i love you, wang chung chung ([info]piecesofalice) wrote in [info]pers_pineapple,
@ 2008-01-24 08:46:00
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Life 1x02 "Tear Asunder", Official Re-watch & Discussion Post
It's Wednesday, boys and girls! Time to roll out the peaches, pears and horned melons - let's re-watch this thing!



Title:: 1x02 Tear Asunder

Writer: Rand Ravich
Director: Daniel Sackheim

Main Cast: Damian Lewis (Charlie Crews), Sarah Shahi (Dani Reese), Adam Arkin (Ted Earley), Robin Weigert (Lt. Karen Davis), Brooke Langton (Constance Griffiths), Brent Sexton (Bobby Stark)

Guest Stars: Shawn Reaves (Eddie), Christina Hendricks (Olivia), Jennifer Siebel (Jennifer Conover), Ed Ackerman (Mason), Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Stephanie), Natalie Dreyfuss (Tiffany Sloan), Leena Huff (Tina), Sonia Rockwell (Gina), Caroline Macey (Molly), Liz Montgomery (Elena Silvers), Max Greenfield (Bradley), Meredith Salenger (Leslie Stark), Roger Aaron Brown (Det. Carl Ames), Ryan Locke (Jake Silvers)

Synopsis:
A young bride is found murdered on the day after her wedding, bringing Charlie and Dani into a scene filled with swapping partners, good times and a creepy lawyer with a love of cut and paste. But it's when he attempts to regain his past life - through revisiting crime scenes and a friendly barbeque - that Charlie finds himself at a loss. Meanwhile, Ted meets a redhead named Olivia and Dani asks a married man to buy her a drink.


Notable Moments:


  • We meet another of Charlie's angels - a young, hip bike rider who remarks, "why don't you have any furniture?"


  • Upon discovering the groom, Jake Silvers, covered in blood, Charlie gets himself into a scuffle with the now-supect husband - and ends up in the pool, natch. Reese uses what she has at hand to break it up - a 900000 volt stun baton that leaves Charlie deeply unsatisfied with what he considers his near-death experience. Dani, however, is strangely happy.


  • When Tiffy collapses after looking Charlie's shoulder at the dead bride, and when the groom requests Anna take his last name, we see the quiet compassion and champion of the downtrodden that we soon begin to recognise as one of Charlie's main qualities.


  • Ted versus the insurance company - and having a bit of a sing to pass the afternoons.


  • We get to witness Dani's first pissed-off-with-Charlie mood after he turns the case on it's head in Davis' office, complete with no talking, slamming of files and a wonderful scene in an elevator - with an old lady eavesdropping, of course. (Spot the old lady again asking whodunnit towards the end!)


  • After the drunk groomsmen tell Dani she's hot, Charlie has a nice couple of seconds staring at her - and totally sees her as "hot" for the first time. One for the shippers, no?


  • Dani's clash of worlds - talking to Lt on the phone about Charlie, lying about being back on the wagon, then leading herself into a bar. It's here we get to see the underbelly of Dani Reese - and it's freakin' interesting and ominous, not to mention gorgeously unbuttoned and hair-down-ed.


  • Pretending to a Mr. Bourke, Charlie goes back to the house where the Seybolts where killed. Upon discovering evidence about Rachel, he's confronted by the new owner; but she's sympathetic to Charlie and what's he's been through, bringing up again how Charlie is so instantly recognisable in the street. See: Gina and Tina later.


  • Blenders and weddings and fathers = chatty Charlie and confused Dani.


  • Creepy, creepy lawyer dude and his Anna porn, not to mention the hooker he paid to dress up as the bride. Um.


  • Tina and Gina!


  • The tension in the BBQ scene - from Leslie's reaction to the ominous reveal of Bobby keeping Charlie's service weapon and badge. The whole scene is setting Bobby up to be The Bad Guy - but why why why why?


  • Charlie laying out the photos from the wedding to see what's missing, showing his lack of concern for those around him in the squad room and then pwnz them all by getting results.


  • Bradley really regretted Charlie getting to three.


