Episode #103 "The Cell Within"


Ferrariman

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  • 2 years later...

I got flack for asking who voted a 10 on every episode when we were all wondering who was doing it (even on really bad episodes), so I'm not going to ask about that.I gave it a 3.

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I also gave it a 3. This episode rather annoyed me with its superficial psycho/vigilante story.. There is a German word to describe precisely what this episode made me feel like: Fremdscham..

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Must admit I enjoyed it. Very very wierd episode but as a one-off was enjoyable. I would give it a 6, but as there was plenty of Tubbs (a rarity in the later seasons) in it I give it a 7

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I 'm one of the knuckleheads who like this episode. Tubbs does a good acting job, and there is a lot of tension in the story. PMT is always cool. :cool:

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  • 5 months later...

This was a very creepy episode,almost like a psychological horror film.This is an episode that would skip and not think twice.It was almost like Asian Cut but instead of a guy getting off on pain and torture you got an ex-convict having the desire to rid of people he see's "not fit" for society.3/10

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One of the worst episodes, that's for sure. Buy hey, it is is Vice and has Gina, PMT etc and some great locations like the Sterling Building on Lincoln road.

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  • 8 months later...

I know most here hate this episode, and go on about how horrible and bad it is. I agree it's not a famous or memorable one...but I don't think it's as bad as some claim. That kind of "butchering" only belongs with "Missing Hours" or "Cows of October". ;)However, I agree though that this one is pretty weird. It's creepy, and eerie, and I think it's supposed to be psychologically suspenseful...but it ends up being more bizarre, and kind of "sick" than anything else. :eek:But, it has its moments...despite the "bizarre-ness" and being somewhat whacked out, the acting was pretty awesome! Tubbs does a superb job, and John P. Ryan was outstanding as the psychopath, mentally deranged Jake Manning! :clap: I also liked the action/chase scene where Gina, Trudy, and Stan are after the goofy movie director Phelps! :thumbsup:This is not really one of my favorites but it's not one of my worst ones either. I give it a 5.

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Really didnt care for this episode - so un- Vice like . Poor direction and guest stars 2/10:thumbsup::cool::D
It's not really one I cared for that much either...but I thought the guest stars were okay. It was just a little too bizarre and whacked-out.
I know most here hate this episode' date=' and go on about how horrible and bad it is. I agree it's not a famous or memorable one...but I don't think it's as bad as some claim. That kind of "butchering" only belongs with "Missing Hours" or "Cows of October". ;)However' date=' I agree though that this one is pretty weird. It's creepy, and eerie, and I think it's supposed to be psychologically suspenseful...but it ends up being more bizarre, and kind of "sick" than anything else. :eek:But, it has its moments...despite the "bizarre-ness" and being somewhat whacked out, the acting was pretty awesome! Tubbs does a superb job, and John P. Ryan was outstanding as the psychopath, mentally deranged Jake Manning! :clap: I also liked the action/chase scene where Gina, Trudy, and Stan are after the goofy movie director Phelps! :thumbsup:This is not really one of my favorites but it's not one of my worst ones either. I give it a 5.[/quote'']
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  • 3 weeks later...

Although I missed Don, I did like this episode. PMT played his role well, but the star is John P Ryan who was excellent as the diabolical Manning.Very special kudo's also to Tim Truman. His soundtrack got the atmosphere exactly right. What a fantastic song, so pure Vice!In all fairness, I have not seen much of season 5 yet and was not familiar with Truman's work. I thought he would be an inferior Jan Hammer. Having heared some songs now, I have to change my opinon. Some great work was published by him for Vice.here is the song of this episode:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CiWNVFjmJo

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Although I missed Don' date=' I did like this episode. PMT played his role well, but the star is John P Ryan who was excellent as the diabolical Manning.Very special kudo's also to Tim Truman. His soundtrack got the atmosphere exactly right. What a fantastic song, so pure Vice!In all fairness, I have not seen much of season 5 yet and was not familiar with Truman's work. I thought he would be an inferior Jan Hammer. Having heared some songs now, I have to change my opinon. Some great work was published by him for Vice.here is the song of this episode:[url']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CiWNVFjmJo
I agree...Truman did do a pretty good job with the music after Jan Hammer left. I just think Hammer made such a huge impression and he was first. So, everyone is always enamored with his work. I am too...Jan Hammer is the "master" for sure! But, I think Tim Truman also did an awesome job, and I love a lot of Season 5, despite what some others think they know about it. ;) However, I still don't really care for this episode...it's all right but kind of too out-there and/or bizarre. :rolleyes: But, the music was pretty good! :thumbsup:
I know most here hate this episode' date=' and go on about how horrible and bad it is. I agree it's not a famous or memorable one...but I don't think it's as bad as some claim. That kind of "butchering" only belongs with "Missing Hours" or "Cows of October". ;)However, I agree though that this one is pretty weird. It's creepy, and eerie, and I think it's supposed to be psychologically suspenseful...but it ends up being more bizarre, and kind of "sick" than anything else. :eek:But, it has its moments...despite the "bizarre-ness" and being somewhat whacked out, the acting was pretty awesome! Tubbs does a superb job, and John P. Ryan was outstanding as the psychopath, mentally deranged Jake Manning! :clap: I also liked the action/chase scene where Gina, Trudy, and Stan are after the goofy movie director Phelps! :thumbsup:This is not really one of my favorites but it's not one of my worst ones either. I give it a 5.[/quote']
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The biggest peice of crap i've ever witnessed..This episode doesn't exist for me..It's in the same list as indiana jones and the crystal skull and batman and robin of things i'd like to erase from my memory

