Emergency! SE01 EP00 - "The Wedsworth-Townsend Act"

Emergency! is a show that I only heard about from my mother - I've not seen it before, and I expected something far different than what I got. What I got, though, when watching this first episode (or more precisely, an hour and a half television pilot) was something better than I had expected, and as such, I expect this series to be pretty decent.

Episode Name: The Wedsworth-Townsend Act

Original Airdate: January 15, 1972

Roy DeSoto and John Gage reminisce about how they first met and became partners. After a raging fire, a younger Gage is informed by his battalion chief about a special training program for paramedics. He doesn't want to, stating that he'd rather be a rescue man as opposed to an ambulance attendant. After failing to save the life of a workman who was electrocuted, though, Gage has a change of heart.

Roy DeSoto and John Gage

At Rampart Hospital, the doctor who failed to save the life of the worker, Kelly Brackett and the ER head nurse Dixie McCall get into a disagreement over the proposed paramedic program. Dixie believes that it has the potential to help save lives, whereas Brackett thinks that sending amateurs out to practice medicine is dangerous.

Kelly Brackett

Dixie McCall

Before Gage signs on to the paramedic program, he asks Roy DeSoto if they could use any of what they learn to save people, which Ray informs him no. But there is a bill in committee at the state legislature, and if it passed, then paramedic programs would grow and more so, paramedics would be able to use their training on scene to help save lives.

Gage speaking to DeSoto

Meanwhile, while Brackett is personally against the program, he agrees to help train firemen with medical basics, mostly due to the fact that Dixie asked him to. Come graduation time, Assemblyman Michael Wolski speaks to Brackett, asking for his help to push the bill through committee - Brackett's a well-known name in emergency care, and his support would help push them over the edge. Brackett, due to his reservations, declines.

Assemblyman Michael Wolski

Gage and DeSoto are partnered up. Though they have the medical equipment to help on scene, until the bill passes, they are unauthorized to use them on the scene. For the time being, they must have a nurse with them able to use the gear. While Dixie agrees whole-heartily, Gage in particular feels useless, as they cannot use the equipment themselves.

An accident occurs at a boatyard, and a young girl's arm gets cut off. DeSoto and Gage are able to find and bring back the severed arm, and due to their expedience, Brackett is able to repair it, ensuring the girl can have use of her arm once healed.

Days later, at Gage's birthday party, Wolski lets them know that open hearings will now be held. Brackett, who was in a way tricked into attending the party by Dixie, still feels strongly against the proposal, and angrily leaves the party.

The next day, Gage and DeSoto, with McCall, respond to an accident in which a car went over the highway railings. With Dixie's help, they are able to remove the two from the car, but in the process, Dixie gets injured, and despite being told to wait for an additional nurse to arrive on the scene, Gage and DeSoto ignore Brackett and treat them.

While Dixie is thankful for them, Brackett lays into the two, stating that if any of the three people had died, it'd cause a massive lawsuit and the end of their "precious program." Despite them breaking procedure, he does finish by telling the two they did a good job. He then decides to contact Wolski, and throw his support behind the paramedic proposal.

Gage and DeSoto being chastised by Brackett

After a riveting testimony by Brackett, the bill gets past the committee. Due to heavy rains, a massive tunnel collapse occurs, and at the scene, Gage and DeSoto argue whether or not they should use painkillers they're not authorized to use to help some of the people. They agree eventually that they shouldn't, as it'd be harmful to the program if they did.

Brackett giving his testimony to the committee

When a man has signs of cardiac arrest, they contact Brackett via radio. He realizes that the man needs to be defibrillated, and lies to them, stating that the bill passed and they are now authorized to use the equipment. They do so, saving the man's life. Brackett, after their success, gives them his congratulations. 

The next morning, they find out the bill passed the previous night after they had saved the man's life. Brackett arrives on the scene, and the three of them become friends. Back to present day, DeSoto and Gage talk about how far they've come since the beginning. They get an emergency call, and race out, as they've been doing for some time now.

This pilot caught me by surprise.

Firstly, what I expected what not the show I saw. Honestly, knowing so little about this show, I expected it to be a 70's version of ER. I had zero idea that it dealt with paramedics until I started it. That said, I am glad I was mistaken, because the pilot came out pretty good.

The characters are all pretty good. You have a cynical, younger firefighter in Gage, along with a more experienced, optimistic one in DeSoto. And more so, they work well together (they remind me almost of Starsky and Hutch, truth be told). Dixie is a passionate ER nurse, who is not afraid of standing up for what she believes. The same can be aid for Brackett - he didn't agree with the proposal at the beginning, and he had plenty of reasons for his reservations. When he finally came out for the program, you knew the case was closed. Lastly, you have neurological surgeon Joe Early, who is an older, gentler souls. Almost a peacekeeper, of sorts. The cast is solid, overall.

It's the story, though, that really got me interested. A bill that allows trained firefighters on the scene to administer medical assistance is in committee, and without the help of Brackett, it may not pass? It's good drama, that. Dixie and Kelly's relationship throughout this episode is strained, as they both feel so strongly in their own respective ways. Since they are on the same side, now, I don't think much conflict is likely to come up between them again.

When Dixie got injured at the scene of the car accident, a part of me almost thought that she died. Now, she didn't, obviously, but I won't lie - I was quite tense for those ten seconds. That was television done well.

Lastly, the tunnel collapse was well done. The set just looked good to me. More so, when Gage and DeSoto argued about whether or not they should use the painkillers, I thought both sides had good arguments. Saving the one individual who was trapped under a truck also was again, tense. 

This pilot, though perhaps a bit long (Brackett and Dixie argued about the program a few more times then necessary) was quite good. You can feel for the characters (which is something I personally have trouble with when it comes to 70's television), some very tense scenes were done well, and throwing in a political angle (which personally, always makes me happy) all equal the fact this pilot of worth watching.

