This episode really had it all, and it's one of my favorites. The plot here is that Jennifer is being hypnotized into being a jewel thief for a spa owner and her badly-cast lover who happens to be a business partner of Jonathan's. I'll get the nitpicky stuff out of the way: 1) The bad guys are badly cast for each other cuz she looks like a much older version of Jeri Ryan, he looks like a 40- year-old cross between Burt Convy and David Birney, and they just plain don't match. 2) There were major inconsistencies with the reference to J&J's first kiss where "her father was standing behind them," only we know that's not how it happened from the 5th season opener. Yes, this ep predates it by two seasons, but knowing that continuity would not be there bugged, but what can ya do? 3) Jennifer's hair. I really didn't dig her waking up in the *exact* same hairstyle that she wore all day every day throughout this episode. It's one of those oddities of direction that make me wonder ... WHY? Was there a real life need for her hair to be in the same style the entire episode for several straight days, even in the same barrette?! If they shot the entire thing in one day, OK, fine, I get it, but still, where is hair and wardrobe?! These kinds of things bug me.
As for the good, there's soooo much. For one thing, Drunk Jennifer was really adorable. Later, Jonathan's concern over his wife possibly losing her marbles is very realistic, and the way he says, "I like your face just the way it is" is perfection for the romantic H2H fan. He says more to her in that sentence than half the shows today say in a bed scene. I also really enjoyed when Jonathan went snooping and his utter confusion and concern when he didn't find what he was expecting. Finding the purse from the previous night, he gets quite the "uh oh" moment. Next, can we talk about the rotary phone?! It was a fancy one, but a dial nonetheless. And a real ring, too! Oh, how I miss those real live rings. Aaaaanyhoo ... Stephanie does a great job at the hypnosis/confusion. Then the stress of knowing she's doing something very bad with no memory of it. She's really scared. The sit down J&J have on the chaise is a small thing but an effective one in reminding us how much he loves her. How dedicated they are to each other. In sickness or in health, indeed. The finest moment was when he caught her in the act. Just great stuff. He was so concerned, frustrated, angry. He's rough, yanks the jewels from her, puts her in the car, drives off. Wow, great sequence. Blooper alert --> While snooping around her wardrobe, Jonathan has to re-snap the jewelry box. Also, a weird scene at the spa where he asks how the body wrap was and that he'll find out about it later. Something went wonky there. I think it was just a bad dub. Jennifer up on the roof was truly creepy. Those actors and stunt doubles were really on the roof of a building. Stephanie was really close to that edge, and her double was truly on that ledge. I was actually nervous. What makes this so edge-of-your-seat is the end. The concept of Jennifer killing Jonathan is just completely anathema, which is what you knew this ep was building toward. It defies everything we know and love about them. So, when she is so completely controlled by the bad guy, then the danger they're in is truly palpable, truly tangible. And when she holds the gun on him and then he does the same? My god, that's just heart-wrenching! The bed scene at the end is great. Perfect example of how their timing is, literally, perfection.
As for the good, there's soooo much. For one thing, Drunk Jennifer was really adorable. Later, Jonathan's concern over his wife possibly losing her marbles is very realistic, and the way he says, "I like your face just the way it is" is perfection for the romantic H2H fan. He says more to her in that sentence than half the shows today say in a bed scene. I also really enjoyed when Jonathan went snooping and his utter confusion and concern when he didn't find what he was expecting. Finding the purse from the previous night, he gets quite the "uh oh" moment. Next, can we talk about the rotary phone?! It was a fancy one, but a dial nonetheless. And a real ring, too! Oh, how I miss those real live rings. Aaaaanyhoo ... Stephanie does a great job at the hypnosis/confusion. Then the stress of knowing she's doing something very bad with no memory of it. She's really scared. The sit down J&J have on the chaise is a small thing but an effective one in reminding us how much he loves her. How dedicated they are to each other. In sickness or in health, indeed. The finest moment was when he caught her in the act. Just great stuff. He was so concerned, frustrated, angry. He's rough, yanks the jewels from her, puts her in the car, drives off. Wow, great sequence. Blooper alert --> While snooping around her wardrobe, Jonathan has to re-snap the jewelry box. Also, a weird scene at the spa where he asks how the body wrap was and that he'll find out about it later. Something went wonky there. I think it was just a bad dub. Jennifer up on the roof was truly creepy. Those actors and stunt doubles were really on the roof of a building. Stephanie was really close to that edge, and her double was truly on that ledge. I was actually nervous. What makes this so edge-of-your-seat is the end. The concept of Jennifer killing Jonathan is just completely anathema, which is what you knew this ep was building toward. It defies everything we know and love about them. So, when she is so completely controlled by the bad guy, then the danger they're in is truly palpable, truly tangible. And when she holds the gun on him and then he does the same? My god, that's just heart-wrenching! The bed scene at the end is great. Perfect example of how their timing is, literally, perfection.
