Spoilers

“Buried Alive”

A traffic stop by Maxine leads to a a special episode of Picket Fences that examines the relationships of everyone involved.

I remember this episode, but I have to say I thought it was a holiday episode. However, it was simply a visit. Jill’s father returned and this episode had the flavor of the Thanksgiving episode from season one, which is why I seemed to remember it that way.

Maxine pulled Hayden, Jill’s father, over for rolling through a stop sign (something I think about every time I do the same thing) and things get out of hand. Maxine arrests Hayden, taking him down to the station. She says she would drop the charges for an apology, but Hayden refuses to do so.

In order to try and smooth everything over, Jimmy invites Maxine to dinner with them.

This triggers all sorts of fireworks that somehow ends up with an examination of the marriage of Jimmy and Jill.

It is a classic Picket Fences episode that goes into problem after problem, all stemming from each other. Each character laid out their personal resentments and their inner most dialogue to each other in an uncomfortable and suspenseful manner.

“Buried Alive” used events from the last year worth of episodes to inform the arguments. Episodes involving Maxine’s therapist, Hayden’s girlfriend, Jill kissing her former fiancée, Thanksgiving, the under sheriff drama were all referenced. I love the use of continuity. Despite the fact that these Picket Fences episodes feel self contained for the most part, they constantly use the things that happen as part of their lives. Just like real people.

I’m not sure that real people lay out their dirty laundry like the Brocks and those in their orbit do in real life (without complete devastation to relationships), but there is no doubt that it makes for riveting drama when they do it on screen.