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214 - (TOEotT)     The Other End of the Telescope     03/07/01
A disgruntled waiter threatens the lives of Jake and Grace, and puts the future of the restaurant in jeopardy.

WRITER: Sue Paige and Daniel Paige     DIRECTOR: Bob Berlinger
 Brooks-Manning Lily    Grace    Zoe
 Sammler Rick    Eli    Jessie
 Ex's Jake    Karen
 Other Family Judy   
 Business  
 Significant Regulars Tiffany    Carla    Spencer   
Others
Capt. Patterson - Bruce Weitz
Lt. Saticoy - Kimberly Scott
Bennie Janetti - Devon Gummersall
Gian-Carlo - Carlos Ponce
The waitress - Pamela Evans
The waiter - Jon Cellini
The reporters - Elliott Francis and Nanette Harrison
Nana - Julianna McCarthy
The officer - David Campbell
The S.W.A.T. team officer - Matt Sigloch

PLACES:
Lily's house
Phil's Restaurant
Booklovers
   
OTHER LOCATIONS:
-

LITERARY REFERENCES:
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding - Elvis Costello

The Other End (of the Telescope)
by Elvis Costello and Aimee Mann

Shall we agree that just this once
I'm gonna change my life
Until it's just as tiny or important as you like?
And in time we won't even recall that we spoke
Words that turned out to be as big as smoke
As smoke that disappears in the air
There's always something that's smoldering somewhere
I know it don't make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
You'll see me off in the distance, I hope
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope.
The promise of indulgence in my confidential voice
Approached immortal danger but you'll never know how close
Then down the hall I overheard such a heavenly choir
They interrupted my evil designs
One day you are up in the clouds
The next thing you're down with the Sweet Adelines
(Chorus)
Lie down baby now don't say a word
There there baby your vision is blurred
Your head is so sore from all of that thinking
I don't want to hurt you now
But I think you're shrinking
You're half-naked ambition and you're half out of your wits
Or several tiny fractions that this portrait still omits
And it's so hard to pick the receiver up when I call
I never noticed you could be so small
The answer was under your nose but the question never arose
I know it don't make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
'Cause late in the evening as I sit here moping
With a bamboo needle on a shellac of Chopin
And the cast-iron heart that you failed to tear open
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope


INTERVIEWS:
Lily - Non Speaking - Staring at ring

MUSIC:
W.G. Snuffy Walden Production/incidental music

EVENTS:
Episode Timeline

Jakes Birthday treat
It's Jake's birthday and Grace has promised to work brunch to held her dad out. Lily and Judy both say that they had weird dreams, which I'm sure means something, what I have no idea. [These are bad omens in general, but possibly foreshadow Rick's moving in and Judy's world changing -- cac120] Rick shows up trying to make things right between he and Lily after the botched up proposal. Judy drives Grace to restaurant. Before any of this, our little Zoe is trying to make her dad a cake, but burns it. What a cutie. It's a Saturday. Grace is scheduled to work as receptionist for the first time. Zoe tries to bake a cake (making a complete mess). Note: The alarm goes off at 9:32am, then the smoke alarm goes off a little later. Foreshadow of other alarms.

You sorta asked
Rick and Lily have a brief argument about his "almost" proposal. She claims it to be blindsiding. He claims not to have had a manual. Either way, it's clear that she's upset that he never actually asked her to marry him, rather, he just implied it.

Here's Nana
Spencer brings his Nana for brunch at Phil's, knowing that Grace is working there as a receptionist.

Tiffany returns
Tiffany shows appears at the restaurant unexpectedly. She gives Jake a present she's held on to for some time - a date book with all his important dates already filled in.

The Prima Donna
Chef Gian-Carlo picks on the lowly bus-boy Bennie. Apparently, he picks on all those he views as beneath him.

