“She’s a Lump” (Season 3, Episode 2)
When I previewed the third season of Saving Grace, I was working with what I thought were the first two episodes of the season. Turns out they’ve decided to run the episode “What Would You Do” later, which I think was a pretty good switch. Tonight’s episode continues the storyline of the Jane Doe that Earl (and Grace) have been watching over, whereas it doesn’t play a major role whenever we see it (Looking at the previews of next week, it won’t be then). As it was a part of the second season finale, and the premier last week, I’m grateful for the change.
I don’t have a lot of personal experience with Alcoholic’s Anonymous, but I have never liked shows that have cops going undercover into meetings. I guess at its root level its no different from them going undercover in anything, but in these situations it always feels like they are taking advantage of people that are just looking for help. Life did a great episode dealing with the program, but I felt uneasy about them going undercover there, as well (As opposed to how they handled alcoholism in general, and the final scenes with Dani Reese in that episode, which were outstanding).
I would be remiss (and a bad BSG fanatic) if I didn’t mention Kate Vernon’s guest spot as Ellen, the alcoholic (Well, it could have been Helen, but my ears heard Eleen…. Does her spine light up, too?). All joking aside, Vernon does a great job here showing the range between confidence and vulnerability playing someone who gives up. This is why these storylines are so frustrating, that as a result of the investigation, someone unrelated to the criminals had to pay such an unbearable personal price for justice to be found. Grace knew what she was doing (and knew enough to know it was wrong enough to feel sorry about it later), but was committed to doing it for the sake of the case. Its not an admirable trait of what cops feel they have to do.
I loved the scene where the team was working the killer, Percy. The four of them work together very well, and were able to work him quite easily (and humorously) into confessing. Its a group that works hard together, and plays hard together. They are a team that is closer to a family, no more apparent than with Grace and Rhetta (though their friendship obviously predates the unit). My heart broke for Rhetta when she confessed to Grace how the hard financial times were affecting her family.
I am still very interested in what’s going on with Earl’s new charge. She is still in a coma, but did open her eyes in this episode. In the evolution of Grace’s character (you know, the staying the same but being different thing I talked about before), I think that this young woman will play just as significant of a role as Leon Cooley has. The final image where Earl transported both her and Grace to the Grand Canyon was a poignant callback to the series premiere.
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Jun 24, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
I already told you what I thought about Grace using an alcoholic with the case. Its wrong. I cannot imagine a department would allow it, and I’d be willing to guess Ellen could sue. That was gross misconduct, in my eyes.
Unlike you, I am just not feeling it with Grace’s new angel charge. What was so fascinating to me from the get go was how Grace and Leon came together. I don’t feel that emotional pull with this one. I’m kind of surprised Grace does because, frankly, I don’t think she has grown as much as one would expect with an angel hovering about all the time telling you if you do not change, you’re on the way to hell.
I still enjoy watching for the other aspects of the show, but I feel the connection is lost this year.
*POST AUTHOR*
Personally, I think its too early to talk about lost connections. I think that with the end (for the most part) of the Cooley storyline, there is going to be some rockiness as they try to figure out exactly what to replace that theme with (or, not as much try to figure out WHAT, as how it affects the show).
Grace and Earl’s relationship is the root of the show. Granted, its taken a back seat in these two episodes, but trust me that it won’t for long (I don’t know when the other episode I screened will air, but Grace/Earl is central to the plot).
Grace isn’t going to experience some drastic change, it will be gradual and imperceptible. Even if we were to view her 30 years in the future affected by years of experiences with Earl, I doubt her personality would change much. But some of the changes are there already… While hesitant to define her relationship with Ham, it has pretty much evolved into a monogamous one, not something you would have expected out of S1, or even S2 Grace.