I know this thing is taking a lot out of everyone and we're a little battle weary. I thought I would start this to remind us all of the show we love. To help us remember that we don't want USA's "new and unimproved" version of LOCI. We want the show we have all come to love over the last eight seasons. So here is my original critique of "Playing Dead". It's from another board, BTW, so a couple of the references to other comments might not make sense because they address comments made by other members there.


Re: 8:01 - "Playing Dead" 2009-04-19
« Reply #49 on Apr 20, 2009, 11:14pm »
:wading in carefully:

I just gave this one a second viewing and I liked it even more. There's been a lot of different opinions here, and a lot of thoughts about the "downplaying". I'm going to try and add my two cents coherently here.

I liked the way Bobby treated Neil. If I may make the obvious comparison, Elliot Stabler would've thrown Neil into a wall, probably threatened him, insulted his manhood or some such thing. I found myself glad that CI didn't take that route. Bobby's treatment of Neil was more of a dismissal.

In Neil's office, both detectives were quietly suspicious, playing the game because they had to. At the hospital, Bobby treated Neil with subtle disdain. He cut him off at the knees with a single look, a tiny gesture, and a soft-spoken, "Maybe you could just. . .go back over there. . ." There was no question who was in charge. And Neil, being the wimp he was, walked away.

I'm sure there are as many reasons for pedophilia as there are people who commit these crimes, but Neil's sickness (IMO) grew out of his mother's emasculation of him (which Bobby used effectively against him in both the hospital and in interrogation). Neil needed to feel powerful and so he preyed on someone weaker than he, in order to feel like a "man". And Neil and Camille - funny how their names rhyme - have a creepy relationship that seems to dip its toes into the pool of incest without wading all the way in.

Josie was the perfect, languid, non-person to provide Neil with his latest conquest. Camille wants to know why he didn't marry the "other" woman, the one with the family money and political clout, and Neil's answer is that Josie is "very accepting". My guess is that the other woman he was involved with was too much like his mother. He didn't want another bloodless castration in the form of a powerful wife. He wanted a pretty ornament who would take her "pill" and tune out, thereby allowing his poor, damaged ego to take the lead and feel powerful.

Stacy was nothing more than a plaything to Neil. A live-in doll that he could play with whenever the need took him. A toy to be used until her usefulness was spent, and then he'd move on to someone else. Jessica, the babysitter. Sophie, when she was older. I come out of this episode feeling for Stacy to the point of heartbreak. I know her pain, having dealt with that very same thing in my own life (not myself, but someone very close). The scene in the bathroom had me riveted with growing horror. Not because of what we saw, but because of what we didn't see. It was just enough to let us know exactly what was going to happen. And when Stacy stands in front of the mirror and takes the scissors out, I was left thinking, "But of course. . .what else can she do. . ."

She was trapped in that house, with no one to stand up for her, no one to help her. She didn't have the strength to run anymore, to fight against the "machine" of her family, and so she decided to get out the only way that was left.

Stacy was abandoned time and again by her mother and her grandmother, neither of whom listened to her overt cries for help. And then, into her poor, damaged life walks this big detective with ears sensitive enough to hear the silent cry of her heart even when she's denying the truth to the very people who are there and ready to protect her.

It was the interaction between Bobby and Stacy that held me through this one. There were other things I found cute, like the French accent (which made me smile as wide as Alex did), and the way that our favorite detectives seemed so at ease with one another. But it was the tenderness with which Bobby handled Stacy that grabbed my heart.

No, he didn't hold her, didn't touch her, but I can't make a fair comparison between Stacy and Maggie Colter (HHL). Maggie was a rape victim, yes, and so was Stacy, but that's where the similarity ends. Maggie had a good family life, up until her attack, and her attacker was a brutal stranger.

Very different set of circumstances for Stacy. We don't get a clear picture of what happened with her real father (did he leave or did he die?) but we know that from the time she was a young girl she wasn't safe in her own bed. Her attacker wasn't some brutal stranger, it was the man who was supposed to be acting as her "father". She didn't have one traumatic attack, she had years of them. She couldn't have sex unless she was high. It showed in the teaser, when Rick was trying to unhook her bra and she stopped him, reached for the crack pipe first.

So in this instance, Bobby's gentle distance was a touch in itself. He told her in the hospital that he saw what Neil did, and then asked her if she didn't want him (Neil) touching her. That would have told him, even if he didn't already know, that touching her would make her very uncomfortable, not to mention that it could have terribly upset her. It was easy enough to see she didn't like being touched at all, by anyone. She even shrugged away from her grandmother, however subtly.

And the aria. . .Neil blubbering like the infantile man he was and Camille at once becoming the harridan who screamed at him to stop crying and then falling onto his back and stroking his hair as though he was still her little boy. Eeeek! Like I said, very creepy. Even if she didn't physically molest him, she castrated him emotionally and mentally, with her words and her controlling ways.

I, too, liked the stunning visual in the cemetery, with Bobby walking among the gravestones, looking (to me) more like The Dark Knight than he ever has. And then stopping silently behind Stacy and waiting for her to speak. And yes, when he told her that people with Neil's sickness don't change, it was harder hitting than anything I've ever seen done anywhere. He wasn't Stabler, all attitude and spitting insults, and he didn't plead with Stacy to do something to help. He was matter of fact, blunt to the point of startling her into really thinking about what he said. He didn't say it with the air of a cop, but as a man who's seen enough of this kind of sickness to just "know". His tone left no room for question, for doubt.

As to Alex's lack of snark, I think it was appropriate here. I also sensed her simply stepping back and letting Bobby take the lead, as though she's glad to see her partner beginning to come back to himself. It's been a long haul for her (not to mention us!). I did love the way she figured out how Camille was hiding the payoff for the hit on Rick, and told her so in that tone that said "Come on! Did you really think you were that smart?" And that quiet deference from Camille ("You're better than I thought.") was a nice touch.

I also liked the obvious discomfort in Bobby's eyes when Ross said the Chief of D's was coming in, and then Ross's nicely done "keep away", by walking toward the Chief before he got too close to them. Nice to see Ross not so much at odds with his detectives this time, especially with a politically charged case. If he's learned anything by now it's that Bobby and Alex are going to follow the case wherever it leads and the more politicking that goes on, the harder they're going to push.

Looking forward to next week now, and the introduction of the newest detective to the CI team.


(Comparison to SVU's Stabler because of comments made that this story was much like an SVU "retread" - I wanted to point out its individuality and show how it was different. Please SVU fans - no offense intended! The two shows are just different in their approach.)


Guys, THIS is the show we want. This Shakesperean tragedy peopled with characters who are very real. Sometimes almost too real. That bathroom scene...I had the chills. And I felt Stacy's pain in my own heart.

THIS is what I'm fighting for. The integrity of the show I love and the characters I love. And the actors who have given them to me.

::STANDING OVATION::

Nicely done, OBC, nicely done. And you are right. THIS is what we are fighting for. I need to print out some more postcards.

Oh and BTW...I think Neil and Camille's relationship did more than dip it's toe into the incest pool. My "EWWWW.....radar" was screaming from the very first scene. I have nothing concrete to point to, just my feeling...and I've learned to pay attention to that "EWWWW radar".

Thank you so much for this, OBC. This is exactly what we're fighting for.

I have to put in a plug for the shippers, too, though not in a "shippy" way. Our sub-group tends to focus as much on smaller blocks of scene analysis in the eps--specific choices of words, parallel meanings, delivery of lines, costumes, placement of objects--as we do on the "big picture". This is why we watch the episodes over and over again.

Not meaning to toot my own horn , here is an in depth analysis of the "blocking" (the placement of the actors in relation to each other and to objects in the scene) in the aria from Family Values. A warning, though--I tend to write more "casually"
----------------------------------------------------
from August 29, 2009
[When you study acting], You learn an awful lot about the props and the stance and placement of the characters.

In LOCI, they use the character blocking all the time to convey non-verbal stuff. Last night, Family Values was on NBC. During the aria, you have Bobby leading Devildis inside the house. He pushes Devildis up against the wall, and pulls out a chair for Devildis, but dude doesn't sit down right away. He leans against the wall for "support" from his ancestral home. Now Bobby is talking to Devildis--Bobby is standing up, Devildis sits down, smug and arrogant, planting his defiant stance into the chair. Bobby is superior, and he's trying to convey his "superior" POV. Devildis doesn't "get it" but gives Bobby a clue--Kathy is still alive. Bobby (subconsciously) thinks "Oh good, now we're getting somewhere" and sits down. Now dude won't give up any more info--he's meeting Bobby's face as he leans into him. Bobby gets up ("let's try another approach") and whispers in Devildis' ear, like Satan did when he told Devildis to kill his family.

