"Tuxedo Hill" Quotes

Well, the first thing I noticed about this episode was that it initially aired on my daddy’s birthday; i.e., May 10th. My next observation, or “admission,” is that I never quite understood the complexities of this storyline regarding hedge funds, stocks, and the NASDAQ… “Meshach, and Abednego.” It just goes to show that Wall Street greed, or “avarice” in general, didn’t just come about in the past couple of years to help create our present economic situation. Besides, isn’t “greed” one of the Seven Deadly Sins? Sadly, it’s been around…like…forever.

I know it has been said before, but I will say it again…it is always a “treat” to watch Bobby interact with children. But did anybody else find it odd that the little girl supposedly walked four miles from the wrecked car to the diner where she was found…in the dark?

Ah, Bobby is so predictable…sniffing the lady as the EMTs were trying to carry her up the hill on that stretcher. The Goren nose knows. And how dare that detective doubt Bobby when he said Jennifer wasn’t making up the bit about the gunpowder smell. There is a reason Bobby is at Major Case and this schmuck is not. Little does this idiot know that the “fancy mints” wrapper Bobby found…and the others overlooked and this moron dismisses with a shake of his head…will turn out to be a key clue in solving the case.

You know, I don’t remember Deakins being as contrary and cynical as he comes off in the scene with Eames and Goren when they are trying to establish exactly what is going on with the lady from the car wreck.

“Tuxedo Hill” Slideshow – Part I


One thing I have learned from several years of “intense” observation of Detective Goren is that if he rises from his chair and approaches you to do a little “one on one” talking with you…watch out. And, I’m sorry, but it was obvious to me that the insipid Karyn was lying, so why was Bobby…with all his profiling skills…not “immediately” suspicious of the woman? Oh, well…I suppose even the splendid Detective Goren can have an “off” day.

Bobby breaks down another door when they go to check out the plumber, aka the “murder victim,” only they don’t show us this time. Darn. I do so love it when we get to watch Bobby getting “physical.”

One of the things I love about Bobby is that he is a consummate “gentleman,” or at least he was in the early episodes. Case in point, he stands when Elizabeth Dawson enters the interrogation room. I mean, at this point, she is a “suspect” in the murder of her boyfriend, and he still stands in deference to her. I like that, but then I like most things about Bobby.

He is also like a dog gnawing on a bone the way he keeps offering Elizabeth one of those English black peppermint mints. Now, we all know he was trying to prove a point, but the hapless suspect didn’t have a clue. You just know she had to be thinking, “What is wrong with this crazy man and why does he keep offering me a mint after I’ve told him I don’t like peppermint and don’t want any?” Bobby and Eames both take a mint. Check out the look on Eames’ face when she says, “They’re real zesty.”

And I don’t know what it is like in the part of the world where you live, but finding a “full-service” gas station where an attendant still pumps your gas for you is almost non-existent in my neck of the woods.

“Tuxedo Hill” Slideshow – Part II


I despise the Jack Crawley dude…condescending, money-grubbing asshole that he is. I want to smack the smirk off his face when he “explains” to Bobby that CFO stands for Chief Financial Officer. Although I find he was most aptly named; i.e., Crawley. He sure did make my skin crawl…the jerk!

I love watching Bobby “work” a room…touch this…fiddle with that…pick up papers and other documents to look at. I wonder how much of that is just his “natural” nosiness, how much is done to intimidate the onlooker, and how much can be attributed to Vincent D’Onofrio’s natural mannerisms.

Another thing I noticed…Bobby smiled a lot more in the early years than he does now. I miss that smile.

I laugh every time I watch this episode and Crawley “explains” what Tuxedo Hill is and Eames says, “We have no idea what you just said.” Bobby does look confounded as well, and it should be noted that he does not wear that particular expression very often. This episode sounds very much like a “ripped” from the headlines story a few years ahead of its time. (Can you say Bernie Madoff?) Now, I understand “zilch,” “nada,” “zippo,” about the stock market and how it works, but even I knew something hinky was going on from the get-go in this one.

Eames had an apt description for Crawley…snake-oil merchant. He’s a big ol’ weasel all right.

