Audrey Pauley: Off the Top of My Head (SPOILERS)
Bonnie
section.
AUDREY PAULEY (9ABX13):
In a nutshell: The Monica Reyes version of "One Breath," albeit not a carbon
copy. Some serious flaws, but by far the best episode of the season so far.
What I liked:
- Most of the guest stars. I didn't much care for the doctor, but I think
that's a matter of the writing and not the acting. But in the short time we
had with Stephen Murdoch and Mr. Barreiro (he didn't speak at all, did he?), I
cared about both of them and was sorry that they died. And, a BIG round of
applause for...
- Tracey Ellis as Audrey Pauley (previously Lucy Householder in "Oubliette").
She was absolutely brilliant. Audrey's explanation for what was going on was
crazy, but Ms. Ellis's delivery was so wonderful that I believed what the
character was saying. And her haunted look was just what the role needed.
- Nice makeup job on the Mr. Barreiro character. Appropriately gross without
being gratuitous, IMO.
- Excellent work by RP with the emotional scenes. It reminded me of the great
job he did on "The Sopranos."
- Nice work, too, by AG. I got a clear sense of Reyes's mix of fear and
determination.
What I didn't like:
- The "hospital floating in the sky" and Monica falling looked pretty damn
cheesy to me.
- Sorry, 1013, but I really don't care about a Doggett/Reyes romance. Please
don't spend any more significant time on it in the remaining eps, OK? Or at
the very least, skip the beer dates and be less heavy-handed than this ep. (I
mean, "you love her" -- and that was said twice, wasn't it? -- is a bit too
much for me. A variation on that worked in "Milagro," but here it felt like I
was getting hit over the head with a brick. Note to 1013: SHOW, don't tell.
Doggett's obvious anguish and his mental instant replay of his last moments
with Monica, ending with a kiss, said everything that needed to be said.)
- Was all the Cleavage!Monica really necessary?
- Dr. Preijers. Did this guy just suddenly become real keen on pronouncing
people dead? If not, then hasn't anyone noticed before that an awful lot of
people croak on his shift? I mean, really -- three dead patients (OK, two and
an almost), one dead nurse, and one dead flower delivery person all in one day?
And was he really just getting off on people dying? I wish this had been
explored further. Just having him be evil/demented without any kind of
explanation left a big hole in the ep for me. I was almost hoping that there
was something in it for him financially to get organ donations out the door as
fast as possible. I don't know that greed is any better than insane as a
storytelling device, but it would have felt more realistic to me.
- Oh, and what kind of injected stuff did Scully say could have killed Nurse
Whitney? Wouldn't chemicals like that be, say, closely monitored at a
hospital? If a few hypos' worth went missing, wouldn't somebody notice?
- Paging Dr. Scully. Didn't the dead nurse clinch it for you? Did you even
bother to do those tox screens that Doggett asked you to do? And what happened
with the autopsy that you did on the nurse?
- Paging former patient Dana Scully. Why didn't Scully mention her own
near-death experience? Surely she remembers some of it. At the very least we
know she remembered Nurse Owens. And she knew there was nothing to fear in the
next life; did she try to tell Doggett that? Or has she changed her mind since
her faith has been tested by the existence of the alien craft? And wouldn't it
have been wonderful continuity to have that brought up? Oh well, this ep
wasn't about Scully. ::shrug::
What's got me puzzled:
- What happened to the guy in the car that hit Monica -- the man who had had
15 beers? I was hoping that he would show up somewhere in an important role.
- Why didn't Monica ask Stephen and Mr. Barreiro how long they had been there
before she arrived? That might have given her a clue as to what was going on.
- In Act I, why were Doggett and Scully involved in a discussion about organ
donation? Isn't that discussion reserved for the next of kin? I know that it
turned out that Dr. Death -- er, Dr. Preijers -- was eager to pull the sheet
over Monica, but that really seemed out of place. Maybe it was *supposed* to
be out of place, but if that were the case then Doggett should have mentioned
it later when he was arguing with Scully about why he thought something funny
was going on.
- BTW, how was it that Monica was scheduled to be sliced and diced before her
parents had even arrived?
