REVIEW OF "TRACEY TAKES ON...": Loss January 25, 1998
by Roger Reini (rreini@wwnet.net)
In many ways, tonight's episode of "Tracey Takes On..." was typical. But in other ways, it wasn't typical at all.
The topic of this episode was loss. In some cases, the loss was profound (the death of a spouse, the unwanted conversion of an umbilical cord into dog food ). In other cases, it was trivial (the loss of some hair or the remote control). In one case, it was both. And in another, it was positively revolting (Mrs. Noh's diet aid).
In tonight's long sketches, Fern learns that Harry's apparently been attacked and killed by an alligator on the golf course (I say "apparently" because no body was found); and Rayleen mourns the death of her husband Mitch -- but was he really her husband? And will she lose everything she has? In a shorter sketch, Sydney suffers her first defeat in court, and she doesn't take it very well.
The short bits: Ruby talks about the time she lost her remote control; Mrs. Noh describes her preferred means of losing weight (worms); Janie recounts an unfortunate side effect of mixing too many anti-depressants; Trevor describes losing some of his hair; Hope describes in great detail how she plans to lose her virginity; Sheneesha comments on the supposed link between airport x-ray machines and losing one's fertility (don't you believe it); HRH meets the Rolling Stones.
When the two major sketches both deal with such profound losses as death and utter ruin, one would not expect many big laughs. And there aren't many. In many ways, big laughs just wouldn't be appropriate. There are certainly humorous moments, but they are tempered by the grief and the pain that Fern and Rayleen are suffering. Both of them have lost their husbands, and Rayleen ends up losing everything she owns. Fern comments on the circle of life -- how one dies (Harry) so another may be born (their grandson), and Rayleen is demonstrating a patience and acceptance worthy of Job as her world falls apart. One rarely sees such philosophical matters discussed on television.
To quote from the book of Ecclesiastes (and the song "Turn! Turn! Turn!"), with a slight modification:
To everything there is a season And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time ... to think
Tonight, it was a time to think.
RATING: 3 bells (equivalent to 3 3/4 stars on the old scale)
NEXT: Agents
This review is Copyright 1997 R. W. Reini(rreini@wwnet.com)
