Overall: 8.0
While a bit off-base morally, this episode has a lot of comic charm.
Plot Synopsis:
When Gary has trouble rescuing an old woman from an impending gas explosion, he gets help from an unexpected quarter: the woman's neighbor, a cheerful British chap by the name of Clive Harbison, rappels down to her balcony from the building's roof and manages to escape with the woman just in time. The rescue is dramatic enough to attract the attention of the media, which, as it turns out, leads to complications.
The following morning, Gary has to beg off helping Chuck repaint the walls in the bar, as he's just read that Clive will soon be run over by an angry motorist. Gary heads over to Clive's and discovers that Clive has suddenly decided to move out. Before Gary can get an explanation, the aforementioned angry motorist, a man by the name of Marty, comes barreling down the sidewalk, and Gary and Clive have to quickly dodge the car. They jump into the back of a parked pick-up, forcing Marty to a sudden stop. Marty then climbs out of his car with his gun and starts firing pot shots at Clive and Gary as they duck into a city bus.
As you might expect, Gary is now extremely curious why someone would want to kill Clive. Clive claims that he's working for the MI6, but Gary's pretty sure that's a phony-baloney story. Still, he feels guilty for exposing Clive's location and offers to give Clive a place to stay for a while until Clive can figure out what to do next. To repay Gary for his kindness, Clive spends the night painting an uncanny replica of the Sistine Chapel ceiling on the wall downstairs. Hmm.
The next day, Marty shows up at McGinty's and pulls his gun on Gary, Chuck and Marissa, demanding to know where they've stashed Clive. Clive sees Marty and quickly slips out the back door. Out on the street, he runs into his old flame, Faye Davies, who serves as curator at the University of Chicago's art museum. Faye is none too pleased to see Clive again. As a matter of fact, she punches him in the face. (LOL!)
When an angry Marty finally leaves McGinty's, Clive returns with Faye. In front of Gary, Chuck, and Marissa, Faye again punches Clive (in the stomach this time) and demands that he put a certain painting back where it belongs or else. After Faye storms out, Gary firmly demands that Clive spill the beans, and Clive at last admits that he's an art forger who's trying to go straight. Three years ago, he stole a Van Gogh from Faye's collection, and Faye has never forgiven him since. Clive tells the others that he plans to steal the real Van Gogh from a stock market cheat's private collection and sneak it back into the museum to preserve Faye's reputation.
Later, Gary is sitting down to relax for a while when he spots a story in the paper reporting that Clive is going to be mauled by guard dogs and arrested. At first, Gary doesn't want to help Clive, but both Chuck and Marissa remind Gary that the aforementioned stock market cheat shouldn't have the painting to begin with, and Gary relents. When Chuck and Gary arrive at the cheat's mansion, they find Clive perched on top of the outer wall, and, sure enough, there are guard dogs snapping at his feet. Chuck tosses a slab of drugged meat over the side, and Clive thanks Gary and Chuck both for their assistance. Our Heroes prepare to leave Clive to it, but then Chuck sees in the paper that Clive will next be foiled by a hidden alarm system. Chuck and Gary follow Clive in and stop him just before he trips an infrared sensor. Forewarned, Clive then proceeds with greater care, but though he manages to get the Van Gogh off the wall without incident, the whole plan goes awry when Chuck unthinkingly picks up a shoe signed by Michael Jordan and trips another alarm. "Run away!" Clive cries, and the three men do. (ROTFL!)
Back at McGinty's, Clive and the others prepare for the second stage of Clive's plan: sneaking the Van Gogh back into the museum. But before they leave, Marty shows up. He has taken Faye hostage and demands that Clive get him the real Van Gogh to make up for the fact that Clive set him up to get arrested years ago. Clive tells Marty the truth - that they have the real Van Gogh right now and are about to put it back in the museum - but Marty assumes that what they have is the fake. (Heh.) Clive and the others proceed with their original plan with Marty waving a gun at their backs. Said plan goes off without a hitch up until Marty walks up, gun in hand, to Gary and Clive in the museum just as they are about to replace the Van Gogh. Gary has a brain wave then and gives Marty the real painting. When Marty runs outside, he is apprehended by the police. (Heh.) After the real Van Gogh is returned to the museum, Faye forgives Clive, and they resume their earlier romantic relationship.