- So why did Preijers have a nice chat with Audrey instead of just stabbing
her with the hypo? All he did was give her a chance to defend herself. (Not
that it worked, but...)
- So why *did* Audrey build that mini hospital? She said at the end that she
knows who told her to build it. Huh? Did God tell her to build it? If so,
why? At least three people died unnecessarily (including Audrey), and I'm
willing to bet that Dr. Death killed some other people, too. Does that mean
that the Bigger Purpose was solely to save Monica's life? Is there some
implication here about Monica needing to be alive later in the season for some
greater purpose involving Mulder, Scully, and/or William?
- When Monica regained consciousness, why didn't one of her monitors indicate
brain waves? What am I missing?
- Three days later and Monica's home from the hospital? And it looked like
she and Doggett were on another date? When did she get released? What's going
on?
Etc.:
- In spite of all my complaints (including the fact that this was the second
ep in a row where one of the leads is in a coma), this ep was pretty good, IMO;
certainly the best of the season so far. I had Dr. Death figured out pretty
early on, but I was drawn into the story, cared about the characters and how
they would wind up, and didn't once look at my watch. And if nothing else,
this ep just goes to show what good casting can do for you.
- And I'm glad that "Audrey Pauley" did NOT turn out to be the total rip-off
of "One Breath" that I had feared it would be.
- Next ep (in two weeks): People are being killed left and right. The bad guy
seems to be able to get in and out of places without being seen. Haven't we
done this before?
So what did everyone else think?
Bonnie
*~*~*
My fanfiction: http://www.thebasementoffice.com/
The Map Room: http://www.thebasementoffice.com/Musea/maproom.html
"Off the Top of My Head" (ep commentary):
http://www.thebasementoffice.com/OTT.html
Musea: http://www.geocities.com/museans/
*~*~*
MicheleLJackson
>In a nutshell: The Monica Reyes version of "One Breath," albeit not a carbon
>copy. Some serious flaws, but by far the best episode of the season so far.
Yes, it didn't remind me of One Breath at all, emotionally or storyline wise.
Proof that there is more than one way to skin a coma.
When it started as with John Doe, I thought it should have been a Twilight Zone
episode instead of an XF. However, when the construction worker died and we
heard the doctor saying for the second unctuous time, "I'm so sorry for your
loss," then I realized that it was more than just an Out of Body experience for
Reyes, I knew the doctor was up to no good, that there was something earthly to
be investigated and I got pulled into the story.
The dollhouse reminded me of a story by Stephen King's wife (Tabitha?) where
people were minimized and trapped in a dollhouse. Unlike the usual dollhouse
metaphor stories, in this one, the creator was benign and was herself the true
captive.
When Monica couldn't read the writing on the clipboard, I liked that it was
eventually linked to Audrey's dyslexia, but even before that I appreciated it
because it reminded me of my own dreams. Sometimes, I'll see writings in a
dream and it's when I try to read them closely -- to comprehend the details of
a newspaper article, for instance -- that's when I realize that it IS a dream,
because my brain doesn't supply the words. I wondered why Monica never
suspected that she was in a dream.
When she went outside with the cup of coffee, I wondered why she didn't jump
then. Even if she had been electrocuted like the mug, what harm could it have
done? She wasn't exactly "alive" as it was. She was no longer in the real
world and falling into abyss might have brought her closer to it, not farther
away. At some point, I expected her to try that herself and to take the plunge
out of that empty hospital, to chance what lay beyond, before Audrey told her
it was all right to do so.
>- Excellent work by RP with the emotional scenes. It reminded me of the
>great
>job he did on "The Sopranos."
I find RP quite an intriguing actor. I am watching the Sopranos for the first
time and just got into the second season, so I haven't seen his work there yet.
As Doggett, he's engrossing enough that I'm sorry that he came to the XF when
and how he did. I think he could have had a very successful role earlier on
the show, when characters still had depth. He could have joined as a
supporting player first and then developed into a lead when DD left. I feel
not only that RP's been misused here, but that I've lost out because he has
been. Pity.
>- Nice work, too, by AG.
Well . . .