Notice how the bags of chips are turned so that the brand name cannot be seen? This is the scene at the sidewalk kiosk with the “nerdy” guy who is explaining his concerns about Mattawin and Tuxedo Hill to Goren and Eames. Guess no one wanted to pay the ad fees for the product placement, huh? No such qualms about the magazines, though. Go figure.

“Tuxedo Hill” Slideshow – Part III


You know, the more they tried to explain this whole “scheme”…the more my head hurt. That was the case when I watched it the first time…and every time since then…and more so as I painstakingly captured the dialogue for my quotes post. There’s a reason I don’t “play” the stock market, and I’m too stupid to fiddle much with my 401K. I realized a long time ago…I have to work until I die.

What can I say about the airplane scene that hasn’t been said a thousand times over. A “tight fit,” you say, Bobby? You have no idea, baby…no idea. I never get tired of watching Bobby snatch the flight manifest out of the pilot’s fingers and hand it off to Eames. (He’s such a Bobby.) And then when he asks for mints and the pilot has to “squeeze” past him-- Frankly, I'm surprised Vincent D’Onofrio didn’t somehow contrive to have that particular “maneuver” carried out by the pretty blonde flight attendant who handed him the requested mints. He does give her a “look.”

And those ungodly bonuses, but I already talked about greed, so let’s move on to my favorite “Bobby-line” in this episode. Well, I just remembered that there’s also the line about the “itty-bitty” little doggy, but this one is pretty good, too. It’s when they’re on to Crawley, but don’t have any hard evidence yet and Bobby says, “There might be one thing he left “flapping” in the wind.” He delivers these lines with such “deadpan” composure...masterful.

“Tuxedo Hill” Slideshow – Part IV


Ah, and now we arrive at the scene when Bobby and Eames pay Karyn a visit at her apartment and start to piece it all together. Her sarcastic line about, “Don’t “you people” take notes,” made me want to scratch her eyes out, but then I frequently have that reaction when people treat Bobby inconsiderately.

All I have to say is…Wow! Crawley sure had the fiancée fooled. Why are women always so gullible when men are concerned? Well, he was also a “rich” man, so there was a double enticement, I suppose.

I already made reference to Bobby and the itty-bitty little doggy, but it was a cute scene. He kept scratching the dog’s ear and Eames kept looking at him like he was crazy. Of course, I’m sure she has given him that look “a lot” over the years.

At long last, we get to the “gotcha” scene, and the first thing I have to say to Bobby is, “Liar, liar…pants on fire.” Bobby tells Crawley that the witness warrant was Carver’s idea when it was really his. Yes, yes, I know...lying to suspects and criminals is an integral part of Bobby’s interviewing style. I just wonder how much would “flow” over into his “real” life…if Bobby had a real life.

“Tuxedo Hill” Slideshow – Part V


I have to admit that I found it particularly gratifying to watch Crawley fold like a cheap tent when Bobby nailed his ass to the wall, and the girlfriend didn’t waste anytime turning on him either. But then, who could blame her? Yep, old Crawley quickly transformed into a big ol’ sniveling "wussy-man" when he realized they had him dead to rights.

Bobby’s final “aria” is one of my all time favorites; i.e., “What fanatics do to us with guns and bombs, you tried to do with an accounting trick! Don’t think for a minute that you deserve anything better than they do.” Powerful stuff, but then…my Bobby is one very powerful and intimidating man.

“Tuxedo Hill” Slideshow – Part VI


Well, that does it for my look back at Law & Order Criminal Intent’s inaugural season. It is hard to believe, but I started this little journey about fifteen months ago…on May 25, 2008 to be precise. That is when I made my first “Quotes” post about LOCI’s very first episode… “One.”

I have tweaked the process a bit since that initial offering…hopefully for the better. I learned how to make a decent slideshow, utilizing Photobucket and added some additional slideshows, and went from showcasing a few “notable” quotes to charting dialogue for most of the dang show. But it helped pass the time and made me appreciate my favorite television detective all the more...and I made a few friends along the way.

So, now it is on to Season 2. At this rate, I am going to be a very old woman before I get to the end of this particular odyssey. I should live so long.

