Quote of the Week - Weeks of Feb. 7 - 14

 

 

  A weekly feature highlighting the best quotes on TV as picked by the SpoilerTV team. We'd love to hear your picks too so please sound off in the comments below.

Bob Hearts Abishola - 

1.  Goodwin:  “He has really become a valuable part of the company.  Your mother was very wise to send him to the warehouse floor.  Mr. Wheeler?”  Bob:  “Sorry.  Douglas is valuable.  My mother is wise.  It’s hard to wrap my head around.”  Goodwin:  “Hmm, it does fornicate with one’s mind.”  (Prpleight and Dahne)

2.  Dottie:  “You’re missing Norma Rae:  The Musical.”  Bob:  “Oh yeah, now that Douglas is on the floor he’s trying to spice Mondays up for everybody.”  Dottie:  “Spice ‘em up?  They just had 2 days off.  What do they need spice for?”  Bob:  “Come on.  It’s good for morale.”  Dottie:  “And that matters because…”  Bob:  “The employees might actually enjoy working…”  Dottie:  “Enjoy working?  When did you become a communist?”  (Dahne)

Call Your Mother - Dahne

1.  Freddie:  “I really don’t want you to get tired of me, Celia.”  Celia:  “Why would I get tired of you?”  Freddie: “Because you want...you want variety and exotic locations and adventure.  I’m just a straight, white man.”  Celia:  “Yeah, I can tell by the way you’re telling me what I want.”

2.  Lane:  “This you and Danny thing is becoming a ‘you waiting around for him’ thing.  You’re like a booty call without the booty.”

3.  Lane:  “Don’t encourage the vest.  We’re trying to get her to branch out and look a little less Fargo and a little more ‘not embarrassed to be seen with her.’ “

Chicago Fire - Jessica C

1.  Matt Casey:  "The fact is, Gallo, I'm your Captain. I'm answerable for your safety. Losing a firefighter is the worst thing that can happen to an officer, and I would know. If anything had happened to you under that canopy, I wouldn't have even known you were there. I couldn't have done a thing to help you. You robbed me of my accountability, and that can't happen again.

2.  Stella Kidd:  "Kelly, I didn't become a firefighter as a white guy with my father at the top of the chain. I came up alone, fighting every step of the way with people looking down on me and doing whatever they could to shake my confidence. I have a built-in armor that you will never understand, and no one like Conway is gonna knock me down." 

Chicago PD -  Jessica C

1.  Jay Halstead:  "But Latrell is a good guy. He loved his kid. More than anything. He just couldn't let it go. He couldn't find closure. So he just went and he did what he thought he had to do. Which is something that I might do. Something that I'm thinking you might do too."

2.  Hank Voight:  "We're different people, Jay. You gotta do what makes sense for you. But whatever that choice is, just make sure it's something that you can live with for the rest of your life."

3.  Jay Halstead:  "But you remind me of him...he wasn't much for praise or compliments but man, he loved his sons. And he wanted us to succeed more than anything."  

The Equalizer - 

1.  Melody, after watching Robin use a clipboard to take down 2 armed gunmen: “You learned a few things since we were in Kandahar.”  (Prpleight)

2.  Robyn McCall:  “I don’t exactly like what that dress is saying.”  Delilah:  “Buy me.  It’s saying, ‘Buy me.’ “  Robyn:  “Yeah, it’s saying, ‘Buy me,’ just not in the way you’re thinking.  Can’t we find something with a little more fabric.”  (Dahne)

3.  Vi, to Robyn after a particularly intense workout:  “Who won?  You or your demons?”  Robyn:  “Split decision.”  (Dahne)

Nancy Drew - Prpleight

1.  Nancy:  “How could you love something that was never really yours?”  Carson:  “From the moment Lucy put you in my arms and made me promise to protect you, you are what I've lived for. That love is my life.”  Nancy:  “But it was a lie.”  Carson:  “Not the love. Whatever you need to call us: father, daughter, Carson, Nancy. That love lives in me forever.”  

NCIS - Jessica C

1. Jack Sloane:  "The last ten months really have me rethinking what's important."

2.  Nick Torres:  "I'm always so focused about, you know, trying to catch the bad guy, I never think about the other side."

3.  Jimmy Palmer:  "I feel like I'm going through the motions. I feel like I'm in a nightmare. At any moment I'm gonna wake up, and my wife is gonna be right there."  

Resident Alien -

1.  Harry: “Definitely my foot. It's amazing how my people have developed the ability to mimic other life forms on a molecular level. We are an incredible...and I forgot to close the door.”  (Prpleight)

2.  Harry:  “Not knowing fear allowed me to make bold fashion choices.”  (Prpleight)

3.  Sheriff:  “Keep your hands on the handle bars where I can see 'em. You know why I pulled you over?”  Max:  “Speed?”  Sahar:  “Boredom?”  Sheriff:  “You made a left turn back there without using your hand signals. What the heck are you kids doing so far outta town anyway?”  Sahar:  “We heard Big Foot was on the loose.”  Sheriff:  “Bigfoot? Whatchu talkin' bout? Everybody knows that damn Big Foot up in Seattle. Sorry about cussing just then. I try not to do that shit around kids.”  Sahar:  “That's okay. I'm not allowed to say the D-word or the S-word, but I can hear them without getting in trouble.”  (Prpleight)

4.  Max:  “Cookies. This must be bad.”  Mom:  “Your dad and I have something we want to talk to you about.”  Max:  “I knew this day was gonna come, and I just want you to know I'm okay with it.”  Mom:  “You are?”  Max:  “Yeah. I'll live with Dad Monday to Wednesday and every other weekend. And I'm with Mom on Thanksgiving cause she can cook turkey.”  Dad:  “Wait. Wait. You think that we're getting a divorce?”  Max:  “It's okay. Love is fleeting.”  Mom:  “Honey, we aren't getting a divorce.”  Dad:  “We just wanted to tell you that Dr. Vanderspegle is coming to dinner tonight.”  Max:  “What? No! Why can't you just be getting a divorce! AAAAaaaaaa!!!!”  (Prpleight)

5.  Max:  “His pockets are empty. No house keys. Over.”  Sahar:  “He probably uses mind control to unlock doors.”  Max:  “Or he can shape shift his fingers into a key.”  (Prpleight)

6.  Asta:  “Do you ever meditate?’  Harry, in his head:  “By meditate, do you mean sit peacefully and think of all the people I want to kill?”  Harry, out loud:  “Yes, I liked it very much.”  (Dahne)

7.  Asta:  “So this is our night?  A floater watch party?”  D’Arcy:  “In this town, I’ll take what I can get.”  (Dahne)

Walker - Dahne

1.  Trey:  “Hugging’s one of my superpowers.”

2.  Trey:  “You needed a hero so you drew one, and then you became one.  Don’t you forget that.”

What Else We’re Watching - 

Bob Hearts Abishola - 2.07

Bob:  “This isn’t about him or me.  This is about you.  You have a life you’ve created.  You’ve got a job you love.  You are in charge of your own destiny.  You’re not going to give all that up to go back to Nigeria and be some rich guy’s second wife.”  Abishola:  “First wife.”  Bob:  “Whatever.  You’re not the same woman he left 8 years ago.  Tayo doesn’t know it, but I do.”  Abishola:  “So, you have me all figured out…”  Bob:  “Not at all.”  Abishola:  “Good answer.”  Bob:  “Yes, it was.”  (Dahne)

Mr. Mayor - 1.06

1.  Tommy:  “She’s saying she wants you to retire and go home, because you’re the Pelosi to her low-res AOC.”  Arpi, outraged:  “You know what, Mr. Tomas…”  Mikaela:  “...There is a special place in hell for gays that encourage women not to support other women.”  Tommy:  “I know.  It’s called Bravo and we’re doing amazing on it.”  (Dahne)

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, How to Get Away with Murder, The Librarians, and others. She also runs the annual Character Cup. She's addicted to Twitter, loves live tweeting, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Previously she wrote a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."

Throwback Thursday - Cold Case - Hubris

 

Throwback Thursday is a weekly article in which we look back at our favorite TV episodes from the past.

I watch a lot of crime shows, always have.  So much so, that some of them start to blend together after they’ve gone off the air for a while.  It takes a very special episode to stick out clearly in my mind after 17 years.  The first season Cold Case episode, Hubris, is one of those.  Written by Kim Newton and Stacy Kravetz, directed by Agnieszka Holland, and starring Kathryn Morris, this female-led episode did something very few TV shows do - it completely shocked me.  Of all the crime procedurals I’ve ever watched, Cold Case is still my favorite.   

