#redbadge

Red Badge-- Part of the Great 38 Rewatch

Okay, I don't need to tell you about this episode.  Almost everyone who participated in the voting had this one on their lists.  It's a classic and a tour de force for Robin Tunney.  It's not just the raw emotions that she gives us but also the subtle non-verbal ways her growing isolation is shown. 

Her clothes appear drab and in some scenes slightly too large.

Her arms are tight to her sides often with her hands in her pockets.

While she's almost always the most petite actor on screen, effort was made here through the way scenes were shot to make her seem tinier and even fragile at times (the overhead shots are used very strategically and create an interesting flow throughout the episode). 

Often she's facing more than one person from a disadvantaged position.  

Beyond Robin's work, there are some other key points in this episode that indicate to me that while Bruno and Simon may have said that they were not thinking about a romantic relationship between Jane and Lisbon, it's clear that Bruno at least subconsciously knew that there was something brewing between these two.  In the moments when she desperately needed someone to turn to, that person was Jane.  Sometimes she didn't even have to turn, he was just there.  He said he was "nosy" and that was why he came to Minelli's office, but it was obvious by his body language-- at Lisbon's side-- that he was there for her.  Even before that, he was obviously concerned that she was being forced to see the psychologist for five weeks when he had been cleared in one.  When she finally broke down in front of him it was because it was safe to do so.  She even let him "inside her head."  

"You know I'm always going to try to save you, Lisbon, whether you like it or not."  When Red Badge first aired October 6, 2009, we were still a little over six months away from hearing Jane say that to Lisbon in Blood Money.  It only confirmed what we knew after Red John's Footsteps and Red Badge.  

I hope you can find time to join us at 5PM EST USA, Tuesday Oct. 18, to watch #RedBadge.  We will be live tweeting as always.  

If you have any questions you can send me a message here or on Twitter through @FineWineOrNot.