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bluecastleWell... my TV set is still in one piece... and up until about the last ten minutes it was great... and then it turned weird... but it was still great. Stunning in a fingers in a light-socket sort of way...
apologies for the length. This epic ended up epically LONG. really REALLY long!!
so they led into this episode with a marathon which I avoided ... but the episode right before this one was the one where the last shot is of the rat in Goren's desk...
and then... Frame... with blood pressure skyrocketing, and hands quivering from adrenaline, tucked up on the end of my sofa, and clutching my remote in my hand I watch...
We begin... with a conclusion. Goren and Eames are in the interrogation room. first shot is of them and two perps, framed by the dark space around the two way mirror. shot from inside the viewing room, we look in and see Goren and Eames wrapping up a case. {first words ... Eames and her inevitable "no, see.."} They lay out the facts, and the female (blonde and wearing a white shirt a la Nicole I might add) launches herself across the table trying to strangle the man. goren grabs her. cuffs her. and he and eames wander out into the hallway where they are met by Ross who says, good job, and once you do the paperwork, take tomorrow off. {note to ross. never give your dets the day off. it only leads to trouble...}
apologies for the length. This epic ended up epically LONG. really REALLY long!!
so they led into this episode with a marathon which I avoided ... but the episode right before this one was the one where the last shot is of the rat in Goren's desk...
and then... Frame... with blood pressure skyrocketing, and hands quivering from adrenaline, tucked up on the end of my sofa, and clutching my remote in my hand I watch...
We begin... with a conclusion. Goren and Eames are in the interrogation room. first shot is of them and two perps, framed by the dark space around the two way mirror. shot from inside the viewing room, we look in and see Goren and Eames wrapping up a case. {first words ... Eames and her inevitable "no, see.."} They lay out the facts, and the female (blonde and wearing a white shirt a la Nicole I might add) launches herself across the table trying to strangle the man. goren grabs her. cuffs her. and he and eames wander out into the hallway where they are met by Ross who says, good job, and once you do the paperwork, take tomorrow off. {note to ross. never give your dets the day off. it only leads to trouble...}
Goren looks at Eames. Eames looks at Goren and says "Go." He asks "are you sure." She is and Goren leaves.
We then see Frank in a blue and white striped shirt at his NA meeting. camera pans around circle of folks as Frank talks about how today is his mother's birthday and that just makes him want to use, but he is determined not to {at this point, I hear Bobby whisper in my ear..."Frank isn't in program... Frank just talks program} we see just a flash of the woman (blonde, white jacket) sitting next to Frank comforting him. {if it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck...or as we will come to see... a Christmas Goose...}
Next Bobby is laying white roses at his mother's grave, backed by a rather lovely stone mausoleum with a great carved rose window-like adornment). He finds a picture in a gold frame -- the one of small frank and bobby only now it's a smaller version of the one frances had in her room -- lying next to the grave, face down.
Bobby looks around, looks at picture...
cut to scene of Frank and a woman {a repeater -- a lawyer from an early episode.} Woman gives him an envelope (money). Frank says Bobby has transferred all his father anger onto Frank. Frank goes to pay, Mysterious blonde walks by. Cashier gives Frank a message from the mysterious blonde. Frank reads and nods. (The cashier is a repeater too...)
cut to Bobby in his kitchen (still messy) eating (a salad?) {one would hope a subtle sign that Bobby is starting to take care of himself} and paging through his photo album. looks at Frances in the Kennedy suit...
b/w flashback to bobby and frank in the coffeeshop talking about frank taking care of bobby for that whole weekend -- during Endgame.
bobby tries to call Frank.
Frank doesn't answer. he is too busy lighting his crack pipe. v. messy junkie-fied coffee table... pills, coins, batteries?, papers, a giant ashtray, coffee cups...
there's a knock at the door. Frank tries to tidy his tip. (junkies make terrible housekeepers). Does odd little tip toe to the door, peeks though, we see what he sees, the side view of a blonde woman wearing a white jacket, who turns as we...
cut to a streetscene... crime scene. Bobby arrives in his best black tshirt, blue striped shirt, jeans and blue suit jacket, {black and blue...} clutching the grave!photo on his day off, determined to track down Frank. Asks cop what happened. 'some dead junkie'... Bobby flashes badge and storms down brick stone alleyway {not unlike the place where the dog found eames after the kidnapping}. Bobby see a body covered up by a bed sheet.
rubs neck. lifts corner of sheet. sees Frank, blood trickling from mouth {in universal tv symbol of a suicide by jumping}. dead. hand over mouth in horror (in much the same way he did while listening to MF Brady talk about raping and killing...)
and roll credits...
And so onward as the DotW {another repeater. reports indicate the cast was made up of repeaters, as well as some of the production staff incognito} asks why Bobby there now. Bobby watches the ME's zip Frank into a body bag.
he explains -- mom's birthday. brother. missing nephew.
bobby is nothing but utter numbness. Looks up at Frank's open window, striped bed sheet for a curtain flapping in the breeze. Pink shirt hangs from laundry lines strung across the alleyway.
G/E ride in elevator {such an iconic g/e image}. camera shoots them from behind. They discuss case, and the $800 the cops found on Frank. I wrote down the word "solidarity" here to describe the vibe coming from the partners. Guy in red polo gets on elevator.
Eames says she'll talk to the Captain and make sure Franks' death gets a "real investigation" {on a fake cop show...}. Says "you'll be at arms length, but I'll keep you posted."
Eames and Ross go through Frank's apartment. Ross says no food in fridge or cupboards. Eames says he doesn't have to stay and help. Ross says he wants to stay... loosing a mother and a brother is alot and he wants to help. Eames finds Frank's NA meeting book.
Eames: "Frank had a meeting yesterday"
Ross: (running his fingers through the coke on the coffee table) "Guess it didn't take..."
