Joan of Arcadia - 11/12
11-12-04, 10:55 PM
#1
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Thread Starter
Joan of Arcadia - 11/12
Wow. Pretty powerful episode.
I think that was the first time this season God really spelled it out for Joan at the end.
I think that was the first time this season God really spelled it out for Joan at the end.
Last edited by Kal-El; 11-12-04 at 10:58 PM.
11-13-04, 09:08 AM
#3
DVD Talk Hero
11/12/04 "Friday Night"
Who knew juggling could enter into the metaphor of life as a coping mechanism for the wide range emotions we all feel on our good days and bad days.
In a school project for Judith, juggling is the focus for a demonstration that also requires Joan to learn how to juggle from Judith as well. Joan isn't too good at juggling initially. Judith's mom shows up at the Gerardi's to pick up Judith. The coldness in their relationship is apparent, and quite a contrast between the warmth in the Gerardi household.
Luke and Grace put each other first, a sign of strength in their budding relationship. On Friday night, Luke thinks Grace will be at an anarchist meeting, so he goes there looking for her, and Grace thinks Luke will be at a Schlock-a-palooza filmfest, so she goes there looking for him. Grace just finds Friedman. Luke finally find Grace and Friedman at the filmfest, share a kiss, cement their bond a little more.
Adam takes Joan out for their first official date, Judith helps Adam and then Joan with preparations for their date. Their inexperience of dining out at the French restaurant outing was obvious, but endearing.
Judith spends the evening running with her old gang from her old school.
Will gets a call from Lucy because she's found a victim of multiple stabbings and that victim is wearing a sweater with Joan's name sewn into it. The victim is Judith, who is stabbed by someone who was supposedly going to help her and her friends score some X. Lucy was relieved that it wasn't Joan, but still taken aback by the crime and its impact on the Gerardi's.
Back from the high of a romantic dinner date, Joan learns from Helen that Judith was stabbed and is at the hosptial. Joan visits with Judith, and all Judith wants to know is how the date went, and Joan doesn't want to focus on her, but on Judith, but Judith needs to know she made a happy difference for Joan and Adam's night out, so Joan spills, giving Judith a buzz of warmth and selflessness from her efforts in setting up their evening together. Adam had a hard time wondering why Judith would put herself in jeopardy, and leaves the hospital room.
Will visits Judith in order to see how she's doing, and to get some details that might help him locate the stabber. Judith finds out that her "friends" didn't stay with her as she was bleeding out. The news hits Judith hard, and she realizes that Joan is her one true friend.
Joan confronts God in the form of a doctor treating Judith, he being the only doctor that looks Judith in the eye as the others probably feel the worst is ahead for her. God spells out the consequences of actions taken and not taken. Joan is a emotional wreck, powerless to help Judith, but not wanting to lose her. Judith asks Joan to juggle for her, Joan is exasperated at the request, but Judith goads her into juggling some rolled up hand towels. As Joan gets going, juggling well, Judith passes away, probably seeing her role in Joan's life completed in their brief encounter in a bigger scheme.
Joan is despondent, shocked, sad. Helen pulls into a gas station since they need gas, and Joan spots the doctor/God filling up his vehicle, Joan confronts God, asking why he let Judith die. No answers were stated, but none were needed. Helen takes Joan home.
Luke, Grace, and Friedman wait for Joan on the front steps of the Gerardi house. They all console her. Friedman is very shaken, blames himself for not stepping up to do Shakespeare for her since he was ready now, and perhaps keeping Judith away from her's old life's connections. Joan blames herself for being on her date, living her own life. Adam comes by, and Joan wants to know why he left, and Adam couldn't bear the pain given his mother's situation. Adam makes the observation that some people kill themselves in one fell swoop, while others do it a little bit everyday. Joan is confused as to why her love for Judith wasn't strong enough to keep Judith wanting to be alive and making choices not conducive to staying out of harm's way. Friedman convinces Luke and Grace to publicly embrace their relationship and love one another as no one knows how much time anyone really has.