>- The "hospital floating in the sky" and Monica falling looked pretty damn
>cheesy to me.
ITA. That house said the show was taking us into a realm of fantasy I didn't
want to visit. I wonder how many people turned during the opening credits just
because of that. The
falling . . . well, it didn't look as cheesy as Mulder falling in last year's
opening credits.
>- Sorry, 1013, but I really don't care about a Doggett/Reyes romance.
And what is it about the other that would make them fall in love in the first
place? We haven't seen them working together enough to know, what bonds, what
divisions, what needs, draw them to the other person, while simultaneously
making them resist the draw.
> (I
>mean, "you love her" -- and that was said twice, wasn't it? -- is a bit too
>much for me.
Yeah, and when she told him he was a dog person (and what manly man isn't?) . .
. it wasn't an original enough line for them to repeat it 4 times in the
episode. I cringed when Doggett had the flashback because even without the
footage, I think RP could have conveyed Doggett's memories and regrets with
just his countenance. They could have just added the kiss without us having to
hear the rest of the hackneyed conversation over again. Then, Audrey has to
tell him he's a dog person after that. Ack. On the repetition top ten list it
wasn't sure, fine, whatever.
>- Was all the Cleavage!Monica really necessary?
No, but I'd rather they put Scully in a lowcut blouse too, rather than having
her wear a conventional shirt just to unbutton it to her waist.
>I wish this had been
>explored further.
And I wanted to explore Audrey's past further. When she repeated that she was
just the person who brought the flowers (which reminded me of the flower truck
in Milagro), her tone was mechanical. She was repeating someone else's words.
Someone drilled that into her head, told her that she was dumb, stupid all of
her life. Who? The nuns? Who brought her to the point where her imagination
was the only refuge she had and even that was such a lonely place that death
was peaceful.
>- In Act I, why were Doggett and Scully involved in a discussion about organ
>donation? Isn't that discussion reserved for the next of kin?
In "One Breath," Scully designated Mulder in her living will, so he would have
trumped Maggie. Apparently, Monica had no designee and no next-of-kin either.
Under the circumstances, there's no way that the hospital could have harvested
her organs sua sponte. The hospital had no authority. The fact that Doggett
was racing against the clock to stop them from pulling the plug was an X-File
in itself. Stupid and sort of maddening.
> At least three people died unnecessarily (including Audrey), and I'm
>willing to bet that Dr. Death killed some other people, too. Does that mean
>that the Bigger Purpose was solely to save Monica's life? Is there some
>implication here about Monica needing to be alive later in the season for
>some
>greater purpose involving Mulder, Scully, and/or William?
Maybe Audrey prolonged their life for a time, sucking them into her head
hosptial. If she hadn't been there, maybe they would have skipped limbo
altogether and died immediately. But she gave them a short respite, which
could have been longer, might even have been permanent, had she learned what to
with her powers in time to save them. She brought them into the hospital, but
couldn't help them resuscitate until after Monica told her that it was her
place and SHE had the power to do so. I think the bigger purpose was not to
save Monica's life, as much as to save her own. Like in Monday, the girl was
supposed to die all along and she couldn't end the torture cycle until she did.
Audrey used to inhabit that empty dollhouse alone, walking around the
incomplete rooms without company. Then, suddenly chronically ill patients from
the hospital began to join her there. Mingling with them, she was actually
rendezvousing with death, her own, and kept running from it, leaving the
hospital of her imagination and going back to the real one, which was emptier
for her still. When she stopped running she found peace. If anything, I think
the bigger purpose was for Monica to help Audrey find the freedom she obtained,
rather than for Audrey to save Monica. Monica was just revived as a bonus.
>Three days later and Monica's home from the hospital? And it looked like
>she and Doggett were on another date?
I'm not sure it was a date. I thought he was bringing her home from the
hospital and that's why he opened the door for her. Yet, she wasn't carrying a
travel bag, as one does when returning from a hospital stay. I don't know . .
.
Doggett and Monica looked more distant in that last scene than they did in the
first. I couldn't understand why. I can perfectly understand that Doggett
didn't act out his fantasy and kiss her, but neither of them even seemed to
want that anymore. They clearly did in the beginning. She's recovered from
near-death and they're both surely relieved at being given a second chance.