Note in book reads: Evelyn. Coffee Shop. 9:30. Port Authority.
Ross finds a strand of blonde hair in the bed.
Eames shows Bobby the NA book. Bobby identifies Evelyn as possibly Donny's mom.
so off to visit evelyn they go. talk on her front porch. white house. white picket fence and curly gingerbread trim. Arch over walk at front gate. Evelyn (to Bobby) "I wish that you had taken more of an interest in your nephew." Frank it seems told Evelyn that Bobby couldn't or wouldn't help. Bobby gobsmacked. Looks at Eames. {very cold there writers... but in a wonderfully terrible way... Frank is such an SOB.} Ev clues them in to there being a mysterious blonde woman at the coffee shop. An eerie plinking music begins as 'the blonde' is discussed, you can see Bobby's wheels start churning. Bobby mentions Frank leaving picture at grave. Ev says no, that Frank didn't even know where Frances was buried.
Bobby at OnePP going through an evidence box {another iconic image, now bobby has one just like eames} looking at Frank's tatty pictures. Eames comes in to say the coffee shop remembered the blonde, and that she ordered tea, and that the cahier was working with a sketch artist.
Bobby contrasts the dog-eared pictures with the framed one. says the gold frame "honors the picture, the memory..." and that Frank is not thoughtful like that. Keeps referring to Frank in the present tense. Eames looks, but doesn't call him on it.
Eames gets a page, the autopsy on Frank is done.
Rogers talks them over the body. she and Eames stand next to Frank layed out on the table. Bobby floats off in the corner watching. Cuts from the fall, signs of sperm and saliva, ... but Frank didn't jump... was murdered {tho apparently had sex with Nicole first}. Has injection on side. Succonocholine {how the hell do you spell that?}. Bobby says Frank was afraid of needles {explains the crack pipe}. Eames puts it together and verbalizes it.
needles. poison. blonde = Nicole.
flashback to POI and whozey hanging from the shower nozzle
flashback to peanut boy collapsing at OnePP during Anti-Thesis
{damn... I am losing it... I used to have more recall for characters names}
cut to Nicole ordering red and yellow bouquets at a florist. A car honks outside, she waves and mouths 'one minute'. Florist tells her she forgot to sign the card. She dabs at her eyes with a hankie, kisses the card, leaving a big fat lip print.
flashback to Eames leading Nicole out of interrogation saying "don't think for one second that this is the end of us Bobby..."
we see closeup of the card with the lip print which reads "Oh, this is the poison of deep grief."
Ah, my favorite... the bulletin board scene. Eames and Goren have pictures and details of all the people Nicole has killed as they go over their theory for Ross.
Ross (to B) "I'm told she's your white whale"
They go over Mark Bayley {ah ha ... peanut boy}, Larry Chapel, and Zack Thaler {the previous victim of a succonocholine injection -- the chinese teacher} {yeah, I not only had to type it once, but twice... :0)}
{through the interview room, we can see the bright red and yellow bouquet sitting on bobby's desk, but g/e are not yet aware of it.}
{I did five minutes research. the bouquets looked to me like yellow roses and red gerbera daisies. yellow roses once meant jealousy and dying love, but have softened over the years to symbolize friendship and joy. The daisies mean a number of things including beauty, innocence, purity, and strength. native to africa, the gerbera was first cultivated in England. I love Google}
{ok, so did Ross dye his hair??? I KNOW he used to have grey sideburns...}
the Nicole exposition leads them to talk of Gwen Chapel. Ross says they can't investigate Frank's murder, but they talk him into letting them try and track down Nicole for jumping bail those three years past. Bobby leaves, Ross asks Eames to stay.
Bobby discovers flowers as Eames arrives back at their desk.
Bobby: what was that about?
Eames: he wanted me to tell him you weren't being paranoid.
Bobby: Show him this (gives Eames the card with the flowers)
bobby tells her the quote is from Hamlet. "the nephew" {was the quote a Polonius line???} he mutters leading him to worry even more about Donny as Jeffries yells "Goren, Line one {that's an exact line from season one's The Extra Man IIRC} is for you. Belvedere Hospital called. You're listed as someone's next of kin, they wouldn't tell me who..."
Bobby assumes bad things have been done to Donny and they dash off... but the next shot is of ...
bobby in the hospital room with... DECLAN. Who looks like hell. Gaunt, shorn hair, tubes everwhere... Was poisoned by a blonde in a stairwell {sound familiar?} even says "someone bumped me"
g/e talk to DofW(2) who says stairwell. blonde. poison.
goren talks to dec's doctor who says they have to finish flushing the poison out of his system. he didn't get the whole dose, but "given his already poor health..."
Bobby looks puzzled. doc explains dec picked up some parasites from eating month old christmas goose and hasn't really been right since...
nurse arrives carrying a very familiar red and yellow bouquet. Typed card reads "wishing you the speediest of recoveries -- Nicole"
flower shop. florists very sympathetic about poor Nicole. She ordered two sympathy bouquets, and then emailed the order for the third one (Dec's) first one went to One PP, the second one went to Phoenix.
g/e discuss gwen's predisposition for cancer
flashback to gwen and nicole snuggling on couch
as goren voiceover says she was "the only person Nicole ever loved. if she's dying that might have set her off.
so g/e are off to phoenix {did no one consider that a girl who is dying is living in a city named after bird who never dies???} Gwen looks fragile and has her head bound up in a sparkly purple scarf (hair loss. cancer treatment...) {Nice earth tones in set to indicate southwestern house...although probably filmed on Staten Island or the like...}
Gwen says Nicole sent bobby a message with her get well card.
