gorky
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Post by gorky on Jun 2, 2009 19:43:48 GMT -5
1. As you probably know, this episode was inspired by the 1967 film "Cool Hand Luke," starring Paul Newman. What connection(s) do you see between the film and the ep?
I've never seen the movie--which, admittedly, could contribute to why I judge this episode so harshly at times--but I think the writers did a great job of creating an atmosphere that reminded me of other movies of what David deems the "escape" genre (specifically Escape from Alcatraz). There are moments in this episode that really do make your heart race a little--such as David's pseudo-escape in search of a telephone. They really nailed the conventions of the genre...and mocked them in classic Moonlighting style.
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graycav56
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I can't imagine not rewatching with you next week.
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Post by graycav56 on Jun 2, 2009 19:49:57 GMT -5
3. IMO, this episode is a great showcase for Agnes and Bert. What are your favorite A/B scenes and/or moments?My favorite is when Agnes is listening to Maddie's message and she keeps saying "a baby" and then slaps her hand on her mouth. She knows it will be really hard to keep the secret. I also like Bert's conversation with David..."Not just anyone, sir. You knocked up the boss!" ;D One of the finest lines in series history. I concur!
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gorky
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Posts: 72
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Post by gorky on Jun 2, 2009 19:50:35 GMT -5
The First Phone Call: I don't think Maddie would be so heartless as to not want to tell David herself. I don't think it would be heartless, necessarily, for her to not want to tell David about the baby herself. I think it's more about that weakness that we first caught a glimpse of in "A Trip to the Moon"--relationship talks aren't exactly Maddie's place to shine. She went to Chicago to "hide under a bed", escape her feelings, think things through--and the pregnancy just sent her into another emotional tailspin that she wasn't ready to handle. Shirking her duties, having Agnes tell David--it doesn't seem like such a stretch to me. Aw, bees, I was thinking the same thing. David was obviously unsure of his paternity from the start; obviously, he tells the rest of the chain gang that he's not sure the baby's his. In fact, it's something that he states in "Father Knows Best", too. Which is why--and here's a bit of a digression--it's kind of weird to me that he seems to automatically assume his paternity when Maddie comes back from Chicago and tells him she's gotten married. Until that point, there had always been some doubt in his mind. Edit: Welcome, gray! And may I say, you've got yourself a classy avatar, as always.
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graycav56
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I can't imagine not rewatching with you next week.
Posts: 948
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Post by graycav56 on Jun 2, 2009 19:53:49 GMT -5
11. "Cool Hand Dave" is the only two-part episode in all five seasons. Do you think this "needed" to be two hours long? Are there other episodes you would have liked to see get the "two-part" treatment?
Probably it didn’t NEED to be a two parter, but I didn’t find myself anxious like I did in some of the other ONE part episodes. I think it was well written, paced well and done with quite an imagination. I liked the drama bend of this dramedy.
As for other episodes, I probably am happy that they were all one hour shows. It kept you wanting more when the final credits rolled.
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graycav56
3rd Level
I can't imagine not rewatching with you next week.
Posts: 948
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Post by graycav56 on Jun 2, 2009 19:56:47 GMT -5
5. Why do you think David's first words to Maddie are "How long have you known?"
I think it sums up a number of things. Her answer could explain her actions in a way David could understand, if not fully accept. It also showed that Dave felt hurt that this most important of facts was kept from him, and in fact confided to an employee before him. Yes, a wonderful employee, but not one of the two finalists in the Baby Hayes contest.
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Post by lin212 on Jun 2, 2009 19:57:19 GMT -5
4. Do you think Maddie is angry that Agnes spilled the beans about the baby when David calls to tell her he knows, or do you think Maddie wanted Agnes to do just that?
I don't think Maddie wanted Agnes to tell David. When David calls her, she says that she is not ready to have that conversation. And even at the end when she leaves the first message for David, she says that she hasn't told her parents and is not up to arguing with him ("going 15 rounds"). Obviously, she expected confrontation with David. Add to that Maddie's control and avoidance issues, I think that she would have preferred to tell David about the baby in her own time. Given that, I don't think she was angry at Agnes for letting the cat out of the bag. She knows that Agnes would never do anything intentional to hurt her. It just meant that she had to deal with the situation sooner than she had intended.
