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Post by Patcat on Aug 14, 2007 9:13:50 GMT -5
Airs August 15 at 6 pm (EST) on the USA Cable Network
First aired March 17, 2002. Sixteenth episode of the first season.
Directed by Juan J. Campanella
Written by Marlane Gomard Meyer and Rene Balcer
Guest Actors: Michael Emerson (Gerry Rankin): Brooke Smith (Tessa Rankin): Cara Buono (Charlotte Fielding)
Synopsis: The discovery of the body of a recently released bank robber leads Goren and Eames to the man's sister, who may have built a new life using her brother's stolen money. An attack on the sister uncovers a man desperately trying to maintain life built on a pyramid of lies.
Quotes:
Goren: "One thing this line of work teaches us is that guys will do anything for love." Eames: "Or money."
Goren: "That's what I live for, Valdez, making your life easier." Valdez: "So I assume you'll be by later to wash my car?"
One of my favorite episodes, and guessing from some comments, a lot of others. What makes a great LOCI episode, does this one fit that category, and if so, why?
If he hadn't become entangled with Charlotte and her brother, would Gerry have been caught eventually?
Gerry shows considerable ingenuity in maintaining his illusions. Could he have used his talents in a more productive way?
What will happen to Gerry's family?
Is Charlotte more victim or villain?
Does Charlotte's tragedy get lost in the resolution of this case?
There are moments in LOCI that take my breath away. The end of this story is one of those. Even though I know Goren will walk away from the confrontation with Gerry, I find myself holding my breath every time I see it. Some questions about that:
Did Gerry truly plan to kill the kids and then run away?
Did Goren do the right thing by entering the hotel room and confronting Gerry?
Why did Gerry leave the hotel room door unlocked?
What was Eames doing while Goren confronted Gerry?
How do you think Eames and Deakins reacted to Goren's actions?
Did Goren walk away unscathed from this?
Comments: Micheal Emerson, now of LOST, gives a wonderful performance as Gerry Rankin, creating an ambivalent character who almost wins the audience's sympathy until we learn what a monster he is.
This is the episode that confirmed my great admiration for Detective Robert Goren. His mind is quick and adaptable enough to realize what Gerry is about to do and to deal with it. In spite of having a pretty good idea of what he may face, Goren confronts Gerry, and, again using that mind, manages to save everyone--Gerry, the children, and himself.
As always, please feel free to make your own points. These are just suggestions to get us started.
Patcat
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Post by ragincajun on Aug 14, 2007 11:12:00 GMT -5
One of my favorite episodes, and guessing from some comments, a lot of others. What makes a great LOCI episode, does this one fit that category, and if so, why?
I like twist and turns, and this episode had it, also love seeing Goren and Eames interact with other police officers, like the wash my car comment.
If he hadn't become entangled with Charlotte and her brother, would Gerry have been caught eventually?
I think so, what was next, he was going to have to murder his wife's father for wanting money to go on a cruise? Sooner or later he was going to run out of money, and with no other money to come up with, time was running out.
Gerry shows considerable ingenuity in maintaining his illusions. Could he have used his talents in a more productive way?
Maybe become a writer?
What will happen to Gerry's family?
Mom will have to get a job and make money I am sure there is none left, and her poor parents I am sure their life savings is gone too.
Is Charlotte more victim or villain?
Poor Charlotte, she fell in love, thought she met the man of her dreams, but she had ripped off her brother. But the money wasn't hers it was stolen money, that should have been turned in, so in the eyes of the law she was a criminal too. But she was Gerrys victim too.
Does Charlotte's tragedy get lost in the resolution of this case?
Yes I would have liked them to go back and have check on her, or have gotten an update to see how she was doing.
Did Gerry truly plan to kill the kids and then run away?
I don't think so, I think he would have killed himself, I always wondered about this, If it was a shotgun don't those things send out many pellets? So one shot would have killed both kids if they were in the same bed. Guess others can elaborate on that one. His world had crashed in on him, he had no where to go.
