King of the Fleas, October 21, 1997

By Shirley

This is an extremely dark and intense episode. It plays like a play. It is so tightly scripted and well acted by the two principals - Harm and Willie/Roscoe - that the action outside of Harm's office and later, the courtroom seems extraneous.

My first thought at the end of this episode was that this must be DJE's episode for Emmy nomination this season. (I believe that TPTB try to have one episode per season that would be suitable for best actor Emmy nomination.) King of the Fleas is a real showcase for DJE's acting talents. All I can say is Wow! There was nothing overdone. He allowed us to feel Harm's complete devotion to his Dad. We felt his world crumple when Willie made his allegations. We struggled along with him as he fought to rebuild his faith in his father. And finally, we shared his triumph as he met the challenge.

Kevin Conway does an extraordinary job as Willie aka Roscoe. I didn't know how to take him at first. I was quite angry with him for messing with Harm. But that was the intention, wasn't it? We were seeing it from Harm's point of view. And is Harm obsessed or what? Quite a nice touch, to show us Harm, light-hearted and carefree, chewing on his pen as he strolls through the office, pausing in Mac's doorway to pass the time of day with her, wandering out past the elevator, and BAM! He runs into Willie. With the words "I chose you, Commander," Willie catches Harm, and us, in his web.

Is Willie a good guy or a bad guy? It's hard to decide. What is clear is that he is a victim of the Vietnam War, and not the only one. Harm is also a victim of this war. He changed instantly into an obsessed man at the mention of the prison camp. And the mind game between the two men is on. We see his complete and utter protective defensiveness of his father's good name, and his desperate fight to preserve it. And we get a glimpse also, of the bewildered and desolate young Harm in his eyes as he relates the fishing story. Harm cries for his Dad, and we cry for him.

The moment when Willie levered himself up out of his wheelchair, and Harm clasped him in his arms is incredible. This is the moment Harm accepts Willie/Roscoe as his responsibility. He is his brother's keeper. At the end of the hour, we simply have just the two men in an empty courtroom, weary and battle-scarred, with the accordion wailing softly in the background.

I liked the extra touches that serve as pointers to other facets of Harm's character: Harm offering, in a very matter-of-fact way, to help Willie in the washroom, (now how many people would do that?); or Harm asking for Mac's help, his eyes still damp with tears, desperate yet still able to understand that she does have the right to refuse; and finally, Harm taking off his MIA bracelet, and then putting it back on with renewed belief and resolve. His faith in his father has withstood a tremendous test.

I have a couple of final questions. Who is this guy Dalton? He looks shifty to me. Why on earth would Mac kiss him in public, or anywhere else, for that matter?
 

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