This two-part episode from '96 is still early enough in the series that
HLotS still looks like itself. Howard still there as a humanizing
influence. Russert's absence explained away reasonably well, as if she
might return.
And yes, Shakespeare still hanging in. Toward end of episode I notice
Munch says "Nothing," the vulgar Elizabethan slang for a woman (as in
Much Ado About Nothing), three times, so that the masculine-identified
three is comingled with literary portrayal of woman as helpless and
silent, or lacking permission to speak authoritatively (Okay, the three
is Jungian psychology). Pembleton's doing his star turn as stroke victim
is the main example. When Kellerman gets news on phone that little girl
has died, hand-held camera makes full circle (symbol for silence) around
hm while he sits there saying nothing.
Circular objects also follow Pembleton when he says "bagel" instead of
"coffee" (interesting variation on the usual doughnut references on
show), and on way home he says his day was "Peachy." And of course when
he flushes his meds at end of episode the final shot is of toilet water
swirling counterclockwise.
"Joke" about competing show Nash Bridges weak; corruption of NBC slogan
to "The less you know, the better off you are" was pretty good, tying in
with silence motif. Winning presentatioal joke is still F-word's line "I
hate computers" in later episode.
Bayliss' weight gain: face it, he's not circular, he's round!
Bob A
"Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?"
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