  • The episode ends with Charlie at the shooting range, his iPod teaching him the zen practices of vengeance. "Revenge is a poison meant for others, that we end up swallowing ourselves. Vengeance is a dark light that blinds all who seek it. The untroubled soul knows there is no justice in revenge. The untroubled soul knows that to seek vengeance, is to seek destruction."


Quotes!
(With thanks to the gang at TV.com - please add to these as you see fit!)

Crews: It's all here. Except for what's not here.
Reese: What does that mean? (to the room at large) Does anybody know what that means?

Mason: (In reference to Detective Reese) You're pretty.
Bradley: Shut up Mason! She's a cop!
Mason: A pretty, pretty cop.

Reese: I need to know if this is gonna be a thing with you.
Crews: Which 'this' is that?
Reese: This thing with Jake Silvers. Are you gonna go see falsely accused people everywhere?
Crews: You think that's not a good instinct for a cop to have?
Reese: I just need to know if it's going to be a thing with you.
Crews: Shouldn't 'innocent until proven guilty' be a thing with all of us?

Crews: It was a near-death experience.
Reese: And it not being a full-death experience should make you happy.

Reese: Why, exactly, can't you talk like a normal person?
Crews: When, exactly, was the last time you actually met a normal person?

Crews: (to Reese) But you were a little girl once.
Reese: There's no proof of that.


Things We Learned

  • Ted drives Charlie to the bus after the Great Tractor Smoosh (1x01, "Merit Badge")


  • Dani didn't dream of a big wedding as a little girl and there's no evidence she was ever young (okay?!)


  • She is also quite obviously lying to Lt. Davis about her drinking and time in the program


  • Tom Seybolt was skimming money from the bar he shared with Charlie - which was Det. Ames' resoning for Charlie killing Tom


  • Rachel Seybolt referred to Crews as "Uncle Charlie" and was nine years old at the the time of the murders, making her 21 now


  • There was no forced entry to the Seybolt place, thus making the case that the killer was someone they knew


  • Ames' run-through of the crime scene to the doco makers: husband was found in the lounge, throat slit; wife was killed on the stairs as she was going to protect the son; the son was killed in his room; Rachel - well, she wasn't there. Her bed was unmade, thus meaning she was not at a sleepover as Ames claimed, but hiding from the killer


  • Charlie's father is marrying a rather comely redhead named Olivia - who makes quite an impression on Ted ("You don't seem grumpy.")


  • Bobby's wife's name is Leslie


  • Ames had/has a drinking problem


  • Connie took Charlie's case after he'd been in jail for eight years


  • When Charlie went to jail, Bobby was labeled as dirty and as a result had no one ride with him for four years. His wife is a little pissed at this.



Wall of Conspiracy

  • Ames' photo has "Lead Detective" underneath, and Charlie adds next to it "Removed Rachel from report"


  • Everything we learnt about the case is above. Not much is seen of the wall, but it's first time he's written on it.



Fresh Fruit:

  • Horn Melon, also know as a jelly melon, a kiwano, African horned cucumber. It's an ornamental fruit, but you can eat it if you want. Dani just wants to kill Crews, although after a very obvious inner battle, she ends up asking him about this lovely and strange fruit.


  • Lobby apple, from a big bowl down at the front desk of the hotel.



Music from the Episode

  • Shivaree, "John, 2/14", when they find the groom and tousle into the pool.


  • Mainline, "Black Honey (Who Made Who Remix)", playing when Dani goes to her "meeting".


  • The Old Nationals, "Little Miss Saturday Night", when Charlie and Leslie are talking at the BBQ.


  • Mogwai, "Hunted By A Freak", plays twice - when Charlie adds to his wall and the closing scenes in the shooting range.



Questions for Discussion

Judging from the scene at Bobby's house, where the tension is thick and foreshadowing - why do you think they were setting Bobby up as The Bad Guy? Is it the classic MacGuffin Technique, or does it just smack of the writers not having a clue?

How do you think the BBQ scene worked to show how unwelcome and uncomfortable Charlie is now in "regular society"? Was it heightened by Leslie's blatant disregard of what he's been through, or validated?

