"The One That Got Away"



A review by Jenni:

What I love about this episode:
It's the first episode with Andrew!!!  That alone makes it a wonderful episode!  Without TOTGA, JABB would not be here.

Right off the bat this has a great Tess quote which is "Not all love is as pure as ours."  Spoken to Monica.  Take note, shippers!

I get a big kick outta seeing the old computers.  Talk about low tech!  Green text on black screen.  Wow.  I actually vaguely remember computers like that.  And being amazed by them.  Even better is that Monica's computer in the "modern" scenes doesn't look like much of an improvement!

I love the Andrew and Tess interaction.  They're just so excited to see each other!  And affectionate and joyful and... "The Violin Lesson" seems like a very long time away.  And "Two Sides" seems like a whole lifetime away.  Plus Andrew is just sooo goofy.  It's kinda weird but also refreshing.  He does kinda remind me a lil too much of Joey from "Friends," though.  I half expect him to approach Monica and say "So how you doin'?" with a grin.  Nonetheless, since we seldom get to see Andrew acting gleeful and calling people "baby" and "honey," I'm just gonna enjoy it. 

The revelation that Tess tells Andrew all about her trainees is a lil bittersweet for me.  He seems proud of this and it makes me wonder if they had those chats much once he joined up with her and Monica.

And I especially enjoy Tess singing "The Rose" to Andrew and him blowing her a kiss.  It's sweet.  Although the song itself seems too fitting and prescient of the later, sedated Andrew.  Like these lyrics:
Some say love it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed.
In later seasons I became a lil too afraid that Andrew was that tender reed.  But here he's happy and so all is well!

I did understand Monica's irritability a little bit more than I usually do with this viewing.  So that was good.  The revelation came when she, Andrew, Mark and Susan are all in the dimly lit train car.  Andrew shakes his head a few times and checks his pocket watch.  I assumed he was shaking his head at the scenario itself and Susan's terrible behavior.  But now I'm wondering if Monica thought he was shaking his head at her and then miming "You're running outta time and haven't done much, have ya?"  Monica shouldn't have made that assumption but it does make her reaction to Andrew right after at least a lil understandable.

This episode is the first mention of Andrew's pride issues.  Those pride issues were a major boon to those of us who try to keep Andrew's story going.  We've had great discussion about them and they've worked their way into some stories.  So yay for Andrew's pride issues! 

I love it when Mark is upset about Doug not getting his letters and then Monica assures him "He was closer than you knew."  What a great way to think about our loved ones who have passed on!

What I didn't love about this episode:
Tess needs to lay off the poor waiter!  There's no reason to grab the poor guy like that just cause there's a meatball shortage.  I know it was meant to be played for laughs but that poor guy looks terrified!

I get creeped out whenever angels are depicted as watching couples be romantic.  I coulda done without Monica watching Mark and Susan kiss.  Maybe I'm too private.

Andrew's shoes.  Yucky tassels.  But we've had so much fun with them on JABB that I wouldn't change em for anything!

I really like Tess' quote "Love is like air.  There's plenty of it to go around."  I just wish it didn't make me think of her throwing Andrew in as only an afterthought in "Clipped Wings."  I'm not sure that air was evenly distributed...

I tried to understand and sympathize with Monica.  Nonetheless, I get annoyed with her saying that "Andrew keeps telling me how to handle my assignments!"  Huh?  First, Monica, you only just met the guy.  How can he "keep" doing anything?  It takes a bit for something to be habitual.  Second of all, he was trying to give you a hint, not micro-manage.  Chill.

As much as I like Andrew, I find it creepy how he greets Susan.  I wouldn't mind a kiss on the cheek from Andrew but I'd feel pretty leery of a total stranger dashing up to me and kissing my cheek.  Course, another part of me is thinking that of all the people to get kissed by Andrew why did it have to be Susan!?!?  She's terrible!  Couldn't it be a nice person!?

Lingering questions:
Do most women primp each other while in public?  You see Lisa and Susan do this twice in the episode and it's just not really something my friends and I ever do. 

Do people really cut in during dances?  It seems rather rude.  I see if often on TV and in movies but not so much in real life.  Course, I don't go dancing much/ever.  ;-)

Does Tess lie in this episode?  The reason I ask is because she tells Gale, who was talking Monica's ear off, that someone slipped in the kitchen and there may be a lawsuit.  It seems like she's lying.  Did someone really or did she just say that?  If the latter, when is it okay for them to lie?

Is it just me or do Andrew's eyes go wide in surprise just a split second before you actually hear Tess call for him outside, after Mark and Susan walk off?  I thought this the last time I watched this episode, too.

What happened to Andrew's earring?

Why can Tess call Andrew Andy but he hates anyone else doing it?  Or did he actually hate Tess using it but never corrected her?

Parts that made me feel swoony:
Andrew's so cute when he's talking about his assignment waiting to go Home so she could see her grandbaby be born.  His smile's just so sweet.

I don't really feel swoony much at all in this episode.  Andrew's just too... exuberant.  He makes me nervous.  Nonetheless, I do have a bit of a concussion moment when we last see him.  Something about Monica looking out the window as the train passes him by and he waves... it just seems so final.  And I don't want to leave him behind. 

This is just a weird episode for me to watch Andrew-wise.  On one hand, it's good to see Andrew so happy.  On the other hand, I don't really see much of the angel that I'd crush on for 12 years in this guy.  I hope that doesn't mean I'm actually attracted to his sadness.  Yikes.  Maybe it's just because he seems so unlike himself in the remaining 7 seasons.  Of course I'd be more attached to a personality I watched for 7 years than one I watched for half a year.

Random thoughts:
I think an autumn or winter wedding would be lovely.  But I would never choose the bridesmaids or wedding dresses seen in this episode.  Augh.

I wonder if my initial dislike of Andrew (surprising, huh?) has to do with the fact that at one point Tess says "Evil is just around the next bend."  And Andrew is at the next stop.  I wonder if, for a split second before he introduced himself to Monica, I thought he was a demon and that's why I didn't like him at first.  Eh, it's probly just cause he seems kinda weird and comes on a lil stronger than a 13 year old would be comfortable with.  Plus Monica was my hero at the time and so if she got annoyed, I probly did, too.  My how time's have changed!  Now I get annoyed with Monica a lot and love Andrew.

Those tests they're taking in the flashbacks seem to have an odd set-up.  I mean there's no oversight.  How would anyone know if the student wasn't checking books, getting answers from friends, etc.?  Maybe they were open book but still... weird.

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