"Dead" Quotes

This is not one of my all time personal faves, but it had its moments; especially its "Bobby Moments." I guess I found the grim subject matter a bit off-putting, but then Law & Order CI is a crime drama, not a “sitcom.” But I do remember when this actually happened in Georgia, so it is only natural the basic premise found its way to one of the Dick Wolf franchises. (Note: I began gathering quotes, making my notes, and then screen capping this episode back on September 9^th, way before USA made its announcement, so does my crime drama/sitcom analogy qualify as being…“ironic?”)

Right off the bat, we learn something new about Bobby…young Bobby, that is. And that is his biology teacher, Mr. Dixon, didn’t think he was much “fun”…at all. Poor Eames. I’m with her on this matter. Bobby is forever doing disgusting things with the murder victims/ corpses…his antics often make me squeamish.

Scotty, the young “druggie,” seemed quite impressed that Eames knew all the “hip” vernacular for joints…or whatever they call them these days. Kids like Scotty, by the way, are one of the myriad reasons, I am so very happy children were not a part of my life-destiny. Every syllable that comes from his insipid mouth is like some “joke” to this dim-witted twit. If that is an example of the “future” of our country, be afraid, folks...be very afraid. Kudos to Deakins, by the way, for his line, “So that’s what a brain looks like on embalming fluid.”

Okay, it never ceases to amaze me that Bobby and others can quote scripture so easily, so effortlessly…not just the everyday stuff of which most people are familiar…I’m talking about fairly obscure passages. Makes me wonder about the lapsed altar boy.

Ah, and this is the episode in which Bobby’s utters one of his “classic” lines. That being, “I need to use my most important investigative tool. My library card.” My question, why does Bobby even need to go to the library…he’s a walking, talking “Encyclopedia Britannica.” So, the lab comes up with all the ingredients of the “goop” that the perp injected into the victim’s body, but could not identify what it was. Yet, in the blink of an eye, Bobby came up with “boils” and the “Sixth Plague” and that Imhotep was the Egyptian god of medicine. I didn’t even know there was an Egyptian god of medicine.

I am going to make an “editorial” decision and refrain from quoting some of the more “distasteful” dialogue from this episode. When the undertaker and the other guy they bring in for questioning describe what is done to corpses in preparation for burial…well, the whole discussion is most unappealing, and I think I’ll forego regurgitating it in a blog post, thank you very much. I’m with Eames when the guy is telling her…in nauseating detail…the purpose of a trocar, and she says, “Let’s leave it at tool of the trade.” The thing is, Bobby is hanging out, ever so nonchalantly, in the background, making me think that he already “knows” about all these gory details.

Okay, I guess we learn a little something else about Bobby’s psyche and – perhaps – what it is that makes him tick and want to be a crusading, profiling detective of the first order. When he says the murder of Hagman was “impressive,” Deakins counters with, “It was demented,” and then Bobby says, “It worked. Whoever it is killed Hagman, I can’t wait to meet them.” He can’t wait to “meet” a deranged murderer? Perhaps there is a reason, after all, as to why he’s alone after all these years. The look Eames gives Deakins as the screen fades to black is pretty good, too. It’s like she’s saying, “See what I have to put up with?”

"Dead" Slideshow - Part I


I did enjoy the exchange between Bobby and Russell the first time they met and Bobby is questioning him about his “work” and asks if it is interesting. Russell replies that you “get used to it.” Then Bobby says that he heard the bodies don’t burn completely and you have to take them out and roll them over like a “log in a fireplace” – nice analogy, Bobby – and shove them back in. Russell informs him that it is called repositioning, and Bobby, with this incredulous look on his face says, “And you get used to that?”

Leave it to Deakins to know that silicon implants had to be removed before cremation. And that is all I have to say about that.

I’m sitting here laughing out loud at Bobby over something I had never noticed before. It is when he and Eames go back to the crematorium, and Eames is questioning Russell about the lady’s pacemaker. Bobby is…ahem…fiddling with his belt, as he is “wont” to do. (Actually, I “want” to do that, but I digress.”) Anyway, Bobby starts to walk around Russell, but then he leans in close and sort of “sniffs” at his neck. What was that all about? Perhaps he can smell some of the decaying, rancid odors out back on the guy?