Why do they seem farther apart, after an experience that should have brought
them closer together. After all, Monica has been told that Doggett loves her
and -- so has Doggett. With the new acknowledgment and realizations, if the
two of them had seemed self-conscious, awkward in the end, I could have
understood. But instead, they seemed matter-of-fact and THAT I could not
grasp. No, he wasn't supposed to give her a Superstars of the Superbowl video,
but they shouldn't have parted without moment.
Michele
trotsky
Bonnie wrote:
>
> Caution: spoiler for the next ep (based on the trailer) is in the "Etc."
> section.
>
> AUDREY PAULEY (9ABX13):
>
> In a nutshell: The Monica Reyes version of "One Breath," albeit not a carbon
> copy. Some serious flaws, but by far the best episode of the season so far.
>
> What I liked:
> - Most of the guest stars. I didn't much care for the doctor, but I think
> that's a matter of the writing and not the acting. But in the short time we
> had with Stephen Murdoch and Mr. Barreiro (he didn't speak at all, did he?),
Yes he did.
Dee
it.
God, I loved that episode, and all of the acting, including the
actress who played Audrey. It reminded me of my own near death
experience of zipping down through the darkness into your body. I
think alot of these experiences are somewhat universal (like
spiritually hanging aroung the hospital), but that one isn't commonly
spoken about. I loved the idea of a higher power giving Audrey a
purpose, useing her gift of compassion and her need to help someone.
She saved his would-be victims, even though she was not aware of it
herself. The idea of love as a lifeline is a familiar chord also, and
shared by many peple who have had that experience. It's often an
essential one. I also thought Monica's description of John's
personality (as a dog person,... someone who would never disappoint
anybody... ) was what immediately preceeded the first flirty scene, so
it made sense that she would use this as a way of reaching him. I also
thought the eye contact was stunning, if you've ever been in that kind
of a "time warp". I don't see that very much on a T.V. show or
anywhere (although I wonder if they had to crack up rehearsing it). If
it happens it's a rare experience and most people passing by just look
at you weirdly.
bosco
> >From: bjm...@aol.com (Bonnie)
>
** snip **
>
> >- In Act I, why were Doggett and Scully involved in a discussion about organ
> >donation? Isn't that discussion reserved for the next of kin?
>
> In "One Breath," Scully designated Mulder in her living will, so he would have
> trumped Maggie. Apparently, Monica had no designee and no next-of-kin either.
> Under the circumstances, there's no way that the hospital could have harvested
> her organs sua sponte. The hospital had no authority. The fact that Doggett
> was racing against the clock to stop them from pulling the plug was an X-File
> in itself. Stupid and sort of maddening.
>
Scully did not designate Mulder in her living will. He simply was the witness to
her signing it. In "One Breath", it was Ma Scully's decision to take Scully off
life support (which they did), saying it was what she wanted. Mulder opposed doing
that but he had no say in the matter.
I'm not sure of the law on this and maybe it varies from state, but I think even
with a living will the next of kin has to agree to "pulling the plug". Since they
made reference to Monica's parents coming in the next day, it made no sense when
Doggett told Audrey they were going to pull the plug in an hour, let alone that
transplant teams were waiting to cut Monica up. And her parents were going to
arrive the next day to say goodbye to what?
jerry
> Scully did not designate Mulder in her living will. He simply was the
witness to
> her signing it. In "One Breath", it was Ma Scully's decision to take
Scully off
> life support (which they did), saying it was what she wanted. Mulder
opposed doing
> that but he had no say in the matter.
Correct. :-)
>
> I'm not sure of the law on this and maybe it varies from state, but I
think even
> with a living will the next of kin has to agree to "pulling the plug".
Since they
> made reference to Monica's parents coming in the next day, it made no
sense when
> Doggett told Audrey they were going to pull the plug in an hour, let alone
that
> transplant teams were waiting to cut Monica up. And her parents were
going to
> arrive the next day to say goodbye to what?
I don't know the law specifically, but I do know (via chaplains with whom
I've worked) that a hospital would not consider acting on a "legally
binding" living will if the family members were opposed to its contents.