Riding the success of Law & Order and CSI, Cold Case debuted in 2003, a fictional version of The Cold Case Files.  Some episodes, like the pilot, used a ripped-from-the-headlines gimmick that Law & Order piloted so well.  Others used a less varnished glimpse of the past to spotlight the racist, sexist, homophobic, and mental illness stigmas, etc. of our past.  This combination of crime show and history made Cold Case stand out and gave its episodes extra richness.  Still, the very best part of Cold Case was its music.  The soundtrack of episodes differed wildly from one another because the music spotlighted was always from the time period of the murder.  So if the crime took place in the 1920’s, fans could expect flapper music.  Each episode was like a musical time capsule that enhanced the flashback sections and grounded the episode.

Hubris deals with the 1995 murder of a college student.  In a twist, the prime suspect brings the case to Lily in a bid to clear his name.  Roy Minard was Holly Richardson’s college professor and, of course, lover.  The married professor became the main suspect after he lied about the affair.  While never convicted, Roy did lose his marriage and his career so he now teaches ESL at night school.  He’s charming but, oh, so narcissistic and bitter.  He’s the exact type of character that I root against, a classic red herring.  Roy promises Detectives Lily Rush and Scotty Valens that he will be “an open book” this time, vowing to be completely honest.  He even gives them the list of other co-eds he slept with.  He also brings a news clipping about a similar killing that’s more recent.  Both victims were whipped and strangled with a car antenna and dumped in the Schuylkill River.  When Detectives Vera and Jeffries check out the new case, the similarities are striking and the Professor has an air-tight alibi - he was teaching his students at the time of the murder.

Enter the second suspect, Barry.  Barry is a schizophrenic that was fascinated with both Holly and the new victim, a prostitute named Lenore.  According to Valens, Barry fits the “narrative,” something Roy stuffily explains to Lily and him when they question him a second time.  See, every crime needs a villain so the people’s conscience can be soothed and Roy became that villain.  Unfortunately for Roy, Barry has all the marking of another red herring and I don’t believe for a minute that they are going to pin a murder on a schizophrenic.  That is not the crime procedural way.  It does allow for the start of some great backstory for Valens though, whose ex-fiancee was also schizophrenic.  This will become a long-running subplot for the character.  As for Lily, this episode brings back ADA Kite in his second appearance.  For all that he is a good guy, he also has the smarmy kind of Roy charm that is supposed to sweep Lily off her feet.  She’s both tempted and resistant.

In the investigation, the team learns that Lenore had a belly ring that was missing at the crime scene.  It’s the first solid lead they have.  Well, that and a search through the Cliff Notes of Shakespeare that makes me giggle.  Thank goodness for the all-knowing power of Google these days.  They really push the class differences of the educational elite in this episode.  Rush and Valens re-interview Barry, who admits that he saw Holly the night she died.  In a flashback, Holly was having a crisis of conscience over being the other woman and rejects the idea of being with either Roy or Barry.   When Barry sees the crime scene photos, he realizes that both are posed like the painting Ophelia by Sir John Everett Millais.  Which brings us to suspect #3.  Following the belly ring angle, Jeffries and Vera track down the parolee, Jesus Torres, who pawned the ring.  The only problem is that there’s no way Jesus has the education to pose the bodies like a Pre-Raphaelite painter.  He does do a good job of correcting his own grammar though...dunh, dunh, dunh.  Rush and Valens realize that Roy Minard has been playing them the whole time. 

This is not close to the best episode of Cold Case.  That’s the season 3 episode called A Perfect Day.  However, this episode was one of the first times that I had seen a non-celebrity episode in which the original guy was guilty all along.  It’s more common in these days of antiheroes and multi-plot twist storytelling.  However, at the time, I had the criminal procedural playbook down pat and so this episode stands out in my mind as the first time a TV episode shocked me in a long time.  Plus, the smarmy co-ed creeper got the justice he deserved.  That is a BIG bonus.  If you’ve never watched Cold Case before, I encourage you to check it out...if you can find it.  (It’s not available where I live.)  The combination of history, music, and crime drama makes for a winning hour of TV.

Episode Grade:  B

Music - Wonderful by Adam Ant, Stay by Lisa Loeb, and Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis

Most Powerful Scene -Lily talks Holly’s father out of beating up Roy

Best Funny Scene - Vera:  “ ‘Who set this ancient quarrel new abroach?’  What the hell?  I thought this was about a girl on a balcony.”  Rush:  “Just find the quote from Barry’s letter.”  Jeffries:  “Hey, hold up.  “Is your name Shylock?’ “  Rush:  “That’s not the quote.”  Jeffries:  “I know.  It’s the first thing I’ve understood in about an hour.”  Valens:  “It’s here in Hamlet.”  Jeffries:  “Thank God.”

References - Bill Clinton affair, Court TV, Richard Jewell

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, How to Get Away with Murder, The Librarians, and others. She also runs the annual Character Cup. She's addicted to Twitter, loves live tweeting, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Previously she wrote a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."

Quote of the Week - Week of Jan. 24

 

 

A weekly feature highlighting the best quotes on TV as picked by the SpoilerTV team. We'd love to hear your picks too so please sound off in the comments below.

Chicago, PD - Jessica

1.  Jay Halstead - "Let's tell the bad guys to take a day off."

2.  Hank Voight - "You're right. But he was a good man. He died trying to protect a scared, vulnerable, young mother. And how he did it? I mean, what rules he chose to ignore? Who cares? He was trying to do something good. That's what matters. You know, there was a time we actually forgave people for their mistakes. We understood that human beings are fallible. So you look at the sum of the parts. Does the good outweigh the bad? I mean, Mike Blaine--he gave his life doing something good...brave...noble. And that makes him a hero."

3.  Samantha Miller - "That being said, it's important to acknowledge that we don't always get it right. The Chicago Police Department is not flawless. We've made some mistakes. We have committed certain unforgivable acts. But those misdeeds, no matter how egregious, should not define us, but rather motivate us to do better, to be more complete and compassionate human beings and police officers."

NCIS - Kath

1.  Kasie - “Life’s going to be fragile no matter where you put the furniture.”

2.  Torres - “Close calls make you live harder.”

3.  Kasie - “Jimmy, you’re in Autopsy. Nothing is going to stop you from pondering the fragility of life.”  ~~~Life lessons from two characters.  (Kath)

Resident Alien - Prpleight

1.  "I'll say one thing about whiskey. It's allowing me to make smart, rational decisions."

The Rookie - Folie-lex

1.  Harper: "Oh well that was stupid, Dennis, and very illegal. Gonna have to call your parents. Which one do you think will be less pissed?"  Dennis: "Um... my dad."  Harper: "Great. What's your mum's number?"

2.  Tim: "Okay, I'm not mad. But I am upset."  Lucy: "I knew it."  Tim: "At myself. You're right. I used the situation with the gardeners without thinking about the impact I had on them. I can't undo it, but I can make sure I never do it again."  Luce: "That's progress. I'm proud of you."  Tim: "I'm thrilled."

3.  Tim: "What happened to the code of silence?"  Owens: "What happened to cops having each others' backs?"  Jackson: "Yeah, Tim has mine."  Owens: "Who are you?"  Jackson: "The cop you just screwed over. Why'd you do it?"  Owens: "Blue protects blue. I know that. Doug knows that. Why don't you?"  Jackson: "Look, are you actually cool with all this?"  Owens: "This is the game. I didn't make waves and Doug hooked me up with a spot on Metro."  Tim: "So you can just ignore all the pain he causes, the abuse of power, to get that promotion?"  Owens: "The system is not gonna change, so what's the point in me throwing myself off a cliff? I gotta get what's mine and I advise you do the same. Because Doug's not going down without a fight."

Servant - Folie-lex

1.  Sean: "The neighbour says he thinks they're out of town."  Dorothy: "The neighbour? The neigh...? You never trust the neighbour because every time they find a basement full of bodies it's always 'The Neighbour Suspected Nothing'."

2.  Sean: "You ever eat pizza with someone you love?"  Tobe: "I've had dates that end in pizza."  Sean: "Right. Pizza's made to be shared. You know way back when all food was, but... the pack feeds together. We break bread."

