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Post by bluemoonshampoo on Mar 31, 2011 14:01:11 GMT -5
Well done both of you ladies! Sorry I missed yours yesterday Diane- work is insanely busy! I just now found twenty minutes and really enjoyed a good ML read. Reading the descriptions made me want to push certain DVDs into the DVD player and watch 'em right away but then I wouldn't get my work done :-(. Some truly great moments picked by the both of you- I enjoyed your insight and what really struck me was the fact that they are all honest to character/true ML moments - and that's all we ever wanted huh folks? Thanks for cheering up my silly busy week guys xxx
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Post by sandra on Mar 31, 2011 16:36:56 GMT -5
Love it, bees!
Love expecially your emotional description of "Father Knows Last" and how you can't resist the urge to join the fight. I felt that urge many times myself on the episode discussion threads, the urge to speak to the characters, even to yell at them! This is what makes this show so special to us, right?
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Post by jpen on Mar 31, 2011 16:44:21 GMT -5
Oh, bees, great job! As others have said, love the personal spin you gave these scenes...that's what this project is all about, right? Also loved seeing some of my "runners-up" on your list (the opening of "Son Also Rises" and the scene from "Tracks")--as well as a fair amount of overlap between us (well, go figure ;D). Think I'm gonna go back and read 'em all again.
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Post by beesnbears on Mar 31, 2011 17:09:08 GMT -5
Thanks everyone!
....I've never felt so 'essed.... ;D
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Post by Hazel on Mar 31, 2011 18:50:24 GMT -5
Great list! A few overlaps with mine, but a lot of unique choices. I especially like the Cool Hand Dave pick. Well done!
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Post by rose35 on Mar 31, 2011 19:01:46 GMT -5
Great job Bees! Wow such differant scenes to be faves ,so cool to get into all our minds on this show with just a scene now compared to whole episodes! This is so fun to read!
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Post by lin212 on Mar 31, 2011 19:07:40 GMT -5
Wonderful comments, bees. I love your choices. As I read them and think of my own list (which I am trying desperately to narrow down), it's great to see certain episodes pop up in multiple lists and then see those that are really unique. Thanks!
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Post by jpen on Apr 1, 2011 13:13:47 GMT -5
Well, I did it. I took a page full of favorites, and narrowed it down to 10. I had to exempt my top 6 episodes, which is maybe kinda cheating, and like diane and bees, I couldn’t take the angst involved in ranking them.
I’ll post a few now, and a few later--not trying to create suspense or anything, but my computer’s a bit finicky and I’ve got to go pick up a little one (those darn kids, always getting in the way of my ML ‘ession! ;D).
Away we go...
My Fair David: "Everything with you is just sex, sex, sex!"
This is a wonderful scene that moves between pathos and comedy. Maddie’s frustration after finding the office en limbo is very real; she says, “I’ve done all the changing”--and it’s largely true. David, naturally, must defend his territory, no matter how indefensible...and then Maddie turns the tables on him! I absolutely love watching her reel him in (“It doesn’t matter, because you can’t do it!”), especially because the manipulation is usually the other way around. Of course, David gets his own back in the moment by the door (H.O.T!) and the Quasimodo imitation, but it’s a real triumph for our girl nonetheless.
The Man Who Cried Wife: "That’s the thing about spontaneity...a little goes a long way."
Fantastic capper to a great great episode, wherein Maddie and David each take another small step on the road to understanding one another. The intro dialogue alone is priceless:
“That’s one of my favorite things about you.” “What’s that?” “Your relentless unpleasantness.”
I laugh every time...and then swoon when they saunter into that dark office, facing each other across their tandem fantasies. Love the interrupted dialogue, love the little twist of David’s lips and the way Maddie leans on the reception desk, love love love the sound editing (y’all know what I’m talking about) that shows us how visceral these visions are to our couple. Never gets old, this one.
Blonde on Blonde: "It’s nice to know we can depend on our 'friends.'"
