Laurie's Review
Melanie's Review
Laurie's Review:The Promise is not one of my favorite episodes but there's more to like than dislike. There are a few eps that just don't stand out and this is one of them, but not because it's not well written or intricate enough. When I'm watching it I enjoy it but I rarely think about it otherwise. It has grown on me over time, and the more I watch it, the more I like it. All in all, it's a fairly solid ep.
The story is nicely detailed and the main case is cleverly intertwined with the street kids/pickpockets. Watching the two come together until there's finally a resolution is what most captures my interest. I also like the way Lt. Welsh thinks he's keeping Vecchio off the case and out of his hair when he sends him off with Fraser:
Welsh: Constable, do you happen to have an insignificant but time consuming case in your back pocket?I'm not particularly fond of the kids and since I know what happens, I fast forward through many of their scenes, though I do enjoy the scenes with Ben and Andy, particularly the way he treats her. He demonstrates again how well he relates to young people.
Ben: As a matter of fact, Sir, yes. There's the matter of a street urchin.
Welsh: Oh, perfect, perfect. Take Vecchio with you.The end scenes between Insp. Thatcher and Fraser are some of my favorite moments from Season 2. They're fun, revealing and usually irrelevant to the main plot. This one is no exception. When Meg comes into Ben's office to thank him for returning her brooch, he hits his leg on the desk and we hear him say, "ow," which is unusual. I like the look on Meg's face. Was that a wince? The conversation that follows is typical:
Meg: Sorry.Ben nods his head slightly, Meg turns to leave, stops and adds, "And don't ever go into my office again without permission." She then turns to him and says, "That's my first and last warning." She leaves, Ben stares wide-eyed, blinks, turns and crashes into his desk again. Double ouch.
Ben: No, I'm fine, uh... (throat clearing) I took the liberty of, of. . . .
Meg: I found it on my desk this morning (clears throat).
Ben: Uh, I hope it wasn't, uh, damaged. I noticed. . . .
Meg: No, actually, um, it's been like that for years. Thank you for finding it.
Observation:This ep takes place over the course of about 36 hours but you can tell the filming took much longer. It's raining in some scenes, in others it's snowing, sometimes there's sun, and often the streets are dry. The shift is very noticeable from scene to scene.
Moments I like:Ben carrying on about Inspector Thatcher's brooch during the interrogation and Ray so obviously not paying attention.
Welsh telling Ray to shut up, O'Neill and Welsh telling Ray to shut up, Ray telling Ben to shut up.
Ben introducing himself as "Ben" Fraser to Sherry O'Neill.
Ben and Ray's little debate over whether Ben has ever been sick.
The trip through the sewer. Brilliant! I love Ray's "Holy cow!" as he climbs out and almost gets hit by a taxi, and Ben offering the very soiled Ray a hanky. Like that's going to do much good.
Ben giving Sid credit for being able to take care of his sister, under normal circumstances.
Louis and Jack ribbing the officer for bringing every book except an address book from Sunny's apartment, and the officer yanking one of the books away from Louis (he and Jack are reading some of them).
Ben and Andy's carriage ride. I like Ben asking Andy if she's ever ridden in "one of these things." She tells him that Sid says it's a waste of money, to which Ben responds, "Sid's not paying."
Ray sneaking a file from from the Duck Boys and strolling non-chalantly into the restroom with it.
The journey from one tattoo parlor to another, the look on Ben's face when the artist is about to start on his arm, and Ray's parting words, "Oh, that's very nice. Is that the Tanganyikan influence?" For someone who doesn't have tattoos, Ben sure knows enough about them. The music is rather catchy.
The office talk between Lt. Welsh, Ray, Ben and Sherry O'Neill. I would REALLY like to know what O'Neill has against Ray, and where does she get off calling him an idiot and incompetent?!
Jack Huey in dreadlocks.
The culmination of the rooftop chase with Ray grabbing Ben just before he and Andy fall off the ladder. Lovely smile on Ray's face. No stetson of invincibility in this scene.
Nitpicks:There's an inordinate amount of foot traffic in the alley by the theater when Ben drops Insp. Thatcher off and the next day when he and Ray go back to look around, and later in the alley where Johnstone's bodyguard grabs Andy. Come on, these are alleys not sidewalks.
I realize Sid and Andy are homeless and don't have money to spend on the latest styles. At least Sid is fashionably grungy but does Andy have to look so pathetically Dickensian? The only thing missing is soot smudges on her face.
