Post by Patcat on Jan 6, 2011 9:08:34 GMT -5
Will air January 10, 2011, on the USA Network at 11am(EST). First aired March 13, 2005. Fifteenth episode of Season Four.
Written by Warren Leight and Rene Balcer. Directed by Rick Wallace.
Guest Actors:
Christopher Penn as Tommy Onorato
Daniel Oreskes as Duke Caldwell
Alex Burns as Joshua Mailer
Monica Keen as Beatrice Onorato Mailer
Return offender: Leslie Hendrix as M.E. Rodgers
Synopsis: The beating death of a noted restaurant critic and the disappearance of a promising young chef lead Goren and Eames to the chef’s widow and her father, a famous and established chef.
We learn that Goren worked at restaurants when he was young.
Quotes:
Eames: “Gluttony. Now I know why it made the short list of deadly sins.”
Goren: “Half an hour. The chef that I talked to said that’s what he’d need to dress a human and then another hour to grind the meat and bones.”
Beatrice: “This won’t hurt a bit. Remember the first time you said that to me?”
Tommy: “Children ruin everything.”
Deakins: “Playing chicken with a double murderer is not smart.”
Goren: “Oh, steamy!”
Queries:
Is this episode callous or exploitive? Is it grotesque?
Is this plot too complicated? Could Tommy have committed the murders as they’re described?
Is Tommy one of the worst LOCI villains? Is he one who’s too smart for his own good?
Would Tommy have abused Beatrice if her mother hadn’t died? Is it possible he might have killed Beatrice’s mother?
Did Beatrice love Josh? Did Josh love Beatrice?
Will Beatrice survive?
Did the critic have to die? Did Tommy and/or Josh know she was giving Josh’s restaurant a good review?
Did Josh have any idea Beatrice was abused?
Why did people—especially Duke and his wife—let Tommy get away with so much?
All signs point to Bobby Goren being abused as a child. Has he in any way become an abuser, or is there a danger of this happening?
Comments: An episode that’s far from the worst of LOCI, and one that does have its moments. But it left me feeling unsatisfied on my first viewing, a feeling that hasn’t changed when I’ve seen it in reruns. Perhaps there are too many unpleasant elements—the incest, Tommy’s gluttony, the idea of grinding up a human body, the poor food critic who’s discarded as a plot device, the whole idea of foodies, who I find as difficult to understand as fashionistas. Perhaps it’s because either the writing or performance of Beatrice, or both, makes her a flat character. Whatever the reason, this LOCI episode doesn’t come together for me. But I do like watching Mr. D’Onofrio say “Steamy.”
Submitted, as always, for your comments and considerations.
Patcat
Written by Warren Leight and Rene Balcer. Directed by Rick Wallace.
Guest Actors:
Christopher Penn as Tommy Onorato
Daniel Oreskes as Duke Caldwell
Alex Burns as Joshua Mailer
Monica Keen as Beatrice Onorato Mailer
Return offender: Leslie Hendrix as M.E. Rodgers
Synopsis: The beating death of a noted restaurant critic and the disappearance of a promising young chef lead Goren and Eames to the chef’s widow and her father, a famous and established chef.
We learn that Goren worked at restaurants when he was young.
Quotes:
Eames: “Gluttony. Now I know why it made the short list of deadly sins.”
Goren: “Half an hour. The chef that I talked to said that’s what he’d need to dress a human and then another hour to grind the meat and bones.”
Beatrice: “This won’t hurt a bit. Remember the first time you said that to me?”
Tommy: “Children ruin everything.”
Deakins: “Playing chicken with a double murderer is not smart.”
Goren: “Oh, steamy!”
Queries:
Is this episode callous or exploitive? Is it grotesque?
Is this plot too complicated? Could Tommy have committed the murders as they’re described?
Is Tommy one of the worst LOCI villains? Is he one who’s too smart for his own good?
Would Tommy have abused Beatrice if her mother hadn’t died? Is it possible he might have killed Beatrice’s mother?
Did Beatrice love Josh? Did Josh love Beatrice?
Will Beatrice survive?
Did the critic have to die? Did Tommy and/or Josh know she was giving Josh’s restaurant a good review?
Did Josh have any idea Beatrice was abused?
Why did people—especially Duke and his wife—let Tommy get away with so much?
All signs point to Bobby Goren being abused as a child. Has he in any way become an abuser, or is there a danger of this happening?
Comments: An episode that’s far from the worst of LOCI, and one that does have its moments. But it left me feeling unsatisfied on my first viewing, a feeling that hasn’t changed when I’ve seen it in reruns. Perhaps there are too many unpleasant elements—the incest, Tommy’s gluttony, the idea of grinding up a human body, the poor food critic who’s discarded as a plot device, the whole idea of foodies, who I find as difficult to understand as fashionistas. Perhaps it’s because either the writing or performance of Beatrice, or both, makes her a flat character. Whatever the reason, this LOCI episode doesn’t come together for me. But I do like watching Mr. D’Onofrio say “Steamy.”
Submitted, as always, for your comments and considerations.
Patcat
Patrick Roy, 2006 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame
