EPISODE OF THE WEEK: GRAANSHA

[Patcat]

So, if we can tear ourselves away from FRAME...

GRAANSHA

Will air September 2 at 11pm (EST) on the USA Network

43rd Episode. 21st of Season 2. First aired May 11, 2003

Synopsis: Goren and Eames investigate the murder of a juvenile probation officer. The officer's hidden family and her link with an anthropology professor both seem key factors in the case.

Written by Joe Gannon and Rene Balcer

Directed by Darnell Martin

Guest Actors:
Tom Noonan as Malcolm Bryce
William Sadler as Kyle Devlin
Angela Reed as Ann Devlin Lawson

Quotes:
Eames: "Five ten...what an adorable height."

Deakins (after learning Bryce confessed to murder to save his son) "What a good dad."

Goren: "Maybe one of these criminal isn't so petty."

Goren: "Let's just say we're not NOT suspecting him."

Lane Devlin: "What do you people want from me?"
Goren: "I'd like a glass of water."

Goren: "Ann, who you disposed of as casually as you disposed of your granddaughter's future."

Notes:
"Graansha" means "Stranger" in Shelta, the secret (maybe not so secret since it's mentioned in this episode) language of the Irish Travellers. The Travellers do exist, and they are in Indiana as this story suggests. I know people who've been victims of their paving and roofing schemes, and members have occasionally been arrested in the state for shoplifting, usually at Wal-Marts and such.

Gas was $1.81 a gallon at the time this episode was filmed.

Ann is a divided person. To her family, she's "Annie Devlin". To her co-workers, she's Ann Lawson. Alex comments that Ann is part of "our family too." How did Ann escape the Devlin family? Did she escape them? How well do her two families treat her? What does this episode say about the role of the family a person has to have versus the role of the family he/she choses to have? And, for the Goren fanatics among us, what choices has Bobby made among his families? How have they treated him?

Did Ann's involvement with Malcolm lead to her death?

Was there any romantic involvement between Ann and Malcolm?

Would Ann have been able to save Fiona? What will happen to Fiona? Did Fiona want something more?

Is it believable that the family would turn on Kyle so quickly and completely?

How does Kyle rank among LOCI villains?

Whose justice will be worse for Kyle--the outside world, or the family's?

At the end, Goren says he realizes what Ann gave up. What did she give up, and why does Goren seem envious of it?

Comments:

Did the casting department have to find every red headed actor in New York for this episode?

The long and lean Tom Noonan is an interesting physical choice for the part of Bryce, but I've noticed LOCI frequently casts against physical type.

Alex Eames knows the flowers of Ireland and their significance.

I suspect that big white tent that appears in the final moments was a quick addition because of the rain. (I could be wrong about this and the truth is there's a lot of sprinklers pouring down water on the tent.) The stark white of the canvas and the pouring rain seem to be mourning for Ann.

This solid episode from Season Two did not have a thread, or at least one I could find. It has a lot of classic LOCI moments--Bobby and Alex working in enemy territory (I shuddered a bit the first time I saw this episode and realized just how deep they were in that territory); Bobby messing with the perp by getting into Kyle's truck; Bobby's interaction with the little girl; and a well done duet at the end. This is a solid episode, one that deserves more attention and respect. And it never forgets the victim. Ann Devlin Lawson, a good and remarkable woman trying to do the right thing, is a constant, haunting presence.

Submitted for your consideration and comments.

Patcat

[Ladyheather]

The is a favorite of mine. The culture of the "travelers" is pretty common in the midwest. I am sure that even as recent as a couple weeks ago, I met another one. He came to our house, wanting to pave our driveway, because they had "extra blacktop" and wanted to just get rid of it for a small price. I don't like it when someone comes to my house and just want to fix my driveway or my roof.

Goren was part of two families. He is a cop and a man with a troubled family. Each family required a lot from him, including his loyalty. He has been pulled by both sides. I think that is why he was so sympathetic to Ann. She was pulled by both worlds. Now Goren is currently being called a rat, hmmmm, Ann was too, to her family.

I noticed the tent also, but I thought that is was probably done because of the passing rain storm. Maybe not originally written in, but I think it worked. Looked like lots of church picnics I have been to. Maybe is was sprinklers and the rain was added drama written in.......

[deathroe]

We get the odd warning about them down here, also. But I'd never heard of the Travellers until I lived in the Midwest, and then one of the stories that "Graansha" was based on (the Madeline Toogood case) happened in the precise area where I was living, and I got really curious.