Did Goren do the right thing by entering the hotel room and confronting Gerry?
Yes he did, he had to save the kids.
Why did Gerry leave the hotel room door unlocked?
I never thought it was unlocked, hotel doors usually lock automatically, I always figured he got a pass key for the hotel manager or someone.
What was Eames doing while Goren confronted Gerry?
Didn't she stay home with the mother of the kids, he had drove off alone. But then when it was over she was there, so guess she decided to go to the hotel.
How do you think Eames and Deakins reacted to Goren's actions?
Think by now they are use to him I guess, I would have to rewatch it and then edit this, was so eager to post my gun comment, lol. Don't recall them, reacting too much here.
Did Goren walk away unscathed from this?
I think all the cases kind of leave a mark on Goren and Eames.
Comments: Micheal Emerson, now of LOST, gives a wonderful performance as Gerry Rankin, creating an ambivalent character who almost wins the audience's sympathy until we learn what a monster he is.
FYI Micheal Emerson is married to Carrie Preston a Law and Order CI three timer, She played Lena Copeland in Bedfellows-Doreen Whitlock in Magnificat- Megan Colby in Zoonotic.
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Post by Patcat on Aug 14, 2007 11:47:38 GMT -5
I hadn't thought of the pass key for Goren to get in the room (Smacks head in embarrassment.)
Does Rankin have a shotgun or a rifle? I've always thought it was a rifle, and thus capable of carrying more than two shots.
Ms. Preston is a remarkable actress. Thanks, ragincajun, for spotting all of this.
Patcat
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Post by ragincajun on Aug 14, 2007 12:28:29 GMT -5
Your welcome, Patcat, not sure about the rifle or shotgun, I thought it was a shotgun, but could be wrong, Will have to pay close attention and rewatch. But the way he unloaded the gun, it looked like the way you unload a shotgun. Maybe if none of the guys here know for sure I will make my hubby sit through it with me, lol.
Also the actress who played Gerry's wife, played with VDO in Mr. Wonderful.
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Post by Cassie on Aug 14, 2007 12:55:08 GMT -5
Check out how they used the camera, when Eames and Goren entered into Gerry's home with a search warrant.
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Post by sarahlee on Aug 14, 2007 17:34:44 GMT -5
] But the way he unloaded the gun, it looked like the way you unload a shotgun. Goren made the comment...(sorry, not exact quote here)"...there are only two bullets..." and I remember that the indication was that Gerry intended to kill his children *shudder* and run away. I also always thought that Gerry left the door open so someone could easily find the bodies...
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Post by ragincajun on Aug 14, 2007 18:49:52 GMT -5
] But the way he unloaded the gun, it looked like the way you unload a shotgun. Goren made the comment...(sorry, not exact quote here)"...there are only two bullets..." and I remember that the indication was that Gerry intended to kill his children *shudder* and run away. I also always thought that Gerry left the door open so someone could easily find the bodies... Was talking with my husband who remembers watching the episode, with me, but said he will rewatch it with me to make sure, but he remembers it being a shotgun. But tells me, depending on the type of shell and how far he shot them from it would probably take one shell per child to kill them. So most probably he didn't plan to shoot himself unless he had another shell somewhere else in the room. Will have to notice the door, when I rewatch, don't recall if it was open or closed.
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Post by musicwench on Aug 14, 2007 19:05:04 GMT -5
One of my favorite episodes, and guessing from some comments, a lot of others. What makes a great LOCI episode, does this one fit that category, and if so, why?
Yes, it does fit that category. It's a classic LOCI. The psychology behind Gerry's crimes and his lies to his family is most fascinating. The twists start coming right away. When the dead body was found I was most surprised that it wasn't Gerry, seeing as he started out looking like he was going to be the victim.
If he hadn't become entangled with Charlotte and her brother, would Gerry have been caught eventually?
