"Lady of the Lake"

A review by Jenni:

Guess who's short on time again?  Me.  So I'm writing another one as I watch.  The computer chair is nice but I miss my couch.

What I love about this episode:
Right off, I like the literary element of this title.  Yay for Arthurian legend!  The only other TBAA episode that makes me think of Camelot is "Fool for Love" cause Andrew reminds me of Merlin the way he whisks the baby away.  But enough randomness...

The scenery is very pretty.  Apparently even dead lakes can be attractive. 

I like the diner even though Laurel's a bit intimidating!  It kinda reminds me of one my dad and I ended up in.  I wish I'd taken down its name.  It was cute.  No matter how artfully designed, chain restaurants just don't have the same vibe.

Gotta say, Monica's got my respect in this one.  Chaining yourself to a tree in protest is pretty awesome.  Sure, maybe it wasn't part of her assignment but it's still groovy.

I like that TBAA doesn't go all judgmental about an out of wedlock child.  In fact, Monica assures Laurel she'd do no such thing.

I remember when this first aired, some people thought Monica's revelation was too showy.  I love it!  She looks like the actual Lady of the Lake.  That dress is gorgeous.  And the candles and the glow on the lake.  Now, if only we'd gotten to see Andrew fairy tale-style!  Also, Monica as the town's Lady works really well with the established time line that would have her as Search and Rescue then.

I'm glad Monica didn't tell Blake that Jeremy is his son.  When the scene started, I was worried that's where she was going and that would have bugged me.  Laurel telling him would be fine.  God telling him was definitely fine.  But it just didn't seem like something an angel should announce.  So yay for them not going with that angle.

I like that Blake apologizes for running away and hurting feelings.  It may not seem like a big deal but as someone who has known friends who have just disappeared then reappeared with out explanation or apology... that jumped right out at me.

Aww.  Jeremy found the ring!  Thus proving Andrew's thoughts on fishing to be right on!

Lovely lakeside montage at the end.  And Andrew caught a fish.  Yay him.

What I didn't love about this episode:
Nothing really jumped out at me.  I thought this was sweet.  It's not a favorite but it's nice.  The only bad part is now I'm paranoid watching these cause I keep thinking Hallmark will cut something important.  But this time I didn't notice anything.

Lingering questions:
Is it just me or does TBAA seem to do quite a number of episodes about people reuniting or returning only to have at least one member of the party prove to be a big disappointment/problem?  Here hometown boy returns to destroy the community, there's TOTGA with horrid Susan, "What Are Friends For?," "Smokescreen," "The Feather," and probly others I've forgotten. 

Parts that made me feel swoony:
Andrew teaching Monica anything is always cute and skipping stones is especially sweet.  And I love his jacket...  I just know if I'd ever gotten control of this show it would have morphed into something horrible like "An Angel of Death Moves into a Cabin and Spends His Days Doing Rustic, Manly Things."  Next week's episode: Andrew chops wood then reads Tennyson before the fire... and then talks about how the poet's words make him feel.  Next week he'll build an oak chest then fill it with mementos... and talk about how each trinket makes him feel.

Andrew not wanting to use the word "croak" is cute. 

Eeee!  I love what his eyes do when he teases Monica about the worms.

My inner theology nerd got super excited when Andrew used the word "apocryphal." 

Sigh...  Andrew fishing... and how he just wants to fish... not catch fish.  I wanna go fishing with Andrew...  Cept I'd probly start making lame jokes about St. Andrew the Fisherman.  No, I'd probly just be too lovestruck to manage that.

Andrew looks cute with his jeans rolled up.  It makes me imagine him in the 50s.  Get that leather jacket and he'd look like he came right outta Grease!  Not that I'd ever want him to appear in that musical... yuck. 

I'm beginning to conclude I don't like Andrew's suits so much.  Cause I'm super happy with this episode largely because of his casual wardrobe.  That pale flannelesque shirt with jeans is always very nice.

Red flannel shirt...  Andrew seems so untroubled in this episode that it actually distracted me from the fact that over in the Dyeland universe, I've rendered him homeless and very troubled.  And I've been obsessing about that all weekend.  On the plus side for that version of Andrew, I've also made him very (maybe even crazily) loved. 

Random thoughts:
"There's a brand new morning about to break.  God's gonna sing a new song to this lake and it will shine."  Those are the opening lyrics to the song Tess is singing at the start.  I have a feeling it's made up but if anyone recognizes it, please lemme know so I can update this.

Andrew talking about the circle of life when Monica's speaking with the worms at the start makes me want to start doing Lion King chants.

TBAA sure does enjoy reusing guest stars...  This one has at least two repeats.

Scenes Hallmark cut:
-In the CBS version, we see Monica walking through the jail with the sheriff on the way to her cell.  The Hallmark version cuts right to her already in the cell.  In addition, Tess visits Monica while she's in the cell and I don't think that's in the Hallmark version.  Basically Tess gives her a hard time about not being of much use in a jail cell.  I had to laugh cause it made me think of the whole murder trial thing for some reason (I guess cause I could totally see Andrew serving a purpose in jail.  That purpose?  Managing to make me even more obsessive and probly others, too.  But, seriously, he would have a purpose.)

Further on down the road...:
Flannel...

"Sometimes it takes a fight to save a life."  I like that quote from Tess.

"It's the circle of life!  And it moves us all..."  Andrew's line in the bait shop still makes me want to sing.  :-)

"Children have a wonderful way of bringing people together, don't they?"  A Monica quote.  Now to find one for Andrew...

And done!  "With a little faith and a lot of patience you can catch something really special."  :-)  Love him looking so lovely on that dock...  Although I must say I do like how his jeans evolved over the years.  They're much less baggy come S9.  But I think everyone's were.  The preferred cuts changed.

"There's a big difference between listening and hearing."  Ain't that the truth?  Monica's quote, by the way.

Sigh...  I want Monica's LotL dress.  Although I do think the embellished part would have looked better under the bust line rather than over it.  Long live the empire waist! 

"God loves you and He wants you to be still so you can see the glorious things that He has made, so you can enjoy the laughter of a child, so you can hear the music of the universe, so you can hold hands with someone you love... that's what beauty is for."  Monica again.

"God never stops thinking about you!"  Another one from the same scene.  I am catching way more quotes with these viewings.

Maybe I'm a sucker but I love that the ring shows up just in time.

Oh and as for my Grease comment above...  I would have had no problems seeing John in Grease.  John was a human, earth-bound man.  Andrew the angel trying to carry off some of the innuendos?  Gross.  No thank you!  That being said, I really don't care for that musical.

And apparently I tend to stick poor Andrew in bad situations around the time of watching this episode...  Last time he was homeless.  Now he's a POW in Afghanistan.

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