"Last Call"

A review by Jenni:

What I love about this episode:
It's not that I ever disliked this episode but for some reason I seem to have overlooked it for a while.  Now it seems to be one that I rewatch quite frequently.  I'm not quite sure why but obviously I enjoy it!

Maybe I like this episode cause I can relate to feeling discouraged by news headlines and TV coverage of world events.  So I feel for Monica regarding that.  However... her reaction to the headlines also ticks me off but more on that later.

I *love* Tess' musical performances in this.  "Someone to Watch Over Me" is a wonderful song and "Work It Out" is very catchy.  I'm glad Della put it on a CD. 

I think Andrew's especially handsome in this one.  Again, not quite sure why but possibly that's why I've started watching this episode so often...  I love his exchange with Amethyst.  He's so compassionate and quietly encouraging with her.  Every time I watch this scene I can't help but think of Rafael calling China in "Children of the Night" "sleazy."  Here Andrew's practically propositioned by Amethyst (something that would probly make me nervous and indignant) and not only does he not resort to name-calling but he hears her out with out getting judgmental.  He makes it clear that he doesn't think her plan is a good one but he doesn't belittle or dehumanize her at all.  Quite the opposite.  Andrew tries to get Amethyst to see how important she is and how she can't lose herself.  Way to be! 

Tess' quote about God being ignored, laughed at, and called dead really gives me a jolt.  It makes me realize how often those things happen.  And I'm inclined to think Tess saying that just mighta pulled Monica outta her own head which was very much needed.  I just wish Tess might have clued Monica into how others' (aka Andrew) might feel at other times, too...

Amethyst's story about telling a teacher he was her favorite only to have him ask her why she didn't pay more attention was another jolt.  That teacher lost a great opportunity to reach out to a struggling student and completely bungled it.  That it followed Amethyst and continued to affect her negatively is obvious.  It just made me think about how careful we need to be with our words.  You never know how crushing they might be to someone.

I'm going to look up and see who played Mr. Burns cause I thought that was some great acting.  He had me feeling sympathetic when he admitted to coming to the bar just because he wanted to see someone who knew him.  Then he had me feeling enraged by his passing judgment on the others'.  Then I was back to sympathetic.  A beautifully acted and written complicated character, I feel.  Clifton Powell is the name of the actor, by the way.  And, boy, he's got quite a filmography!

The reconciliation scene between Noah and Mr. Burns gets me.

What I didn't love about this episode:
As much as I sympathize with Monica here, she drove me a little nuts.  Cause I've totally caught myself getting depressed by headlines and feeling terrible not only for the people mentioned but also whatever angel had to witness that.  So I'm a lil irked by Monica not making the connection that if she's dispirited by simply reading about people being killed, maybe her AOD friends just might have some struggles she's not paid much attention to.

And another thing... this is the angel who seemed to think she should have been assigned to the death camps during World War II.  Yet here a mere newspaper gets her down and then she says she doesn't "feel up to" doing an assignment.  At that point Monica went from seeming understandably downtrodden to me to outright wimpy.  People have to do stuff when they don't feel up to it all the time.  I would hope to get the same if not better from an angel.  I have to laugh when Monica says she's disappointed in mankind.  This particular member of humankind feels more than a lil disappointed in her so I guess that's fair.

Marie got on my nerves a bit, too.  Which was probly the point.  But she just seemed a lil too rosy-eyed to me.  And her telling Monica she believed she was an angel from the first seems suspicious to me.  She was afraid of getting laughed at?  Call me crazy but I think I'd be a lil more afraid of what would happen if I ridiculed an angel sent by God.  The character did make me wonder, though, at what point the needing to be needed thing becomes a fault.  Cause to some extent I feel that.  When does it get unhealthy? 

I kept thinking Andrew was going to talk more!  There are two scenes when Andrew is seated by Tess while she talks to Monica.  I continuously thought it looked like he was getting ready to say something but then nothing came until finally he announces that it's "closin' time."  It was a lil exasperating.  But that's what I get for becoming obsessed.  ;-)

Lingering questions:
Was Tess' piano player an angel?  Part of me thinks he was but it's not totally clear.  At the end Tess says "let's go home."  But did she mean Home or home?  Was she implying they'd both go to the same place (Home) or that they'd both just call it a night and go to their respective homes? 

How the heck does Mr. Wizard work?  Every time I watch this episode I try to figure it out by no clue yet.

This episode did sorta answer a question I was pondering earlier in the day.  I was thinking about my "Full Moon" review and it hit me that maybe Andrew physically can't intervene during assignments.  He may have no control over when he's in visible v. invisible form.  Then I pondered if he could glow of his own accord.  This episode suggests not.  Because I think, if Monica had the option, she would have definitely glowed during her first revelation scene that went so badly. 

Parts that made me feel swoony:
I am for some reason very pleased to know Andrew takes his coffee black.  I'm not sure why but having that bit of trivia makes me happy.  Maybe cause I think, should he magically become real, that way he won't hog my beloved flavored creamers and coffee syrups collection.  Just kidding.  But I do like Andrew trivia. 

Again, I just really like the scene where Andrew and Amethyst talk.  The look on his face after she walks away... kinda sad, very compassionate.  Lovely, lovely angel.  I just like to think of him encouraging people to recognize and respect their own value.  And I love Andrew being protective of women.  I know it's probably not politically correct but... I'd like an Andrew to emotionally and psychologically protect me like he does Amethyst here. 

I also think he's way cool when he keeps so calm with Mr. Burns.  I think I woulda lost my nerve speaking to him after he demanded to be called Mr. Burns.  But Andrew seems nonplussed.  I want him around when I need to be confrontational with people!

Finally, as stated before, I just find him incredibly handsome in this one.

Random thoughts:
My mom recently heard the "God invented whiskey so the Irish wouldn't rule the world" joke.  I was amused cause here I'd learned it from TBAA years before!  Who woulda thought a show about angels would supply a good drinking joke?

And, finally, I wanna be Monica in the final scene.  I wanna dance with Andrew...  Preferably not in a bar.  Under a starlit sky would be nice.  Not gonna happen...  Sigh.

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