What impressions did you get from Dani's chatting up of the married man in the bar? Did it serve to give her character more ground, or just paint her with a tar brush?

Do you think the show, here in it's second episode, has found it's groove yet? Are the characters more rounded, or are they still growing?

Why do you think Olivia was introduced - and seemingly as a love interest for Ted - if, as we see later, she serves no real purpose? What are your impressions of her and Charlie's as-yet-unseen father, and Charlie's relationship with him?



Remember: participation is the key here, folks - dive in with your comments, thoughts, additions to the episode guide, and most of all, have fun!

(Post a new comment)


[info]mirageofmae
2008-01-23 10:13 pm UTC (link)
Judging from the scene at Bobby's house, where the tension is thick and foreshadowing - why do you think they were setting Bobby up as The Bad Guy? Is it the classic McGuffin Technique, or does it just smack of the writers not having a clue?

See I thought this was wonderful and very deliberate for Charlie's state of mind.

At this point, Charlie trusts no one. So here's the scene: Bobby, who has gone out of his way to make some sort of amends to Charlie to the point where it's angered his wife and is earnestly trying to recapture their previous easy-going buddy-buddy relationship. Charlie, and for all intents and purposes the audience, has no idea what role Bobby played in his conviction, how sincere Bobby is about his intentions, what the hell they're doing the damned garage, etc. The audience wonders about this weak man who's been shown so far to be overly defensive in the documentary footage and sarcastic to to the point of seeming insincere when he wants to get a photo with Charlie in the pilot. There is also some resentment from the pilot with the "Look, my partner's made detective!" and he's still a patrol officer despite the fact that's he's spent the last twelve years on force verses Charlie's twelve in prison.

Charlie also has some added stress in this scene. You can see he's having major flashbacks to prison, where being led to a secluded room, having the door locked, etc, all means bad things. He has no idea what to expect or how to react, because the last twelve years of experience and gut reactions are useless or out of date here in the real world. Like really, what did any of us, including Charlie, expect Bobby to do? Shoot Charlie in his own garage?! That would have been absurd, but wouldn't have been much of a stretch in Charlie's world.

So personally, I found that scene very indicative of Charlie's mindset at the time, his complete distrust of everyone, including someone he was likely close to before he was sent to prison, and also gave us some new development for Bobby.

I'm looking forward to more discussion, so I think I'll wait till there are more comments here before I add more thoughts!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]vonnie_k
2008-01-24 02:08 am UTC (link)
The scene is very much from Charlie's POV, I agree, but I think it's also partly the writers yanking our chains (deliberately). At this point, we don't know if Stark is completely trustworthy or not (his photo is up on that wall, after all), and this scene was designed to cast him in a even more ambiguous light. Bobby is portrayed extremely threatening in the first half of the garage scene, his jolly demeanor seemingly fake, and the musical cues are all but shouting "ominous! Danger, danger Will Robinson!", until he turns that gun around in his hand and the music gentles a bit. I mean, until that moment, I was half convinced that Bobby would flip out and shoot Charlie in the face! And even though Charlie relaxes his guard after that, the ambiguity about Stark's possible involvement in the conspiracy continues to hang over his head for much longer -- at least until he makes that confession about faking his story re. the Bank of LA shootout in 1x06.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]eloiseinparis
2008-01-23 10:47 pm UTC (link)
Ahhhh! I have been checking LJ all day waiting for this discussion post to pop up and now that it's finally here I have to go to a meeting (a work one, not the kind Dani lies to the Lt. about *g*). So the fun will have to wait.

But I do want to mention my own favorite Notable Moment that's not listed above: When Charlie & Dani interview the bridesmaids, Dani's able to accurately depict Anna's behavior around drugs as "punishment", which catches Charlie's attention.

Looking forward to answering the questions!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]grimorie
2008-01-24 12:49 am UTC (link)
But I do want to mention my own favorite Notable Moment that's not listed above: When Charlie & Dani interview the bridesmaids, Dani's able to accurately depict Anna's behavior around drugs as "punishment", which catches Charlie's attention.