That's why all the literature on living wills tells you not only to make one
up, but to *talk to your loved ones.*
With Mulder, we've always had an explanation for the absence of family at
his bedside (or for family members having him abducted from the hospital
<g>); with Scully we've (for the most part) had family either there or
referenced. It really seemed odd in last night's episode to have only
co-workers around.
Meanwhile, I continue to see folks posting about the lack of anyone trying
to explain things (other than Monica) and it made me nostalgic for the
leeetle bit of whining we used to do when we could actually time the
appearance of the first SRE (Scully Rational Explanation) of each episode.
The 18-minute mark, wasn't it?
Jerry
LDoone1
>have
>trumped Maggie.
I think Mulder merely witnessed Scully's execution of her living will. Maggie
made the decision to pull the plug.
Lorna
LDo...@aol.com
MicheleLJackson
>Scully did not designate Mulder in her living will. He simply was the witness
to
>her signing it.
Oh.
>I'm not sure of the law on this and maybe it varies from state, but I think
even
>with a living will the next of kin has to agree to "pulling the plug".
The next of kin doesn't have to agree. They can contest the living will and
then the court decides the issue, but if the living will complies with state
law (and the form and format to be used does vary from state to state; also
specific state requirements are enforced quite stringently) then it is legally
binding and the directives you put in the will must be followed by medical
staff. It doesn't matter what the next-of-kin has to say, much like
testamentary wills that bequeath property. You can challenge the will, but if
you lose the contest, you don't get the final say so. Michele
pam
> The next of kin doesn't have to agree. They can contest the living will
> and then the court decides the issue, but if the living will complies with
> state law (and the form and format to be used does vary from state to state;
> also specific state requirements are enforced quite stringently) then it is
> legally binding and the directives you put in the will must be followed by
> medical staff. It doesn't matter what the next-of-kin has to say, much like
> testamentary wills that bequeath property. You can challenge the will,
> but if you lose the contest, you don't get the final say so. Michele
But if the relatives are traveling in all the way from, say,
Mexico, are the medical staff under any obligation to wait until
they arrive to see whether they *want* to contest the will?
Is there a time limit within which the next-of-kin must
file the challenge?
jerry
This was my point. Hospitals may not be technicially required to wait, but
they will -- because they don't want to create a lawsuit where one does not
exist. I support the terms of my parents' living wills, but if the hospital
pulls the plug before I have a chance to fly up and say my goodbyes (and
there was no indication that the parents had agreed to the rush for the
heart donation), I'm gonna be ticked off.
Jerry
>
MicheleLJackson
>
>But if the relatives are traveling in all the way from, say,
>Mexico, are the medical staff under any obligation to wait until
>they arrive to see whether they *want* to contest the will?
>Is there a time limit within which the next-of-kin must
>file the challenge?
>
In California anyway, there is no statutory time limit, but you can designate
one in your living will, saying that they have to wait 10 days or whatever
before acting. Sometimes the document will say you have to go X amount of time
without improvement, i.e. 2 weeks with no sign of brain function, something
along those lines.
Of course, in an organ donation situation, time is of the essence. After 10
days your heart may not be any good anymore.
Practically speaking, most of these advance health care directives designate a
power of attorney (see that's what I thought Mulder was in One Breath, but
everyone pointed out that he wasn't) to make the decision. So, the hospital
just needs the permission of the person with the power-of-attorney to act. If
Monica had one prepared and her parents held the power of attorney, of course
the hospital would have to wait until the parents arrived, which is what made
last night so silly. If Monica had one prepared designating Scully as the
power of attorney, if the advance directive was in the right form (and some
states even require that you have to use their pre-printed form, others say you
can prepare your own but have to use the same substantive language as appears
in their form) all they'd have to do is get Scully's permission before pulling
the plug, so I guess they wouldn't need Mom and Dad Reyes.
