EPISODE OF THE WEEK: THE GIFT

[Patcat]

Will Air December 9 at 1pm(EST) and December 12 at 12am(EST) on USA. 48th episode and third episode of Season Three.

Written by Marlane Gomard Meyer and Rene Balcer
Directed by Alex Zakrzewski

Guest Actors: Bobby Cannavale as Julian Bello
Jane Adams as Sylvia Campbell
Anne Twomey as Lyz Webster
Michael Nouri as Henry Webster

Synopsis: The murder of a young news film photographer lead Goren and Eames to two con artists with an unusual tie.

Quotes:
Eames: "Maybe one day we'll get lucky and robbery will be the motive."

Goren: "Of all places to ditch a car, Long Island City would not be my first choice."

Eames: "That's a neat trick. He knew I was pregnant from the store. If she had said crab cakes, he would have said crawling babies."
Goren: "Well, maybe it is a trick. Maybe the trick's on her."

Lyz to Sylvia: "I see a man with a broken neck."

Julian: "We don't do very well without each other."

Queries:

What's going on with these Websters? Why is Clayton still living with his parents? Are his parents using him to fight their battles? Is there something odd about the parents' reactions to Clayton's death? Does Clayton get lost in this story?

Will Henry and Lyz's marriage survive?

Will Sylvia ever learn that she doesn't have a gift?

Up to this story, Julian's rap sheet doesn't have violent behavior. What pushes him to force a murder?

Who gives what to whom?

Does Sylvia have any idea about what Julian is doing?

Will Sylvia survive?

Does Julian's love for Sylvia redeem him?

Is Julian and Sylvia's love a good thing? Would they be better off without each other?

Does Goren sympathize and empathize with Julian's role as a caretaker?

Comments:

I have to confess that this episode still has several confusing points for me. The family Webster and its strange behavior puzzles me--neither parent seems all that troubled by their son's violent death, and the son seems to have taken on the role of the parent in some ways. And I'm not certain how Julian convinces Eduardo Menendez that Clayton is a threat.

But there's a lot of enjoyable moments in this early third season offering. Some excellent Eames snarky moments, lovely Goren moments--including sniffing and leaning--and excellent Goren and Eames teamwork--including their following of the reporter and their tagteaming of suspects. The story allows us to see Goren at his gentlest and most empathetic with both victims and criminals. What lifts this episode a bit for me are the guest performances of Jane Adams as Sylvia and especially Bobby Cannavale as Julian. Mr. Cannavale is enormously charismatic and sympathetic as Julian, and his duet with Mr. D'Onofrio is one of the finest in LOCI history.

And religious cons must make money. That's a nice apartment Julian and Sylvia have.

Submitted for your approval and comments.

Patcat

[Patcat]

And a quick addition: I love the setting for Sylvia and Lyz's last meeting, where the two women frame a fountains with a statue of an angel. It's perfect.

Patcat

[quietfireca]

I would say this isn't one of my favourite episodes....

I think it really bothered me that the suspects were "interested in" or using Eames pregnancy. It was creepy. Eames seemed to deal with it.... By the end of the interview in Julian and Sylvia's apartment, *I* was relieved to see Goren was standing between them and Eames. You couldn't have put a big enough wall between me and them!! (although, come to think of it Goren would work just fine for me..... ahem.)

The Websters were definitely not mourning in a normal way....

If Julian was really worried about Sylvia being alone he wouldn't have been so stooopid!! I didn't feel that much sympathy for him...

Sylvia absolutely believed she had a gift, but without him to "lead" her, I'm not sure how she copes. I guess she doesn't and that's why when he wasn't around she was sleeping under a bridge.... So he exploited her.


OMG, I'm a detective now! When did *that* happen? No laughing you guys, I'd be the world's lousiest detective.

[leanonme]

Dec 5, 2008 9:35:28 GMT -5 Patcat said:

Thanks Patcat for posting these questions, and for all those who are willing to revisit these episodes!

Queries:

What's going on with these Websters? Why is Clayton still living with his parents? Are his parents using him to fight their battles? Is there something odd about the parents' reactions to Clayton's death? Does Clayton get lost in this story?

I was wondering why Clayton was still living with his parents as well. I didn't think the parents were using him to fight their battles. My impression of the family was that it was generally a happy family, but the mom was a little crazy of late. I thought Clayton had had a happy life with them, and didn't want to see them split up because of this recent shift.

I wondered why the mom would go to the car, turn the light on, but not call the police or get her son's body! I think Clayton does sort of get lost, the focus seems more on stopping the scam than convicting the murder.

Will Henry and Lyz's marriage survive?

I got the impression that it would. Henry seemed to really love Liz. He wasn't really having the affair right? It is going to be a hard road...

Will Sylvia ever learn that she doesn't have a gift?

I wondered about this myself. I have a dear friend who works in a group home, and they have done some amazing things with seemingly hopeless cases. Maybe new meds will come out that she can take.

Up to this story, Julian's rap sheet doesn't have violent behavior. What pushes him to force a murder?

I was wondering this myself. I guess it was the chance at big money?