Eliza's Wonderful Bobby Video-Tribute

I was almost fast asleep when -- "I thought I heard a noise" -- that jarred me wide awake. I hate it when that happens. You know the feeling...those harrowing moments when you're frozen in fear in the dark, waiting to be bludgeoned to death in your own bed by some demented intruder. Well, after the adrenalin rush subsided, I realized I would not be falling asleep anytime soon, so I wandered back into the living room and fired-up the old laptop.

And look what I found on YouTube!

Eliza, I hope it's okay that I am posting your wonderful, fantastic video on my blog, and Madi's musical accompaniment was "simply divine." The music and the selection of photos held me spellbound throughout. I loved it! And I know other Bobby/Vincent devotees will adore it, too. Thank you!

Just Bobby In "Tuxedo Hill"

Well, I've been sitting here, staring at a blank screen for the better part of ten minutes, trying to think of something clever or witty or just plain "coherent" to say. It's been a bad week, and it's only Tuesday, as Liz...the young lady who resides in the apartment beneath mine...reminded me as we walked into the building together this evening.

Nope...I've got nothing. So, I guess I'll just cut to the chase and say ..."Here's Bobby!"

Just Bobby Slideshow - "Tuxedo Hill" - Season 1

"Tuxedo Hill" Extras

When one is royally pissed off at one's employee, the best thing to take one's mind from said "ingrate" is to focus one's energy on something vastly more appealing. That always leads me to Bobby; he has a way of calming me down. And since it is time for the "extras" post, there is a wee bit of humor thrown in to boot.

Extras Slideshow - "Tuxedo Hill"

"Tuxedo Hill" Partners

Not feeling particularly "verbose" today...aren't y'all feeling lucky now...so will make this one short and sweet. I submit for your viewing pleasure four score and seven...minus one...pictures of Eames and that oh-so handsome, hunka-hunka burnin' hot love otherwise known as...Detective Robert Goren.

Partners Slideshow - "Tuxedo Hill"

Eames In "Tuxedo Hill"

Well, I've had this series of slideshows for "Tuxedo Hill" ready to post...gosh...it seems like forever, but "stuff" kept getting in the way. This is the last episode of Season 1...like I need to tell anyone that... but it is.

I've watched every episode of this show several times over, and this is the first time I ever noticed that Eames' badge number is 5796. Not an earth shattering observation...just thought I'd mention it. So, I shall begin my wee tribute to this episode as has become my custom ...with an Eames slideshow. She sure looks different now, but then so does Bobby.

Eames Slideshow - "Tuxedo Hill"

LO:CI Season 4 Artwork

According to tvshowsondvd.com, this is the artwork for the Season 4 DVD. Gee, they all look so young! Bobby looks "intense" -- you know...his usual Bobby-look, but Carver looks surprised to see us. What's up with that?

Happy Birthday "Handsome BOY!"

As I explained last year, while the rest of the world celebrates Vincent D'Onofrio's birthday in June, I choose to celebrate Bobby's birthday on August 20th. Potato...potahto...I know. And, just like last year, I find myself in the position of posting my birthday wish on his birthday-eve...if you will...rather than the happy day itself.

You see, I am presently sitting in a hotel room in Portsmouth, Ohio, having made a mad dash "home" this afternoon to help my dear friend, Linda, through a particularly traumatic event. I just left a 6:00a.m. wake-up call, so I can repeat the same mad dash back to Cincinnati in the morning for work. I won't be there by 8:00a.m., but I've got plenty of personal time, so who cares?

I won't have time to post Bobby's card in the morning before I head out; especially since I'm packing up the laptop as soon as I finish this off. Sorry if I'm babbling...on top of everything else, I woke up at 4:00a.m. this morning and couldn't go back to sleep, so I ended up going into the office two hours early; i.e., 6:00a.m. So, after the two-plus-hour drive here and an emotion-filled evening, I'm pretty much cruising on fumes and am due to "crash" any moment now. Would that my Bobby were here to catch me. (Sigh!)

Happy Birthday, darlin'!!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Birthday, Eliza!

With many thanks and much gratitude for all the wonderful Vincent/Bobby posts you provide every day, this Bobby Birthday greeting is for you. It isn't very creative, since I lack your talent, but the wish is sincere. Happy Birthday, Eliza!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

My Big Fat Freakin' Bobby Dream

I was so excited…almost “giddy” actually…when I woke up yesterday morning and realized I had just had the “bestest” darn Bobby-dream I have ever had. I was so happy. I thought nothing could ruin my day. When will I ever learn? The day fell into the crapper after a very long morning of visiting delinquent borrowers and a nice lunch. So much so that I ended up leaving the office shortly after two o’clock in the throes of a very foul mood.