In the situations where the family protests a living will, they don't always
have a grace period within which to act. So, they usually go and get an
emergency stay from a judge. The judge just signs an order issuing a
preliminary postponement or temporary injunction that holds up the matter long
enough for there to be a hearing with presentation of evidence. Michele
MicheleLJackson
>This was my point. Hospitals may not be technicially required to wait, but
>they will -- because they don't want to create a lawsuit where one does not
>exist. I support the terms of my parents' living wills, but if the hospital
>pulls the plug before I have a chance to fly up and say my goodbyes (and
>there was no indication that the parents had agreed to the rush for the
>heart donation), I'm gonna be ticked off.
>
>Jerry
If the "Living Will" was valid and the hospital thought, in good faith (which
the doctor last night did NOT) that it was acting in a manner consistent with
the terms of the living will, then the hospital is immune from a lawsuit. They
are protected from being sued under these circumstances by statute. So CYA
sensibilities are honored.
If they had the person with the power-of-attorney there and the advance health
care directive appeared valid (and that's why you should use one of the
official forms, because that's the kind health care providers are most familiar
with and will feel most comfortable acting on immediately, because they know
that it is what it purports to be) then I could see the hospital proceeding
without waiting for the parents. Because you have such a small window of
opportunity when it comes to organ transplants, there's not a lot of time to
wait. Of course, in Monica's case, no one seemed to have the authority to say
that the living will should be enforced on her behalf. In that case, I think
you're right and that there's no way they would have gone ahead and pulled the
plug, especially when her big law enforcement type, FBI friend was vehemently
begging them not to. Michele
lynx46
"MicheleLJackson" <michele...@cs.com> wrote in message
news:20020318234947...@mb-cu.news.cs.com...
having a living will. In AP, the doctor said "Your partner had aliving will.
She signed an organ donor card...." As far as
I know, even if you sign a card, they'll still ask your family for
permission to harvest the organs.[ Being an organ recipient myself (although
mine came from a living donor...my wonderful sister) - I was quite unnerved
to realize that an organ donation card is not a guarantee.] Perhaps the
living will stipulated Monica wanted to donate her organs - but maybe it
only discussed specifics for taking her off life support. Actually, I just
found this at the site
http://www.uslivingwillregistry.com/organdonation.shtm :
"Most advance directives contain a section about organ donation where you
can express your wishes as to whether or not you want to donate your organs
or tissues upon your death. But organ donors who do not have an advance
directive also need a way to let their families and doctors know their
wishes. Your family will ultimately decide whether or not to donate your
organs. Being able to read your wishes about organ donation will make their
decision-making much easier, but discussing your wishes with your family now
is the best way to help them make this decision."
So this implies (or I infer) that organ donation must still be okayed by the
family, even if it's in the living will (advanced directive). No? Seems to
me that they could take her off life support - but not harvest organs
without consent. And if the hospital (or evil doctor) wanted to ultimately
harvest the organs, she wouldn't be taken off life support.
--
lynx
mulderite
MicheleLJackson
>So this implies (or I infer) that organ donation must still be okayed by the
>family, even if it's in the living will (advanced directive). No? Seems to
>me that they could take her off life support - but not harvest organs
>without consent. And if the hospital (or evil doctor) wanted to ultimately
>harvest the organs, she wouldn't be taken off life support.
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>lynx
>mulderite
>
I think that only applies to people who haven't made a living will (also, you
can donate your organs in a regular testamentary will too).
Under the California Probate Code, the living will would rule, supercede the
family's wishes. Now, if you say you want your cousin to take your child if
you die, the state doesn't have to agree. They have the obligation to do what
is in the best interest of the child, while only giving your preferences due
consideration. However, regarding your body, you, being an adult with
requisite mental capacity, have the final say over what happens to your
remains, organs, etc. Not only could you donate organs over your family's
objections, but you could refuse to donate organs too and even if the family
DID want to donate them, the health care provider couldn't go against the
decedent's known wish NOT to donate. All decisions have to be made in
accordance with your own health care instructions. That's only the law in
California. I don't know what it is where Monica was, but most states do
follow this rule under a Uniform Anatomical Gift Act that each state can adopt
as its own and the majority have.
Of course, what the hospital did or threatened to do in AP did seem
unauthorized, no matter how you look at it. At least, 1013 didn't give us
enough information to think that the deadline they handed down was at all
legal. Michele