Review of Night Five
Written by Toniann
You know what I was struck by in the opening scenes? The next time they
need a senior staff member to do an impromptu tour of the White House, they
really should ask Josh instead of Sam. He totally knew his stuff. Unless, of
course, he was making any of that up. I couldn't sworn there was a different
story behind the desk in the Oval Office, something about Kennedy.
How to put this: if I were looking for a psychiatrist, I'd want Stanley.
I'm not, nor would I wish to be even for this purpose, but I'm just saying.
And he doesn't even have to bring his own lingerie.
I can't even imagine what it's like to go four nights without sleeping,
and like any college student, back in the day, I pulled some sleepless
stints. Still. Four nights. I remember someone telling me that after a
certain number of hours without sleep a person can be considered insane. But
they were probably making that up for effect.
The conclusion of the missing reporter (Bill Price) subplot caught me by
surprise; I didn't see it coming that he'd be killed. Though that was more
realistic than a quick political fix, wasn't it? That poor woman.
I've really enjoyed Andrea Wyatt each time we've seen her; she and Toby
play off each other so well. The actors manage to convey the complex
relationship that would have to exist in order for them to relate the way
they do: caring, respect, but still an irrefutable reality that these are
two people who could never be happy together, no matter how much they wanted
to be.
And I like Toby was he's passionate about something, right or wrong. I
like it when he breaks free and says what really matters to him. It's
honest. It shows who he really is.
You know what I hate seeing, on the Internet, or on Usenet, or even at the
water cooler? When someone talks about something and they don't really know
what they're trying to say. They just want to chime into the conversation.
Well, for that reason, I'm not going to say much about the Lipstick Feminism
subplot with Sam, Ainsley, and temp Celia Watson (plus input from Ginger and
Bonnie). Discuss amongst yourselves. I'm interested in what everyone else
has to say.
I will say, though, that the biggest laugh for me, this episode, was when
poor Charlie, a wreck of a man after being whupped on the basketball court
by his little sister, got left alone with Ms. Celia Watson. You really felt
like if he had had any energy at all he would've found the flimsiest excuse
to leave the room.
And, in a completely unrelated way, I did want to say that though I liked
Ainsley's dress, I *really* liked the wrap she had on. Nice. I'm just
saying, from a fashion viewpoint only. No subtext intended.
I don't know what to think of Donna's job offer. Josh didn't seem to take
it really seriously; I thought he'd do or say more to talk her out of it.
And at the end, something about her interaction with the reporter's wife
seem to have affected her. Will it affect her decision? Will she want to
leave, to get away from seeing things like that every day? Or will it spur
her on to stay? Or will we never hear about it again? Tune in next week...
damn.
And finally, Jed. In two hours, Stanley pretty much worked around to
saying exactly what Toby said last week, or four nights ago in TWW-time. I
don't know where they're going with this, exactly, and I don't know if I
like it. But for the time being I'll put my trust in the writers and see
where they take us.
"Someone's gonna get an ass-kickin' from the missus!"
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