"As It Is In Heaven"

A review by Jenni:

I've been waiting quite a while to get to this episode.  Kelly always intrigued me.  As did Andrew's facial hair.  So big episode for me!  But my family went out to dinner tonight so I'm starting this fairly late.  9:50.  Hope I can stay up.  I have my trusty chai.  :-)

What I love about this episode:
I like that Tess tells Monica all assignments are special.  Darn right!  :-)

Somehow I'm not surprised Jesse's initials are JC.  I like it.

"Well, at least I'm getting a present."  Ha.  I love the way Tess dead pans that after Monica gets pulled over.

Jesse liking rocks is pretty cool.  He's the son of an angel with an interest in one of the most earthy of objects.  Ironic.  But not in any forced way.  I used to collect rocks myself.  So it's not at all odd for him to be taken with em.

One thing I liked about TBAA was that the angels didn't necessarily recognize each other.  It added some really interesting angles to some of the episodes.  This and "An Angel by Any Other Name" being my favorite examples.

"Deep cover angels" are a fascinating concept.  Makes ya wonder if there are a bunch running around.  Ya'd never know...

Well, I'm glad that despite her own issues with the Father, Kelly taught Jesse about being God's child.

Interesting that Kelly wears cloud-themed pajamas...  You can take the girl outta Heaven but ya can't take Heaven outta the girl.

"The only problem with getting out is thinking about the ones you leave behind."  Jesse's line about leaving the city actually pretty well encapsulates how I feel about dying.  It doesn't trouble me except for wondering what would happen to some of the people who stayed behind.  Cause that's the side I'm on now and it's tough.

"No matter how horrible it gets here sometimes, people still expect miracles.  And for the angels who deliver them to be less than the best God has to offer is wrong."  Monica says this to Kelly.  I especially like the first part.  I think it says something about the undying hope we have as humans.  The second part just makes me think of Andrew... he was the best. 

Gah.  Kelly's speech about what's wrong is really hard-hitting.  I think Monica needed that reality check.

The shooting is so powerfully filmed that I had to shut it off and leave the room for a while.  Had to get a Kleenex, for one.  But mostly just needed to walk around for a bit.  Made me cry the second time, too.

"We can accept evil or we can fight it."  Another quote from Monica.  Fighting is good.

It is healing to hear Monica talk about how, even though his life was so short, Jesse did so much living and helped so many people. 

"There's a little corner of Heaven: a place where the mountains and the lake and the sky all come together just like glass and there on that mountaintop someone is waitin' for you."  Monica quote to Kelly.  I'm now wondering if that's why sometimes I imagine meeting people in Heaven on a mountaintop.  Maybe it started with this episode.  Of course, sometimes I imagine it happening in a beautiful field, too.

Aww.  That's so cute that Kelly brings the rock.  The expression on her face is priceless.

 What I didn't love about this episode:
Technically, this can't be Monica's 200th assignment cause some episodes alluded to assignments we did not see.  Plus Tess did not work with her on all those assignments.  Oh well.  Minor issue.

Monica and Tess just don't have very good reactions to Jesse's death IMO.  Monica finally develops a tear but before that they just look rather dispassionate to me.  And there I am sobbing and it's not even my reality!

Lingering questions:
So I take it Kelly and Andrew musta worked together at some point?  Else how would she have known he was an AOD which, based on her reaction, she did?

I wonder who Larry Andersen is?  God bless his family and friends.

Parts that made me feel swoony:
"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"  That Robert Browning quote reminds me of John.

Don't like seeing our lovely boy behind bars but... ah, loveliness.  He's soooo attractive with that beard.

It's funny that Kelly seems to think poor driving is common among angels.  I always thought Andrew was quite good.  Naturally.  :-)

I wish he would say something...  I miss his voice...  He looks great but I wanna hear him...

And now he speaks and makes me cry.  I miss the days when these episodes about sons who go away too soon didn't just automatically make me think of him.

When he caresses Jesse's head...  He was so lovely.

And he looks awesome at the end!  Gorgeousness.

 Random thoughts:
Music: There's jazz music in Jesse's room as he shines up the obsidian.  There's a beautiful vocalist when Jesse is shot.  Sounds like maybe the same lady who can be heard in "Famous Last Words" but I dunno. 

Whoa.  Lionel is 27.  Two years younger than me and I think he looks way older.

I wish I could remember how shocked I was when it was revealed Kelly is an angel.  But I just don't remember.  I recall watching the episode.  But not my reactions.

I imagine Kelly was an amazing angel when she got back to work.  She'd know better than most what humans go through.

 Scenes Hallmark cut:
- Kinda glad they cut this...  There's a scene of Kelly showing the class a video about drunk driving and it talks about metal and ripped flesh.  Probly great for reckless drivers to see.  Not so great for those who have lost people to car crashes.  Granted, you never see the video.  Just hear the narrator and see the classmates' reactions.  Kelly just sits casually eating.  I guess the emotional effect would wear off.

Further on down the road...
Gonna pay particular attention cause one day I want to write a story about how Joshua and Kelly mended fences after Jesse died.

Ha.  The way my dog is laying, it looks like she's staring right at TBAA and engrossed!

Kelly really did well for them.  That house looks about the size of mine and I don't have a kid to support.

Monica's sweater is really pretty.  I love variegated yarn.  Have way too much.  Need to start using it again.

Gloria's "you don't wanna mess with me" makes me wonder what sort of rein the angels have on protecting themselves.  Stopping bullets and knives, I guess.  That much we've seen.  And then just maybe the psychological trip they can send people on.

I still want to know how the aging thing worked.  To be honest, Leslie Ann Warren has looked the same to me for years so Kelly coulda gotten away with not aging.  Change hairstyles and clothing choices and people likely wouldn't think anything of it except good genes.  But maybe she looked way younger when she started.

So it seems like God didn't really mind Kelly staying for so long, it's just that she didn't continue to work on their relationship.  Good to know.  I've been writing Kelly into stories for a while but honestly didn't recall this episode very well.  But that makes sense.  I remembered the "deep cover angel" phrase.  It makes it sound like a division like Caseworking and Search and Rescue.  So it's not like Kelly went off and adopted Jesse all by her own will which is how I remembered it. 

I forgot that Jesse's birth mother, Kelly's friend, was killed by a drunk driver.  Explains her career choice.  But it also makes it worse that she took bribes.

Some day I need to explain Andrew's reappearing/disappearing beard in a story.  Unless I have...  I can't remember.

I do think it's ridiculous that God would have Kelly adopt Jesse and not provide any beginning funds.  Especially when you consider that they all make money during many assignments.  So maybe she did adopt him of her own will.  I dunno...  Now I'm confused.

I forgot Andrew actually told Kelly that Jesse would die.  That makes her first scene in "Shadowlands" more appropriate.  Yay my unconscious mind!  That was likely why I put her there.  On some level, I remembered maybe.

I wonder if there was a purpose behind dressing Jesse like Charlie Brown?  Or that Kelly prays Jesus' prayer and not a psalm?  The ideas of innocence and sacrifice, maybe.

The music they played during really sad scenes is so hauntingly beautiful.  Trying not to cry.  Just cleaned my glasses...

Grief and emotions are, of course, very personal but with all Monica cried over in past episodes, it's still odd to me that both she and Tess are dry eyed there...

I wanna say that's the same shot as when Claire transforms.  Hands and then pan out.  Need to check that sometime.  Cool if so.

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