"A Feather on the Breath of God"



A review by Jenni:

This is an episode I procrastinated on starting.  See, I remember loving it just so much.  Yet I haven't seen it for years.  And my hope is I'll have forgotten some of what I loved so that now it'll seem new to me.  And once I watch it... the newness will be gone.  But I've been looking forward to this all week so I gotta start.

What I love about this episode:
I've not yet walked a labyrinth but I think they're so beautiful.  And I hope to one day walk one.  In the meantime... I love that TBAA did an episode about them.

For a brief period of time, I actually thought running a funeral home might be a viable career option.  Monica pretty well sums up why I felt that way when she's doing her impromptu interview of sorts with Sidney.  It's all about compassion and being there for people in a time of great need.  But I couldn't deal with the crazy money aspect of it.  It's insane what funerals cost.

I have that Hildegaard of Bingen CD that Gloria gets Andrew to listen to.  It really is beautiful and I'm grateful to TBAA for getting me to listen to it.

Lorena's conversation with Grace after she sees the dead boy is heart-breaking.  I love what she says about focusing on living the best life we can.  I can't imagine being a parent, though, and having to prepare my child for my own death.  "My spirit will never die" is a pretty great start, though.

I just really like that Andrew's the one who gets told, by God, about Lorena's big secret.  I know it's a lot cause I love Andrew best (by a landslide) but it also just seems true to me.  Sometimes it's when you stumble and are trying to find your way back that you have the greatest moments of clarity.  At least I feel like that's often to way of it in my own life.  But it seems fairly biblical, too.  Also, I love that this very human creation... the labyrinth... has such an impact on the angels, especially Andrew.  We can help them along on their journey, too!  There is some reciprocity.

Even though he's a jerk for the rest of the scene... it is pretty adorable when Sidney hugs Grace after he makes her cry.  You can tell he has a heart somewhere in there...  Their dancing scene earlier on was very sweet.

"The truth can change everything."  Nice lil quote from Monica to Lorena. 

Even though it makes me very sad, I admire that the writers had Lorena's and Sidney's final conversation be so angry and unsettled.  Because the truth is that many of us probly lose people under circumstances that leave a lot unresolved.  Maybe we fought.  Or maybe we just didn't say all that we wanted to.  And by writing this episode the way they did, the writers hold out the possibility that we can find peace even under those circumstances.

Sidney talking to Rose in the casket totally gets me.

I love how Andrew assures Sidney that while he took Rose Home, there have always been angels around her.

No kidding about making bad decisions when we're grieving...  I love that Andrew's compassionate about Sidney letting Rose go because that is true.

"You've never been alone.  God will never forsake His children."  A wonderful Andrew quote from that scene.  And, just for the record, the water works have officially begun.  Also for the record... I cried during my second viewing, too.

I love Tess' homily.  I love how much she stresses what Rose/Lorena *is* doing and not just what she did do.  I've become really comfortable with referring to those who have passed on in the present tense.  TBAA probly has a lot to do with that.  They still exist.

"When people lose their way, God is always waitin' to show them the way back."  From Monica to Sidney while they're on the labyrinth.

I love the idea that we can learn more about those we love by drawing closer to God and those they loved.  It's definitely true.

What I didn't love about this episode:
It may shock some but I do happen to think Andrew might have been a lil less negative about the idea of walking the labyrinth.  Never said he was infallible.  However... I also wish Tess hadn't been so immediately snippy.  I think she might have gotten him to re-focus just as well by being more like "Yes, Angel Boy, I know Sidney is a difficult man and there is no excuse for what he did back there.  But he's a child of God, too.  The Father knew what He was doing when He sent you here.  So, baby, why don't you take a few minutes to ask Him about that plan of His?"  Then hug him.  Then point him to the labyrinth.  But, alas, I am not Tess.  And that's probly a good thing cause, well, the feelings I have for Andrew wouldn't exactly be appropriate coming from a supervisor.  ;-)
Lingering questions:
So I'm at the part where Sidney gets mad at Grace for talking to him when he's prepping for the lil boy's funeral and he cuts himself.  Why do people put cuts up to their mouths?  Obviously there's a reason and maybe it helps.  I wouldn't know cause I've never done it.  Grosses me out.  I grab a Kleenex.  But there must be a purpose...

