Yet another episode with the draped badges. I believe this is the third one in a row.
But I should start at the very beginning…a very good place to start. Sorry, Julie Andrews just commandeered my brain for a second. Anyway, ever notice the razor-sharp memories on this show? I mean, without missing a beat, Eames rattles off the style of the miniskirt the corpse was wearing, the store where it was available, and the fact that it was only made one year…1983. I can barely remember 1983, let alone what I wore that year.
And did you notice the hint of “surprise” in Goren’s voice when he asked: “You wore one of these?” What? Does he think she’s a nun? This is the first time I’ve ever noticed Eames’ badge number…looks like 5796.
Continuing with that line of thinking...this is a 20 year old murder case, yet when Bobby and Eames go to Deakins to discuss it, he initially tells them to kick it back to Homicide. After a little “nudging,” however, Deakins relents and opens a desk drawer and magically produces the file of the aforementioned 20 year old murder case. Now, I realize this case has probably been a thorn in Deakins’ side for a very long time, but to have the exact file at his fingertips…I’m just sayin’.
The first interrogation scene with the former boyfriend was a bit different in that they brought Deakins into the mix…his attempt at being the “bad cop” with the guy he has always thought was good for it since way back in the day. This is where Vincent D’Onofrio positively “shines” as an actor. He doesn’t have all that much to say in this scene, but it’s the way he observes the suspect…watches his every move, absorbs everything he says, how he says it, and conveys the contents of his thoughts to the viewer without murmuring a single syllable…that is what makes him such an incredible actor.
Okay, I hope this doesn’t make me sound too terribly “shallow,” but there is something about watching a man…this man…kick open a door. I’ve written enough of those scenes in my day, but it’s quite another “watching” Bobby breathe life into such a primitive act. Needless to say, Bobby can kick open my door any old time he wants…not that he would need to.
">Quotes Slideshow -"Yesterday" - Part I
Just how solicitous was it of Bobby to warn the super at Morrissey’s old apartment that he was on to his lying ways and to tell him how to avoid detection in the future. Ever, oh ever the helpful detective. Then he concludes with this piece of sage advice, “If you’re gonna tell a lie, make sure you can back it up.”
Look at Eames, stealing Bobby’s thunder. He puts his arm around the guy’s shoulder and says, “I think I know what happened here.” But before he can get the words out of his mouth, Eames butts in and says, “Me, too.” Bobby, being the gentleman he is, just gives her a tolerant look and lets her say her peace.
I do love how both Bobby and Eames have a knack for being able to push just the “right” buttons to make everyone—well, almost everyone—they talk to want to spill their guts. Like when Eames tells Maureen that her “ex” can do better than a burned-out housewife with a faux mink, and Maureen promptly sets her straight as to the authenticity of the mink and the identity of the person who bought it for her…Ricky. So much for not seeing him in years.
Quotes Slideshow - "Yesterday" - Part II
When Bobby finds the letter from Ricky’s sister, he begins to piece together their relationship and says that Ricky was their “mom’s favorite.” In Season Six—“Brother’s Keeper”—we find out precisely what that means to Bobby. His own mother preferred his rat bastard brother, Frank, to him. If I make it that far in my screen capping and quoting of LOCI episodes, I’ll vent my spleen about that particular relationship when I get there.
Ah, Bobby with a gun and body slamming a suspect into a table. Need I say anything more? Didn’t think so.
Without a doubt, Ricky is one of the wimpiest perps LOCI has ever offered up. I love watching Bobby stalk about the interrogation room, circling the table, biding his time, observing…listening. It’s classic Bobby. Then he positions his chair behind the poor schmuck and proceeds to “straddle” said chair…a maneuver that sends shivers down the spines of Bobby fans everywhere.
Quotes Slideshow - "Yesterday" - Part III
I disliked the weasel Lippman instantly, but then I guess we were supposed to. But I liked how Bobby let him know upfront that he wouldn’t let him get away with anything…like how Lippman lowered his voice to “lure” Bobby across the room and out the door. Then Bobby tells him they’re done anyway and turns to leave in one motion, while putting his hand on Eames’s arm to stay her movement while he turns back around to ask his “one more thing” question.
As villains go, Ricky was pretty lame…sad really. A social outcast…friendless. I suppose his need to fit in…to be accepted…is what made him an easy target for Lippman…one that he could manipulate at will. I almost felt sorry for Ricky when Jay (Lippman) threw him off that building…what a pitiful, pathetic creature he was in the end.
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I know the detectives are all about solving crimes and bringing people to justice and all, but sometimes I wonder if they ever feel any sense of remorse or regret for dredging up horrible events that have happened to people. Case in point…Sally. They get her to tell them what Lippman had done to her when she was a 17 year old high school student…get the information they need…and then send her on her merry way.
I love how Bobby baits our wily perp through his wife by telling her to feel free to tell Lippman that he and Eames had been in their home to question her...they had no secrets from him. Yeah, right.
Quotes Slideshow - "Yesterday" - Part V
You know, Bobby’s reaction shots are oftentimes better than the words he actually speaks. For example, when Carver is doubtful of them being able to connect Lippman to the Alyssa Cooney murder without Morrissey to point the finger of blame at him, Bobby’s frustration is perfectly reflected in his “body language” as he turns in disgust toward the door. Even better…before that…Eames is reading the litany of things that had been done to the dead prostitute in Vermont, clearly connecting the two murders. Anyway, Bobby has this pissy, “I told you so” look on his face the whole time. Positively priceless, classic Bobby.
You just know there is going to be trouble when Bobby tells Lippman where to sit when he enters the interrogation room, and Lippman blatantly ignores Bobby and chooses a seat at the end of the table. You just know Bobby isn’t going to let that slide. There is nothing more gratifying than watching Bobby out-maneuver an arrogant suspect and get him to do his bidding. Like when Lippman’s attorney keeps doing all the talking and Bobby ingenuously points out that “he gets it” – Lippman’s lawyer is in charge, so they’ll just talk to him. Another “button pushing” moment. Bobby is so very good when it comes to pushing buttons.
Eames and Bobby both play him well in this scene. Once they decide to “shun” Lippman, Eames turns her back on him and Bobby focuses his attention on the attorney, Lippman is beside himself at being excluded from the proceedings. I chuckle every time when the lawyer reaches for one of the documents to show Lippman and Bobby pats his hand and tells him he didn’t say he could touch “that” because it was evidence.
Bobby just keeps baiting Lippman, telling him they found a pertinent photo of him, and Lippman keeps straining to see it from his position at the end of the table, and Bobby extends his hand in a “beckoning” gesture. All of this just to get the guy to sit where he wanted him to sit. Talk about a pissing match. Makes me wonder just what kind of “games” good ol’ Bobby would play in a real relationship.
Quotes Slideshow - "Yesterday" - Part VI
Then Eames sits down in the chair Lippman vacated, so he can’t go back. Now Lippman must endure Bobby’s questions…or must he? The insipid man actually thinks he can outmaneuver my Bobby by snubbing him and whispering in confidence to Eames. Hmph! Like that will deter our stalwart detective. I love it when Bobby yanks Lippman’s chair around and then sits down opposite him…toe to toe…as it were. Just like Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction”…he’s not going to be ignored.
Anyone ever notice how…when the lawyers speak…no one listens. I mean, the lawyer states clearly that his client wants to return to his cell, but Bobby just keeps on talking. It’s like the lawyer doesn’t exist…I know how that feels.
Just a random observation…those eyebrows of his…they have a mind of their own.
And, following Bobby’s “aria” in which he explains the whys and wherefores and whatnots of Lippman’s pathology, our doer collapses into a quivering mass of sobbing “goo” and, with the utterance of four simple little words…"you have no idea"…Bobby nails another perp.
It could have happened before, but this is the first time I’ve noticed...Lippman had the last line. There was no follow-up “tag-line” by Bobby or Eames…as is the norm. Just some closing shots of Bobby, the lawyer, and Deakins and Carver in the observation room. Guess the writers didn’t feel anything more was needed or warranted in this episode.
Quotes Slideshow - "Yesterday" - Part VII
So another recap comes to an end. Only four more episodes to go in Season 1 before I can take a crack at Season 2. My next project is "Maledictus." I'll try to not lose my head over that one. Ha Ha.
