The Pilot: More Memorable Moments

[housemouse]

mlm828 said:

1. Terry at the bank. Again, I was so focused on Jim that it took me a while to notice that, at the beginning of the scene, Terry is doing all he can, urging on a uniformed officer, crouched low and running. He’s all over that street, all over the situation. It’s only when he slumps down against the building that it all falls away.

maggie, your point #1 is very well-taken. Up to the point where he freezes, Terry seems to be responding adequately to the situation. I have always wondered whether it was seeing the uniformed officer gunned down, right in front of him, that caused him to freeze up. He had seen what the gunman could do, and he had reached a place of relative safety, and he just couldn't move, even though he knew the gunman's assault weapon was empty. Moment of weakness or character flaw? I'm not sure. All I can say is that each of us has his or her limit, and Terry reached his.

My first thought when I read maggie's description of Terry's behavior was that he was trying to get the other officers to go because he doesn't want to have to do it. I am going to rewatch and pay special attention to this.

5. The first impression Jim made with Fisk was nothing short of disastrous -- he stumbled into Karen’s desk. But he’s not about to make that same mistake twice, hence the wonderful scene where he goes in at dawn to memorize and measure his surroundings.

mlm828 said:

I think it is Fisk's fault that Jim stumbles into Karen's desk on the first day. Fisk grabs Jim's arm and basically pulls him along, making it impossible for Jim to avoid the desk. Predictably, the other detectives don't see it that way; Jim's stumble confirms their belief that they've been saddled with a blind guy, whom they will have to "babysit."

I, too, love the scenes where Jim memorizes the squad room's layout and, later in the day, demonstrates his abilities. The "How'd he do that?" look on Karen's face is priceless.

Fisk dragging Jim along by the arm seems very unlike the character that unfolded over the following episodes, but that does seem to be what he is doing.

[mlm828]

maggiethecat said:

Watched it again and you're dead right. Let's say it now, all together: Absolutely right. Fisk does exactly what you're not supposed to do -- grab a blind person and start pulling. He gets Jim by the arm and heads out, not even watching to see where Jim is going but looking straight ahead. So of course Dunbar bashes into Karen's desk. One of those little moments we can watch dozens of times and still see something we'd not seen before.

If you didn't initially see what Fisk did, it may be because no one in the squad room did, either. All they saw was what they expected to see: the blind guy running into a desk within the first five minutes after his arrival.

[hoosier]

Just some thoughts on the Pilot which never gets stale and which I could watch over and over--

#1 Terry-I watched just the shootout a little while ago ,as if I needed an excuse. Looks like Terry was behind the car with Jim and left cover (Jim providing firepower) and rushed over to get the cop who was with his downed partner and the two of them headed to the side to try and get another angle on the gunman. The uniformed cop was shot and Terry booked out of there. This shows that Terry was stepping up to the plate initially. Now, what happened? Was he suddenly faced with his own mortality? Obviously. Did he have the "flight or fight" syndrome kick-in. Most likely. Self-preservation is a big motivation for all of us. Jim realized something was wrong because he did yell to him "Look at me"! to get his attention. Jim was in the same situation and managed to keep focused on events. He also left cover and took out the bad guy. In UOTR, Jim said you don't know what some people will do when faced with a situation and he clearly didn't expect Terry to respond as he did. Jim handled the gunman because he was the only one in a position to do so.

#4 The Ball--This was such a great scene. Was this something he learned in rehab or something he decided to do on his own? You would have to be focused and determined to do this blind otherwise you would spend as much time trying to find the darn thing! Reminds me of Steve McQueen in The Great Escape where his character tossed a baseball against his cell wall when he was in solitary.

#5 Doing the Room--After the embarassment of being run into Karen's desk, he was absolutely not going to have that happen again. The look of determination on his face when he was pacing the floor after he fell over the chair,you could almost hear him mentally going 1-2-3-4. And Hank's concerned bark!

[bjobsessed]

hoosier said:

Just some thoughts on the Pilot which never gets stale and which I could watch over and over--
#5 Doing the Room--After the embarassment of being run into Karen's desk, he was absolutely not going to have that happen again. The look of determination on his face when he was pacing the floor after he fell over the chair,you could almost hear him mentally going 1-2-3-4. And Hank's concerned bark!

I think doing the room is one of my favourite scenes in the pilot because it is one small victory. It may not mean much to anyone else because they do it without thinking. For Jim maybe it represented some degree of normalcy and was a tiny step in showing everybody that he wasn't going to be a burden to them.

I love the way his steps are sometimes in time with the music too (or close to it). Was that planned or a fluke?

[maggiethecat]

bjobsessed said:

I love the way his steps are sometimes in time with the music too (or close to it). Was that planned or a fluke?

They shoot the scene first, then add the score, so my guess is Mike Post did it deliberately. I agree with you completely and it only reinforces my contention that the music in The Pilot may very well be the most effective of all. A gentle underscoring, the kind of emphasis that adds in a subtle way.