written on a picture of Donny are the words "tit for tat. blood for blood"
Eames thinks Nicole kidnapped Donny. Goren says if Nicole had Donny she would have used a new picture. Eames get text that the blonde hair in Frank's bed was Nicole's (DNA testing)
postmark on the getwell card... Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
"nicole is sending us on a scavenger hunt"
"what's in Pittsfield"
"Its where Melville wrote Moby Dick" {Melville scholar much Bobby?}
flashback to Nicole lecture on Melville in her classroom in Anti-Thesis
{you gotta love an episode which references another episode from at least five and a half years before...}
Goren and Eames go off to an Inn in Pittsfield, Mass {sudden thought? why the inn? how did they know to go there?} Anyway... they arrive and the lady innkeeper is delighted to welcome Mr. Goren and tells him they have reserved the honeymoon suite for him. {now I hear Frank whispering in my ear "just take her to a motel and get it out of your system..."}
they get shown to their room (chintz, lace, fourposter bed, champagne ...} and in the middle of the bed is a box. addy says from donny to bobby.
Goren gets out his ever present switchblade. {there's such a satisfying little 'snick' sound when it's opened} Eames starts to say "maybe you should wait..." {Alex, has that line EVER worked on him?} Bobby slits open the box. inside is a little styrofoam cooler. Goren pulls off lid. Eames gasps Oh My God and backs away horrified and revolted. Bobby stands staring down at a very bloody heart nestled in a big wad of gauze...
{by now the only thing missing is mysterious heartbeats punctuating the flashbacks...}
back at the ME's... Goren is getting all worked up. is sure it's donny's heart. Ross arrives for support. Liz says it's not Donny's.
... but she knows whose it is...
... and it's...
...NICOLE's...
and Bobby will not belive her. discounts twin. liz agrees.
Bobby: she must be playing us
Ross: playing you.
Bobby: you can't kill Nicole. She has nine lives.
Eames: she ran out. {of lives. took me a minute to get this}
Bobby (anguished to Eames, voice cracking) don't take that side...
Bobby insists he's right, and they're all wrong, and Nicole has Donny and stomps out.
ross goes to apologize to liz. "he's under strain.." "I know" she replies [with portentious undertones]. Ross turns to Eames "Eames can you give us the room?"
she gets huffy and stomps off
Ross turns to Rogers, saying "my detective is in trouble. What do you know?" she demurs, and he presses further. "I'm not threatening you Elizabeth, I'm trying to warn you. Goren has a target on him, and so does anyone who helps him."
Rogers admits that two months prior Goren had come to her to run a DNA test comparing him to MFB
Ross: the results?
Rogers: you'll have to ask him.
Ross rats out Goren to Eames in his office.
Eames: "this is the first I'm hearing about this..." {ending the did she know or didn't she debate}
Ross wonders if Bobby isn't the killer of Frank and/or Nicole
Eames just stunned. says no of course not.
Ross says "prove it"
cut to scene of Bobby wheeling Declan down the hospital corridor {not unlike Bobby and Frances...} Dec is nibbling chocolate and being all manic and goofy.
Declan: working theory... Nicole had a partner who turned on her... you are being set up... just like me with Eames... I never blamed you...
Goren loads Dec into his lovely black vintage mustang (or whatever...) They talk about Jo. Dec says their relationship has never been better. Asks Bobby to examine his past and try and figure out who benefits if Bobby is seen to be the killer.
Eames hiding in interrogation room, has been going through bobby's calls, luds, and nothing amiss. Ross says he'd know how to hide his tracks.
Simmons arrives to tell Ross about Bobby's finances. Eames aghast again. says "ask me" if there are questions about Bobby's money. says he had hospital bills, and six months w/o pay. {A HA ... it's not that he does't like ties any more ... it's that he can't afford them... effie chortles, tongue firmly in cheek}
Simmons concurs. has turned up credit union loans and credit card bills... Ross asks about life insurance. Simmons does quick check on Eames' laptop and they turn up a $500,000 policy for Frank with the beneficiary being "Willam Brady" -- Goren's fake i.d. when he went after Donny in prison.
Eames and Ross in Ross's office discussing. Goren storms in to say he knows they've been looking at his phone calls, his emails, his finances... {just how paranoid is he if he's checking to see who's checking?}
Demands from Eames "do you think I'm capable of killing?"
Ross jumps in "what should I think? You're stressed, and unstable... and theres ... your father..." {ah, I love a good subtle prod}
There's a nice Goren rant a la "what do you want to know. why didn't you just ask me. too scared? did your girlfriend tell you about me... you both want to know... then here... " and he pulls the dna test out of his binder {OMG what a thing to carry around with you day after day for months on end...} he flings it on the ground in front of Ross's desk and he and Ross have a greatest stare down in tv history. Both reeking of testosterone they just LOOK at each other for about a millenia... and then bobby stomps off.
{I noted with pleasure that while Goren clearly unhappy with Eames at this moment, he only ever looked at Ross as someone who doubted him...}
Eames then yells (quietly) at Ross and asks him if knowing that his daddy was a serial killer suddenly makes Bobby capable of murder. {while I appreciate her faith in him, this seems an odd time for a nature v. nurture debate!}
Ross hits her back with "You have a better suspect?"
Eames: no, but I have a witness. My partner would tell you, with serial killers the most important interview is with someone who survives." {Now I hear Eames whispering "I only look like I'm not paying attention to you..."} {to wit, to woo... Eames has become a better cop for working with Bobby...}
The pull Dec in. We see him at the bulletin board, doing the Goren lean examining crime scene photos.
They ask him if he saw anyone suspicious at his talk before he was poisoned. He tells them he doesn't look at the audience anymore, he uses cards so he doesn't go off on tangents.
Ross: have you been in touch with Bobby?
dec: Didn't I see you at his mother's funeral?
Dec asks if they suspect HIM. Ross tells him the "postmark on Nicole's heart" was before Dec was poisoned.
