"The Big Bang"
A review by Jenni:
I decided to be good and get another non-AOD episode done. I
chose this one mostly because I couldn't remember it very well.
What I love about this
episode:
Tess calling
Benjamin Franklin "Benji" gets me. And I like that they
remembered
the Tess/Franklin friendship in "Dear God."
Part of me thinks an episode like this fits really well with the
current economic situation and might even get some attention in the
press these days if it were new. The bitterness people feel
towards
those who lay them off is expressed, very well IMO, by Alison to
Chamberlain. The portrayal of this evil, selfish bank owner would
probly be welcome these days. Heck, even the image of a bank in
ruins is an accurate symbol for now. The loss of health
care? Huge issue now. The only glitch? Casting the
father, noted for giving loans to those who may very likely default, as
the ideal maybe wouldn't go over so well now. Still, it was
interesting to see this product of 1995 have so many parallels to
today. Just too bad they're negative ones!
I think there's an interesting irony in Alison being saved by the guy
hacking into the computer to open the safe. Jackson seems to have
started down his bad road after being put out of work by a
computer. Then a computer ends up saving his wife and
child. I like that, as with "Pandora's Box," TBAA showed both the
upside and downside of computers.
I like when the angels get indignant about people using and abusing the
Bible in order to justify their behavior. Tess' fit when 
Jackson
tries to do it is great. And it leads into my favorite line of
this episode: "You think you're God and I'm the religious nut?!?"
Nice
quote here from Monica: "Yes, there will be rivers for you to
cross, but when you walk through the water, He will be with you. And
yes, there will be mountains for you to climb, but when you can't take
another step, He will carry you. And there will be people to cherish
and hearts to change, but He will hold your hand every step of the way
if you'll just let Him!"
I am glad that Monica makes a point of telling Alison she will have to
answer for her part in the hold-up. Cause the rest of those poor
people were terrorized and I woulda been ticked had they just left it
with this warm, fuzzy image of her and the baby.
What I didn't love about this
episode:
I don't care for the flock of pigeons being turned into doves.
Yes, I know doves are TBAA's birds and it was pretty but they were
perfectly good pigeons!
I continue to have issues with the angels have no faith issue. I
think it way, way oversimplifies what faith is. No, they don't
need faith to tell them that God exists. Just as I don't need
faith to know my parents exists. But there's another aspect to
faith: trusting that the person won't let you down. I think
angels have this type of faith. If they don't why would any of
them ever get frustrated and angry with God? Why would they ever
cry and say they feel abandoned? Why would any of them ever
fall? So to me it's ridiculous to say they don't have
faith. It doesn't jive with the rest of their behavior.
All in all, I think this episode is just too extreme a situation to be
terribly relatable or as touching as other episodes. It's
suspenseful at
parts but I just don't feel invested (no pun intended).
Lingering questions:
Why does Tess speak to Monica through the vent? It's obviously an
otherworldly voice given neither Chamberlain nor Alison can hear
Tess. So why did Tess need the vent for Monica to hear her?
Parts that made me feel
swoony:
Nothing to report... Sad.
Random thoughts:
It's fun to see Melora Hardin (Jan from The Office) in here as Max's
wife. I kinda think she looks older here, though, than as
Jan. Or maybe she just looks harsher?
I'm amused by the computer guy saying he needs to pay his "computer
online bill." Strange phraseology.
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page are from "Touched by an Angel" and
owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water
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