THE WASHINGTON AFFAIR - season 3

[Kruemi]

Fortnightly discussion of a randomly chosen episode - 2009, July 5th

I'm sorry I'm repeating myself, but I'm still living among a computer/laptop mess . That is why I have to ask for your patience, once again . As soon as things will be sorted out, I will post the pics of the drawn sheets here.

The Washington Affair - season 3

I like part 1 of this episode very much, and not only because we have some of the funniest scenes of the entire series (well, IMO) in the beginning:
1 – Sully and CD sitting lazily at a pond, throwing pebbles into the water and talking about ‘not wanting to waste their time’
2 – Michaela thinking Jake is concerned about her safety but he is actually worried about the town’s safety without her
3 – when the receptionist asks Sully to ‘tell his Indian’ that cooking is not allowed in the hotel rooms, and CD retorts that there is no need for him to do so if the hotel food is good enough.
These scenes simply crack me up every time I watch them… and not to forget Brian’s mischief expression after he hit the bell several times and all the hotel boys are lining up.

Well, the rather serious reason why I like this episode is that we see Michaela on her best: not only her caring for the Indians (and nothing can stop her to tell what she is determined to say) but also how she is immediately concerned for the Freemasons. She doesn’t keep her mouth shut and makes nice conversation but tells the president her opinion. In the end, she actually managed to make a difference when certain names had been taken from the list.
I admit that I tend to agree with General Parker and not Cloud Dancing: even small victories should be cherished; they were better than nothing. There was not the tiniest chance that the white man would leave America, and let’s face it: they were more people, they were better equipped and armed, and last but not least educated. That they lacked humanity is a different matter. However, the Indians never had a chance. That is why I think it was right to do everything to save what they could. I’d never noticed before that CD uses almost the same words like Sully later in MOT: he doesn’t want to live in the world of the white man – he’d rather die than do so. Actually, this is quite an interesting topic: when you can’t live the way you feel is right would you rather not live at all ?
Anyway, we still get some interesting glimpses into the life of Michaela and Sully. I have rarely felt them being so different like I did in this episode (part 1). Whilst Michaela is ready to fight, Sully rather resigned. For me, they are strangely disconnected. In the very beginning, Michaela only knows about the decision he made because he doesn’t show up when the stage coach leaves. When she gets the offer to work in Grant’s administration, he simply refuses the idea without even contemplating the pro and cons. When he signs out of the hotel it is obvious that Michaela only learns about it because she shows up at the same moment (well, at least this is my impression).
However, then we come to the end of part 1 and get the real shock when Sully is arrested. The episode turning into kind of a crime story feels a bit strange to me. Well, I’m glad that Sully eventually confided to Michaela so she finally knew what was going on and could look for help. I'm very thankful for Parker's existence in this second part . (Btw, I think it kind of mean that we never learn for sure what the letter says !!)

I know I only scratched the surface of this two-part episode, but I only did it for you: this way you have something to write as well .

[Dr. Slicker]

You hit some nails on the head in this interesting review, Kruemi!

Originally Posted by Kruemi

when the receptionist asks Sully to ‘tell his Indian’ that cooking is not allowed in the hotel rooms, and CD retorts that there is no need for him to do so if the hotel food is good enough.

Yep, this is one of the funniest CD-moments ever and among my personal all-time-knee-slappers!

Originally Posted by Kruemi

That is why I think it was right to do everything to save what they could. I’d never noticed before that CD uses almost the same words like Sully later in MOT: he doesn’t want to live in the world of the white man – he’d rather die than do so. Actually, this is quite an interesting topic: when you can’t live the way you feel is right would you rather not live at all ?