Dec says Bobby is caught in a trap. Then tries to finger Eames as the killer. Says to her "you care about him deeply. You know more about him than..." Eames declines to listen. Leaves. slams door.
Ross puts forth his theory that it's bobby...
Dec asks why he would snap now, that bobby would need an 'inciting incident'
Ross knows about MFB and looks worried.
Ross is saved by the bell. his cell phone goes off. Goren has gone off on Liz downstairs. Ross and Eames rush in. Goren flinging trays of instruments yelling' This is my life. you promised me confidentiality..."
Eames: "let's go for a walk" and drags Goren outside
Ross apologizes. Liz says no harm no foul.
Goren snapping at Eames.
Eames: I was trying to clear you
Goren scoffs
Eames explains about the life insurance on Frank. says "someone is gaslighting you."
They look at each other with a "now what partner" vibe. {my little happy ending heart wants this to be the thing that brings them back together as partners...}
Goren off to see Jo. Finds out that Dec lied to him. Jo is in a coma after biting her tongue off and suffocating herself. That she did this on the day that she was being cleared for visitation from her father ... says to me that Jo decided she no longer wants so much attention from Daddy.
Ross then seen leading Dec into squadroom.
"Does Bobby know I'm here?"
"He asked for you."
Ross ushers Dec into interrogation. Eames is standing against the wall just to the right of the door. when Dec sees her he gets all "oh... your partner's here...
Eames: I was just telling him (Bobby) how you think I'm responsible for killing his brother.'
Declan: It's one working theory...
Eames: but didn't you tell the captain there needs to be a trauma to get things started.
Declan: you've had those. PTSD. Pent-up Anger. It's all there...
Eames: {my new hero} It's there all right (stares right up at Dec) But not toward MY PARTNER...
She starts out the door, Declan leans over and slams it shut behind her. {my oh my dec is a nasty jealous man} Turns to Bobby and says "doesn't she remind you of your mother???" {OH there are psychological mines to be explored there all right!!!}
Declan: Your mom, Nicole... they always kept you guessing. It must be tough, staying engaged when you're always two steps ahead of everone else in the room...
Declan: why couldn't it be Eames? She lack the nerve?
Goren: (with no hesitation) No.
Declan: the imagination? ... what was that reagan quote...??
Declan searches for quote, bobby says it wasn't reagan who said it, but Bush. Dec looks giddy and says "now there are some father issues..."
Goren: were we talking about father issues?
Declan: isn't that what this is all about?
they discuss the paternity test which bobby had told dec about... says to dec "I wasn't afraid of the test." Dec says meeting MFB suddenly made your whole life make sense. Mom doted on "cankerous brother" now we know why... and why daddy didn't like you... and why was it your mother spent all her time worrying about Frank.
Goren: she knew I could take care of myself.
Dec points out that Bobby helps Frank. Then Frank betrays Bobby.
Dec shucks coat (of lovely linen suit -- with braces and a bow tie) and sits down. "There's a theme here Bobby. Haven't you ever asked yourself why nobody ever comes through for you? Do you think it was your fault?"
Bobby (tears welling) I've thought that
Declan: it's their fault, it's not your fault {he's like some hypnotic asp here...}
Declan compares bobby to jo.
bobby then calls dec on lying to him about jo
declan says he didn't want to burden bobby with the info.
There is another long stare as Bobby gazes at Declan and finally says quiety... "you're good... for a man with diminishing capacity..."
tell Dec he knows that Jo refused to see him.
Dec says he's great -- a tenured professor, writing, lecturing...
Goren and Dec have a lovely clinical discussion over the heads of 99.9% of viewers about "Executive function" the "Wisconsin Card Test" and the "Stroop..." {calling Wikipedia...}
Goren says he figures that Dec has destroyed his frontal lobe with too much drug use and formaldehyde... {this is when it starts getting really WTF???} talks about dec's lack of inhibition, his lack of judgement... the sticky chocolate he's always eating and getting all over himself, the month old christmas goose he ate {and presumably got worms from...}, the cards, the lack of attention span... all things for which "there is no medication..."
Declan: There's occupational therapy... I'll make.... (searches for word) {and I realize here that all the goofy Dec behavior and the absent minded professor routine was some kind of mental impairment...} ... collages (he finally remembers)
Goren: you've already done that. you've cut and pasted pieces of my life.
Accuses him of killing Frank.
Dec says no, that WAS Nicole.
Goren asks how she found Dec.
Declan: she found ME. My latest book... was on women serial killers, like Jo, like her. I knew she'd find me. (Laughs) Bobby... she tried to seduce me {could Dec be gay????} I think you and I are the only men who ever said no to her. It's the only way to engage her..."
Bobby sits, camera pulls back so that we see a two-shot of him and Declan, framed underneath those two skinny windows in interrogation, sitting on opposite sides of the table, in matching metal chairs. {Like some kind of visual ink blot}
{and of course, we stop to consider that Ross and Eames MUST be behind the mirror looking in on this whole scene}
Declan: she said she missed having a partner.
Bobby: My brother, was that her idea?
Declan: I let her think it was. She said it didn't take much...
Bobby visibly upset. {poor boy still loves his nasty brother} fighting back tears he chokes out "Declan, you son of a bitch"
Declan: (almost clinically) He was going down anyway.
Bobby: you did this for me?????
Declan: No. For both of us. After Jo I had no one. And you. You're the son I never had. When I saw you at your mother's funeral you broke my heart. I wanted you to engage again. So I gave you a puzzle ... to solve... to play ....
Bobby: A puzzle??? You think I needed HER to get me back in the game???
