Observations while rewatching The Late Shaft

This remains one of my personal favorites, a light, entertaining episode that I can watch for the pure fun of it. It doesn’t provide much progress on the C&B relationship front, and can be watched almost anywhere in the sequence of episodes. I do not call any of the lighter episodes like this one ‘fillers’, as that gives the impression that the episode is not important to the overall flavor of the show.

Even though Rick has become accustomed to the publicity spotlight, he can still be star-struck by attractive actresses.

If I remember right, this is the first episode where the VotW is alive at the start, before getting killed. Well maybe not the first. At least he had more interaction than just running down the street before either getting a gargoyle to the head (Wrapped up in Death) or running into the side of a stolen car (Kill the Messenger).

Rick looked a little puzzled when Bobby Mann said “They want me dead.” Like he didn’t know what to do with the statement. But Bobby didn’t follow it up after the show, and that left Rick hanging, only to be told next morning that he was dead.

It took some convincing, but Kate was at least willing to humor Rick’s insistence that Lanie review Bobby’s autopsy in greater detail, even though she was reluctant to just believe him.

I’m rather partial to “She’s armed. He’s dangerous.”

When Rick sees Ex-wife No. 5, he says “She’s got crazy eyes.” He will say it again, in Overkill.

When Ellie Monroe calls Rick, he seems rather naïve, while Kate’s got her number. But the next morning, she seems rather casual with her “Lose the ‘I just got laid’ voice.” But we can tell it starts to bug her when he doesn’t deny it. Her facial expression when Ellie calls again was priceless. I’m bugged by his rather casual attitude toward a woman throwing herself at him, and it seems he just wants the feel-good sex without thinking she might have an ulterior motive (which gets exposed later).

Captain Roy looks pleased that Howard Weisberg went ballistic over getting scooped on his own star’s murder, by another network.

Kate, you don’t care that a beautiful actress is interested in Rick? Oh, really? It shows that you do.

Holy shift! (getting crap past the radar) Whatta car!

Zack Robinson. Good bad-guy name. Snakey Z, hard K, even has Rob in it. Rick likes names like these, I like his characterizations. In the interrogation room, his performance was cool.

A surprising observation for me was Rick’s cold, simmering anger at Hank McPhee during the final confrontation.

Then there was Kate offering Rick a “victory lap” after the case, but Rick has “a date”. Kate looks nonplussed until Rick says his date is Alexis’ return. Both their faces look pleased.