Duesies:Meg: I don't dislike animals, Fraser. I've had pets.
Ben: Really.Meg: Just, don't get hair on my seats. There it is.
Ben: Uh, yes, I see it.
Meg: You need to stop.
Ben: Well, that would appear to be prohibited.
Meg: Stop anyway.
Ben: Certainly.
Meg: You're not stopping.
Ben: No, Sir. I'm not.
[a bit later]
Meg: There's a parking space right there.
Ben: Sorry. Handicapped.
Meg: Oh what about that one.
Ben: Taxi stand.
Meg: There's an alley right there.
Ben: Yes there is.
Meg: Fraser!
Ben: It's a fire lane, Sir.
[Obviously, Thatcher is more inclined to commit infractions of the law than Ben is. It's also easy to understand why she finds this man so exasperating]Ray: Look, Lieutenant, you gotta give me this case. I spent 6 years in vice. I know how to handle this sort of thing.
O'Neill: You're not going near this case, Vecchio. God only knows what names are in that address book.
Welsh: This requires very special handling.
O'Neill: Not your kind of special handling.
Ray: Oh, and what's that supposed to mean?
Ben: I think, Ray, what the Commander is suggesting is that your methods tend to be a little - how would you put it?
Ray: In your face?
O'Neill: Exactly.O'Neill [asking about Ray]: Does he always whine like this?
Ben: Well, I wouldn't use the word whine but he does have a - occasionally a nasal quality.
Welsh: Yes he does. [Love the way Ben looks at Welsh as he says this]Ben: Hmmm.
Ray: Have I ever told you how much I hate it when you go hmmm?
Ben: Hmmm.Ray: All right. Please tell me it doesn't involve subzero temperatures or Inuit legends.
Ben: No, it does not.
Ray: Ah, of course it does. It always does.Sid: She never wanted to steal. I made her.
Ray: Ah, not to worry. I've got a friend down at the State's Attorney Office.
Ben to Sid: Good Luck.
A bit later to Ray: Your friend hates you, Ray.
Ray: Ah, it's just a ploy.
Ben: She would like to see you incarcerated.
Ray: Eh, so she likes handcuffs.
Dief Moment:Accompanying Ben while he drives Meg to the theater, especially his reaction when Meg says her dog died.
Grade: B.
Melanie's Review:Among the early 2nd season episodes, this episode shines the least. It's better than some of the dreck at the end of the season, but it's nowhere near making it onto my favorites list. Surprisingly, it has many story elements that are used in other episodes, which almost gives the episode a "Leftovers on the day after Thanksgiving" taste. The Vecchio/DuckBoys "This is my case" rivalry was better in Chinatown. The carriage ride was more exciting in Free Willie. There were kids fencing stolen items to a dishonest dealer in Some Like it Red. The "trouble-maker adolescent girl with the heart of gold and a stolen item that contains valuable information that the bad guy has already killed for and would kill again to retrieve" plot was a lot more fun in Chicago Holiday. And the street urchins were straight out of Oliver Twist.
There were three overlapping and intertwining stories in the episodes, but none of them stirred much interest for me. That the urchins had the "book" the police were looking for was no mystery. That the same urchins also had Thatcher's brooch was again, no mystery. That Sid had no intention of moving to Wyoming was no surprise. All that was left was for Fraser to figure out that 2 + 2 = 4, win the confidence of the girl, and then have a long chase sequence with the bad guy.
I've never been fond of episodes that feature Thatcher in her bitch-mode, and this episode seems to wallow in her bitchiness more than most. I especially dislike the scene in which she comes to the station at Fraser's request, then nastily refuses to cooperate or assist.
Thatcher: You have my brooch?
Fraser: Well uh, no sir.
Thatcher: I see. You brought me down here in the middle of my busy schedule and you don't have my brooch?
Fraser: The police would like you to help identify a suspect who might have stolen it.
Thatcher: But they don't have my brooch either.
Fraser: No.
Thatcher: I thought I made it clear you are not here to clean up America. This is their problem.
Ray: Well thank you, I appreciate you pointing it out.
Thatcher: I'm not interested in retribution, I'm interested in results. Even a rudimentary understanding of dealing with criminals would indicate you would have a better chance at locating the where abouts of my brooch with the suspect free to be followed. Or am I mistaken, Constable?I love Commander O'Neil, and I wish they'd used her more. Agree with her attitude toward Ray or not, you gotta admit that she has presence. She's in a class with Leeann Brighton and Dr. Esther Pearson, strong ladies in positions of authority who were able to function around Fraser without getting weak-kneed.
