From: kimi@newsance.att.com (Kimiye Tipton;ball of confusion)
Subject: Re: NX 4.2, 10/5 episode (midnight sun)
Organization: AT&T IMS, Maitland, FL
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 19:21:24 GMT

In article <1992Oct14.002845.5153@tc.fluke.COM> moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) writes:
>In <1992Oct6.135740.2847@newsance.att.com> kimi@newsance.att.com (Kimiye Tipton;ball of confusion) writes:
>
>>Who wants details?  Hit that space key...

>>I didn't know what to make of Toomey and Ruth Anne.
>>What is there about her that supposed to be attractive to men as
>>different as the tailor and Ed?  A twisted sort of Earth Mother
>>image?  
>
>I think you're mixing up Ed and Gillis' feelings towards Ruth Anne.  Gillis'
>intentions -- well, I think they were well explained in this episode.  Ed
>looks at Ruth Anne as a very close friend; you can toss in
>"mother/aunt/grandmother substitute" if you like, but I avoid pop
>psychology terms whenever possible.  In other words, Ruth Anne <> Ruth
>Gordan.

Actually, Ruth Gordon in "Harold and Maude" was exactly what I was 
thinking in the episode when Ed was worried about getting the right 
birthday present for Ruth Anne.  I could see the mild (on TV = 
non-sexual) version of that May-December relationship far better 
than I could see Gillis Toomey and his marriage proposal.  I 
understand what Ed sees-- I didn't get Toomey's feelings clearly, 
or maybe I should say _why_.  Although she did look nice in that
pink dress.

>As to appealing features about Ruth Anne, how about a generally sunny
>attitude, an appreciation of the everyday life and events, and a solid
>foundation of common sense.

Ruth Anne, sunny?  The common sense and the appreciation, yes, but I
have never thought of her as sunny.  More like acerbic-- the flip side
of Maurice's old codger.  Occasionally cheerful, quite comfortable 
with herself, certainly helpful in a laid-back way, but not sunny...

>>...the end was...
>>ruined by the denouement, when Joel acted like Maggie was a piece 
>>of furniture.  It made no sense that he would go really cold like that
>
>I will admit that I think he played that wrong; a touch of embarassment
>would have brought life to that moment, but, unfortunately, no sale.  One

Well, even Rob Morrow admits he can get "difficult" on the set-- maybe
he was having a bad day, or maybe he played it well in several other takes,
and somehow that one ended up in the final cut.  It just didn't ring
true.  Maybe the tape was labelled wrong :-).  Really, I got a totally
different feeling from the whole bar/dance scene-- it seemed in such
contrast to the 2nd season ender in "Slow Dance".  I was truly depressed,
ruminating on how hard it is for people to get together anymore.  Excuse
me while I slink back into my own universe...

On the other hand, if the Emmy process still requires just one episode
for their submissions this year, Morrow's already got his in the can.  

>>I really had trouble figuring out the connecting, underlying theme in 
>>the subplots this time, and I'm thinking there may not have been much 
>
>Let me put it this way -- it's been some time since they had an underlying
>theme to an episode.  I think it was fairly common for the first and second

Yeah, it's been harder and harder to find theme linkage since the 3rd
season.  What bothers me is that it is almost there in most episodes,
and definitely there in certain major efforts (like the end of the
season, or help us, sweeps week).  So I keep looking for it, and getting
disappointed.

>>This show was featherweight compared to most NX episodes.  Definitely
>>a 5.0, with peaks into 7 or so for all but the last Maggie/Joel

>I didn't think it greatly different than the average episode from last year;

Which I think rated mostly 5.0-- this is the NX scale, comparing NX only
to itself :-).  A NX 5.0 is a 9 or 10 for most other network shows.

>[Damn!  Forgot to tape the show last night.  Now I have to hunt an episode
> up within the company.]

Got a decent but non-stereo Beta copy, but my good VHS is in the hospital
recovering from lightning (damn the cable companies lack of surge 
protection).  If you still don't have a copy in a week or two, give me
a holler.


Kimiye Tipton  kimi@kokomo.att.com or kimi@newsance.att.com  Maitland, FL
Oh, yeah, yeah, at last/ The skies above are blue
And my heart was wrapped up in clover/ The night I looked at you
I found the dream that I could speak to/ A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to/ A thrill that I have never known
Oh, you smiled, you smiled/And then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven/ For you are mine at last.
						"At Last"-- Etta James