Episode Report Card Djb: D | 1 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT The Love Pope
By Djb | Season 4 | Episode 4 | Aired on 08.01.2000
Em City TV again. The newsman tells us that Shirley Bellinger is scheduled to be executed at dawn for the drowning of her eight-year-old daughter. She has chosen to be hanged. Everyone agrees that her death is "depressing." Hill helps the ol' disturbing death plot along in informing us that "they get a doctor to decide where the knot on the noose should be, depending on the person's height or weight, so that the noose snaps the neck in the right place." Yeah, save it for the fourth wall, Preachy.
Over in Schillinger's cell, he observes that he was hoping to see Shirley one more time, but that the guards have cleverly "delayed all mail deliveries to death row until after the execution." She reminds her of his late wife, he would like to add. Thanks for that, Satan.
Glynn is holding a staff meeting, and as soon as he brings up Shirley Bellinger's execution, Sister Pete rises to go. Glynn tells her that Bellinger has asked Sister Pete to collect her belongings after her death and dispose of them in whatever way she sees most fit. And she has requested that Ray come to her cell and pray with her. Is she really going to die? I'm finding this almost impossible to believe. Over in the doomed woman's cell, a news crew asks if Shirley has any thoughts on her impending, um, non-living situation. Her response, a beauty: "I'm wondering why anyone cares what my thoughts are. Sure as hell didn't care when my husband was drunk and beat me. Or when my father-in-law raped me. It wasn't until I killed my daughter, until I did something horrific, that what I think matters. All I wanted was for someone to pay attention. And now that you finally are, I see that my life then or now isn't worth shit." Oops. Can't play that song on the radio. She expresses remorse for her profanity-spewing ways and apologizes to the reporter that she can't use the tape. She looks down mournfully as if it's the worst thing she has ever done. When it is perhaps only the second worst. Meanwhile, Glynn and Ray sit and don't face each other in Glynn's office, and Ray asks Glynn if he is curious to know who got Shirley pregnant. Glynn does not care. Back on Death Row, Moses rises and asks how Shirley is feeling. She woke up with a crick in her neck, but you have to give her credit for remaining glazed and optimistic in observing that "the hanging will take care of the crick." For her last meal, Shirley enjoyed a Slim Fast milkshake. So I guess that shake was for breakfast, so she'll have another one for lunch and a sensible meal in hell.
Glynn and Ray enter Death Row, and LoPresti opens the cell door. Shirley regards Glynn and informs him placidly, "Warden, Officer LoPresti has been coming to my cell every night and fucking me." Heh. LoPresti denies, denies, denies. Speaking of which, Ray wants to know who impregnated Shirley. Schillinger? Her lover "was Satan in the form of a man." Ah, hmmm... Schillinger? She tells him that she is way too proper a lady to reveal such secrets, but she'll furnish them with a hint: "Neither rain nor snow..." Schillinger. Creeeeeeeeepy. She bids her Death Row mates a fond adieu. Let the prayers commence. Everything seems to be going well. She walks through the valley of the shadow of death and everything. It's all fine fine fine. Then she sees the noose hanging from the stark white ceiling and the witnesses sitting passively through the glass. The fineness comes to an abrupt halt, and her noble intent to die by hanging suddenly deserts of her. She freaks. She makes a run for it; the guards hold her down. She wails and apologizes for all of her wrongdoings as they place the mask over her head and affix the noose. It is both cruel and unusual. The floor drops out from below her. Goodbye, Shirley Bellinger. The cuckoo clock tolls next for thee.