I’m not going to dwell on it or rant about it. My friend, Linda…poor soul… suffered the brunt of that, I fear, as I unloaded on her last night. Suffice to say, if I had anywhere else to go, they would never see my sorry ass at work again, but alas, that is not the case. Just like Richard Gere in “An Officer And A Gentleman,” “I got nowhere else to go. I got nothin’ else.” So, when the alarm sang out this morning, I dragged my aforementioned “sorry ass” out of bed and back to that dark, dismal dungeon. What's a girl to do?

Now on to a much more palatable topic…my Bobby-dream. You know, I rarely, and I do mean “rarely” dream about Bobby or Vincent D'Onofrio, which I find singularly odd because the man is constantly in my head. I go to sleep thinking about Bobby, I wake up thinking about Bobby, and he helps get me through the work day, so I can come home and think about him some more. Yes, I promise you, I am very much aware of just how pathetic that sounds.

As for my Bobby-dream, it started out as if I was “watching” an episode of LO:CI…not on television, however. It was more like I was actually there watching in the background as the story unfolded, but not as a participant. I was more like a spectator, or at least that is how it appeared to me. It began with me watching and hearing Eames and Ross in the squad room at Major Case, talking about Bobby and…wait for it… Nicole Wallace. It seems that Nicole had reappeared, she had Bobby in her sights, and she was out to kill him. Ross said they had Bobby stashed away in a “safe house” and there was no way Nicole could get to him. Famous last words, right?

I remember “dream-thinking” that Nicole was supposed to be…you know…dead, so she could not possibly be a threat to Bobby. And yet, I “scurried” off to find him to “make sure” he was okay. (Note: Yes, in my dreams I can “scurry” which is very unlike my real life “waddle.”) Now, don’t ask me how I knew where to find Bobby…I just did because the next thing I knew, I was standing in an alley, observing a darkly clad figure, who I assume was Nicole, skulking around a fire escape. As I watched from the shadows, she started jumping up, trying to grab hold of the bottom rung of the ladder and pull it down, but she couldn’t reach it, so Nicole eventually gave up and started pulling planks of wood off a boarded up window.

The next thing I know, I’m in a bedroom. Not just any bedroom, mind you…Bobby’s Bedroom!! There was an unmade bed…I remember the rumpled sheets…on one side of the room with the headboard against the wall beside the door. I mention that because I was standing next to the headboard “watching” the “scene” develop. There was a couch along the wall to the right, and I became aware of Bobby talking to someone. It was Nicole. She…like myself…had “magically” appeared in the room.

I could “hear” Bobby’s calm, soft voice…I had not seen him yet…telling Nicole that he was not surprised to see her; he always knew she would show up again, and that she would never get away with what she was contemplating. You know the routine. He was in full “Bobby-mode” – that quirky, mystical “talk ‘em to death” way Bobby has of making people spill their guts. Sometimes, I think the criminals confess just to get him to shut the hell up. Anyway, the next thing I heard was Nicole telling Bobby, in that annoying voice of hers, not to worry; she wasn't going to kill him...yet. She just wanted him to keep talking to her until she was ready to finish him off. Turns out, Nicole liked the sound of his voice, too. Go figure.

Then I “saw” him. Bobby strode out of the shadows, across the room, to the couch and sat down. He was wearing a dark gray suit, no tie, and his shirt was open at the collar, but for the life of me, I cannot recall the color of the shirt he was wearing. And he looked the way I like him best…longish hair and “stubble” (like in the photo at the end of this post.) He continued to talk to Nicole the whole time and, after he sat down, he patted the cushion next to him. I was horrified (and, perhaps, a little hurt) at the thought of him actually inviting that “she-devil-witch” to sit beside him on the sofa.

But then something positively amazingly wonderful happened, and Bobby turned his dark head toward me, looked me straight in the eye and said, “You.”

I don’t remember actually walking over to the sofa; the next thing I knew I was sitting beside him. He was still talking to Nicole, but his hand was resting on the cushion beside his thigh, so I slipped my hand inside his, and he closed his over mine and squeezed it gently as if to reassure me that everything was going to be all right.

