(S01E08) "There was a time I was especially fond of you." Ellis to Alex
What does that mean? Did Ellis and Alex have a deeper relationship that we will find out about? Now that would be a good twist in this conflict between the Duques and the Samuels. From their conversation last night, I couldn't quite gauge whether Ellis just meant that she used to like Alex as a friend and business peer or if she was referring to a past romantic relationship.
Another good episode of Cane--it is truly getting better. Sadly, CBS still hasn't changed the time slot and sadly, Santo was not in this episode. I sincerely hope they are not doing away with him. But, on the bright side, some much needed developments happened last night.
The show is finally getting around to advancing some more of the storylines (i.e. Henry and Jaime/Rebecca). I'm liking Henry a little bit better. As I pointed out last week, Henry seems interested in the new master blender Terry. This was further developed this week. It's cute to see the handsome Henry who can get any girl he wants go after the quirky and kind of nerdy Terry. Henry seems to be learning a lesson about having to work for something/someone. It adds dimension to his character.
I never thought I would say this but I actually like the story between Jaime and Rebecca now. For a while they were just immature and annoying but now they have some more substance, especially Rebecca. The class difference finally came to head this episode with Rebecca's dead beat dad joining the Duque dining room table. Jaime, the young upstart that he is, acted like a fool while trying to defend his "wife," a defense she clearly didn't want or need. He also embarrassed the rest of his family with his disrespectful comments to their guest.
I wonder what will happen with the seemingly perfect and care-free young couple. Rebecca's dad did a good job of planting thoughts in Rebecca's head. Jaime will inevitably decide to break up with Rebecca after he realizes they are worlds apart. She seemed insecure and afraid of that rejection by the end of the conversation. And, Alona Tal is a very good actress. She's new to me. What else has she been in (if anything)? 
I think Alex is getting in too deep with the Cuban mafia guy. I understood Alex wanting to pay him back with work after the guy took care of the Israelis who beat up Henry. But when he came into Alex's office (commenting too many times on how nice it was) and offered his men as the trucking company for Duque Rum, I thought that this could get sticky for Alex. Also, Alex's declining the offer came off as a little hypocritical. Using the Cuban mafia is fine when you want revenge or don't want to go through police but not fine when it comes to a consistent business relationship? I suppose we'll find out whether dealing with this man was a good idea soon enough. By the end of the episode, Alex accepted the offer in exchange for help with his other brother.
Speaking of Frank, they need to balance this character out. Last week he was the good brother, working long hours while Alex went on a wild goose chase to Canada. This week he's a degenerate gambler. I'm fine with Frank having a multi-faceted personality but he flip-flops from episode to episode. That said, I loved him punching Alex who can be rather self-righteous in his attempts to help. That punch was a long time coming and was perfectly "in character." 
Finally, I loved seeing more of Polly Walker in this episode. I know I've mentioned this before but I have been a huge fan since HBO's Rome. She is actually the reason I wanted to give this show a try. I think having Joe Samuels betray her was a brilliant move. It makes him seem even more despicable and allows Ellis's character to get more complicated. I wonder how she will get herself out of trouble with the FBI?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-14-2007 @ 12:26PM
mildred said...
O.K. by now everybody knows my favorite character is Santo, I think he is an asset to this show, last week they only show his face once, this week (nada)nothing. Like you I do believed is a big mistake.the involvment of Alex with the mafia is something they should have given to Santo to deal with. Please CBS bring Santo back, many of my friends changed channels when they know he is not in.
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11-14-2007 @ 1:29PM
Boomstick said...
um, yeah. The writing is very uneven. Especially with Frank. His character is so weak he should be killed off as the cliffhanger for the end of the season. He has so many character flaws that he could never possibly redeem himself. They open the season with his Montague/Capulet romance with Ellis. Ok. Kind of a weak premise but I could go with it. Then he breaks it off with her. Then he is back on again. Then he finds out about his sister. He is so repulsed by this that he breaks it off again. Only to fall back into her arms when Ellis tells him that she and her father had a falling out. This could have been more believable if there was more of a setup for it.
And this week he has a gambling habit? What? No setup. no indication that it was coming. It's as if the writers wanted one more thing to provide a rift between the good brother and the bad brother. If they wanted a big rift, they should have went the other way, and instead of Ellis going to the Duque side, Frank should have gone to the Samuels side.
I think the character of Frank will be the downfall of this show. Every other character has a compelling motivation for their actions. Pancho and Alex being the strongest characters of the show.
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11-14-2007 @ 1:29PM
Boomstick said...
And what the hell is up with Nestor Carbonell's really bad posture and even worse eye liner?
Gawd. I hope they kill him off soon.
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11-14-2007 @ 2:35PM
BC said...
I really want to like this show but something is missing....?
I can't see a CEO of a major company being dumb enough to get mixed up (and now in over his head) with the mafia! Sure he "needed help" for his younger brother, but that should have been the end. Now he has hired them to deliver / be the trucking company for a major company -- come on the writers may be on strike but that is farfetched. And he asked for help with one driver stealing come cases each week promising him he would make it worth his time to investigate it and he his lost prevention department -- would it not the same cost in paying the mafia guy as it was the loss of the cases of liquor? Simpler and cheaper to deliver it yourself or get that driver fired? DUMB, yet he is a CEO? (glad I don't own stock in that company)
And shouldn't Alex have learned a lesson in that his younger brother's mistake was getting mixed up with "bad businessmen" yet he makes the same one (after he advised his brother about this same issue).
