"THE BROTHERS MCMILLAN" Good Wife, Bad Wife October 26, 1996

by
Gordon Hom

There's black and white, right and wrong, and shades of gray in between. "The Brothers McMillan" explores these themes nicely using the institutions of family and marriage as examples. Within the McMillan family, a criminal family empire controlling prostitution and gambling, there is a "good" brother and a "bad" brother. In the marriages of Nash Bridges, there is the "good" ex-wife Lisa (with whom Nash has a daughter Cassidy) and the "bad" ex-wife Kelly. These associations are further reinforced by having the "good" brother involved with the "bad" ex-wife.

The differences between Nash's ex-wives are more clearly delineated in this episode. Lisa is the shrew, but a solid parent. Kelly is the flake, the free-spirited irresponsible artist. Kelly has a secret child, but is ultimately brought down-to-earth by Nash who re-unites the family of Connor, Kelly and Megan. This also writes Kelly (played by Serena Scott Thomas) out of the series. The free-spirited woman does not have the same latitude as the man.

Nash has the best of both worlds - he behaves like an unattached single man who moves from conquest to conquest, and yet Nash turns around and he's a respectable father. This is a schizophrenic quality that a lot of divorced people can appreciate or dread. The star persona of Don Johnson/Nash Bridges is that he possesses this irrestible force that draws women to him, and he being only human, he will take advantage. We've noted before that Nash Bridges is much like James Bond, a super-male libido in hyperdrive.

The other storyline of Joe's bar is another example of shades of gray. Joe's partner in the bar is Mrs. Nassiter, a gangster's mole - a policeman and a gangster's wife in business together. This combination becomes clear when Joe and Mrs. Nassiter confront a protection money extortionist - Blue Eyes fears Mrs. Nassiter more than the law. Blue Eyes offers up all his money and his watch to get off the hook. This is an interesting episode of NASH BRIDGES which signals the end of the Kelly character, and a possibly less complicated personal life for Nash Bridges. Nash is further reinforced as an unattached object of female desire.

For more, see synopsis for Episode 14

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