[net.tv] St. Elsewhere, Nov 6

wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (11/07/85)

This query reveals the ending of the specific episode of St. Elesewhere
so please read no further if you don't want to know it before you see it
in reruns next summer (if they bother to rerun it, unlike their behavior
this past summer!):

(Blank lines follow:)









Would someone like to explain this "mad slasher" girl business? I had
been assuming that what she had been snorting all along was cocaine. As
far as I recall, that does not inspire such crazed violence. Maybe I'm
wrong in that, but does anyone think it was supposed to be some other
drug? (What is that one that caused violent psychosis -- PCP?) Also,
the razor cuts don't appear to be deep enough to be fatal, so it is
ironic that it is the plastic surgeon (with his excessive worship of and
attention to the ephemeral and shallow concept of physical beauty) that
got attacked in a manner designed to impair his appearance. 

What about the "holding the blade in the mouth" business? Was the girl
supposed to inspire vampire images?

And I missed the transition between his taking the girl home and then
expressing (while she was in the bathroom), "I just want to get you out
of my house." Just what happened to make him want to get rid of her?
(Maybe my attention wandered and I missed an explanatory scene or bit of
dialog. Or did they really give a good reason for his attitude change?)

I didn't think that St. E always ended with some image of volence, but
this episode and the one ending with the car crash come to mind. Have
I just not noticed this as a consistent history, or is this a recent
trend? (Sort of a cheap "cliffhanger" hook -- don't think much of it...)

Will Martin

UUCP/USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin   or   ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA

moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (11/11/85)

In article <2960@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes:
>I didn't think that St. E always ended with some image of volence, but
>this episode and the one ending with the car crash come to mind. Have
>I just not noticed this as a consistent history, or is this a recent
>trend? (Sort of a cheap "cliffhanger" hook -- don't think much of it...)

StE rarely ends with this kind of ending, and frankly, I sure as hell hope
they don't do it again.  I think that is probably the most frightening
moment I've ever seen on TV -- probably due to the surprise, but I found it
very, very shocking.  I sure as heck hope small children weren't watching
this -- it gave ME quite a few nightmares that evening...

                "In the end, it will be the insects who rule the earth."
                                        -Noted scientist

                "In the end, who cares?"
                                        -Remo Williams

                "End? What end?  You whites will be with us forever."
                                        -Chiun, Master of Sinanju

                                        Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA
UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty
<*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>

bobn@bmcg.UUCP (Bob Nebert) (11/12/85)

> Would someone like to explain this "mad slasher" girl business? I had
> been assuming that what she had been snorting all along was cocaine. As
> far as I recall, that does not inspire such crazed violence. Maybe I'm
> wrong in that, but does anyone think it was supposed to be some other
> drug? (What is that one that caused violent psychosis -- PCP?) Also,
> the razor cuts don't appear to be deep enough to be fatal, so it is
> ironic that it is the plastic surgeon (with his excessive worship of and
> attention to the ephemeral and shallow concept of physical beauty) that
> got attacked in a manner designed to impair his appearance. 
> 
I didn't think it was the drugs (whatever they were) that led her to
slash him. When the guy was toying with the idea in the store she said
"Your new around here, huh"? Maybe she is nutso and he didn't know it?

Don't forget the house is reputed to be haunted. Maybe the devil made
her do it (sorry Flip).

> What about the "holding the blade in the mouth" business? Was the girl
> supposed to inspire vampire images?
> 
Funny you should mention that. When the blade first started coming out
of her mouth the ends were shinny like highlighted teeth. That was the
first thing I thought of too.

Bob Nebert   ___ sdcsvax!bmcg!bobn