Yeah, that was an interesting, telling moment and one of the few times Dani slips up about her personal life. Other times she's so good at keeping her personal and work life apart.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]nestra
2008-01-23 11:46 pm UTC (link)
On rewatch, I thought this was one of the weaker episodes. The pilot had its piloty moments, but it's got some really compelling stuff. This episode, a little less so.

Was it heightened by Leslie's blatant disregard of what he's been through, or validated?

Man, I had no sympathy for her angst. Try telling your sob story to the guy who *wasn't* falsely convicted and imprisoned for twelve years.

I am also not really thrilled at Charlie's bimbos of the week. I suppose you can make the argument that a guy who's been in prison and deprived would be into sex, especially strings-free sex, but without context, the women don't come off well to me. And with context (Gina and Tina), it's even worse. What were they, eighteen?

Damian Lewis at the BBQ: HOTT.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]piecesofalice
2008-01-24 12:24 am UTC (link)
On rewatch, I thought this was one of the weaker episodes.

I felt that, too. It's not one I rush back to watch again, although it does work well as an exposition piece. We learn a lot in this forty minutes, which in the end makes the other episodes more rounded.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]mirageofmae
2008-01-24 12:38 am UTC (link)
On rewatch, I thought this was one of the weaker episodes. The pilot had its piloty moments, but it's got some really compelling stuff. This episode, a little less so.

I agree that's it not one of the stronger episodes, I remembering thinking the pilot was amazing and then feeling a little disappointed by this episode. There's a saying in television that your first six episodes are like your pilot, they all have to introduce a set of exposition in order to clue in new audience members. This episode really felt like a bad rehash of a lot of the stuff established in the pilot. It was a less graceful form of exposition. Things like the "That's because you ran over my car with a tractor." and then he mumbles, rather forced, "I was not attached to that car" Then the girl of the week who reuses almost the exact dialogue that the previous girl said, "Where's all your furniture" including wearing the same costume (his white shirt!) Even the stuff with Dani felt rehased.

What I like best about this episode is that it goes to laying more foundation of the relationships between Charlie and Dani and Charlie and Bobby. Along with establishing what kind of cop Charlie will be, his defiance towards Lt. Davis, his willingness to disagree, take the unpopular opinion, and a healthy dose of wacky antics (the laying of the photographs is was such an awesome visual, particularly Dani's "Does anyone know what he's doing?!?")

So yes, weaker episode, but still nice in the grand scheme of things.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]grimorie
2008-01-24 12:53 am UTC (link)
(the laying of the photographs is was such an awesome visual, particularly Dani's "Does anyone know what he's doing?!?")

Dani's exasperation made me laugh and laugh and laugh. Also, was it weird for anyone else to see Dani with her hair down and tank top while in the office? I always thought it was because someone called her and basically said: "You better get your ask back here, Reese, your partner's acting crazy."

But, yes, I love how the episode building more foundation for the various relationships in this episode.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]vonnie_k
2008-01-24 01:33 am UTC (link)
On my episode ranking, this one is probably my least favourite among the eleven aired. (Well, maybe one step above "Civil War", I don't know.) The case of the week felt weak, and while we got a bunch of new info/expositions re. the conspiracy, they felt rather haphazardly thrown into the mix. It wasn't until the ep 3 that the show really got into the groove, IMO.

Interestingly though, I found more to enjoy about this ep on re-watch than on the first run. It probably wouldn't surprise you to know that all my favourite bits involved Dani and the way Crews/Reese partnership was shaping up. The stunt with the stun-baton is, like, waaaay up there in my favourite Dani-moments list, along with The Walk in "Powerless" and the knife confiscation in Ep 3. On reflection, it was a hella dangerous thing to do -- I mean, what if his heart stopped and they couldn't get it restarted?? -- and it would have made more sense for the uniforms to jump into the pool to separate the groom from Charlie, but hell, I didn't care, because she shocked him with 900,000 volts of electricity! Because she has BALLS OF STEEL! I was half in love with her already, then I fell long and hard for her right there. I also love their fight after Charlie contradicts her in front of Davis -- the way she goes ice-cold, and how he looks like a chastened child.

