Episode Guide

Season 4

Episode 48- Tracks of my Tears

The Case

Once again, there is none.

What's Really Going on Chris?

Maddie is on a train back to LA. She has numerous dreams about David. The first is that he's turned into Pat Boone. The prospect of being a husband and father has made him "straighter and narrower" and totally boring. In the second Pat Boone-as-David dream Maddie admits she is not happy. The passion between them is gone (they sleep in separate beds!) and he's a totally different person, thanks to her. She admits she doesn't like the change, but concedes that it is her fault, he only gave her what she wanted. The dream continues and the real David shows up. He asks Maddie which David she wants. She picks Pat Boone-David and tells real David to leave. He leaves but turns around, breaks the door down, rushes to her and they kiss passionately. Maddie tells him that she needs him and that she needs this (their passion) but he disappears and she wakes up.
On the train she meets Walter Bishop, the man in the next compartment. They talk. She tells him that she's been married to David for 3 years and that he is the man of her dreams. That night she has a nightmare. She's looking for real David but he doesn't come to her this time. The dream changes and she has to operate the train to save everyone on board. She thinks she can do it, but when she looks at the knobs and dials they suddenly all relate to the decision she still hasn't made yet about what to do about David. She then crashes the train into the Blue Moon offices as she screams "there must be something I can do, some way out." Walter wakes her up from her nightmare. She tells him the truth about everything (or what she thinks is the truth- she tells him that David is not the father.)
At Blue Moon, Agnes finds out from Mrs Hayes when she calls Chicago that Maddie is on her way back home. She and Bert tell David Maddie's coming back. David is at first excited, but then becomes mad when he finds out Maddie didn't call.
Back on the train, Maddie and Walter talk and decide to do something crazy, to gamble in Vegas when the train stops. The next scene is Maddie returning to Blue Moon. The staff throw her a grand red carpet welcome, but scatter when David comes out of his office. They go to Maddie's office. David wants to "catch up," Maddie wants to wait. David gets angry, insisting he's waited long enough and starts yelling. Maddie gets mad and yells too. They argue and slam doors. David comes back and apologizes saying he just missed her. She apologizes too and says she missed him too. They agree to start over . They hug and when David starts to kiss her, she stops him by saying she's married. He doesn't believe her. She tells him she married Walter in Vegas- it was spontaneous. David still doesn't believe her and asks her about the baby. She tells him that it isn't his. He reacts with disbelief and sarcasm and then leaves her office yelling "congratulations."

Chris's Obsessive Analysis

Maddie's dreams show us the unconscience struggle within her. She wants David and finally (!) admits it to herself. She's no longer afraid of the "kind of man" he is. She is also no longer afraid of their passion, but now realizes it is something she wants and needs. She now is afraid that David will change into "Pat Boone" if he marries her and becomes a father. Everyone wonders, "why did she marry Walter Bishop?" This episode and the next two try to explain that, so I'll hold off until then. Walter is really not the bad guy here-really, please try not to hate him. He's really nice and funny in a David-like-but-lame way. David refers to Walter as Mr "Pawn", a chess reference and a play on Walter's last name. How accurate he is. Walter is really nothing more than an unfortunate pawn in the "game" Maddie and David continue to play with each other. This is Maddie's second attempt to be with the "kind of man" she thinks she should be with. She is still denying what her dreams told her (and the audience) she really wants. One other thing is clear, Maddie believes that the baby is Sam's.

Memorable Moments

The Pat Boone scenes are great!
The "Body Heat" inspired scene where David breaks down the door to get to Maddie- hot, hot, hot!
When Maddie returns to Blue Moon and is reunited with David. This is my all time favorite scene of the whole series (although I hate the way it ends :) The look on David's face when he hugs her is awesome. Bruce Willis should've won an Emmy for that look!

Links

Back to the Episode Guide main page
The next episode, "Eek! A Spouse!"
Brian's "Tracks of my Tears" page
Aubrey's Blue Moon Banter page for this episode