The Skinny:
This slapstick episode is extremely entertaining. The wild improvisations and ridiculous lies Gary, Chuck and Marissa must pull off to help Clive - everything from Marissa's claim that she can "feel" a painting to Chuck's telling the museum guard that he suffers from bloating of the brain - are genuinely hilarious, and Clive makes me smile in spite of myself. Indeed, I think it would be quite legitimate to argue that in this episode, writer Nick Harding, the actors, and the production team at least partially recapture the spirit of The Wrong Man, last season's featured black comedy; there's even an amusingly ironic sequence in which Clive's narration of his life story runs counter to images that tell a rather more sordid tale.
Yes - there is much in this episode that is appealing. I think, however, that Clive's redemption is not quite complete by the end despite his returning the purloined Van Gogh. True, he's serious about making it up to Faye, but he's still disturbingly dismissive when it comes to his culpability in other matters. In my opinion, a criminal who sincerely wished to atone would not work so hard to avoid the law. Because Clive fails to suffer consequences consonant with his crimes, he still strikes me as unrepentant - and this episode strikes me as clever but a touch immoral.
Writing: 8.5
Though the direction and the acting are the real strengths of this episode, I believe Nick Harding also deserves credit for his solidly funny script.
Acting: 9.5
Here, we see what a really great ensemble can accomplish. There is no one in the regular or guest cast who doesn't make me laugh at some point. Bravo!
Message: 6.0
Unfortunately, Clive's "redemption" falls a little short of my standards.
The Benevolent Hand:
Though I don't think the episode goes far enough when it comes to rehabilitating Clive, there's no denying that the Force behind the paper at least gets Clive started on his journey towards honest repentance.
Highlights:
GARY: I'm outta here.
CHUCK: Wait a minute - what about more pressing issues in the world?
GARY: Like what?
CHUCK: Like this painting and scraping which you were supposed to help me with.
GARY: Yeah, well, yesterday I had to stop a woman from blowing up -- and-and this guy that helps me, he's here in the paper again. Don't you think that's kinda strange?
CHUCK: (sarcastic) Oh, yeah, humanity first. Leave all the chores to Fishman. (Heh.)
CHUCK: You invited him here?
GARY: Yup.
CHUCK: He's staying with you?
GARY: Yup.
CHUCK: Gar, how many times have I told you? Don't get involved. Look, you can catch him but you can't keep him.
GARY: Look, the guy doesn't have a job. He doesn't have anywhere to go. He's -- look, people are trying to kill him, and it's my fault.
CHUCK: There you go again, putting the world on your shoulders. A tree gets cut down in the rain forest, and it's your fault. (Hee. So cute.)
CHUCK: Show a little imagination!
GARY: Imagination? You want red ceilings, peach walls and white molding?
CHUCK: It's a statement!
GARY: A statement?
MARISSA: Yeah, it's a statement, all right. 'Get out of here fast.'
CHUCK: And what would you know about it?
MARISSA: It even sounds disgusting, Chuck. (LOL! You know you have a problem when a blind woman starts questioning your instinct for interior design.)
CHUCK: And, uh, who was that guy yesterday? The one who tried to kill you.
CLIVE: Um, uh, a business associate. A former business associate. We had a bit of a falling out.
CHUCK: Well, Gary and I have a falling out everyday, but I don't try to run him over with my car. (Heh.)
(Gary walks into McGinty's looking quite out of sorts.)
CHUCK: Hey, where the hell have you been?
GARY: A chicken truck. (He beats down his jacket and is instantly surrounded by a cloud of feathers. LOL!)
CHUCK: What?
MARISSA: A chicken truck?
(Chuck pulls a feather out from behind Gary's ear.)
GARY: A school bus ran into a chicken truck, and the chicken truck -- it's a long story. (I bet it is!)
GARY: Hello, Clive.
CLIVE: Hi, uh, Charles, Gary, Marissa -- um, I have a friend to introduce. This lovely young thing... (Faye smacks Clive in the stomach, and he doubles over. He gasps the last few words of his introduction.) ... is Faye Davies.
