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'Dirty Sexy Money': Rage against the dying of the light
I sat down to watch this week's Dirty Sexy Money all prepared to lament the downfall of basically every character in the bunch -- how they're all cynical, selfish, twisted, irredeemable and without honor. And then they all seemed to turn around and sprout consciences. Black may be white, up may be down, cats and dogs may be living together, but it definitely made for some interesting viewing tonight.
Shared custody of spoilers ahead...
First I want to commend everyone on these boards for totally calling the casualty of the Chase Alexander shoot out at Patrick's "inauguration." I thought you were just being bloodthirsty, but you were right: Carmelita was the one fatality of the Day. Nick's shoulder was grazed by one bullet, and Jeremy fell and hit his head, triggering amnesia -- but poor Carmelita, the one person who consistently had a conscience and principles, was cut down. Now it's a month later, and we're learning the story of what happened from a cheesy TV magazine show.
Nick and Karen are watching at a diner, when she broaches the subject of her now-single status and Nick's soon-to-be single status. And just as Nick thinks she's going to pounce, Karen proposes that they be friends. Real friends. And she's going to commit not to fall in love with him this time. I'm thrilled to see that Karen's regained some self-awareness and they've broken her out of the dingy haze that she's been walking through for the past few weeks.
We also learn that Chase, who'd been shot by a cop, is in a coma, and according to the specs of his living will he's due to be taken off life support in a few days. But his wife, Janine, wants to fight it, and Nick is being dispatched to talk to her. Your husband didn't want to live like this, Nick tells her. "My husband didn't know what he wanted once he got involved with the Darlings," she snaps. All she really wants is for her daughters to have their father as they grow up. But as Nick is on the verge of convincing her to take Chase off life support, Chase opens his eyes. We learn later that they're only open for about a minute and a half, and there's no way to know if he was actually conscious. Simon is very concerned that Nick gets the court to honor Chase's living will, and threatens Nola if Nick isn't successful.
Nick and Lisa's divorce proceedings are moving along, as is the acrimonious beginning to their custody mediation. She's shocked that Nick's asking for 50 percent custody, retorting that since Nick works for a guy who he was recently convinced killed his father, his definition of appropriate doesn't count much. Nick stays calm in that maddening guy way, and each time she tries to drag the conversation back to them, the lawyer quite rightly refocuses it on what's best for Kiki. Why they've made Lisa into such a harpy, I do not know. On one level, she's got every right to be mad, and even the self-righteous nastiness is somewhat understandable. Yet I just want to pop her in the jaw.
Speaking of marital bliss -- or lack thereof -- things aren't so terrific with Brian and Andrea. Having improved from her experimental treatment, she's home and she's happy, and she's starting to daydream about their long-term plans. Brian looks uncomfortable to say the least. She starts seeing that discomfort for what it is when he doesn't tell her about the "meet the pastor" night at the church, much less invite her. Andrea gets the message, and though she loves him and they both love their son, and while he may have saved her life by marrying her, she finally gets him to admit that he wants out of the marriage.
Nick shares a fantastic scene with his daughter -- it's about time the kid got some screen time; we haven't heard hide nor hair of her in forever. They're walking to school talking about the divorce, and Nick's trying to get her to understand that it's for the best, even though he and Lisa love each other. Kiki is desperately worried that she'll end up never seeing her father again, and he tenderly does an excellent job of reassuring her.
Which haunts him in court. He's making a good case for the court to honor Chase's living will when Janine's lawyer puts their eldest daughter on the stand. I know my dad hurt a lot of people, she says, but he's still my dad and I don't want him to go away. Nick doesn't have the heart to go after her on cross, and definitely doesn't have the heart to take away this kid's father. He explains this to an incredulous Tripp and all but accuses him of killing Dutch. They can put Letitia on trial, but we both know who really did it, he says.
Nick's decision to rest their case sends Simon into a new flurry of threats against Nola. She has to be the one to pull the plug on Chase, or she'll never see her brother again, he says. This feels weird. Simon's always been a shifty, mysterious guy, but it seems like a great shift to have him suddenly become a homicidal maniac.
