June 27, 2004 - 740627 - Yesterday's Murder

[vgarci]

This week's program is presented for your review by selection as a 30th anniversary show.

For those who do not have the program, you can download it (with or without a Streamload account) at: www.streamload.com/vgarci (http://www.streamload.com/vgarci)

[Steve]

This is a great episode, and one of my favorites. It also seems an appropriate choice since last week's SOTW was about trying to change your future and this one is about trying to change your past.

Mercedes McCambridge is one of my all-time favorite RMT performers, with her wonderfully weird husky voice---I love her in the good ones as well as the not-so-good ones. This is definitely one of the good ones. And she pretty much carries the entire show. Any lesser actress, I think, could not have made this character's choices believable.

I especially love the ending ----how Dottie could actually make the same mistake again is just almost unbelieveable----but her punishment is great. A nice illustration of how those green pieces of paper that we value so highly are really, in the greater scheme of things, worth nothing at all. It reminds us that each of our values is always a choice---an important choice for which we must take individual responsibility. Sam Dann did a bang-up job on this one. It's an inventive little existential parable about human weakness, with a wonderfully, wickedly clever twist at the end for poor ol' dumb Dottie. A+! ~Steve smile.gif

[Fizzlestix]

I'll make this post brief, as I may not be on the same lines as others about this episode.

Whenever I watch a movie, tv program, or listen to an RMT episode, where a character has a chance to redo something, rectify something, or even in situations where poor decisions lead to unfortunate circumstances, I usually blurt out one word when the concept finally hits me: "Dope!"

That's what I blurted out twice in this episode. Now, Mercedes McCambridge, for me, is one of those actors for the RMT that usually makes me change to another episode. Her drawn out, over the top style of acting often leaves me with a need to gargle and listen to 40 minutes of silence. I think because (I say this with affection) she kind of reminds me of my own melodramatic mom. I can only listen to her go on for about 30 minutes or so before I must fabricate some reason to simply get off the phone or out of the moving car. :wink:

Despite my obvious lack of passion for the actress, the story was just too over the top for me. Desperation forces folks to do crazy things, but if one were to live with the guilt of another's death for 20 years, I really believe they would ammend things, given a second chance.

The way she blew it in the end just made me blurt out "dope" with a slight head shaking. The first time I heard this episode, I think I did the same thing.

I really enjoyed the sinister man character. Not quite the devil, but certainly devilish enough. Just the way he said the word "opportunities" was enough to get me on his side. hehe

Overall, I gave the episode a 3.5. Production was spot on, as always, and honestly, the performances were very well done. I just don't walk a straight line after listening to M.M. and with a story that just fell down a flight of stairs (for me), my score is reflective.

Thanks for the pick and I look forward to next time!

[scarlson33]

I am still in awe of rediscovering RMT as an adult so all the episodes I have listened to have seemed really good to me. I loved the show for being scary and spooky as a kid. Now, as an adult, I realize the work that went into it, the dedication, and the amazing fact that people, so recently, put drama on the radio. So that is a review of the whole series.

Now this particular episode. The actor's voices were all right to my ears, so I didn't have a need to object to that. The story for me on this one was okay. I enjoyed it. I guess the only new twist on the "going back in time to change a mistake" theme was the ending. I like that Dotty got her due in a way that was quite appropriate. She wouldn't put back the money so she went where money didn't matter. Very good twist for me.

Can't wait for the next one!
Sonya
(now I am up to 1 filled in cat, so I am very happy! :D )

[Texas]

Eric the Red and (the late) Mercedes McCambridge...now THERE'S a combination! Bet she had HIM washing the goblets after a few years. :D

Thanks for the pick, though I found myself thinking the same as Fizzlestix. "DOPE!" Then again, how many of us have said: "Ohhh, if we could only go back to our (usually teenaged) years with the wisdom we have now..." The RMT writers so often used grown-up wisdom in their own plays...I get the feeling someone said "OK, let's take this person back with her wisdom, but also with her old desires, immaturity, etc." At least, I got the feeling this was so.