More cap-grabbing work for Shmeep, I'm afraid, but here's the shot of Jim banging the chair back into place and Hank lifting his head in surprise



A short scene, but telling and oh so memorable . . . .

[bjobsessed]

maggiethecat said:

They shoot the scene first, then add the score, so my guess is Mike Post did it deliberately.

Oh I knew that! Duh on my part. Still, it shows great attention to those little details that makes this show so enjoyable. The music is so fitting. It is gentle, but triumphant at the same time.

[hoosier]

Watching the Pilot again the other day and I thought of another memorable moment--right at the end--which set the whole stage for the evolution of the Jim and Karen partnership. After Lyman's confession ,when Karen is on her way to get him his cheeseburger, she tells Jim she doesn't "wanna be held back" and he counters her with "give me a little time and little space and he would make her a good partner". Later in Four Feet Under, she tells him that if he isn't going to stay with the job, let her know so she doesn't end up "collateral damage". A lot later, in Under the Gun, she tells Vince, that Jim is "a detective" when Vince raggs Jim about his gun and later tells Jim that she is "impressed" with how he solves crime and that she will be his partner gun or no gun. All this evolves from that one little scene in the Pilot! Great!

[rducasey]

Something I noticed in watching the pilot for the 2nd or 3rd time. (yeah, right) Karen is the one who tells Fisk about the DOA who matches the pattern. It is usually Fisk who gets the call and informs the squad. "There's a DOA in an apt. on Houseton..." "A DOA on the sidewalk....."
"You know Carl Desmond in Anticrime, well......" But in the pilot she comes to tell him, thus setting up that wonderful line "So who am I riding with, cause the dog, he can't drive" and forcing Fisk at that moment to make the partner decision. Had he already decided it would be Karen, or had he really thought he could convince Jim to "stay in the squad"?

Maggie, I thought that was interesting about how they always get take out coffee even though there is a coffee station in the break room. But you know, I'm "pretty darn sure" I noticed as Jim was running his hands over the coffee pots, that there was still coffee in the pots. Yuck. Don't they have a clean up schedule there? (Hey and I just thought, as Jim is walking to Fisk's office the next day, and all are surprised, I can't be sure and would have to watch again (darn) but I think Marty is walking from the break room with a ceramic coffee cup.

[bjobsessed]

rducasey said:

(Hey and I just thought, as Jim is walking to Fisk's office the next day, and all are surprised, I can't be sure and would have to watch again (darn) but I think Marty is walking from the break room with a ceramic coffee cup.

I made the supreme sacrifice and watched it for you. Marty actually comes back carrying two coffee mugs. I got interrupted before I could see what he does with the second one though.

[rducasey]

bjobsessed said:

rducasey said:

(Hey and I just thought, as Jim is walking to Fisk's office the next day, and all are surprised, I can't be sure and would have to watch again (darn) but I think Marty is walking from the break room with a ceramic coffee cup.

I made the supreme sacrifice and watched it for you. Marty actually comes back carrying two coffee mugs. I got interrupted before I could see what he does with the second one though.

"Thanks, Anita, and if I am ever in a position to do a favor you you, I will do that. Isn't that better than us getting dug in here?" Hhhhmmmm two coffee mugs, I guess one might be for Tom because we can be pretty sure that he didn't offer to get one for Jim.....after all this is just his second day.

[bjobsessed]

bjobsessed said:

rducasey said:

(Hey and I just thought, as Jim is walking to Fisk's office the next day, and all are surprised, I can't be sure and would have to watch again (darn) but I think Marty is walking from the break room with a ceramic coffee cup.

I made the supreme sacrifice and watched it for you. Marty actually comes back carrying two coffee mugs. I got interrupted before I could see what he does with the second one though.

I just watched that scene again and when Dunbar gets called into Fisks office, they are all amazed at his ability to get there on his own and Tom has the other coffee mug.

[mlm828]

There is one moment I have always liked: Jim and Karen at the scene of the Lynn Bodner homicide, trading theories about how the crime occurred:



This is the first time we see them truly collaborating on a case. And the scene is so crisply written and acted that the viewers can almost see the ideas "bouncing" back and forth between them. I think that Karen was so involved in that process that, for a few moments, she even forgot her resentment at being partnered with Jim.

Another scene in the Pilot reflects the attention to detail we saw so many times in the series. When Jim and Karen are questioning Lynn Bodner's roommate, the roommate nods her head in response to a question. Karen immediately, and without any prompting, tells Jim "yes." A quick study, Ms. Bettancourt.

[maggiethecat]

Today at 2:57pm, kathy wrote: Karen had to have been aware of the fact that she was going to be Jim's "chauffeur", though apparently not thrilled with the idea. But was that look she exchanged with Fisk really in response to Jim's corny "Who'm I ridin' with 'Cause the dog - he can't drive"?


