Episode 9 – Serious Control Issues
Charlie Crews is a nuisance to those who conspired in their various ways directly and indirectly to put him behind bars. He refuses to go away, he refuses to be controlled and he will not stand for others being controlled either.
Ted declares him crazy as Charlie lays out the contents of ‘the conspiracy wall’ on their breakfast table, it having being saved by Ted from a police raid the previous episode. Charlie has come to the conclusion that Rachel was in the house at the time of her parents and brother’s murders, contrary to the Police report. He has some drawings from Rachel’s files after the murder and picks out a drawing that seems to him to be a child’s drawing of the murderer. Regardless of how crazy Ted feels Charlie may be about this, he also trusts him and when Charlie points out that Carl Aimes (lead detective on his case – and now dead) had a link to Jack Reese, swat leader at the Bank of LA robbery where a lot of money went missing, Ted is convinced.
Charlie knew off the bat that Dani was troubled like him and here he knows that the boy we are introduced to as ‘Nate Hastings’ is too.
Charlie and Dani are investigating the murder of a teenage girl when they bump into Nate for the first time…literally. When Charlie tries to help Nate up, the boy reacts as though he has been stung. He pulls away from contact and interaction. He denies knowing Josie only for his obviously controlling father to say that they do know her.
As we delve deeper into the conspiracy surrounding Charlie’s conviction, it almost doesn’t matter who the killer is in this episode because the real story is about a lost child or rather lost children. It is about Josie who seemingly had no one to care enough to look for her and it is about Nate who did not even know he was lost.
We are left with Steven (Nate’s real name) to be reintroduced to his real parents. We do not see the re-introduction and part of me laments that, but I understand why. Steven represents the struggle Charlie has. There can be no happy ending for Steven at this moment in time and we should take this as warning that one may not be possible for Charlie. In order to survive, Steven’s young mind developed a story where he believed he was Nate Hastings, Ray was his father and not the man who abducted him. He grew to love Ray and has no recollection of or bond with his biological parents.
The writers want us to make this connection…everything is connected after all…they even tell us the time frame that Steven has been missing and it is 12 years. The life he should have had was stolen from him. While his parents went from A – B in a straight line, Steven went from A – B via a different route.
There is one more lost child to think about as we see Steven’s parents and her name is Rachel. She is never very far from Charlie’s thoughts. Like Steven, Rachel does have someone who cares what has happened to her, like Steven she has taken the same 12 year journey on a different path from that person and lucky for her he is willing to move hell and high water to find her.
Episode 10 – Dig a hole
Finding out that the other ladies are big fans of many of the same crime dramas as me, has made our ‘Life’ series that bit better. It means that the basis for some of the stories in this particular procedural is something we are all familiar with, but Life is slightly different in that the main character’s own story is buried in amongst what we are seeing and this episode drives it home.
Speaking of burial, episode 10 opens with the discovery of a body underground by workmen who are converting old store fronts into a multi-story car park. It turns out that the deceased, Tim Chang, owned a Zen centre. Right away, you just know Charlie is going to find a way to irritate Dani.
The rose is a symbol of secrecy and the term sub-rosa means ‘under the rose’. Tim Chang, Zen master, was buried with a rose. The Zen Centre was in business from 1995-1997 (when Tim Chang went missing). It is getting harder to ignore all these cases which seem to have their roots in the past, particularly around the time Charlie was arrested, charged, convicted and sentenced for triple homicide.
Charlie and Dani’s investigations lead them to the home of two Professors of particle physics (at USC). Luke Dujardin and Amy Dujardin, live with their 10 year old son Alec. Luke is Dani’s worst nightmare and, as every physicist knows, for every action there must be an equal and opposite reaction. Luke, is therefore a dream come true for Charlie.
“We are not actually on staff there, we are just more likely to be on staff there than not to be on staff there.”
Charlie manages to irritate Dani on their way back to the station, by saying about everything they pass in the car “not here” eventually leading to Dani asking him “if you’re not here, how come I can still see you?” I just love the dynamic between these two which grows each episode.
