ART: EPISODE OF THE WEEK

[Patcat]

Will air 4am EST on the USA Network on September 10

The second episode of the first season. First aired October 7, 2001.

Written by Elizabeth Martell and Rene Balcer
Directed by David Platt

Guest Actors:
Elizabeth Marvel as Sylvia Moon
Tomas Arana as Rudy Langer
Tom Bloom as Bernard Jackson

Synopsis: The apparent murder/suicide of a museum curator and an art authenticator lead Goren and Eames to a sophisticated art fraud operation.

Quotes:
Eames: "Popular opinion has this pegged as a murder-suicide."
Goren: "Well, never trust opinion polls."

Eames (about a painting): "You can't put that stuff in your home. You can't live with it."
Goren: "Well, I'm not interested in living with it. I'm interested in thinking about it."

Sylvia: "You don't know what it's like."
Goren: "What, to work so hard?"
Sylvia: "Yes."
Goren: "And still be a nobody."
Syliva: "Yes."
Goren: "Welcome to the human race."

Rudy: "American have no idea what art is anymore."

Goren: "That exquisite Monet could be an exquisite fake."

Rudy (in German): "You bring me down on the word of a woman? A woman?"

Trivia: The Salvador Dali painting at Rikers that Goren mentions was stolen in 2003 by a group of prison officials. The painting was destroyed in a panic by one of the officials who planned the robbery.

Queries:

We know Sylvia is a murderer and a forger. Is it possible there are other crimes in her past?

Will the discovery that his daughter didn't commit suicide bring any comfort to the father of Sylvia's roommate?

Who do you find the more distasteful--Sylvia or Rudy? Who will get more time in jail?

The second episode of the show. What is the state of the Goren/Eames relationship?

Where did Goren meet the painting expert?

Some personal observations that I hope people will take issue with if they disagree--

Rudy Langer--I have the impression he would have been one of those Nazis happily stealing from and killing Jewish families. He seems the first of the classic LOCI villain who thinks he knows more than everyone else--especially Eames and Goren--and is ultimately tripped up by his own ego. The fact that he know nothing about Bernard Jackson leads to Goren and Eames discounting the murder/suicide idea. His sexism and dismissal of Sylvia Moon also contributes to his downfall. I confess to a great sense of satisfaction when he's dragged away.

I like this episode a great deal. We get Nazis, art snobs, instruction in art fraud, heartbreaking victims (the widower of the art curator always tears me apart, as well as the father of Sylvia's first victim), information about Goren and Eames (we learn he speaks German and likes modern art, while Eames likes Impressionists), and a nifty plot.

Submitted for you consideration and comment,

Patcat

[annabelleleigh]

To me this episode is notable for the wealth of new factoids we receive about Goren: He speaks German; appreciates provocative contemporary art; and that his arrogance will continue to overshadow his empathy for the rest of Season 1.

"Art" also has a critical New York "sense of place" that has been missing from later seasons. Among the great exterior shots is Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim "hemicycle", which looms in the background in a revealing, snuggly-written scene between Goren and art dealer Rudy Langer.

AL

[Moonbeam]

Sept 8, 2008 11:18:09 GMT -5 annabelleleigh said:

.
"Art" also has a critical New York "sense of place" that has been missing from later seasons. Among the great exterior shots is the Guggenheim, which looms in the background in a revealing, snuggly-written scene between Goren and art dealer Rudy Langer.

On my recent trip to New York, I took a picture of the corner where Goren and Rudy had that scene. I also got a picture of the church.

[Patcat]

H-m-m. I think some enterprising soul would've started L&O tours by now.

Patcat

[eames47]

Plus, we get a "repeat offender" in this one. In Prisoner, in Season 5, I remember thinking that Wendy, Corbin Bernsen's wife, looked really familiar and had a hard time placing the actress, until I figured out she was Sylvia Moon. Two VERY different characters.

[dragonsback]

Sept 8, 2008 14:00:46 GMT -5 Moonbeam said:

Sept 8, 2008 11:18:09 GMT -5 annabelleleigh said:

.
"Art" also has a critical New York "sense of place" that has been missing from later seasons. Among the great exterior shots is the Guggenheim, which looms in the background in a revealing, snuggly-written scene between Goren and art dealer Rudy Langer.

