Episode Report Card Gustave: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Debriefing of Kiefer
By Gustave | Season 1 | Episode 14 | Aired on 03.04.2002
Back at the clinic, Bride and Spawn are walking down the hall wrapped in royal blue blankets. The look is very Issey Miyake circa 1989, but I have to ask, what is up with that? I mean, if an earthquake hits your town and you're homeless, I can see how you'd be sitting around in your backyard huddled inside that blanket that a Red Cross volunteer gave you. But if your kidnapping ordeal has just ended and you are now being examined in a climate-controlled government building in Southern California, what's with the matching Pocahontas blankets? Can't someone just give 'em a couple of paper gowns? ["I think the presence of blankets is standard TV/movie shorthand for 'in shock.'" -- Sars] SensitiveEthnicHealthPractitioner leads them into an examining room and asks Bride about any additional "discomfort." Besides the sinking feeling that she must have dropped her daughter on her head when she was little, that is. Bride says "no," but Spawn is all, "Mom!" SEHP senses that something is up, so she gives one of her assistants one of those "get this rape victim's stupid daughter out of here so I can privately give her a pamphlet" hand signals. Spawn is taken to another room. "Mrs. Bauer?" says SEHP in a leading manner. "I was raped," says Bride. SEHP is all, "I see," and proceeds to tell Bride all about the tests they're going to perform on her and how she should speak to the staff psychiatrist. Uh, right. Because if Bride hadn't been raped, she wouldn't need to see a mental health professional about, say, being kidnapped, beaten, and nearly executed twice by homicidal terrorists -- they just give you Tylenol for that. Bride wants to keep the rape "confidential." SEHP tells Bride that the records will be kept private, and only the doctors will have access. "I mean from my husband." SEHP gives her a look as if to say, "Got it, sister." Okay, snarkiness aside, Leslie Hope's acting in this scene rocks. Her face displays a perfect mixture of shame, sadness, and courage. The time is 1:10:50 PM.
The time is 1:15:13 PM. Klockwise from the top left, SEHP "counsels" Bride, Palmer and Poor Man's Hume Cronyn do something with sheets of paper that looks campaign-esque, and Kiefer pours himself a glass of water from a stainless steel pitcher from the Restoration Hardware catalog. PMHC gives Palmer some advice about currying favor from some senators who'll be helpful to his campaign. Palmer doesn't want to, because he doesn't like them. Hello? Was I hallucinating, or did I just hear a politician claim that it was beneath him to butter up some people that he doesn't particularly like? Isn't that a bit like a Catholic Priest saying that he doesn't like to work on Sundays? But what's really on PMHC's mind is whether or not the "Ferragamo thing" is going to go away. Palmer tells him not to worry, he's got it under control. Theo enters mid-sentence, wearing lots of rayon and a Gucci belt and wanting to know what's up with the good doctor. Palmer explains that BadShrink died in an accidental fire. "What kind of fire?" says Theo. I dunno, Theo. A wicked hot one? Theo puts two and two together and konkludes that something's fishy about the fact that Ferragamo was the source of Maureen Kingsley's story and now he's dead. Remember how Theo wanted to let sleeping dogs lie a couple of hours ago? Well, now he wants to get to the bottom of his therapist's death. "I might have been involved with Gibson's death," says Theo. "But somebody murdered Ferragamo and they're going to have to pay!" Apparently, Dr. Ferragamo was the "only person" who was there for Theo in his hour of need. Theo? Are you heterosexual and single? Would you like to meet your soulmate? Her name is Kim Bauer, and she looks mighty fine in a cheerleading vest! Palmer tries to assure his son that he loves him and that he'll tell the truth if it looks like there's any foul play.