That´s a very thought-provoking point and one of the main topics of this episode IMO. For me Parker is the absolute counter-draft to Cloud Dancing. He has a white name, wears white clothes and undertakes a white career. He made his personal decision - maybe a consequence of resignation or opportunism or simply accepting the uprising power of facts. Cloud Dancing, all his other tribe-members and all the other Indian nations have to face their irrevocable fate. I personally am on the side of CD, he suffers and wrests with the brutal reality. Parker has not forgotten, but he arranged himself in a alienating way. There is a stunning similarity for me between the Indian childs in "Hearts and Minds" and Parker - but the main difference is, that Parker obviously had more degrees of freedom to choose than the young Indians. Both CD and Parker are not capable of coming to a kind of compromise - to preserve the Indian culture and to participate in the white one. But that wasn´t possible for sure in those times.

Originally Posted by Kruemi

When she gets the offer to work in Grant’s administration, he simply refuses the idea without even contemplating the pro and cons.

That is a typical Sully-attitude for me. Not discussing intensely and long-lasting, but stifling a discussion to avoid an argument or to preserve the own viewpoint.

Originally Posted by Kruemi

The episode turning into kind of a crime story feels a bit strange to me.

I second! The whole Sully-story with portraying him as a military assassin deserves the golden-lemon-award for the best out-of-character-bumbling of the whole show...

[Geertrui]

I enjoy watching this episode although it isn’t one of the most believable; the invitation to the White House, the secret passage into the President’s office (was there really no other way to get Michaela back inside the White House?) . I like how they raises awareness of the sad state of the Indians and how bad the attitude regarding them was.

I’m puzzled by the letter. Why don’t we get to know the content? We can assume that it said that Michaela asked Dorothy to take care of the children when something happened with her and Sully… But still these are only assumptions. I want to know what it actually said. A voice-over at the end would be useful I guess.

Sully being in the army and having someone shot… Hmm I can understand that this occurs feelings of disbelieve. But I think it’s ok and it provide us some more about Sully's life. I think this event had a great influence on him and changed his life. Not that he was an evil person before, not at all, but it makes his character more real in my opinion.
I like the prison scene which is very well acted with the right emotions. And the quote of the whole episode is the one of Cloud Dancing while checking in the hotel.

[Lynn]

I agree with some of the things posted here and disagree with others. This is one of my favorite episodes! I find it interesting to read opinions that don't share my view point. In this episode Michaela rescues Sully rather than the usual Sully rescues Michaela. As to the letter I have read the script and the letter is written out in it. The first line as I recall is something like, If you are reading this Sully and I are dead. Maybe they took that out of the final show because it is a little harsh for Quinn

[Geertrui]

Thank you very much, Lynn! I didn't know the text still exist. Do you remember where you read it?

[Lynn]

Colleen does. She starts to read, "When you read this I shall be dead..."
She can't. She hands it to Matthew. He reads it.

That is from the script posted on Joe's site

[Gemma]

I second! The whole Sully-story with portraying him as a military assassin deserves the golden-lemon-award for the best out-of-character-bumbling of the whole show...

You are right indeed Doc, but as long as we can enjoy our Sully-in-uniform, it's ok for me and I guess also for many of his fans. lol

I agree about this episode being quite daring, criticising how Native Americans and Afroamericans are supposed to become part of the society from the white men point of view. It has this critical point of view regarding history and past injustice that makes DQ so appealing to me. We have both parts of the story again and we can shoose what to build our own opinion.
Did you notice that wonderful scene in which Parker and Cloud Dancing seem to be framing the US flag while talking about being a US citizen. I think the symbolism is splendid.

Also also the conclusion that being a soldier is not a bed of roses. Qute bold too.

I always wonder what Grant is talking about while the men are playing billiards. It seems to me he is criticising the brutality of war and the demonization of the South, our US friends can correct me if I am wrong please. That part is something that puzzles me quite a lot.

Oh, also the ending, when Grant implies that he could use that passage if needed, seems to be a way of telling us that he did use it in fact. Does anyone know about this?

[Ella]

I admit that I have a hard time to talk about this episode because I just don't buy it.
I can enjoy a few moments (Kruemi already mentioned this hilarious scene with Cloud Dancing in the hotel) and I really like the initial idea of the episode: Michaela, Sully and Cloud Dancing going to Washington to raise their voices for the Indian rights. Also General Parker, as a positive example of how Indians could integrate themselves into this new 'white' world order, was interesting. I don't think his appearance was meant to be valuated in comparison with Cloud Dancing, but just as an alternative. Gemma this is a great pic that also underlines this.

