oddly, this stupid behavior STILL occurs--famous recent case in Florida why no charges?! Oh, that Monahan! and the DA?! much like "Ordinary People" and my own family what happened to Quincy's puppy?! In 1980, "Ordinary People" debuted and it eventually was awarded the Oscar for Best Picture. Two years later, "The Mourning After" covers a lot of the same material. Had this "Quincy" episode debuted before or much later, it would have been better--here it just seems like a copy.
The show beings one night. A group of stupid frat boys are tormenting some initiates. First, they get them drunk. Next, they tie their hands together and make them swim in the lake. Not surprisingly, one of the young men is killed during this hazing--and it's actually surprising more aren't killed. However, instead of seeking help, the jerks toss the body in a pool and pretend that he died there. Then, they make it look as if the guy might have killed himself. Some friends, huh? Now this story about the death is only part of the show and has little to do with "Ordinary People". However, the rest is about a mother, father and surviving son who struggle to deal with the death. And, EXACTLY like the film, the boy is the healthiest one and sees that there is a problem. The father behaves exactly like the dad in "Ordinary People" and the same could be said for the mom. The only big difference is the ending is far different and far less daring.
So is this any good? Well, it's certainly not original. But, if you have dealt with issues like the premature death of a sibling or child, then you will likely get quite a bit out of this. Considering my family had many of these same issues after my sister died, it was a bit cathartic to see. However, for everyone else, it's probably a bit of a disappointment, as it comes off as a bit preachy.
The show beings one night. A group of stupid frat boys are tormenting some initiates. First, they get them drunk. Next, they tie their hands together and make them swim in the lake. Not surprisingly, one of the young men is killed during this hazing--and it's actually surprising more aren't killed. However, instead of seeking help, the jerks toss the body in a pool and pretend that he died there. Then, they make it look as if the guy might have killed himself. Some friends, huh? Now this story about the death is only part of the show and has little to do with "Ordinary People". However, the rest is about a mother, father and surviving son who struggle to deal with the death. And, EXACTLY like the film, the boy is the healthiest one and sees that there is a problem. The father behaves exactly like the dad in "Ordinary People" and the same could be said for the mom. The only big difference is the ending is far different and far less daring.
So is this any good? Well, it's certainly not original. But, if you have dealt with issues like the premature death of a sibling or child, then you will likely get quite a bit out of this. Considering my family had many of these same issues after my sister died, it was a bit cathartic to see. However, for everyone else, it's probably a bit of a disappointment, as it comes off as a bit preachy.