This was easily one of the best episodes of the show, period, so forgive me for going easy on the frivolity for a minute.
WHY SO SERIOUS, ONCOMING HOPE?
That opening scene was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on television. Not only does it set up the case, it answers the very question that the case asks of us: did the drone operator receive the message that there were civilians near the strike target?
I don't know what's more disturbing really: that she does know there are civilians and she doesn't care, or she doesn't know, but drone strikes are still accepted as an honorable/legal form of combat.
But to the show's credit, it never directly addresses the latter point. Unlike last week's heavy handed death penalty discussion (which went something like this: "My name is Saint Alicia, and I've never thought about morality in my 45 years of life"), this episode asks us to judge our defendant on the merits of the law. Who cares if the law stinks.
Which is why Judge Kuhn's final salvo is not even slightly comforting, even though it's 100% truth. This woman has been justly served, but so many other crimes have been let past. That doesn't mean this person doesn't deserve jail, but her conviction will be used as an excuse, as a way to say that yes, the system works.
ON THE "WTF" SIDE OF THE SHOW
Somehow, this show has made the word "cheese" into a swearword, if not a character in its own right. Can cheese play along with those playground bullies, vegetables and fruit? Not while Amy Sedaris is around!
Over at the state's attorney's office, nothing happens but innuendo. And I mean TONS of innuendo. I almost drowned with embarrassment, until it became clear that what we were seeing is Dana out-Kalinda-ing Kalinda. Which makes her a force too frightening to even contemplate.
Speaking of terrifying, it's the return of Wendy Scott-Carr! In last year's political contest, I could never put a finger on what made her so...scary. It's blankness, hidden behind a smile. There's nothing in those eyes but sheer bloodlust:
Diane, proving herself as awesome as ever, sees right through Wendy. There's none of the professional regard she shows other competitors; she sees Wendy for what she is - petty. And she wastes no time in marshaling the better devil: Eli Gold. And she doesn't just ask for help: she lords her superiority over him, basically forcing him to stop being a cry-baby. I have never been more scared of Diane. Or in love. Stacie Hall really will rue the day.
However, by bringing Wendy in, Peter's proven himself the wiliest of devils. It's amazing how the show has made his presence felt, even when he's onscreen for just minutes at a time, if that. But I wonder if using Wendy as a weapon might backfire. It's not a stretch to believe that she'd want to embarrass him.
In other news, Will's having another very bad day. In fact the worst. First humiliated by a military judge, then given a thread of hope by Kalinda, only to have Diana take it all away. I have no idea how this is going to play out, but I can't wait.
You'll notice that I haven't brought up Jackie. I have but one word: awesome. Alicia took her down in the best way possible, and it was AWESOME!
Next week: It appears that Grace has been kidnapped. We, the audience, are...sad?! Interrobang.
will and alicia have to stay together!
ReplyDeletei hope so! but it's looking increasingly unlikely...
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree on the opening scene. I know I ALWAYS mention it but once again, the slightly odd soundtrack is central to the whole thing! So few other television shows would rely on just music and images to drag people in to the show, but it works perfectly.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: as I watched the opening, I took the meaning to be that the operator was informed of the number of civilians around the target, but I assumed that happened before someone else sent the yes/no command, it isn't that they were told never to fire when there are civilians? But it is hard to know exactly what evidence you will need to notice before finding out what the case is going to be! Which is possibly a great example of challenging the audience and putting them in the mindset of investigators?
Peter CLEARLY knew what Wendy Scott Carr would do, which means he has frankly terrifying person judgement skills. I like Cary playing the skeptic not the attack dog for once.
And of course everyone loves Diane being Diane. She gets to completely take charge in this episode, brushing off Wendy, laying out the law to Will and then dealing with Eli Gold like he is a (whisky drinking) schoolchild (which works, of course!).
Alicia V Jackie shows that maybe one day, Alicia might be able to reach Diane status in terms of steel, if she can manage to learn subtle things as well...
The awkward meeting of Kalinda, Cary and Dana in the office was brilliant, you could see all 3 of them wondering how much pillow talk info had been exchanged about the other...
I have a great fondness for the military lawyer man, although I am not 100% sure why.
Quick check shows that actually a) she reports a lower number of civilians who would be affected than were actually killed and b) doesn't seem to wait for confirmation before she fires, however she does not ignore a direct no order. Not that that would have worked as a mitigating circumstance.
ReplyDeleteOthers have speculated that the people who receive the message about the civilians are in a different room than the drone operator?
ReplyDeleteI like the military lawyer guy too. He's like, "fuck you civilians and your personal shit. We don't HAVE personal shit in the army."
ReplyDeleteI think the point of the case is that the civilian casualties went above the "accepted level of collateral damage." Aka, two dead children are fine, but six is too many. Repeat after me: wtf?
I like that point about Alicia. Her home life seems to be the only thing she' 100% in control of at the moment, and she hasn't been the badass attack dog lawyer she started to become last season.
Wendy Scott-Carr is ridiculously unnerving with her holier-than-thou sanctimonious schtick but I was very glad with how Diane dealt with the situation. Diane is at her best when she's the powerful force though I think we're a long way from dancing in the office with Will again sadly. I also love how little he said in their discussion of all things investigations and Alicia, and whilst I'm a big Will/Alicia fan, what Diane said was correct.
ReplyDeleteToo sweet to be wholesome Wendy chills me to the bone. Go Diane!
ReplyDeleteThe judge's final comments really hit home. It shamed me as a viewer along with Alicia that I wasn't considering the dead children either.
Cheese vs fruit lobbying reminded me of the movie 'Thank you for Smoking', but I can't get enough of Eli screentime. I'm betting Stacey will rue the day she crossed him.