This episode is one of several in the second season that evoke Hollywood's Golden Age. It is a terribly adorable romantic comedy that still manages, in classic Early Edition style, to teach that fulfilling one's responsibility to others is more important than satisfying one's personal desires.
Plot Synopsis:
Princess Sibella of Morenia is visiting Chicago as part of a worldwide tour, and she longs to see the city's sights. Unfortunately, her attendants have filled her schedule completely, leaving very little time for Sibella to play tourist. Weary of the endless wining and dining, the princess gets very drunk, sneaks out of a reception in her honor, and stows away in the first vehicle she finds parked outside her hotel.
Fortunately, that vehicle turns out to be the McGinty's van. Eventually, Gary returns after failing to prevent a lothario from getting shot in the butt (LOL!) and drives home, unaware that Sibella is sleeping it off in his back seat -- until, that is, he pulls up in front of the bar and hears the princess moan in her slumber. His voice squeaking in surprise, Gary asks Sibella who she is and where she lives and expresses his determination to bring her right home, but Sibella passes out again before he finds out any useful information. Resigned, Gary picks Sibella up and totes her upstairs to his loft. He blushingly gives Sibella one of his t-shirts and spends the night on his couch.
The following morning, it takes a little effort for Gary to explain to Sibella what happened the previous night, but eventually, Sibella accepts that Gary means her no harm. She tells Gary her name is "Lowe" and claims that she was part of a tour group. Gary, of course, has already read the paper and knows who Sibella really is, but he allows the princess her fiction for the moment. Chuck, for his part, privately advises Gary to return to Sibella to her people post haste, remarking that the old Morenian postage stamp used to depict a bloody head on a pike, but Gary is reluctant to comply. He too has been very stressed out of late, so he sympathizes with Sibella's plight. Still, he acknowledges that he has responsibilities of his own (i.e., the paper), and he heads back upstairs to talk to Sibella. Alas, by that time, Sibella has already snatched Gary's wallet and escaped.
Gary finds the princess at a nearby coffee shop, where Sibella happily returns Gary's wallet and assures him that he will be reimbursed. For the next few hours, she tags along as Gary deals with the "paper work." Along the way, Gary takes Sibella skating and buys her a snowglobe and a guide book. Sibella is obviously having the time of her life -- but when Gary reads in the paper that an El train will be derailed later in the day, he has to take his leave of the princess. He explains to her that he can't ignore his responsibilities because people depend on him. Sibella is disappointed, but she seems to understand.
Meanwhile, Chuck spies Gary and Sibella across the street from McGinty's and panics. You see, while the princess has been enjoying her "holiday," her attendants have been looking all over the city for her. Ultimately, thanks to a crossed cell phone signal (you can tell this show was produced in the 1990's), they discovered that she was taken to McGinty's. Thus, by the time Gary returns home, Sibella's attendants are sitting at the bar trying - and failing - to "blend in." (Cute.) Desperate to distract "the heads-on-pikes people," Chuck gets a conga line going (LOL!), then runs out front to intercept Gary and Sibella. Gary assigns Chuck the task of taking Sibella sight-seeing and goes off to the transit authority to prevent the train disaster.
Unfortunately, Gary is unable to convince the man monitoring the tracks that the 57 Orange Line train should be delayed -- and when he steps outside, frustrated, he reads in the paper that the princess will be injured on that very train. He rushes to the next El station, but quickly learns that the 57 does not stop there. Eventually, in order to avert the impending disaster, Gary must leap, action-hero style, onto the truck that is fated to hit the elevated track's support beam. As the astonished driver looks on, Gary reaches through the driver's side window, grabs the steering wheel, and veers the truck away from the aforementioned support beam. The truck crashes into a utility pole.
Above, the 57 stops, and Chuck and Sibella disembark. Chuck spotted Gary out the window of the train, so he rushes over to make sure Gary is alright. Chuck and Sibella find Gary trying to dissuade a woman and her child from getting out of their car, which is now surrounded by live wires from the destroyed utility pole. Sibella recognizes the language the woman is speaking and tells her in Croatian not to move until Gary and Chuck can clear the wires.
