"BLACKOUT" Remembering Lisa October 17, 1997

by
Gordon Hom

"Blackout," the fifth episode of this new season, finally brings back Nash's daughter Cassidy, not seen since last season. "Blackout" should have been the opener for the new season, but due to the backlog of unseen episodes (or whatever scheduling reasons) is only now shown. There's several reasons for this - NASH BRIDGES began as a mid-season replacement and had a truncated first season with only eight episodes (though episodes continued to be shot). This backed up the second season with more than enough episodes, and still continues into the third season.

More evidence of this (that "Blackout" should have been the season opener) is the explanation that is finally given in this episode explaining Lisa's (played by Annette O'Toole) absence. Lisa has moved away to Paris to work in a restaurant there. Also established in "Blackout" is the addition of new SIU member Michelle Chan, introduced in the previous episode "Lost and Found."

"Blackout" nicely re-establishes all the important relationships in NASH BRIDGES by having Nash suffer a memory lapse, which gives cause to re-examine all of the relationships and characters. When Joe is testing Nash's memory, Nash runs through all the names of his ex-wives, daughter, and father. "Blackout" is one of the few NASH episodes to have a genuine mystery via Nash's lost memory (well, as much as the show can sustain a mystery) in which all the missing pieces are fitted together into a not-so-surprising ending. This type of noir story of murderous couples and double-crosses has a different feel than the typical Nash episode making "Blackout" one of the more interesting episodes in which Nash is not the know-it-all supercop, but a bit more vulnerable.

The new SIU member replacing Bryn Carson is worked well into the world of NASH BRIDGES with Michelle jumping right in. Actress Kelly Hu plays Michelle - she looks like an Asian Valerie Bertinelli, a sweetfaced girl trying to be tough. Michelle's comfortable in the 'Cuda, and has electronic lock picking and techno-wiz capabilities. Michelle rides a motorcycle so she dresses in pants and leather. Her aggressive stance is put to the test in the funny sexual harassment storyline, though the flip side is a serious one. Sexual harassment is viewed through male paranoia (Evan's desperation and horniness with Harvey helping out) which Michelle must ultimately brush off. The Bundt cake becomes an embarrassment for Evan and Harvey and a joke for Michelle, but Evan still has acquired the incriminating tape from Michelle - she's got nothing over him. And that chick magnet Nash has women coming out of the woodwork literally. When his unknown date rises up out of the floor, Nash doesn't even recall this Conquest of the Week.

For more, see synopsis for Episode 36

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