DOROTHY'S BOOK - season 4

[Kruemi]

Fortnightly discussion of a randomly chosen episode (16.2.09)



Dorothy’s Book – season 4

Okay, I know I’m one day late, and I finally acknowledge that stalling further won’t get me anywhere. So here I go.
I have read a lot of discussions about this episode and most people defend Dorothy’s behavior. Well, I don’t and so I just say it ( ). In a way I think it’s funny that I drew this episode one week before the Oscars – because I know that they give away another prize a few days previous to them: The Golden Raspberry Award. Well, IMO both, Dorothy and Sully deserve it in this episode (not for the actors, their playing was great as always) but for what the characters did. I know many people think that Dorothy only wanted to do good things… say thank you to the people of the town who made her life worth living it. I only wonder about a few things: How does revealing the most private thoughts of her best friend make a heart-felt thankyou?? After this friend asked her to keep all those things to herself (Michaela asked Dorothy in Best Friends to keep it in strictest confidence)? Even Hank was able to recognize that the things Dorothy wrote about Michaela would upset the the doc. How couldn’t Dorothy see it? And what about Loren? Showing him only as the dusting storekeeper is a thank you for his taking her in, offer her not only a place to live in but giving her the opportunity to fulfill her dream about being an editor of a newspaper???

Well, one could think the book did something good in the end, but I think it wasn’t necessary to expose Grace’s greatest private grief about her not having an old child to all world in order to show her that people respect her as the one who is making the Café a special place. And if Dorothy had been so concerned about Brian’s secret fears – why show off with the fact that he talked to her but not Michaela – in a book for everyone to read? Why not talk about it to her ‘best friend’???
I could go on this way, but I think you already know my opinion. I won’t even mention Sully here, who, of all people, should be the one to know how embarrassed Michaela must feel.

Okay, that’s all I’d like to say about this episode… the thread is now all yours .

[cooperkids]

You will get no argument from me Kruemi. I have to admit that I never really cared much for Dorothy, but here I despised her. She took her friends' secrets and used them to sell a book. She could have written a book that told about Colorado Springs and the people in it, without betraying her friends.

I'm left asking, why is Dorothy so easily forgiven? I'm actually disappointed that that Michaela forgives her so easily. And how does she go back to trusting Dorothy again after such a betrayal?

In the current world of publishing, Dorothy's book would never have seen the light of day because of the potential for lawsuits. I'm also truly amazed that Dorothy doesn't realize that sharing these things in a book for strangers to read is wrong. And that she expected Michaela to understand why she did it.

Dorothy's lack of attention to Loren is somewhat understandable because this book is about CS since Dorothy has been a part of it; so his saving her from Marcus and their past history, has little to do with what Dorothy is trying to accomplish with the book. That being said, Loren's importance to the town can't be understated, because his words carry a lot of power and can sway minds.

Sully deserves a big smack for the way he acts in this episode. One can't be sure if his head is clouded by the flattering portrait that Dorothy paints of him in her book or merely that he truly can't understand why Michaela and the others are so upset. Knowing Michaela the way he does, and how uncomfortable she was with the physical side of her relationship with Sully prior to their marriage, how can he not offer her more understanding?

One has to wonder if Sully's reaction would have been different if Dorothy painted a less flattering picture of him in her book? But how could she? He is the perfect Sully. And I think that is one of the major drawbacks of Sully for me. Sully, even when disregarding the safety of the family he married into, is painted in the series as this wonderful flawless person. To consider that Sully should have placed Michaela and the children above his Indian family is some form of mortal sin. And in this episode, he betrays Michaela with his utter disregard for her feelings, making her feel guilty for not wanting Dorothy to share her most personal moments with the world. Shouldn't the decision to share those things have been up to Michaela? But once this book is published, Michaela's choice has been stolen from her.

This is truly not one of Dorothy's finer moments.

[Ella]

I agree with you, Kruemi.
I don't defend Dorothy in this episode (btw, you have forgotten Colleen, for me at least as terrible as Michaela's case) however I must say that I feel bad for her when everyone in town - including Michaela - is treating her like an outcast.
She made a mistake, she was absolutely stupid and tactless, but I think that we can at least agree in one point: that she didn't meant to cause any harm.

She was absorbed by the feeling to write. Writing, that was her new independent life. She wrote a newspaper and one day she might have thought that she could also write a book. And of course it is natural (and not unwise) to write about things you know. She could have written about her experiences in her marriage, which probably had filled a whole book. A dark book, full of painful memories. Or she could (in her opinion) dedicate the book to the people who had helped her escaping this life. That's what she did. She wanted to write something positive.

The book was not exactly thin, so I guess Michaela's virginity wasn't the only subject concerning Michaela. And Grace's unfulfilled desire for a child probably was only one of many aspects of the café owner. But these are the things which stood out, of course.
Sometimes we tend to see the details, if they are only sensational enough, and not the whole. (And Dorothy told Michaela to read the whole book).