Sibella now realizes that she has a duty to serve her people, but before she returns to her hotel, she manages to steal a kiss from Gary. At a press conference the following day, she tells the assembled how much she will cherish the kindness of the people she met while in Chicago.
The Skinny:
Stephanie S. - Early cell phones aside, this episode could have easily been filmed in black and white in 1955 - and that's exactly what I like about it. Today's television - like today's adult fiction - has its artistic strengths, but it's hard to deny that it thrives on dysfunction. These days, writers prefer to parade their characters' addictions, foibles, and tortured cynicism in the hopes of out-edging their competitors. In this context, Gary Hobson's apple-pie virtue is a welcome breath of fresh air. It may seem like such a simple thing, but the fact that Gary blushes and turns away when Princess Sibella undresses in the middle of his loft says it all: what we have here is a profoundly - and delightfully - counter-cultural hero.
This episode is classically Early Edition. First of all, it's funny, and it's funny in a way that is difficult to convey in a highlights section because the humor largely depends on line delivery, facial expressions, and blocking. For example, I love the moment in the ice rink when Sibella steals Gary's paper and starts to scatter it. Gary's panicked attempts to catch all the pages are hilarious, but again, they are impossible to transcribe. Secondly, the guest characters are all likable. The princess' enthusiasm is infectious, and you can tell that her attendants, though a bit stuffy, are genuinely concerned for her well-being. Thirdly, the story's moral center is solid. After her day-long escape, Sibella eventually returns to her hotel and willingly shoulders the burden of being a leader, and she does this because Gary has taught her through his example that duty matters. These three things - humor, likability, and decency - are the three major ingredients of the show's magic formula. That they converge in this episode accounts for its feature rating.
SABR Matt - I love love looooove this episode...in fact I was the one who reminded my co-author that it was a feature. :) I think the writers on this show have a deep fondness for homages...this entire episode is rather like a big wet kiss to 1940s-era comedy, and I rather like that they chose to celebrate that aspect of American film history, because I think those oldies are underrated in today's society. The best part, for me, however, is that this episode is a beautiful example of (a) how to protect a woman's virtue (hint: it's not about YOU, men...it's never about you) and (b) what women really want, deep down. No matter how many layers of Cosmo you paint over it, a woman's brain is wired differently than a man's, and EE seems to accept this without hesitation...especially in episodes like this one.
Writing: 9.0/8.5
Invented countries aside, this is a very sweet script. By the end, your face hurts from all the smiling.
We certainly agree that the script is hilarious on its' own merits, but I feel the strength of this episode is more toward the gifts of the actors than toward the writing. The fact that you really cannot pick out any jaw-dropping dialogue (that most of the gold in this episode comes from the way the actors portray the moments between the lines) limits my enthusiasm for the script itself.
Acting: 10.0/10.0
As noted above, much of the humor would not have worked without the performers - Kyle Chandler and Hayley DuMond especially. DuMond is adorable, and Chandler's facial expressions are, as usual, a scream.
That said, the acting is indeed top notch and I have little reason to disagree with my co-author's comments about the two leads in this episode.
Message: 9.5/9.0
Three cheers for this episode's emphasis on selflessness and responsibility!
Indeed...selflessness, responsibility, and oh yes...MODESTY...are on display here. I would take the edge off the accolades if only because I think EE has portrayed all of these virtues even more effectively in other episodes. This one's light and frothy consistency limits the impact just a touch...not that there's anything wrong with light, fun TV. :)
The Benevolent Hand:
GARY: The princess had to be on the train.
CHUCK: Yeah. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to save the mother and kid.
GARY: It's like the paper knew, huh?
CHUCK: I'm tellin' ya, Gar: I'm gettin' cosmic whiplash here.