Declan: precisely
Bobby cries
Declan: And then she turned on me, but I was waiting {There's Jo in my ear "but this time, I was ready..."} When she realized it was finally her time she looked up at me with those big doe eyes {and MFB "I called her Bambi..."} of hers and she said (dec does accent) "tell Bobby he's the only man I ever loved." {debate amongst yourselves. was she lying???}
Bobby: What else?
Declan: I wonder who you'll miss more... Nicole ... or your brother {quadruple OUCH}
Bobby: whispering "tell me who else... Donny?"
Declan: No! I wouldn't have done that even if I'd found him. That wouldn't have helped you.
Bobby: Helped me??? HELPED me????
Declan: You still don't see do you?
bobby shakes head no.
declan leans forward to cup bobby's face in his hands "you're younger than you think" {HUH?}
Bobby: you killed Frank and Nicole for me???
Declan: they were dead weight. I wanted you to have a clean slate. You're free now...
closeup on them both. dec claps his hands together and rests his chin on them and gleefully says...
Declan: "Bobby... you're free now...
bobby just blinks, and looks, and looks, tears welling...
... and the screen fades to black...
...FIN SEASON SEVEN...
We then see Frank in a blue and white striped shirt at his NA meeting. camera pans around circle of folks as Frank talks about how today is his mother's birthday and that just makes him want to use, but he is determined not to {at this point, I hear Bobby whisper in my ear..."Frank isn't in program... Frank just talks program} we see just a flash of the woman (blonde, white jacket) sitting next to Frank comforting him. {if it looks like a duck, and sounds like a duck...or as we will come to see... a Christmas Goose...}
Next Bobby is laying white roses at his mother's grave, backed by a rather lovely stone mausoleum with a great carved rose window-like adornment). He finds a picture in a gold frame -- the one of small frank and bobby only now it's a smaller version of the one frances had in her room -- lying next to the grave, face down.
Bobby looks around, looks at picture...
cut to scene of Frank and a woman {a repeater -- a lawyer from an early episode.} Woman gives him an envelope (money). Frank says Bobby has transferred all his father anger onto Frank. Frank goes to pay, Mysterious blonde walks by. Cashier gives Frank a message from the mysterious blonde. Frank reads and nods. (The cashier is a repeater too...)
cut to Bobby in his kitchen (still messy) eating (a salad?) {one would hope a subtle sign that Bobby is starting to take care of himself} and paging through his photo album. looks at Frances in the Kennedy suit...
b/w flashback to bobby and frank in the coffeeshop talking about frank taking care of bobby for that whole weekend -- during Endgame.
bobby tries to call Frank.
Frank doesn't answer. he is too busy lighting his crack pipe. v. messy junkie-fied coffee table... pills, coins, batteries?, papers, a giant ashtray, coffee cups...
there's a knock at the door. Frank tries to tidy his tip. (junkies make terrible housekeepers). Does odd little tip toe to the door, peeks though, we see what he sees, the side view of a blonde woman wearing a white jacket, who turns as we...
cut to a streetscene... crime scene. Bobby arrives in his best black tshirt, blue striped shirt, jeans and blue suit jacket, {black and blue...} clutching the grave!photo on his day off, determined to track down Frank. Asks cop what happened. 'some dead junkie'... Bobby flashes badge and storms down brick stone alleyway {not unlike the place where the dog found eames after the kidnapping}. Bobby see a body covered up by a bed sheet.
rubs neck. lifts corner of sheet. sees Frank, blood trickling from mouth {in universal tv symbol of a suicide by jumping}. dead. hand over mouth in horror (in much the same way he did while listening to MF Brady talk about raping and killing...)
and roll credits...
And so onward as the DotW {another repeater. reports indicate the cast was made up of repeaters, as well as some of the production staff incognito} asks why Bobby there now. Bobby watches the ME's zip Frank into a body bag.
he explains -- mom's birthday. brother. missing nephew.
bobby is nothing but utter numbness. Looks up at Frank's open window, striped bed sheet for a curtain flapping in the breeze. Pink shirt hangs from laundry lines strung across the alleyway.
G/E ride in elevator {such an iconic g/e image}. camera shoots them from behind. They discuss case, and the $800 the cops found on Frank. I wrote down the word "solidarity" here to describe the vibe coming from the partners. Guy in red polo gets on elevator.
Eames says she'll talk to the Captain and make sure Franks' death gets a "real investigation" {on a fake cop show...}. Says "you'll be at arms length, but I'll keep you posted."
Eames and Ross go through Frank's apartment. Ross says no food in fridge or cupboards. Eames says he doesn't have to stay and help. Ross says he wants to stay... loosing a mother and a brother is alot and he wants to help. Eames finds Frank's NA meeting book.
Eames: "Frank had a meeting yesterday"
Ross: (running his fingers through the coke on the coffee table) "Guess it didn't take..."
Note in book reads: Evelyn. Coffee Shop. 9:30. Port Authority.
Ross finds a strand of blonde hair in the bed.
Eames shows Bobby the NA book. Bobby identifies Evelyn as possibly Donny's mom.
so off to visit evelyn they go. talk on her front porch. white house. white picket fence and curly gingerbread trim. Arch over walk at front gate. Evelyn (to Bobby) "I wish that you had taken more of an interest in your nephew." Frank it seems told Evelyn that Bobby couldn't or wouldn't help. Bobby gobsmacked. Looks at Eames. {very cold there writers... but in a wonderfully terrible way... Frank is such an SOB.} Ev clues them in to there being a mysterious blonde woman at the coffee shop. An eerie plinking music begins as 'the blonde' is discussed, you can see Bobby's wheels start churning. Bobby mentions Frank leaving picture at grave. Ev says no, that Frank didn't even know where Frances was buried.
Bobby at OnePP going through an evidence box {another iconic image, now bobby has one just like eames} looking at Frank's tatty pictures. Eames comes in to say the coffee shop remembered the blonde, and that she ordered tea, and that the cahier was working with a sketch artist.