As for Leslie, I think she is just written poorly. I mean, what kind of ragin' bitca rags on a guy who's been falsely accused and imprisoned for 12 years? Because nobody would ride with Bobby with four years and... why the hell is that Charlie's fault? It makes no sense whatsoever! Maaaan.

I am also not really thrilled at Charlie's bimbos of the week.

Gina and Tina's jail-baitedness bugged me, but I did like that cool black woman who offered Charlie a ride in her motorcycle. What does bug me more is the different ways Charlie and Dani's promiscuity is portrayed on the show. On one hand, I do like how messed up Dani is in her personal life; how getting over the drugs was just the first step, and she still has problems with alcohol, plus anonymous, meaningless sex that feels like an expression of self-loathing. That's some interesting character stuff. (Even though that "punishment" line was like OMG rain of anvils.) BUT. It chafes my hide a bit that Charlie sleeping around is depicted as harmless fun, a guy joyously reclaiming his sexuality after his dry spell in prison (without even considering the extreme likelihood that Charlie must have been sexually assaulted numerous times in prison until he learned to defend himself), whereas Dani's promiscuity is shown as a symptom of her being broken. Talk about your double-standard.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]nestra
2008-01-24 02:39 am UTC (link)
It chafes my hide a bit that Charlie sleeping around is depicted as harmless fun, a guy joyously reclaiming his sexuality after his dry spell in prison (without even considering the extreme likelihood that Charlie must have been sexually assaulted numerous times in prison until he learned to defend himself), whereas Dani's promiscuity is shown as a symptom of her being broken. Talk about your double-standard.

You're right, of course. I think they back off of Charlie's flings as the series goes on, though that's only my impression, and I'll be interested to see if it's confirmed on rewatch.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]grimorie
2008-01-24 01:14 pm UTC (link)
Reese shocking Charlie and the groom is just really made of win. And, yes, this scene has cemented my love for Reese too. I just love how matter a fact she is about it.

It chafes my hide a bit that Charlie sleeping around is depicted as harmless fun, a guy joyously reclaiming his sexuality after his dry spell in prison (without even considering the extreme likelihood that Charlie must have been sexually assaulted numerous times in prison until he learned to defend himself), whereas Dani's promiscuity is shown as a symptom of her being broken.

Yeah, I've managed to mostly ignore this but it is really annoying, because I've managed to just focus on Dani's awesomeness and, well, Sarah Shahi manages to bring to bring so much to the table.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]grimorie
2008-01-24 12:46 am UTC (link)
Hurrah, another round of discussion!

I've always liked this episode, it's not as strong as the episodes later on but it kept my interests plus it gave me Dani stun batoning Charlie. I love how unapologetic and amused Dani is by the whole thing and quite probably relives the memory whenever he's being particularly irritating.

We get to witness Dani's first pissed-off-with-Charlie mood after he turns the case on it's head in Davis' office, complete with no talking, slamming of files and a wonderful scene in an elevator

I loved this whole scene too, I love that she could silence Charlie with a wave of her Angry Red Pen and then stalk off to, probably, get something to drink and hook-up and yet still be fuming the next morning.

Judging from the scene at Bobby's house, where the tension is thick and foreshadowing - why do you think they were setting Bobby up as The Bad Guy? Is it the classic MacGuffin Technique, or does it just smack of the writers not having a clue?

I agree with [info]mirageofmae, I think it is a peek into Charlie's mindset, free of Zen. For those few minutes we get to see what Charlie was like in prison, quiet, alert and suspicious to anything that would bring him danger.

What impressions did you get from Dani's chatting up of the married man in the bar? Did it serve to give her character more ground, or just paint her with a tar brush?

It just made the character more interesting for me. I was fascinated because it seemed like she's made a very conscious decision to live keep her two worlds separate and Davis calling her at the moment she was the last thing she wanted. It also occurred to me that the reason why Davis might have backed off from pressuring Dani to rat on Charlie was because of this scene.