That's what happened in Colorado Springs. Michaela, Grace, Colleen, they had every right to be hurt and there is nothing that can play down these hurt feelings.
But other people, Sully, Robert E, Matthew, Myra, saw the whole picture, which made them forgive Dorothy. That's why Sully reminded Michaela of her friendship to Dorothy. He wouldn't have done that when he had thought ill of Dorothy only for one moment. This behaviour fits to Sully, imo, and proves his love for Michaela, because he wanted to prevent that she abandoned a friend, which she would have hurt even more in the long run.

One could say: hey, you have defended Dorothy after all.
But I don't. She was tactless, thoughtless and stupid. But was she mean and malicious? No. It was never her intention to cause harm. She made a big mistake, not more, not less. And mistakes can be forgiven.

And, btw, she learned her lesson. Her research for her book about the Cheyennes was perfect.

[Amber]

Agreed, all the way around...I absolutely despised Dorothy in this episode, and I have to admit, I never was totally able to forgive her myself. And, I hated the message that seemed to be given at the end of the episode...that is OK to tell deep, dark secrets about your friends and fellow townspeople if you are just reporting the truth...I had trouble with Michaela's final reaction to this whole thing. I couldn't help but wonder, what kind of message is this giving to kids and some adults who are watching this episode? IMO, it is never OK to reveal personal, intimate secrets to others, especially in this way....

Sorry if I sound a little agitated about this episode; it's been one of those days... And, this portrayal of Dorothy always gets me riled up! I do agree that she learned a valuable lesson...her book about the Cheyenne was wonderful (it saddened me when she had to burn it), and she seemed to finally understand, at least to some degree, why her actions were hurtful.

[Gemma]

I understand you completely Amber but I can't help liking this episode very much. I think Dorothy writes the book to portray the lives of the citizens in Colorado Springs from a positive perspective. Showing how they have to struggle every day, how their personalities have improved. Maybe she should have changed their names to keep their privacy. But I see how she didn't mean to hurt anyone.

Something that puzzles me is that in Best Friends Michaela asks her not to tell anyone what she is going to explain her about her relationship with Sully, and she promises not to write it on the Gazette, but she does write it on the book. Interesting. I adore these links between episodes, above all when they are in different seasons. I don't think this one was a coincidence.

Yes, nowadays there is this problem of privacy on the media and paparazzi. And I think this episode isn't so negative because the facts publicized are not being told just to gossip or get more readers, the object of Dorothy's book is to report positive facts about people, like some western chronicles. Maybe this is clearer with the other book when she decides to tell the story of Cheyenne people to avoid someone else from doing it from a negative and biased perspective.

And don't you think Michaela would have been more angry if she hadn't been even mentioned, like Loren? I am not sure about that. Hehe.

[Kruemi]

Originally Posted by Gemma

And don't you think Michaela would have been more angry if she hadn't been even mentioned, like Loren? I am not sure about that. Hehe

I am... she actually tells Dorothy so, when they are in the clinic: that she is tired of being the center of attention and prefers to keep her privacy.

[Gemma]

Yes, you are right in fact Kruemi. When I think of this episode I am extremely biased. It's so literary...

[Lynn]

I hate this episode. When I watch where Michaela tell Dorothy her most intimate secret I yell don't tell her she will tell everyone. The fact that Preston is her bigest supporter foreshadows something. Sully in this episode also makes me mad. If anyone should understand his wife's feelings about this being shared with the world it should be Sully and not only doesn't he supports Dorothy and feels Michaela was wrong. She was not wrong and though I believe Dorothy needed to keep writing, it is her calling, but I wouldn't have forgiven her like Michaela did especiallysince Dorothy never understood what she did wrong and certainly never appologised.

[cooperkids]

Originally Posted by Kruemi

I am... she actually tells Dorothy so, when they are in the clinic: that she is tired of being the center of attention and prefers to keep her privacy.

But don't you think that Michaela generates some of that attention by herself? She always wants to step in and make sure things go right for people, like when she was trying to help out Mrs. Morales after her husband died and Teresa told her in no uncertain terms that she could speak for herself.

I never understood Teresa's total dislike for Michaela, but in that instance, Michaela was butting in where she didn't belong. And because she is often one to voice her opinions--asked for or not--she kind of asks to be talked about. Not that this excuses Dorothy's behavior, but Michaela wishing she wasn't the center of attention is kind of silly when she puts herself in that position so much of the time.

[Ella]

Hmm, .... I see what you are saying, Cheryl, and you are certainly right that Michaela has the tendency to step in and raise her voice, because she wants to help or prevent harm or injustice. And this way she certainly attracts attention. But imo this is a different matter, she does it, because she wants to help. She has a kind of helper syndrome, which is perhaps a part of her occupation.

When she was talking to Dorothy and complaining about all the attention she attracted earlier in her life (if I remember correctly), she mentions that it had been just by the fact that she was a woman who studied medicine. She felt observed like an alien.
She didn't became a doctor to attract attention, and she didn't get involved in many issues because she want to attract attention either. It's a sideeffect. (And after all, she is the heroine of the series )

And she certainly never did anything to attract attention to her private life. She always kept her most private feelings for herself. So much that Hank even reproached her for that part of her personality, and called her "dead inside" in MITM.