Bobby contrasts the dog-eared pictures with the framed one. says the gold frame "honors the picture, the memory..." and that Frank is not thoughtful like that. Keeps referring to Frank in the present tense. Eames looks, but doesn't call him on it.
Eames gets a page, the autopsy on Frank is done.
Rogers talks them over the body. she and Eames stand next to Frank layed out on the table. Bobby floats off in the corner watching. Cuts from the fall, signs of sperm and saliva, ... but Frank didn't jump... was murdered {tho apparently had sex with Nicole first}. Has injection on side. Succonocholine {how the hell do you spell that?}. Bobby says Frank was afraid of needles {explains the crack pipe}. Eames puts it together and verbalizes it.
needles. poison. blonde = Nicole.
flashback to POI and whozey hanging from the shower nozzle
flashback to peanut boy collapsing at OnePP during Anti-Thesis
{damn... I am losing it... I used to have more recall for characters names}
cut to Nicole ordering red and yellow bouquets at a florist. A car honks outside, she waves and mouths 'one minute'. Florist tells her she forgot to sign the card. She dabs at her eyes with a hankie, kisses the card, leaving a big fat lip print.
flashback to Eames leading Nicole out of interrogation saying "don't think for one second that this is the end of us Bobby..."
we see closeup of the card with the lip print which reads "Oh, this is the poison of deep grief."
Ah, my favorite... the bulletin board scene. Eames and Goren have pictures and details of all the people Nicole has killed as they go over their theory for Ross.
Ross (to B) "I'm told she's your white whale"
They go over Mark Bayley {ah ha ... peanut boy}, Larry Chapel, and Zack Thaler {the previous victim of a succonocholine injection -- the chinese teacher} {yeah, I not only had to type it once, but twice... :0)}
{through the interview room, we can see the bright red and yellow bouquet sitting on bobby's desk, but g/e are not yet aware of it.}
{I did five minutes research. the bouquets looked to me like yellow roses and red gerbera daisies. yellow roses once meant jealousy and dying love, but have softened over the years to symbolize friendship and joy. The daisies mean a number of things including beauty, innocence, purity, and strength. native to africa, the gerbera was first cultivated in England. I love Google}
{ok, so did Ross dye his hair??? I KNOW he used to have grey sideburns...}
the Nicole exposition leads them to talk of Gwen Chapel. Ross says they can't investigate Frank's murder, but they talk him into letting them try and track down Nicole for jumping bail those three years past. Bobby leaves, Ross asks Eames to stay.
Bobby discovers flowers as Eames arrives back at their desk.
Bobby: what was that about?
Eames: he wanted me to tell him you weren't being paranoid.
Bobby: Show him this (gives Eames the card with the flowers)
bobby tells her the quote is from Hamlet. "the nephew" {was the quote a Polonius line???} he mutters leading him to worry even more about Donny as Jeffries yells "Goren, Line one {that's an exact line from season one's The Extra Man IIRC} is for you. Belvedere Hospital called. You're listed as someone's next of kin, they wouldn't tell me who..."
Bobby assumes bad things have been done to Donny and they dash off... but the next shot is of ...
bobby in the hospital room with... DECLAN. Who looks like hell. Gaunt, shorn hair, tubes everwhere... Was poisoned by a blonde in a stairwell {sound familiar?} even says "someone bumped me"
g/e talk to DofW(2) who says stairwell. blonde. poison.
goren talks to dec's doctor who says they have to finish flushing the poison out of his system. he didn't get the whole dose, but "given his already poor health..."
Bobby looks puzzled. doc explains dec picked up some parasites from eating month old christmas goose and hasn't really been right since...
nurse arrives carrying a very familiar red and yellow bouquet. Typed card reads "wishing you the speediest of recoveries -- Nicole"
flower shop. florists very sympathetic about poor Nicole. She ordered two sympathy bouquets, and then emailed the order for the third one (Dec's) first one went to One PP, the second one went to Phoenix.
g/e discuss gwen's predisposition for cancer
flashback to gwen and nicole snuggling on couch
as goren voiceover says she was "the only person Nicole ever loved. if she's dying that might have set her off.
so g/e are off to phoenix {did no one consider that a girl who is dying is living in a city named after bird who never dies???} Gwen looks fragile and has her head bound up in a sparkly purple scarf (hair loss. cancer treatment...) {Nice earth tones in set to indicate southwestern house...although probably filmed on Staten Island or the like...}
Gwen says Nicole sent bobby a message with her get well card.
written on a picture of Donny are the words "tit for tat. blood for blood"
Eames thinks Nicole kidnapped Donny. Goren says if Nicole had Donny she would have used a new picture. Eames get text that the blonde hair in Frank's bed was Nicole's (DNA testing)
postmark on the getwell card... Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
"nicole is sending us on a scavenger hunt"
"what's in Pittsfield"
"Its where Melville wrote Moby Dick" {Melville scholar much Bobby?}
flashback to Nicole lecture on Melville in her classroom in Anti-Thesis
{you gotta love an episode which references another episode from at least five and a half years before...}
Goren and Eames go off to an Inn in Pittsfield, Mass {sudden thought? why the inn? how did they know to go there?} Anyway... they arrive and the lady innkeeper is delighted to welcome Mr. Goren and tells him they have reserved the honeymoon suite for him. {now I hear Frank whispering in my ear "just take her to a motel and get it out of your system..."}
they get shown to their room (chintz, lace, fourposter bed, champagne ...} and in the middle of the bed is a box. addy says from donny to bobby.
Goren gets out his ever present switchblade. {there's such a satisfying little 'snick' sound when it's opened} Eames starts to say "maybe you should wait..." {Alex, has that line EVER worked on him?} Bobby slits open the box. inside is a little styrofoam cooler. Goren pulls off lid. Eames gasps Oh My God and backs away horrified and revolted. Bobby stands staring down at a very bloody heart nestled in a big wad of gauze...