He's got a gun!
The busboy "Bennie" didn't like the way the cook was treating him. He was asked to leave by Jake because of the tension between the busboy and the cook. Bennie came back to have words with the cook. When Jake questioned why he wanted to talk now, Bennie pulled a gun. The cook sees this and books out the back leaving the entire restaurant to be held hostage.

Breaking News
The news of the hostage situation is broken in three ways - Karen calls Rick, Zoe sees it on TV, and Judy arrives - all within 5 seconds.

The right thing to do
Karen and Jessie come over to Lily's to offer support. Judy and Zoe are there, and Karen's friendship with Judy is evident as they hug each other for comfort.

He's good in a crisis
Lily admits to the police that Jake is good in a crisis. He seems to prove this over and over again during this crisis as he attempts to comfort his guests and to protect them from Bennie. He first tries to have Bennie let them go, then he makes every effort to keep himself between Bennie and them. Eventually, it is he who talks Bennie into ending the situation.

I've got something to tell you
Tiffany tells Jake that she is pregnant. Interestingly, there is never any question about his role in it. A sign that Jake is growing up and able to take responsibility. He shows remarkable understanding of her needs and never questions or belittles her announcement.

Do the right thing - part 2
Jake finally manages to talk Bennie into letting the hostages go. Unfortunately, he chooses to have him "do the right thing" because he's "a good boy". Bennie takes this in the worst way possible. Eventually, Jake is forced to leave, and Bennie ends it.

You have me
When the crisis is over and Jake has cleaned up the mess, he sits alone at a table when Tiffany comes back. The fatalist in Jake finally comes out, bemoaning the likely end of the restaurant because of the suicide. He ends by saying "... I have nothing...", to which Tiffany responds, "...there's me...". Quietly, he pulls her to him and kisses her stomach - where their child now grows.

I sorta accept
Lily accepts Rick's proposal of marriage by coming down after the girls are put to bed wearing his ring, they hug and kiss. Very good scene. --Judyb414
After everything is over, Lily and Rick are in the kitchen together. He tries to let her know that he isn't going to pressure her, while she tries to tell him that she wants him in her life. Finally, she shows him the ring on her hand. Never actually saying "l accept".

          
EPISODE TIMELINE:
by westcott1212@go.com

SUNDAY
Day: A disgruntled waiter holds everyone hostage.
Night: Lily accepts Rick's proposal.


TRIVIA:

Original sequence
This episode was filmed as #213

Do it again
Some scenes in this episode were re-shot. They were not re-shot for continuity and the engagement scenes are from the original filming.

Guesting
http://boards.go.com/cgi/abc/request.dll?MESSAGE&room=a_Once_and_Again&id=59594
Carlos Ponce will appear in the Feb 21 episode.

Elvis sighting
All the episodes written by Sue and Daniel Page are named after Elvis Costello songs: "Mystery Dance," "Sneaky Feelings," "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" and "The Other End of the Telescope."

Happy Birthday
Grace's birthday card to Jake included a line from an Elvis Costello song - "What's so funny 'bout, peace, love, and understanding..."

Weren't you on that other show?
Devon Gummersall played Brian Krakow on "My So-Called Life" and Jake Roth on "Relativity."

Birthdays
Jake's birthday is in March.

Where's Phil's?
Phil's is in Evanston. Jake took over the restaurant three years ago, when Phil retired to Florida.

So, this is where ...
This is the first time Karen has been in Lily's house

After the fact
From Gail Shister at the Philadelphia Inquirer, 30 April 2001:
http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/04/30/magazine/SHIS30.htm

Once and Again's ratings have taken "a huge drop" since its season-high numbers for the "hostage" episode March 7, Herskovitz says.

The segment, in which a disgruntled restaurant employee with a handgun held owner Jake (Jeffrey Nordling) and dozens of patrons hostage, caused an uproar among die-hard fans.

"Our Web site lit up. Serious viewers thought it was exploitative and not what the show is about. There is something almost encouraging about that. We discovered how passionate our viewers are about the show."