Of course, the Benevolent Hand's intervention goes beyond the above. It's also extraordinarily providential that Princess Sibella stumbles into Gary's van. Gary is indeed Chicago's most friendly and decent face - and he also happens to know a little something about undertaking the often heavy burdens of public service. With Gary, Sibella does more than enjoy a day off; she also comes to accept her own vocation. Thus, God, this show's ever present invisible character, once again manages to kill two birds with one stone.
Highlights:
CHUCK: Oh, finally!
GARY: (barely audible muttering) ...had to fix a train...
CHUCK: Oh, that's great. We don't care.
GARY: I'll just go... change my jacket.
(Gary drifts out of the room, clearly beat.)
ROBIN: He looks terrible. He's been working too hard.
CHUCK: (speaking over Robin) Hey, don't kid yourself. He thrives on this stuff.
(Chuck starts to follow Gary into the office.)
ROBIN: He's exhausted, Chuck!
CHUCK: Let me tell you something about Gary: he has the stamina of a horse. GAR! COME ON, LET'S GO!
(Chuck enters the office and finds Gary completely conked out, his head on the desk.)
GARY: Zzzzzzz.
CHUCK: You are a major disappointment to me. (LOL! Awww, poor Gary.)
GARY: Where is it?
CHUCK: Where's what?
GARY: Tomorrow's paper.
CHUCK: I didn't touch it.
GARY: Come on, don't give me that!
CHUCK: (insulted) Excuse me, but I have more important things to do than abduct your precious newspaper. What, I'm not sure exactly, but I'm sure I can find something. Did I give you my new cell phone number?
GARY: (darker) Where is it?
CHUCK: The cell phone?
GARY: Tomorrow's paper. Where is it?
CHUCK: (sighing) Okay, fine. (He reaches over the bar and pulls out Gary's paper.) Here. I thought I'd give you a little day off - a little rest.
GARY: You went straight to the sports pages, didn't you?
CHUCK: No, the stocks. That's my new Rolls Royce parked out front. (Gary looks.) Just kidding. (Gary mutters to himself, opens the paper and starts to read.) There's nothing important in there anyway.
GARY: Nothing important? What about this? "Park Ranger Injured in Protest."
CHUCK: He gets bit by a doxin.
GARY: Well, what about this? "Sanitation Worker Trapped in Sewer Mishap." How about that?
CHUCK: Big deal! For thirty minutes!
GARY: "Jilted Mistress Shoots Lover."
CHUCK: Yeah, she shoots him in the butt.
GARY: Well, let me tell you something, pal: gun shot wounds, they cause complications too!
CHUCK: Okay, so sue me for trying to help ya!
GARY: I don't need help! I've got responsibilities! (ROTFL! Sometimes Gary gets way too stressed out over this paper.)
(Gary pulls up in front of McGinty's. He's about to get out of the van when he hears a moan in the backseat. He turns.)
GARY: Hey...
(He pulls back the blanket and finds the princess, asleep. He does a double take.)
GARY: (his voice a little squeaky) Who are you?
(He gets no answer.)
GARY: Excuse me. Hey, excuse me! You can't sleep in here! Hey. Hey, who are you? Where do you live?
SIBELLA: (moaning) ... a large place with stairs...
GARY: Hey, listen, lady - you got - you got a purse or something? (The princess goes back to sleep.) Hey, come on, can you sit up? Can you sit up? (He helps Sibella sit up. The princess presses her fingers against Gary's face.) There you go. Easy.
SIBELLA: (awake, but slurry) You have a very - hic! - interesting chin.
GARY: Oh, boy, that's a doozy of a party. (LOL!)
GARY: You know, you really shouldn't, uh... you really shouldn't be getting into strange cars. That's not too, uh... too safe to be doing. I mean, it's a friendly city, but... (He turns to give Sibella a shirt and discovers that she has completely disrobed. Immediately, he averts his gaze, blushing. LOL!) ... uh, friendly city, but that's... oh, boy. (He closes his wardrobe.) That's still not, uh, too safe to be doing. (Sibella drags on Gary's shirt.) For obvious reasons, it's just not... so... you'll take the couch and I'll... (He turns and finds that Sibella has already collapsed onto his bed.) ... I'll... take the couch. (Hee! So sweet.)