But, btw, I guess everybody, including Michaela, would have feel hurt if Dorothy hadn't written about them at all. I think they all would have been flattered if Dorothy only had written what they wanted to read about themselves: only positive, nice, heroic things, but this wouldn't have been the whole truth, right? So, what could Dorothy have done, when she wanted to write a book about "her town"? With such a book she was just walking a tightrope.

Originally Posted by Amber

I had trouble with Michaela's final reaction to this whole thing. I couldn't help but wonder, what kind of message is this giving to kids and some adults who are watching this episode? IMO, it is never OK to reveal personal, intimate secrets to others, especially in this way....

Full agreement, Amber.
I don't like the sudden ending either. I really think it is okay and - more important for me - absolutely in character for Michaela to reach out her hand to Dorothy in the end, but it was too sudden. Just because the episode had only 45 minutes, and they had to come to a solution. This was very weak, and the episode could have been much better, if we were allowed to see a development in Dorothy's as well as in Michaela's attitude. A mutual understanding that was better prepared and didn't come out of nowhere.

[cooperkids]

Originally Posted by Ella

And she certainly never did anything to attract attention to her private life. She always kept her most private feelings for herself. So much that Hank even reproached her for that part of her personality, and called her "dead inside" in MITM.

I partially agree with you, but her relationship with Sully--who is mysterious to some of the townsfolk, hated at some point by Loren because of what happened with Abigail, and who seems not to fit in completely with the townsfolk or the Cheyenne--does attract attention...especially before they are married. And her decision to move out West as a single woman is again, something that draws attention to her private life. And people must wonder why a wealthy woman from Boston would give all that up to move to Colorado Springs. And then there is the return of David, where Michaela finds herself engaged to two men. Now, admittedly this is probably not wanted attention being drawn to her private life, but she's living a life that by its nature draws attention to it.

As for Hank's admonishment, I always thought he meant more of those feelings that Michaela seemed never willing to show: passionate love for a man, hatred, anger, not necessarily that she kept her private life and feelings sacred. In that regard, Hank is correct because she's always Miss Prim and Proper, but I still see her living a life that by its nature draws attention to it.

[Lynn]

Dorothy could have written about a fictional town out west. She could have asked the town residents to allow her to write their story warts and all for an imaginary character pointing out that the only ones that would know it was their story would be those who all ready know them. She could have included stories from local towns like Manatu and Soda Springs. Her imaginary town would stand for other western towns too.

[Kruemi]

Originally Posted by cooperkids

but she's living a life that by its nature draws attention to it.

Yes, during her argument at the clinic she actually says that herself... and that is why she doesn't want added spotlight.
And I agree with Ella - all those attention-drawing things she didn't do because she wanted the attraction: she wanted to become a doctor because she wanted to heal people, not because she wanted attention. She went West because she saw it as the only way to be able to work as a doctor - not because she wanted to draw attention to her. And without Sully's help, she wouldn't have survived in Colorado Springs, not after Charlotte had died. That was why she became his friend (and later more), not in order to be an attraction of the town.
About her urge to make her opinion known: As Ella said - she wanted to help and she had a very sensible sense for justice. Whilst most of the townsfolk wouldn't even have blinked if the men of town would have hung Ingrid's brother, she stepped in... again. Of course she overdid sometimes...
Anyway, what I wanted to say is that Michaela meant it when she said she doesn't want added attention. And like others have said before: she especially asked Dorothy to keep the things she told her in confidence. I would have never trusted Dorothy again. (Ella, in one point I disagree: if Dorothy had simply made a mistake then that would include Dorothy recognizing and acknowledging that. But like Lynn said - she never did.)
Oh well...

[cooperkids]

Originally Posted by Kruemi

Yes, during her argument at the clinic she actually says that herself... and that is why she doesn't want added spotlight.
And I agree with Ella - all those attention-drawing things she didn't do because she wanted the attraction: she wanted to become a doctor because she wanted to heal people, not because she wanted attention. She went West because she saw it as the only way to be able to work as a doctor - not because she wanted to draw attention to her. And without Sully's help, she wouldn't have survived in Colorado Springs, not after Charlotte had died. That was why she became his friend (and later more), not in order to be an attraction of the town.
About her urge to make her opinion known: As Ella said - she wanted to help and she had a very sensible sense for justice. Whilst most of the townsfolk wouldn't even have blinked if the men of town would have hung Ingrid's brother, she stepped in... again. Of course she overdid sometimes...
Anyway, what I wanted to say is that Michaela meant it when she said she doesn't want added attention.

Oh, I'm sure she did mean what she said about not wanting the extra attention. I guess, maybe to me, it seems foolish when she's chosen the type of life that puts her in the spotlight. But then...we don't always see things clearly, now do we?

[Gemma]

Do you think that in fact what happened with Dorothy's second book was kind of a punishment for what she did in the first one. Like some moral or fate?