Rating: Superb

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Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP03 - "Tricks and Treats"

Episode Name: Tricks and Treats

Original Airdate: October 30, 1999

Characters:

1) Lindsay Weir

2) Sam Weir

3) Neil

4) Bill

5) Daniel

6) Nick

7) Ken

8) Kim

9) Millie

10) Jeff Russo

11) Harris
12) Alan

It's nearing Halloween, and Mrs. Weir is excited to hand out candy again with Lindsay, who is less than ecstatic, but her mother doesn't catch on. Sam, now in ninth grade, claims he's too old to trick or treat, which his mother doesn't agree with, but his father vehemently does.

Plans, of course, don't work out. When given Crime and Punishment to read for a book report, Sam convinces Neil and Bill to go trick or treating with him. They're a bit old, sure, but feeling like a kid instead of reading Crime and Punishment Halloween night strikes him as a good, likely nostalgic idea. Lindsay, meanwhile, is invited to hang out with Nick, Daniel and Kim (which is done in a way which make Nick's attraction for Lindsay pretty obvious). At first, she declines, but after finding out that Millie has a boyfriend, she decides to join them, potentially hoping to get with Nick.

The night goes well for no one.

Lindsay leaves her mother without any warning, and Mrs. Weir hands out her home-baked cookies herself, though many parents aren't accepting them, as they're not wrapped.

Lindsay's night goes downhill first when Ken is with Nick, Daniel and Kim - instead of a double-date like scenario she was considering, Ken being there makes the whole thing far more casual to her. Not to mention, her suggestions of what to do get shot down by Daniel and Kim, as they simply want to aimlessly drive around, and let what happens happen. Eventually, bored, they decide to raise hell, and beginning smashing pumpkins, hitting mailboxes with bats, and egging kids.

Lindsay, Nick and Ken

Sam, Neil, Bill, and Harris (who has appeared in both previous episodes) are ridiculed by parents, those handing out candy, and even some girls that Neil has a crush on. Worse, they run into Alan, the bully from the Pilot, and he and some friends rough them up a little, leading to a harsh argument between Neil and Sam. Worse still, Sam gets egged by no other than Lindsay and Kim (not knowing it was him). Lindsay tries to apologize to him, and Daniel offers to drive him home, but he runs back himself, very obviously hurt.

Neil, Harris, Sam and Bill

They both get home around the same time, and while Sam doesn't tell their parents that Lindsay was the one responsible, but calls those who did it "dirtbags" while glaring at Lindsay. He then insists he'd not a baby at his mother's concerns, and leaves for his room. After a heart-to-heart with her mother about leaving her to hand out candy herself, Lindsay decides to dress up and finish the night off, but beforehand, speaks to Sam, apologizing. Understandably angry, Sam lets her know that no one thinks she's cool for hanging out with the "freaks," to which she solemnly agrees. Lindsay hands out candy with her mother, and her father talks briefly to Sam, who is reading Crime and Punishment prior to going to bed, choosing to, in a way, leave his childhood behind him.

This episode was far removed from the previous one. Instead of emotional drama insofar as relationships are concerned, this episode focused on the drama within the family.

Let's talk about Mr. Weir, first. Personally, I found him pretty terrible for most of the episode. He wasn't supportive of his wife's interest in Halloween, and also more or less mocked his son when he did decide to go trick or treating. Toward the end, he definitely tried to be more supportive, but overall, I found it pretty weak.

Mrs. Weir's story was perhaps the most disheartening of the episode, I feel. She deeply cares about Halloween, and went all out to celebrate. But when parents actively refuse to accept her cookies, her night goes downhill, and without her daughter by her side, she is very obviously depressed. I am happy that this arch was tidied up nicely, as the final scene really was heart-warming.

Sam trying to hold onto his childhood by trick or treating failed in about every way it could have. I think many of us have had those moments where you weren't sure where you fit on the scheme of things - were you a kid, or ready to grow up? For many people, it's a mix of both. I didn't have much of a childhood, so seeing Sam's childhood pretty painfully ripped away from him was quite sad. More so, I cannot imagine that Sam will easily forgive Lindsay for her actions, and more so, it may change their whole relationship for the rest of the show. Sam's fight with Neil will be far easier to smooth over, but there may be some remaining tension there come the next episode.

For Lindsay, her story is two-pronged - family concerns, and relationship concerns.

She really screwed up by egging Sam, and while it wasn't entirely her fault (she couldn't see who exactly she was egging), you could tell she felt immensely bad about it. Immediately, she wanted to be let out of the car, and go back to Sam. And you could tell the worry was real also - sure, she was scared about getting in trouble, but her apology to Sam, multiple, all had a lot of feeling behind them. With her mother, I think we've all been in a situation in which you don't want to let down a loved one so you grit your teeth and do something you'd otherwise not do. Lindsay's actions her were not ones I could blame, though she did apologize to her mother, and by the end, I think that particular wound had mended.

After finding out that Millie of all people has a boyfriend, though, she is really desperate to get into a relationship. Nick, whom she seems to be at least mildly attracted to, seems a good choice, and I hope that is something she pursues. At the very least, I think she's mostly over Daniel, which is good news for everyone, unless Daniel and Kim break up, and Daniel tries getting with Lindsay. That would be a mess.

Why would Nick be a good partner, though? In this episode alone, he shows his deeply supportive and gentle side. When Lindsay realizes that it's her brother who she egged, Nick is the one who gets people to quit laughing and turn the car around for her. He stood up for her beautifully, though in that moment of panic, Lindsay may not have seen it. Regardless, I do hope for good things in their future.

The rest of the "freaks"? Well, personally, I detest Kim about as much as I detest anyone. While I am sure there are reasons for her bitchiness (her mother, by the sounds of this episode, is one prime candidate), at this moment, it really doesn't allow Kim to be shone in anything than a negative light. I'm sure the time will come when this changes, but I've little pity for her at the moment.

Daniel, I am starting to dislike more and more. He stood up for Lindsay a few times in this episode, but it was more half-heartily and far less passionately than Nick did. While Nick demanded that Daniel let her out of the car after the egging, Daniel was content with just continuing on driving, reasoning that Sam was "fine" and wouldn't be hurt. It just wasn't anything I'd consider impressive, and his character is not one I am much fond of at the moment.

