Post by Leonore on Jun 23, 2011 15:24:32 GMT -5
So I've been thinking about the mandatory sessions between Goren and Gyson and I decided to put it out there for others to mull over. I can't think about the finale. It's just too depressing!
I'll admit I've been bothered by the Gyson sessions from the beginning. Entertaining, thought-provoking, yes indeed, but still something wasn't quite right for me. Warren Leight has always been kind of a mixed bag for me, as a showrunner and writer. The places he took Goren...well, some were great and some were waaayyyy out in left field at Yankee stadium!
We know Goren has issues with authority figures and I will go farther and say paternalistic, male authority figures. That being said, however, we also know that Goren has been manipulated by the women in his life.
His mom, his first example, was the adult to his child. She was ill and he was ashamed and afraid. He even said he blamed her for papa Goren leaving. At the end, when he gets the confession about Brady from her, she pushes him away and strikes out at him and then pulls him back to her. A relationship ripe and full of uncertainty.
Move forward to his "nemesis" Nicole Wallace. A "sparkling little girl" and who she became had Goren's number from the beginning. The uncertainty is there in their dance. The battle of wits, trying to "unsettle" each other, tension is there in spades and Nicole's arrows more often than not do hit their mark.
Then we have Alex Eames, his partner on the job. She also at times has pulled back from Goren and shut him out. Mostly due to things Goren himself has done (or was he testing her limits?). She is the senior detective who also has some power over Goren and she is after all the one who eventually fires him in Loyalty.
Finally we're faced with Gyson. Yet another woman with power over Goren! He spends time in these sessions asking about her motives, rules of engagement, why she took his case, manipulation, etc. "Do you think I'm crazy?" and from the next week promo "Are you taking my job?" (which I am guessing he is saying to her?). The tension and uncertainty is again there for Goren with another woman having power over his life.
I guess I'm not sure why Leight decided to make Goren's shrink a woman. With all the female/power/manipulation issues in his backstory, I would think a male would have been a better choice. Not an older man (too fatherly and Goren already has way too many daddies!), but maybe more brotherly/contemporary sort. BD Wong comes to mind.
Would a male therapist have changed the drama/focus of the sessions? Substantially changed the dynamic (for better or worse)?
Anyway, just some thoughts.
I'll admit I've been bothered by the Gyson sessions from the beginning. Entertaining, thought-provoking, yes indeed, but still something wasn't quite right for me. Warren Leight has always been kind of a mixed bag for me, as a showrunner and writer. The places he took Goren...well, some were great and some were waaayyyy out in left field at Yankee stadium!
We know Goren has issues with authority figures and I will go farther and say paternalistic, male authority figures. That being said, however, we also know that Goren has been manipulated by the women in his life.
His mom, his first example, was the adult to his child. She was ill and he was ashamed and afraid. He even said he blamed her for papa Goren leaving. At the end, when he gets the confession about Brady from her, she pushes him away and strikes out at him and then pulls him back to her. A relationship ripe and full of uncertainty.
Move forward to his "nemesis" Nicole Wallace. A "sparkling little girl" and who she became had Goren's number from the beginning. The uncertainty is there in their dance. The battle of wits, trying to "unsettle" each other, tension is there in spades and Nicole's arrows more often than not do hit their mark.
Then we have Alex Eames, his partner on the job. She also at times has pulled back from Goren and shut him out. Mostly due to things Goren himself has done (or was he testing her limits?). She is the senior detective who also has some power over Goren and she is after all the one who eventually fires him in Loyalty.
Finally we're faced with Gyson. Yet another woman with power over Goren! He spends time in these sessions asking about her motives, rules of engagement, why she took his case, manipulation, etc. "Do you think I'm crazy?" and from the next week promo "Are you taking my job?" (which I am guessing he is saying to her?). The tension and uncertainty is again there for Goren with another woman having power over his life.
I guess I'm not sure why Leight decided to make Goren's shrink a woman. With all the female/power/manipulation issues in his backstory, I would think a male would have been a better choice. Not an older man (too fatherly and Goren already has way too many daddies!), but maybe more brotherly/contemporary sort. BD Wong comes to mind.
Would a male therapist have changed the drama/focus of the sessions? Substantially changed the dynamic (for better or worse)?
Anyway, just some thoughts.