"The Show Must Not Go On"


A review by Jenni:

This has just been a heart-breaker of an end to a week.  But I'm not without hope and if you're reading this then I hope you're not, either.  I honestly didn't think I could do this.  I really considered just watching very familiar, comforting TBAA episodes.  But when John died, I still did an episode review because the familiarity of the routine and the chance to reflect were healing.  So I hope the same is true now.  I will say... I am very glad Monica's the absentee angel in this.  I need Andrew tonight.  I especially need to see John tonight.
What I love about this episode:
I like "Magic To Do"...  Frankly, I think the plot to Pippin is all sorts of ridiculous.  But that is a good number and props to TBAA for figuring it in.  I wonder if John had anything to do with it?

My grandpa was a theatre actor and many of my family members had at least brief stints with it.  So I've always loved the episodes that dealt with theatres.  Eeek.  Calvin reminds me of my grandpa.  I love him but he definitely had... stage presence, shall we say.  ;-)  Really he even looks something like Grandpa.

Latrina's story made me laugh.  And I needed a laugh tonight.

I like the talking heads set-up.  It's rather tired now with The Office and Parks and Rec and such but pretty different for TBAA.  Cool to see. 

This episode is unfortunately relatable cause right around the time this episode aired, a buncha our local theatres started closing due to economic woes.  Even when it was a sad thing, I appreciated seeing reality reflected on TBAA.  Although, sad to say, I do think the tie between community and community theatre that Tess makes at the start is true...  I think my city seems less vital since they started closing.

"God made human beings to dream together and to inspire each other."  I love that Tess quote.  TBAA really made that happen.

"Ask God for inspiration and then use it to inspire others."  Another from Tess.

I started crying just hearing the instrumental strains of "I've Been Touched by an Angel."  It was so, so beautiful and I listened to it so much after John passed on.

"When God makes a plan, He sees is through."  Tess again.  I believe that with all my heart.  Sometimes I just wish I could see the plan.

I love Wally's smile when he realizes he's the new AD.

I love it when Tess tells the actors about how the stage "has filled the holes in their hearts for years."  TBAA did that for me.  John did in other ways, too.  In other roles, in his life.  And he still does and I am so thankful for that right now. 

"God wants you to know that he finds you interesting every moment of your life."  Tess seems to be getting all the quotes this week...  But they are great ones.

"God wants you to know that he wants you to become stronger than any character you've ever played."  Finally an Andrew one.  He says it to Naomi.  Wonderful for actors but I think it could apply to us all.  We all have to play roles in our lives and sometimes that involves acting stronger than you feel you are.  But maybe that's God's way of molding you into a truly strong person.  Maybe it's not until you've tried and forced yourself to be strong that you really become it.

Wally remembering playing Jack chokes me up...

I love Tess' song so much...  I was sad after the show went off the air that I couldn't find it on a CD.  It was years before I did but I'm glad.  I needed it more in the years after TBAA went away.  A lyric from it: "Love is in complete control."  Praying that's the case.  I know it must be.

The look on JZ's face as he sees his art on display is pretty touching.

"You can be a part of the darkness or you can shine the light."  I love that quote spoken by JZ.

 What I didn't love about this episode:
I friggin hate it whenever another angel tells Andrew 'no' about bringing someone Home.  As if he's running around deciding who he wants to take when.  Lay off him!  Yes, I am overly sensitive tonight.  But as if he doesn't have to deal with enough without that...

Lingering questions:
Other than wondering if John had anything to do with the Pippin references given his fondness for "Corner of the Sky," I think I'm good.  Well, I would like to know how Andrew would have explained Pippin to Gloria as my reaction is usually "Umm... well... it's completely nonhistorical and umm...  Ben Vereen was in it!"

 Parts that made me feel swoony:
"Oh..."  :-)  I love him and his understated, humorous reactions. 

Beard and glasses...  I really did love that look so much.

Such a cute look when Gloria realizes Calvin's a bit of a jerk.

Gloria: What's a pippin?
Andrew: I'll tell ya later...

Ah love it!  Funny and his voice is so gravelly...