Duesies:O'Neil: He always whine like this?
Fraser: Well I wouldn't use the word 'whine,' but he does have an occasionally a nasal quality.Welsh: Constable, do you happen to have an insignificant and time-consuming case in your back pocket?
Fraser: As a matter of fact sir, yes. There's a matter of a street urchin.
Welsh: Oh perfect. Perfect. Take Vecchio with you.Ray: Does the word 'sap' mean anything to you, Benny?
Fraser: Of course it does, Ray: It's from the Latin 'sapire.'
Ray: It is?
Fraser: Don't be a sap, Ray.Ray: You see the kids?
Fraser: No.
Ray: The brooch?
Fraser: No.
Ray: Exactly, so lets just turn around.
Fraser: Ray--
Ray: This is a swill pit. You brought me into a swill pit.
Fraser: No, it's not a swill pit, Ray. First of all, swill entails a more pungent odor and a pit is generally a circular indentation with only one entrance from the top. This however fits the definition of a tunnel. A long straight--
Ray: Ow!
Fraser: --correction, a long meandering tunnel.
Ray: All right, call it what you want, but all I see is dirt and mold and. . . oh my God. Oh my God! You're not gonna put-- Don't put that--
Fraser: I'm just smelling it, Ray.
Ray: Like there isn't enough to smell in here--you have to dredge something up from the sludge.
Fraser: A carrot!
Ray: What?
Fraser: It's a carrot.
Ray: All right, great. It's a carrot. Just drop it.
Fraser: Hmm, it's fresh too.
Ray: You ate it?!
Fraser: Ray, calm down. I'm sure there's nothing in here less sanitary than-- Oh. Stay away from that, Ray.Artist: The man favored subtlety. At first I thought he was just another Cro-Magnon knock-off. I had him figured for the dancing Statue of Liberty, the flag of Iwo Jima, Jon Bon Jovie. You sure you only want red and white?
Fraser: Uh, yes, just red and white. Thank you.
Artist: Then he did something unexpected--like he had ordered a bottle of 1970 Chateau Margo with his burrito.
Fraser: You mean the American flag on the back of his neck?
Artist: Yeah, postage stamp size. You have to appreciate it. You're sure? I got a very nice metallic puce.
Fraser: No, no uh red and white will be sufficient, thank you. And I believe you will find that the maple leaf actually has three points, unlike the oak which you have. . . you have rendered quite, uh, accurately here.
Artist: Problem?
Fraser: No. Carry on.Ray: Are you saying I don't have any etiquette?
Fraser: Etiquette is a loose clarification of the rules of conduct in polite society, and I believe that preconcludes accusing a United States Senator of murder, conspiracy and moral deviance.
Ray: Fraser, this is America; we do that all the time.
Nitpick of the Week:Maple-leaf flags on the inspector's car--I think the new job is going to her head. On the other hand, the consulate's car did not have diplomatic plates, despite Thatcher's statement. Even if it did have diplomatic plates, it would still not be allowed to park illegally--embassy cars in Washington are just as subject to being ticketed as yours or mine. On the other hand, some embassies don't ever pay the tickets. Back in the 80's, the Soviets racked up thousands of dollars in DC parking tickets and never paid a dime. ;-)
Runner-Up Moment of the Week:Ray's response to Thatcher's rebuke of Fraser:
Thatcher: I thought I made it clear you are not here to clean up America. This is their problem.
Ray: Well thank you, I appreciate you pointing it out.Moment of the Week:
Fraser and Ray's journey through the long, straight-- correction, the long meandering tunnel.
Cringe-Worthy Moment of the Week:Fraser being pressed into service as valet and chauffeur for his new boss.
Runner-Up Fraser Factoid of the Week:"Carotene. It's a red or yellow crystalline pigment found in carrots, among other things. The body converts it into vitamin A. It's the orange stuff."
Fraser Factoid of the Week:
"A tattoo is a very individual thing. You don't hand it over to just anybody. You have to have faith in a vision and the integrity of the artist. . . . Excuse me. These subtle shadings--are they Zulu influence, or Tanganyikan?"
Snack to enjoy while watching The Promise:A soft pretzel with mustard. Watch where you're going!
Grading:
The book & the bodyguard C The street urchins C- Thatcher, Bitch C Overall Grade C
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