The message I got from this episode was a lesson in homophobia.

In a way, it wasn't so surprising that the Jordan was so quick to disown his son after discovering he was gay. Jordan's attention to his son seemed phony from the beginning. Maybe it was just the acting style, but it just seemed to me that Jordan was more interested in assuring himself that Tony had turned out as perfect as his violins, rather than just rejoicing at seeing his son for the holidays.

The AIDS diagnosis didn't seem to faze Jordan at all. But the wife confronts Jordan in one scene where she scolds him for treating fatherhood like making a violin. Monica emphasizes the point when she tells Jordan she is going to relegate the unfinished violin to the scrapheap because of a single small flaw. Not that being gay is a flaw. But Jordan obviously thinks it is.

I really enjoyed the story of this episode. Two women, both skilled photographers, should have been artistic soulmates. Yet instead we have a daughter who feels smothered by her mother, and rebels by going on a long trip without telling her mother.

The story is filled with clever plot twists which held my interest throughout. The mother giving up her art to sell herself as a sleazy nude model was really brilliant. And while some may have thought the brain tumor was bordering on soap opera, I thought this episode handled it with great sensitivity. The scene between the daughter and the mother's spirit was very original, and done very well.

If this episode was just about the dangers of smoking, that would have been fine with me. But the stereotyped tobacco exec and smart-talking lawyers really detracted from the rest of the plot.

My favorite line came when Vanessa was chiding her husband for being so quick to abandon their simpler happy life in favor of gaudy wealth. Marcus accuses her of twisting his words. And her reply is, "That's what lawyers do, twist words, twist the truth. That's why people hate them."

I enjoyed Ja'net DuBois' portrayal of Esther Hamilton. Kadeem Hardison (as Marcus) and Tim DeKay (as J.D. Sinclair) were also fine actors, but they were unfortunately saddled with characters that were one-sided to the point of being comical.

It is a common belief among many that journalists too often prefer to push their own political agenda over giving an honest report of the facts. In this episode, Rocky is a no-nonsense investigative reporter who is using her job to make up for past tragedies. In the end, her determination only causes more people to get hurt, forcing her to face up to the real reasons for her obsession.

The episode featured wonderful acting work, especially from Kay Lenz, John Randolph and Peg Phillips.

However, the story tended to strain credibility. In real life, Horace and Zelda would've had every reason to sue Channel 6 news for slander. Also, Channel 6 News would also have reason to dismiss Rocky for her recklessness (as happened with CBS News in Oct 2004 after Dan Rather tried to criticize George Bush's military service by using documents that turned out to be forged).

I enjoyed this episode because it depicted what life is like in a halfway house.

In Homecoming, Delta Burke plays a drug addict living in the streets. After being taken to jail, she is offered a chance to avoid prosecution if she accepts an offer to clean up her life through a halfway house program.

Della Reese is wonderful as the stern director of the house. She reads off a long list of restrictions, prompting one tenant to say that the halfway house is going to be worse than jail.

Delta Burke gives an affecting portrayal as Julia. Her confession of how she lost her son is really heartrending. Julia is very devout, but her faith only magnifies the guilt she feels over what she considers is an unforgivable sin. Many kudos to Burke for a magnificent job.