Lastly, as always, Ken didn't really do much. While he laughed at the fact Lindsay egged her brother, he did stop immediately once Nick told him to. Aside from that, he didn't show much character here, which is on par for him.

This episode was quite different than the last one, and initially, I thought it was slightly worse. Not bad by any means, but not as poignant. Upon re-examination, though, I realized that this episode is just as touching as the last one, and in many ways, more so. Again, I give this series' episode my highest rating.


Rating: Superb


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Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP02 - "Beers and Weirs"

Episode Name: Beers and Weirs

Original Airdate: October 2, 1999

Characters:

1) Lindsay Weir

2) Sam Weir

3) Neil

4) Bill

5) Daniel

6) Nick

7) Ken

8) Millie

9) Cindy

10) Kim

11)  Jeff Russo

Lindsay and Sam's parents are going out of town for the weekend, and on the suggestion of Daniel (whom Lindsay has a crush on), who happened to just break up with Kim, Lindsay agrees to throw a party at her house. Bill and Neil overhear this, which causes Neil consternation: he believes that they are bad influences on her, and will ruin her life. More so, as Bill points out, Neil has a bit of a crush on her. Lindsay lets Sam know about the plans, and he promises not to tell their parents. After a school assembly displaying skits about alcohol deaths, though, Sam begins to share Neil's concern about the party, and decides they need to take measures to prevent any shenanigans: they plan to switch out the beer keg with a keg of non-alcoholic beer.

Daniel resting head on Lindsay's shoulder during school assembly

Neil, Bill, and Sam buying non-alcoholic beer

Sam, Neil and Bill are able to switch out the kegs, with Sam and Bill doing the heavy lifting and Neil smooth-talking Lindsay, occasionally awkwardly, though his Sabbath joke was pretty amusing. Daniel, Ken and Nick arrive, and the party begins, Daniel telling her not to be nervous - he knows it'll be great.

Daniel, Nick, and Ken arriving at party

With Bill guarding the beer in Sam's room, Sam and Neil patrol the party, making sure things don't break and people don't do stupid things. The first setback comes in the form of Millie (who in fact participated in the anti-alcohol skit earlier that day), who is immensely uncomfortable in the situation, decides to stay and keep an eye on things, though as she says, she will have more fun then anyone else, sober. Next, older friend's of Daniel arrive, far past high school age, along with Kim. Neil and Sam worry, while watching the party unfold, that while the beer is non-alcoholic, the placebo effect will cause damage to the house regardless. Bill, alone in the room with the keg watching Dallas, begins to drink.

Lindsay catches Daniel looking over her extensive collection of pictures and medal, and while Lindsay acts as though it reflects a past geeky life, Daniel backs up her right to be proud of her achievements, seemingly flirting with her. Millie, being her self-righteous self, begins playing a hymn on the piano when the music cuts off, and while most are annoyed, Nick jumps in and sings with her. Daniel prevents a fight between an older guest and Ken. Cindy, Sam's crush, comes over, and a drunken Bill insists that he show dominance to gain her attraction.

After looking around for Daniel, Lindsay catches him and Kim making out in her bed, thoroughly disgusting and hurting her. She tries to calm down outside, and Nick attempts to comfort her, but while hugging her, undoes her bra-clip, only disgusting her further. Nick immediately apologizes, blaming the fact that he's "wasted," but Lindsay goes back inside and cries in an empty room.

Neil tries to comfort her, telling her that while things may not be working out, she is a beautiful young girl, and is able to do anything she wants. They hug, Lindsay seeking comfort. Wanting the party to end, but afraid to look lame in front of everyone, she's not sure what to do. Neil then comes up with a plan - calling the police, pretending to be a next door neighbor, and shutting the party down. Just as Sam begins talking to Cindy, Neil clears everyone out by saying that the police are outside.

Miserably, Lindsay heads off to bed, telling a drunken Bill that he should get off the floor, as that's how the drummer of Led Zeppelin died.

Millie arriving at party

While on the surface not as substantive as the pilot, Beers and Weirs holds within it some great emotional nuggets worth examining.

First thing's first, though - while I identified the actor playing the father of Lindsay and Sam last episode as one I knew (mostly from Happy Gilmore), it just hit me this episode I knew the mother also. She played one of the characters in the 1999 mini-series Storm of the Century, an extremely good horror story worth watching (and written by Stephen King). Her face just clicked, so I thought it was worth mentioning.

Insofar as the characters go though, who better to start off with than Lindsay? Trying to impress her new friends, and specifically Daniel, was a poor idea, but once it's done, there's only so much you can do to salvage the situation (one of the reasons Neil's solution at the end was quite welcomed). As she bemoaned near the end, her old friends (such as Millie) think that she's throwing her life away, while her new friends believe her to be a goody-two shoes. Lindsay is in a confusing situation, and doesn't know how to move forward. More so, Daniel's misleading behavior in the episode (which I personally feel was clearly flirting) has hurt her deeply, given her crush on him. Where will she go from her? Whatever she may think of Daniel now (though I suspect she'll still harbor feelings for him), at the very least we know that she'll stick with her new friends as opposed to backpedaling into her academically-focused life. She's put too much into it to do otherwise. Down the line, she may even attempt a relationship with Nick, but more on this later. Suffice it to say, the next few episodes should be an interesting trip for us, and a gut-wrenching one for Lindsay.

On Daniel, I am rather mixed. It's not clear if he knew that Lindsay was hosting the party only to impress him, but some glances he gives her, and actions toward her, seem to suggest that. At the very least, he should be aware enough to realize when he lays his head on someone's shoulder, that could be misconstrued as flirting. I don't know if Daniel is intentionally using Lindsay, but even if he is, I don't think it's being done maliciously. If anything, I think he just wants Lindsay to live life a little. If this is his intention, though, he is going about it the wrong way, and at the end of the episode, when he and Kim are leaving the party, there is no indication he feels bad that Lindsay caught the two of them making out on her bad. I'm not overly impressed with his actions, but perhaps they'll be expanded on as the series goes on.

Nick, throughout the episode and the pilot, has been nothing but kind to Lindsay as she's adjusting to her new friends. Showing her his drum set and telling her to pursue her passion was well-done, and here, trying to comfort her outside initially started out well. I do believe the hug was purely well-intentioned, and his actions thereafter due to the placebo effect of being drunk. I do feel he felt quite bad about what he did, indicated further when he attempts to have Sam apologize for him. We know already, though, that Nick is a gentle soul, even if he does make mistakes. When Millie began playing a hymn during the party, Kim openly mocked her. Despite being Kim's friend, Nick joined in with Millie and sang with her, standing up for her when no one else would, and urged others to join in. All-in-all, I hope that Nick is able to apologize properly to Lindsay, because despite all the fuss over Daniel, Nick seems a far better guy.

Millie is someone we don't know much about, but what we do know makes her character a mixed bag. The bad: She is quite judgmental toward those who don't live life the way she does (somewhat similar to Neil, actually), which may be due to her strict religious upbringing. She simply cannot understand why Lindsay would want to throw a party or drink. Now, it's perfectly okay to believe in the straight-edge lifestyle (I myself didn't drink until I got to college), but when she starts pushing that belief in other's faces (as she tries to do at the party), it comes across, rightly so, as annoying. Millie's a sweet girl, and I hope Nick sticking up for her opens her eyes to the fact that what people do to themselves is their choice, and not one that she has the right to dictate. Though I do give her some kudos - she did not call the police on Lindsay, and instead stuck around at the party to make sure things went okay.

To finish off the freaks, though, we have Ken and Kim. Ken, we still don't know a whole lot about, as he's not much of a talker. He did, though, seem to bear no ill-will toward Sam when he revealed that the beer was non-alcoholic, and despite his deadpan, gruff exterior, seems mostly a nice guy. Kim, I'm torn on. Well I can imagine a man being oblivious to how girls take his actions, Kim should have known perfectly well that making out on Lindsay's bed with Daniel was not okay. In fact, I suspect that Kim knows Lindsay has a crush on Daniel, and has known from the beginning. Given that she and Daniel are dating on-and-off, I can understand the jealousy, but the passive-aggressive attitude she displayed at the end of the episode just struck me as catty. I don't much like her character, though I do hold hope that she can become more accepting toward Lindsay as the series drags on.

Sam was pretty on point this episode. While he didn't tell his parents about the party Lindsay was planning, he did, with the help of his friends, work hard to ensure that people at the party would be safe from what he believed to be the dangers of alcohol. Personally, I think it was wrong to switch out the kegs, but I understand fully the reasoning behind it. He is opening up slightly more to Cindy, and if not for Neil's announcement of police, who knows what he might have revealed.

Neil here showed a maturity which I would not have expected from him (though possibly it has something to do with being raised Jewish). Though awkward as it may be for both parties, he is perfectly able to handle a conversation with Lindsay, and more so, able to speak to liquor store owners and get non-alcoholic beer out of it. His crush on Lindsay is cute, and he was a big help to her insofar as clearing the party, so while a relationship is not likely to happen (given age differences, not to mention a plethora of other things), he did show a very mature and sweet side. I think if he had been five years older at least, he could have had some chance. Nonetheless, Lindsay saw him in a different light, and I hope that she remembers he is there for her if need be going forward.

Looking back, that's quite a lot of thought put into this episode, but then again, I felt this episode had a lot packed into it. Overall, I was skeptical a typical house party episode would hold up a match to the pilot, but it did, and did it well. The emotional drama in this episode was high, and Cardellini, the actress portraying Lindsay, was as spectacular as I'd have expected. Insofar as other call-outs to good performances, Martin Starr (Bill) and Sarah Hagan (Millie) did extremely well in this episode, and hope to see them continue to shine.

This was a fantastic episode despite my initial beliefs, and, like the first one, is getting my highest rating.

Quote of the episode:

Jeff Russo [during student assembly]: Now, I know what you're thinking - Mr. Russo, you don't understand. If I don't drink, I won't be cool. Well, you know what I say to that? Maybe if you don't drink, you will be cool."

Rating: Superb


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Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP01 - "Pilot"

Once more, this is another one of those shows that I've never seen, but I've heard only good things about. I've not watched the Pilot yet, but I am expecting it to go over well, and I feel like I'll enjoy the series immensely.

Episode Name: Pilot
Original Airdate: September 25, 1999

Characters introduced:

1) Lindsay Weir
2) Sam Weir, Lindsay's brother
3) Neil, Sam's friend
4) Bill, Sam's friend
5) Daniel, Lindsay's friend
6) Nick, Lindsay's friend
7) Ken, Lindsay's friend
8) Millie, Lindsay's friend, also a "mathlete"
9) Cindy, a cheerleader whom is kind to Sam, and incidentally, who Sam has a crush on
10) Kim, a friend of Daniel's group; dislikes Lindsay
11) Eli, a mentally challenged student who Lindsay stands up for
12) Jeff Russo, the guidance counselor


It's 1980, and in William McKinley High School, located in Michigan, changes are afoot. Lindsay's been going through emotional trouble since her grandmother died, and is veering away from her academically focused past to hang out with burnouts at her high school (the freaks), while her younger brother and his friends (the geeks) are being bullied by an individual named Alan.

Lindsay [Linda Cardellini]

Lindsay helps fend off Alan, so afterward, Sam and his two friends, Neil and Nick, try to find a solution to the problem without involving his sister and looking weak.

Sam (Lindsay's brother) and Bill

Neil (friend of Sam)

At dinner that night, Sam and Lindsay's parent insist they both attend the high school homecoming dance, which neither have interest in doing. Lindsay, however, doesn't have much choice as her father forces her into it. The next day, Lindsay goes out of her way to hang out with Daniel and his friends Nick and Ken, all underachievers, and tries to bond with them. One of the friends, a girl named Kim, calls her a poser for wanting to hang out with them despite being a high achieving student, and despite the protests of Daniel and Nick, smack down her purse. Also in her day, she stands up for a mentally challenged student named Eli, who was being picked on, and invites him to the homecoming dance. The student, being picked on again by different bullies, ends up breaking his arm after trying to get away from Lindsay when she lets him know the bullies aren't being friendly to him, just making fun of him for being "retarded."