He looks so beautiful in that tan suit.  At this point I'm bawling and don't really care that I am.  That song messes me up but I love it so.  We were all touched by an angel...  Beautiful John.

Oh... long coat and jeans and complimenting a disgruntled teen.  I love him...  I'll just attempt to not think about how I was much closer in age to the punks than John.  I never considered John anything but a peer.  Yes, I know I was kinda deluded.  But I really didn't seem to fit in with my age group so it made sense in my head...  And he was so lovely.  Who wouldn't want to claim him as part of their generation?

Seriously, his outfits are all so cuddly and wonderful.  And his expressions are all just so adorable.

I want to hug the man in the puffy coat...

Lovely boy squeezing Tess' shoulder after the trouble in the theatre...

And I loved it when he strove to empower and encourage women. 

So wonderful to see him smile and laugh...  Needed that, too.

 Random thoughts:
Music: "Beautiful Dreamer" is sung and played on the piano by Calvin.  He later sings an a capella "Shenandoah."  I love that song...  He does not do it justice, I must say!  Latrina sings a bit of Stephen Foster's "The Voices That Are Gone" when they meet after Ben's death.  Latrina does a dance to an instrumental (or not... see next section) version of "You're a Grand Old Flag."  It is not so grand.  ;-)  Herbert sings some "Frankie and Johnny."  Della sings the amazing "I've Been Touched by an Angel."  All the Egyptian actors sing "Give My Regards to Broadway."

The name of this theatre is the Egyptian.

This episode makes me want to watch Waiting for Guffman.  :-)  Wow.  It even has the deluded actor/dentist.

 Scenes Hallmark cut:
- Well... this isn't a scene cut but in the original version, Latrina dances to "You're a Grand Old Flag" being sung by a choir.  THC makes it an instrumental version.  Weird.  I didn't notice anything else but, again, my concentration is shot.  And I've just realized this is the last time I'll be hunting for cut scenes.  The last three episodes are on DVD so... bye-bye "Scenes Hallmark cut" section.

Further on down the road...
At long last... I'm back!  Again.  I haven't watched a single TBAA episode for around 8 months so... yay!  I've really missed doing this and realized part of why I kept putting it off was once I re-reviewed an episode here, I'd feel compelled to then redo the episode caps.  And I do want to eliminate the very few remaining Hallmark Channel snaps from the Photo Gallery.  But every episode takes around three hours.  That might not seem like much but considering I work full-time, spend nearly all of Saturday doing housework, and then only have Sunday for rest and fun... sitting for three hours hitting a button doesn't exactly appeal.  So...  over the next few weeks, I'm going to finish up revisiting Season 9 here.  I'll put off redoing snaps until I have a staycation or something.  For now, I'm here with my mug of milk, red velvet kringle, and TBAA S9 DVD which I had to search for because it's been so long and I'd forgotten where I put it.

I really do love that goatee... 

I would have liked to have seen Andrew explain what a "pippin" is to Gloria.  Even having watched Pippin... I still don't know what it is!

Yikes.  I'd totally forgotten how much Calvin looks like my Grandpa.  Kinda eerie.

When this first aired, I was definitely closer in age to the punk kids than to John Dye.  Now the opposite is true.  I dunno why but that suddenly struck me.  That being said, even when I was a teen/twenty... I never saw Andrew as an uncool adult.  (Apparently this struck me last time I watched, too.)

Gotta love a man with a fire extinguisher.  :-)

I'm trying to remember if I had this episode in mind when I had the action in "The Carpenter" starting with a kid trying to steal from a theatre.  I'd totally forgotten that Wally started at that theatre in the same manner.

Sigh...  I can remember when I first watched this, I adored Della's song.  And I listened to it repeatedly when I got to missing TBAA.  Seems appropriate that this is the first episode I've watched since Miss Della went Home.

I think this episode predicted Banksy.  ;-)

I really like the little full-circle touch of Jack and the Beanstalk being their next show.

And so ends Disc 5.

Back to the Episode Guide

(The photographs used on this page are from "Touched by an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions. They are not being used to seek profit.)