Episode 14: The Boy in the Box

[mikencelia]

I missed the last scene to this great episode. I saw up to the little girl is standing by the horse place...what happened next?

[longislanditalian2]

mikencelia said:

I missed the last scene to this great episode. I saw up to the little girl is standing by the horse place...what happened next?

She saw Arnold smiling at her, then it turns to Grace waving to him .. Then it flashes back to the present, Lilly sees Arnold standing in the cemetary. The final ending is Arnold riding the horses and Grace waving .

[coldcasegirl]

I love it too, LillyKat, when Lilly talks to Sister Vivian for the 2nd time. She is totally focused and unafraid. She really gets into the cases, esp. this one, probably because it was so sad.

I also agree with you on the part where Stillman wants to help Lilly on the computer, and when he asks if it's on...I started busting out laughing! Some people may not have found it that funny, but I did, it was funny the way Lilly was like "just let me do it" and the look on her face was priceless

[frenchfan]

longislanditalian2 said:

mikencelia said:

I missed the last scene to this great episode. I saw up to the little girl is standing by the horse place...what happened next?

She saw Arnold smiling at her, then it turns to Grace waving to him .. Then it flashes back to the present, Lilly sees Arnold standing in the cemetary. The final ending is Arnold riding the horses and Grace waving .

Some pics

[tiger_lilly]

Thanks for the pictures frenchfan . Those black and white ones are so eerie looking, they did a good job on that for this episode I think. It's one of the saddest eps .

[mikencelia]

Thanks for those photos. I loved the songs they used. Some notes as I was going over some questions on this episode. The nurse says that Clayton is dead - that's why she was willing to talk about their affair. She says, "I guess it's all right to talk about it now that everyone is dead" meaning Grace and Clayton.

I have worked with Catholic nuns for many, many years, my family has worked with them as far back as the 1940s. There were always stories - back when the sisters ran orphanages - of a child having been the child of a sister, but they were more the stuff of legend. I never knew anyone who was able to put names together. It was always rumors and it was always connected to the youngest and most beautiful and nicest nun in the bunch! Back then, if a woman who was known to have had children, wether she was married or single when she had them, would not have been allowed to join a convent.

Also back then, I could easily see it all being covered up because it involved nuns. I doubt if the sisters would have just dumped a box with a body in it, - remember the body is a sacred gift from God and considered the "Temple of the Holy Spirit" by the Catholic Church, but they would have enlisted the help of influential people in covering it all up. In reality in 1958, nuns didn't have cars or licenses at their disposable. They relied on drivers and the convent caretaker. I could see the convent caretaker, who was traditionally a man who had been raised by the nuns and never left the orphanage, being involved.

I have known nuns who spanked kids - many, many years ago - but I have never known any nun who left scars or used implements of torture! The religious Brothers who taught boys were known for being very heavy handed.

[longislanditalian2]

mikencelia- thanks for the info, I didn't know all of that ...

[LillyKat]

Very interesting info, mikencelia. Thanks for sharing - gives a bit of real life insight into perhaps what may have inspired the ep's storyline.

[tiger_lilly]

Thanks for giving us that info mikencelia. I love the real life stories. Seems like they aren't always true to reality on tv .

[mikencelia]

I was rewatching this episode again today. While I really like the story, some things I know are so unlikely. For one thing, the scene where Vivian calls Grace a "screw-up"... and says nasty thing about her...nuns - of any age - would never use that term and would never talk bad about another nun to outsiders - no matter what. They guard their secrets and take them to the grave. They leave it to God to judge.

Also, orphans in 1958 were very readily adopted, old or not. The sisters I work with ran several orphanages and they always say that even the sick and hadnicapped kids were adopted quickly. I like the sarcastic line that Lil has at the very beginning about how there are no more orphanages because..."now we have our wonderful foster care system." I agree the orphanages under religious direction were better!

[longislanditalian2]

I just didn't like the fact that Sister Vivian gave out cruel punishmenents.

[mikencelia]

longislanditalian2 said:

I just didn't like the fact that Sister Vivian gave out cruel punishmenents.

Unfortunately that did happen in schools and orphanages in one particular European country and in America in schools and orphanges run by sisters and brothers from that particular country. I don't want to say which.

[longislanditalian2]

I'm also confused as to why Gretchen thought arnold was her brother, wouldn't she have know he wasn't her brother if he wasn't in her life before her parents died.

I think Grace wasn't the greatest person, even to let her own son get ECT is unexceptable.

[mikencelia]

longislanditalian2 said:

I'm also confused as to why Gretchen thought arnold was her brother, wouldn't she have know he wasn't her brother if he wasn't in her life before her parents died.

I think Grace wasn't the greatest person, even to let her own son get ECT is unexceptable.

I think Gretchen was too young to remember differently. If she was 8 and Arnold 6, then that meant that she was only 2 or maybe 3 when he arrived at the orphanage and she wouldn't have remembered differently. Electric Shock Therapy was hailed as a breathrough miracle when it was introduced. It was used regularly for depression, emotional disorders, etc. In fact, it is still available today and there are some doctors who still stand by it.

[longislanditalian2]

ETC on a 6 yrs old little boy, that's cruel.

[coldcasegirl]

Very cruel....it was really sad to find out what all they did to those boys at that hospital, or whatever you call it...and even sadder to find out what Grace did to Arnold

I just wondered, WAS it Sister Vivian who put that suitcase on the doorstep of that church? or someone else? They may have said it and I just wasn't paying attention....?

[longislanditalian2]

coldcasegirl- it wasn't said who put it on the doorstep ,but I have a strong feeling it was Sister grace putting there before she died .

[coldcasegirl]

thanks longislanditalian2...yeah that is a possibility.....but how did she die? unless she knew she was going to die, then why would she put it there? I guess I need to go back and watch it again...lol ;D

[longislanditalian2]

Sister Grace wanted to tell someone the story about Arnold and what happened to her. The last stage of dying is acceptance and she accepted what happened but she wanted arnold to have closer as well. That's my theory anyway..

[coldcasegirl]

yeah that sounds pretty good to me! Thanks again