Notice how angry Devildis is getting:

Devildis stands up defiantly, arguing with Bobby that he's not listening to Satan--Devildis gets defensive, because that really sets him off, so he stands up and goes over to Bobby. Now Devildis is saying, physically, "we're on the same level and I'm going to fight you for what you just said to me". Bobby and Devildis continue to verbally spar, and Bobby (literally) backs Devildis into a wall, "trapping" Devildis.

And here is Bobby arguing face to face with dude, while dude is backed into the wall:

Bobby pushes Devildis back into his chair (saying non-verablly "I'm right, dammit, now sit there and listen to me"), and Bobby gets "in his face", but still standing over him in the superior position, by leaning into him and raising his voice.

Finally dumb Devildis starts to "get it"--he leans back into his chair, realizing what's been going on, and averts his eyes to start thinking about what Bobby said. Bobby gets down now at Devildis' level, lowering his voice, trying to coax the last bit of information, the location of the cemetary, out of him. Devildis, now completely defeated, lowers his head into his hands to cower and "hide", full of shame. As he is crying, he gives up the goods. Chalk up another win for our Bobby.

And the audience gets what's going on non-verbally because it's natural, you know? It makes sense, non-verbally, or else we'd be saying that doesn't "look" right. This is the stuff that directors do--make it look as realistic as possible from the blocking. And the actors make it as realistic-looking as possible by getting into that "zone" and "becoming" their character. Think like an actor/director/writer, start looking for the "clues" like good detectives, because that's what you're supposed to do (especially on a detective show where they're always talking about the non-verbal tells), and everything falls neatly into place.
---------------------------------------------

The beauty of this show is that we see it in so many different ways. The quality is so good, especially in our actors, that we all can watch the episodes again and again and not be bored--we see different things every time. You can watch the show on the macro level or on the micro level (and on both levels) and still enjoy it immensely. D'Onofrio and Erbe in particular ensure this series is a meaningful, high caliber production, worthy of analysis.

This is the quality I refuse to give up for "fluff". I can't and don't want to analyze "fluff"--it's a waste of time. This is the show that makes you think, and it needs to stay that way.

Continue the good fight!

In subsequent viewings, I have had that same "Ewww radar" thing go off, too. BLECH!

I will pull another of my critiques from another of the episode threads at CI-US and post it here later this evening or tomorrow. I am thinking of this as sort of a "take a breather" and think about the show to get some "pep" to jump back into the ring. Kind of like when boxers go to their corners and take those big gulps of water. They swallow some, swish some, then spit and they are raring to go again!

Don't know about the spitting thing - but swishing and swallowing LOCI eps sounds pretty good to me!

Woo! Tigger, thanks for that post. Great analysis! I still have to do a good critique of Family Values. I was so blown away by that episode that I couldn't even find the words to describe it!

Thanks Tigger. I had read that before while lurking on the shipper thread and it's just as much fun the second time around!

I can see that this is going to become my favorite thread!

But right now there is a tostada, taco, Diet Cok, and horchata (for The Teenager) waiting for me to come pick them up!

You guys are good...even pointed out some stuff I didnt pick up on the first hundred times I watched...lol

More, more Tigger and OBC! I loved it.

Yeah Kayne, I think they're watching at Graduate level Criminal Intent and I'm in kindergarten.

So since I don't have any deep analysis for you I'll just post this from youtube. It's not light and doesn't have a blue sky" tone of hopefulness. It's dark and our hero is even wrong. And. It's. Awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2ZP-anv0D4

I'll join you on the rug for story time, AuntDahlia, 'cause I'm in kindergarten too.

Yes! I love this episode and this scene. Fluff, indeed! And you know, it's funny. Someone, somewhere, pointed out that LOCI's first season on USA, season 7, was the darkest season they've had. But now USA wants "light and fluffy?" Have they watched this show?

bump

Stacy and Bobby always reminds me of Abbi and Bobby's relationship.

It's almost like the CI writers and me were writing it together.

__________

(SEPERATING THE TWO TOPICS I'M ON HERE)

*see's the father's picture with bobby * *laughs* (Ya don't wanna know; i had a strange dream... It was very odd)

I should probably go before I reveal too much... *giggles*


Last week i had the strangest dream
Where everything was exactly how it seemed
Where there was never any mystery on who shot john f kennedy
It was just a man with something to prove
Slightly bored and severely confused
He steadied his rifle with his target in the center
And became famous on that day in november

bump

I thought this would make a nice duo of critiques. "Playing Dead" was the season opener, however, "Faithfully" was originally supposed to be the season opener. Both great episodes - and I think "Faithfully" would have made just as strong an opening, if not stronger because of the continuity issues. Here are my thoughts, originally posted on another board:


Re: 8:05 - "Faithfully" 2009-05-17
« Reply #55 on May 19, 2009, 11:05pm »

Love. Forgiveness. Need. Lust. Accountability. Taking responsibility for one's own actions.

This was a packed episode with performances that I have to applaud all around for hitting on target. I believed every one of them.

Reverend Dan, preaching about the love of God after he'd spent the morning firmly ensconced in lust with another man's wife. He begins the episode tangled up in his own need - a mixture of the lust of his flesh and the need for warmth and tenderness. He begins to make the connection in his mind that he's mistaken need for love and you can see him beginning to realize he was wrong. His sermon at Kevin's memorial is as much about himself as it is about Kevin.

About Kevin he says, "We can only pray that God forgives him. . ." And in the end, he himself is going to start over with God "If He'll forgive me. . ."

Allyson is so caught up in her status in the community, in her husband's reputation, that she loses sight of what it's all about in the first place. I found it so interesting that she is sitting there teaching those teens about desiring the praises of God over the praises of men, and yet that is all that drives her. The "praises of men". She says to her husband, "We brought the word of God to the most important people in the city." And in so saying, she's completely lost the truth of God's love, in that it's for everyone, which means everyone is important to Him.

Then there's Dr. Conlon's lust for women, for money, for attention. His own greed and lack of accountability landed him in the middle of a lawsuit. I saw Carrie as a pretty little ornament to him and I wonder if he even suspected that she was stepping out on him as well.

In the end, what Bobby said to Allyson stunned me with its simplicity and the impact of his tone. "Your final judgment won't come in a court of law. . ." He may have glanced back at her husband, but that was a double entendre directed at Allyson and it hit its mark. That, coupled with the fact that her husband finally saw her for what she really was became her undoing, though I'd be willing to bet she'll go to her cell still claiming she did it all for God because she's that clueless.

And her behavior with Kevin was inexcusable. She dangled herself in front of him, knowing how vulnerable he was, and reveled in his "crush". She kissed him back and then had to the nerve to say she was disappointed! And she blamed Bobby for Kevin's suicide, then blamed her husband for the whole situation, and even in the end, she was placing the blame on the detectives and not on herself.

I have to say, it was a refreshing change to see a minister who wasn't a caricature but rather very human and flawed, and willing to face up to his own mistakes. Even in the interrogation room, when he attempted to qualify and rationalize, he caught himself and admitted to it. (And yeah, I had to get past the Debenko as a minister thing, too!)

I absolutely loved the beginning, seeing Bobby awkwardly trying to accept his place with his "family" (whoever they may be) and his tender shyness when confronted with the pure love of a sweet little girl. You can see it on his face when he opens the letter, how difficult it is for him to know how to react under such free flowing affection.

I liked the "cuteness" between Bobby and Alex and I didn't think it felt forced or artificial. I thought it was sweet. I loved her grin after the Batman comment to Ross and I'm still trying to decide who gave that soft laugh. . .Bobby or Alex. And then there was "We're investigating Dr. Conlan's murder. . .I think that qualifies as very respectful." Thank you, Bobby for making me laugh out loud!

As AL said, the selfless love of Molly for Bobby was a bookend to the "false" love throughout the episode, but I would also add that love has a redemptive power and that Molly's unabashed affection for Bobby is that kind of love. It parallels nicely with the idea that God's love is redemptive and that there is forgiveness and hope when one goes before Him, as Dan is planning to do as he "starts over".

I loved every moment of this one. More please!

Another great analysis, OBC!