{by now the only thing missing is mysterious heartbeats punctuating the flashbacks...}
back at the ME's... Goren is getting all worked up. is sure it's donny's heart. Ross arrives for support. Liz says it's not Donny's.
... but she knows whose it is...
... and it's...
...NICOLE's...
and Bobby will not belive her. discounts twin. liz agrees.
Bobby: she must be playing us
Ross: playing you.
Bobby: you can't kill Nicole. She has nine lives.
Eames: she ran out. {of lives. took me a minute to get this}
Bobby (anguished to Eames, voice cracking) don't take that side...
Bobby insists he's right, and they're all wrong, and Nicole has Donny and stomps out.
ross goes to apologize to liz. "he's under strain.." "I know" she replies [with portentious undertones]. Ross turns to Eames "Eames can you give us the room?"
she gets huffy and stomps off
Ross turns to Rogers, saying "my detective is in trouble. What do you know?" she demurs, and he presses further. "I'm not threatening you Elizabeth, I'm trying to warn you. Goren has a target on him, and so does anyone who helps him."
Rogers admits that two months prior Goren had come to her to run a DNA test comparing him to MFB
Ross: the results?
Rogers: you'll have to ask him.
Ross rats out Goren to Eames in his office.
Eames: "this is the first I'm hearing about this..." {ending the did she know or didn't she debate}
Ross wonders if Bobby isn't the killer of Frank and/or Nicole
Eames just stunned. says no of course not.
Ross says "prove it"
cut to scene of Bobby wheeling Declan down the hospital corridor {not unlike Bobby and Frances...} Dec is nibbling chocolate and being all manic and goofy.
Declan: working theory... Nicole had a partner who turned on her... you are being set up... just like me with Eames... I never blamed you...
Goren loads Dec into his lovely black vintage mustang (or whatever...) They talk about Jo. Dec says their relationship has never been better. Asks Bobby to examine his past and try and figure out who benefits if Bobby is seen to be the killer.
Eames hiding in interrogation room, has been going through bobby's calls, luds, and nothing amiss. Ross says he'd know how to hide his tracks.
Simmons arrives to tell Ross about Bobby's finances. Eames aghast again. says "ask me" if there are questions about Bobby's money. says he had hospital bills, and six months w/o pay. {A HA ... it's not that he does't like ties any more ... it's that he can't afford them... effie chortles, tongue firmly in cheek}
Simmons concurs. has turned up credit union loans and credit card bills... Ross asks about life insurance. Simmons does quick check on Eames' laptop and they turn up a $500,000 policy for Frank with the beneficiary being "Willam Brady" -- Goren's fake i.d. when he went after Donny in prison.
Eames and Ross in Ross's office discussing. Goren storms in to say he knows they've been looking at his phone calls, his emails, his finances... {just how paranoid is he if he's checking to see who's checking?}
Demands from Eames "do you think I'm capable of killing?"
Ross jumps in "what should I think? You're stressed, and unstable... and theres ... your father..." {ah, I love a good subtle prod}
There's a nice Goren rant a la "what do you want to know. why didn't you just ask me. too scared? did your girlfriend tell you about me... you both want to know... then here... " and he pulls the dna test out of his binder {OMG what a thing to carry around with you day after day for months on end...} he flings it on the ground in front of Ross's desk and he and Ross have a greatest stare down in tv history. Both reeking of testosterone they just LOOK at each other for about a millenia... and then bobby stomps off.
{I noted with pleasure that while Goren clearly unhappy with Eames at this moment, he only ever looked at Ross as someone who doubted him...}
Eames then yells (quietly) at Ross and asks him if knowing that his daddy was a serial killer suddenly makes Bobby capable of murder. {while I appreciate her faith in him, this seems an odd time for a nature v. nurture debate!}
Ross hits her back with "You have a better suspect?"
Eames: no, but I have a witness. My partner would tell you, with serial killers the most important interview is with someone who survives." {Now I hear Eames whispering "I only look like I'm not paying attention to you..."} {to wit, to woo... Eames has become a better cop for working with Bobby...}
The pull Dec in. We see him at the bulletin board, doing the Goren lean examining crime scene photos.
They ask him if he saw anyone suspicious at his talk before he was poisoned. He tells them he doesn't look at the audience anymore, he uses cards so he doesn't go off on tangents.
Ross: have you been in touch with Bobby?
dec: Didn't I see you at his mother's funeral?
Dec asks if they suspect HIM. Ross tells him the "postmark on Nicole's heart" was before Dec was poisoned.
Dec says Bobby is caught in a trap. Then tries to finger Eames as the killer. Says to her "you care about him deeply. You know more about him than..." Eames declines to listen. Leaves. slams door.
Ross puts forth his theory that it's bobby...
Dec asks why he would snap now, that bobby would need an 'inciting incident'
Ross knows about MFB and looks worried.
Ross is saved by the bell. his cell phone goes off. Goren has gone off on Liz downstairs. Ross and Eames rush in. Goren flinging trays of instruments yelling' This is my life. you promised me confidentiality..."
Eames: "let's go for a walk" and drags Goren outside
Ross apologizes. Liz says no harm no foul.
Goren snapping at Eames.
Eames: I was trying to clear you
Goren scoffs
Eames explains about the life insurance on Frank. says "someone is gaslighting you."
They look at each other with a "now what partner" vibe. {my little happy ending heart wants this to be the thing that brings them back together as partners...}
Goren off to see Jo. Finds out that Dec lied to him. Jo is in a coma after biting her tongue off and suffocating herself. That she did this on the day that she was being cleared for visitation from her father ... says to me that Jo decided she no longer wants so much attention from Daddy.