Daniel speaking to Lindsay

Ken [Seth Rogan] and Nick

Sam's day hasn't been easier. Alan picks on him some more, and a girl he has feelings for brings him his jacket which he left in chemistry class, leading Neil and Nick to insist he ask her to the homecoming dance.

Lindsay confronting bullies - Eli on far right

Following the incident with Eli, Lindsay meets with the guidance counselor, who, instead of talking about Eli, wants to know why Lindsay no longer has interest in participating in the academic decathlon. Lindsay refuses to answer, and claims that she's perfectly fine. The next class period, Lindsay is noticeably down, and Nick offers to cut their next class and take her back to his place to show her something, thinking it'll make her feel better. What it is happens to be a large drum set, and Nick states that it's his passion, and tell Lindsay she has to find her own passion, or her reason to live. Russo, the guidance counselor, then catches her skipping class, and forces her to work the refreshment table at the homecoming dance as a form of tough love.

Jeff Russo, guidance counselor

Sam, Bill and Neil determine that they have to fight back against Alan if they ever want him to stop harassing them, and plan to fight him later on in the week. At dinner that night, her father chastises her, and her mother states that she should be happy her grandmother wasn't around to hear about her skipping classes. Lindsay than angrily leaves the table after an outburst at her parents.

Sam checks in on Lindsay, and Lindsay lets him know that she was the only person around when their grandmother died, and this has affected her deeply. She also lets her brother know that she thinks he and her friends can take Alan in a fight.

The next morning, Bill and Neil turn out to the place where the fight will take place, and wait for Sam. Sam, however, gets held up when Cindy approaches him, and they chat. Eventually, Sam asks her to the dance - Cindy says she's already going with someone, but will save a dance for him, which Sam seems to accept well. Not being present, Bill, Neil and another individual, Colin, take on Alan, ripping his shirt and causing him to flee, leaving the three boys pretty pleased with themselves, and making Sam happy also when he hears this.

At the homecoming dance, Sam dances with Cindy to "Come Sail Away" by Styx, while Lindsay decides to ask Eli, who is sporting a cast due to his broken arm, to dance, which he happily accepts.

Eli and Lindsay

Cindy and Sam

Everything about this episode was well-done.

I could end the review there, and be perfectly correct, but I'll expand.

The relationship between Lindsay and her brother is beautifully done, and reflects reality pretty accurately. You can tell the two are close, especially when she stick up for him against Alan near the beginning and speaks with him about grandmother later in the episode. Each truly cares for the other, and they showed that well in this opening.

The freaks portion of the show, consisting of now Lindsay, Daniel, Nick, Ken and Kim seem a solid bunch. Daniel is a particularly nice guy, and Nick seems much the same way. I'm torn on Ken (who is played by Seth Rogan, by the way, being his first acting role), but I suspect his deadpan nature will grow on Lindsay, who seemed unsure of him in this episode. The important point is that the three of them are completely non-judgmental toward Lindsay, unlike her other friends such as Millie, her parents, and the guidance counselor. The only exception is Kim, who views Lindsay as a do-gooder "poser" hanging out with them only to rebel against her parents. When Kim saw Lindsay dance with Eli at the end of the episode though, I got the impression that she softened her opinion. I guess that time will tell.

Speaking of Eli, Lindsay standing up for him twice was another fantastic moment which really makes the audience feel for her character. Despite her not living up to the high standards of her parents, Lindsay has a good heart, and standing up for Eli, along with asking him to the homecoming dance, really shows the good values she possesses at her core.

Meanwhile, her brother Sam also has a good set of friends in Bill and Neil, representing the geeks. While we don't know much about them yet aside from Bill being the stereotypical geek, I am hoping that over the series, the three of them can strengthen their bond and become closer and more willing to stick their necks out for each other, something Neil seemed hesitant to do regarding Alan's bullying. Basically, I want to see the three of them mature as a group.

High school for many people was a good time, and for many others, it wasn't. It was a bit of both for me, so I certainly see where Lindsay and her new friends are coming from. What connected to me more, though, was the dodge ball scene. Personally, I hated that game, simply because I had no interest in throwing a ball at classmates. I didn't see the point (and as such, this is how I feel about most competitive sports). I wasn't a bad player, per se - I just had no interest in participating whatsoever. The scene really shows a good perspective of childhood's trials, which many of us forget after we've reached college. Of course, some people really liked dodge ball, but it's important to remember that some people didn't, and the scene shows exactly why there is reason for this.

The theme song and opening, being "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, is a perfect choice. Generally, theme songs and openings don't make an impression on me, but I really liked the way they approached this one. Also, the use of "Renegade" during the fight scene between Alan and Neil/Bill we nice, and the ending dance using "Come Sail Away" was just beautifully done (both "Renegade" and "Come Sail Away" are Styx songs), in my opinion, between showing the dancing between Sam and Cindy along with Lindsay and Eli.

Lastly, on the actors and actresses, there made great choices here. Lindsay's actress, Linda Cardellini, has almost an Ellen Page aura about her, and as Ellen Page is a favorite of mine that's definitely a positive thing. Bill's actor, Martin Starr, did a wonderful job portraying a geeky guy, and you can definitely feel for him, especially when he says that he simply can't see himself going to the homecoming dance. Rogan, in his earliest role, does the typical deadpan act wonderfully, and it's nice to see he's been consistent throughout his career (I'm not a big Rogan fan, but I did rather like Zack and Miri Make a Porno). James Franco stood out also, and I'd like to see where he goes in this role. Lastly, Lindsay and Sam's father, played by Joe Flaherty, did an excellent job, and had some of the funniest lines of the episode (the whole "they died" conversation was deeply amusing). If the name doesn't sound familiar, he was in Happy Gilmore, the one who was paid to distract Gilmore by heckling him. Yep, it's that guy. And he did very well here.

