I just finished watching this one, and it certainly packs a punch at the end. I think the tone for this one is a lot more somber than previous installments of the series. Writer Edward J. Lakso is able to take the standard format of the program and expand on it with a theme that hadn't been covered yet.
I am not sure if there had been any country singers before 1978 who had overdosed. (In 1989 Keith Whitley died from alcohol poisoning, but that's not quite the same thing.) So probably in some ways, this story is more of a tribute to someone like Janis Joplin who like the dialogue at the end tells us, left behind something that survived in spite of what others had been taking from her. In that regard, it's a story about a person's integrity and their artistic legacy. Interestingly, the song featured throughout the episode ('Tripping to the Morning') was also written by Lakso.
We get pensive moments with each of the Angels, as well as Bosley, who all seem affected by Amy Waters' music. They are captivated by the voice and this one particular song. And although we don't hear the entire tune, we are also drawn in by it. We also learn something more about Charlie-- namely that he's a fan of this music too, and he has a soft spot for Amy's singing.
The investigation follows a specific timeline. They are all retracing Amy's steps, trying to figure out what caused her death that fateful night. There is considerable banter between the characters in their cars, with them talking to one another on their phones about what the cabbie is telling Kris about Amy's last hours. There's a strong sense of teamwork and togetherness, even if they are all in separate locations while conducting their portions of the investigation.
The acting from each one of them is exemplary in this episode, but I especially like the scene where Sabrina bursts into Cooperman's office to rattle his cage about the publishing rights to Amy's songs. And I like the follow-up scene a bit later, after someone has taken a shot at her, where Sabrina visits one of Cooperman's cronies and convinces him they're both targets now because they've met and discussed the big cover-up.
Kate Jackson always seems prepared, coming into her scenes with specific goals to get Sabrina's quirks across. It's like the character is playing a game to make her cover story more believable. Typically Sabrina gets into the role-playing a bit too much for her own good. Then Jackson smartly reels her back in, so she manages to remain level-headed without going too overboard.
I am not sure if there had been any country singers before 1978 who had overdosed. (In 1989 Keith Whitley died from alcohol poisoning, but that's not quite the same thing.) So probably in some ways, this story is more of a tribute to someone like Janis Joplin who like the dialogue at the end tells us, left behind something that survived in spite of what others had been taking from her. In that regard, it's a story about a person's integrity and their artistic legacy. Interestingly, the song featured throughout the episode ('Tripping to the Morning') was also written by Lakso.
We get pensive moments with each of the Angels, as well as Bosley, who all seem affected by Amy Waters' music. They are captivated by the voice and this one particular song. And although we don't hear the entire tune, we are also drawn in by it. We also learn something more about Charlie-- namely that he's a fan of this music too, and he has a soft spot for Amy's singing.
The investigation follows a specific timeline. They are all retracing Amy's steps, trying to figure out what caused her death that fateful night. There is considerable banter between the characters in their cars, with them talking to one another on their phones about what the cabbie is telling Kris about Amy's last hours. There's a strong sense of teamwork and togetherness, even if they are all in separate locations while conducting their portions of the investigation.
The acting from each one of them is exemplary in this episode, but I especially like the scene where Sabrina bursts into Cooperman's office to rattle his cage about the publishing rights to Amy's songs. And I like the follow-up scene a bit later, after someone has taken a shot at her, where Sabrina visits one of Cooperman's cronies and convinces him they're both targets now because they've met and discussed the big cover-up.
Kate Jackson always seems prepared, coming into her scenes with specific goals to get Sabrina's quirks across. It's like the character is playing a game to make her cover story more believable. Typically Sabrina gets into the role-playing a bit too much for her own good. Then Jackson smartly reels her back in, so she manages to remain level-headed without going too overboard.