Ross then seen leading Dec into squadroom.
"Does Bobby know I'm here?"
"He asked for you."
Ross ushers Dec into interrogation. Eames is standing against the wall just to the right of the door. when Dec sees her he gets all "oh... your partner's here...
Eames: I was just telling him (Bobby) how you think I'm responsible for killing his brother.'
Declan: It's one working theory...
Eames: but didn't you tell the captain there needs to be a trauma to get things started.
Declan: you've had those. PTSD. Pent-up Anger. It's all there...
Eames: {my new hero} It's there all right (stares right up at Dec) But not toward MY PARTNER...
She starts out the door, Declan leans over and slams it shut behind her. {my oh my dec is a nasty jealous man} Turns to Bobby and says "doesn't she remind you of your mother???" {OH there are psychological mines to be explored there all right!!!}
Declan: Your mom, Nicole... they always kept you guessing. It must be tough, staying engaged when you're always two steps ahead of everone else in the room...
Declan: why couldn't it be Eames? She lack the nerve?
Goren: (with no hesitation) No.
Declan: the imagination? ... what was that reagan quote...??
Declan searches for quote, bobby says it wasn't reagan who said it, but Bush. Dec looks giddy and says "now there are some father issues..."
Goren: were we talking about father issues?
Declan: isn't that what this is all about?
they discuss the paternity test which bobby had told dec about... says to dec "I wasn't afraid of the test." Dec says meeting MFB suddenly made your whole life make sense. Mom doted on "cankerous brother" now we know why... and why daddy didn't like you... and why was it your mother spent all her time worrying about Frank.
Goren: she knew I could take care of myself.
Dec points out that Bobby helps Frank. Then Frank betrays Bobby.
Dec shucks coat (of lovely linen suit -- with braces and a bow tie) and sits down. "There's a theme here Bobby. Haven't you ever asked yourself why nobody ever comes through for you? Do you think it was your fault?"
Bobby (tears welling) I've thought that
Declan: it's their fault, it's not your fault {he's like some hypnotic asp here...}
Declan compares bobby to jo.
bobby then calls dec on lying to him about jo
declan says he didn't want to burden bobby with the info.
There is another long stare as Bobby gazes at Declan and finally says quiety... "you're good... for a man with diminishing capacity..."
tell Dec he knows that Jo refused to see him.
Dec says he's great -- a tenured professor, writing, lecturing...
Goren and Dec have a lovely clinical discussion over the heads of 99.9% of viewers about "Executive function" the "Wisconsin Card Test" and the "Stroop..." {calling Wikipedia...}
Goren says he figures that Dec has destroyed his frontal lobe with too much drug use and formaldehyde... {this is when it starts getting really WTF???} talks about dec's lack of inhibition, his lack of judgement... the sticky chocolate he's always eating and getting all over himself, the month old christmas goose he ate {and presumably got worms from...}, the cards, the lack of attention span... all things for which "there is no medication..."
Declan: There's occupational therapy... I'll make.... (searches for word) {and I realize here that all the goofy Dec behavior and the absent minded professor routine was some kind of mental impairment...} ... collages (he finally remembers)
Goren: you've already done that. you've cut and pasted pieces of my life.
Accuses him of killing Frank.
Dec says no, that WAS Nicole.
Goren asks how she found Dec.
Declan: she found ME. My latest book... was on women serial killers, like Jo, like her. I knew she'd find me. (Laughs) Bobby... she tried to seduce me {could Dec be gay????} I think you and I are the only men who ever said no to her. It's the only way to engage her..."
Bobby sits, camera pulls back so that we see a two-shot of him and Declan, framed underneath those two skinny windows in interrogation, sitting on opposite sides of the table, in matching metal chairs. {Like some kind of visual ink blot}
{and of course, we stop to consider that Ross and Eames MUST be behind the mirror looking in on this whole scene}
Declan: she said she missed having a partner.
Bobby: My brother, was that her idea?
Declan: I let her think it was. She said it didn't take much...
Bobby visibly upset. {poor boy still loves his nasty brother} fighting back tears he chokes out "Declan, you son of a bitch"
Declan: (almost clinically) He was going down anyway.
Bobby: you did this for me?????
Declan: No. For both of us. After Jo I had no one. And you. You're the son I never had. When I saw you at your mother's funeral you broke my heart. I wanted you to engage again. So I gave you a puzzle ... to solve... to play ....
Bobby: A puzzle??? You think I needed HER to get me back in the game???
Declan: precisely
Bobby cries
Declan: And then she turned on me, but I was waiting {There's Jo in my ear "but this time, I was ready..."} When she realized it was finally her time she looked up at me with those big doe eyes {and MFB "I called her Bambi..."} of hers and she said (dec does accent) "tell Bobby he's the only man I ever loved." {debate amongst yourselves. was she lying???}
Bobby: What else?
Declan: I wonder who you'll miss more... Nicole ... or your brother {quadruple OUCH}
Bobby: whispering "tell me who else... Donny?"
Declan: No! I wouldn't have done that even if I'd found him. That wouldn't have helped you.
Bobby: Helped me??? HELPED me????
Declan: You still don't see do you?
bobby shakes head no.
declan leans forward to cup bobby's face in his hands "you're younger than you think" {HUH?}
Bobby: you killed Frank and Nicole for me???
Declan: they were dead weight. I wanted you to have a clean slate. You're free now...
closeup on them both. dec claps his hands together and rests his chin on them and gleefully says...
Declan: "Bobby... you're free now...
bobby just blinks, and looks, and looks, tears welling...
... and the screen fades to black...
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Date: 2008-08-26 11:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-27 01:24 am (UTC)I was so afraid this episode was just going to be one big fat mess... but I decided that if it restored the partnership of goren and eames to rock-solid-ness... then I can put up with a lot of mess :0)