For a short period of time I watched “Ally McBeal”. Yes, as we’ve established, too much TV for the Andrei Monster. I remember most the character of Ling as portrayed by Lucy Liu. Ling had a glowering stare that was always accompanied by a growl.
Tonight was the episode that endeared me for a short while to the series and for a long time to the character. A young boy (played by then unknown Halley Joel Osment) is dying of Lukemia (sp?). Ling talks the boy into suing God. Not to ruin the episode, the child eventually dies.
This is the first time we see this character’s (Ling’s) ever shrouded human side. Ling tosses aside a cold remark after the boy is pronounced dead and harshly leaves the hospital. Hidden from any that know her, she bursts into heartbroken tears.
There’s a lot of talk about angels and whether or not God exists. Ally at one point tells the boy that she believes that blimps were made because God made men make the blimps to remind ppl that he’s “Up there looking down.”
In the final scene after Ally has finally cast off her last beliefs in any divine force she walks down the street alone and emotional at the passing of the poor child. A blimp passes over head and the LED readout says, “Just looking.” Ally is dumbstruck. In the distance we are treated to a shot of Ling, who verifies the blimp, verifies Ally’s reaction, almost smiles…and leaves as if her work is done.
I catch moments of crap like the abysmal program called “7th Heaven” which quotes biblical text and tries to put a spin on proper living.
Then I see a show about Demon’s with souls trying to atone followed by a woman oft described as evil, doing a purely good act in the most anonymous manner possible.
Faith, angels, the divine….. It’s real..but it comes from within far before it comes from without.
The most moving pictures I have seen in the past 6 months were characters defined as ‘evil’ or ‘mean’ in the throws of passionate sorrow. (Ling and Spike)
–True Beauty: is the honest faith in self that one can give selfless faith