"The Princeless Bride"

A review by Jenni:

I've felt neurotic all day so am super psyched to now be able to calm down with my Banana's Foster coffee and my banana cake and... John Dye and NPH on screen together!!!  What more could a girl with a crush on the former and child of the 80s and 90s who fondly remembers Doogie possibly ask for?  It's going to be legen... wait for it... dary!

What I love about this episode:
I like that Monica says *most* single women carry around a vision of their perfect wedding.  Because not all do.  Some women do truly want to be single and could care less about weddings.

Gah... I love NPH but I want them to pan to the front seat so badly...  Front seat!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yay!!!!!  Green sweater and leather jacket! 

I really love Tess saying "Superstitions don't ruin weddings, people do."  TBAA would sometimes irk me by being totally down on luck and superstition which I value as cultural artifacts.  Do I think horseshoes will bring luck?  No.  But it's harmless tradition so if someone gave me one, I probly would sew it into my dress.  It's only when *people* go completely off-the-wall over them that things get bad.  So yay Tess for speaking the truth.

That's adorable how Jonas can tell through the phone that Liz is biting her lip.  That's love.

Andrew may "ouch" it but no one does sarcasm like NPH!  I'm sensing shades of Barney Stinson.

I love how Tess treats Stuart.  Actually, the entire portrayal of the homeless is very sensitive and well done.  When they pan over the basement and you see people of all ages and races... you realize that anyone could find themselves without a home.  That old couple particularly devastates me.

While Gloria's cluelessness sometimes grates on me, I like her rundown of sordid wedding history.  Cause I can actually see someone spouting off about that at a wedding.  I find myself thinking it sometimes...

"Love isn't blind, Jonas.  Real love sees everything and loves anyway."  Beautiful quote from our beautiful Andrew.

While I may not care for Liz, I love her idea of a bachelorette party.  If I do get married, I just wanna get together with the girls and watch old movies.  And if any of you JABBers happen to be with me that night... there's something we gotta do.

Stuart's huge smile as he helps the family into the shelter of the hotel is very touching.

Tess with a facial... priceless.  Really I just think it's very sweet that the angel ladies gave Liz her sleepover.  The scene also helps give Liz a history and a heart.  I love how they weave in why she loves those lil drink umbrellas.

I don't know why but I really like those aerial shots of Andrew crouching by Jonas.  It's not an angle they used really often on TBAA.  "Redeeming Love" is the only other example I can think of.

"God doesn't want you to feel celebrated and loved for just one day of your life, He wants you to feel that every day because He loves you so much.  And you already are a princess.  You're a child of the King, you just didn't know it."  I really like that quote from Monica to Liz.

"Things are never perfect in a marriage.  There'll always be snowstorms or missed plane flights or something else to change your plans and dreams but that's when you have a choice: to turn on each other or turn to each other and together ask God for His guidance."  Not married but from the marriages I've witnessed... that quote from Monica rings true.  And it got me thinking that maybe a good test of whether or not I was meant to be with someone is if it feels right and real to pray with him.  Not sure the test will prove applicable but I'll try to remember it just in case.

"It's never too late to stand before the throne of God and seek His mercy and ask Him to do something powerful in your life."  Still Monica from the same scene.

"There are many ways to demonstrate love, a wedding is just one of them."  Amen to that, Monica.

"Whenever two or more are gathered together in His name, He will be there.  And that is the greatest miracle of all."  The first part's from the Bible.  But good to hear it spoken by Monica.

I love how Andrew answers Jonas' query about how people stay married: "That's what God wants to teach you both.  One day at a time.  If you let Him."  It would have been too pat if he'd given finite advice.  That response is perfect and true about life in general.

As much as I love seeing Andrew light up, I really like that he never has a full-blown revelation scene.  To me, that's so much more realistic.  Jonas is left with good reason to believe Andrew's an angel but just enough doubt to have to rely on faith.  And I think that's where most of us are.

Ha.  Poor Andrew getting Aunt Meg thrown at him.  Fun for him!

This episode is sweetly rom-comy at the end and I like that.  It reminds me of "The Heart of the Matter" in that respect.  I've always thought that episode was sweet, too.  This one's a bit more profound, too, I think.  And I can honestly say I'm looking forward to rewatching the CBS cut this weekend which is always a good thing.

What I didn't love about this episode:
I love Mr. Harris but... Andrew is not a crackpot!  ;-)  Poor love got called an idiot three weeks ago and now this...

Even after that... I don't like seeing Jonas getting threatened and beaten...

Lingering questions:
I'm wondering what the history is on why Aunt Meg wasn't invited?  Just cause she's uber-annoying or did she actually do something at some point?

Parts that made me feel swoony:
I got so excited I forgot to switch over to this section so again... green sweater and leather jacket!!!  His lovely fretfulness...

And Andrew to the rescue with the suit!!!  Lucky Jonas gets to have a drink with him...

Is he drinking ginger ale with Jonas?  It looks like it.  Aww.  Yay for continuity!