This was simply a fantastic episode and great opening to this series. Based off this, I only expect well-done, above average episodes from here on out, and I hope I won't be disappointed.


Rating: Superb


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Judging Amy SE01 EP03 - "Trial by Jury"

Episode Name: Trial by Jury
Original Airdate: September 28, 1999

Characters:

1) Amy Gray
2) Vincent Gray
3) Maxine Gray
4) Lauren Cassidy
5) Peter Gray
6) Gillian Gray
7) Bruce Van Exel

Characters Introduced:

1) Stuart Collins
2) Judge Greta Anastassio


A friend of Amy's, Greta Anastassio, asks Amy if she can take on a jury trial involving a case of a teenage boy killing his girlfriend, in which the parents of the dead girl are seeking monetary compensation from the parents of the boy. Despite Amy never having done a jury trial before, she takes it on, if for no other reason, Greta, who has breast cancer, is unable to do so.

Meanwhile, Maxine has been having car problems as of late, and she finally decides to purchase a new vehicle, which Amy is skeptical of, mainly because the car was the last thing Amy's father bought for Maxine before he died. Vincent finds this moderately annoying, but keeps it to himself. More bothersome, when Maxine finally does give in and start looking for a new car, she asks help from Peter, seemingly to take his advice into more consideration than Vincent's, who was also asked to help.

Lauren has a sleepover planned, which Amy forgot about when she decided to take on the jury trial. Because of this, Amy has her mother agree to watch the the girls coming over, which doesn't work as well as planned, as she disturbs Vincent from his writing and asks him to take the girls out, unconcerned, or just not understanding, that Vincent was in the middle of working.

Amy meets Alex Reames and Stuart Collins, who represent the defendant and plaintiff, respectively. She's surprised to see that Stuart is the same individual she knew back in Harvard, as they shared a class under one Professor Larkin, who they both poke fun at. She asks that showmanship be kept to a minimum, as she wants the jury to base their finds off the facts and not the emotional implications of the trial.

Vincent brings back the children, and is visibility upset at Maxine for not respecting his work, and causing him to lose a whole afternoon of writing. This leads to a tense conversation between the two, with neither backing down, and Maxine telling Vincent that she always felt he had the most potential of her children, but he's squandering it. Vincent tells her that just because his "success isn't happening on her schedule" doesn't mean that he's squandering anything, and he leaves the house angry.

Maxine and Amy then speak about her reluctance to buy a vehicle, which comes not from sentimental reasons as Amy suspected, but due mainly to the fact she's never had to buy one before, as her husband always took care of the big decisions like that. In short, looking for a new car to purchase reminds her of the husband she misses. When Amy asks if she thinks that her dad was happy, Maxine admits that he probably would have preferred a different profession than the one he was in, being insurance (and the business Peter has taken over). Lastly, Amy states that her father would probably be proudest of Vincent, because he "went a different way" than everyone else.

The trial begins, and almost immediately Stuart Collins is reprehended by Amy because of his constant reiteration of the word "murder" to play on the jury's feelings. After both the mother of the dead girl, and the mother of the convicted boy, speak, the decision goes to the jury following the rejection of a $200,000 settlement offer by the defendant (the plaintiff is after $2 million).

Maxine goes over to Vincent's apartment and admits that she doesn't understand how writing is considered work, and has had problems accepting it. She offers Vincent $8,000 so he can quit his dog-grooming job, and focus solely on writing. Vincent declines, stating that he took the career of writing knowing that there would be risk, and asks that Maxine accept that.

When the verdict comes back, the jury finds that the defendant was negligible for the death of Mr. and Mrs. Harper's daughter, and award the plaintiff damages of $10 million. Amy almost lets this go, but ultimately throws out the jury's verdict, and enters judgment for the defendants. After the trial, Stuart confronts her, claiming she was against him from the beginning, leading her to provide a verbal smack down, listed below as the quote of the episode.

Notes:

This episode, as the first did, also speaks on a problems Gillian has getting pregnant, and is the first to show a slight resentment felt between herself and her husband, Peter. While it's just touched on her, it comes up later in the season, so I felt I should point it out.

This was a very fine episode on almost all fronts. The centerpiece was the quite emotional trial, well-acted on all sides. In fact, the actor playing Alex Reames is the same who played a Congressman in an episode of The West Wing, which was another series I was planning on reviewing. Seeing that familiar face, though, and placing it was a nice touch.

Amy's insistence on the facts over the emotional aspect of the case was well done, and her reversal of the jury's verdict was a fantastic scene. Also rather important was the conflict between Maxine and Vincent. Vincent is a favorite character of mine, and as I dabbled with writing in the past, I can certainly understand where he is coming from. Maxine just doesn't get it, but at least by the end of the episode, certainly seems more open to understanding it than she was before, which is a step forward.

Lastly, Maxine's hunt for a new vehicle was a fine subplot, brought together by the scene in which she and Amy discuss Amy's father and her husband. It was a short yet sweet conversation, and when Maxine admits to deeply missing her husband, it really pulls at the heartstrings.

Trial by Jury is the first episode of this show which I felt was overall very well done. Definitely a great story here, and enough emotional resonance to keep people wanting more.


Quote of the episode:

Amy [to Stuart Collins] "I happen to remember something Professor Larkin said about you. He said you had a genius for theatrics, and it would take you as far as you wanted to go, until you hit a judge who was smarter than you. Well, guess what just happened."


Rating: Superb


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Murder, She Wrote SE01 EP00 - "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes"

This is a series I've long known about, but have never once seen in my life. In fact, prior to watching the first episode (or more precisely, pilot, as it's a two-parter lasting an hour and 45 minutes or so), I knew very little about this show.

I'm glad I jumped on board, though, because based off this, going through the series of over 250 episodes should be an extraordinarily fun ride.

Note: This is listed as "EP00" because both IMDb and Wikipedia indicate this. EP01 would be the following episode, titled "Deadly Lady."

Episode Name: The Murder of Sherlock Holmes
Original Airdate: September 30, 1984

We are introduced to one Jessica Fletcher, as she watches a rehearsal mystery play, and correctly identifies the killer, to the shock and dismay of the director. She then goes about her business with the PTA.