Adam gives Joan the present he was going to give Judith for her help with their date. The present was 3 juggling balls that light up in the dark. God (Russ Tamblyn) as the walker of dogs comes by, and Joan confronts God, letting him know that she loved Judith and God says Judith loved her as well. Then God asks Joan a riddle about a man needing to cross a bridge, but the weight limit is surpassed if he takes the 3 boxes he needs with him, so what does the man do? Joan, irritated by the riddle, offers that the man will have to juggle the 3 boxes, always keeping 1 box in the air in order to cross the bridge. God explains that the boxes keep all the feelings one experiences in life, and that all the feelings would overwhelm a person if they didn't juggle them so learning to juggle one's emotions and feelings is the only way to make it over the bridge (life) with your sanity intact. Joan takes Adam's gift and starts juggling, and this time, it's with a purpose as she grasps the life lesson of Judith's passing and the emotional pain she learns to deal with as a consequence of her untimely passing.
This episode gave me chills, not only because of Judith's death, but the life experiences of this viewer found some truth in how emotional pain can be handled to deal with an overflow of such that threatens to paralyze us if we don't find ways to cope with our feelings while growing from traumatic experiences and loss.
Who knew juggling could enter into the metaphor of life as a coping mechanism for the wide range emotions we all feel on our good days and bad days.
In a school project for Judith, juggling is the focus for a demonstration that also requires Joan to learn how to juggle from Judith as well. Joan isn't too good at juggling initially. Judith's mom shows up at the Gerardi's to pick up Judith. The coldness in their relationship is apparent, and quite a contrast between the warmth in the Gerardi household.
Luke and Grace put each other first, a sign of strength in their budding relationship. On Friday night, Luke thinks Grace will be at an anarchist meeting, so he goes there looking for her, and Grace thinks Luke will be at a Schlock-a-palooza filmfest, so she goes there looking for him. Grace just finds Friedman. Luke finally find Grace and Friedman at the filmfest, share a kiss, cement their bond a little more.
Adam takes Joan out for their first official date, Judith helps Adam and then Joan with preparations for their date. Their inexperience of dining out at the French restaurant outing was obvious, but endearing.
Judith spends the evening running with her old gang from her old school.
Will gets a call from Lucy because she's found a victim of multiple stabbings and that victim is wearing a sweater with Joan's name sewn into it. The victim is Judith, who is stabbed by someone who was supposedly going to help her and her friends score some X. Lucy was relieved that it wasn't Joan, but still taken aback by the crime and its impact on the Gerardi's.
Back from the high of a romantic dinner date, Joan learns from Helen that Judith was stabbed and is at the hosptial. Joan visits with Judith, and all Judith wants to know is how the date went, and Joan doesn't want to focus on her, but on Judith, but Judith needs to know she made a happy difference for Joan and Adam's night out, so Joan spills, giving Judith a buzz of warmth and selflessness from her efforts in setting up their evening together. Adam had a hard time wondering why Judith would put herself in jeopardy, and leaves the hospital room.
Will visits Judith in order to see how she's doing, and to get some details that might help him locate the stabber. Judith finds out that her "friends" didn't stay with her as she was bleeding out. The news hits Judith hard, and she realizes that Joan is her one true friend.
Joan confronts God in the form of a doctor treating Judith, he being the only doctor that looks Judith in the eye as the others probably feel the worst is ahead for her. God spells out the consequences of actions taken and not taken. Joan is a emotional wreck, powerless to help Judith, but not wanting to lose her. Judith asks Joan to juggle for her, Joan is exasperated at the request, but Judith goads her into juggling some rolled up hand towels. As Joan gets going, juggling well, Judith passes away, probably seeing her role in Joan's life completed in their brief encounter in a bigger scheme.