And I’m here to tell you that everything was “more” than all right…because the very next instant we were riding in his car. I have absolutely no idea what happened to Nicole, or how we got out of that room, but the next thing I remember is being in a car, Bobby is driving – hence my assumption that it was his car – and I was sitting up close beside him. I have no idea where we were going, but we were talking as if we had known each other forever. I felt comfortable with him…safe. Then Bobby started to talk about how hungry he was and how a double cheeseburger sure sounded good. He wanted to know if I was hungry and – honestly – I wasn’t because…well, I was with Bobby.

But then, he turned the car off the street and into the parking lot of a “Dairy Queen”…of all places. Suddenly, I found myself thinking that ice cream actually sounded pretty good, and I was sitting there trying to decide if I should get a “Peanut Buster Parfait” or a “plain old” vanilla cone, when Bobby turned to me and said, “What would you like?” And before I had the chance to tell him what I "really" wanted...as if on cue...the alarm went off.

Now, I am quite certain the vast majority of you found my chaste, little G-rated, piddly-assed dream to be extremely boring and completely unimpressive, but “sex dreams” have never been a part of my dream repertoire. Perhaps your Bobby dreams are of the crazy-wild-monkey-sex variety. If so...lucky you. Me, on the other hand, I dream of Bobby…and food. What can I say…welcome to my world.

Actually, the more I thought about it, I realized this might be a new "take" on an annual "Super Bowl" commercial. I’m sure you're familiar with it...the one where the quarterback of the winning team is running off the field, celebrating the victory and someone shouts out, “Hey, so and so, your team just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do now?” And the player shouts back, “I’m going to Disney World!”

Well, instead of that, we’d have, “Hey, Detective Goren, you just escaped certain death at the hands of a depraved, maniacal, crazy-bitch serial killer. What are you going to do now?” And then Bobby would say, “I’m taking my girlfriend to DQ.”

Now that’s a commercial.

My "dream" Bobby.

Town Hall Meeting Mishegaas

Well, it's been a long, trying day, and here I am with the "big-eye" unable to fall asleep. There is nothing on television worth watching, so I turned...as is my preference...to the Internet to wile away a few minutes until the Tylenol PM I took THREE HOURS AGO decides to "kick in."

I had not visited "The Daily Show" in a while and, considering the mayhem that has been going on under the guise of "discussing" the President's proposed health care plan via "civilized" town hall meetings, I knew Jon Stewart would have something to say about that. And he did. I do not know enough about the President's proposed plan to discuss it intelligently, so I'm not going to say anything more than a generic...the health care system in this country is out of control and something needs to be done.

Maybe this isn't the perfect plan, or the best plan, or even the right plan. But we'll never know if the "idiots" of this country don't stop yelling at each other long enough to discuss it rationally, intelligently, and thoroughly to whittle away the bullshit and give "ALL" the American people what they need and deserve...access to health care.

Music Wench says it way better than I ever could on her blog. You can read her take on it here. I love it when she talks about the lady who said, "we need to take the government out of Medicare." Stupid much? I think she...meaning Music Wench...should be a guest on Jon Stewart's show.

Sarah Palin and the GOP are talking about "death panels." What an absurd, insipid little piss ant of a woman. Isn't it about time she crawled back under that rock from which she slithered a year ago? I think it's time the Democrats turned the tables right back on the lot of them and told their "fellow Americans" how it really is. That being...if the Republicans had their way only thin, attractive, carved-out-of-cream-cheese, affluent, Bible-toatin', card carryin' NRA members would be allowed access to health care in this country. In case you haven't noticed, the GOP doesn't care about the rest of us, folks.

Okay, climbing down from my lofty perch now and turning it over to Jon Stewart. The lady at the end, who is screaming at Senator Phil Spector at a town hall meeting, later ends up on the Republican News Network...otherwise known as FOX. When the reporter asks her what she thought of the Senator's response to her question, she admits she didn't listen to it. And that's the problem, people. Everyone is screaming and shouting...no one is "listening." Idiots and assholes ...they're everywhere.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
PR
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

LOCI Season 4 Release Date Announced

I guess this is a fitting post for Number 400. It sure beats the glum and dreary, gloomy-gus lament I was contemplating. I just received an email from tvshowsondvd.com, stating the release date for Law & Order CI...Season 4. Here is the link to the info.

