Episode 2.06: The Sleepover

[Ryebeach]

Tracylynn said:

What I noticed was that this time the ghost doesn't look at Lily.

I wondered if anyone else had noticed this. If memory serves me, of all the times Lilly has seen the victims, this was the only instance when the ghost does not directly look at Lilly.

[robinsox21]

Yeah, last November was an awesome month and I still think Love Conquers Al maybe the best episode in two years followed closely by Lovers Lane. Anyone notice at the beginning that the show was directed by Emilio Estevez? Great job by him!!!!! These late football starts are hurting the ratings, their is no reason to lose to extreme makeover and desperate housewives.

[TVFan]

Thanks for the details Tracylynn. That's a horrible case, but it makes the episode so much more haunting. When I was watching CC, I was thinking, "who came up with this sick punishment?" It's even more tragic that a girl died in real life from this sadistic act.

[Trublu]

I thought this episode was right up there with "Fly Away" emotionally. A lot of you mentioned what you remember from 1990-ish <i was born then, so i cant account for that> but the middle school and high school atmosphere <unfortunately> havent changed. And Brandy... when the parents told Neil to go into the bathroom, i was shocked; i was thinking, no, theyre not going to make him do that to her. But they did, and thats one of the worst things ive ever heard of.

Now to Rita: it hurt to watch this kid. She was so cheery and full of life, even while these kids were tormenting her. There arent enough people in this world that can do that, we need more Rita's. I also noticed that she didn't look at Lilly at the end, i think it was just part of her carefree attitude.

Im not sure what the laws are about prosecuting cold cases. i know that if Ariel had been prosecuted in 1990, that she would have been tried as a minor, and if she was found guilty, would have spent 6 years in juvenille prison until she was 18, and then she would have been released. Now though, im not sure. Im thinking that they couldnt charge her as an adult because she committed the crime when she was 12. But then, how would they prosecute/ sentence her? I say sentence because they have her confession, so the only case i could think of that she would plead not guilty would be if she plead some sort of insanity defense... but then if she was found guilty anywhays, that brings us back to sentencing. How does an adult pay for a crime they committed as a child?

Scotty's role in this episode made so much more sense than some of the things that he's been doing the past couple of episodes. He could really communicate with Neil. I thought it was clever how the writers had him say that the house was evil, when he was refering to what his parents did to him and Brandi. Threw me for a loop.

[misguided freak]

How does an adult pay for a crime they committed as a child?

That's a really interesting question. And we have to bear in mind that Ariel would probably be charged with manslaughter, not murder, since it appears that she didn't intend to kill Rita and just pushed Rita down in a fit of anger. I'm thinking Adult Ariel might get charged with fraud or obstruction of justice (by lying), but I'm not sure ... are there any lawyers on this board?

I thought it was clever how the writers had him say that the house was evil

I actually giggled a little when he said this (this was before I learned what his parents made him do) because it seemed like a shout=out to that the one who's name we shall not say Michelle Gellar movie, The Grudge.

[Trublu]

Well, if you guys want to wait, oh.... 10-12 years... I'm thinking about becoming a lawyer myself... if the acting idea doesnt fly <slips on a banana peel and falls flat on back while trying to read lines> Nope, i think i may be going with law school...

Hmm, i asked my friend <who is planning to become a cop, so we go hand and hand > and she agrees that she would have definitely been charged with manslaughter as a kid, but she would have been put in prison until she was 18. So maybe, they would give her the same number of years she would have had to serve as a kid? (6) But im still not sure, since man for an adult is 20 - life... < i suppose ill get back to you in 10 years >

Im not sure she would be charged with fraud though... i dont think there was any fraud involved ... and obstruction... i dont know.

[Tati]

It broke my heart to see Rita talking about how her college years were going to be (with me knowing she was going to die).

I loved the ending song. I thought it was perfect for the episode's story.

[Ryebeach]

"The Sleepover" is rerunning Sunday June 19th at 8:00pm ET. In my opinion, this is one of the best episodes this season. If you missed it the first time around, try and catch it this time.

[Naj]

I rewatched this episode and still feel it's one of their best 5 of the season. The actors cast as the younger and older Ariel Tiffany and Brandy were so real to life and their best scene was in the interrogation room without any detectives. The way they went at each other! As well this was good writing and I hope to see more of this type of episode in S3. I also thought Scotty did the best in this ep with his side story of mental illness.


The ending just got to me of little Rita. Just a well executed episode overall.

[TVFan]

I agree Naj. Definitely one of the best of the season. Every element was incredibly strong. Very emotional!

[Ryebeach]

I certainly felt this was one of the most tragic murders from this season. I felt for poor little Rita.

[Disasterfreak]

It was tragic, all right. I may be the only person in this world who didn't think this was such a good episode--something about the characters and the way they acted didn't seem totally believable to me--but I LOVED Rita. She was so strong and kind and steadfast in her beliefs--it was really a waste to see her die, especially at the hands of another child, and for a motive so shallow! She would've made a great person if she'd been allowed to grow up.

And I could actually defend Brandi Beaudry. She was a little monster, but that was really her parents' fault. Ariel, however, is unforgivable.

[myril]

Disaster - you're not the only person. I can't really nail it down, but this episode didn't work for me either. It's a tragic case and Rita is a wonderful character, but, uhm, well, I don't know what it is. Maybe it was the acting, the way the story was told... Perhaps I'll come up with more if I rewatch it.

[r2k]

I'll bet you guys are thrown off by the different mood of the episode. This murder occurred around an ordinary middle school event. The fact that it was a sleepover gave it a weird feel. The characters seemed close to home as opposed to other episopes, such as "The House", "Factory Girls", you get the picture. Plus, the suspect list was narrowed down where in other episodes, it wasn't as pinned down. I sort of got the feeling it was going to be Ariel because Brandi was too obvious and Tiffany had been through a nightmare. Maybe the predictability was part of it. I thought it was one of the best this season.

[samanda]

This episode will re-air after The House at 9:00 PM EST on Saturday 9/24.

[TVFan]

CBS changed their mind. Looks like this one is airing October 1st instead. CBS will air a Without A Trace rerun this Saturday after the CC rerun of "The House."

[samanda]

Thanks for being on top of this, TVFan. I just looked over it.

[r2k]

I wanted to see this one again. Oh well, at least they're airing The House. I still need to do that recap I've been promising since June I think.

[TVFan]

Airs this Saturday (10/1)

[Naj]

I loved this episode. I caught the rerun last night. I think this is one of the best episodes they've ever had. Everything and every actor/actress clicked in both time frames and the detectives were all sharp. I finally got it on tape. :smile49: