Curtain Call - Episode 37

[amyk]

I just finished watching this one again. Had not seen it for quite some time. My DVD had an issue during the "Opposites" song towards the end, so I didn't get to see/hear that whole segment. But anyway, I do really like this episode quite a lot. But I laugh at a part where I don't think they intended us to laugh, which is when the screen gets wavy and the trumpet plays as they move into the flashbacks. For some reason that cracks me up.

[Katia]

May 6, 2017 19:54:27 GMT -5 amyk said:

I guess the only thing that I kind of would like to be different would be if they actually mentioned Amy or showed her in some of the flashbacks. There was a brief glimpse of her in the scene from TILL DEATH DO WE PART but otherwise, they managed to block her out of all flashbacks. I suspect that was so they didn't have to pay Melinda Culea any royalties or something like that.

Awww, I didn't notice that in particular, but you're right... that sucks.  It was probably that, plus it sounds like they kind of wanted to sweep MC (and thus Amy) under the rug and forget about her...

May 7, 2017 7:27:08 GMT -5 sidney said:

I've always thought it was one of the best episodes, too. But I kind of don't like clip shows. I mean, the start, the in-betweens, and the end scenes are some of the best in the series. I love when Murdock messes with Decker at the end. However, I get bored seeing the clips.

I guess maybe in the 80s, VCRs were even rather new, and you didn't get to see episodes over again so quickly. So it was really important to have clip shows. For the production company (to save money producing new scenes, reuse the old) and to incite nostalgia maybe? I don't know.

I didn't get bored with the clips, but I do sort of see the clip-heavy episodes as a sort of cop-out.  (Maybe that's a modern way of thinking, though, I don't know.)  That doesn't mean I don't like them, but they're the TV-show equivalent of when you're in school and the teacher decides that today you're all going to get together in groups and each group will present on something to make the day's lesson.  Or of "making" leftovers for dinner.  Cop-out.

May 7, 2017 16:27:25 GMT -5 amyk said:

I actually really like the clips in this episode, although yes, with the advent of VCRs and DVDs, etc. I suppose it is rather redundant. But I think this is one of the best clip shows that I've seen. I guess the powers-that-be felt this was a fitting way to send a season. Surely they knew the show would be back for a third season, though, since it was such a big success still in season 2, right? Did they really think this could be the "final curtain call"?

I'm guessing not.  I suppose viewers were supposed to be in suspense, although of course you know they're not going to off a character this early on (unless, of course, there are some kind of serious differences with the actor).  I'm guessing the episode name is not only about possible death, but perhaps also the nature of the episode-- after all, a curtain call is when the cast comes back onto the stage after they've gone off... kind of like the clips of previous episodes do here?  (Notice it's "Curtain Call," not "Curtains"...

May 16, 2017 4:54:13 GMT -5 sidney said:

Did you see what their truck looked like?View Attachment

I love that the same colour scheme of the van is used over and over again.

Ooh, good catch!  Maybe they had some paint left over from the van?  LOL.  (Or was that a popular type of color scheme back then?)

May 31, 2017 21:37:34 GMT -5 amyk said:

BA is freaking out about his van. Of course, we all know it's really Murdock he's concerned about, right?

Ab. So. Lutely.  (I have a note on it: Awwww... B.A. is worried about Murdock. I love them both.)

Jun 11, 2017 2:00:27 GMT -5 Paper Crane Song said:

Although it probably didn't do the healing process much good when Murdock was in the straight jacket at the end. If the bullet was lodged in muscle, then I'm guessing it could be quite achy to have your shoulder pulled back like that...(Although perhaps that scene was a while after he got shot...)

Which makes you wonder... besides "how did they explain to the hospital that Murdock got shot"-- how did they explain it to the VA hospital, who at some point is going to, if nothing else, notice a scar Murdock never had before...  (then again, yeah, I know: it's pretty well established that everyone at the VA hospital is completely medically clueless, so I'm sure that in canon-land they'd never even notice...)

Oct 7, 2017 10:16:40 GMT -5 kellie said:

I’m surprised Hannibal never made any reference about Murdock taking a bullet for him. A scene between Murdock & Hannibal, with Hannibal thanking him for what he did or something would’ve been a nice touch.

Yes, I know, right?

