Date of airing: April 18, 1998 (CBS)
Nielsen ratings information: 11.21 million viewers, 7.8/15 in Households
There is always a reason when the main attraction of a television series is barely in an episode, or completely absent from it. This episode is noticeable for having the least amount of Kyle Chandler in it ad that could have various reasons. Maybe he was sick during the making of this episode, or he had surgery scheduled. Maybe he just wanted or needed a week off from the production, since actors are allowed to take vacation time as well, and being the star of a 22-episode-a-year TV drama, getting vacation time on a regular basis does wonders for one's health. Or maybe, just maybe, the writers didn't want to focus on Gary and try to spotlight his surroundings instead, turning someone else into the hero for a day or two. Not to mention that it is quite logical (and has always been possible) for Gary to be in a pickle at one point or another, in serious need of saving (plus, that has happened before in the show, and the savior was Chuck during the "Frostbit" episode). Whatever was going on behind the scenes, Kyle Chandler got a week off from shooting a TV show in Chicago and that was a good thing for him. You must always take time to recharge your batteries.
Bringing Gary's parents into the center was quite a cool idea. Bernie is a bit of a hotshot who kept the light tone of the series alive by never being over the top dramatic, but Lois was a very calm, reasonable, and likable character, and I loved that the writers explained where Gary's morale and humanity come from, and that Gary isn't just doing the lifesaving stuff because he is bored and he wants the appreciation, but simply because he was raised to be that kind of person. Not that I ever needed an explanation of why Gary does what he does, but it gives a nice backstory, and it turned him into something of a kid again here, looking at his parents making up at the end, because every kid hates it when their parents are fighting. And while Gary was a little busy laying still for multiple days and was unable to see Bernie and Lois going through the motions in this episode, it was still nice to see that Gary witnessed the happy ending with his own eyes. Adult Gary, happy as a little kid, because his parents loved each other, and they loved Gary.
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| Step one to drive to Chicago unnoticed: Get kicked out of the house for smoking. |
I also liked how the paper chose to land on the porch of Gary's parents, while making a fool out of Chuck, who most likely would have taken the opportunity for a few more get-rich-quick schemes. The Powers That Be knew that Chuck would do it, which is why he didn't get the paper, and I thank the Powers That Be for that because it would have turned this episode into an insufferable hour otherwise. The premise of the episode was a good idea to give Gary "time off" while his parents were doing his job, showcasing that there is a reason that Gary gets the paper and that it may have been a predestined thing this entire time. To say nothing of the fact that with Bernie and Lois becoming main characters for this episode, EARLY EDITION went for two elderly characters as the leads, proving that they can carry a TV show as any other attractive Twentysomething actor hot off the presses of the Hollywood machine. After this episode, I would not mind at all having more of Bernie and Lois – especially the latter's naturally composed characteristics made for an interesting watch. Maybe Gary should watch his mother do his job for a couple of days, and maybe he will learn how not to be ... like his father, essentially.
Meanwhile, the episode also put Crumb front and center, and as it stands, he truly is working as a drink mixer and bartender at McGinty's, which I find neat. That way, the character is always ready to be used by the writers, and cast member Ron Dean was probably happy as well that his character was kept close to the main characters, as it promised more work for him in upcoming episodes. This episode also showcased that the cast is talented enough to play ball with one another. EARLY EDITION started as a series with a minimal cast, and sometimes it was just Chandler and Fisher Stevens. But now that the writers have created a couple of recurring characters, they were able to bring them together and have them share screentime. I have to say, seeing Crumb and Lois together was fun – not just because of their small moment of attraction behind the bar, but also when she stopped the third Carpathian brother from getting shot and Crumb was just standing there, possibly understanding for the first time why Gary is doing what he is doing. Yes, I truly hope both of them will have more interactions in the future.
Of course, the story about the Carpathian brother was a little absurd, even if it kept the show light and humorous and not to be taken seriously at any given time. I enjoyed their greeting ritual, and I liked the backstory of them trying to find life in America as immigrants (watch that episode with 2020s politics in mind, and it might turn out to be an important story), but maybe they were written a bit too over the top for my taste, as their wish to become big in America via a "Got Milk?" ad almost made them a criminal enterprise in its own right. Let's not forget that one of them thought that it was a great idea to rob a store, just to post bail for the other brothers – I don't think people are *that* stupid. Plus, one of them wanted to commit suicide? I'm starting to think that this brothership had a few issues to begin with.
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| Lois is the best of all of us. |
I still have to say a couple of things about Marissa. She is still not a very active character in the lives of all the other characters in the series. Gary gets in trouble and needs to be saved, but who gets the paper this time? Not Chuck (understandable), but also not Marissa. How interesting would it be when Marissa gets the paper one day, being given the responsibility to save the day? Her blindness would only add to the conflict and thrill and obstacle course, making a potential episode even more interesting. But for some reason, the writers were never able to include her in the stories. She has screentime, and she gets dialogue scenes, but that's pretty much it. She is almost always hanging out at McGinty's, with nothing else to do outside the walls of the bar. It's getting disappointing after a while.