Joan is despondent, shocked, sad. Helen pulls into a gas station since they need gas, and Joan spots the doctor/God filling up his vehicle, Joan confronts God, asking why he let Judith die. No answers were stated, but none were needed. Helen takes Joan home.
Luke, Grace, and Friedman wait for Joan on the front steps of the Gerardi house. They all console her. Friedman is very shaken, blames himself for not stepping up to do Shakespeare for her since he was ready now, and perhaps keeping Judith away from her's old life's connections. Joan blames herself for being on her date, living her own life. Adam comes by, and Joan wants to know why he left, and Adam couldn't bear the pain given his mother's situation. Adam makes the observation that some people kill themselves in one fell swoop, while others do it a little bit everyday. Joan is confused as to why her love for Judith wasn't strong enough to keep Judith wanting to be alive and making choices not conducive to staying out of harm's way. Friedman convinces Luke and Grace to publicly embrace their relationship and love one another as no one knows how much time anyone really has.
Adam gives Joan the present he was going to give Judith for her help with their date. The present was 3 juggling balls that light up in the dark. God (Russ Tamblyn) as the walker of dogs comes by, and Joan confronts God, letting him know that she loved Judith and God says Judith loved her as well. Then God asks Joan a riddle about a man needing to cross a bridge, but the weight limit is surpassed if he takes the 3 boxes he needs with him, so what does the man do? Joan, irritated by the riddle, offers that the man will have to juggle the 3 boxes, always keeping 1 box in the air in order to cross the bridge. God explains that the boxes keep all the feelings one experiences in life, and that all the feelings would overwhelm a person if they didn't juggle them so learning to juggle one's emotions and feelings is the only way to make it over the bridge (life) with your sanity intact. Joan takes Adam's gift and starts juggling, and this time, it's with a purpose as she grasps the life lesson of Judith's passing and the emotional pain she learns to deal with as a consequence of her untimely passing.
This episode gave me chills, not only because of Judith's death, but the life experiences of this viewer found some truth in how emotional pain can be handled to deal with an overflow of such that threatens to paralyze us if we don't find ways to cope with our feelings while growing from traumatic experiences and loss.
Last edited by Patman; 11-13-04 at 12:45 PM.
11-13-04, 09:58 AM
#4
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,195
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
Nice touch with Friedman making Grace and Luke acknowledge their relationship. He never got the chance with Judith, so why hide it?
You won't often find a police captain that will stand in the middle of a crime scene, sobbing.
You won't often find a police captain that will stand in the middle of a crime scene, sobbing.
11-14-04, 01:45 AM
#6
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Chicago, only a stone's throw from Chicago (even if you throw like a girl)
Posts: 2,457
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I enjoyed it if for nothing else than Amber Tamblyn's performance. Judith is going to be a missed character. My theory is that she is going to come back in some form of God that Joan sees.
If this show goes to focusing on Adam (who got really old after awhile) and Joan (whose relationship with Adam is getting old), I'm not sure if I will keep tuning in. Then again, Grace and Nerd Boy are getting boring as well, Maybe Friedman's outing of their rekationship will get the show going again without Judith.
BTW, it took me till tonight to realize that she was on Six Feet Under all this season. I knew I recognized her from somewhere.
If this show goes to focusing on Adam (who got really old after awhile) and Joan (whose relationship with Adam is getting old), I'm not sure if I will keep tuning in. Then again, Grace and Nerd Boy are getting boring as well, Maybe Friedman's outing of their rekationship will get the show going again without Judith.
BTW, it took me till tonight to realize that she was on Six Feet Under all this season. I knew I recognized her from somewhere.
11-14-04, 04:01 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think I may be dead inside. I knew she was going to die from the spoilers, but I just didn't feel anything. I mean it was sad, but I didn't come even close to crying. Maybe it was because I watched it at 2am, and was deliriously tired.