After days of mundane activities in her home of Cabot Cove, Maine, such as jogging, fishing, painting, etc. she receives a call from her nephew Grady, informing her that there is interest in publishing a manuscript she wrote in her spare time. While at first Jessica was displeased with Grady, that quickly turns around as the book is published and becomes a national bestseller.

She travels to New York City to meet up with Grady, and to do a few radio and talk shows in promotion of her book, along with meet with the publisher, Mr. Giles. She meets Grady and Kit Donovan at the station, then travels over to meet with Giles, who, being busy, doesn't have time, but encourages her to have dinner with him later.

The next few days are filled with interviews from radio hosts and boorish television personalities. Due to this, Jessica made to go back to Cabot Cove, but is stopped by Mr. Giles, who invites her over to his place for a costume party that weekend in New Holvang.

Among those attend are Louise and Caleb McCallum (who is dressed as Sherlock Holmes), Ashley Vickers (with whom Caleb has had an affair with in the past), Peter Brill, Grady Fletcher, and Kit Donovan. While walking around outside, Grady and Kit see a figure seemingly searching through Grady's room. The individual turns out to be Dexter Baxendale, a private investigator, who refuses to reveal who he's been hired by. He is then escorted from the house. Later on, Louise, quite intoxicated, informs Caleb that she wants to leave, and when Caleb refuses, drunkenly takes off. The party goes on.

The next morning, Louise comes back to the house for her husband, who didn't make it back the night before. Jessica and Louise then hear a scream from Kit, and a body is floating in the pool, a body dressed up in a Sherlock Holmes costume.

The police suspect the victim is Caleb McCallum, though the identity is hard to place due to the face of said victim being blown off by a 12 gauge shotgun. Chief Roy Gunderson attempts to figure the case out, and is helped by a reluctant, yet observant, Jessica. Among the observations, the shoes that McCallum was wearing the night before were not the same shoes on the body found in the pool.

More so, Caleb turns up at the house perfectly alive, though he states he has no idea who took his costume, as he left it at the house prior to sneaking away from the party with a young woman. The man in the pool is then thought to be Dexter Baxendale, who was then revealed to be hired by Caleb McCallum, who needed a matter of stolen confidential files looked into.

Chief Gunderson speaks to Jessica on the way back to New York City, and she reveals more insight: the police are looking at this from an angle of who killed a private investigator. Jessica states that whoever the killer was might not have known that Baxendale was dressed up as Holmes, and not Captain Caleb, leaving to groups of different suspects for the police to look into.

Deciding again to go back to Maine, Grady lets Jessica know that he feels she could solve this case. Jessica confirms that, while she's leaving, she and Mr. Giles hit it off quite well. Jessica is stopped from leaving at the station only by Kit, who informs her that Brady has been arrested for the suspicion of murder of Baxendale.

Jessica confronts Gunderson and lets him know of her displeasure, stating that the murderer would more likely be Ashley Vickers than her nephew. Mr. Giles has Grady released, and they meet across the street in a restaurant. Kit reveals that Ashley Flick and Caleb were a couple behind the back of Louise, but Caleb then moved on to another girl, giving her motive to kill who she thought was Caleb.

Ashley Flick comes to the same restaurant, and reveals that the police have pinpointed the time of death, being 11:15 pm the previous night. Which is good for Flick, as she was with Jessica at the time, getting her dress washed as she spills a drink on it. With this, the first part of the episode is concluded.

On a taxi ride back to his office, Mr. Giles lets Jessica know that Grady's innocence will be proven. The best trial attorney is on his case, and while they hope it wouldn't come to that, Giles suggests that in time, all will be well. They also share a brief moment, and agree to meet for dinner that night.

Prior to going back to her hotel, however, Jessica wants to go to the Bayside Yacht Club and meet with Caleb. She does so, and Caleb is entirely convinced that Grady is the one behind the death of Baxendale, theorizing that he killed the private investigator so he wouldn't discover that he had been stealing private documents from Caleb's business. The fact that Baxendale was found snooping in Grady's room, along with the fact Ashley had an alibi (courtesy of Jessica), is enough for him.

Jessica than contacts Grady, letting him know that she wants to go to their office building and do some sleuthing in Ashley's office for incriminating papers. On the way, she lets Grady know that should Jessica be the guilty one, she had an accomplish who actually committed the murder, one who was at the party that she could pass the papers off to.

While Grady is sent to look for information on the computer, Jessica looks over some papers around Ashley's office, though not for too long - the elevator dings, and Ashley walks back to the office. Jessica hides in the closet as Ashley grabs some papers along with holding a conversation indicating that she knows, but did not condone of, the individual who committed the murder.

Jessica tries to follow her, and ends up losing her near a theater in which Peter Brill has been holding auditions for a play of his, which brings him into suspicion as far as the Maine woman is concerned. The next day, with Grady waiting in the car, Jessica confronts Brill, letting him know that she believes him to be Baxendale's killer, and that he did so because he wanted him off Ashley's trail so he could continue gaining the necessary money to put on a play. Brill feigns ignorance, but Ashley, who was listening in on the conversation, comes out and admits that she and Peter had stolen the documents, neither one killed Baxendale. Ashley had been with Jessica, as previously established, and Peter was entertaining guests at the party by playing the piano.

The day after, Chief Gunderson and two officers receive a tip leading them to discover the body of Caleb McCallum on his boat. Gunderson later speaks to Jessica, letting her know that Brill and Vickers had admitted to the stealing of the documents, and her nephew was off the hook for the murder. As Caleb was killed, the police feel as though Baxendale, who was wearing the Sherlock Holmes costume at the time of his death as Caleb had been doing the whole of the, was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and the real target was Caleb.

Mr. Giles agrees with Gunderson's assessment, and once Gunderson leaves, he and Jessica share another moment, which culminates in a kiss between the two. Jessica feels that this is moving too quickly, but is perfectly willing to see what a prolonged professional relationship (as Giles is the publisher of Jessica's book) would lead to.

