7:17- "Vanishing Act" 2008-07-20

[deathroe]

Oh, for cute.

I was pretty happy about that--I'm not gonna lie

[outerbankschick]

I loved it! I agree, the cute factor was way up there. The continual playing with the "magic" stuff, and Alex totally amused by Bobby's playfulness. There were a lot of really good moments there, then balanced by those few tense ones, like when Dean was "reading" Alex and brought up betrayal. Bobby looked like he wished the floor would just open up and swallow him.

There was good old fashioned G/E tag teaming in this one, which I really enjoyed. Then there was that interesting visual just after Jacob and Theresa were both interrogated, when they were in the hallway and she was asking him to please say something. Anybody notice that shot where Alex leads him away? The two "betrayed" ones walking away, leaving behind the two "betrayers" in the camera frame. Nicely subtle.

Though, Jacob is less likely to forgive than Alex it seems. Bobby said he wouldn't forgive her, but he also wouldn't give her up. But if Jacob was unforgiving, I got the sense all through this episode that Alex seems to be in the forgiving mode. There was a lot more ease between them than in "Betrayed". BTW, the episode title of "Betrayed" takes on another shade after seeing "Vanishing Act", doesn't it?

All in all, I thought the story held together well here. Dean's reasons for wanting Miles dead are as complicated as his twisted sense of "magic ethics" and as simple as plain-old-garden-variety envy.

The way Bobby and Alex tag-teamed Dean in the end and used such a classic reverse-psychology gambit on him was brilliant. Just goes to show you how arrogance can breed stupidity. I mean, for a guy who was supposed to be so smart and "all that and a bag a chips, too", Dean sure fell for the oldest ploy in the book! Just proves the truth of "Pride goeth before a fall".

ETA: For all you shippers out there, did you notice the way Bobby's hand brushed over Alex's when he took the coffee she handed him? ;D

[deathroe]

he episode title of "Betrayed" takes on another shade after seeing "Vanishing Act", doesn't it?

Making amends for what has gone before

I probably won't get a chance to make a lot of notes until the third viewing or so, but I felt this was a very nice "ongoing resolution" of the issues raised in the 2nd half of this season. As to the crime, there was a complicated nod to the "whydunnit," and I was guessing until the last minute. As to Goren and Alex--the idea of Alex being betrayed serially goes back to "Slither" ("Married liars are my special torture.") Could be another reason she's so upset with him is that his "betrayal" came from a quarter (person) she didn't expect.

The criminal profiler/psychic magician analogy was neat, neat--and the deranged motive was classic CI. Was anybody else worried for a split second that potassium chloride meant "you know who" was back (cf. "Grow")? That said, I don't know why Rodgers would have missed it the first time, other than in the service of a plot twist. I don't like thinking Ross or anyone else has her all distracted :-P

[Patcat]

I enjoyed everything around the plot--Bobby's fun and pleasure in playing with the magic props and display of his skills (and, by extension, Mr. D'Onofrio's fun and pleasure in both); Eames' enjoyment of Bobby's pleasure (and Ms. Erbe's performance of it). I liked Mr. Bogosian's depiction of Ross' reaction to Goren's magic skills. And I liked the turn the story took to the serious when Dean read Eames and Goren. (I was briefly afraid Declan Gage's name would appear.)

But I figured Dean for the mind behind the murder almost the minute he appeared, and I found his motive very convincing.

But it was nice to have a LOCI that had an element of fun about it. And while I prefer a clean shaven (or nearly so) Goren, the beard was neat and well trimmed.

Patcat

[diablodeblanco]

I thought someone said that the potasium chloride was impossible to detect in the body. The drug was found in the IV bags and the IV line.

I think.....

[deathroe]

Ahhhhh, ok. You're right.

The thing is, I don't remember it coming up in "Grow" (possibly it did. I have no attention span.) It was more like the larger needle than a junkie's needle and the "exotic" method of death, signalling Nicole. Also in this episode, we had another murder box! A la "Collective."

I suspect on second viewing I will see even more of this quasi-flirtation between Goren and Eames (her smiling at his magic tricks). It strikes me as a touching way of showing them getting back into sync.

[outerbankschick]

You're right, Diablodeblanco. It was found in the IV and the central line, not the body. They missed a cute moment there, too, by having Rodgers give that quick explanation about the heart attack. They should have had Bobby say it, as if remembering back to "Grow". Then Rodgers could've indulged in a little eye-roll and given him that half-grin, half-glower she's used on him before.

[darmok]

I thought Eames seemed more annoyed than amused at Goren at the beginning when he was playing. SAhe seemed to loosen up by the time they were at Carmine's house. I liked Ross' smirk when Goren was messing with the uniformed officer. Ross knew exactly what Goren was doing.

