Twice in a Lifetime

Moonshine Over Harlem

Season 2, Episode 16, Aired 2/7/01

Episode Summary

After a brief appearence at a school, Charlie - a gang member in the 1930s and 1940s - is killed. Othniel tells him that he has redeemed his bad ways ever since, but that he can get a second chance anyway, to solve his conflict with the love of his life, Rose.''''Mr Smith follows Charlie back to Harlem during the Prohibition era, where Charlies interracial relationship to Rose is something strange and frowned upon. But the real problem is that Roses father is with the FBI, and that Rose will turn Charlie in. Now Charlie must somehow convince himself to get out before the deal that will be raided by the FBI, or get Rose to not turn him in.moreless

7.7

EPISODE RATING: Good

2 votes

Your Rating: 10

"Perfect"
Your Rating: 9.5

"Superb"
Your Rating: 9

"Superb"
Your Rating: 8.5

"Great"
Your Rating: 8

"Great"
Your Rating: 7.5

"Good"
Your Rating: 7

"Good"
Your Rating: 6.5

"Fair"
Your Rating: 6

"Fair"
Your Rating: 5.5

"Mediocre"
Your Rating: 5

"Mediocre"
Your Rating: 4.5

"Poor"
Your Rating: 4

"Poor"
Your Rating: 3.5

"Bad"
Your Rating: 3

"Bad"
Your Rating: 2.5

"Terrible"
Your Rating: 2

"Terrible"
Your Rating: 1.5

"Abysmal"
Your Rating: 1

"Abysmal"

Rate It

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Paul Popowich

Mr Smith (Season 2)
Al Waxman

Judge Othniel
Stephen Russell

Unknown

Fan Episode Reviews (1)

See All

Good time period, odd premise.

5.5

"Mediocre"

By Tony_Ferano, May 07, 2006 Report Abuse

This was an episode that, once upon a time, I watched repeatedly. I loved the fact that it took place during Prohibition and involved gangsters and G-men and all those good sorts of things. (I also enjoyed it because of getting to hear Paul Popowich play the jazz piano.) And I still love those elements. But when I watched this episode again recently, I found something very strange that reminded me of why I don't agree with the show's premise anymore and which seems to contradict everything.

Othniel says to Charlie during the life review that he has been paying for his crimes ever since he was arrested. He has "paid his debt to humanity, but now must pay his debt to himself." So he is sent back to be able to keep Rose as his love. But if he never got arrested, he never paid his debt to humanity, and all the good things he did are null and void because, frankly, they never happened. When I realized this, it seemed to me that the episode was saying that love was more important than anything else. True, they did go out of their way to show that Charlie was a basically good person, who loved his music, but he was still involved in the moonshine racket. And judging from the beginning of the episode, after Charlie got out of prison, he later went around teaching children about the dangers of getting involved with gangs and such. Mr. Smith makes no mention of Charlie doing any such things in his "new life." It was apparently only important for him to get Rose. Nothing else mattered, including the fact that all the people whose lives Charlie had touched before would now never have those experiences.

If one wishes to ignore all of that and to just enjoy the story, however, they will not likely be disappointed; especially if, like me, they enjoy the time period this episode is set in. And there's always Mr. Smith's excellent piano playing, not to mention that the fedora looks perfect on him.moreless

DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Write a Review

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

Trivia
- Help by adding trivia to this episode. Add trivia
Notes
- Help by adding notes to this episode. Add notes
Quotes
ADD QUOTES
- Judge Othniel: Mr Freeman, when was the last time that you were truly happy? So happy that the ordinary became the extraordinary, that every color looked brighter and every fragrance smelled sweeter? Mr Smith: But sir, what you're describing sounds a lot like ... Mr Freeman: Love. Edit
- Judge Othniel: Mr Freeman, you denied yourself love under the mistaken notion that you were no longer worthy of it. Without love, your life became a mere shadow of itself. Edit
Allusions
- Help by adding allusions to this episode. Add allusions