FYI: The episode "wasn't what we originally intended. Internal problems forced a lot of reshoots and it ended up being formulaic. All it proves is that we're fallible and imperfect."

NIT PICKERS:

Quick Change
From sleepy, pajama-clad Grace to fully dressed and made-up Grace appeared to take about 2 minutes. This transformation occurred during a very short conversation about white fish.

Hair trick
At home it was straight and messy, she said she would brush it at work - but curl it too? -- Tunneldiver

Is Rick cold?
Rick arrives before Grace leaves and still has his jacket on when they find out about the hostage situation.

Two cakes
Zoe makes a birthday cake for Jake and there is another homemade one at the restaurant.

Timeline
The hostage situation begins and is reported during Brunch. By the time Rick and Lily arrive on the scene, it is dark.
About the time it was just getting dark outside, Jake had a five o'clock shadow that disappeared later on. -- Angela


Original episode spoilers
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
          
Art Smith Joyce Millman Robert Bianco Wanda Tooncer (Again) TV Guide Detroit Free Press Judy (ABC Boards) The Other End of the Telescope TV Guide
Tooncer (again) Zap2it.com TV Guide.com Click TV More Tooncer ABC Gist Tooncer Edmonton Sun ABC Boards

From Art Smith at Yahoo:
Once and Again: "The Other End of the Telescope"

Jake (Jeffrey Nordling) and Grace (Julia Whelan) are placed in a dangerous situation at the restaurant, where a fight ends up with a troubled busboy (Devon Gummersall) taking hostages at gunpoint. Later, Lily (Sela Ward), Tiffany (Ever Carradine) and others gather outside the establishment as the police try to negotiate for the hostages' release and prepare to deploy a SWAT team.

Back to top
From Joyce Millman at salon.com:

On Once & Again (10 p.m., ABC), Grace and Jake are taken hostage at a restaurant by Brian Krakow from "My So-Called Life." OK, by the actor who played him.

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From Robert Bianco at USA Today:

• ABC's superlative Once and Again (10 p.m. ET/PT) returns after a sweeps break. In an unusual episode for this normally soft-spoken series, Grace and Jake are held hostage by a troubled restaurant employee.

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From Wanda:
http://www.eonline.com/Community/Wanda/Trans/Archive2001/010305b.html

I miss Jake on Once and Again. Are they writing in any storylines for him?

Big time. He's going to find out he's becoming a daddy, because Tiffany is pregnant. A few episodes later, he starts cheating on her behind her swaying back. Charming, eh?

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From Tooncer at the ABC Message Board:
http://boards.go.com/cgi/abc/request.dll?MESSAGE&room=a_Once_and_Again&id=64018

Telescope is supposed to be dramatic but overall an "ok" episode. "Ok" in the sense that because it does go outside the norm of their lives into this highly charged situation, i.e., the hostage crisis, that it isn't the typical emotion-fest that describes most of the other episodes. Tiffany does tell Jake she's pregnant and there is a surprise ending, wink, wink, know what I mean????

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From TV Guide:
There is a full page of Rick holding Lily, who looks very distraught.
HOSTAGE CRISIS.

A Madman with a gun
14 lives in danger.
Tonight terror hits home.

The next page's Close-Up has a nice Photo of Jeff Nordling

"DESPERATE HOURS."

A series first centers on an explosive situation-one more likely to unfold in the movie work of Once and Again co-producers Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz whose producing credits include "Traffic." In this episode, a crisis unfolds at Phil's Restaurant when a run-in between the chef and a troubled busboy (Devon Gummersall) spurs the latter to take hostages-Grace and Jake among them-and hold them at gunpoint. Police officers besiege the place, initiate negotiations and prepare to deploy a SWAT team. As tensions mount and talks stall, the clock keeps ticking.....Capt. Patterson, Bruce Weitz. Tiffany: Ever Carradine.

