This episode challenges the audience to consider not only death penalties and the modalities therein, but the ethical imperative of allowing someone to choose their own death to protect an unknowing innocent.
I, as a rule, am rarely emotionally invested in television performances. They don't impact me in the same way as do theater or long performance films. Probably because TV is dealing with shorter time frames and emotional involvement is significantly impacted by being constantly interrupted by loud and annoying advertising.
But the end of this episode had me openly weeping...not just that little tear trickling down the cheek, but sobbing...really sobbing. I was so vested in the characters and the story and the ethical implications that I was beside myself with grief and wonder and emotion.
Jeannetta Arnette's acting was one of the more stellar things I've ever seen on broadcast commercial television. She played the character with quiet dignity and compassion. The sacrifice the character was willing to make, and that she begged the team to let her make was heart wrenching in its Solomon-esquire wisdom.
I've always thought that Ms. Arnette was a fun and likable actress, but this role carried a depth of despair and hope beyond what I thought could be accomplished in a mere few minutes of film time. Even today, 12 hours after watching the episode, I got teary trying to explain it to someone who hadn't see it.
Mandy Patinkin's character made me fall in love with him...well, again...who doesn't love Mandy Patinkin? The writers Jeff Davis (creator) and Simon Mirren (writer) are to be commended for writing such a beautiful and ethically challenging script. The director Chris Long shot the episode in a stunningly stark and bleak yet poignant modality that truly captured the essence of the story they were trying to tell.
Brilliant. Just brilliant. Writing, direction, acting...just brilliantly done.
I, as a rule, am rarely emotionally invested in television performances. They don't impact me in the same way as do theater or long performance films. Probably because TV is dealing with shorter time frames and emotional involvement is significantly impacted by being constantly interrupted by loud and annoying advertising.
But the end of this episode had me openly weeping...not just that little tear trickling down the cheek, but sobbing...really sobbing. I was so vested in the characters and the story and the ethical implications that I was beside myself with grief and wonder and emotion.
Jeannetta Arnette's acting was one of the more stellar things I've ever seen on broadcast commercial television. She played the character with quiet dignity and compassion. The sacrifice the character was willing to make, and that she begged the team to let her make was heart wrenching in its Solomon-esquire wisdom.
I've always thought that Ms. Arnette was a fun and likable actress, but this role carried a depth of despair and hope beyond what I thought could be accomplished in a mere few minutes of film time. Even today, 12 hours after watching the episode, I got teary trying to explain it to someone who hadn't see it.
Mandy Patinkin's character made me fall in love with him...well, again...who doesn't love Mandy Patinkin? The writers Jeff Davis (creator) and Simon Mirren (writer) are to be commended for writing such a beautiful and ethically challenging script. The director Chris Long shot the episode in a stunningly stark and bleak yet poignant modality that truly captured the essence of the story they were trying to tell.
Brilliant. Just brilliant. Writing, direction, acting...just brilliantly done.