Drum roll please.

The release date is...November 24th...just in time for Thanksgiving. I know I will be "thankful" to finally add it to my collection.

Of course, I could be totally wrong, and I wouldn't want to be labeled a "troll" for starting a false rumor or anything. But I have been a member of this website for a lot of years, and they haven't steered me wrong...yet.

Let's see, "The Narrows" is to be released on November 3rd and Season 4 on November 24th. It will be a Vincent D'Onofrio "bookend" kind of month. Vincent at the beginning and Bobby at the end and me in the middle. Oh, yeah. Finally, a little something to look forward to.

A Sharp Dressed Man

Okay, can you "guess" who I'm talkin' about? I have a rather lengthy "rant" surrounding the trials and tribulations of "My Big Fat Freakin' Life" during the past week, but I keep putting off gathering all my rambling thoughts and organizing them into a semi-coherent blog post. I'd much rather scour the Internet, looking for little gems like the one I just found at YouTube.

Now, this is probably "old news" to most of you, but it's the first time for me, and I liked the video so much, I decided to post it here, so I can watch it at my leisure...until YouTube yanks it for some reason. I hate it when that happens.

The creator has titled the video: "Bobby Makes All The Girls Crazy." Sounds about right.


Posted by flowrpowrera.

Vincent D'Onofrio "The Irishman" Interview

While waiting for my screen caps of "Alpha Dog" to finish uploading to Photobucket, I thought I would check my email, and look what I found. While I, admittedly, don't always "get" or particularly enjoy some of Mr. D'Onofrio's film choices, he always gives a stellar performance in whatever role he plays. And, while I may not always care for the material, I do love hearing him talk about his craft.

"All In" ... All Bad? Not For Me

Popular opinion among the various blogs devoted to Vincent D'Onofrio and/or Law & Order CI is that "everything" that can be or needs to be said about this episode has been done...to death. So, while I will dispense with my "usual" recap...for the time being...I do have a couple of things I want to get off my sagging chest. After all, it ain't over till this "fat lady" has her say.

The first time I watched "All In," I felt just like the majority of CI fans throughout the land and across the "pond" did; i.e., confused, cheated, angry...bitterly disappointed. The myriad emotions were directed at the writers, however, not the actors. I mean, do they think we're that stupid? "Cruise To Nowhere" is one of my favorite episodes from Season 5. Whenever I'm killing time in a restaurant or in a movie theater, etc., I pull out my iPod and scroll to Season 5 of LOCI where I usually select either "Vacancy" or "CTN" to help wile away the time until my food arrives or the movie starts. Suffice to say, I've seen "Cruise"...a LOT!

I agree with the masses, there were numerous similarities between the Joey Frost/Josh Snow characters, but -- in my humble opinion -- there was one "glaring" discrepancy. Remember the tantrum Joey threw in the interrogation room where he stuck his fingers in his ears and rocked back and forth, shouting "la, la, la, la,la," because he didn't want to hear what Bobby was saying to him? The look on Bobby's face was "priceless," by the way, but I digress. After that, Bobby tells Deakins that Joey's emotional growth "stopped" at the age of 10. And, at the end, Bobby exclaims to Joey that Phil (the guy who "raised" Joey after he killed Joey's father) "kept him a child all his life."

And there's the "rub" for me. I found it impossible to reconcile Joey...the obnoxious, uncouth teenager, who didn't know what a microscope was, who ate cereal from a box with his hands, who dumped chicken scraps onto the mob guy's desk and then wiped his greasy fingers on his upholstered chair, and threw a temper-tantrum worthy of any three-year old...with the "grown-up" Josh Snow. Josh Snow, who is grieving for his deceased wife and is a mathematical whiz...apparently...to have come up with the whole cubed number thing.

So, not only are we expected to believe that Joey has grown emotionally in the past three/four years, but he, evidently, has grown a brain as well. Yeah, yeah...the kid was always "street-smart," but book smart? Not so much. Now, I can suspend belief with the best of 'em, but come on. To use a southern expression...that dog won't hunt. Oh well, perhaps Joey/Josh hooked arms with the "Scarecrow" and skipped down the yellow brick road for an audience with the great and powerful Oz.

