Saving Grace – The one with the title about a cow

(Season 3, Episode 4)

Bravo to the production team at Saving Grace. There’s not a show on TV today that has the wherewithal to delve into religion the way Grace does. I’m not saying that the show took a critical look at Hasidic Judaism, as doing so would be out of place on a cop drama. What they did do, however, was treat the religious sect with respect, avoiding making it an hour-long punch line, like other shows most definitely would.

Saving Grace has always handled its exploration of faith in the same respectful manner. I can’t speak with any real authority on Hasidism or Judaism in general (most would argue that I can speak on no subject with any real authority), so I would tend to believe those that can. Guest star Mayim Bialik mentioned how detail oriented the production team was, during her interview with Kona over at TV Squad. I was also impressed with the seriousness in which the characters handled that aspect of their investigation. We have a tendency to mock what we don’t know and understand (and lets face it, Hanadarko and the team have a tendency to mock everything), and so it was a refreshing change of pace.

Is it just me, or did the widow of Ham’s brother seemingly come out of nowhere, both literally and figuratively? Played by Ashley Williams (the top choice of one of our favorite readers to be the titular mother on How I Met Your Mother), she walked into Oklahoma City for no real reason. I haven’t been able to find online if its a multi-episode arc, or just a one shot, but I hope we see her again, because other than going all levels of crazy on Grace in the squad room, she wasn’t given an opportunity to do a whole lot, or much of a reason to be there.

Little Tidbits:

• Loved the autopsy on Butch’s University of Texas doll.  I’m sure he has a name, but I’m an ACC kind of guy.
• The “red herrings” this week were kind of obvious toss offs, especially the kid who called 911, but the driver to an extent as well.
• I know this was some kind of weekend case and the team came in on their days off, but the Captain couldn’t come up with something better than a hoodie?
• It feels like Clay is slowly migrating from “police explorer” to “lunch gopher.” To be honest, though, I wish we had them where I work.
• Every time Benito Martinez appears, he makes a little screen time go a long way. His scene at the bar in the teaser is a perfect example.
• I can’t tell if Neely is gone for good, or is just taking a break from the hospital. I’ve actually had a hard time figuring out where the whole storyline has been building to, because it didn’t seem to be going the way I had expected.
• Did you see the previews for next week?

Clacked by Ivey West
on Jul 16, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT