Episode Report Card Jacob Clifton: A+ | 6 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT Je Ne Regrette Rien
By Jacob Clifton | Season 4 | Episode 12 | Aired on 01.13.2013
Will: "The real Rambo... Is you. Elsbeth Tascioni."
FLORRICK CAMPAIGN
Peter's about at a level of Jordan discomfort with his weirdly tone-deaf race remarks, but Eli's excited to revisit the footage. Why? Because it has gotten him a huge bump in the polls: "It went viral. People are calling you brave, standing up to special interests... The polls will prove what the editorials are saying, this is your Sister Souljah moment. You spoke truth to minority interests, so when those two ASAs go public, they'll be seen as sour grapes. You inoculated yourself."
Jordan: "And we're cool with how this is disgusting?"
Eli: "This is politics, not a fifth-grade ethics class."
Jordan: "If such a thing existed, you wouldn't need to make that distinction. We'd all understand ethics. But I think pissing off minorities is a shitty way to go."
Eli: "And I am hissing and spitting at you because I need to convince all three of us that you are wrong. And since you're aren't -- and questioning me about it makes me feel like a racist and I am not a racist, I'm a good person -- I'll just have to settle for getting insanely defensive and belittling you."
Jordan: "Rule #1. Got it."
Peter: "Be nice to him. He's wonderful. Also, we need him."
Eli: "WHY?"
Peter: "Are you being investigated? Then you know why. And stop being so fucking sketchy about it"
L/G AFTER HRS
Elsbeth toasts her friends at L/G with crystal elf wine from the Misty Mountains, which will extend their lives at least thirty years, served from a Killashandra decanter in the petals of very rare roses. A hobgoblin peeks around one great toadstool, nervous and chastened, desperate for aid.
Diane: "Eli? Do you need somebody to hand you a sock and therefore your freedom?"
Eli: "No. I need a lawyer. Specifically nobody in this room, except for..."
Elsbeth: "...Did I ever tell you guys about that time I captured Pegasus, the winged horse of legend? It was on a trip to Vegas and we really needed to get across town in time for the great convergence of these planets, whole other story, but so anyway..."
Eli: "Elsbeth? I need to talk to you."
Alicia, Diane, Will: "Oh my God this is the cutest thing I ever saw."
TWO WEEKS
Elsbeth hopefully, Maddie Hayward hopefully. Most of all, I really hope we stick with this race stuff, because I feel like our cultural conversation is begrudgingly moving towards clarifying these issues -- that to compare or contrast forms of oppression is not to equate them; that everybody has a stake in privilege and no villain ever called himself that -- and this show does it better than anything I can think of, in terms of laying out a situation where everyone, and therefore no one, is a voiceless victim rather than a differently privileged player in the game. Which I mean, it would take four years of the prettiest white rich lady in the world having rich white lady problems to get us all the way here, but I mean: We're here now, and it's possible to feel good about the conversation instead of just awful and defensive, and the show does that. So that's exciting. Everything that rises must converge. Plus, you know, Jordan Karahalios is compelling television. If Cary ever comes back we'll have ourselves a nice little set.