In December, 1887, a short story was published in a London magazine. The story, "A Study in Scarlet" launched the literary careers of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his creation, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. The popularity of each new story was unheard of at the time. Sales of The Strand magazine soared as the ravenous public devoured every word they could find on the exploits of Sherlock Homes and his trusty, albeit wordy, assistant Mr. Watson.
A problem arose, however, when Doyle grew bored with Holmes, feeling the stories drew him away from "better things". In a letter to his mother on April 6, 1891, he wrote "I am weary of his [Holmes] name." Doyle liberated his soul in "The Final Problem" published from April 24 to May 4, 1891. In the story, Holmes pursues his arch-nemesis Moriarty into Switzerland, and the two fall to their deaths in Reichenbach Falls. (Philosophy buffs will find it interesting that Watson's eulogy for Holmes echoes the final paragraph of Plato's "Phaedo", on the death of Socrates.)
In the weeks to follow, all of London was in mourning for their fallen hero. Letters to the London Times admonished Doyle for killing Holmes and called for his return. Bowing to public (and substantial financial) pressure, Sherlock Holmes returned in "The Adventure of the Empty House" on April 3, 1894 and the Continent sighed in relief.
What Doyle did not realize in 1891 was the concept of "repeat". This week's Melrose Place episode was a switch from tradition: it was not a repeat. The concept of a repeat, however, is fascinating; a television network takes a show that has already aired, and airs it again. The pretense for this action is that some people may not have seen the episode when it was first broadcast, while others may enjoy seeing it again.
This latter group describes a fascinating aspect of human behaviour. The idea of a popular television show or rock group or publication series relies on a certain continuity. No one watches a show where the characters or format is completely different each week nor will they watch something that is *exactly* the same. It is akin to Paula Abdul singing glittery pop tunes for the first album, then attempting soaring vocal ballads in the second; it will not work.
Once a series begins and gains a following, the trick is to retain certain elements or formats then modify others slightly to create a "new" episode (or album or story or software package...) Repeats work because the viewing public is accustomed to so little change between episodes that in watching the same one twice, enough was missed the first time that it *seems* to be a new episode.
Doyle grew bored with the seemingly endless repetition of Holmes. To Doyle, each story was exactly the same, boring drivel that he would pour into the pork barrel of public consumption. If he lived today, there is no doubt that he would mirror the postulates of Marshall McLuhan and Umberto Eco and find television and other popular media fascinating; not for the technological aspects of their design and implementation, but for the behavioural aspects of their content.
Dinner is served.
- Ian
Adultery? Thou shalt not die: die for adultery? No!The Bard said it best as Melrose Place leaps into the minds and beds of America. The overwhelming plotline this week was Allison's affair with (gasp) A Married Man!
The wren goes to't, and the small gilded fly
Does lecher in my sight. Let copulation thrive.
- William Shakespeare, King Lear
While sashaying about The Town, Allison and Jane stumble across this Handsome Hunk (their words, not mine) preaching Eco-Religion. Allison converts in a second, and the Fair Friar invites her to a revivial Down By The River. Allison bribes Matt into joining her and they zip over to the Marine Ecology Church. Services are underway and Pastor Keith, former Scuba Instructor, Environmental Idealist and Hemorrhoid Sufferer is describing the latest mission effort: Big Sur.
Following the service, Keith, Allison and Matt stop by Shooters for some Holy Water, and Allison is smitten. The next day at work, she is offered an Ideal Opportunity to Prove Herself by staying late and mimicking what those Microsoft Types do every day. Pastor Keith drops by, however, and Allison bails out of Penance for a chance to scuba-dive with God.
Needless to say, Billy is less than impressed with Keith, but Allison is Sticking to her Rock. Keith lays his Lips O' Healing on her after the Descente Et Aeturnum and offers to Break the Bread O' Life for her. Allison accepts but Billy urges her to Gird Her Loins, and don The Mantle O' Protection, just in case...