[deathroe]

Can you imagine what the conversation between Ross and the officer was like? How would Ross even be able to chew him out?!

[darmok]

I liked the aria. They were pretty smooth. The magician talked about misdirection. Goren says "Yeah, misdirection. You know we arrested Stone's killers." Yes, misdirection. But he was "too vain" to notice. He thought he could continue to throw them off by mentioning the betrayal again and saying Goren was off. This was similar to "Mad Hops." The first time Goren may be caught off guard, but not the second.

[Techguy]

OK, I admit I went into this episode with a mixture of anticipation and dread. I was looking for some sign of a return of normalcy between Goren and Eames, yet dreading that instead I would get more tension and out-of-sync behavior from them.

Happily the signs of normalcy dominated the scene. I don't recall the last time I saw the detectives working together so smoothly and seamlessly, and it was very good to see them in action this way again. Yes, the killer was telegraphed a mile away and yes, I would have liked to have seen more of Christopher Lloyd. But the unexpected pleasure of the "old" Goren and Eames is far and away the best part of this episode.

Goren in his element with magic and the resurgence of his detecting skills are more big time positives for me. I couldn't help but snicker at the comments about how the dead magician had signed a huge contract with NBC, and nearly laughed myself silly when G/E played on the killer's ego to confess. If Holiday wanted to show up his victim, all he had to do was wait for stupid NBC to offer a new contract to him. Maybe Holiday was concerned about being consigned to cable instead of broadcast...

I also couldn't help noticing Holiday's comments about "phoning it in," "respecting tradition," and "unresolved trust issues." Maybe it's just me, but these comments came across as a nod in the direction of longtime fans of CI who have bristled at the changes in the show and the Goren character. Perhaps the end to the grand tampering experiment is near and a fully recovered Goren in the tradition of CI is coming soon.

[SarahIvy]

Ok, I've been so so very down on the show lately because I've been continuously disappointed but I'm pleased to say I was entirely tickled by this episode! It was fun and interesting and had good pacing and good acting (I've had some problems with the acting lately...not with the regulars, but with the side characters). The writing didn't even make me cringe once.

What a change!

My only problem was with the "stunt casting"...in that it simply gave away the whodunnit aspect for me. In addition to Christopher Lloyd, it became apparent he would be a red herring as soon as James Frain showed up because I just knew he was the obvious choice for pompous scene chewing bad guy, he just wouldn't be there unless it was for something meaty.

(Techguy, it's great to have you back posting, but once again I'm finding myself unable to read your longer posts because no matter what background color I have, your red text is just too painful to try and focus on for more than a couple of sentences. It's a shame!)

[susan1212]

I'm wondering if the statement "and it's not the 1st time" meant it's not the 1st time Robert has betrayed her. Is there something he did we don't know about...yet?

This epi was great fun! Fun to watch Robert and Alex have fun, fun to watch the exchanges between Robert and Ross ("I'd tell you but...." and the reply " Yes, the code."), fun to see Alex speak up for Robert - "He did solve this one.", and fun to see the writers have fun.

Techguy,
I immediately thought of the board when I heard Robert say "phoning it in".(although I don't agree that Vincent EVER phoned in a performance) It does seem that maybe one of the writers is reading this board.

I'm glad to see so many fans liked a show this season. It's nice to see some positive feedback.

[random]

In which Goren has to get the magicians to reveal their secrets, and at the same time, he has trouble revealing his own.

I agree that this one was hilarious. "When my partner is done playing, send this to the trap EXPERT," All that talk of "the code" reminded me a bit of Arrested Development.

In some ways, in this episode, we were back to knowing who did it, and why (I think the rivalry among magicians has been explored a lot in film recently.) Interestingly, we never knew how, for all of the interesting technology that was discovered. I guess the aria here was how they got him to confess.

I'm still trying to figure out how they got Christopher Lloyd into that dollhouse. They probably didn't use the real trick of a space under the dollhouse, but it looked as if he was actually inside the house itself. Should they be scrunching a man of his years like that? Perhaps, though, I underestimate how widespread the practice of yoga is among actors.

[Patcat]

Yea, Techguy, I thought there might be some nods to CI fans in this episode.

I wouldn't give too much stock to Dean actually knowing something about Goren and Eames. Like a lot of con men and magicians, he's using broad general statements and looking for the one that gets a reaction. Dean's right that cops use the same approach, and I suspect Goren's was ready for Dean's broad attacks on him. Eames looked a little shook at first, but she recovered quickly.

So, is Bobby's uncle real? And from his Mom or Dad's side? Perhaps not a real uncle, but a guy who took an interest in him? (Somewhere, sometime, there might have been an adult who gave Bobby some good attention and helped save the kid.)

Patcat