I've just always wondered how Sidney wound up telling Grace he was her grandpa.

Parts that made me feel swoony:
He's just so beautiful...  I love his hair at this stage.

Gah... he's so beautiful.  And, yes, I know I'm being redundant.  And, no, I didn't rewind just to see him come through that door again.  You imagined it.  ;-)  Actually, mostly I re-wound to see his smile when they're talking about Gracie.  So cute. 

Poor love.  I wonder if he was there when that little boy was killed?  The way his eyes shift around makes me think he was.  I just wanna hug him when he's in the morgue.  And when he tries to get Grace to focus elsewhere...  Feel awful for both of them.  That poor little girl.  I fully support Andrew stalking out of the room.  Also, just a note to self, when I'm looking for soothing terms Andrew would be likely to use when comforting a child, apparently "honey" is on the table.

I love all the shots of Andrew out on the labyrinth.  He looks so especially lovely backed by all that green.  And I loved when we'd see Andrew pray.  Not just cause I look for prayfulness in men but also cause I think of all the relationships on the show, the Andrew and God one intrigued me.  It just seemed more mysterious than God's relationship with the female angels.  But maybe that's only cause I'm female so male spirituality is a complete mystery to me.  Anyhow, the shot of John looking up at the dove as he's walking the labyrinth is one of my absolute favorites of him.

He looks stunning during his revelation scene with Sidney.  He is stunning.  Beautiful scene.

I love that Andrew and Tess are holding hands at the end.  I feel like he needed that.

Random thoughts:
Music:  Andrew and Gloria each briefly listen to "O Ierusalem."  To cheer her, Lorena plays something from The Nutcracker.  Maybe "Waltz of the Flowers"?  I wish I had a better ear for classical music...  Lorena sings "In the Garden" while cleaning Sidney's office.  "O Ierusalem" is heard again at Lorena's funeral.  Tess sings "In the Garden."  It morphs into Lorena singing the same.

 Scenes Hallmark cut:
- They cut into the middle of the scene where Tess is lecturing Andrew.  After she tells him to get out there cause God's got something to tell him Andrew says "All right, Tess, now look...  I know that you're a fan of this thing but..."  She counters with "This thing is a powerful reminder of Someone bigger and wiser than us and you seem to need to be reminded of that, Angel Boy.  Get a move on!"  Then Andrew says "Tess, no, I'm sorry" which THC resumes with.

Further on down the road...
Well, welcome to what will possibly be one of the last episode guide entries written from this puter.  It's getting old and really slow and freeze-prone.  So I'm getting a new one on Monday.  Yay!  In preparation, I'm doing backups so... just hoping the puter doesn't show me the black screen of death cause too much is open!

Sigh...  Lovely Andrew with his lovely shaggy hair.  Good thing he loves kids.  Over in Dyeland mode, he has four.  :-)

I've concluded I'm more Romantic than TPTB behind this show.  The whole stifling of righteous anger thing doesn't work for me.  It doesn't seem healthy or even particularly moral.  I think Andrew walking the labyrinth was a good idea... a needed idea even... but Tess was just so grouchy and mean about it.  Sometimes I think that if she'd passed Jesus as He left the Temple after His destruction, she woulda rolled her eyes and told Him to simmer down and stop acting like a maniac.

That is a beautiful labyrinth.  I walked one last summer that was really lovely and rustic.  It'd be cool to see one like this in person, too.

Random thought...  I wonder what Andrew was doing during the Crusades?  I imagine that'd be a complicated time to be an angel.

So hard to believe that this lil girl is now the young woman in Modern Family.

I can still remember first watching this in my parents' bedroom and hysterical sobbing during this montage towards the end.  Weird that I wasn't watching in my own room.  

This kinda reminds me of "Manhunt" with the idea of growing closer to a beloved deceased person by embracing someone who they loved. 

They really did Gloria no favors with some of those clothes...  Monica actually has hipper clothes in this episode and Gloria is the one who young people were supposed to relate to... or something.  Sometimes I wonder if that was just a line.

Well, that was fun.  Not as fun as last time when I got to watch with friends but nice.  Now for more backup...

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(The photographs used on this page are from "Touched by an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions. They are not being used to seek profit.)