Okay... it's kinda sad hearing John talk about weddings and thinking about em.  But he smiles so beautifully that it's hard to feel down.

Gah... He's just so cute sitting at that bar and looking back over his shoulder as Jonas departs. 

Aww... I love it when Jonas says "God help me!" and the camera pans to Andrew and another of his delightful over the shoulder smiles.

I bet John loved this episode with the focus on feeding and sheltering the homeless.

"Taking people where they gotta go is my job."  I love the double meaning of Andrew saying that to Jonah.  He looks so pensive in this scene...

I love how, with just a slight eye brow raise, Andrew gets Jonas to reveal that he was angry with Liz when he went back to make that sale.  And gotta admit that hearing him defend Liz for her hyper-organization is awfully appealing to the person with a ROYGBIV closet and a penchant for labeling everything...

I really, really do think John just got better looking as he aged.  I just keep thinking "Wow..."

I love how Andrew's face lights up when Stuart approaches and tells him Tess sent him.

I love how he sets his hand on Stuart's back...  He has no qualms about reaching out to the homeless literally.

Aww!  Andrew had the lil umbrellas!!!

Random thoughts:
Music: They are really fond of "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"!  It's in several episodes and you hear it when Liz enters the lobby and sees Stuart, the homeless fellow.  Lainie Kazan sings "The Anniversary Song"... sorta.  There's some big band music during the wedding dinner.

Dearly beloved JABBers: If I ever find myself headed down the aisle and I get to acting like Liz, please come by and slug me.  Thank you!

Kinda surprised this episode isn't credited to Martha Williamson as the writer.  It just seems a lot like something she'd write given her book about inviting God to one's wedding.

Maybe if I never get married I should just have a "wedding" like in this episode...

Scenes Hallmark cut:
- Okay, I think I know why I've not been noticing cuts.  At this point they're cutting in the middle of scenes and only tiny bits.  So... in the original version, after Gloria says she's read 47 books on weddings she goes on to challenge Tess and Monica to ask her anything about "etiquette, customs and traditions, popular musical selections, the great debate over floor length versus tea length before 6:00."  Then Tess asks Gloria if she knows who Liz is which THC keeps.  I only noticed cause, well, all those topics interest me.  ;-)  But I can see how with previous episodes I may have missed lil cuts like that.  Will need to investigate...

-Another lil cut: After Aunt Meg introduces herself, Monica says hello and then Aunt Meg reads their name tags and declares "Monica and Gloria!  Well, aren't those nice names for hotel workers!"  All right then...  Gloria seems proud, Monica and Liz a bit put-off.  I wonder what jobs those aren't nice names for?  ;-)

-And another.  The scene of the rehearsal ends with Monica suggesting they go to the music and Aunt Meg making the crack about the soloist being at LaGuardia.  But it then goes on with Aunt Meg asking if anyone there can sing.  Monica and Gloria shake their heads and then Aunt Meg strikes up with a horrid version of "The Anniversary Song."  Eeek.  Then it cuts to the short scene of Andrew and Jonas in the cab when the latter is lamenting taking that last meeting.  THC has that.  It doesn't have the show then going back to Aunt Meg still singing as the two angels and Liz and hotel staff look wary.  Liz thanks her when she finally finishes.  Then her phone rings and it's Jonas.  THC resumed the scene there.

-In the CBS version, when Jonas is walking in the snow after leaving Andrew's cab, there's a shot of Liz in her hotel room just staring into space.  I don't think it's in the THC version though his phone call to her right before the mugging is.

-I also think they cut a bit of Liz serving the homeless.  In one shot in the CBS version, she's pouring cider at a table and tells a lil girl to save her appetite, there's much more to come.  Maybe not a bad cut.  It does seem a lil off to tell a homeless person to save their appetite...

Further on down the road...
I guess I forgot to make my wedding blueprint...  I mean I had ideas here and there (crazy daisies bouquet!) but never actually planned my wedding.  Honestly, weddings tax me.  The ceremony is nice.  But then to tag on the reception right after as most do... draining.

Another person sucking their finger after wounding themselves!  I have never seen an actual person not on a screen do this.

Barney is supposed to be marring Robin!  Not this woman!!!  ;-)

Andrew to the rescue!  Keeper of the tux.

I love what Andrew says about how real love sees everything and loves anyway.  Sigh...

Maybe that's why I never planned out my wedding...  Liz had this huge, elegant template in her mind from when her father worked at the hotel.  I never saw that growing up except in movies which I realized were fake.  I had a much more "keeping it real" attitude and why bother fantasizing about stuff when one has no idea if it'll be remotely affordable?

I feel like TBAA woulda been a less gentle show if I'd been in charge...  Monica's revelation to Liz is lovely but I'd want to throw in a bit of a "Stop being a selfish, snobbish, mean little jerkface."  She deserves to know she's a child of the king and all but acting all high and mighty and cruel to others needs to be called out.  It's not just about ignoring God.  She needs to answer to other people, too. 

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