20080818

Eric, April and Mary (Part Three)

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From Red Flag [Episode 1.10] - Eric's parents are talking:
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Gail: why do you keep acting like it’s no big deal?
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Johnston: I don’t. I’m also trying not to act like a hypocrite.
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Gail: This is nothing like what we went through.
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Johnston: Oh No? I seem to recall when my mother thought your name was ‘the other woman’. And I ignored her, just the way Eric’s ignoring us. Now, if this is so different, I’m not seeing it.
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Gail: It is different because we were barely in our twenties. She wasn’t your wife. And she wasn’t pregnant.
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Johnston asks Gail if Eric knows. She says no but it won’t be long before father tells son and before Eric and April are standing amidst shafts of autumn light in the Green family living room ending their marriage.
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“I didn’t want you to stay with me because of the baby Eric.”
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“Well I think we’re the only two people who agree on that.”
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As Eric shuts the door behind him the tiniest convulsion flips thru Aprils body.
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* * *
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Gail goes to Mary Baily with a piece of paper in her hands. She glances at the paper while telling Mary she will never be able to forgive her for dividing her grandchild’s family. Later Mary finds the paper on the chair where Gail had been sitting.
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It reads:
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When April dies shortly after as a result of a complication with her pregnancy in the now sub standard med center where she had worked, where she and baby could both have been saved just months before, we, the viewer, become acutely aware that the world this lovers triangle finally plays out in is nothing like anything we can imagine. It deserves to be judged differently and though it takes some time for Eric to realize this through his grief, he eventually returns to Mary. The savage events which follow continue to take reality by surprise to the extent that when we see Eric and Mary walking together to help dig Bonnie’s grave it is completely natural and as though they were meant to be together.
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Debby from South Carolina also had this to say:
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“What the writers did best in that storyline was to have characters that seemed real. All were flawed. I don't usually root for the relationship between the cheaters to work but after April's death I did.”
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So did I Debby.
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6 comments:

Debby said...

I loved the scene with Mary and Gail. I think that in time those two could become as close as Gail and Mary were.
Debby

terocious said...

I am sure you meant to say as close as April and Gail and I agree I loved that scene too. Of course Mary had her say as well which is something I did not include and Gail was obviously impressed with her but I think what I love most about the scene is that Gail has the sense to know that family is comprised of those that family members choose and by writing the note she has recognized that her son has chosen Mary.

Anonymous said...

Well said! I saw also in the conversation in the bar, and the note this: Gail finally forgave herself for being the "other woman" back in the day. Her acceptance of Eric's choice, was an acceptance of her's and Johnston's so many years before. Life is all about choices we make. We are not the sum total of those choices, but we are what we do with what remains.

Insightful and thought provoking, thank you, terocious for allowing me, and I'm sure everyone else who's read your blog, and opportunity to reflect on lessons learned in Jericho! It's still mind boggling that this series did so much in 29 episodes.

NightShade

Anonymous said...

I think what happend with Gail being considered the other women Johnstons mother was protective of him and she did not want to lose her baby anyways i think it would be great to see all the back stories of the town to be told

Reba

terocious said...

I agree Reba. It would be fun to talk to the actors and hear what types of back stories they were using for themselves while playing the parts.

terocious said...

I think you are on to something with that NightShade. I know I alway get the maddest at other people for things which make me angry about myself.

I love this and think it is true:

"We are not the sum total of those choices, but we are what we do with what remains."

I think for various reasons many people suffer believing that they are the sum total of their choices.