(In the morning, while Gary's out collecting his paper, Sibella sees him, screams, and locks him out of his loft. LOL! After the commercial break, Gary knocks on his own door.)
SIBELLA: Who's there?
GARY: (with exaggerated patience) Gary Hobson.
SIBELLA: Who?
GARY: I live here.
SIBELLA: Why should I believe you?
GARY: Because.
SIBELLA: Because why?
GARY: Because I say so!
SIBELLA: What did you say your name was again?
GARY: Hobson. Gary.
SIBELLA: I do not know any Hobson Gary!
GARY: No, it's Gary Hob... look, go over to that table behind ya. There's some pictures on there. Pictures of me, in my apartment. The one you're in.
(There's a pause. Then Sibella opens the door. She compares Gary's face to the photograph in her hand.)
SIBELLA: There is a resemblance.
GARY: Ha ha. That's because it's me. This is my apartment... and you're in it.
(Sibella relents and lets Gary in. She then reaches for Gary's robe. Glancing at the unmade bed, a terrible thought occurs to her.)
SIBELLA: Uh, did we...?
GARY: (shocked by the very idea) NO! I mean, no, we didn't. (LOL! See, that's why we love Gary. He can't even imagine taking advantage of a tipsy woman.)
GARY: Listen to me, I need your help. What am I supposed to do?
CHUCK: Isn't it obvious? You gotta take her back to her people.
GARY: I don't think she wants to go back to her people.
CHUCK: What do you mean you don't think?
GARY: Well, I... I haven't exactly told her I know who she is, you see.
CHUCK: And?
GARY: Well, I mean, it's hard to explain. You gotta see her to understand.
CHUCK: Yeah?
GARY: Well, look, all she wants is a day off. What's so wrong with that?
CHUCK: She's from Morenia, Gary.
GARY: So?
CHUCK: Morenia. When I was a kid, I used to collect stamps, and the one for Morenia had a head on a pike. A human head.
GARY: A head on a pike?
CHUCK: We're talkin' the Balkins here. You don't want to mess with these people.
GARY: A head on a pike?
CHUCK: A bloody head.
GARY: Yeah, but you don't understand...
CHUCK: Look, you brought a puppy home, and Uncle Chuck says you can't keep it. (LOL!)
GARY: Look, Lowe, I like you. I like you a lot, but... there's nothing more I'd rather do than spend the whole day together, but you see...
SIBELLA: (disappointed) But you can't.
GARY: No, I can't because, you see, I have responsibilities.
SIBELLA: Ugh. Responsibilities. I hate that word.
GARY: Well, you see, Lowe, it's not just a word. You see, people depend on me.
SIBELLA: Who?
GARY: Well, I-I can't name them all personally, but, uh... they need me, and I-I can't let 'em down.
SIBELLA: Why not?
GARY: Because, I-I... well, I-I guess it's something in here. (He touches his chest.) It wouldn't be right. (Awww.)
REPORTER: How do you balance your personal life and your duties as a princess?
(As she pauses to consider her answer, Sibella spies Gary in the crowd.)
SIBELLA: I... try to remember... that there are people out there - people in my own country - who depend on me. I may not know them all personally, but they need me... and I cannot let them down. (Nice echo of the earlier scene.)
REPORTER: What was your favorite part of Chicago?
(The princess' press secretary clears his throat and signals for her to be equivocal.)
SIBELLA: I enjoyed all parts of my visit equally. (Then she looks at Gary and reconsiders.) No. That's not true. The best part of my visit to Chicago was the people. Their warmth, their kindness, the way they welcomed me into their lives - it is something I will cherish forever. If circumstances were different, it is the kind of city where I could happily spend the rest of my life. (Awwwww.)
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