As part of her new "let's be friends" stance, Karen's bugging Nick about letting her help take care of Kiki while he has her for the weekend. She's no mother, but surely she can babysit, she says. Thanks but no thanks, he says -- until he's interrupted at Brian's church night by a tip from amnesiac Jeremy, to whom Nola has intimated that she's going to do Chase in. When Nick rushes to the hospital, he leaves Kiki in Letitia's care, and Karen finds her on the church's playground, on the swingset. Natalie Zea is brilliant in this scene, and her interaction with the daughter is spot-on. She never works too hard to make friends or get on the kid's side, and she doesn't offer up too much cozy advice. She listens. She says very little, and lets Kiki take the lead. She doesn't react when Kiki tells her that Lisa hates her, and only offers up her own perspective about her parents' marriage when Kiki asks her opinion about Lisa and Nick splitting. "You're nicer than my mom says," Kiki tells her. "Not really," Karen replies, as they start to swing.
Nick goes to the hospital and surprises Nola as she's getting ready to pull the plug on Chase, and escorts her from the room. While they're gone, Patrick -- who again, was not inaugurated because only presidents are inaugurated -- sneaks into the room unnoticed (what are the odds?). He tells a comatose Chase that he wants to kill him because he killed Carmelita, the only person he ever really loved. But he knows she'd say that too much dying has already gone on, so he stops himself. Another conscience born.
After sitting through the welcoming ceremony, Brian realizes more than ever before that the real value the parish sees him having is that of a cash cow. There was an outstanding $1.6 million balance on the pipe organ, and just that day that exact amount came in from an anonymous donor, in honor of Brian. He's lamenting the state of things to Nick, and points out a plaque on the organ that reads Mark 1:11 -- the verse: "And there came a voice from Heaven saying thou art my beloved son, and I am well pleased." Tripp didn't make the donation, and Brian hazards a wild guess that Dutch may still be alive. Nick isn't buying, but Brian reasons that the whole building is dedicated to the idea that everyone thought a guy was dead and then he wasn't. It's not an unheard of thing, he says.
The church ceremony also makes Brian think about Andrea. He comes home to find her packing, and realizes he doesn't want her to go. He's valuable to the church because of his money, he says. But Andrea's different. She refused child support for Brian Jr. She didn't cash the checks he sent to Brazil. She's the only one who wants him for who he is -- which is definitely an idea that he's not used to. "I jumped into this marriage for some wrong reasons, but I'm staying in it for some good ones," he says. Aw.
Karen drops Kiki off at Nick's after taking her out for ice cream -- and in addition to telling her father she loves him, Kiki utters the name "Aunt Karen." Predictably, Lisa's head flies clean off when she hears that Kiki's spent time with Karen, and vows to take him to court to sue for full primary custody.
Jeremy, meanwhile, is working through his very unusual case of amnesia. The scenes of Letitia working with him with flashcards to jog his memory. Of course, ne'er do well that he is, Jeremy's been faking the whole time. But he did it for Nola. Now that he has a sense of what she's up against with Simon, he's trying to use the opportunity of this faked condition to help her find her brother.
At the last, it's Tripp who reminds us that not everything is as it seems. Donald Sutherland takes a breather from his mustache-twirling routine to stop and talk to Nick. He hasn't been able to get Nick's accusation out of his head, he says. But Dutch was his best friend. And since his death, since his betrayal, there have been times when Tripp's wished he had the opportunity to kill Dutch. But he didn't do it. And Nick says, at least, that he believes him.
What did you think? Are these flashes of conscience among the Darlings (and Nick) just a temporary thing? Are you relieved that they've woven the question of Dutch's death back into the story? How do you think the mystery of Dutch and of Simon's schemes will be wrapped up?
Just because this show sucks doesn't mean they have to cancel it!
Some people enjoy watching great actors being demoralized by terrible writing.
It's only millions and millions of dollars in the toilet.
I know... how disappointing this show turned out to be. It was so promising! And Simon Elder is the most unconvincing, incoherent, and inconsistent (and not in a good way) villain ever!
dotorious | Dec 18, 2008 12:08:52 AM | #It like this episode was the one they were filming when they got word of the cancellation. The whole 5 weeks later thing and then the second half where Brian goes back to Andrea, Chase dies off screen and Tripps speech at the end all seem like they were added after the news. No coming attractions so I wonder if they are showing what may be the last one on Christmas Eve.
DSM Fan | Dec 18, 2008 4:53:34 AM | #One other thing. I swear the cop who shot Chase was actually the actor/character from Third Watch. I believe they said his name was Ty Davis and that was the character's name on Third Watch.
DSM Fan | Dec 18, 2008 5:01:08 AM | #In adition to the character U-turns, this brought back the funny. Jeremy and Leticia were hilarious with the flash cards. Karen had some good scenes and the all of the references to Carmelita (the statue in the church) were gold. She only wanted to be a woman.....
Puff | Dec 18, 2008 6:23:15 AM | #I quit watching after I heard it was cancelled. Glad I'm not watching Nick's divorce.
TheJERMSguy | Dec 18, 2008 7:49:06 AM | #This show truly went down the tubes -- it has actually become rather loathesome. It's cancellation is a blessing for the many talented actors involved.
Thataboy | Dec 18, 2008 8:47:18 AM | #Did I miss something? When did Tripp become so tight with Carmelita that he mourns her to that degree.
I LOVED the scenes with Kiki and Karen.
Re: the donation. Doesn't Brian have two parents? Isn't it possible the donation came from Letitia and not the is-he-or-isn't-he-alive Dutch?
Shosh | Dec 18, 2008 9:27:44 AM | #Shosh - I thought the same thing about it possibly being Letitia giving the donation. On the other hand she never has had much to do with Brian.
Loved the amnesia scenes with Jeremy calling Nick 'Lawyer guy' and then when he pointed to his head and said 'hard drive is corrupted'.
No matter what people say about this show, I still love it! I will really miss it. I'm soooo tired of reality shows and game shows and cop shows. Mindless drivel....
Linda | Dec 18, 2008 9:55:36 AM | #Say what you will about Patrick, but at least HE closed the blinds in the hospital room...
William | Dec 18, 2008 10:45:50 AM | #I loved the Jeremy amnesia thing - laughing because I knew his amnesia was so faulty only to discover that it was, of course, fake! And I love that he did it for Nola. I love Nola - she is actually the most morally upstanding person on the show! I love how Nick gets called out all the time for being a slime, since he was initially the moral authority on the show! Karen has always been my fave, and this ep just proved that she is actually one of the most multi-layered characters. What happened to "house guest"? Oh, and Letitia could not have given the money for the same reason Tripp didn't - the money would have passed by Nick!
The funniest part was when Jeremy called Nick "dick" when he "forgot" his name.
Mandy | Dec 18, 2008 11:30:11 AM | #And, I know I am in the minority, but I hate Lisa - always have!
Michelle | Dec 18, 2008 11:30:18 AM | #And, I know I am in the minority, but I hate Lisa - always have!
Michelle | Dec 18, 2008 11:30:18 AM | #
I must be in the minority as well
delilah | Dec 18, 2008 11:35:23 AM | #OK, I'm trying to figure out where any of you people got the idea that this show was in any way supposed to be serious or realistic?
It's blatant soap-opera, and it has always looked at itself that way. That's what makes it so good -- it's like eating the richest, most fattening dessert you can find. Pure indulgence, in no way good for you, but SO damn tasty.
I'll admit that the last couple of episodes have descended into the realm of caricature, but watching these brilliant actors is still a delight.
I will miss Carmelita -- I hope Candis Cayne finds another role on TV soon. But then, I'll miss them all pretty soon, since ABC won't stand behind any of its decent scripted shows anymore.
david | Dec 18, 2008 1:50:20 PM | #For those of you who hate this show so much, I'm sure there's a great episode of CSI you can tune into. You know, over on CBS (AKA The CSI Network). That way you can stare at your TV for a whole hour and never once have your brain challenged.
I think the show has been very sharp this season and am sad that it will be going. Note that ABC has not "officially" cancelled it yet. While I don't expect it will get picked up, at least there are three more episodes and assurances from the producers that we will get closure. Better than nothing, I guess.