3.  Tobe: "What are you doing here, Leanne?"  Leanne: "I wanted to say goodbye. But I thought that you would try and talk me out of leaving."  Tobe: "Would you have listened to me?"  Leanne: "Maybe. But I had to go. I didn't have a choice."  Tobe: "Did something happen with the Turners?"  Leanne: "It was Dorothy. I couldn't live with her for another day."  Sean: "I've heard enough of this."  Dorothy: "Leave it."  Leanne: "She is not like she is on the television. She's selfish, and she's cruel. She's mean."

Superstore - Folie-lex

1.  Warren: "It's all legal. All the employees agree to the terms of service in order to use the app."  Dina: "And let's be honest: keeping tabs on the employees is the entire point of the app, am I right?"  Warren: "It is...one of many features."  Dina: "Ah! I like you, Warren. You're shady but in a way that feels legally vetted."  Warren: "Thank you."  Dina: "You're welcome."

2.  Dina: "We preyed upon your desperation and it worked like a charm."  Justine: "It was you guys the whole time?"  Garrett: "Yes, it was us the whole...two hours ago."

3.  Jonah: "Here's an idea: maybe if you're gonna have cold feet about the future of your relationship, you tell the guy who's got your two-year-old drooling on his chest. He's my little man by the way, and I love him to death, but maybe, maybe you just give him just an indication you know that you're gonna... you're gonna pull the rug out. Because... because let me tell you something, he's very comfortable on that rug. Lot of...lot of plans hinging on that rug staying right where it is. Yeah, 'we've moved on'. She's moved on! She's living in California in what I imagine is an infinity pool while I am stuck here working at her store, living in her house, dealing with her neighbour's tree that's past the property line. You deal with it, Amy. It's your f***ing problem!"

The Unicorn - Folie-lex

1.  Natalie: "So you're trying to ask us if you can have a sleepover?"  Grace: "I don't know, Wade. Obviously not on a school night."  Natalie: "Is it okay with Shannon's parents?"  Grace: "Did you finish all your homework?"  Wade: "Okay...I don't sound like that."

2.  Wade: "Well, maybe they won't even notice what you're wearing."  Shannon: "Oh my God! They're teenage girls, Wade. You live with teenage girls!"

3.  Ben: "I told you he was hitting on you!"  Michelle: "Okay, you were wrong to say what you said. You just happened to be right. So you're sorry. I accept your apology."  Ben: "Oh no! Come here. Come here! You come sit down right next to your husband, because from now on, I get to keep being right about things."

 

WandaVision - 

1.  Jimmy Woo:  “So you're saying the universe created a sitcom starring two Avengers?”  (popcultureguy)

2.  Hayward: "World's not the same as you left it. Space is now full of unexpected threats."  Monica: "Always was full of threats. And allies."  (Folie-lex)

3.  Darcy: "We got the full clown car. It means whatever the threat is, SWORD clearly has no idea what they're dealing with."  (Folie-lex)

4.  Vision: "We don't have to stay here. We can go wherever we want."  Wanda: "No, we can't. This is our home."  Vision: "Are you sure?"  Wanda: "Oh, don't worry, darling. I have everything under control."  (Folie-lex)

What Else We’re Watching

Magnum, PI (3.05) - Folie-lex

1.  Ethan: "I feel like there's...uh, tension between us. I get the sense you don't like me."  Magnum: "What are you talking about? We're out here stealing gad in the middle of a hurricane. How can I not like you?"  Ethan: "Come on, man. Level with me."  Magnum: "I don't have any issues with you. Higgy and I, we work really closely together, and...now I gotta share her with somebody else. That's...I don't know, it's new for me. I know it's kinda selfish, but...it's the truth. And I just got to get used to the idea that I'm gonna have to share her with somebody. And it's a little hard, I'm not gonna lie."  Ethan: "I get it. And for what it's worth, what you guys have, as far as I'm concerned, that came first. You're a team. A good one from what I hear, and I wouldn't want to do anything to get in the way of that."  Magnum: "Appreciate it."

2.  Magnum: "You know, I actually think Ethan's...he's a good man."  Higgins: "I appreciate you saying that. Means a lot. And...I'm glad you're being so supportive of our relationship, because...well I think it might turn into something really serious, and...I'd like you guys to be friends."  Magnum: "Of course. Me too.”

About the Author - Dahne

One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she reviews and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, How to Get Away with Murder, The Librarians, and others. She also runs the annual Character Cup. She's addicted to Twitter, loves live tweeting, and co-hosted The 100 "Red-Shirted" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Previously she wrote a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."