I did get a bit upset when Friedman was reciting...whatever it was (remember, really tired, so I wasn't paying full attention). But it was just hard for me to get so caught up in the sadness when they kept intercutting it with the hilarious Luke/Grace storyline. I loved the delivery of the "I bought these shoes...for you, to, uh...burn." Poor Luke
The bit I completely hated was how they closed it with Joan throwing the ball into the camera. I knew as soon as they started looking down, that they would do that, and it annoyed me. But that's a totally minor quibble. It was a great episode, definately the best of the season.
I did get a bit upset when Friedman was reciting...whatever it was (remember, really tired, so I wasn't paying full attention). But it was just hard for me to get so caught up in the sadness when they kept intercutting it with the hilarious Luke/Grace storyline. I loved the delivery of the "I bought these shoes...for you, to, uh...burn." Poor Luke
The bit I completely hated was how they closed it with Joan throwing the ball into the camera. I knew as soon as they started looking down, that they would do that, and it annoyed me. But that's a totally minor quibble. It was a great episode, definately the best of the season.
11-14-04, 11:48 AM
#9
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,195
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
Originally posted by bothanspy
I enjoyed it if for nothing else than Amber Tamblyn's performance. Judith is going to be a missed character. My theory is that she is going to come back in some form of God that Joan sees.
I enjoyed it if for nothing else than Amber Tamblyn's performance. Judith is going to be a missed character. My theory is that she is going to come back in some form of God that Joan sees.
Originally posted by bothanspy
If this show goes to focusing on Adam (who got really old after awhile) and Joan (whose relationship with Adam is getting old), I'm not sure if I will keep tuning in.
If this show goes to focusing on Adam (who got really old after awhile) and Joan (whose relationship with Adam is getting old), I'm not sure if I will keep tuning in.
11-14-04, 12:28 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Texas
Posts: 509
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by Sir_Fireboard
I think I may be dead inside. I knew she was going to die from the spoilers, but I just didn't feel anything. I mean it was sad, but I didn't come even close to crying. Maybe it was because I watched it at 2am, and was deliriously tired.
I think I may be dead inside. I knew she was going to die from the spoilers, but I just didn't feel anything. I mean it was sad, but I didn't come even close to crying. Maybe it was because I watched it at 2am, and was deliriously tired.
I'm afraid I may have to cut off this series because it's too much of an emotional investment that leaves me drained at the conclusion of each show -- and I'm a guy!!
By the way, can someone break down the reasoning behind the legalities and countersuits of Joan's older brother that are resulting from his paralysis. Thanks in advance.
11-14-04, 12:45 PM
#11
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,193
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pretty powerful episode. Joan crying outside the hospital room while the doctors rushed in as Judith died was like a punch in the gut. I'm gonna miss Sprague Grayden (Judith), I was really starting to like her.
Also I can't forget there were a few funny moments before that downer of an ending:
"Mom, I want to ask you something but you can't be my mom. Just be some random old person."
"I'm not old."
"Fine... Elderly."
"You look just like the guy from The Hives if he wasn't such a poser and his songs didn't suck."
"Really?"
Also I can't forget there were a few funny moments before that downer of an ending:
"Mom, I want to ask you something but you can't be my mom. Just be some random old person."
"I'm not old."
"Fine... Elderly."
"You look just like the guy from The Hives if he wasn't such a poser and his songs didn't suck."
"Really?"
11-14-04, 11:55 PM
#12
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,195
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
Originally posted by Barings
By the way, can someone break down the reasoning behind the legalities and countersuits of Joan's older brother that are resulting from his paralysis. Thanks in advance.
By the way, can someone break down the reasoning behind the legalities and countersuits of Joan's older brother that are resulting from his paralysis. Thanks in advance.
11-15-04, 04:56 PM
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Didn't Kevin call his father and tell him that the other kid had been drinking or something as well? That was mentioned somewhere along the way. They were arguing that Fat Tony should have picked them up, or called a cab or something like that. At least he should have told Kevin to make sure that the other kid didn't drive.
Can anyone else remember this?
Can anyone else remember this?