HOWEVER: The story got, imo, out of control and the script turned out to be the most ridiculous thing I ever watched under the titel Dr. Quinn. Josef Anderson did this (author of many great scripts like Portraits and Abduction) and I can only assume that he and some other people of the production team must have had a nice evening with a looooooooot of fire water and the sudden ridiculous idea to give Sully a past where he was a marksman at the army and shot a man from ambush. Sure, that's the Sully we know. NOT.
And never telling Michaela about this skeleton in his cupboard? Never having nightmares? Never feelings of guilt? The Sully we know?
Suddenly we hear this ridiculous story, when we learnt earlier that after Abigail's death he was in the woods and didn't care if he lived or died and then Cloud Dancing found him and so on and so on. Why suddenly another story. One that don't fit to Sully at all.
Only for this one reason: to create an exciting action storyline for this two parter. For me plausibility is the most important thing in a story, the basis, and if this basis is gone I don't care for the story anymore, no matter how hot Sully looks in his uniform or how dramatic the scene at the prison is.

And then such things like: Michaela and family at the presidents house, finding and using the secret way to the president's office and all that.

Washington Affaire leaves a bad feeling behind and even makes me angry, because the author (or the producers, who certainly had this idea) sacrifies the character of Byron Sully. That's the way I see it. Sully is not my favourite character, but I always appreciate the clear way his character was drawn; even when he did stupid things (Moment of Truth) he was true to himself and in-character. Next to Michaela he is the most important character, so it is important to have a continuity in his personality. It must remain believable and reliable.
Sully is a sensitive person of absolute integrity and highest morals. He isn't afraid to do what has to be done to prevent injustice or danger for his family and friends. And I don't think that he was unable to even kill someone if he had no other choice, but never, never, never from ambush, as an order, for no reason. Sully in the army is impossible for his personality, and the explanation they gave for this is not in the least believable for me, because they deny the basics of his personality, which can't be changed that drastically.

I can absolutely see why a lot of people like this episode, but for me it's a DQ-faux pas. Sorry to say that.

[Dr. Slicker]

Originally Posted by Gemma

We have both parts of the story again and we can shoose what to build our own opinion.
Did you notice that wonderful scene in which Parker and Cloud Dancing seem to be framing the US flag while talking about being a US citizen. I think the symbolism is splendid.

Thank you for posting this very interesting pic, Gemma. This seems to be indeed a symbol for reconciliation, at least from within the white men´s angle.
An important point for me personally is, that one can´t mix up highly different cultures in a hurry. Maybe it´s a matter of many decades and many generations, maybe it´s impossible at all. And the integration of Indians was meant to be an integration into the white world, not an adaptation of the Indian spirit to increase or enrich the white view of the world.

Originally Posted by Ella

Sully is a sensitive person of absolute integrity and highest morals. He isn't afraid to do what has to be done to prevent injustice or danger for his family and friends. And I don't think that he was unable to even kill someone if he had no other choice, but never, never, never from ambush, as an order, for no reason.

I second deeply. To see Sully as a cold-blooded assassin - cold-blooded in the moment of shooting at all - is extremely alienating for me and infringes my picture of him.

[Gemma]

HOWEVER: The story got, imo, out of control and the script turned out to be the most ridiculous thing I ever watched under the titel Dr. Quinn. Josef Anderson did this (author of many great scripts like Portraits and Abduction) and I can only assume that he and some other people of the production team must have had a nice evening with a looooooooot of fire water and the sudden ridiculous idea to give Sully a past where he was a marksman at the army and shot a man from ambush. Sure, that's the Sully we know. NOT.
And never telling Michaela about this skeleton in his cupboard? Never having nightmares? Never feelings of guilt? The Sully we know?

