Girls, I am telling you, after all the running around that was done on Saturday, the Sunday "'SVU' Ladykillers Marathon" was so much fun. I did not tune in early enough, so I don't know if "Mean" was broadcast, but they did run "Bound"--one of my faves, where Jane Krakowski plays serial killer Emma Spevack, who is offing elderly women as a way of getting back at Mama, who paid more attention to her twin brother, Matt, and not she!!!!!!!! That Emma is something!!!!!!
But 2004 was the year Marlo Thomas appeared in four episodes as Judge Mary Conway Clark. The mystery is why she did not appear in any more. Wish she was back this year, on 'SVU'!!!!!! Mary, who mentored Casey Novak (played by Diane Neal) is tough as nails, honey, but she knows how to turn herself out, for court or dining. Casey, on the other hand, needs some mentoring still from Mary in the fashion department, because, as attractive as Diane Neal is, Casey cuts a close second to Alex Cabot, portrayed by Stephanie March, whose flowing blonde hair, cool voice, regal posture and those authoritarian glasses tells every courtroom she means business. You know I try to look my best as Alex/Stephanie every day.
But getting back to Mary. One of my favorite episodes, which I have on DVD, is "Lowdown." This involves a young ADA, whom Olivia once dated, and whose murder looked like he was killed in his car while carrying on with a hooker. Happens all the time in this town, girls!!!!!!!!!! Except it turns out this guy was gay, was in love with one of his colleagues, a Black attorney, Andy Abbott (played by Michael Beach), which has an enormous effect on his wife, played brilliantly by Bethany Butler. This is the episode where HIV comes into play; the murder victim had it, so Olivia, who dated him briefly, has to get tested. She is OK. But the wife, played by Bethany, is not, because it turns out that while Andy rejected the victim, who was romantically interested in him, because he was "a married man," it turns out he was on the "down low"; he would get together at an associate's house, for what he told his wife were poker games, but were actually sex parties, with the guys getting it on with each other, but...oh, yeah, it does not mean that they are gay!!!!!!! Right!!!!!!!!!
Andy's wife, played by Bethany, gets the virus, unlike her sleaze hubby. And you have to see the final scene, where Bethany does this speech about planting a tree!!!!!!!! Brilliant writing and acting here; some of the best!!!!!!
There is a point where Casey urges Mary Ellen (the wife Bethany plays) to get tested. She is not supposed to say that. At one point she consults her mentor, Marlo as Mary, who still dresses better than Casey and needs to teach her something here. But this is the episode where Diane says, "Well, I'm screwed." To which Mary answers, cooly, "You bet your sweet ass you are!!!!" I just LOVE Mary, darlings!!!!!!!
Well, yesterday, they showed two of the Mary episodes--"Home," which I have never seen, and the often shown "Poison" with Tom Skerritt giving a brilliant performance as contemptible Judge Oliver Taft. This episode is classic in several ways. Skerrit's performance is dead-on, a morally righteous authoritarian who feels he can do no wrong. Get this guy off the bench, I say, which is exactly what Casey Novak wants to do. And I love the impassioned way Crusading Casey goes after him. With cautious advice from Mary about not doing anything until she can fully prove something.
All of this centers around the case of Karen Campbell (played by Cynthia Gibb) a mother of four who is SO overwhelmed she neglects her adopted daughter Alexis, then resorts to abusing her with harsh physical punishment, and poisoning her with cleaning fluid. Chop her up into bits, I say!!!!!!!!!!! Her hubby is played by sleazy franchise vet Sean Cullen, and while he projects the usual sleaziness, he does not come off so badly in this one. At first, Judge Taft clears Karen Campbell, but later, when Alexis dies, it comes out that Taft, talking to her in the elevator, which he should not have done, remarks to Karen that Alexis might be better dead. Which is all Karen needs to hear to commit murder.
This is also the classic episode featuring that classic scene where Casey has to go to Philip Bosco as Judge Terhune, interrupting his poker game with ALL the Judges, including everyone's favorite, Judge Lena Petrovsky, played by Joanna Merlin. I love when Casey, who is there to get a motion signed, says, "I've had this nightmare before, only I was naked." To which Petorvksky mutters, wryly, "Charming!" LOVE that Joanna Merlin, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!
And all Mary Clark needs to call Taft "That son of a bitch!" and confront him right in court!!!!!! Go, Mary!!!!!!!!! It seems Taft has a history of class bias; if the Mom is a June Cleaver type, she gets off; if she falls beneath the Upper Middle Class radar, she gets convicted. Things eventually catch up to Taft, Karen finally gets convicted, and Taft walks out, being hounded by reporters. He is still on the bench, but, as can be seen, for how long now is questionable, thanks to Mary and Casey.
Then there was "Home", which I had never seen, and oh My GOD!!!!!!!!!!
Diane Venora, in a brilliant performance, plays Control Queen From Hell Marilyn Nesbit. It seems ever since her hubby was killed in a holdup, Marilyn has been paranoid about her boys, keeping them off the streets, home schooling them, regulating their diet so much that the younger son, Jacob, is found eating food out of trash cans. When Jacob turns up murdered, the SVU team comes into play. Marilyn is real good at playing the victimized mother, but it is evident she is clearly delusional and paranoid (kind of like a female John List!!!!!). With Casey getting help from Mary, it turns out Marilyn and family, till her husband died, lived in Jersey, where she was called into question for beating her eldest son, Daniel. Daniel was in the Navy, is an adult, and talks Adam into testifying against his mentally disturbed mother,(it turns out she ordered Adam to shoot his own brother, which Adam, subject to his mother's paranoia, did, BUT Marilyn is rightfully charged) who, at the end, is hauled off screaming. Throw the key away on this one, too, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mary is on hand in this one, too, to give Casey some tough, ready advice, which she does manage to heed, though she still needs to learn some of Mary's fashion sense. But Casey is young, she has time to learn, and heck, she just isn't as tall or poised as Stephanie March, and she does not have that, gorgeous, flowing hair!!!!! What is a girl to do????????
I know what I am going to do right now, darlings!!!!!!! I am heading to the mirror, checking on the consistency and texture of my own hair!!!!!!!!!!!
And maybe a cream rinse tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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