I'd have to say yes. When you're playing those kind of stakes you can't keep it up forever. The stress he must have been under was probably really intense. To live a lie like that 24/7, he would have slipped up somewhere.
The money thing would have crumbled no matter what, eventually. He couldn't have kept it up forever.
Gerry shows considerable ingenuity in maintaining his illusions. Could he have used his talents in a more productive way?
Definitely. It's a shame he didn't have the self-confidence and discipline to make an honest living for himself.
What will happen to Gerry's family?
I have no idea. It won't be easy to recover from what Gerry's done. Financially it will be devastating I bet. For his parents especially. Also his wife and children seemed to idolize him. Everything they thought about him will have been proven wrong. Now that's enough to really screw you up.
Does Charlotte's tragedy get lost in the resolution of this case?
Yes, because quite frankly I never even gave her a second thought after the aria and until you asked this question.
Did Gerry truly plan to kill the kids and then run away?
It would seem that way. The man was so sick he would rather have his children be dead rather than see him in a bad light.
Did Goren do the right thing by entering the hotel room and confronting Gerry?
I would say yes. I have no doubt Gerry would have killed those children in the end. He went to such extremes to keep his illusions alive for his family that it's not a stretch to see him kill them.
Why did Gerry leave the hotel room door unlocked?
Like ragincajun I just assumed he had a passkey or something from the hotel.
What was Eames doing while Goren confronted Gerry?
Probably worrying about Goren and the children.
How do you think Eames and Deakins reacted to Goren's actions?
I would think they would have seen it as necessary as well. Goren is a profiler and he knows better than anyone there how to deal with Gerry. Someone had to do something and what he did ended up saving lives. If the police barged in on Gerry he might have managed to kill at least one of the children before they got to him.
Did Goren walk away unscathed from this?
Probably not completely. You don't come that close to having your brains blown out and not have some scarring.
Comments: Micheal Emerson, now of LOST, gives a wonderful performance as Gerry Rankin, creating an ambivalent character who almost wins the audience's sympathy until we learn what a monster he is.
Great actor! He so creeps me out in Lost. LOL
Overall a great episode. One of my all-time favorites.
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effie
Detective
off chasing plot bunnies...
Posts: 264
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Post by effie on Aug 15, 2007 8:01:24 GMT -5
One of the terrific things about "Phantom" for me is watching Goren truly working in the moment in his interactions with Gerry when he talks him down at the end... he thought he had the profile right, but when Gerry tells him that he never slept with Charlotte... the resulting mental gymnastics to get back on Gerry's good side were one of the things that turned me from "Goren's weird" to "Goren's great!"
and Gerry's shotgun was so interesting to me, because up until the "there's only two bullets" you can almost feel sorry for the guy...
and on a lighter note, you have to love Eames at the botanical gardens with "My witnesses were better than yours"...