When Allison shows up the next evening, she is Ripe and Ready for Conversion. Pastor Keith introduces her to Preying on the Altar, and Allison goes to Heaven as Major Nasties are Bumped.
Allison's boss has a small coronary over her tripping out early, and coming in late. In her boss's mind, Allison has "blown it." Allison could not care less, pissing off the entire office. (But hey, it's not like she does anything when she *is* there so what does it matter?)
That evening, Allison returns to discover Pastor Keith has another Environmental Congregation on the East Coast; evidently he misses Preaching the Ecological Word. Allison is crushed and wanders for several scenes through the Desert O' Confusion. We end with Allison back in church, Converted but not Committed. Pastor Keith and the Environmental Church will be back next week...
In the secondary plot, Billy desperately tries to get a credit card. Unfortunately, in the process, a collection agency discovers his address and nails him for a bad student loan. (And Billy wondered why he was turned down time after time?) He visits Mon and Dad for a Federal Bailout, and they are surprised to learn of his debt since they paid his college tuition. (Billy got the loan for Person Expenses; like skis, a stereo, blah blah...) The Billster comes to grip with not only his debt, but America's debt and closes the episode determined to clear his good name on his own, sans Parental Aid.
There was a bizarre third plot involving Jane and some weird psycho-bull about her miscarriage. Jane feels she is overweight and enlists Rhonda's help to lose the dreaded blubber. The plot was scattered throughout the episode and meandered everywhere ending with a typically sappy Married Couple Reaffirmation O' Love and Commitment. About as exciting as the Home Shopping Network...
Has anyone noticed how women on Melrose Place are surprisingly open and free with "new" guys? In previous episodes we have seen Married-Woman Jane at The Bar hitting on single guys, Sandy dating SuperWeirdo seconds after meeting him, and now Allison with this guy. They seem to hand out phone numbers and addresses like street-corner evangelists. Oh well, it is only Los Angeles; I would be more concerned if they were living in some dangerous town...
The episode returned to the three plot line format this week. In a startling and disappointing move, Sandy/Sex did not appear, although several stories thankfully referenced her existence. The main story was rather strong, filled with visual images and symbolism, while the two supporting stories were surprisingly weak.
The episode focused on the illicit love affair between Allison/Success and her scuba-diving Svengali, Keith. Signor Spelling shrouds Keith's true identity in a murky cloth. Keith is traditional Scottish place name, which at first seems impossible to interpret. The key is in realizing that Spelling double-encrypted the psychological symbolism of Keith's name; the key lies in Keith standing for a Scottish place name, a generic term. Scot is, of course, representative of the race and nation of people in Scotland, yet it also has another meaning, predominantly historical; "debt or monetary assessment; a charge or tax."
You see, Keith stands for a point in Success' life where she will have to pay a debt, to own up to a responsibility. Keith is inherently evil, he is a Luciferian Antichrist to Success' Messianic Capitalist Message of Salvation. Keith is Failure.
Allison initially takes Matt/Conscience with her to Keith/Failure's talk, but she errantly abandons Conscience, no doubt feeling she can handle Failure alone. Notice that when Failure enters Allison's life, she begins to suffer; personally and professionally. Why, you ask, would Success even flirt with Failure, much less go further? It is that flirting, the sense of imminent danger and impeding doom that seduces Success, drawing her closer and closer to Failure. It is a psychological game of chicken; the spine-chilling rush of adrenaline through Success as she approaches Failure is her potion. And as before, the apothecary's drugs are quick.
Keith is a scuba diver, yet another indication of his demonic heritage. As a diver, he exists in water and air, above and below, never truly in either. Water, as we have learned, represents Life, and Keith/Failure is attuned to Life. He is not natural, yet he can survive and traverse the barrier with ease. His environmental concerns symbolize the Failure of Mankind to protect and preserve the Environment. Note too that environmental issues, according to traditional Republican dogma, are intrinsically counter to the ideals of capitalistic Success.