"Dead" Slideshow - Part II


I just noticed another background “Bobby-move” I had not picked-up on before. You know, even though it takes me an inordinately long time to “quote” and screen cap these episodes, it is worth it for me because I usually run across a gem or two like this. It is a scene at 1PP when Deakins walks in with an update on the tally of bodies found at the crematory. Carver is at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and comments on Deakins’ statement. All the while, Bobby is behind Carver, his left leg bent and foot resting on a chair (or something) while he balances a file box on his thigh. Oh, mama! I truly do not know why stupid stuff like that “gets” to me, but it does.

And thanks, Bobby, for that delectable description of the bodies behind the crematory. What was it you said, they were decaying into one another like a “putrid soup.” Yum, yum. Thanks for that vivid image. It will be a long time before I dine on soup again.

I had to chuckle at Bobby’s profile of Harry Rowan when he commented on his “obsessive concentration on the task at hand.” I mean, HELLO. Isn’t that rather like the “pot calling the kettle black?”

I never get tired of watching Bobby “solve” a puzzle…like figuring out there had to be something hinky going on with the DNA from the crematory and asking Rodgers to run it through the national database.

"Dead" Slideshow - Part III


And then matching it to the DNA of murder victims and figuring out they were all mob hits in disguise. He’s so smart…is my/our Bobby. (Yeah, yeah…I’m sure Eames helped.)

I don’t have an awful lot of observations to make on this one. It’s pretty straight forward procedural stuff; i.e., the “formula” on which the show generated such a loyal following. The writers took the “basic” ripped from the headlines story; i.e., bodies found dumped behind crematory and added their own unique twist; i.e., crafty hit man uses DNA from bodies to plant on his own murder victims. Pretty clever. The rest is just watching Bobby…and Eames…figure it all out and nail the perp in the end. (And I do believe that is the first time I’ve ever used “i.e.,” in a paragraph three times.)

Ah, another Bobby line, “Like an itch he can’t scratch.” Oh, baby, baby, have I got an "itch" for you!

As always, Bobby knows just what buttons to push by confronting the unsub’s wife at the supermarket and acquainting her with her husband’s suspected debauchery. That’s one way to skin a cat, or get the guy to come down to 1PP. Actually, though it did serve the purpose, didn’t they sort of put the cart before the horse by ambushing the woman the way they did? I mean, yes, it turned out they were right…we knew they were right…but at the time they confronted Harry’s wife in the supermarket parking lot, all they had was a nagging suspicion…no real evidence. I felt kind of sorry for the wife; she didn’t have a clue that she was married to a ruthless, murdering barbarian.

"Dead" Slideshow - Part IV


All due respect to Bobby, but how did he think ol’ Harry was going to react to his wife being ambushed by a couple of NYPD detectives while she went about grocery shopping for the family? I mean, Bobby looks almost “peeved” that Harry took umbrage for his wife being thus ill-treated.

I do have one question, though. If Harry was such a "smart" murderer, why did he use the goop from his own garage on the undertaker? I think…I hope…if I was going to kill someone, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to keep something in my home that could link me to the crime. But then Harry was a bit of an egomaniac.

And then Bobby plants the seed of doubt in Harry’s big ol’ punkin’ head. He is so masterful at this. I love it when Bobby “struts” into the garage and says, “You didn’t find it, did you?” I have to say, I got a little "excited" when Bobby kicked the stuff off the freezer…hoo hah!

Okay, while it made for a good, solid episode and lots of Bobby mela drama, I have "one more" question. (Who does that sound like?) Could Carver truly make this case hold up in court? I’m sure the guy’s attorney could come up with a plausible explanation as to why Harry destroyed his garage and the clean-up "goop" could be common enough. They don’t have any actual “physical” evidence against him…just Bobby’s made up story about a missing porcelain cap and Harry's subsequent reaction and utterance that he didn't make a mistake. Oh, well. We'll never know for sure, will we?

"Dead" Slideshow - Part V


Now, it is on to the next episode..."Bright Boy." Now, I suppose that descriptive phrase could apply to a certain tall, dark, and handsome MCS "genius" detective, as well as the young lad who is the focal point of the episode. Oh, and I just checked and the "Petition" is up to 334 signatures as I post this.