Post by TVFan on May 30, 2006 15:16:32 GMT -5
As a way of getting things up and running in this forum and by request, I'm going to post my Pass The Remote reviews of each of this past season's episodes. These "reviews" are in their original form, so they were written the Monday after the episode aired and they are meant for a more mass audience unlike our well versed CC group here. 
If you have a review, be sure to send it to me at tvfan08@yahoo.com.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vera's Marriage Grows 'Cold'
I always seem to enjoy the episodes on Cold Case that make good use of the year they take place. After all, what's the point of setting a case in the past if you don't utilize the year? This isn't to say that I don't enjoy the cases that tend to not reflect the year well, but I almost always like the ones that do. Last night's tennis-themed episode nicely incorporated the famous Battle of the Sexes match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, Title IX and other women's rights causes from the time period. It seemed very plausible to me that colleges would have staged their own Battle of the Sexes match-ups after Billie Jean King defeated former Wimbledon men's champion Bobby Riggs in the legendary 1973 match. What I love most about these more historic episodes is seeing the different attitudes. I know we have Title IX now, but even so, can you imagine a college athletic director saying the things that UPenn's (fictional) Arnold Brown said to Andi? Who, by the way, I totally pegged as the doer until we learned that he was dead. This show is not big on dead doers because it loses its whole sense of justice that makes it so strong, so I knew he was out. Even seeing Fritz's attitude about losing to a girl and how the match-up was a lose/lose situation for him was fascinating when you put it in today's context. It's amazing to think that this wasn't that long ago. Andi's dad was the typical overzealous parent, and I didn't want him to be the killer. I was very glad when we learned that he left her room angry with the still-alive Andi, although I found it kind of tragic that that exchange was their last. I know that had to be weighing on him all these years. There were subtle clues that pointed to the reporter along the way (his constant coverage of her, acting like he owned her at the alumni dinner and calling her "superstar"), but I was still surprised when Andi's father said that the caller called him "sport." Loved, loved, loved Lilly's interrogation with Eric. I don't know whether it's the writing or Kathryn Morris' brilliant acting or a combination of both, but Lilly's interrogations are always the best. She blends the right amount of intimidation, brains and understanding and I always enjoy watching her chip away at these suspects. She maintains control, but always seems to give the suspect the illusion that they have the upper hand because she appeals to their emotional side. The way she called Eric "sport" was priceless! Lilly seemed more together last night than she has seemed all season. I think she may have turned a corner emotionally. It was nice to see the old Lil back.
Nick Vera wasn't enjoying the same sort of emotional luck last night. After 12 years of marriage, plenty of fights, too many nights spent at hotels, and indescretion allusions, his wife finally reached the point where she had emotionally disconnected from him and their life together. It was one of those sad, honest moments that this show plays so well. You could feel that both of them were hanging on by a thread, but deep down, were ready to let go. They had pushed each other so far away that they reached the proverbial point of no return. It always seems that television shows present easy scapegoats when it comes to the end of a character's marriage (affairs, long hours, etc), but there really isn't anything simple about the end of a 12-year marriage. I liked the way this episode captured the complex nature. Major kudos to Jeremy Ratchford for his spectacular performance in this scene. He gives Vera a complexity that left me feeling bad for him when his wife dropped off his suitcase at work, even though we know that he hasn't been the most faithful husband. I hope that the show continues to delve into the complexities of Vera's situation without going down the Jack's divorce (Without a Trace) route. Bummer that the adoption thing is kind of off the table for now, but Vera's wife was smart not to let that keep them together. Things would have only gotten worse if they had brought a child into their crumbling marriage.
To see this review it its original format including screen caps from the episode, click over to Pass the Remote
If you have a review, be sure to send it to me at tvfan08@yahoo.com. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vera's Marriage Grows 'Cold'
I always seem to enjoy the episodes on Cold Case that make good use of the year they take place. After all, what's the point of setting a case in the past if you don't utilize the year? This isn't to say that I don't enjoy the cases that tend to not reflect the year well, but I almost always like the ones that do. Last night's tennis-themed episode nicely incorporated the famous Battle of the Sexes match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, Title IX and other women's rights causes from the time period. It seemed very plausible to me that colleges would have staged their own Battle of the Sexes match-ups after Billie Jean King defeated former Wimbledon men's champion Bobby Riggs in the legendary 1973 match. What I love most about these more historic episodes is seeing the different attitudes. I know we have Title IX now, but even so, can you imagine a college athletic director saying the things that UPenn's (fictional) Arnold Brown said to Andi? Who, by the way, I totally pegged as the doer until we learned that he was dead. This show is not big on dead doers because it loses its whole sense of justice that makes it so strong, so I knew he was out. Even seeing Fritz's attitude about losing to a girl and how the match-up was a lose/lose situation for him was fascinating when you put it in today's context. It's amazing to think that this wasn't that long ago. Andi's dad was the typical overzealous parent, and I didn't want him to be the killer. I was very glad when we learned that he left her room angry with the still-alive Andi, although I found it kind of tragic that that exchange was their last. I know that had to be weighing on him all these years. There were subtle clues that pointed to the reporter along the way (his constant coverage of her, acting like he owned her at the alumni dinner and calling her "superstar"), but I was still surprised when Andi's father said that the caller called him "sport." Loved, loved, loved Lilly's interrogation with Eric. I don't know whether it's the writing or Kathryn Morris' brilliant acting or a combination of both, but Lilly's interrogations are always the best. She blends the right amount of intimidation, brains and understanding and I always enjoy watching her chip away at these suspects. She maintains control, but always seems to give the suspect the illusion that they have the upper hand because she appeals to their emotional side. The way she called Eric "sport" was priceless! Lilly seemed more together last night than she has seemed all season. I think she may have turned a corner emotionally. It was nice to see the old Lil back.
Nick Vera wasn't enjoying the same sort of emotional luck last night. After 12 years of marriage, plenty of fights, too many nights spent at hotels, and indescretion allusions, his wife finally reached the point where she had emotionally disconnected from him and their life together. It was one of those sad, honest moments that this show plays so well. You could feel that both of them were hanging on by a thread, but deep down, were ready to let go. They had pushed each other so far away that they reached the proverbial point of no return. It always seems that television shows present easy scapegoats when it comes to the end of a character's marriage (affairs, long hours, etc), but there really isn't anything simple about the end of a 12-year marriage. I liked the way this episode captured the complex nature. Major kudos to Jeremy Ratchford for his spectacular performance in this scene. He gives Vera a complexity that left me feeling bad for him when his wife dropped off his suitcase at work, even though we know that he hasn't been the most faithful husband. I hope that the show continues to delve into the complexities of Vera's situation without going down the Jack's divorce (Without a Trace) route. Bummer that the adoption thing is kind of off the table for now, but Vera's wife was smart not to let that keep them together. Things would have only gotten worse if they had brought a child into their crumbling marriage.
To see this review it its original format including screen caps from the episode, click over to Pass the Remote