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Post by DonnaJo on Aug 15, 2007 17:42:45 GMT -5
Here's my take on Phantom: What makes a great LOCI episode, does this one fit that category, and if so, why?It's a great classic episode. Interesting, unique crime story. One of the most exciting aria/endings ever on CI. Don't most of us enjoy watching Goren use his brains AND his bulk to catch a perp? If he hadn't become entangled with Charlotte and her brother, would Gerry have been caught eventually?Well, at some point, one of his ploys to embezzle funds would have failed. The resulting panic would trip him up. Gerry shows considerable ingenuity in maintaining his illusions. Could he have used his talents in a more productive way?That aspect of the plot was unrealistic to me. Anyone else would have landed a regular job at some point. Who knows, maybe Jerry did have a job way back when, but it didn't make him enough money or status. What will happen to Gerry's family?His wife will have to live in the real world & get a job. I partly blame her for being so stupidly naive about Gerry's job. I guess she won't be so trusting anymore. And how creepy, to find out that your husband killed your father so he could keep you in a certain lifestyle? Is Charlotte more victim or villain?Cookie isn't a villain, really. She didn't murder anyone. She was just an insecure working class girl who fooled herself and tried to fool others into thinking she was a class act. Honestly, I thought Goren & Eames were a little too cruel to her. They really got a kick out of insulting her, like they enjoyed it. And she was so excited about Gerry, it's sad. Does Charlotte's tragedy get lost in the resolution of this case?Absolutely. No one cared that she was in a coma. I guess she eventually died, they never said, did they? The only compassion shown her was at the end, with Eames last comment. Did Gerry truly plan to kill the kids and then run away?Yes, no doubt. What a weak coward he was. Maintaining this image of a hero to his kids was more important than the kids themselves. A supremely selfish man. Did Goren do the right thing by entering the hotel room and confronting Gerry?Yes, someone had to go in there. Goren was the right choice. Why did Gerry leave the hotel room door unlocked?At first I thought the door was left unlocked by Gerry. Thinking that he didn't expect anyone to come in or know what he planned to do. However, a recent airing of the ep shows Goren saying to Gerry that the maid gave him a pass key. What was Eames doing while Goren confronted Gerry?It's interesting, at the time this was aired, no one really thought much about Eames or what she would be doing while Goren was acting the hero. We didn't expect much from her at the time. Now, our expectations are much different, at least mine are. That's why I was disturbed about her lack of assistance to Goren in Siren Call. I expect her to kick butt. How do you think Eames and Deakins reacted to Goren's actions?I don't expect either one had a problem with his decision. Did Goren walk away unscathed from this?It seemed so, although we weren't given an opportunity to see him later in the squad room. I'm sure he was shaken for a few days. I liked the actress who played the old girlfriend of the brother who Gerry murdered. Her "Don't make me come up there!" always gets a chuckle out of me. I think she was in the movie Saturday Night Fever, as Travolta's dance partner who he dumps in th beginning of the movie.
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Post by DonnaJo on Aug 16, 2007 6:53:45 GMT -5
A nice side note I read a cute "Cheer" in my current issue of TVGuide, praising Cara Buono's (Cookie Caspari / Charlotte Fielding) new role on USA's The Dead Zone, which stars Anthony Michael Hall (Happy Accidents). They say she has breathed new life into the series. Glad to see her talents are are finally being showcased.
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Post by Summerfield on Aug 16, 2007 10:01:08 GMT -5
More thoughts and questions regarding Phantom: Sorry Patcat for messing with the original.
Shotgun, two shells.
How did Charlotte and Gerry meet? Was she telling the truth when she said they met at Harry Winstons? Did Gerry think she was wealthy in her own right and then later discovered the money was stolen?
Would Gerry have killed Charlotte on their way to "dessert" if Frank hadn't shown up?
How about that Carver turning on the charm with the woman at the UN? I love that scene.
How could the wife not know about Gerry not paying income tax? Her naivety bothered me on many levels.
Every time I watch the ending, I think, "Hey Bobby, you left your jacket on the back of the chair!"
A Twilight Zone Moment: While at work yesterday, a clerk from the ladies department requested I put a dress on hold for a customer. The customer's name was...Cookie!
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effie
Detective
off chasing plot bunnies...
Posts: 264
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Post by effie on Aug 16, 2007 11:12:03 GMT -5
and wasn't the UN worker that Carver so ably charmed -- Eames' look to Goren over it is priceless -- the same actor who later played Tiana's mother in TWSH?
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Post by ragincajun on Aug 16, 2007 13:33:48 GMT -5
and wasn't the UN worker that Carver so ably charmed -- Eames' look to Goren over it is priceless -- the same actor who later played Tiana's mother in TWSH? Good eye, that was Oni Faidah Lampley, for a married man he was, as Goren said to Cookie, Laying it on pretty thick there, lol.
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Post by Patcat on Aug 16, 2007 13:38:33 GMT -5
You guys have great eyes!
Patcat
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