Interesting point. From the beginning, we see that Marty and Tom are definitely a team and Karen's the Odd Man (or Woman) Out. So I always interpreted Karen's "look" to Fisk as a reaction to his "Tag, you're it" thinking. Guess who doesn't have a partner? Karen. Guess who's the junior member of squad? Karen. Guess who's gonna be stuck with the high profile blind guy forced on us by a lawsuit and the Chief of D's? Karen.

Did she know before Dunbar arrived that morning? We'll never know, although you can easily make the case either way. Was her eye-rolling when Fisk pulled him into her desk a reaction of the moment, or was she thinking, "Great. Get a load of my new partner." Personally? I believe she may have been suspecting "the worst," but was genuinely surprised and disgusted when Fisk assigned Jim to her. Or she may have assumed that Dunbar wouldn't be a question, as he would -- as Fisk requested -- be staying in the squad room and not going out in the field. (There is so much to chew on in The Pilot!)

As for Jim's remark about Hank not being able to drive, corny though it may have been, to me it was all about lessening the tension in the room. Which is what Dunbar has been trying to do since he walked in the door and the silence fell like a knife. "Anyone allergic to dogs?" "Tell you what -- he'll lead, you follow."

At least in the public and open arena of the squad room, that is. Dunbar walks in with two faces that day: the breezy, confident face he presents to Tom and Marty and Karen; and the sober, "I've come through the fire and will not be denied" persona he presents to Fisk behind closed doors.

Again, great writing. In the space of mere minutes, we've seen two compelling and different aspects of this man's character.

[kytdunne]

I'm coming into the discussion late, so just a few additions/comments:

Since Fisk and Dunbar met for the first time when Dunbar walked into the squad room, my interpretation has been that Fisk cemented his plans when he told Dunbar he'd be riding with Bettancourt.

Until then, while it may have been the most probable teaming, he may have been leaving room for a last minute change-of-plans.

But here are the real questions:

What's the assumption that Russo & Selway have been long-term partners based upon? I've seen this referenced elsewhere and don't recall anything specific in the series. Did I miss something? They've got familiarity with each other, no doubt, and a level of comfort, but is that from years, weeks, or something in between?

And is Bettancourt really the rookie in this squad? What's that based on? Again, have I missed something?

And if you were in Fisk's shoes, would you automatically partner the blind cop with a ton of media-attention (and top brass) on him, with the squad's rookie?

Kyt

[mlm828]

kytdunne said:

Since Fisk and Dunbar met for the first time when Dunbar walked into the squad room, my interpretation has been that Fisk cemented his plans when he told Dunbar he'd be riding with Bettancourt.

Until then, while it may have been the most probable teaming, he may have been leaving room for a last minute change-of-plans.

But here are the real questions:

What's the assumption that Russo & Selway have been long-term partners based upon? I've seen this referenced elsewhere and don't recall anything specific in the series. Did I miss something? They've got familiarity with each other, no doubt, and a level of comfort, but is that from years, weeks, or something in between?

And is Bettancourt really the rookie in this squad? What's that based on? Again, have I missed something?

And if you were in Fisk's shoes, would you automatically partner the blind cop with a ton of media-attention (and top brass) on him, with the squad's rookie?

You raise some really good points, Kyt. Here are my two cents' worth.

I don't think Karen is a "rookie" (at least not as I understand the term). Marty's comment to her in "Four Feet Under" -- that she's worked really hard to get where she is -- suggests she's been on the job for a while. However, she does appear to be quite a bit younger than Marty and Tom, and it's reasonable to conclude on that basis that she's the junior member of the squad in terms of experience and, perhaps, length of service in this particular squad.

I don't think there is any basis for the assumption that Marty and Tom were long-term partners. I can't think of anything that would tell us how long they'd been partners.

As for Fisk's decision to team up Karen with Jim, here's my theory as to his thought process, which I think is consistent with what we see him doing in the Pilot. Plan "A" is to try to persuade Jim to stay in the squad room. If that doesn't work, Plan "B" is to partner him with Karen and assign them to minor cases. That way, his two more experienced detectives are available to work the more serious cases and he isn't "wasting" one of them "babysitting" the blind guy. Besides, Fisk probably believed at the outset that anything he did was likely to be a short-term arrangement, because Jim would not last on the job.

Another reason for choosing Karen to partner with Jim may have been Fisk's reluctance to break up the partnership between Marty and Tom. Marty is not the easiest guy to work with, after all. Even easygoing Tom is sometimes annoyed with him (for example, in "Seoul Man" and "Dance with Me"). Having found someone who could work with Marty, Fisk would probably be reluctant to break up the partnership.

Here's another question: did Fisk really spring his decision on Karen? Fisk seems to be too good a manager to handle it that way, and I don't think he would make this kind of decision on the spur of the moment. When Jim asks whom he's riding with and Fisk looks over at Karen, is her look one of resignation, because Fisk has already told her? Or did he not tell her in advance, but she expected it?