5.09 - Watch Over Me

[Dricks]

THE TEAM SEARCHES FOR A SOCIAL WORKER WHO DISAPPEARS AFTER EXTRACTING A 7-YEAR-OLD GIRL FROM HER VIOLENT FATHER AND DISTRAUGHT MOTHER, ON "WITHOUT A TRACE," NOV. 19

Academy Award Nominee and Tony Award Nominee Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio ("The Color of Money," "Man of La Mancha") Returns

Reed Diamond ("Homicide: Life on the Street," "Judging Amy") Guest Stars

"Watch Over Me" -- The team searches for a social worker who disappears after forcibly removing a 7-year-old girl from the home of her violent father and desperate mother, on WITHOUT A TRACE, Sunday, Nov. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Bobby Roth directed the episode written by Byron Balasco & David Mongan.

Academy Award nominee and Tony Award nominee Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio ("The Color of Money," "Man of La Mancha") returns as Jack's girlfriend and colleague, FBI agent Anne Cassidy. Reed Diamond ("Homicide: Life on the Street," "Judging Amy") guest stars as missing social worker Eric Hayes.

As the team investigates if the 7-year-old girl's father retaliated against Eric, they also look at the families of the 19 other children with whom Eric has similar dealings who may be out for revenge. After learning that Eric lamented to his wife that he hadn't made a difference as a social worker and that he recently cleaned out his retirement account, the agents wonder if he simply left in despair. Meanwhile, Jack tells Samantha his big news about Anne and Danny admits to Martin that this case hits too close to home and is dredging up bad memories of his own sad childhood.

SERIES REGULARS:

Jack Malone: Anthony LaPaglia
Samantha Spade: Poppy Montgomery
Vivian Johnson: Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Danny Taylor: Enrique Murciano
Martin Fitzgerald: Eric Close
Elena Delgado: Roselyn Sanchez

GUEST CAST:

Eric Hayes: Reed Diamond
Lisa Hayes: Sybil Temtchine
Thomas Biggs: Sterling K. Brown
Lucinda Biggs: Milauna Jemai
Kayla Biggs: Asia Bonilla
Amy Jensen: Lindsey Kraft
Damon Winters: Chris Tardio
Jason Barnes: Brendan Hines
Harriet Lewis: Adina Porter
Sharon Zenowich: Rusty Schwimmer
Stacy Russell: Kara Zediker
Neighbor: Faa Brimmo

[Eskimo Jo]

The Danny stuff, terrible writing. I was hit over the head with backstory that was completely unnecessary for a regular viewer. While I like the focus on different characters, I found this attempt to be fairly lazy and heavy-handed on the part of the writers. It was like The Hammer of Exposition. Meh. I would have liked more subtley and maybe something I didn't already know.

But how much did I enjoy Sam and Jack's scene? Ha. Sam's reaction was priceless and completely unexpected. I expected more pouting and weirdness, then she laid it down straight. "Why? Because we had a fling when you were married?" It wasn't quite disdain, but a healthy dose of bewilderment and "WTF?"ness. I like Sam this way. I don't like her much of the rest of the time it seems, but a) I wasn't distracted by any workplace inappropriate clothes or dress and b)she wasn't being all mopey and pathetic. So it worked well for me.

Overall, it was kind of a boring episode. I actually got up and left halfway through and came back later. I didn't really care about the plot at all. Dunno why.

[Rat]

i also thought it was a boring episode. i was sort of expecting sam to me all sad and depressed hearing about jack and anne and she was shocked but it didn't look like she was angry or anything. good to see. just when i thought the episodes were getting better they do this. not a very good story. maybe would have helped if they did more back story with danny, they didn't really need to bring it up unless they were going to talk about it. i erased the eppy when it was done. but i think the best part was the sam and jack scene.

[Rofy]

what happened to the baby? did they lose it or not? I read on a group they cut off that scene. Is it true?

[SeptemberBaby]

rofy said:

what happened to the baby? did they lose it or not? I read on a group they cut off that scene. Is it true?

As it stands right now... it seems she's still pregnant. She did have some sort of episode where she was doubled over in alot of pain.. the scene ended and that was it. Next time we see her she was talking to Jack at the FBI offices.. and she didn't mention one word about what had happened earlier. She didn't seem too happy when he told her that he told Sam about the baby. Not too happy at all.
If she lost the baby and knows it.. she didn't say one word. She may have lost it and not know it yet?
I gotta tell ya.. if I had a episode like the one she seemed to have when I was pregnant.. I would have in the drs. office ASAP. ::Shrug::

I've been a fan of Reed Diamond since his days on Homicide: Life on the Streets. It was good to see him again. Wish he was in something everyweek.

