September 14, 2003 - 740221 - The Walls of Jericho

[vgarci]

This week's program is presented for your review by Until Next Time.

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)

[Texas]

I liked the all-star cast in this one...there were at least four and maybe five very recognizeable RMT voices in there and that's usually a treat with a decent script.

A little strange (IMO) how they linked the "walls of Jericho" tale from the Bible into this near program's end, but remembering how my friends here have advised us to listen to this it didn't diminish the enjoyability of this episode. I liked the background music each time the announced entities woud appear in the club. The banter between the members (i.e. Ralph Bell and Guy Sorrell) was enjoyable too.

At my former job in the Atlanta area, we had a consultant who was Harvard educated and lived in the NYC area. He was so proud of his membership in some Harvard-related book or reading club in the area...I kept thinking of him while hearing this. (And he was an intelligent man who was fascinating to listen to...not meaning to put him down at all.)

[storytellermommy]

I enjoyed this show quite a bit. It was fun waiting to see if the things he wrote about on the note would happen and then waiting to see what he'd come up with the next time.

The whole time I wondered why they picked the Walls of Jericho title because it didn't seem to fit in until they explained it at the end. I was nearly convinced I was listening to the wrong episode after not hearing any reference to the title. Shortly after that thought, EG came on and mentioned the title (if I remember correctly).

I loved the ending and the explanation of how they were seeing the things mentioned in the bulletin board notes. Very good episode IMO.

[bva18]

This was an interesting tale. I also thought I was listening to the wrong episode because the title didn't seem to fit until it was explaned at the end. I liked how when more details were given in the note that the people seeing them saw the same things, for example, in the first note few details were given so each person saw different colors for the devel's cloak. At the first EG talked about magic. I think that is how many magicians work is by mass suggestion as well as misdirection.

[vgarci]

I've listened to this program a few times and though I enjoyed it, I didn't think there was anything spectacular about it. The story was solid and the acting was good but I'm not a huge fan of Elspeth Eric's writing. I say this and yet I thoroughly enjoyed her Glass Bubble program (as recommended by Tina). The main character's demise was a bit tragic given that he was beaten down by the other characters and never saw the justice he sought. One note I made: There were bits of the music that seemed oddly upbeat/comical during portions of the program that I thought a dramatic effect would have been more appropriate.

[dave]

i thought the acting was up to the usual excellent rmt standards. i recognized several i had heard before. the sound effects were good. good character developement and i liked the music. the one drawback was the leap to mass hypnosis. i couldn't do it. it's like a good sci-fi drama if you can just make that leap of faith the rest falls into place. i don't think i explained that right. for example. in one cbsrmt show i remember the plot had something to do with the bermuta triangle. it was a good show but you have to believe that something strange happens there. when i first heard it i did think something funny was going on but i don't anymore. maybe i'm just getting old and cinical. i hope i spelled that right.
i still enjoyed the show. i started feeling sorry for the servant guy but i think he went too far. in the end i guess he went way too far.

[Steve]

Well, I'm nearly a month late for this show of the week but I just had to comment on it because it's one of my favorite episodes. It's a very offbeat, witty little tale and not at all predictable--a breath of fresh air. I found it to be very entertaining, and all the actors were absolutely terrific. And it was a perfect story for a radio play, as we never really saw for sure whether these apparitions appeared or not, despite the various characters' reactions to them.

I did think that the death of the old club retainer at the end of the story seemed sad, bitter though he was, and I wondered if it was necessary. I also, like most everyone else, wondered about the title when I first heard the episode, and even after I'd heard the explanation at the end I still thought the connection with the story was a bit tenuous. However, after having pondered these things a bit, I think that both the death and the walls of jericho explanation make sense thematically.

I finally realized that the overriding them of this story concerns the idea that if enough people believe something to be true, it makes it so. The majority rules, the minority loses out--hence the death of the old man. It was a sad thing, and not really fair, especially since he was more witty and imaginative than any of the club members, but sad or no, that's just sort of the way the world works. Thematically, his death rings true---if a little shocking, in such a light humorous tale.

This story could pertain to a particular society, political regime, or to the religion of your choosing, just as easily as to the stuffy men's club Elspeth Eric gives us. The minority--- the little guy or gal, the oddball, the independent thinker, the creative genius, the visionary, the artist-----these individuals can have it tough, standing in the face of the overwhelming opposition, solidarity, and often the ignorance (or even outright stupidity) of the majority. They sometimes get mown down, like our old retainer in the story.

On a deeper level, this play comments on the nature of society, and on human nature. I think Elspeth Eric was wise to cushion this underlying theme in an offbeat, humorous little setting. Like they say, "a spoonful of sugar..." The men's club was, if I may be so bold, a metaphor for society. (Sherwood Schwartz has always said that "Gilligan's Island", as he originally conceived it, was meant to be a microcosm of society and all its stratas. We'll overlook the fact that there were no ethnic minorities on the island--old Sherwood did the best he could. Besides, perhaps their absence in itself is a comment on their status in society at the time; non-existent.)

Anyway, I liked this play. The episode was entertaining, kept me wondering and guessing, and ended up working on another level the deeper I dug. I'd rate it a 5, if it weren't too late to vote now. smile.gif

Steve

[UNTIL NEXT TIME]

Alot of fun............Until Next Time

[Fizzlestix]

Another episode I finally managed to catch up on!

And I must say, I was delighted with this one. In part, because I'm from Boston and I can say I can certainly appreciate the caricatures of the gentlemen in the club. The air of aristocracy in this city is something of mythic proportion, but alas, it is real.

I also enjoyed it, because I didn't know where it was going. By the end, it was a wonderfully tied knot that needed no further explaination or investigation. I was happy on all accounts, except of course the death of Drindle. He was served with his desserts, but perhaps to an extreme.

I gave it a 4.6 and was very glad to have finally caught this one.

Thanks and best wishes,

Fizz