A visit to the Zen centre makes all become clear which does in fact make Dani happy, as predicted by Charlie. This is because they find a picture with Alec Dujardin and it becomes obvious to them who is his father is.
Charlie and Dani manage to extract the truth that that Alec Dujardin is in fact Tim Chang’s child. Luke confesses to Tim’s murder and asks for an assurance of no trial because he does not wish Alec to grow up knowing he was the evidence that saw Luke convicted. Charlie later realises it could not have been Luke because he was still phoning Tim after he went missing, something he would not do if he had killed him. A threat to remove Alec from the family home is enough for Amy to confess. The reason Amy killed Tim is because he was leaving her and she buried a rose with him.
A theme of the episode is does anyone remember where they were 10 years ago? Charlie, of course does. The people we meet in this episode have moved on with their lives in the years since Tim Chang disappeared. Charlie is Tim Chang, left to rot in a hole while the secret is out there, but undiscovered.
Charlie continues ignoring the terms of his release settlement to investigate his friends’ and their son’s murder. He has managed to get Jack Reese’s confidential file from a police technician who is clearly quite smitten with him. Ted is all about following the money…well a convicted fraudster would know…but at that moment in time, Charlie is more interested in Jack Reese’s confidential informant. When Charlie sees a picture of him, he is unnaturally quiet and the chilling Charlie makes an appearance here because as he shows Ted, Kyle Hollis’ photo matches the drawing in Rachel’s file. Charlie has just found the man he served 12 years in prison for.
Dig up some more roses, the secret lies with the child…
Fruit count Episode 9: organic orange (grown at orange grove de Cruise) and ‘personal’ pineapple.
Fruit count Episode 10: Apple
Great summary of these classic episodes. I must add that episode 9: Serious Control Issues is one of the best written scripts of the entire series, rich in character insights. There’s the scene when Crews discovers locks and bars on the boy’s room before confronting the boy, the father, and even Reese. A flashback to his own prison experience, the moment seethes with tension.
Another gem is the funniest moment, written specifically for Damian:
Reese: If I had your money, I’d be on a beach somewhere. How come you’re not on a beach somewhere?
Crews: Do I look like I tan?
Thank you. I agree about Serious Control Issues. I could watch it several times. There were a good few things in both episodes I left out simply due to being strict and disciplined with the word count. Feel free to discuss anything else here.
As a pale, redhead myself, I love that line. Always makes me laugh. My face and arms end up redder than my hair when I am in the sun.
Episode 9 is probably one of the best Life episodes. The show has great writing over all but the connection between Nate and Charlie here is heartbreakingly beautiful. Both of them have been in prison for 12 years. In quite different ways. But prison is prison. And going back to your old life is a challenge.
Re Alpin’s message: I love Charlie saying THAT! And Damian himself says he only tans when his freckles join up. 🙂
Episode 10 is a personal favorite because it has two of my most favorite LIFE moments. 1. No fruit can top Charlie’s personal pineapple. 2. That police technician providing Charlie with the confidential file! That is my single most favorite moment of the entire show. Because it’s just soooo Charlie!
I love the way you sum up the theme of the episode: Do you remember where you were 10 years ago? Tim Chang disappears and everyone moves on with their lives… exactly like Charlie goes to prison and everyone moves on with the lives, don’t they? Including his wife! As I said before, my love for Life increases with this “Life with Charlie Crews” series because everyone is making observations and connections that make me go… A-HA! Love it! Thanks for the wonderful post!
Thank you. It is lots of fund watching Life and see all the dots connecting. There is a storyline which I am sure was coming in S2 before they got the news they were cancelled and then just discarded it. I won’t spoil it in here though juts now – will talk more when we are reviewing S2.
It is a tad frustrating that we never got to see it play out fully.
Oh I am so curious about the storyline you were sure coming. I am all ears! And hey there is always fan fiction to see it play out fully.