Heh. I always saw Tim as a cat guy; I actually had this conversation when the show was running and we agreed that Tim wouldn't handle the co-dependence thing with a dog well. Also, like me, Tim doesn't do well with being handed unearned love - he wants to believe he's earned it. Unquestioning love I think is way more Frank. Oh yes. Dog guy.

erika, do you realise, I don't think you've put a word wrong on any of these characters? It's blowing my mind.

Erika, I'm not chiming in much, but that's not because I don't think you've nailed a bunch of difficult voices. You totally have, and I'm chomping at the bit for each next installment.

I think erika needs to be writing for "Oz" or "The Wire", is what I think.

He is back at the squad before sunset.
"Bayliss," Pembleton says, expansively. "Just the man I've been looking for. I need a Good Cop front and center." Movie shorthand for the magic that is FrankenTim. If he wonders what happened today, he gives no sign of it.

"I can't do it, Frank.I find myself wanting to pour holy water on him to see him burn. Then I'd dance on the ashes. I don't like it when I get like that, wanting to torture people."

"He's not people, Tim. He's Memorex. So, you want to be Bad Cop?"

"Haven't you been listening?"
Forget that psychic thing, Tim thought.

"He's not people, Tim. He's Memorex."
"OK, I'm Bad Cop. And...Frank?'
"Yeah?"
"Kick his ass."

"He's not people, Tim. He's Memorex."

I think I just shorted out, that line is so good. But is it out of sequence? Is it a direct response to Tim's wanting to pour water on Angelus, and not liking himself when he wants to torture people?

I thought so. Is it not?

Right now, it's set up as a back and forth, this way:

"I can't do it, Frank.I find myself wanting to pour holy water on him to see him burn. Then I'd dance on the ashes. I don't like it when I get like that, wanting to torture people."

"So, you want to be Bad Cop?"

"Haven't you been listening?"

"He's not people, Tim. He's Memorex."

"OK, I'm Bad Cop. And...Frank?'

"Yeah?"

"Kick his ass."

But the direct response would swap them, I think. Thusly:

"I can't do it, Frank.I find myself wanting to pour holy water on him to see him burn. Then I'd dance on the ashes. I don't like it when I get like that, wanting to torture people."

"He's not people, Tim. He's Memorex. So, you want to be Bad Cop?"

"Haven't you been listening? OK, I'm Bad Cop. And...Frank?"

"Yeah?"

"Kick his ass."

Something like that, so that the "I need a Good Cop" theme flows in sequence, with "torture people" line directly and immediately responded to by Frank - and lordy, erika, that "Memorex" comment? It's so perfect, because it shows both Frank's contempt for Angelus and also that he's been thinking about it.

But, anyway. My tuppence.

Um, I think you're right. Would you believe, I've had to struggle to write males, historically? I'm not sure where this is coming from, even though I heart procedurals. Reaction to to my all Estrogen All The Time household? Would really Love the TV gigs. Seriously, when the other little girls wanted to be Brooke Shields and Princess Diana, I wanted to be Steven Bochco.

erika, I'm wondering if there's any way for you to hook up and write for TV. You have an insanely good ear for it - the structure may be all yours, but Frank's voice is Frank's, damnit, not yours. And that's not a common gift. I can't do it at all - my own phrasing wants to creep in, every time.

I don't know, Deb. I mean, I gave that up, because the dream started about the same time I thought I was gonna grow up and run a detective agency/animal rescue,you know. And I can't necessarily run around and "take a meeting" at the drop of a hat.But I'm thinking of it again, I gotta tell you. Cause I still remember being twelve, my parents squabbling over some bullshit, cause they were breaking up, but every Thursday they got together for "Hill Street". That's heavy. And you think I sound like Frank? Wow. My brother and I used to play this weird game where we used to imitate my parents talking on the phone(Which was a lot more benign when we started than it was by the time we were too old to do it. )Pissed them off, too, because a. they were usually still on the phone when we would start off and b. nobody really likes to be reminded of how they actually sound, with the hmm, and uhs, and stuff like that.