"Interview with an Angel



A review by Jenni:
I'm home sick today.  I decided orange juice and TBAA would be a good cure.  Well, actually orange juice and Andrew.  But because I don't want to run out of Andrew episodes, I thought I'd throw a Henry one in first.

What I love about this episode:
I love the Tess songs in this.  "His Eye is on the Sparrow" is a great way to open any episode but is particularly effective in this episode about interconnectedness.  However, "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" is the musical moment for me in this episode.  I love how it's played over Monica telling her story, Doctor Joe preparing for surgery, and flashbacks of life with his children.  Very emotional.  And I think it's nifty how it then figures into the surgery room via the radio.

The letters they get at the tabloids crack me up.  The one from the lady claiming she was channeling an angel who then left her for another girl made me think of the shippers and that weirdness.  I needed a laugh and got one!

I like that when Monica is asked by Callie where she lives she answers "everywhere."  I like that better than "Oh... far up north" or "I get around."  Makes angels seem more... with us.

The scene in the parking lot between Joe and Lisa Pachorek... amazing.  I'm re-watching this episode shortly after facing a loss in my own family (although certainly not to the degree they did) and that conversation encompassed so much of what I've felt during times of grief.  Anger, the need for forgiveness, the necessity to find meaning in the loss, the blame, the crazily alternating need for solitude and someone to talk to.  Wonderfully and realistically written and acted.  I almost couldn't watch it it seemed so real.

When Joe asks Monica who is carrying on for his children and she answers "They're carrying on just fine," wow.  There's so much hope in that statement.

I get chills when Joe takes Ethan's hand after the surgery and says "Carry on."  Amazing moment.

I like that this episode shows one way in which something good can came from something that we may see as bad.  Callie is appalled that Ethan is spared.  Yet, if he hadn't been... bye-bye Callie.

Personally, I'm happy that Callie's notes were trashed.  She learned that angels were real which was important but that story going to press could have been really bad.

What I didn't love about this episode:
Tess tells Monica sometimes she thinks Monica "don't have the sense God gave a goat."  I may sometimes agree but I think I'd find a nicer way of saying it... at least to her face.  ;-)

 I'm confused by this: Monica tells Callie their assignments are confidential.  Yet she proceeds to tell her a story that proves to be completely traceable to real individuals.  While I'm glad we heard the story, it doesn't exactly fly with the confidentiality thing.  I think it's fine if angels talk about assignments.  But in vague, unidentifiable ways.

I appreciate that vengeance against Ethan is a bad thing.  Nonetheless, I think Monica coulda shown a bit more understanding about the anger other characters felt regarding his light sentencing.  Because that is a huge and legitimate problem.  It's just mind-blowing to know that some people's lives are changed forever by a crime that may get the perpetrator a simple slap on the hand.

Lingering questions:
Were the writers still considering using wings at some point when this episode came to be?  Reason I ask is because when Callie wonders where Monica's wings are she answers "I don't think you're ready for those."  But she does have them?  Huh?

Monica seems to be saying it was Tess' idea that she become a Caseworker.  I didn't get that idea from the premiere.  I thought it was God's.  Did Tess just suggest as much to Him and then He made the final decision?

When Callie is curious about Henry, Monica defends him and his ilk saying "Those guys are real sweethearts."  Well, duh!  But why would she imply they were all male?  Later episodes prove otherwise. 

Monica to Tess: "Isn't food a great perk?"  So does that mean no food in Heaven?  I like to think there is.

Was the garbage truck at the end reading M T Waste Removal deliberate or no?  As in Monica Tess Waste Removal?  Cute, either way.

Parts that made me feel swoony:
Sadly, Henry does not make me feel swoony.  I'm actually... slow to swoon, I spose.  In other words, I need more than two episodes to feel comfortable enough with someone to swoon.  Nonetheless, he's a nice looking guy.  And I like him.  And I'm intrigued that he was apparently in France for a century.  Wow.  I don't think we hear of angels being in one place for so long often.

It's very sweet that he's concerned about making Ethan's death special, even in a hospital.

I wouldn't mind terribly having Henry tell me "You're beautiful when you're cosmic."  Lucky Monica.  I do like that he's kinda flirty and has this great lightness about him.  He doesn't have the angst I sometimes see attached to Adam and Andrew.  Maybe he just didn't have time to show it.  Or maybe he actually handles his emotions in a really great way.  I want tips.

Another piano-playing AOD.  One wonders if it's standard training!

Random thoughts:
The opening scene reminds me of some of my old clothing ensembles.  I can remember the hiking boots with everything craze!

If memory serves, this episode is so named in tribute to the S1 guest stars who took a page from Anne Rice (of vampire fame) who purchased an ad to promote her book.  The guest stars purchased an ad to support TBAA.  Thus the episode was named "Interview with an Angel" in tribute to those folks and Interview with a Vampire which inspired the ad.  Nifty.  See, vampires and angels *do* belong together a la Dyeland.

Monica gives us some information about her advancement through the ranks of angels.  According to her, everyone starts in the Choir.  From there she went into Special Appearances (which sounds a lot like Annunciations) and then into Search and Rescue before Caseworking. 

I can't imagine having to make such huge life and death decisions as the hiker's wife does.  Amazing that people do. 



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