This scene brilliantly sets up the emotion and tension of the Sam arc. They’re so sweet with each other at first--Maddie’s “Hi” and David’s “Save the farm...confide in me.” The love is there already, in David’s determination to know what’s causing her pain, and Maddie’s unwillingness to hurt him by explaining it; if only they’d both been paying attention! But tenderness is overcome by stubbornness, shock, and jealousy, and sweet turns very, very sour. Maddie’s parting shot must be one of the best ever, and we see in David’s face just how much it’s rocked his world:
“Why are so unhappy?” “My chastity belt is pinching me!”
Must run for now...back with more in a bit!
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Post by sandra on Apr 1, 2011 15:11:13 GMT -5
Love your start, Jen, and am curious for more!
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Post by jpen on Apr 1, 2011 15:26:23 GMT -5
Here's a few more:
Symphony In Knocked Flat: "Have we met?"
Oh, Maddie--you can be blasé all you want, but your emptied closet betrays you! I love our girl in this scene: the breath she takes when she hears the bell ring, the tilt of her neck before she opens the door, the way she trails David’s rose over her lips...but best of all is her bright, almost childish smile when David is (momentarily) giving her exactly the kind of night she’s dreamed of. You can watch her reevaluate him in her head...watch her think, “Maybe I’ve underestimated him...maybe...”
No, Maddie: definitely.
In God We Strongly Suspect: "Believe me, if and when I am ever 'over' you, the last thing I'll be thinking about is sleeping."
First of all, I love this scene for the way in which they each take a (metaphorical) step toward the other: Maddie admits she’s considered "the possibility,” and David says it’s okay if she doesn’t believe. She’s touched that he’s prayed for her, and he’s gratified when she wants the door left “Open.” Wonderful dialogue, redolent with multiple meanings (“Don’t you ever get scared?”). And then...David in the doorway--Oh. My. God. This is one of those scenes where the chemistry crackles between them, hot enough to turn your living room tropical--and they aren’t even touching. How do they do that?
Father Knows Last: "Do you have any idea how I feel about your daughter? Do you?"
I can’t even analyze this--it’s just a gut-punch every time. Crafted perfectly, its delivery by Bruce elevates it to a bravura performance. Everything we’ve ever thought about David is confirmed in these few minutes: he’s fiercely loyal, determined, savvy...and he loves our dear Maddie beyond everything. His line, “I’ve had to chop myself into little pieces--my pride, my personality, everything that I am into little squares for this woman” is startling in its veracity--and it’s a great reminder that, as much as Maddie feels like she has changed (see “My Fair David,” for one), David has undergone a metamorphosis too. The bottom line is that, no matter what happens between these two, they are forever linked by a “great and extraordinary” love.
David says, “Love her? Mr. Hayes, I would give up my life for her”; the thing is, if push really came to shove, I think Maddie would do the same for him...not that she would ever admit it.
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Post by jpen on Apr 1, 2011 15:50:12 GMT -5
Phew!! Last ones:
The Lady in the Iron Mask: “I’m glad you’re my partner, partner.”
One of the gems of Season 2, for sure! Earlier in the episode, Maddie and David have a knock-down, drag-out, which culminates in Maddie declaring she’d be better off without David, and him challenging her to a solve-off (?). Now, both David and Maddie are having regrets. I love the use of parallelism in this scene, post-argument (and post-soapsuds): they each walk to their door, and each starts a letter to the other. But nothing will do except to make it up, face to face.
Agnes’ bit in this scene is so great: “You and mom having a fight?” The way David smiles at her, and the way Maddie squeezes her arm as she leaves, just demonstrates what a family they’ve become. Then there’s Maddie, sultry in the doorway (dang, there’s something about doorways on this show!!), and David, his smirk subdued, on the couch. She apologizes (!!!), he forgives; she kisses him, and the sparks fly. The final shot, of his wry grin marked by the lipstick on his cheek...holy moly, can you ever see it enough??
A Trip to the Moon: “I gotta bad case of you...”
Parts of this episode drive me crazy. I’m impatient with Maddie, for fighting against her best chance at happiness; I’m frustrated with David, for starting the tiff-ette in the car. This scene redeems it for me: it’s not easy to watch, but it’s so very real--both of them are really trying to lay their cards on the table. Maddie tries to explain why she wants--no, needs--out, and David gives her all the reasons why they should keep trying. Their dance is the perfect farewell, kind of a bookend to the scene at the end of “I am Curious”: Instead of angry passion, we have bittersweet sadness. It’s a reminder of all the dancing (literal and metaphorical) that brought them here, and how far they’ve come. At the end of it, they’re both finally able to say “I love you”...OUT LOUD...no euphemisms, no hiding.
