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Digest - 1 Feb 2008 to 2 Feb 2008 (#2008-29)

Sat, 2 Feb 2008

There are 2 messages totalling 111 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Episode Discussion: Capital Offense (2)

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Date:    Fri, 1 Feb 2008 23:13:35 -0800
From:    "Amy R." <akr@l.......>
Subject: Re: Episode Discussion: Capital Offense

In Friday's digest, Deborah Clarke <deb121clarke@r.......> wrote:
> >>That little bit ruined the whole episode for me.<<

      Nick getting away with breaking lots of procedures and perhaps
contributing negligently to homicide is just a "little bit"?  ;-)

      Well, yes, in "Capitol Offense," it is, because, as we know,
the bigger reality-defying problem in this episode is that Canada
would never extradite someone who faces the death penalty.  It's
against the law.  If "Capitol Offense" had happened in the real
Toronto, Laura Garfield would probably be behind bars in a Canadian
prison to this day, as I understand it.  They wouldn't ship her home
until Texas gave up the death penalty -- which is to say, never.

      But despite that famous blunder nomination for the wall of
shame, I really do love two things about "Capitol Offense."  One is
Nick and Natalie's chat in the morgue as she retrieves her
scrunchie.  In that scene, we learn that 1) Natalie and Nick
canonically have all-night conversations, and 2) Nick opposes the
death penalty, which is not only the "vampire against death" irony
that Natalie points out, but also a dynamic setting him in opposition
to Janette's favoring of eye-for-an-eye revenge, and also supporting
his faith in the possibility of redemption through repentance for
anyone -- even himself.  This scene is a favorite.

      The other thing I've come to love about "Capitol Offense" over
the years is Lacroix's almost schizophrenic contradiction over
Marise.  He tells Nick that Nick must trust Lacroix, that only
Lacroix can be trusted, and then he immediately, blatantly, brutally
breaks a promise and shows that he is _not_ to be trusted, that
nothing he says can be trusted in the least, by murdering
Marise.  It's horrid, and I cringe away or argue back at the screen
knowing it's coming, but it's also part of an important pattern.  The
"Capitol Offense" flashback fits smoothly with the flashback of
"Father Figure," for example, where Lacroix's friend Thomas tricks
Nick and murders his friend Helen Ruskin-Slater, or "Father's Day,"
where he slams Nick around, bullies Janette, and follows Nick to the
ends of the earth.  Flashbacks in this strain exhibit why Nick feels
the way he does about Lacroix.  Nick is not misguided to feel so;
Lacroix has diligently taught Nick to feel that way.

      (I say "come to love about" CO, because I used to dismiss it,
even dislike it.  I used to find the contradictions hard to
reconcile, and the errors hard to overlook.  I've mellowed, maybe?  I
know I appreciate the cop plots of many episodes much more than I
used to, even those more at odds with reality than the norm.)

      Just some thoughts.  :-)  I admit I haven't rewatched the
episode yet for this discussion.  Have I misremembered?  Should I be
looking from a different angle?


Amy R.
akr@l.......
FK Site: http://users.LMI.net/akr/fk/
FK Blog: http://brightknightie.livejournal.com/

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Date:    Sat, 2 Feb 2008 02:16:16 -0700
From:    Walt <wdoherty5@c.......>
Subject: Re: Episode Discussion: Capital Offense

----- Original Message -----
From: "Amy R." <akr@l.......>
>
>      Just some thoughts.  :-)  I admit I haven't rewatched the
> episode yet for this discussion.  Have I misremembered?  Should I be
> looking from a different angle?
>

    No, I'd say your memory is pretty good.

    It kind of bugs me that police procedures are
    so blatantly ignored or run rough shod over.
    A woman as presumably dangerous as Laura
    would never be taken to the airport in Nick's
    open convertible.  That she conked the police
    women over the head, got up to the guys apt.
    and shot him is, I think, directly attributable to
    Nick, and he would be held responsible for it.

    On the other hand, it's television, and it makes
    for a more dramatic story.  Plus, we really are
    not watching it because of its police procuderal
    values.  :-)

    In addition, I've discovered (having the DVDs
    and watching at least one story every night) that
    even the stories I don't care for will have some
    small paericular value: a scene between Schanke
    and Janette, Nick getting Merlin to update his
    computer files (and we find out Nick's birthday
    is Jan. 1 - well, at least, maybe).

      Walt Doherty
     Phoenix, AZ



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