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
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.
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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.
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.
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.
Overpowering Collisis on his pool table, Scotty and Kelly plot to link him with the death of Tilde he for which he was responsible.
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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
Chris made some very interesting comments about the Spy Business and the toll it took on its "employees." As she wrote "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."
We see the more ruthless business side of Kelly and Scotty highlighted in several episodes - as in the beginning of "Father Abraham" when they work over poor Gary (Tony Bill) ... and the cold waiting game in "Shana," and the risks and jeopardies of the job in "It's All Done With Mirrors."
As Chris also mentioned "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."
And that's what set "I SPY" apart and above - we knew the guys' humor and their quick repartee was just a release from the darker, on-going, and often deadly dangers and moral decisions they faced - and which they usually found unacceptable and distasteful. But they did their jobs any way - and often in their own way - as in deciding not to kill "Karlovassi"... (OK, Tatia knows this was just a TV show - but then again - what a TV show!! ) It portrayed and interwove so many psychological and human elements into their stories. It certainly struck a definite chord within us - after all we are here, still discussing the beauty and merits and brilliance of those stories! (OK, so a few weren't that brilliant :-) ... but some most definitely were!)
As ever, Tatia
July 5 2003 at 10:45 AM
desirae
This actually has always been a favorite show of mine. While still having the banter of our guys, it also shows the intensity that they could bring forth.
This is not our normal, jovial Kelly here. He is very serious and very angry at Collissi. He wants to make him pay for what he has done. It brings another side of Kelly into the picture that we did not see very often. For this reason alone, this show rates high with me. The story was weak, too many holes, like how Collissi could not have known it was Kelly and Scotty at the photographers studio and how easily he accepted them into his employ. But the acting made up for it. My favorite scene being the one with the pool stick and the hanging cigarette. Classic.
As for ratings, I'd give it a B for its ability to show us something a little different.
Just my two cents...
desirae
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