Spare Parts




Today's episode being reviewed is Spare Parts. There are the usual story spoilers and lots of comments about Jim and Blair's physical attributes. Blair's mother Naomi appears in this episode. Keep in mind that I think Naomi is a strange, rude and thoughtless mother. For those attributes, I don't like her at all. But also keep in mind that if she wasn't like she was, Blair wouldn't be the wonderful, sexy, intelligent and attractive man that he is, so on the other hand, I love Naomi.

The basic story is there is a high-end auto theft ring operating in Cascade and Jim is determined to break up the little operation. Lots of really cool cars are being ripped off. A Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes. Funny thing is that they didn't want my 74 Dodge. Go figure.

The first scene with Jim and Blair has Blair in his great royal blue shirt over a white t-shirt and khakis. Jim is wearing a grey sweater and jeans. They manage to snag the driver of the tractor/trailer for the auto theft ring and he turns states' evidence and gives Jim the info to catch the bad guys. Jim is going to go under as the replacement driver but it turns out that our little Jimmy can't drive a big rig. But more about that later.

The big news in this episode is that while Jim, Blair and Simon are talking about the thefts, Simon's phone rings. He is all huffy when he yells at Blair about giving his phone number to his lady friends. Turns out it isn't a lady friend, it's Blair's mother, Naomi. Blair wants mom to stay at the loft but Jim says no. He makes a silly remark about belching and throwing his underwear on the floor. As if Mr. Clean Jim Ellison ever throws his underwear on the floor. This leads up to a very cute scene. The guys are in this big rig where Jim is trying to drive, Jim's cell phone rings. It is Naomi again. How she gets the numbers is supposed to lead us to believe she knows all the right people since Blair hasn't given her the numbers.

Anyway, the scene is great. Blair is telling his mom to put her stuff in his room (how she gets into Jim's loft is not mentioned. A bit of breaking and entering?) And not to move Jim's furniture in spite of the unharmonic convergence of his arrangement. Already Naomi sounds like a ditz, but I'll try to be nice. Blair has on a great green, wool baseball jacket. I like it on him. Jim has on a brown plaid shirt over a dark t-shirt, brown slacks and a brown coat. Jim's hair is really, really short in this episode. Blair is nice and long. Jim is protesting vigorously with his hands and Blair is batting them away. I love their exchange all done without a word. Naomi is staying as far as Blair is concerned even though it's Jim's place. Blair certainly feels right at home with Jim, I'd have to say.

Oh, I almost forgot. The previous scene in the bullpen had Blair explaining about his childhood. He tell Jim his mother is a flower child, lived with Timothy Leary, and never stayed with any man very long, to Blair's advantage, he says, since he got taken to lots of sports events. There was a time when Blair even thought Leary might have been his father, but its not so.

It seems that when Jim volunteered to go undercover, he told Simon he could drive a tractor/trailer. What he forgot to tell Simon is that he never drove the trailer part, and he can't seem to get the hang of it. Blair gets to explain the ropes to him since he drove his uncle's rig one summer cross-country. Blair is a man of many talents.

We get to meet Naomi Sandburg and it is rather shocking to me. When the guys get home, Jim walks in and immediately starts sneezing. Seems that Naomi is burning sage to clean the air. She walks in and gets a full camera shot in a see-through lounging gown of some sort of clingy material. And I do mean see-through. Somehow it just doesn't seem very tasteful to me, but then I'm not a guy. I'd be embarrassed if my mother acted that blatantly to one of my friends. Jim's eyeballs almost fall out of his head. I do like the scene when Naomi hugs Blair. She puts her hands on his hair and tells him he is sexy and beautiful. She's right about that.

Jim is allergic to the sage and he sneezes away. Then he notices that his entire apartment has been rearranged and that Naomi is also cooking at his stove. The look on Blair's face while his mother rambles on about Blair's likes and dislikes is very cute. He's just kind of grinning and shrugging his shoulders at Jim. Then Naomi calls Jim "a pig". Very nice of her, don't you think? She makes some smart-assed remark about the police pigs. How rude! Sorry, I can hardly stand her at this point, and I think it only gets worse.

Jim and Blair have to go and meet with the bad guys and Naomi is irritated that she can't go along. In the hallway on the way out of the building, Jim makes some remark about Naomi being attractive and Blair tells him to take a cold shower. He's a bit put off that Jim was ogling his mother. Naomi tails the boys and sees them meet with Francine, the gang's leader in Cascade. Francine makes Blair drive away at gunpoint with Jim following in the rig. Naomi freaks and calls the police.

At the warehouse, the gang isn't too impressed with Jim's driving abilities so he tells them that Blair is the driver and he's just his partner. Blair negotiates shares for them both, hoping that the gang won't go for it. Blair has gotten a bit spooked at being undercover and has decided that he doesn't think he wants in on this one. In fact, he tells Simon and Jim he doesn't want to do it.