She then makes it to the train station to head back to main, warned by Kit that a reporter will want to talk to her on the second half of the ride. Jessica, however, leaves the train just as it's about a go, as something clicked in her mind upon seeing a book reviewer named Chis Landon's picture in the paper.

Taking a train back to New Holvang and a taxi to Giles' home, the truth is revealed: Giles shot and killed Baxendale because the private investigator realized that Giles was the same man who had escaped a 15-year prison sentence over 20 years ago. This is further cemented by small things Jessica noticed, such as a phone call she and Ashley walked in on along with the fact the lights above the pool are automated, and as such the killer knew that it was Baxendale, not Caleb McCallum, in the pool. Giles later killed McCallum to make it seem as though he was the target all along, to try and get the police to not look deeply into Baxendale.

Giles turns himself in after the confession Jessica tearfully pulled from him. The next morning, she finally heads back home to Cabot Cove, Maine.

The first episode of this series, while I wasn't overly sure what to expect, was fantastically done. Angela Lansbury is an absolute delight to watch, and she plays the role of the sleuthing Jessica Fletcher beautifully.

The story was top-notch, and deeply enjoyable, with a myriad of twists and plot points one generally may not expect. Specifically, the confrontation in the second part between Jessica and Preston Giles was utterly wonderful. Obviously, while I tried to cover all of the main points of the episode, I didn't do it justice, and if this sounds like something that'd interest you, I highly recommend watching this.

As stated before, I've not seen any episodes of this series before, so it's all new to me. I only hope that the quality continues, though. Here's to hoping.


Rating: Superb


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Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction SE01 EP02 - "The Viewing/The Subway/Kid in the Closet/Justice is Served/The Tractor"

Episode Name: The Viewing/The Subway/Kid in the Closet/Justice is Served/The Tractor
Original Airdate: June 1, 1997

1) The Viewing

Adam Foster, the son of a funeral home owner, is the only one home when an elderly man comes by to place war medals with the body of one Reginald Hannon. Adam allows the man to do such, despite it being past viewing hours. Outside of the viewing room, Adam ties his show, wondering what is taking the man so long. Upon investigation, the man cannot be found, until he looks into the casket. The old man is there, his medals around his neck. Running from the room, we see what the old man signed into the book, being the name of the deceased.  

This is a very solid story. A creepy atmosphere, and a fantastic ending scene. An almost perfect ghost story, I feel. I rated this as "True."

Rating for story: Above Average

2) The Subway

As Al has his first night off work in some time, Anne decides the two of them so go out to dinner and a movie via subway. The train they get on, however, is void of people, save a well-dressed, pale individual. After the lighting goes off for a few seconds, the man disappears. After that, which already leaves the couple spooked, the train then speeds up, stopping at a station only after seemingly hours pass. They get off at the same station they got on at, and head back home, smelling gas from their next door neighbor's apartment. After busting in and saving the woman, Anne notices a picture that peaks her interest. The man in the picture is the long deceased husband of the neighbor - it's also the man Anne and Al saw on the train, precipitating the events of the night.

Again, this is an overly solid story. The segment while the train is speeding is, despite the lower quality, comes across as overly terrifying. The reveal at the end is also masterfully done. I rated this as "False."

Rating for story: Superb

3) Kid in the Closet

Danny is a child often terrified, partly by what he says is a monster in his closet,  which is only made worse by the mocking he receives from his brother's friends, and Brian, his brother himself. About to bully Danny further, Brian goes into the closet, further mocking his brother's fear. Seconds later, though, when their mother opens the closet, Brian is gone. All that remains are the clothes and shoes Brian was wearing.

This is a story I've remembered since my childhood (and, in fact, I remember all of these segments), and it's stayed with me for a long time. It's beautifully shot, and quite well-done and suspenseful. When I was a kid, I can fairly say the conclusion actually scared me. Overall, this is one of the finer stories from this series, from those I remember. I rated this as "True," if for no other reason, I remember that it happened to be true.

Rating for story: Superb

4) Justice is Served

Robert Miller is on trial for the murder of his long-time business partner, Elizabeth Warren (and if you're a politically-minded individual, I don't mean the Massachusetts senator). His defense attorney tries to help Miller out, but upon taking the stand, Miller sees his deceased partner. This continues, and Miller breaks down, all but saying he did indeed kill Warren. He is found not guilty, due to reason of insanity. At the end, the defense attorney confirms that none of his clients have ever been found guilty.

Justice is Served is another very well-done story. The suspense felt when Miller envisions the dead partner is moderately intense, and as an audience, we're left wondering whether Miller is losing it, or if a specter is actually watching over the proceedings. I rated this one as "True."

Rating for story: Above Average

5) The Tractor

Julia is headed back to her grandfather Buck's farm after he suffered a stroke, leaving him wheelchair bound and rather bitter. The situation for the two of them is tense, and there seems to be no love lost between the two. After a heated argument over the selling of a portion of the property, Julia attempts to move a tractor back to the barn. Fate intervenes, however, and she falls off, knocking herself unconscious, while Buck watches from the kitchen window as said tractor begins backing toward her. Struggling as best he can, he crawls outside, and at the last second, finds use of his legs and is able to prevent the tractor from causing injury to Julia, giving his life to save hers.

The Tractor is a moving, emotional story, which contains a rather bittersweet ending. While there are no scenes of terror, the ending is rather suspenseful, and heartwarming at the same time, as Buck is able to overcome his paralysis to save his granddaughter. As stories like this have occurred and been reported on in the past, I labeled this one as "True."

Rating for story: Above Average

This is a very solid episode. All of the stories are pretty good, and two of them are downright fantastic. I remember all of these from when I saw them many years back, and they've stuck with me pretty well. The second and third segments are especially worth seeing.

As for the truth of these stories, I did better this time than I did in the first episode (which admittedly wasn't difficult). I got two of the answers right, leaving me a total overall of 2/10 for the series.

For episode: 2/5

Overall (for series): 2/10

Rating: Above Average, leaning toward Superb

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