On an unrelated, but worthy of mentioning note....don't even get me started on the "trick" with the bullet and the glob of beeswax on Bobby's thumb in the "gotcha" scene at the end.

The second time I watched "All In," I tried to put the whole Joey/Josh fiasco out of my head. Afterward, I realized that, if one was not familiar with "CTN," then the episode wasn't half-bad...it could have stood on its own. To confirm my hypothesis, I checked with my brother, Harold, and my friend, Linda. Both are "casual" viewers of the show, and they had no clue about the Joey/Josh conundrum, but they both thought it was a decent episode.

So, to put it bluntly...the writers fucked-up...big time!!!

I hate being taken for granted. I also hate lazy, lackluster, half-assed, unimaginative writing, and both scenarios appear to apply here. I read that Lou Taylor Pucci was supposed to reprise the role of Joey Frost, but was unable to make it for...whatever reason. But you know, a GOOD writer can make adjustments if given half a chance. Even if the show would have taken a page from the "Soaps" and made an announcement at the beginning that the "role of Joey Frost is now being played by..." I could have "bought" that rather than the pile of crap they served up instead.

Okay, I am officially done beating that dead horse. Before calling this a wrap, however, I have a couple more things to discuss...the thing I liked most about the episode and the "other" thing I liked least about it.

You may note that I did not include a screen cap of Bobby pointing the gun to his head in the following slideshow. For some reason, that scene just freaked me out. Mind you, I knew the gun was not loaded. I knew Bobby had used some "trick" or slight of hand to somehow remove the bullet from the gun. I knew Bobby was not going to blow his brains out if he pulled the trigger...and yet I started screaming "at him" the instant he positioned the barrel of that gun at the side of his head. I even cried..."sobbed"...I was so upset. Yes, I'm an idiot.

Part of it was that it reminded me instantly of the actor, Jon-Erik Hexum, who was critically wounded on the set of a television show back in 1984 after he placed a .44 Magnum prop gun loaded with blanks to his temple and pulled the trigger. Shooting on the set had been delayed and Hexum had fallen asleep between takes. When he awoke and realized that the scene still was not ready to be shot, Hexum, as if to demonstrate his frustration with the continued delay, put the gun to his head and...pulled the trigger.

You see, blanks use paper or plastic wadding to seal gun powder into the shell, and this wadding is propelled out of the barrel of the gun with enough force to cause severe injury, or death, if the weapon is fired within a few inches of the body, especially if pointed at a particularly vulnerable spot, such as the temple or the eye. So, although the paper wadding in the blank that Hexum discharged did not penetrate his skull, the wad struck him in the temple with enough blunt force trauma to shatter a quarter-sized piece of his skull and propel the pieces into his brain causing massive hemorrhaging. Six days later, he was declared brain dead. His mother had him taken off life support, but not before donating his organs for transplant. (With thanks to Wikipedia for some of the information. I could remember bits and pieces of the incident, but was fuzzy on some of the details.)

So, that is why I went spastic for a moment and why I won't be posting any pictures of Bobby pointing a gun to his head. I just thought it was irresponsible of Bobby...and the writers; he could have pointed the gun at the ceiling or at Josh...for that matter...clicked the empty chamber, and produced the same effect. It just bothered me...on a lot of levels.

And now for my "favorite" thing about this episode. Most of my family and long-time friends call me "Lou." So, it was a real treat for me for LOCI to have a prominent character named Lou Cardinale. I just knew that Bobby would get around to saying my name...if I just waited long enough. Well, he did, and...yes...I "actually" counted just how many times that one tiny, insignificant syllable; i.e., L...O...U, was uttered by that mellifluously soft and sexy voice. (Big Sigh!) Ten...I counted ten.

So, for me...if only on a purely personal level..."All In" wasn't a complete throw-away. Besides, any episode that features Bobby can't be all bad.

"All In" Slideshow

And Yet...One More "Alpha Dog" Preview

I have no idea how I missed this preview last night, but -- obviously -- I did. Guess my Vincent D'Onofrio radar was down. You know, if "they" keep this up, we could end up seeing the entire episode...one short snippet at a time.