Then we have The Scene. The very embarrassing to Blair scene. Naomi comes to Simon's office and raises hell about Blair doing police work. When she makes some nasty remark about police in general but Blair says it's his choice. She comes right out and tells him to make another choice. Simon is really great. He sticks up for Blair, saying that he values his participation and that he does good police work. Naomi then tells Blair that he is not cut out for police work and that he has to chose, stay with Jim and Simon or go with her. Blair chooses to stay. There are cheers from the audience at this point and Naomi finally leaves. Good riddance, I say. Really, though, if Naomi had been a better mother, then Blair might not have ever been with Jim and luckily for us, she has part of the responsibility for Blair finding his way (eventually) into the arms of Jim Ellison. So for that fact, we do have to thank her. Thanks, Naomi.

Blair is of course upset after the confrontation with his mother and he nicely thanks Simon for sticking up for him. It is very cute when Simon throws Blair out of his office after Blair tries to thank him. I think Blair was all for hugging his Captain for a second. I love when Simon looks all gruff when he shuts the door, then he stops and this big grin crosses his face. Simon is beginning to love our Blair like a son, something that is really great to see evolve as the episodes progress.

Let's see. Clothes report. Blair has on his brown plaid jacket, a brown shirt and jeans. Jim has on his green coat with the brown collar that he wears quite a bit, a dark sweater over a grey t-shirt and jeans. They both wear jeans quite a bit in this episode. I love guys in jeans, in case you hadn't noticed.

So off they go to steal this Mercedes. The owner has a heart attack and Jim has to stop and save him. This pisses off Gary but Francine thinks Jim did the right thing. Gary doesn't like Jim at all so he finds Jim's address on a piece of mail in his truck and he follows them home. So much for good undercover work.

We are treated to a great shot of Jim getting dressed. God, that man has a great body. He has on khakis and puts on a really nice green shirt. Naomi is meditating in the middle of the living-room floor and Blair is making a sandwich. Jim stares Naomi when she finally stands up and shows her breasts. Blair smacks him on the arm.

Gary and Francine show up and they exchange words. Gary waves a gun in Jim's face and Jim isn't too happy. After Jim disarms Gary, Francine trusts Jim but Gary still doesn't even after Jim lets him live. Gary is up to something. He's decided to cut out Francine and go right to the head honcho directly.  In an all-time biggest gaff ever made on television since it's inception, Jim calls Gary, the bad guy, "Chief". How could he? It's an insult, not to mention breaking Blair's heart! Okay, I added that last part, but come on! Chief is Blair's special name! Oh, well.

There is a cute scene when Naomi tells baby stories about Blair. We find out he liked to play super hero when he was little.

I particularly like the scene when Blair is in Francine's office talking to her. We are treated to several really great close-ups of Blair. His eyes are just so gorgeous. He is wearing his red and green plaid coat, a denim shirt over a white t-shirt and jeans. Jim is out skulking around the warehouse wearing a denim shirt also, over a dark t-shirt and his brown coat again.

They decide to double-cross everybody and have Naomi pose as the ringleader of their own little band. They offer Gary money to steal the car, cutting out Francine. Blair is supposed to bring the money after seeing his mother off. Jim even gives Naomi a good bye kiss on the cheek. I love that great smile Jim gives her when he leaves to go to the warehouse.

Blair is supposed to deliver the money to Jim for the buy, but he doesn't show up with the cash. Jim is worried that something's happened to him, which it has. He doesn't know that Francine has snagged Blair and Naomi. Then for some reason, Francine takes Naomi as a hostage and puts her in the Lamborghini. Her getaway is unsuccessful thanks to Jim. He manages to stop all the bag guys with a few well-placed bullets in tires and uses his truck to stop Gary. Oh, and this is there the Ford is toast. Gary runs over the Ford with the rig. No more nice green truck. Naomi is rescued, too. Blair is happy his mother is safe.

The final scene is very sweet. Blair comes home to a loft lit in candlelight. We wear laughter coming from Jim's bedroom. Jim and Naomi. No, they are not, thank God!!! Jim and Naomi are camped out on Jim's bed where Naomi is showing Jim pictures of Blair from his childhood. They are eating tongue (Blair's favorite food) and drinking wine. Blair is a bit apprehensive coming up the stairs but he is relieved to see that they're still fully clothed. So am I!! Could you imagine? Blair's mother and Jim? What an awful concept. Jim is very interested in seeing Blair's childhood pictures because Jim is very interested in anything to do with Blair, as we all know. Good Jim.

So that was Spare Parts. Naomi shows up in two more episodes for all of you Naomi fans out there.

Fasten your seat belts. Second Chance is next. Maya is back!!

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