CHUCK: I've gotta hand it to you, Clive. You've got a devoted bunch of friends. (Heh.)
FAYE: I am not his friend, nor am I a young thing. (to Clive) Listen to me, you patronizing, double-dealing four-flusher: you will finish what you started or I will see you behind bars. I swear it!
CLIVE: Faye --
FAYE: Don't 'Faye' me.
CLIVE: Faye --
FAYE: You've got 'til Friday.
CLIVE: (plaintive) Faye --
FAYE: If that painting isn't put back where it belongs, I will personally nail your sorry hide to the wall. (She turns to leave, but then turns back to address the others.) Nice meeting you. (At that, she leaves.)
CLIVE: Lovely woman.
(Faye slams the door on her way out. LOL!)
CLIVE: Absolutely no sense of humor.
GARY: You wanna explain?
CLIVE: Ah, now listen, Hobbers --
GARY: (stern) Now wait a second, don't-don't call me Hobbers. You see, let me tell you something: the last two days, I've had a gun stuck up my nose, I've been shot at and almost ran over. So, now, why don't you try to explain right now.
CLIVE: Well, I suppose you're right --
GARY: And-and the truth, Clive. (LOL!)
CLIVE: ... I was beginning to think I'd put my past behind me.
GARY: And then we ran into each other.
CLIVE: Yes, well, no regrets there. (Gary looks skeptical.) Saving Doris is one of the few acts I can look back on with unabashed pride. (Interesting. The man has a heart of gold.)
GARY: What you two want me to do is, you want me to - with a known felon - to break into a private residence and steal a painting?
CHUCK: A stolen painting that was illegally obtained by a guy who made millions cheating in the stock market. (That stops Gary cold.) You wanna borrow my car? (LOL! I don't know that vigilante justice is the right way to go here, but I understand the impulse.)
GARY: Clive! Don't do that!
(Holding his flashlight in his mouth, Clive turns around, blinding Gary and Chuck.)
CLIVE: Hmm? (He speaks around the flashlight.) Now what? (Then he takes the flashlight out of his mouth.)
GARY: The painting! There's a, uh, um --
CHUCK: Passive infrared motion detector. (Good memory, Chuck.)
CLIVE: What? (Clive whips out a special pair of goggles and takes a look.) Good Lord, you're right! Crafty beggar. How on earth did you find that out?
GARY: Uh, the article.
CLIVE: That is one well-researched story. (Hee!)
CHUCK: Hey, check it out! (He walks up to an athletic sneaker that the owner has put on display.) Gar - they got an autographed Michael Jordan sneaker.
CLIVE: (who is still trying to carefully remove the Van Gogh from the wall) All right, steady as she goes. No sudden moves.
CHUCK: You know, I think these are the very same shoes he wore against the Jazz in the finals. I can practically smell the sweat from here.
CLIVE: Got it!
(At that moment, Chuck picks up the sneaker, setting off an alarm.)
CLIVE: (ironic) Oh, brilliant!
GARY: (panicked) What do we do now?
CLIVE: Run away! Run away! (ROTFL! Good going, Chuck.)
CLIVE: Ten minutes. Everybody understand their roles?
CHUCK: (standing) Yes, sir. We go to the museum, we fall to pieces, and we get arrested. (LOL!)
CHUCK: Thank you.
GUARD: You okay?
CHUCK: It's a genetic condition.
GUARD: (reading off the pill bottle) 'To prevent bloating'?
CHUCK: Of the brain. It blows up like a pumpkin. (ROTFL! The lies Our Heroes come up with in this episode are hysterical.)
CHUCK: Well, that was an interesting evening.
MARISSA: Yeah, but it's still pretty early. Hey, you guys want to get some dinner?
GARY: Nah, I'm going home to bed.
CHUCK: What's the matter with you?
GARY: What do you mean, what's the matter? What's the matter is I'm tired and I want to go to bed! Is that all right with you?
MARISSA: Stick in the mud.
CHUCK: You need a little excitement in your life.
GARY: Excitement in my -- what did we just do tonight?
CHUCK: All work and no play makes Gary a very dull boy.
MARISSA: Exactly.
GARY: Do you know how silly that sounds? (ROTFL! Adorable.)
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