On my recent trip to New York, I took a picture of the corner where Goren and Rudy had that scene. I also got a picture of the church.

You're in New York's limestone row, the Carnegie Hill precinct, and that's The Church of the Heavenly Rest. As it happens, I was baptised there, went to school there up to Third Grade, and even played Mary in the kiddie pageant. Sang in the Girls' Choir up to the age of 14. The place is in my bones. Of course I'm now officially a Catholic - marriage does that to you. Really I'm a Jeffersonian Free Thinker, but, man do I love that CHR.

You have to see this place inside for yoruself. Art Deco/Gothic. The best lighting of any NYC church, I reckon - you don't see it in many interior pix on line, but the entire ceiling can be blacked out, with only a few pinpricks of downlight. Feels like a starry night sky, as if there is no roof above the limestone vaults.

Okay, enougn about Heavenly Rest. I happen to love "Art". just for Rudy Langer. One of the smoothest villains ever on LOCI, no father issues, just pure greed and guile and a fabulous Eurotrash wit. One of the best double lines (from memory, mine and faulty):Goren and Eames are giving Rudy a hard time over his sales records.
Eames: (threatenthreatenthreaten)
RL, purring: There's nothing I enjoy more than being threatened by a beeywetivul vuman
RL, realiising that Goren can read a German art brie): You speak German?
BG: (something inciomprehensible auf Deutsch to the effect of "Yes, a bit" ) I learned in the Army.
RL, purring again: Ah, this day grows ever more delightful.

[Patcat]

Rudy is also one of my favorite villains. He's utterly and completely despicable, and his fall is extremely satisfying because he's so clearly underestimated Eames and especially Goren.

Patcat

[nosee]

Rudy is one of my favorite villians too. He's so smooth. Even though he's not the actual killer, he's the mastermind, the evil genius behind the scenes. I always enjoy watching Goren bring down the evil genius' in the glory days of seasons 1-3.

[DonnaJo]

I love when Rudy admires Goren's arrogance while they are strolling along the NYC street. He sees that aspect of himself in the Detective, along with Goren's intelligence. Uncanny how he sees nothing wrong in his actions, and has absolutely no remorse for helping manipulate Sylvia into the murder.

Rudy is rather stereotypically depicted as the evil German mastermind. The actor did a fine job capturing the charm that some truly bad people possess. Too bad this actor has never reappeared on LOCI. At least I don't recall seeing him in another episode.

[dragonsback]

Yes, Donna, I agree that "Rudy is rather stereotypically depicted as the evil German mastermind" - so did the Germans. Apparently the character acquired a French accent when this episode was dubbed for German television ;D ;D ;D

[eva]

Yes, french accent and french lines instead of german ones But "Sprechen Sie deutsch?" (do you speak german?) would have been pretty pointless in a german episode ;D

Slighty off topic, but maybe still interesting; in "Endgame", when Brady asks Goren "Sprechen Sie deutsch" (do you speak german?) and Goren says something like "a little bit", they changed the question to "waren Sie mal da?" (have you been there?).

I haven't seen "Art" in a while (especially the german version) so I'm not sure if they could have done it in another way (i.e. not change the whole character). I remember enjoy watching Rudy interact with Goren. What a great villain.

[annabelleleigh]

Sept 9, 2008 15:57:23 GMT -5 dragonsback said:

Yes, Donna, I agree that "Rudy is rather stereotypically depicted as the evil German mastermind" - so did the Germans. Apparently the character acquired a French accent when this episode was dubbed for German television ;D ;D ;D

Hilarious anecdote! Thanks DB.

AL

[dragonsback]

Ooof! I yield the floor to Eva, who really has the great Euro take on this episode - and as a bonus, that delicious detail about Endgame.

Makes you wonder how they handled the Parisian collaborator "Your French is terrible" in Probability.

[nosee]

Sept 9, 2008 15:57:23 GMT -5 dragonsback said:

Yes, Donna, I agree that "Rudy is rather stereotypically depicted as the evil German mastermind" - so did the Germans. Apparently the character acquired a French accent when this episode was dubbed for German television ;D ;D ;D

That is so funny!

[Moonbeam]

If I recall, one of the patrons who donates her "find" to a small museum in Illinois is the appraiser in "Silver Lining."