[Rofy]

OK, that was just plain stupid. Why on earth would they do that? Can't they write something decent for a change? I love the show but I don't like the way htey hanlde these situations. Why wasn't she happy? Does she know about the affair? Is it because she think she might have lost it? Why wouldn't she go to the doctor for god's sake??!!

*shakes head* my god!

[poppym83]

Okay, I cant take the suspense, what did Sam say when she found out? I was worried she was going to be all sad but it sounds like from what you say she isnt which is good.

[mountainsnow]

She wasn't sad, she was just a bit confused as to why he was telling her. Jack muddied the waters. The way he was talking to her was completely patronizing, like he was having a hard time telling her. Then he totally made her more confused when he acted like it was killing him to tell her about the baby. Coming out of left field like that, I could see why she was confused. Was he having a hard time because he thought Sam was still mooning over him (which is why I think she was a bit abrupt to him in the beginning), or was he having a hard time because he wasn't ready for the baby and it was just hard for him period.

He was a complete putz about the whole thing. Sam wasn't pathetic this time, Jack was. And the way he acted with Anne when he told her that he told Sam tells me he still doesn't get the couples thing. When you agree with your lover to keep a confidence then tell someone else about it without their consent before hand, you're still a betrayer, even if you're not a cheater.

[sinwagon1]

I was really worried about the Jack and Sam speech but I loved it. I guess I could see where Jack might want to give Sam a little heads up but Sam's reaction of what the hell are you telling me for was awesome. I mean she did have a little reaction about the baby but it wasn't all sappy like I thought it might be. I still want to know who in hell wouldn't recognize that Anne might be pregnant...seriously!

I thought the episode was ok but nothing spectacular.

[SeptemberBaby]

sinwagon1 said:

I still want to know who in hell wouldn't recognize that Anne might be pregnant...seriously!

HELLO!!
That scene where they are sitting around the table and Anne comes walking over.. looking PREGNANT! And Sam is standing right there.. I noticed! Why didn't she? STRANGE!

As for Sam and Jack's conversation... If they have any plans on hooking these two up again.. I didn't see any evidence of that last night. Quite the opposite. It almost felt like she's embarrassed by the whole thing.. not that she shouldn't be.. she was having an affair w/ a married man. But, it was like "why are you bring all this up again.. I never want to talk about it again"
That's what I got out of it.

Something else I wanted to mention... I very happy there was some continuity in the Jack getting nailed with the nail gun. I thought for sure this was going to be swept under the rug this week. Good to see him walking around with his hand bandaged.

[evancar]

ok, I'm dying here!! could you please trancribe the conversation btw jack and sam? if it isn't much trouble pleeease!
maybe I'll skip this episode but I'm mad curious about that scene there! thanks a lot.

by the way, what did they mention about danny's past? any comments about martin? thanks again!

[lorias1228]

Since that one scene didn't happen it may be still a spoiler so I've been talking about it in the spoiler space and not here in the episode space.
The scene with Sam goes something like this (from memory so it could be wrong)
Sam :Hi What's up.
Jack: Um Come in Close the door.
Sam: Looking around sort of like uh oh what's UP
Jack : I wanted to talk to you about something
Sam: sits down in a chair still looking totally confused and worried
Sam: okay
Jack: I wanted to tell you (sort of acts embarrassed shy) Ann and I are moving in together
Sam looking really like WTF are you telling me for.
Sam: Oh, and you're telling me why?
Jack looking shocked by that question
Jack: I felt like I owed it to you
Sam gets a little bit perkier and retorts: Why because we had a fling when you were married?
Jack sort of looks verklempt: uh... She's pregnant
Sam: Oh
Jack: you are the first person I've told (****I know this part is wrong but I can't remember exactly what and how he said this). Keep it quiet
Sam: Uh... get's up from the chair and moves to the door
Sam: Congradulations (steps through the door and sort of looks at him through the glass like still WTF
Jack: Thanks (looking almost as confused)

Hope that helps

[Josi]

seems a very ridiculous scene! thanks for transcription! can't wait to see it myself!

[evancar]

thanks a lot for the transcription! it's wierd though. why would he feel that he owes sam an explanation after all this time ? I simply don't get it.

[mountainsnow]

Maybe its an overdue and ungainly attempt to finally put closure to Sam and Jack? The writing for this show is so uneven from week to week, who knows?

I think the scene was played out well. PM seems to have sharpened her acting skills over the summer. I think she stole the scene from ALP and that's not easy to do. That said, I hate the work she seems to have had over the summer. Whether it was a chemical or laser peel, each and every freckle is gone from her face. Her face is all one nice smooth surface but it seems to have robbed her of some freshness. Same thing with her eyes. They're different now then they were before. She's beautiful now in a hardened way.

I think she does look better but it feels weird to see the trade-off.