Ella and Doc I agree that it is not consistent to the plot lines in DQ but to Sully's character, well I could slightly disagree. I think Sully is the secretive type regarding his own life. He doesn't speak too much while Michaela is a chatterbox. I think he is a mystery to her in many aspects and more before getting married. It is plausible to me that he hadn't told her that as he didn't tell her about Daniel in Between Friends. And I think their relationship is interesting over the seasons because he is still the mysterious mountain man to Michaela and to us.

[Ella]

Yes, Gemma, you are absolutely right. This is an important side of Sully: to keep things to himself, or not to speak about the past or past relationships, people he had met in his former life, not even about his parents. He IS a man of mysteries. But not talking about this part of his life to the woman he wants to marry is different. It's one thing to keep some things private but another thing to keep things secret.
If I put myself in Michaela's shoes, it wouldn't be essential to me to know about people and relationships in the life of my future husband, (interesting, yes, but not essential), but I would definitely wanted to know if he killed an innocent man sometime in his past.

[Geertrui]

We see here another Sully than in the beginning of the series. Perhaps I’m too credulous but I believe that Sully was kind of transformed. The Sully we know by the time Michaela has arrived in Colorado Springs wasn’t the man he was in the army. The Sully in the war was a different Sully. He was serving the war, following the instructions from above.

This knowledge about Sully’s past don’t spoil my picture of him. Considering his state of his mind at that time (losing his wife and daughter), he was grieved and that can make people do things they never would do normally. After he has seen his dark side, he had realised that he won’t like to be a man who always says yes and follow the orders. And in stead of being obedient he chooses to find his own way, not minding what other people would say. He followed his heart. I also think that his intolerance of guns was a result of this incident.

I enjoy reading your point of views, it’s a very interesting discussion!

[Stina]

Originally Posted by Geertrui

We see here another Sully than in the beginning of the series. Perhaps I’m too credulous but I believe that Sully was kind of transformed. The Sully we know by the time Michaela has arrived in Colorado Springs wasn’t the man he was in the army. The Sully in the war was a different Sully. He was serving the war, following the instructions from above.

This knowledge about Sully’s past don’t spoil my picture of him. Considering his state of his mind at that time (losing his wife and daughter), he was grieved and that can make people do things they never would do normally. After he has seen his dark side, he had realised that he won’t like to be a man who always says yes and follow the orders. And in stead of being obedient he chooses to find his own way, not minding what other people would say. He followed his heart. I also think that his intolerance of guns was a result of this incident.

I think your analysis is very interesting and I agree with you completely, although I had never thought of it that way before. As you say, Sully has not always been the same person as he is now.

But I still think it's strange that he doesn't speak to Michaela about it. Maybe this is because he doesn't want to be reminded of and deal with the person he was then.

It was a long time since I watched this episode so I can't remember many details from it. I wish I was at the same place as my dvds right now.

[cooperkids]

I'm going mostly upon the comments posted here because this isn't one of my most favorite episodes, but I remember not being able to believe that Sully never shared this with Michaela either. As some have said, he is mysterious, but not secretive.

When they begin courting, Sully takes Michaela to a place where he had never even brought Abigail; so I see him as feeling as if he could share things with her that he might not have been able to share in the past with anyone. Michaela and Sully have already been through so much together at this point, that it seems impossible that he would never even have mentioned it before. This was a big deal in Sully's life. He lost his wife and lost his way for a time, and he has spoken of that many times to Michaela. Why would he leave that huge part out?

This episode had one of those totally ridiculous feels to me. The whole saving the president from an assassination attempt, the secret passage way, the Sullys becoming friends with President Grant and his wife, just way too much for me to swallow.

[Ella]

Originally Posted by Cooperkids

When they begin courting, Sully takes Michaela to a place where he had never even brought Abigail; so I see him as feeling as if he could share things with her that he might not have been able to share in the past with anyone.

Great point, Cheryl!!! I totally forgot that, but you are absolutely right.
This was such a powerful, meaningful moment and such a big gift for Michaela. As if he wanted to say: I'm willing to share everything with you and I have no secrets from you, I let you into my life, completely.
Now I'm even more convinced that the events in Washington don't make any sense. Well, to me.