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From The Detroit Free Press TV Guide:
Once and Again

One can never be sure how someone will respond to actions taken against him, and innocent people can end up threatened as a result. That proves to be the case in this new episode, as a waiter with a grudge against Jake (Jeffrey Nordling) decides to strike back by targeting the restaurant. Not only is Jake imperiled by the result, but so is Grace (Julia Whelan).

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From Judy at the ABC Message Board:
http://boards.go.com/cgi/abc/request.dll?MESSAGE&room=a_Once_and_Again&id=63777
March 7: "The Other End of the Telescope"

A disgruntled waiter threatens Jake and Grace and puts the future of the restaurant in jeopardy.

A crisis unfolds at Phil's Restaurant when a run-in between the chef and a troubled busboy (Devon Gummersall) spurs the latter to take hostages---Grace and Jake among them---and hold them at gunpoint. Police officers besiege the place, initiate negotiations and prepare to deploy a SWAT team. As tensions mount and talks stall, the clock keeps ticking. . . . Capt. Patterson: Bruce Weitz. Tiffany: Ever Carradine. Lt. Saticoy: Kimberly Scott. Spencer: Marco Gould.

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From Lyrics:

The Other End (of the Telescope)
by Elvis Costello

Shall we agree that just this once
I'm gonna change my life
Until it's just as tiny or important as you like?
And in time we won't even recall that we spoke
Words that turned out to be as big as smoke
As smoke that disappears in the air
There's always something that's smoldering somewhere
I know it don't make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
You'll see me off in the distance, I hope
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope.
The promise of indulgence in my confidential voice
Approached immortal danger but you'll never know how close
Then down the hall I overheard such a heavenly choir
They interrupted my evil designs
One day you are up in the clouds
The next thing you're down with the Sweet Adelines
(Chorus)
Lie down baby now don't say a word
There there baby your vision is blurred
Your head is so sore from all of that thinking
I don't want to hurt you now
But I think you're shrinking
You're half-naked ambition and you're half out of your wits
Or several tiny fractions that this portrait still omits
And it's so hard to pick the receiver up when I call
I never noticed you could be so small
The answer was under your nose but the question never arose
I know it don't make a difference to you
But oh! It sure made a difference to me
'Cause late in the evening as I sit here moping
With a bamboo needle on a shellac of Chopin
And the cast-iron heart that you failed to tear open
At the other end
At the other end of the telescope

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From TV Guide:
http://boards.go.com/cgi/abc/request.dll?MESSAGE&room=a_Once_and_Again&id=63482

In Big Bold letters in a whole page ad for the show it says: Hostage Crisis, then adds:

A madman with a gun .
14 lives in danger.
Tonight terror hits home.

There is a photo of Rick shielding a crying Lily.

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From Tooncer at the ABC Message Board:
http://boards.go.com/cgi/abc/request.dll?MESSAGE&room=a_Once_and_Again&id=61964

A disgruntled employee takes Jake and Grace hostage in the restaurant. Bruce Weitz from Hill Street Blues appears as a police officer involved in the SWAT rescue.

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From Zap2it.com:
http://tv.zap2it.com/news/networkupdate.html?15548
Jake And Grace Are Taken Hostage On "ONCE AND AGAIN" (2/28/01)

"The Other End of the Telescope" - A disgruntled waiter threatens the lives of Jake and Grace and puts the future of Phil's Restaurant in jeopardy, on "Once and Again," WEDNESDAY, FEB. 28 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"Once and Again" stars Sela Ward as Lily Manning, Billy Campbell as Rick Sammler, Julia Whelan as Grace Manning, Shane West as Eli Sammler, Meredith Deane as Zoe Manning, Evan Rachel Wood as Jessie Sammler, Susanna Thompson as Karen Sammler, Jeffrey Nordling as Jake Manning, Todd Field as David Casilli, Marin Hinkle as Judy, David Clennon as Miles Drentell and Jennifer Crystal-Foley as Christie Parker.