Who gives what to whom?

Literally? Liz gives Julian and Sylvia money. Sylvia gives Julian trust. Carver and Bobby give Sylvia and Julian grace with the deal. Possibly Bobby gives Sylvia the chance at a new life with his information. Eames gave me a lot of laughs!

Does Sylvia have any idea about what Julian is doing?

I don't think so.

Will Sylvia survive?

I am hoping Sylvia will be put in a great group home, with a great case worker and she will get a new life.

Does Julian's love for Sylvia redeem him?

Well, this is a good question. I guess time will tell. It appears to have given him a good start at redemption for the moment. I love Eames line at the end..." true love, his one redeeming quality."

Is Julian and Sylvia's love a good thing? Would they be better off without each other?

Oh wow. In a perfect world, I would guess probably. But Sylvia was sleeping on a mattress under a bridge right? And taking care of her appears to be the only nice thing Julian does.

Does Goren sympathize and empathize with Julian's role as a caretaker?

It appears he does. I mean, certainly he knows what it is like to care for a mentally ill woman. He certainly made a bold move by overstepping Carver and saying they would be SURE to get Sylvia near to Julian.

Comments:

I have to confess that this episode still has several confusing points for me. The family Webster and its strange behavior puzzles me--neither parent seems all that troubled by their son's violent death, and the son seems to have taken on the role of the parent in some ways. And I'm not certain how Julian convinces Eduardo Menendez that Clayton is a threat.

But there's a lot of enjoyable moments in this early third season offering. Some excellent Eames snarky moments, lovely Goren moments--including sniffing and leaning--and excellent Goren and Eames teamwork--including their following of the reporter and their tagteaming of suspects. The story allows us to see Goren at his gentlest and most empathetic with both victims and criminals. What lifts this episode a bit for me are the guest performances of Jane Adams as Sylvia and especially Bobby Cannavale as Julian. Mr. Cannavale is enormously charismatic and sympathetic as Julian, and his duet with Mr. D'Onofrio is one of the finest in LOCI history.

I would agree that there are some confusing points in this episode. But it does make up for them with empathy and humor.
I love how Bobby connects the three churches with the religion ( the name escapes me now). This is why I love this show, because he comes up with stuff like that! It makes me smile.

Also, who can't love the "man with the broken neck" that set up is one of my favorites in CI so far.

I also loved the casting of Sylvia and Julian.

And religious cons must make money. That's a nice apartment Julian and Sylvia have.

Submitted for your approval and comments.

Patcat

[outerbankschick]

Wait till you hit 500 posts, QFC! Then you get to make Detective 2nd Grade!

This episode is actually one that leaves me pondering how Julian the "con man" descended into being Julian the "murder-for-hire-man". I get that he used Sylvia to con people and make money, but to kill Clayton to convince Kate she was psychic? There are plenty of rich people in NYC. He could have let it alone and found another "fool". This, coupled with the fact that he kept Sylvia in the dark about her real problem makes him a definite "bad guy".

[Patcat]

Clayton's killing troubles me as well. It seems to me Julian could've found an easier way to make the con work.

I don't know if Julian's refusal to tell Sylvia she was ill was cruel or not. Was it cruel to allow her to think she had a 'gift" and keep the truth from her?

Patcat

[leanonme]

Dec 20, 2008 8:50:22 GMT -5 Patcat said:

Clayton's killing troubles me as well. It seems to me Julian could've found an easier way to make the con work.

I don't know if Julian's refusal to tell Sylvia she was ill was cruel or not. Was it cruel to allow her to think she had a 'gift" and keep the truth from her?

Patcat

Hi Patcat and OBC,
I wondered the same thing - why is Julian killing now? I gathered that he really was ready to end the cons and escape. I guessed that he now had prison connections who would do the kill, and he had a big paycheck and could be done and go to Mexico, or wherever they were going - at least in his mind.

I don't know if it was cruel to allow Sylvia to think she had the gift. This is tough. I caught part of this episode the other day and was moved when Julian said, "we don't do well without each other." Whatever the reasons, these two have found a world they can function in, and it is with each other and the little universe they have created.

It is easy to say that it was cruel to lie to Sylvia, but really, the way things were going for her, (sleeping under a bridge on a pee soaked mattress and "she couldn't hack the meds") was it really?
I think Bobby saw this sad truth, and that was part of the motivation for the compassion he showed.

In a perfect world, Julian would be well adjusted himself, and get Sylvia help, but if he was, would he have even given her the time of day in the first place? I also really wonder what will happen if Sylvia gets on medication, and gets help in that group home- will anyone love her like Julian? What would become of Julian without Sylvia to love and to love him? Would they choose to leave this little world they have and live in reality? A lot of people would give up a lot to have someone care for them the way these two care for each other. Dare I say someone would even give up mental health as these two have? UGH, I haven't had my coffee yet and my brain is hurting thinking about this! LOL

The other day I heard a story on the radio about new meds developed for seizure patients. These meds are better tolerated by those who previously could not take seizure meds because of side effects. I thought of Sylvia...