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graycav56
3rd Level
I can't imagine not rewatching with you next week.
Posts: 948
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Post by graycav56 on Jun 2, 2009 19:59:38 GMT -5
8. How do you feel about the big musical number in Part 2?
I thought it was very well done, although with my crappy hearing, a bit hard to follow at times. Very inventive.
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Post by beesnbears on Jun 2, 2009 20:00:49 GMT -5
The Second Phone Call: 7. This episode directly precedes "Father Knows Last" in which David states that he asked Maddie to marry him and she refused. Do you think the "proposal" might have happened at any time during the CHD episodes?
To this day, the proposal thing confuses me! I don't think it happened during CHD.
I like to believe it was the month they spent together after Sham left. Sometime after the Bimmer rolled down the street and before the Cheeseburger speech!
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graycav56
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I can't imagine not rewatching with you next week.
Posts: 948
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Post by graycav56 on Jun 2, 2009 20:01:25 GMT -5
2. When Bert spills the baby news to David, David responds, "Agnes knows?!" Do you think he is surprised that Agnes knew about the baby before he did, or that she knew that M/D had a "relationship" going on?
The baby for sure. A gnat with a lobotomy could figure out that the smoke between D&M had a fire at its core.
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graycav56
3rd Level
I can't imagine not rewatching with you next week.
Posts: 948
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Post by graycav56 on Jun 2, 2009 20:03:08 GMT -5
12. Do you wish that David had made it to Chicago, tried to talk to Maddie, and then maybe came home without her (since Cybill needed to be off the show still due to real-life pregnancy)...or do you like it the way it was done? Tough call. I kinda have to go with the way things went, especially because this set up the discussion in the following episodes.
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Post by beesnbears on Jun 2, 2009 20:03:27 GMT -5
11. "Cool Hand Dave" is the only two-part episode in all five seasons. Do you think this "needed" to be two hours long? Are there other episodes you would have liked to see get the "two-part" treatment?Probably it didn’t NEED to be a two parter, but I didn’t find myself anxious like I did in some of the other ONE part episodes. I think it was well written, paced well and done with quite an imagination. I liked the drama bend of this dramedy. As for other episodes, I probably am happy that they were all one hour shows. It kept you wanting more when the final credits rolled. Ditto!
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gorky
1st Level
Posts: 72
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Post by gorky on Jun 2, 2009 20:03:49 GMT -5
The Second Phone Call: 7. This episode directly precedes "Father Knows Last" in which David states that he asked Maddie to marry him and she refused. Do you think the "proposal" might have happened at any time during the CHD episodes? To this day, the proposal thing confuses me! I don't think it happened during CHD. I like to believe it was the month they spent together after Sham left. Sometime after the Bimmer rolled down the street and before the Cheeseburger speech! I kind of like this theory; seems pretty realistic to me.
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Post by beesnbears on Jun 2, 2009 20:07:26 GMT -5
Gray, I must say your avatar is fabulous!! It looks real!! When you get to talk to Cybill, you definitely need to have an 8x10 glossy for her to sign!!
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graycav56
3rd Level
I can't imagine not rewatching with you next week.
Posts: 948
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Post by graycav56 on Jun 2, 2009 20:11:21 GMT -5
Gray, I must say your avatar is fabulous!! It looks real!! When you get to talk to Cybill, you definitely need to have an 8x10 glossy for her to sign!! Why thank you dear! That would be a memorable day indeed. As long as she wouldn't pull a William Shatner on me and tell me to "Get a Life!" Heh heh.
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Post by lin212 on Jun 2, 2009 20:12:38 GMT -5
5. Why do you think David's first words to Maddie are "How long have you known?"This comes right on the heels of David discovering that Maddie told Agnes about the baby before she told him. I think this question kind of has a hidden meaning: "Who else did you tell before bothering to tell me?" I guess it could also be his way of determining if Maddie left for Chicago because she was pregnant, of if she had only recently found out. gorky, I agree with both points. I am sure that David is wondering when Maddie realized that she was pregnant. This has a lot to do with the paternity of Baby Hayes.
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