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The biggest peice of crap i've ever witnessed..This episode doesn't exist for me..It's in the same list as indiana jones and the crystal skull and batman and robin of things i'd like to erase from my memory
I'm getting the slight impression that...you don't really care for this episode. :p:) I don't really care for it either...which I usually love bizarre' date=' psychological, suspenseful episodes. But, this one just didn't quite come across for me. I can't really describe it...but it just seemed almost [i']too bizarre, or "out-there". The suspense and intrigue didn't happen.However, I don't think this one's the biggest piece of crap I've ever witnessed (that would be, drum roll, you guessed it...."MISSING HOURS"! :D ). It's not one of the season's best...but it's not the worst either. That belongs to either "Miracle Man" or "Jack of All Trades" ("M.M." wins between those two in my opinion).P.S. I didn't care for "Indiana Jones: Crystal Skull" either...I was disappointed. The other 3 were way better and more intriguing! However, I can watch "Skull" if I'd go through the whole series. Also, "Batman & Robin" was pretty goofy too...not one of that series' best either. :rolleyes:
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  • 7 months later...

Most of you don't like or even hate this episode... But for me it was one of the best in 5th season.

Tubbs thought that Manning really changed. It was naive. He hoped that nothing wrong would happen, but I think he should be prepared for situation like this.

I don't know why, but Manning reminded me of Hannibal Lecter a bit.

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Most of you don't like or even hate this episode... But for me it was one of the best in 5th season.

Tubbs thought that Manning really changed. It was naive. He hoped that nothing wrong would happen, but I think he should be prepared for situation like this.

I don't know why, but Manning reminded me of Hannibal Lecter a bit.

 

Unusual to read a positive review ref . The Cell Within Ingrid Indigo - welcome to a great site about a great show  :D  :fireworks:

Edited by Matt5
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  • 1 year later...

For me, I'm in the minority too, but I think it was one of the best in the 5th season too.  It addressed one of the main reasons for Crockett's burnout, in regards to the cynicism and futile attitude toward effectively stopping crime and carrying out justice (in Crockett wanting to "make a difference" but never feeling like he did, and how there were always new criminals to replace the old ones), by highlighting the "lighter" punishment aspect of not only American law, but Western law in general.

 

Jake Manning had an extreme personality to begin with, since he stated he never cared about the consequences of his actions, but after his "rehabilitation", this extremeness was taken to the polar opposite of the moral spectrum where he wanted to rid the world of all of its "evil" by using more extreme forms of punishment to instill these laws more forcefully, and also as a deterrent for others who may think of committing crimes.

 

His character was the hypothetical symbolic question to, "Well... instead of just putting criminals in jail while they relax and use taxpayer money with questionable outcomes if they ever do learn their lesson, why not use retribution as a stronger tool to instill into them to not break the law?"  Retribution in terms of corporal punishment and capital punishment, and thus the Hammurabi code of law (which is primarily about retributive justice) that Manning quotes, "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth."

 

Due to Manning's extreme personality in wanting to further rid every possible emergence of evil things, his form of punishment becomes increasingly more severe and strict as he judges not only illegal crimes (sending a murderer to an electric chair), but immoral behaviors (the prostitute willing to have sex with him), and even artistic expression (Robert Phelps work in glamorizing violence).  It was a metaphor for the slippery slope effect that society could develop in wanting to stamp out all bad/evil things, which would transform a democratic government more into a totalitarian/authoritarian one or a theocracy, which would lead one to think of the governments of other nations, such as China and the former Soviet Union (communist governments) or some Middle Eastern countries (i.e. Iran's theocratic government or those using sharia law).

 

With me, Manning seemed tortured by the cruelty of his crimes before being "rehabilitated", by asking Tubbs to imagine the mental prison (thus the title of the episode) of killing Dr. Martin Luther King, and having to live with that, it reflected Manning's psychological crisis in desperately trying to reconcile how to deal with the injustices of the world.  ...Or possibly a crisis in Manning's own existence as to why the Western justice system would keep him alive after all of the crimes he had committed (especially with murder) and how he felt "free" while dying.

 

His character failed to recognize the effect of the compassion, mercy, and redemption elements integrated into Western law, which was symbolized in Tubbs' character in genuinely believing that Manning had changed (and how Manning couldn't understand Tubbs' viewpoint and loathed the prison psychiatrist), unlike some to most Eastern countries where their laws and punishments are far harsher.  One example is the list of capital punishment offenses in the Asian world.  Ironically, if it wasn't for this same mercy and compassion within the legal punishment system, it wouldn't have given Manning a chance to "rehabilitate" and redeem himself (despite it becoming a very twisted form of that) at all, which would permit him to subsequently perform his type of punishment and riddance of evil in the first place.  Without trying to bring a heated religious debate into the topic though, one huge reason for this difference between Western punishment and Eastern punishment, is the influence of Christianity on Western society with its themes of redemption, forgiveness, and mercy.

 

 

...That was a review a lot longer than expected... but I felt I had to explain how I saw the episode, and how I enjoyed it so much since it worked on psychological, social, and philosophical areas of society and its definition of crime and punishment.  It was great metaphoric writing in trying to explore some of the social and legal dilemmas the series has been continuously alluding to throughout its run.

Edited by Vice Immersion
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