Failure's real wife is Lily, a dual symbolism. The Lily in Eastern culture's represents Purity; she remains on the East Coast defending her beliefs and petitioning Life for Action while Failure remains on the West Coast seducing Success. (A sidelight to this imagery is the symbolism of the two coasts. The Hope of A New Day rises and is born on the East Coast, much as Purity gives birth to Hope. Yet Hope dies in Failure, much as a blazing sunset dips into the Sea of Life at the end of a day. A splendid image.)
The other symbolism lies in the second meaning of Lily, from the Western, Euro-centric naming heritage. Lily is a derivative form of Elizabeth, which means "Oath of God." Through this icon, Spelling hearkens back to the Oath of Marriage, the Iron Cords of Commitment which Success threatens to destroy. With this interpretation, the episode becomes a grand Morality Play, a mediaeval tale of the likes of Chaucer warning Pilgrim toward Chastity and Honour.
The episode closes with the tension unresolved. Success senses the danger of Failure, yet she is inexorably drawn to him, as a fly is drawn to the bug zapper that will consume it. Next week shall reveal Spelling's Homeric thesis, and I await that revelation with zeal.
Meanwhile, Billy/Innocence confronting Debt reprises last week's model of Innocence meeting Knowledge and the expenses of that meeting. Debt results from the frivolous behaviour of Innocence, who desperately pleads with Everyman and Success to bail him out.
When Billy/Innocence confronts the collection agency, he meets Mary, or "Bitter". Innocence feels bitter over this Debt and appeals to Mary for a reprieve. She fends off his supplication and Innocence is forced to accept some element of Responsibility, (as urged by Michael/ Responsibility and Innocence's Mother/Responsibility of the past.)
The story line where Jane/Responsibilities of Marriage yearns to lose body weight following her miscarriage is disposable, save for some clever symbolism on Spelling's part. Jane wants to lose five pounds, not eight or ten. Specifically stating a number, even in an offhand reference should indicate some symbolic meaning for that number, particularly when the number is repeated several times throughout the episode.
Five, however, is relatively devoid of numerological symbolism; at least for the current sphere of analysis. Signor Spelling implements a clever homophonic symbolism here, implying "alive" or "life". Jane/ Responsibility has lost her Life, and through losing this additional body weight, sloughs off the psychological pain. In effect, she discards the memories of one life to regain her own, to feel alive again. And, there is also no discounting the fact that her workout sessions provided some snappy cleavage shots as well...
Allison continues her Romantic Russian Roulette and spins the chambers for another episode.
Tune in for the Bang!
"Who better than an honors student to answer the phones?" - Allison to Boss. Ya, but nine times out of ten, she is nowhere near the damn phone...
"If I had money, why would I need credit?" - Billy to Allison sums modern capitalism in a succinct phrase. Ross Perot smacks people like Billy in his spare time.
"This debt is a national habit." - Billy to Jake and Michael reprises a Neill Bush's S&L excuse.
"The entire nation is bankrupt." - Billy to The Lads in a feeble attempt to stop Ross Perot from smacking him again.
"You could borrow from my credit card." - Allison to Billy as Ross Perot cries "My god!" and moves to Canada.
"Come here." - Keith to Allison.
"They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon." - Edward Lear, "The Owl and the Pussycat."
"You're on the edge." - Keith to Allison in his house on the edge of the sand; verbally dancing by the light of the moon.
"When I was with Keith, it was like nothing else mattered." - Allison snatches the Bag O' Cliches from Keith and yanks out a winner of her own.
(c) 1992 Ian Ferrell. The Melrose Place Update is produced weekly using Microsoft Word for Macintosh and Microsoft Mail. Each article contains a summary of that week's Melrose Place episode with analysis and commentary. Send subscription requests/cancellations to ianf@microsoft.com.