As for Frank getting into gambling I was watching this and thinking did I miss an episode because there were never any hints he was even gambling. I just felt that was rushed, as they could have dropped hints at some point in the first couple of shows!
At some point I would like to think the dad knew what he was doing in giving Alex the job -- yet it had just not been revealed yet on camera that he knew Franks problems (dating an enemy's daughter, gambling, stealing company money). Instead it just appears he walked away and has totally given control of the company he built to 2 idiots!
Where was Alex daughter and the mother this week --- totally left out of this show!!!!!
As for Ellis and Mr. Samuels -- I wanted the ending to be where he was the one that showed up to reveal him/his daughter put on a public show of arguing for everyone to witness. She needs to the bad guy and in it with the dad (by the way where is the son lately?) to scam and keep the Samuels/Duque feud going! I don't believe him throwing her to the FBI to save himself storyline and if the FBI have the "proof" the agent said they had then why wasn't there an arrest of someone? (and what big time person like Mr. Samuels would talk to the FBI without a lawyer present? glad I don't have any stock in that company either)
I guess Ellis and Alex had a fling of some sort years ago, which IF true would be stupid considering Alex hates the Samules since he was a young teenage boy when he shot that man during the kipnapping scheme and knew the Samuels were involved all along!
As I orginally said: I really want to like this show but something is missing....and now the storylines are getting outlandish. I hope it lasts for them to fix the problems and drop some of the plots but who knows with shows today!
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11-14-2007 @ 6:15PM
Toymao said...
Alona Tal is an Israeli actress (you wouldn't say that from her accent, would you?) and also a very succesful singer there, who was guest star in many shows (I recall her from CSI, but check her out on imdb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1775214/ ), but more importantly she was Meg on Veronica Mars (you know VM's only 09er friend, later a love interest for Duncan and the mother of his child), which part was written directly for her. She was initially auditioned for the role of Veronica Mars (which was obviously give to Kristen Bell), but Rob Thomas loved her so much he wrote a recurring character for her (which was - I think - the same situation with Ryan Hansen and the audition for role of Duncan resulting in the Dick Cassablancas character).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alona_Tal
Was this helpful Kristin? :)
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11-14-2007 @ 6:44PM
Kristin Sample said...
Thanks Toymao for the information about Alona Tal. I didn't really like her until last night's episode. But now, I am so interested in what happens between Rebecca and Jaime.
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11-15-2007 @ 6:37AM
Will said...
Count me in with those who think making Frank into a degenerate gambler was dumb and out of left field. There just has not been one little hint that he had this problem up til this point. Sometimes it seems like they throw these kind of plot points in there just to fill up some time. Anyway.
And about Alona Tal, she played Jo on Supernatural last season. She was a somewhat reoccuring character and I was suprised they didn't keep using her, Dean had a bit of a thing for her. Maybe this role came up, though, and she thought it was better.
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11-16-2007 @ 8:16AM
disculpame said...
Hi, The Frank character really is a mess isn't it, Boomstick? It says a lot for Nester Carbonell's acting ability that he can make credible at all these switches back and forth in character. If they don't smooth his character out soon, I think a lot of viewers will get frustrated with the show. I find myself thinking, "Why doesn't Jimmy Smits' character just say f*** it?"
In real family-run corporations, I don't think a retiring CEO, even if he were ill, would just turn over the company and let the chips fall. I think there should be vignettes of Pancho coaching Alex. The scene of Pancho telling Frank about his sister's kidnapping and murder is the type of scene I'm talking about. Some one-on-one closeness with Pancho as the mentor.
Count me in as one who really likes what the Santo character brings to the program.
I have a question: Has the hidden camera in Alex's office behind the fish tank been discovered yet? If so, I missed it.
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11-18-2007 @ 11:05AM
Juan Herrera said...
I am another one who loves the character of Santos. I think that besides his past he has proven to be loyal to Alex.
No one knows where Frank or Ellis characters are going to go. Frank with his multiple issues, and Ellis' intriguing revelation of being fond with Alex plus her father's accusations.
My wife seems to think that Terry is up to something with her father to extort money from the Duques.
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11-18-2007 @ 12:38PM
jazmn923 said...
wondering what song was playing during the pool party in "all bets are off" episode... had words like "take a little ride with me"... and "keep it comin' ". any help out there? thanks.
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11-20-2007 @ 11:22PM
joan gonzales said...
Can you tell me " Terry's " name. I'v tried looking it up on the Cane site, but no given name for her Thanks. Joan
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11-20-2007 @ 1:21AM
Kristin Sample said...
Joan,
I apologize but I don't know the actress who plays Terry Greenway's name either. I will check the credits tomorrow night. I would like CBS to update their Cane site with a few of the cast members (i.e. Santo, Terry, and the Cuban mafia guy--I don't even remember the character's name).
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11-20-2007 @ 11:44PM
joan gonzales said...
The character of Terry [ master blender ] is a doll face....reminds me of a cross between Nicole Kidman & Meg Ryan ! I'll be waiting for your enlightment Kristen. : ) Joan
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12-17-2007 @ 8:01PM
Youb said...
Terry is played by Rachael Carpani ...
found on imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955250/
Very nice actress :)
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