"Trust"



A review by Jenni:

What I love about this episode:
I just feel wretched for Zack's wife and partner.  Sensitive portrayals there and, together with the teenagers Zack mentors, they supply an emotional portrayal of how drug addition destroys lives and relationships.  I was especially moved by the actress playing Zack's wife.  In her brief scenes she gives you a sense of the tumult this woman has been through: her husband is shot, he recovers but acts strangely, he gets a new partner which makes her suspicious, she thinks he's drinking, and then he accidentally shoots up her bakery!  This poor woman! 

I love Tess' interaction with that excessively flirty dispatcher.  My favorite moment is when he's pondering what flower she reminds him of and Tess shoots back with snapdragon.  She has a way with pests!  I'm also very glad she gets through to him and at the end we hear him calling his wife.

Thank you to Nikki (I think that was her name) for the fun memories of mid-90s fashion.  Overall bibs and tiny shirts WERE cool. 

I thought it was... interesting (for lack of a better word) how the Peeping Tom later turned up as Nikki's attempted rapist.  Cause then it really revved up the guilt Zack felt about missing that hearing and I think, finally, started to make him see he was on a really, really bad road.

This is going to sound bad but... I'm glad Monica was shot.  I mean I don't want her to get shot but it would have really annoyed me if she'd caught the bullet and this attempted rapist woulda been privy to her revelation to Zack.  So I'm glad he was led to believe he actually had wounded her.  I just hope he got brought up on charges of shooting a police officer.  Just cause she's immortal doesn't mean he wasn't guilty.  It's not like he knew that.  Thinking about that prompted a flashback to high school when my Morality teacher was telling us that if you plan someone's murder but then some freak thing beyond your control prevents you from following through... in your heart you're still guilty of murder.  Anyhow, I'm rambling now but that's interesting to consider.

Monica looks really pretty during her revelation to Zack.  I love that dress.  I often envy Monica's angelic clothes.  And her male company but then I guess the readers here know that.  ;-)

What I didn't love about this episode:
Gotta say I found the dove in Tess' eye thing at the beginning just a lil creepy...

I'm not sure I'd want myself or anyone I know seeing Zack's doctor.  I thought she dropped the counseling idea way, WAY too easily.

I don't know if I'm just interpreting this the wrong way but...  When Zack meets up with those teens he tells Monica "I was just like them about 15 years ago."  Does he mean he was also ditching high school about 15 years ago?  Cause to me that guy looks older than the 29-34 a person 15 years outta high school would typically be.

Lingering questions:
So if Andrew or Adam had been involved the prospect of police uniforms would have been really exciting.  But here it's a disappointment cause all we got is Monica and Tess.  Which made me wonder... are women in uniform as exciting for straight men as men in uniform are for many straight women?  I'm curious.

I wonder what my reaction was, years back when I first saw this, to Monica being shot?  I just can't remember.  Was I shocked?  Were others?

Parts that made me feel swoony:
As usual, Andrew haunts this episode for me.  When Monica tells Tess of Zack "I just want to shake him!" my thought is "Funny, I've thought the same of you at times you dissed Andrew..."

Later Tess says "He's [Zack's] not ready.  He's not on his knees yet."  And that made me wonder if she and Monica required Andrew to completely fall apart before they'd actually help the guy out.

Another bit from Tess: "The simplest things are the hardest to say."  Maybe that says a lot right there about why Monica doesn't reach out to Andrew more.  Maybe sometimes "How are you?" is really hard to say.

Random thoughts:
Other than my "murder in the heart" tangent described above, I stayed pretty on task with this one.

Oh, here's a random thought: This time (unlike the last) I was not left with a craving for bread when I finished this.  Maybe cause I'd just eaten lunch.


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