Guest starring are Audrey Anderson as Carla, Marco Gould as Spencer, Devon Gummersall ("My So Called Life" ) as Bennie Janetti, Carlos Ponce as Gian-Carlo, Pamela Evans as the waitress, Jon Cellini as the waiter, Elliott Francis and Nanette Harrison as the reporters, Julianna McCarthy as Nana, Bruce Weitz ("Hill Street Blues") as Captain Patterson, David Campbell as the officer, Kimberly Scott as Lieutenant Saticoy and Matt Sigloch as the S.W.A.T. team officer.

"The Other End of the Telescope" was written by Sue and Daniel Paige and directed by Bob Berlinger.

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From TVGuide.com:
The Other End of the Telescope

A series first centers on a dangerously explosive situation---one that would be more likely to unfold in the movie work of Once and Again co-producers Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, whose producing credits include "Traffic."

In this episode, a hostage crisis entraps Jake, Grace and others at Phil's Restaurant, where they're held at gunpoint by a troubled busboy (Devon Gummersall) who had a run-in with the chef. Within minutes, police besiege the place, initiate negotiations and prepare to deploy a SWAT team. As tensions increase and talks stall, the clock keeps ticking. . . .

Capt. Patterson: Bruce Weitz. Tiffany: Ever Carradine. Lt. Saticoy: Kimberly Scott. Spencer: Marco Gould.

Cast: Billy Campbell, Sela Ward, Shane West, Evan Rachel Wood, Meredith Deane, Julia Whelan, Susanna Thompson, Jeffrey Nordling, Marin Hinkle, Devon Gummersall, Bruce Weitz, Kimberly Scott, Ever Carradine, Marco Gould, Audrey Anderson, Carlos Ponce

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From Click TV:
http://www.clicktv.com/
Once and Again - The Other End of the Telescope

Description: A disgruntled waiter threatens Jake and Grace (Jeffrey Nordling, Julia Whelan) and puts the future of the restaurant in jeopardy. (In Stereo)

Performers: Billy Campbell, Meredith Deane, Marin Hinkle, Jeffrey Nordling, Susanna Thompson, Sela Ward, Shane West, Julia Whelan, Evan Rachel Wood

Airing: Tue 2/20/01 10:00pm CTV

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From Tooncer at the ABC Message Board:
http://boards.go.com/cgi/abc/request.dll?MESSAGE&room=a_Once_and_Again&id=60493

Someone will return to the show who has left and that someone will be pregnant.

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From ABC:
WEDNESDAY, February 21 as of 1/31 10:00 - 11:00

UPDATE (WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?) - (One Time Only) This replaces the former "TO BE ANNOUNCED" indicated for this time period. Synopsis and TV parental guideline will be announced closer to airdate (CLOSED-CAPTIONED) PLEASE NOTE: "Once and Again" will not air on this night.

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From Gist:
The Other End of the Telescope
http://www.gist.com/tv/article.jsp?adf=dr012701&lnk=feature

On Feb. 21, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling) and Grace (Julia Whelan) find themselves in a dangerous situation at the restaurant when a disgruntled waiter takes them hostage.

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From Tooncer at the ABC Message Board:
http://boards.go.com/cgi/abc/request.dll?MESSAGE&room=a_Once_and_Again&id=58825

There will be an episode where Jake gets taken hostage!

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From From The Edmonton Sun:

On Once and Again, she's Tiffany, the young girlfriend of lead Sela Ward's ex-husband, Jake. Earlier this season, it appeared as if Jake and Tiffany were headed for a split.

"I guess the fact that I just became a series regular sort of kills the mystery," Carradine said of that. "The plot will thicken. I don't know what I'm at liberty to say. But it's going to be good."

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From ABC Boards:
ONCE AND AGAIN --
"The Other End of the Telescope"

- A disgruntled waiter threatens the lives of Jake and Grace and puts the future of Phil's Restaurant in jeopardy, on "Once and Again," WED., FEB. 21 (10:00 - 11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

BRUCE WEITZ, BILLY CAMPBELL, SELA WARD
Photographer: CARIN BEAR
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