| I think this is
a very solid episode with some very well acted and substantial character
scenes among some good humor and a group of very well cast guest stars.
Steele shining his shoes on the back
his pant legs and all the little primping Laura does to make him presentable
– straightening his tie and spritzing his breath as well as hers – adorable
and so real.
I love that Steele always wanted
to be a reporter because of Joel McRae in Foreign Correspondent (great
film) and Laura because of an actual reporter – Elliot Walsh.
Laura lounging on Steele’s desk and
Steele with his feet up is great stuff. I too like the easy working cameradie
scenes in the office scenes. They’re very in unison and Steele is part
of team – making suggestions and no one is rolling their eyes or shooing
him away but rather immediately accepting them as valid.
That’s actually Bernice’s second
notation – she chimed in with Yakuza.
Laura’s insistence that she get Russell
(It’s Sean Donnelly from General Hospital!) – seems like Bernice isn’t
the only one that likes to look at something nice when she watches the
news. ;-) A case of careful of what you wish for though.
“Why do I always get the weirdos?”
-- Poor Murphy. And injury to insult -- the running gag with him getting
hurt with the doors. Even Steele seems concerned well except when he uses
the pain to advantage. ;)
Chrissie -- “I’m getting the tension
pounded from my body” with Steele’s too attentive -- “Ohhhh – ahhh” --
LOL Tracy Scoggins— does she age? She doesn’t look much different now than
she did then.
Amy smoking in the news room – another
sign of the times.
A great scene showing PB’s ability
to do so much with so little is the Steele in the locker room. It’s a complete
throwaway filler scene but we get Steele trying to act macho with other
groaning and moaning guys and then punching his own hand. And could someone
look more uncomfortable in a room full of half naked men talking to a female
jockstrap. I love how he doesn’t really want the gum and as soon as she
leaves he takes it out of his mouth to stick it on the wall.
The hoisting brewski scene has brisker
dialogue. I love Steele’s facial expressions of great amusement when Hoop
says she had no leverage in getting the anchor job because she already
slept with him to get the sports job. And it’s so funny to see Steele so
loathe to drink the beer and the way he leaves it behind. I wonder if he
too like his portrayer prefers Guinness. Later we see he’s mastered the
shooting of the hoop. :D
The sparring sessions with Steele
and Amy are great - two pros (as characters and actors) going at it toe
to toe. And of course his reveal scene to Amy about his childhood is the
first sustained real look we get into Steele’s past. Before this only the
mention of Brixton in Steele Belted hints at his real past and childhood.
It’s also a great piece of acting by Pierce who makes it sound realistic
and poignant – as if he’s reluctantly sharing insights into darker things
he’d rather not discuss and he manages it with rueful humor and charm.
The delivery of this is what it makes it believable that Amy softens a
bit. She’s sharp enough to know it’s real. Of course they still needed
an exchange of blackmail evidence. ;)
J.D. Cannon is great as Elliot even
if his character actions don’t make much sense as written. The only way
to explain Elliot killing those news jokes is a mental breakdown except
that he seems very rational at the end so it doesn’t ring true that he’d
resort to murder. And why not kill the News Producer whose idea it was
to make jiggle and giggle news? Laura’s hero worship rings true and is
very well played – they have a very nice chemistry and her smile as he
dances her around the floor is very reminiscent of the face of a young
girl dancing with her father.
Nice use of location for Steele and
Laura’s dance – nostalgia and the past gives way to the present. Interesting
also that he gives her a very very truncated summation of what he told
Amy and he does it all very tongue in cheek as if he made it up.
FASHION:
Laura’s blue pinstripe suit with
open shirt color is one her best suited looks from Season One. Alas there’s
also the return of the frilly old maid collars – particularly blech when
paired with the updone hair.
Steele’s dark grey pin stripped suit
with dark grey stripped tie is gorgeous and impeccable. The lighter grey
three piece with red tie and dark overcoat – marvelous. As is his later
navy suit at the end. So what’s new? ;-)
Richard Moll in purple clothes and
car as super Pimp – BWAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! Did he escape the set of a 70s
movie or Starsky and Hutch? |
by
Xenos1981 (Thu Feb 22 2007 12:29:59 )