She knew Dani was lying to her and she looked guilty for pushing Dani to a possible backsliding. For Dani's part, we can see that she was agitated and restless and really, really disliked the idea of ratting on Charlie.

I think part of it was because she really hates the idea of ratting on a partner and part of it was because she must have had enough of betraying people who trusted her, that was a part she thought she'd left behind during her undercover days and here it was again.

(Reply to this)


[info]stormimay
2008-01-24 01:31 am UTC (link)
My favorite part of this whole episode was when Crew's was "caught" by the old lady in Rachel's former bedroom. In Charlie's life, no one trusts him. Not strangers, not his partner, not his boss, not even his lawyer....they are all worried that even if he isn't guilty of the original crime, he has been permanently corrupted or at least unhinged by his 12 years in prison.
The elderly (therefor vulnerable) couple let him into their house, just like the original killer was let in. When they realized who "Mr. Bourke" really was, terror or anger would have been natural responses, and I think that is what Crews was expecting. But she reached out to him.
For whatever reason, that got me. I think it got Crews too.

(Reply to this)

Sorry, 2nd post
[info]stormimay
2008-01-24 01:56 am UTC (link)
How do you think the BBQ scene worked to show how unwelcome and uncomfortable Charlie is now in "regular society"? Was it heightened by Leslie's blatant disregard of what he's been through, or validated?

I saw the barbecue scene a little differently, more as a compare/contrast between Leslie and Bobby. For the past 12 years Bobby had to go through major-work related stress: other cops thought he might be dirty and wouldn't ride with him. He felt guilt for not backing up his partner. He's not promoted...is it normal to be a patrol cop for more than 12 years? Being a policeman isn't a stress-free job under the best of circumstances. Then Charlie is aquitted, given massive amounts of cash, and promoted above Bobby. Leslie was there during Bobby's hard times; no hint is given that she ever wondered if her husband was a dirty cop as well. But the last 12 years had not gone as planned or dreamed about.

None of this is Charlie's fault, and it's stupid to blame it on him. To compare the former partners' past twelve years is even more ridiculous, but Charlie was there, solid and real in her backyard and a natural target for Leslie's 12 year rage.

He would also be a natural target for Bobby. But Bobby welcomes him back, wants a photo, invites him to a barbecue, and has held on to Charlie's badge and gun the whole time (why? surely he didn't expect Charlie to be let out?). I'm curious: is Bobby possibly the only person in Charlie's life who always believed he was innocent? Is that why he isn't angry at Charlie?

All that said, I also think the writers probably thought that Leslie was an easy way to inform the viewers about Bobby's past 12 years without making Bobby look whiny.

(Reply to this)


[info]isa_j
2008-01-28 02:17 pm UTC (link)
Hello everybody, first time posting here (what I'm saying is please don't bite me :) )

Every time I watch this episode I feel uncomfortable. I don't like the way we're are lead to think that bobby might hurt Charlie in his basement or the parallel between the killer being allowed into the home and the old couple allowing Charlie to come in.

The audience obviously know nothing bad will happen. None the less we are forced by the music, the way it's shot, etc. to think it might. I thought it was a cheap trick to make us care. The show doesn't need that.
Am I the only one to have felt that ?

Otherwise, the episode without being brilliant was quite good IMHO. I like the pictures idea. Plus a wet Damian Lewis is always a bonus !

(Reply to this)


[info]dino_m
2008-01-30 07:06 pm UTC (link)
I think this episode was more of a buildup to gain traction to the other stories.
We haven't been told that Bobby Stark wasn't promoted because of what happened to Charlie. Maybe Bobby wants to be a "beat cop". I know officers who wanted to stay a patrolman since it was "more fun". So until we have more to go on, I think that isn't important.
Now with his wife, her behavior is reasonable. Bobby is "dirty" to everyone on the department. He didn't back up his partner. That is a big mistake. It's the Scarlet Letter. It had to be horrible to be singled out and no one wants to ride with you. So his wife had to deal with the ramifications. I bet she also thinks Charlie did commit the crime and is projecting her anger on to him and has been for twelve years.

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