(Actually, the whole shooting part was sort of weird.  The way Murdock jumps in front of Hannibal just seems strange to me; I think they could've done it differently.  And, he possibly could've just pushed Hannibal out of the way or something instead of definitely jumping in front of the guy and taking the bullet.)

Oct 18, 2017 22:36:48 GMT -5 amyk said:

Yes, I think too that Hannibal is not so much of a talker but a doer. I guess maybe his "love language" is "acts of service." So I think you are right that his way of thanking Murdock is by saving his life. And yes, even to the point of surrender.

Well, to me it seems pretty obvious that Hannibal is PISSED by the way he kicks the guy, so I sort of think that was Hannibal's way of being upset about it.  And... there's plenty of time for him to thank Murdock off-screen... I like to think he did.

Jun 22, 2020 13:48:53 GMT -5 HoudiniDerek said:

Makes you wonder if Face and Murdock have different blood types.

Almost certainly.  AB- is rather uncommon (the most rare blood type; fewer than 1% of people in the U.S., according to Red Cross), so the chances of two on the same team having the same blood type is pretty slim, let alone three (though, despite what the episode says, AB- does not have to receive only AB-.  They can receive any Rh- type (so, we can figure out from this episode that Face and Hannibal must both be Rh+ if they can't donate to B.A. or Murdock).

Jun 22, 2020 13:48:53 GMT -5 HoudiniDerek said:

it makes you wonder sometimes about the VA and what they do with him when they get him back. (I'm thinking BAD ROCK especially since he purposely escaped).

Yes, I've wondered this, too.  And also how the VA deals with the frequency with which he's leaving (I mean, there's one episode where it seems Face scams him out simply to go on a double date, so...).  At the very least, I would think they have jobs several times a year?

Jun 22, 2020 21:34:47 GMT -5 amyk said:

Presumably also the guy who Face punched out to take the uniform eventually awoke. So I guess Decker knew that Face had stolen an MP's uniform. And he would have then figured out that it wasn't Face who was injured, right? So did he then figure out that it was actually Murdock?

I'm not sure.  They knew a uniform was stolen.  Did they know, though, who stole it and wore it?  (I mean, nobody recognized Face, so the guy who got knocked out-- if he even saw who did it to him-- might not have been able to identify him, either.)  Yes, they would've had to have known when the van drives off that there was a fourth man (two MPs get into the van, only one is shoved out, though of course at first they might think there was a possibility their man got kidnapped), but would they know who?  Or is it possible Decker would've just thought it was indeed Face who was injured and they somehow picked up another sidekick?

(In my notes for S3 "Incident on Crystal Lake," though, I have "So Decker does know about Murdock..."  I can't remember exactly why I wrote that, but I seem to recall Decker mentions him, like "So where's Murdock?" or something-- isn't that the one where Decker has the other three and Murdock's hiding under the boat on top of the van or something?  So, maybe Decker figures it out here, or maybe he's always known?  {Or, of course, it's possible the writers simply weren't thinking and forgot in that episode that Decker isn't supposed to know about Murdock... that also happens a lot in this show, this kind of continuity error.})

Jul 25, 2020 9:45:03 GMT -5 Eclipse139 said:

I'm not sure Tawnia needed to be in this ep at all. I think if Amy had still been around she would have been as worried about Murdock as the rest of the team and had a flashback because she and Murdock seemed to have a real emotional connection, but Tawnia just seemed to spend the episode getting in the way! Murdock didn't want her fussing over the wound in the van, she went with Face to scam the first aid kit from the Ranger station, but didn't do anything to help when they were there and then she just held the lamp in the mine. She didn't even hold Murdock's hand while Hannibal was removing the bullet and he was in so much pain!

Yes, now that you mention it.  And yeah, I agree Amy had more of a connection with the team than Tawnia did... she was always mostly on the fringe and much of the time was only in the action because she put herself there.

Jul 25, 2020 9:45:03 GMT -5 Eclipse139 said:

As much as I love Murdock's friendship with BA it felt wrong to focus solely on the two of them at the end, considering everything that had happened in the episode. A montage showcasing the frienships of all four members of the team would have been better.

Is this one of the first places in the show, though, where we see that B.A. really does love that crazy fool?  B.A. spends a lot of time saying he doesn't like Murdock-- even says in one episode that he "hates" him and doesn't want him coming along on the job-- so is this one supposed to be sort of the revelation that "Oh, hey, B.A. doesn't hate him as much as he likes to let on"?

[amyk]

Although us fans nowadays seem to think most highly of the Face/Murdock relationship, I do think the show often focused on the Murdock/BA relationship. For example, how many tag scenes were of Murdock and BA quibbling over something? I don't think there were nearly as many tag scenes featuring any other combination of just two characters as there were of the BA/Murdock relationship. So maybe this episode was just trying to continue featuring that relationship, especially at the end with that song. BA is cute at the end with his smile, which he does not want Murdock to see.

[Katia]

B.A./Murdock are THE cutest. I always wonder... does B.A. truly like Murdock, or does he feel protective of him as a member of his team/compadre?

I mean, I think Murdock's relationship with all of them is cute. Murdock seems to be the one who has the most defined relationship with everyone (like, I don't know that I could much describe the relationship between Face and Hannibal, or B.A. and Face).

Hannibal is the one who usually takes him the most seriously (IMO), including playing along with him sometimes.  (I don't mean "seriously" as in thinking he's crazy-- rather the opposite; I think Hannibal is the one who treats him most like he isn't, and is the one least likely to get annoyed by him.)

Face plays along with him most often and the two are great friends-- after all, I think they're the ones closest in age and background (Hannibal being older, and B.A. having grown up in inner-city Chicago). (And this is another case of "off-screen chemistry probably comes through," since DS and DB are friends IRL.)

B.A.... well, as we've said. Acts like he can't stand him-- and I'm sure Murdock genuinely annoys him often; it's not all an act-- but loves him even if he wouldn't admit it.

[amyk]

We see B.A.'s true concern for Murdock often enough to know that he really does love him - not only in this episode but also, for example, in BOUNTY.

[Katia]

That's what I tend to think, too. But, have you ever had those people you're not particularly close to, but you're still fiercely protective of them simply because they "belong" to you somehow, or they're lumped together with you somehow? (Family, coworkers, sports teammates, whatever.) I could see it being one of those things. Also akin to "I can make fun of my little sister, but if you do it I will end you." It's also possible B.A. could feel protective of him because he's (at least allegedly) insane and thus perhaps more vulnerable in some ways.

I mean, I like to think that B.A. really does like him and just likes to pretend he doesn't/likes him even if Murdock annoys him sometimes, but I know there are other possiblities.

[amyk]

I think I understand what you mean. I guess it also may depend on how we define "love" but I think there can be loving people that is a duty to them and then there is loving people with true affection. I think BA shows a true affection for Murdock in this episode and at other times, even though I do also think he is truly annoyed with Murdock on many occasions.

[Katia]

Yup. Heaven knows that loving someone and being annoyed by them are not mutually-exclusive (oh my, they certainly aren't, lol).

[amyk]

It may be that we can be most annoyed by those we also love the most!

[Katia]

Possibly, maybe because we're stuck with them? 

I just found something I forgot I'd written, where my OC is talking to someone about the team, and they mention how Murdock seems to get on B.A.'s nerves: “Oh, B.A.'s just like that.  He'd give his lifeblood for Murdock in an instant, without stopping to question it. The whole team would. That's how they are. It's part of the reason I believe in them so much; they're there for each other, no matter what. Sometimes it's hard to find that kind of loyalty.”

[amyk]

What is an "OC"?

[Katia]

Original Character-- in this case, she's basically like the new Amy/Tawnia.

[hannibal1295]

I agree with everyone of you....I really liked the idea of "starting in between" at the end of another job they were working on and as some of you already said the end was great!

Now as iam writing this iam wondering....(yes we had some storys/timelines that they fit in two episodes)...BUT wouldn´t it be great if they made a timeline/storyline for a complete season?

[amyk]

I wonder if anyone has written a fanfiction about the job the team was on when Murdock got shot in CURTAIN CALL....would like to have had an episode actually about that mission, even if it was a prequel to CURTAIN CALL. I know Hannibal is making some kind of snarky comment just before the gun is shot but I don't have much of an idea about what these bad guys had been up to which required the team's action.....and who had hired the team for that job?

[Katia]

Ooh, yeah. I'd like to know, too. Actually, I'd like to know about all of the jobs that are alluded to in the show without actually being episodes...