As far as the whole sprouting a conscience thing goes, I couldn't agree less. The whole underlying theme of the series is how good people are seduced by money and power to do things they normally would not do. That theme is present in almost every major character on the show. In most cases, conscience takes a back seat to greed. Here, we see the cracks in that veneer and little glimmers of good come through. I see it less as a "sudden" thing and more of a logical conclusion as the series winds down.
I'm glad you called out Natalie Zea and the swing set scene. I've seen this set up in hundreds of other movies and TV shows but never done as well as this. Yes, Zea was brilliant (and sadly underappreciated for her always excellent work) but for those of you making snide (and inaccurate) comments about the quality of the writing on this show, this scene just makes your snipes look silly.
Ron H | Dec 18, 2008 3:32:11 PM | #I can't believe it!!! I missed last night's show but this recap is excellent. Can someone help me out?? Why does Simon want Chase dead?? I think I've missed something somewhere. Thank you.
Debbie | Dec 18, 2008 4:55:08 PM | #So long DSM!
What glamourous turd you were.
I believe that Simon has plans that are based on using Patrick's political position.
Chase's survival would have led to the end of Patrick's political career.
To Linda - Wouldn't Letita have favored Brian, since he was the son of her great love Nick's dad instead of Tripp?
KAYLA97 | Dec 19, 2008 11:39:44 AM | #Each episode is bittersweet to me now because the END is looming. Though at least, from what I've read, we will have some sort of end/resolution rather than the series just stopping. That's something at least.
I think Brian may be onto something with his theory about Dutch being alive. It would fit in with the more nefarious second season, and, not uncoincidentally, clear both Tripp and Letitia of suspicion. I also hope Brian and Andrea stay together. He's clearly unhappy in his job; be nice if he had a better family life.
Yep, the swing scene between Karen and Kiki was great. Not cloying at all. Excellent to see Karen allowed to use her brain again.
I figured Patrick would consider killing Chaze, and I knew Carmelita's memory would stop him somehow. Echo the hope that Candis Cayne gets some more work soon.
DSM - far from perfect but worth it for the actors' character interactions. (For example, I always believe Tripp!) I won't be heartbroken when it goes, but I will miss seeing it.
meggins | Dec 20, 2008 9:51:29 AM | #I love DSM. And yes, this last episode does seem to be the beginning of a "let's wrap it up and put her to bed" rewrite. Trying to get the rest of the season squeezed into one or two eppy's.
ABC's slowly going down the same tubes NBC went.
Purple Crayon | Dec 21, 2008 4:24:32 AM | #I am among those that felt let down by this show. The first season had such promise. They made such a 180 when they came back becoming all tabloidy with absolutely nothing redeeming about any of the characters. I watched allthe eps and will surely more if there are any. But...where did Nick's philanthropic desires go? Why did they choose to make Simon Dr. Evil when he started out with the hope of changing the world through bio-energy. It's like they chose to eliminate any positive qualities any of these characters had thinking thats what the people wanted. Maybe it is. Viewers seem to want to watch awful people dealing with awful things. It's probably why Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone got cancelled. When these 3 ABC shows started last year I was so relieved by their up lift and their lack of procedural crime drama. Of course these shows get whacked while CBS plans to add CSI: Anchorage to it's line up of spinoffs. So sad.
Andrew | Dec 22, 2008 10:22:18 AM | #Canceling one of the best shows on tv!? Stupids!
micaelm | Dec 22, 2008 10:25:30 AM | #Sorry to see this show end, even though it is a wishy-washy soap opera.I love Donald Sutherland's acting. And did you know that he's Keifer Sutherland's Dad?? Wow, two great actors! Wish they'd do a series together!
Judy | Dec 23, 2008 12:03:46 PM | #CBS is adding CSI: Anchorage??? Cool!!
I agree DSM has deteriorated this season, but the worst part of all of it was the breakup of Nick and Lisa. So predictable, yet so poorly done at the same time.
And I completely agree with the person who said that ABC is going down the same road NBC went down, with the same results. Thank God for NCIS, House and 24.
Brian | Dec 28, 2008 2:33:46 PM | #
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