Life: I Heart Mom
I liked this one!
It didn’t make me punch-drunk, like say “Did You Feel That?” or “Trap Door”, but it was really good!
One reason: a balance between Funny Charlie and Badass Charlie. I have decided it is this that I need.
Funny Charlie: I really liked the open. Ian and Sasha are assuming Crews and Reese are a couple who have been together about two years.
Charlie: “It has actually been about two years! How’d you know that?”
Reese is having none of it: “We’re partners.”
Charlie: “She has commitment issues.”
Second reason: Reese and Crews are Reese and Crews. As they should now, and forever, be. He goes with the flow; she pushes back. I’ve talked about this before, but I’m still loving it so I’m afraid you’ll have to bear with me. When suspects or witnesses talk, he says “Yes, and…” and Reese says, “No, but…” He goes with the flow of the subject to see where it leads. And it leads somewhere. She pushes back and sees how the subject reacts. And the subjet does. It’s music, it’s magic, it’s FUN.
Though it often looks like good cop/bad cop, it’s more than that. In Black Friday…going shopping for Christmas presents and papaya on a stick is more than “good cop”. It’s going with the flow of the shopping mall. In the course of shopping, Charlie finds out about kiosk girl and dead guy. It’s a step beyond good cop and it’s who Charlie is now and I love it. And he needs Reese to balance the team, which she does beautifully.
Ok, sorry. Outside the roofing place, after talking with Ian and Sasha.
Charlie: “Do you think after a few years, we’ll stand further apart? That would be sad.”
Reese: “We’re not a couple.”
Charlie: “Still. It’d be sad. Time driving a wedge between us.”
You know what this makes me think of? (Damn, this recap is going to take forEVER….) The scene earlier this season where Reese gets off the phone with her mother. She has just found out her dad has left her mom. She hangs up the phone and senses someone standing behind her. Without turning, she starts talking about how stunned she is that her dad just walked out on her mom after decades of marriage. Then she turns and is startled to see Tidwell standing there. She says, “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” She clams up about her parents. Clearly, she thought she had been talking to Charlie. Which is sorta sweet, really. It’s not the only example, it’s just one example.
So even though, as we see here, Reese rolls her eyes at Charlie’s cheesy professions of hope for their partnership, it really is reciprocal. They lean on each other, in their way. I think Charlie is saying something sincere and she agrees, though they’re just joking around.
I love Charlie talking to Red. “You get cold. But you don’t get A cold.” I love that because he’s right! /pet peeve about science vs. stupid people
andyandroryputontheirownroof.com. Ha! I hope someone makes that website.
Hey, it’s Mrs…..what’s her name? I never watched Facts of Life. She’s funny. “I guess he was just a thieving prick in the end.” She looks away pensively. Ha. Very nice job, Mrs. Something.
OMG, you guys, the scene in the car with Professor Hathaway. (Sorry, I do know his name now. I’ll cut it out.) THIS IS WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR last week. Charlie all cool and hot and scary to the bad guys. Rayborn gets into his car. AWESOME pullback to reveal Charlie’s face, lit like I want to sleep with someone for that lighting. YOU GUYS JUST LOOK AT HIM. Holy mother of god, that face.
Rayburn: “Where’s Finn?
thump thump thump
Charlie: “Your driver is in the trunk. Your security guard is cuffed to a pipe back at the garage. Maybe you wanna tell me what you know.”
*dies*
Ok, what is that between Crews and Tidwell? At the station? About the suit? Why is Charlie messing with him? Confused.
But at another house with no roof, Red Peska comes out of the door. The FACE Crews makes when he and Reese pull guns on Red is so hilarious! Rewatch if you can.
Then they’re back at the station, interrogating him. Magic time. Ginger, get the popcorn. I love their interrogations.
Reese: “My partner has ESP, did you know that?”
Red: “No, I did not know that.”
Reese: “Well he’s gonna look into your future now. No charge.”
Charlie: “We’re gonna test your DNA. Then we’re gonna check out the dead guy. And the results are gonna show your DNA all over the dead guy.”
Reese: “Is he right?”
Charlie: “I’m gonna look further into your future, Red. I see a house. This one’s got a roof on it. It’s a big house. With bars and walls. They’ve got guards on the walls. It’s always noisy. There’s yelling and crying and a weird laugh that sounds like a cry. And there’s never any fruit. Ever.”
Reese gives him a classic Reese look.
Then, they’re back at their facing desks. Reese is on the phone with the medical examiner.
Charlie: “I really don’t believe in the future.”
Reese, silently: “I know.”
Charlie: “There’s no future. There’s only now.”
Reese, silently: “I know that, I’m…” She talks to the person on the phone.
I love where they are now. She knows! She knows. She says, “I know.” Because she knows. Yes, I’m a nut. I just love them.
Antique shop. Blind guy. He tells Charlie there’s no eating. Of the apple. Which he can smell. And he can smell that Charlie has a girl with him.
Charlie: “He can smell your…essence.” *g*
Charlie tells Blind Guy that he’d better call her “Detective” girlie.
Later, they come back to pick up William.
Blind Guy: “Mr. Apple and Detective Girlie!” Hee.
Ok, PANTS. I haven’t said anything all episode, but come on! It might just be me. Is it me? Somebody rewatch that second scene in the antique shop and tell me if it’s just me or if there is an actual pants event going on here. *sigh* Maybe it’s just me and my very large HD TV with my HD Tivo watching an HD station. No wonder you guys have no idea what I’m talking about.
On Rayborn’s boat. A hundred dollars they filmed this at sunset. Look how pretty! And William Atherton is brilliant in this scene. Nice that he confirms that Jack Reese didn’t take any of the money and went right back to his job. That syncs with what we’ve been seeing from Jack. Interesting what he says about Roman. That they “invested” their money in Roman, but that he’s a bad man, and they’re cops, and cops “put bad men away.”
Back at the station. Who is that actress that plays Amanda, the rep from Rayborn’s security company? She looks so familiar and imdb is no help. Anyway, pants. Again. I’m just sayin.
ETA: OH. MY. GOD. am I stupid or what? That's Helen McCrory. That's Helen McCrory! DL's WIFE. Which probably explains the pants. 8-o
While I’m off-topic, wow Sarah Shahi sure is pregnant. Her whole midsection is plumper, she has three-inch roots, and her face is just very different.
And Ann Early! Wow, how much do we hate that punk? No way Ted Early ever did anything mean enough to earn that self-righteous little snit.
In the last scene with Ian and Sasha, I like Charlie with the gun. Very stylish, as Life is. He picks up the gun and we get a slo-mo closeup of the shells falling from the chambers. Very nice.
Next week? Life continues to exhaust SoCal’s supply of redheads. Three, by my count, just in the promo.