"I went to a place to eat. It said 'breakfast at any time.' So I ordered french toast during the Renaissance". --Steven Wright ... If you are a devotee of time travel, check out this song...

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Meadowlands: Episode 7

MeadowlandsA strong, wrenching next-to-last episode of Showtime's Meadowlands on Sunday - but, also, surprisingly slow moving, especially given that there is only one more episode left in at least this season.

We find out some of Dr. York's back story - just as we did Samantha's last week. York refused to go along with a cover-up about a medical treatment, and apparently paid the price - which, whatever it was, landed him in Meadowlands for his protection.

But his professional morality, as we already know, does not extend to his patient Evelyn, and now Yorke increases the pressure. Sleep with me, just once, he tells her, and I'll forget that I know Danny's not the father. Otherwise--

Evelyn eventually goes to see Yorke, and in one of the most powerful scenes in the series refuses to sleep with him. She correctly calls his blackmail rape, and also tries to appeal to his better nature. In the end, Yorke, broken, lets her go. On a positive note, he and his wife can now draw closer.

But what about the main story? That moves hardly at all, except in the sudden, excellent conclusion that Danny is tired of being Danny, and now is fully committed to getting his family out of Meadowlands - if they'll go.

It popped into my mind as I watching this episode that there is a distant similarity between Meadowlands and Lost. Both feature people in a place they do not want to be, and both give us something of their backtstory.

But Meadowlands still has a long way to go.

Intriguingly Miasmic Meadowlands

reviews of other episodes: Meadowlands Opens ... with Tongues and Grooves ... Episode 2 ...
Episode 3 ... Episode 4 ... Episode 5 ... Episode 6 ... Episode 8






The Plot to Save Socrates


"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book

4 comments:

dawn said...

Absolutely correct with the analogy. I didn't realize there was only 1 left. Is the picture that Evelyn looks at from her shoe of Danny and the kids or some other man. I find the show to be a little inconsistant like no mirror in the last 2 episodes and how did the son switch to the beautiful one and not the mom.

Paul Levinson said...

Yeah, they showed that picture so quickly, it's hard to be sure. But I think it is a picture of Evelyn and Danny and the kids, when Danny was Eddie, and this is to whet our appetite for next week's finale, which will be devoted to whether the family will get out of Meadowlands ...

The son switched to the daughter because the mom said she didn't want to continue their relationship ... my guess is he's using the daughter to get to the mom....

A real nest of worms, this show - but it's fun...

Unknown said...

The ep guide says this season has 10 eps.

What's the deal with ending this season with 8?

Does this suggest Meadowlands won't be back next year which would be a travesty.

Sure it's finding its footing but there are so many story lines to solve. I hated Twin Peaks but this series, like Dead Like Me, has me clued to the tube. I often watch an ep several times looking for clues I overlooked.

In this series clearly there is more than meets the eye. Impatient viewers who want answers immediately should record or rent this series and this time look for the sublties vs. David Morrisey's
good looks and "Markie's" obsessions with cross dressing and big breasts.

More past histories and more character quirks and the intertwining of the M. residents are yet to be revealed.

And we don't know for certain how the Donnelly house was burned and why Danny is in witness protection. Clearly he has enemies in the "outside world." Whether he can prevent repeating the pattern in Meadowlands is yet to be seen.

Lots of nut cases and evil pasts among all the characters I need to know more about in eps past the "season finale."



-j

Any inside scoop?

Paul Levinson said...

It's been eight episodes at least since the press kits went out, before Meadowlands began, Jeanne. What episode guide says it's 10?

The finale did reveal at least one very very interesting thing at the end...

Let me know how you liked it...

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