveness from her confessor priest, then did her true act of contrition begin. Her life in the Church before that was a means to an end. She not only has the secular authorities to face but also the spiritual - so, no, she will not get off too easily.

The word I would use for Goren’s attitude towards her is gentle rather than sympathetic.

Is this episode too much like THE FAITHFUL? How is it different?
The Faithful is one of my favourite episodes and there was no similarity in the storyline only the ecclesiastical context.

In particular, how is the relationship between Carver and the detectives different?
In The Faithful, Goren went behind Carver’s back to broker a deal with the priest. In Acts of Contrition, Goren didn’t feel the same depth of pity for the nun. I think both Carver’s and Goren’s priorities were to see justice done for Jimmy. I think Goren lost any "sympathy" for Sister Olivia after seeing Jimmy.

How does this episode treat the Catholic Church? How does LOCI treat the Church?
In this episode the Church was used as means of evading the law. Not an uncommon occurrence. Haven’t watched enough episodes to fully answer the second part of the question.

Is the use of the “N” word justified?
In this particular instance, yes. It made her confession even more repugnant.

If Eddie hadn’t worked with human blood, would he have been able to find Angie?
I think he would have eventually as it was his driving force in life to see justice done for Jimmy.

How long will Eddie be in prison? Who will take care of Jimmy?
Hopefully, not too long as it was not premeditated murder and there are mitigating circumstances. This does not mean that I don’t think he should get off lightly.

Would it have been so terrible if Eddie had found and spoken to Angie/Sister Olivia?
Yes, because, if he did, Sister Olivia would not have had a very painful, soul torturing, public confession.

How much time will Sister Olivia spend in jail? Who will take care of her girls? Will all of her good work be destroyed?
I think she should spend the maximum sentence. I don’t think the good work will be destroyed but passed on to other member(s) of the order.

Has Sister Olivia confessed everything to the priest?
She was more concerned in trying to persuade him that she should return to the cloisters - so no.

One of the great questions of this episode—Does a life of good work and unselfishness make up for one terrible act?
Admission of guilt, true repentance, penance and then yes.

[Patcat]

Jeffan--Thank you for responding!

As a confused Catholic, I'm always interested in the church's portrayals in fiction. To answer my own question, I've always thought LOCI and L&O in general portrays the Chucch fairly. It's shown as an institution capable of terrible and good things. In this episode, there's an acknowledgment of the good the Church can do.

Patcat

[jeffan]

My pleasure Patcat as it's a good episode.

I agree with your thoughts about the portrayal of the Church in this episode. Although an athiest, I, too, have an interest in how the Church and it's clergy are depicted and sometimes its too ludicrous for words!

[DonnaJo]

A wonderful response, Jeffan.

This is one of my favorite season 5 episodes. I also agree that the Church is portrayed fairly. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church is similar to any other large, bureaucratic organization. Meaning that it can be corrupt. And what many forget, it isn't run by God or Jesus, but by human beings (basically men, not women) with the usual failings.

I feel badly for Sister Olivia, but she needed to pay for her role in that terrible crime. I thought everyone did an impressive job of not offering her sympathy when she was bearing her soul in that heart wrenching confession. I don't think I could have acted in such a manner.

[meggyd]

I should learn to respond to the new thread before reading the old thread on the episode - once again nearly everything I was going to say has already been outlined!

I, too, really liked this episode. I didn't see some of the twists coming the first time I watched it, something I could do increasingly with the season eight and nine episodes. Everyone's motivation slowly was drawn out and the team (and I) had to work hard to put everything together. It was up to the audience to decide how they felt about Sister Olivia and it really made me reflect on what you can actually atone for. I forgot how much of a part Carver used to play in the investigation, both when he was onside with the detectives or when he was opposing them. That is an element really missing from current episodes.

One thing I thought was strange, but then, I think it is strange in nearly every cop show I watch, and that is the casual acceptance of the plight of working girls. Young girls, stuck in a van servicing twenty or thirty men a night, locked in a room during the day. No surprise from the detectives, just resigned disgust. Yet in our supposedly civilised society it is left to nuns to buy them back to save them from sexual slavery. I know these things do happen, but it just seems that that situation deserves at least as intense moral outrage as the attack on Jimmy.

Remember when the references to Goren's mother and family were those little subtle one liners and not full on?

On a completely shallow note, I remember the first time I watched this episode thinking how much weight VDO had put on. Now I watch it and think, gee, he was thin back then! (Don't start throwing metaphorical things at me - he's fine either way!)

[Patcat]

You're right--there's a resigned acceptance of the girls' plights.

I like the way Goren and Eames' questioning of the girls is staged, the way Eames takes the lead and sits across from them while Goren stays quietly in the background. I also like the quiet, gentle tone the detectives take with them.

Patcat

[jeffan]

Thank you Donnajo - it was an episode worth reviewing.

“thought everyone did an impressive job of not offering her sympathy when she was bearing her soul in that heart wrenching confession. I don't think I could have acted in such a manner.”

Why does that not surprise me DJ?!
---
“Young girls, stuck in a van servicing twenty or thirty men a night, locked in a room during the day. No surprise from the detectives, just resigned disgust. Yet in our supposedly civilised society it is left to nuns to buy them back to save them from sexual slavery. I know these things do happen, but it just seems that that situation deserves at least as intense moral outrage as the attack on Jimmy.”

Excellent point Meggyd and I hang my head in shame as I just let it pass me by with no sense of outrage or even indignation.