Episode Report Card Sobell: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Here's to the curliqued whimsy of fate!
By Sobell | Season 1 | Episode 3 | Aired on 10.23.2008
We zip to John Fisher's office. Gene is sitting down, making small talk about Fisher's climb up the military ladder, while Ray stands with his back to the wall, just in case any random acts of buggery threaten to break out. As Sam casually inspects the contents of the bookshelves. he says, "I see you got a lot to lose here -- your honor, your family's respect -- but Robert Reeves -- by all accounts a family man and a good officer -- is dead." We cut to Gene, who is looking as though he keenly regrets putting on so much eyeliner that morning. As well you should, Gene. As well you should. Sam continues, "This isn't how we do things in the squad back where I come from, but if you just tell us what happened, nobody has to know why you did it." John looks around at Chris (still sporting many wounds), at Ray (still protecting his tushie from sudden sodomy), then at Gene. Then he says he won't give a blow-by-blow (as it were) of what happened over in 'Nam because "it's nobody's business" but the real problem was that "Bob wanted to bring it back here, into the world, where everything's different." Gene asks, "Where everything's different? Where you don't get to decide who lives and who dies, captain ... you think you couldn't live with homosexuality, but you could live with being a murderer? Over there, you killed to survive. You killed here because you didn't like a guy was queer!" John loses his temper and stands up, saying heatedly, "Bob thought he was living a lie when he got back. He thought that a man of integrity wouldn't fear what other people thought of him." Gene is irritated that John fears what people think of him, then adds, "Bob had courage." As John babbles that he didn't mean to kill Robert, Sam watches intently. Gene finally orders Chris and Ray to cuff John, then heads over to comment to Sam, "Gays in the military! Unbelievable. What next? They're going to want to get married?' Oh, ha, ha, it's so funny because our Nixoneolithic ancestors couldn't conceive of homosexuals as deserving of full civil rights! It's not like today at all!
As Ray helps march John out of his office -- taking care to ensure that he doesn't accidentally absorb any of The Gay via direct skin-to-skin contact -- he quips, "Lucky coincidence, Tyler, you just happen to collar the very guys who see [John] killing Reeves." Sam deadpans, "I don't believe in coincidences, Ray. I believe in the curliqued whimsy of fate. After all, everything's connected."
Then he's back in Reeves' neighborhood, walking under a sepia-toned blue sky, and Annie catches him. She questions why Sam really has to out Robert to his widow, and Sam says, "The only question Caroline Reeves wanted answered was 'Why?' And now we know why." When he's in the Reeves living room, Sam starts with, "There's something I wanted to say about your husband, Mrs. Reeves, something maybe you didn't know, something you need to know," and Annie sucks in her breath in alarm. Fortunately, Mrs. Reeves is oblivious to all but Sam's steadfast delivery, and she tells Sam to bring it (not in so many words). Sam says, "Your husband was a very brave man. More courageous than most -- much more. And he died for what he believed in, Mrs. Reeves. And I wanted you to know --" Caroline cuts in to ask, "Are you saying someone killed him because of the war?" Sam bites back the reply, "No, I'm saying he believed in the right for two men to buy property on Fire Island" and right as he's about to explain that Robert died over the radical premise that homosexuals have nothing to be ashamed of ... the kid pops downstairs and Sam decides against wrecking the kid's childhood by posthumously outing his dad. He tells Caroline that "It was John Fisher, [Robert's] squad leader." Caroline breathes, "John Fisher? Why?" and Sam looks at Annie for help. She looks back all Hey, this was YOUR bright idea. You're on your own. Sam finally says, "Because [John] resented your husband's bravery. He resented his honor. Because John Fisher realized he could never be the man your husband was. And sometimes the most intolerant men are also the most afraid." And sometimes even the most tolerant time-travelers from the future can maybe think about easing up on the preachy soliloquies. Just a suggestion, Sam.