19:18 "Promote This!" 2009-4-29

[trisha]

Am I the only one who felt this episode was a bit preachy?

Of course, this show always gives us a moral to the story, but gods, did I feel like it was being continually jammed down my throat.

Maybe, as was suggested by someone on TWoP, it was a bit score heavy.

And what did you all make of Jason Jones? Did he hit Hannity hard enough for you, or were you continually waiting for the punchline?

[DonnaJo]

I guess it was a bit preachy, Trish. But our country needs to be preached about this subject matter, IMO. You have no idea how much resentment there is out there for illegals. I see it all the time.

As someone on TWoP mentioned, this episode was primarily based on the real-life Hispanic laborer case in Suffolk County, with one of the defendants actually being half Latino. One difference is that the real life case wasn't out in the East End (Peconic) but in Patchogue, which is a blue collar, working class area.

What I found especially accurate & sad is that those high school kids weren't poor. None of them would have taken a job a day laborer usually is eager to get. So the motivation wasn't job competition (like Bernard) but true hatred for a certain group.

I had to roll my eyes at Lupo's comment . The depression here is a picnic compared to the poverty these people come from. Illegals are not leaving the US because of our tough economic times, in spite of what that cutie might think.

Poor Jack. Trying to do the right thing with that competing candidate for DA always slamming him on the news.

Oswaldo's mother broke my heart.

Still love the title, which has nothing to do with the episode (see Annabelle's comments in the general discussion related thread).

[trisha]

Very true, DJ. I know that we have agreed some and disagreed some on the issue of illegals, but you must know that I'm all for basic human rights and common decency no matter who or where.

I've seen some pretty serious racism here in Michigan against illegals, but it does seem that most people losing their jobs know that it's a result of the greed on Wall Street, and feel that the auto industry is being punished for it like the figurative red-headed step child. But I digress.

I really liked how Jack handled this one. I worried a little that he was going to get too political. It's in his nature to let his need to win get the better of him and set aside what is really right. I was glad to see him focus on winning the case ahead of winning the election.

Connie and Cutter are continually a highlight for me. I love their chemistry, and I thought the scenes with Oswaldo's mother were particularly good. Great acting, great dialog, and great direction. Again, maybe a little too score heavy and preachy here and there, but not in the way the scenes with Bernard were, which felt like he was being continually scolded for being amoral.

I wasn't surprised by the verdict because of the Jason Jones thing, which I thought he was brilliant in, btw. Look out Colbert! But I had a gut feeling we were in for more preaching.

I couldn't tell if anyone in the room were guilty of planting the idea to Oswald's mother for pulling the plug, but I think it had to be. Cutter, perhaps? It doesn't seem a very Connie thing to do.

I'd love to know what the title would have been if the episode had been promoted.

[Jefferaldo]

I gotta step in and mention that I love Lupo and Bernard's chemistry aswell. Its so evident in the opening scene where the dialogue just flows and they bounce off each other's ideas.

[annabelleleigh]

Written by the remarkable Richard Sweren and Christopher Ambrose.

This script had what the two Season 8 CIs have lacked: Dramatic momentum. Tight writing. Subtext. A reason to be.

There are past mothership episodes I've considered to be preachy but not this one. Since relatively few people keep informed on consequential news and documentaries are seldom financed, L&O original remains one of the premier popular culture sources of critical issues. I continue to love its humanism; its sense of social outrage; and its moral if sometimes flawed characters. It does nothing less than keeps me believing.

What a great loss if this series is not renewed.

AL

P.S. I inferred that Jack McCoy himself somehow got word to the mother about the "advantage" of signing a DNR.