And I can’t help being hopeful when Maddie says, “You’re not gonna dance here with anybody else, are you? You’d better not!”...even though I know what’s to come, for this moment, I still believe it's all gonna work out fine.
Maddie Hayes Got Married: “Do what you’ve gotta do, but, I just want you to know, I understand...”
Another pitch-perfect performance by both Bruce and Cybill. There’s dignity in David’s exhaustion and despair; when he says, “Doesn’t make any sense. The baby’s not mine, you’re not mine...I just don’t think you know how any of this makes me feel”, it’s not angry--he’s way past anger (for now), and coming up on acceptance.
One of Maddie’s rare moments of vulnerability, this is the closest we’ll ever come to an explanation of her choices over the past four months. She not only realizes the magnitude of her mistakes, but she takes responsibility for them: “the only person that can fix this situation--is me.” She also admits, though, that the situation might not be fixable...and imagine, for someone who likes to be in control, what this admission must cost her!
“I really wish, with my whole heart, that this was your baby inside me.” It’s far, far more than just a paternity preference; what she’s really saying is, “It’s you--I choose you”....which is exactly what David, and the rest of us, have been waiting to hear all along. This is another moment that lifts me up and carries me, beyond all the separation/Walter/season 5 ridiculousness, to a place where I know Maddie and David are meant to be: together.
Maddie’s Turn to Cry: "He's perfect for me, y'know? But you and me..."
If there's a most-watched scene on my list, this is probably it. The lighting? Gorgeous. The look? David, lovably scruffy; Maddie, tousled and so, so beautiful. The empty set? Genius--Maddie, David, and their complicated relationship are more than enough to fill up the screen. The dialogue? Inspired: the “I hate you”s preserve the tension between hiding and revealing, giving and holding back, that is the lifeblood of their relationship.
The kiss? Are there words for this? Sweet, tender, sexy...none of them are enough. Maybe this one: PERFECT.
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Post by sandra on Apr 1, 2011 15:52:14 GMT -5
David says, “Love her? Mr. Hayes, I would give up my life for her”; the thing is, if push really came to shove, I think Maddie would do the same for him...not that she would ever admit it. This is so true, Jen. They are absolutely on the same level. I love your picks!!! Are there more to come?
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Post by sandra on Apr 1, 2011 15:56:30 GMT -5
Whoops, posted my last comment before I saw your last picks. There are a few who will definitely be on my list. Love your list, Jen. Thanks.
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goldilocks
3rd Level
You know he is perfect for me...but you and me...we...we..
Posts: 887
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Post by goldilocks on Apr 1, 2011 16:56:46 GMT -5
bees, Sorry I am a bit late with my comments, was busy, busy, busy Wow! What a great list! I love your choices, they are very diverse, you've picked funny scenes, as well as dramatic ones! Love it! Because this mixture of comedy and drama is what makes our Moonlighting so great, right? Love this one very much: 'But the clincher for me? She tells him she wishes that the baby she is carrying was his. I love this scene not only for what transpires between them, not only because David is willing to open his arms to her again, but for the direction Maddie’s character has taken. She’s not only open and honest with David, but with herself. And it makes ME feel wonderful.'So true...think it makes all of us feel wonderful Great job, bees! Thanks for sharing!
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goldilocks
3rd Level
You know he is perfect for me...but you and me...we...we..
Posts: 887
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Post by goldilocks on Apr 1, 2011 17:10:22 GMT -5
Jen,So enjoyed reading your list, you've picked amazing scenes! Again, love it how you've mixed funny and serious scenes, and your description of every scene is so emotional! My fave line is: ' “I really wish, with my whole heart, that this was your baby inside me.” It’s far, far more than just a paternity preference; what she’s really saying is, “It’s you--I choose you”....which is exactly what David, and the rest of us, have been waiting to hear all along.'
I am so with you on this! I love this project more and more! It is so thrilling to read these lists, because they are so similar and so different at the same time! And each of them is so special! I can't wait to read more!
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