Someone has a clip from the episode up on Youtube advertising that the actors are speaking Shelta. I posted a comment asking, but whoever posted it didn't confirm whether this were in fact the case. Because how would the writers know what Shelta was? I would think that it would be very difficult for an outsider to know this. Also, my understanding is that the Travellers are not ethnically Irish, even though they are portrayed as such in the episode. I can't help but thinking that Eames is, mind you

[quietfireca]

Aug 30, 2008 15:09:49 GMT -5 deathroe said:

Also, my understanding is that the Travellers are not ethnically Irish, even though they are portrayed as such in the episode. I can't help but thinking that Eames is, mind you

I looked up the origin of Eames a few months ago and although I don't think I got to the same site, it says basically the same thing:

Eames Name Meaning and History
probably from the possessive case of the Middle English word eam ‘uncle’, denoting a retainer in the household of the uncle of some important local person.
possibly also a variant of Ames.

from Ancestry.com

[eames47]

Haven't seen this episode in a long time, however one instance sticks out to me. The crime scene, Goren sniffs both of the victim's hands and he says that it smells like hot peppers and blue cheese and Eames is the one to deduce that she had buffalo wings. I liked that. It wasn't Goren who came up with that. Or maybe he did, but he let Eames voice that fact.

[DonnaJo]

Are you sure about that, eames47? I remember Goren voicing the hot pepper & bleu chesse equals buffalo wings concept. I just remember Eames standing there, looking a bit grossed out by what Goren is doing?

I shall defer to your obvious knowledge of all things Eames. ;D

[eames47]

Ummmm, it has been a while. LOL. I'll need to watch it again when it airs to make sure. I think Goren mentioned what he smelled, but I thought Eames mentioned the buffalo wings. I have been wrong before. LOL!

[Patcat]

Yea, Eames mentions the wings. And she's also grossed out by Bobby's intense exam of the body.

Eames and Goren work very well together in this story, and she contributes a great deal, including that knowledge of Irish flowers.

Patcat

[nosee]

Patcat,

I have to laugh at you mentioning the price of gas when the episode was filmed. $1.81!!! Hard to believe that it has more than doubled since 2003.

It has been awhile since I have seen this one. It's one of my favorites from the glory days of season three!

[outerbankschick]

At the end, Goren says he realizes what Ann gave up. What did she give up, and why does Goren seem envious of it?

She gave up her family. That huge unit of people who would be there for her, rally around her when she needed them. She gave that up in favor of living "outside" and upholding the law.

Bobby's never had that in his own life. When he says "It must have been hard for her.", there's a note of empathetic understanding in his voice.

I felt sorry for the little girl, Fiona. Being dragged along in that life, taught that "outsiders are suckers" and being encouraged to enter a life of crime at such a young age. And then nearly being arranged into a marriage to a boy she hardly knew and one who would probably end up in prison, the same as her own father did.

[Patcat]

I wonder if Ann felt that she'd given all that much up?

I certainly understand Goren's longing for a family and its ties, but I wonder if Ann would've envied the lack of ties that Goren had?

It's just that I grew up in a small town where I was related to everyone. I couldn't wait to get away from there and them, and these people weren't thieves and con men (well, at least most of them weren't (g)). People who come from a different background often envy the idea that I lived in a town where few people locked their doors. The reason no one locked their doors was because everyone knew what everyone else had.

Still, Ann stayed in contact with her family, so there must have been some affection there.

Patcat

[DonnaJo]

First things first. Patcat, thank you for taking this on again. ;D

I watched some of this taped episode last night. Haven't seen it in quite a while. I must admit that it is one of my least favorite Season 2 episodes. Part of the reason is that there were so many stellar episodes, this one paled in comparison.

I still strongly dislike the aria. I think it's the worst one LOCI has ever had. The only good aspect is that Goren finally ditches the horrid brown overcoat for a very attractive, classic black one. I thought the tent fit in with what a very private group would have for a family gathering. Keep the neighbors away.

I thought Goren was too over the top, trying to ape a slight Irish brogue. And Eames is totally & completely silent, standing behind Goren in the background. The only action from her is to arrest Kyle.

Did I mention how attractive VDO/Goren was in this episode? Sorta makes up for the bad plot.

[dragonsback]

Picking up on Donna's observations, I too think that Graansha was the weakest episode in a season which many believe to be LOCI's finest. It makes this one hard to judge, because it is always seen in the bad light of comparison.

I once thought that the hokey Graansha aria was the worst aria ever. (Some wit on this board or another suggested that they wanted to tip a bottle of Stout over Goren's head during the tent scene.) Now that I've seen S6 Privilege and S7 The-One-With-The-Coroner's-Van, Graansha doesn't look so bad. I may have to rewatch some day. Moving it up from a 2 on the Replay-O-Meter to 4.