Buy "Rome Take Away Three" and all the other episodes from I Spy Season 2
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Comments from The I Spy Forum continued
June 28 2003 at 2:32 PM
From: Chris
Just my thoughts on Rome Take Away Three... I actually like the episode because it's a bit of a total contrast to the
usual episodes.
I don't know whether it was considered this way or whether it is only my interpretation :-)but it's in a way more realistic to me than other episodes (at least partly)
First contrast: this episode shows that the life of a spy isn't just fun, beautiful women, easy life as we usually see in several episodes. This one is much darker, shows the other side of the business. Sherman is such a very tragic figure. Maybe the job did to him what we see, a broken man, begging for another sip of alcohol. He is a kind of anti-hero, maybe more close to people really working in this business. He doesn't see any solution of his problems, takes the consequences and commits suicide.
Secondly... the change in Kelly's and Scotty's behaviour... In these episodes they are ( especially Kelly ) way more ruthless than usual. They have to do a job that needs to be done and they do it, but they don't enjoy this part of their job, that is very obvious.
I like the scene very much when Kelly finds out what has happened to poor Tilde. He used the girl and probably hasn't thought much about the consequences. He rushed to her as soon as possible to protect her, this game maybe has worked several times before. But he was too late this time, Tilde was dead and the look of shock, disbelief but mainly sorrow was over openly written on Kelly's face and perfectly performed by Mr. Culp.
This time he lost the game, he seems to want to apologize for this mistake but can't do it anymore. So even more furiously, but with cold efficiency and accuracy he frames Collissi for the murder, but it's quite obvious that he isn't enjoying this either.
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In hopes of meeting Collisis at his tailor's, they pretend to order a suit. They are shown a sample favric. “Feel it,” suggests Scotty to Kelly, who doesn't react. “Feel it!” Scotty then shouts at him. “Don't yell at me,” Kelly objects.
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It's part of the business, like chess...one step has another to follow as consequence. And looking at Kelly's face one can imagine that a man, being in the business for many years might end up like Sherman, living and fighting the emotional demons of his past and suffering of his conscience.
In another lighter moment from a mostly dour episode, they spot Collisis' butler dancing the tango, and Scotty shows him how to do it with panache.
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I am not quite sure whether it was intented this way or just a funny joke of the author, but the last contrast we see in the end, Scotty getting the girl this time ( finally )while Kelly is the one sitting alone in the cafe. Usually it's the opposite.
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I think this episode is very authentic and realistic ( if we can speak of a Spy TV show as realistic. We see what the business can do to a person, we see the darker side of the job, see that it isn't all about fun. We see the other side of the medal as well, regret and ruthlessness. A side of the business Kelly and Scotty usually seem to suppress, maybe to not end up like Sherman and to be able to do the job.
But we see a bit of this regret in Home To Judgment, when the fever is lowering Kelly's emotional walls a bit to let this regret and emotion slip through.
I don't like the funny scenes like the Tango very much. They are misplaced in such a dark episode, but maybe the authors were thinking that the audience wouldn't enjoy and accept it this way and tried to lighten it up.
Just my thoughts
Chris
And then there is Elisha Cook Jr. - a talented actor who popped up in so many character roles. I agree with the Colonel, that his transformation from the bravado filled, "you can't push me around" persona that he displayed to Kelly and Scotty - to the truly terrified man who was about to be killed by Collisis was very, very well done.
And then there was that strange-looking assassin Dean Sherman hired to kill him ... I have no idea who he was, but he was very effective in his role.
Other than the characters themselves (and the delightful tag scene where Scotty gets the girl and Kelly very charmingly does NOT), I can't say much for "Rome Take Away Three"- I'll have to go with a "C .... C-"
As ever, Tatia
June 28 2003 at 2:32 PM
From: Chris
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