Quoting "Homo Homini Lupis"

For me, I thought this was another solid episode for the inaugural season of Law & Order CI and an oddity in that the detectives are not investigating a murder, but a kidnapping. Eames looked so young with her hair styled the way it was when she and Bobby went to confront Colter about his missing family under the guise of “spreading the good news” about the Good Book.

Ever notice how Bobby and Eames talk on their cells or work phones sometimes? For example, when Eames takes a call when they’re checking out Colter’s workplace, she pulls the phone away from her face and is hanging up the phone while she’s...you know...still talking. They do that frequently.

It’s funny how things jump out at me now, too. Like, Colter taking the call from the kidnapper on the pay phone. Of course, this was filmed in 2001/2002, so cell phones were just becoming the “in” accessory to own. But just try to find a bank of pay phones like the one in this episode nowadays.

The look on Colter’s face when Simon asked him which of his daughters he liked “better” was profound…chillingly reminiscent of “Sophie’s Choice.” A movie I have watched only once, by the way. Yeah, the perp in this one was especially “monstrous.” He probably makes my top ten list of “most despised” LOCI villains, but he is not at the very tip-top of that list. Oh, no... that distinction goes to someone else...who shall remain nameless.

HHL Slideshow Part I


There was obviously some bad feelings going on between Lucas and his dad, ya think? And, considering that Lucas was an embezzler and not so good with money, his dad most likely had good reason for feeling the way he did. But he did come through and pony up the money in the end. You know, folks, the “love of money” truly is the root of all evil. Just look at the state our nation’s…the world’s…economy is in as a result. Oh well, I wonder if the wife stayed with Lucas after all this played out. ‘Cause if ever, oh ever, there was a wife who had grounds for divorce, it's her.

Kudos to Maggie though. A young girl like that, being brutalized/ violated like she was. Yet, she still possessed the presence of mind to get a peek at her kidnapper from under her blindfold, and ended up getting the evidence to nail the son of a bitch in the end. Way to go, Maggie.

HHL Part II


I’ve gotta say, we’re almost sixteen minutes into this one, and there’s not a whole lot of Bobby-action going on here. In fact, Eames is the one who takes the lead, initially, in the interrogation room when they finally manage to drag Lucas’s sorry butt in there for questioning.

At last we learn something new about Bobby…and Eames. Between the two of them, they have handled nearly a dozen kidnappings and that does not count hostage situations. We also find that Bobby has a “superstitious” side when he says “knock on wood” in reference to their track record; i.e., they haven’t lost anybody…yet.

I’m sure that some vigilant screencapper out there has already spotted this and talked about it on one of the other LOCI/Vincent blogs, but this is the first time I noticed that one of the buttons on Bobby’s shirt is unfastened in the interrogation scene with Lucas. (See what gems one finds when one advances the screen frame by excruciatingly slow frame?) If he’d only go ahead and unbutton the whole dang shirt, it would make me the happiest of women.

You know, I love Bobby and everything, but I think it was a little presumptuous on his part to go barging up the stairs, demanding to see the girls when they had just experienced this horrible ordeal at the hands of two strange men. And then there he is…another strange man invading their home. There was a lot of discussion about this episode a few weeks back on a blog devoted to Vincent D’Onofrio.

I think I've finally figured out Bobby's interrogation tactics...he just talks and talks and TALKS until finally the person being questioned or interviewed just blurts out anything to get him to shut up. I say that with all due respect for the man and heaps of love, love, love.

HHL Part III


Okay, I am hardly one to talk about another’s appearance, but take a gander at the hairdo the loan shark’s attorney is sporting. It reminds me of a skunk for some reason. I can barely pay attention to what he’s saying…or anyone else for that matter…because his “do” is so loud. Actually, I ended up editing that section out of my slideshows, but if you check out the "Extras" post, you'll see what I'm talking about.

I don’t know what it is about this man, but the way certain words roll off his tongue do weird things to me. For example…pussycat. Need I say more?

And this man, this incredible man...is one bundle of hyperactive energy. For example, the scene when they’re listening to the tape of Nicky Torres, and he keeps pacing all about. Then there is the scene when Eames is reading aloud about Simon from a file, and he can hardly wait for her to relinquish it. And then there is the scene when Eames is talking calmly to Maggie and Bobby is standing behind her...fidgeting...looking at the floor, the wall, the ceiling. Take a pill, darlin'.

Okay, how come every other cop show I watch…when an officer shoots someone in the line of duty...said officer is put on desk duty or some such until there is an investigation? But when Eames shoots someone, hardly anything is ever said. I mean, the only thing said was by Deakins and that was he had read the preliminary report and it was a “good” shooting. What's up with that?

I love the scenes when we get the “double-shots” of Bobby. Like, when he is in the observation room, looking through the two-way mirror at Simon, and we get that reflection in the mirror. Nice. He looks good in “casual” clothes, too. "Scruffy" definitely looks good on him.

I love how Bobby always insinuates himself into people’s lives. Like, when he starts up the stairs at the Colter house, telling the parents that he and Eames are gonna have to talk to Maggie…with their permission…of course. He’s already halfway up the stairs. Who’s going to stop that big guy? I'm just askin’?

HHL Part IV


An off the wall comment here, but I wonder if Susan and Bobby go shopping at the same plaid shirt store. Also, anybody notice that the lavender chair in Maggie’s room – Eames sits in it – is just like the chairs in the interrogation rooms at 1PP? Guess LOCI has always been frugal with their props budget, huh?

I eluded to this earlier, but I could not help but notice how “antsy” Bobby was when he was standing behind Eames when she begins to...very gently...question Maggie? The man cannot hide his feelings very well, can he? He’s worse than I am. I mean, just look at his body language, looking all around, shifting his weight, even looking up at the ceiling…biding his time, thinking, pacing a bit. He’s not a patient waiter, my Bobby.

The look on his face when he is talking to Maggie, trying to convince her to open up and help them nail Simon to the wall, is just so full of emotion, compassion. (Music Wench is right; i.e., the writers made Eames the stoic cop, Bobby’s the emotional one. I like it that way.) He wants so much for Maggie to open up to them…it’s just a matter of him finding the right “button” to push to get her to unleash all that pent-up anger…rage… resentment. (Hmm…come to think of it, when he’s finished there, he can come visit me 'cause I've got a couple of buttons I'd like him to push. Oh, yeah.)

HHL Part V


I have to say that I thought this was one of the better “gotcha” interrogation finales. I just love watching Bobby “handle” this imbecile…humiliating him, degrading him, goading him until he proudly shows off his scar, thereby, giving Bobby the lead-in necessary to get at that all-incriminating tattoo. All I know is, I could never be depended upon to draw anything…not even a stick man, even if I had a whole day to look at it.

So, I found the fact that Maggie – who had all of…what…five seconds to commit Simon’s tattoo to memory – got every detail right, the dates, the letters, even the tiger’s stripes…downright remarkable. But then again, it’s only a TV show, after all. The bad guys are supposed to get caught, and Bobby goes about it all in such a unique, ingenious and oftentimes quirky way that I can usually overlook the absurd…usually.

And when our stalwart detective has had his way with the horrible man, he just straightens himself, looks at the attorney and says, "Now, he's ready for arraignment." Good stuff.

HHL Part VI


Well, as Porky Pig would say, "Th-th-th-That's All Folks!" Next up is "Semi-Professional," which along with "Badge" are my two favorite episodes from Season 1. It may take me a while to get the next one ready...there's a little thing called Christmas on the horizon. I hate it when "life" makes demands on my "Bobby-Time."