Date of airing: November 6, 1999 (CBS)
Nielsen ratings information: 8.94 million viewers, 5.9/11 in Households, 2.3/7 with Adults 18-49
written by: Jeff Pinkner
directed by: Gary Nelson
It is not that hard for EARLY EDITION to deliver a standout episode. The show has never been this excellent and great to pump out one thrilling hour after the next, so when it finally does, it is noticeable in its greatness. When it comes to the best episodes of the series (so far, at least), then only a select few come to mind: season one's "After Midnight" and "Gun," due to the emotional value of the stories (as well as the fact that those two episodes looked more like a TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL clone that the series may have sought out to be in its infancy), as well as "Faith" and season three's "Fate," due to the titular faith versus fate premise these two episodes went into without actively naming it.
This episode may be going on the list of"Best episodes of EARLY EDITION," simply because of the dramatic and thrilling nature of its premise. Granted, Gary has been on the run from the police before (in the first-season two-parter "The Wall," when he was a suspect to become the assassin of the current US president), so that is nothing new for him, but there was drama in this episode that the show has not seen for a long while. Not to mention that the ending, not unlike the one from "The Wall, Part 1," had Gary in Chicago, trying to stay hidden, thinking about what to do next, how to clear his innocence – with the difference that, back then, Gary could still prevent a murder, but in this episode, Gary could not stop the murder. It happened, and now he will probably land in prison for that. Or always on the run from the police, which begs the question if Gary turns into a hermit or nomad now, cruising the continental United States, landing in random communities and smalltowns, and always helping the people in need after getting their newspapers from tomorrow.
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| Gary's Samaritan days are finally over. |
This was not an excellent episode, but it was a great episode for EARLY EDITION standards. I loved the notion that almost all of the show's recurring characters were assembled with this episode, each of them having their own thoughts of Gary, and how he may or may not be the killer of Frank Scanlon. What a shame that the writers were unable to find room for retired detective Crumb in this episode, because then, it would truly have been the collection of all of the show's recurring characters in one episode. Granted, Miguel Diaz did not have much to do and was only of importance during the early stages of the episode, but the contrast in the belief that Gary is either guilty or innocent by both Detective Armstrong and Brigatti was fascinating to watch.
This two-parter could showcase which of the two will end up being Gary’s best friend, and who really believed in his innocence. Brigatti obviously has the romantic angle here, which prevented her from stopping Gary in his tracks at the very end, but Armstrong seems to be a believer in Gary being the good guy who only gets into dangerous situations because he is the only one who can help. I am almost sure the incident with his wife in the pool in the third season finale was the one moment that convinced Armstrong of Gary’s innocence now, and that he might be putting work into the legal angle of the murder case, to prove Gary's innocence that way. In the meantime, Brigatti is being manipulated by her emotions and feelings for Gary and decides to help him because of that, risking her job and standing with the Chicago police force in the process. I am wondering if Diaz finds room in here though. Diaz, Armstrong, and Brigatti... All three are helping to solve the murder and exonerate Gary. Put Crumb into that group, because why the heck not?
The story itself is not really that exciting though. First of all, it has already been shot by dumb logic and faraway realism when the mystery killer gave Gary’s gloves the gunpowder residue it needed to blame Gary. What a shame that the writers did not care much for the bag needing to be sealed (or for it to have been taken for the tests already), and that because it is an open bag, it is already tainted evidence, the case is dismissed, and Gary walks out of the courtroom a free man. Who knows, maybe that is how Gary will be free at the conclusion of the next episode and we will not learn who Scanlon's killer was (that would be super hilarious if it were to happen, and quite ballsy, too), but still, after having watched my fair share of crime procedurals and Netflix's documentary series MAKING A MURDERER, the evidence bag thing was the only thing that jumped right into my mind as being an absurd and unrealistic moment. But I guess the writers needed convenience in their narrative, and a direct scene that establishes someone trying to frame Gary for Scanlon's murder.
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| Marissa gets a sweet and tearful goodbye, and a "I'll see you soon" from her best friend and business partner. |
I also liked Gary's interactions with Marissa. She got something to do for a change in this episode, acting emotional and scared, and even almost crying because of her fear that she may have seen Gary free and alive for the last time in that back alley. Once more, I wished that Marissa would have been given more to do – there is still a bit more than half a season left for the show, and maybe Marissa will get another episode or two just for herself.
Oh well, at least this episode had one good thing to offer. The “one day before” narrative ended less than halfway into the episode. And I was thinking that it would take longer than that for Gary to get arrested and for that story to kick in. Getting back to the day before was also a good choice because the episode needed to establish what kind of a dick Scanlon is and how many people wanted him dead. Who knows, maybe we already saw the killer, because EARLY EDITION cannot be that suddenly interested in creating a murder conspiracy, right?
