Here\'s my thoughts on the episode:

- One of Elspeth Eric\'s best, though it still might have been even better. Once again, she liked to go into psychological studies, and that was particularly evident in the first act.

- It was evidenced by E.G.\'s comments at the intro to the same. (Makes me ask the question again: were E.G.\'s intros/outros scripted or did he do them \"off the cuff\"?)

He mentions the need some people have for \"power\", which, from every psychological study I\'ve seen or heard, in the end is what abuse of any kind is all about, child or otherwise. It\'s the need to dominate someone.

(And no, you didn\'t ask but I\'ll put my .02...I don\'t believe child abusers/pedophiles are \"born that way\". I\'ve heard the testimony of Bob Van Domelen (who, as an ephebophile, sexually molested post-pubescent boys including some of his students, spent time in a Wisconsin prison, and indeed is sorry and knows he DESERVED the punishment he got) on Dr. James Dobson\'s \"Focus on the family\" program...in addition, a woman I know who is very much the gay activist (her daughter\'s a lesbian) knows Mr. Van Domelen personally and quite much respects him. By contrast, lots of such activists discount and are even hostile to the message of people such as Mr. Van Domelen and his ministry.

I think if one knows the truth in the case of most true child abusers you\'ll hear variations of Mr. Van Domelen\'s story over and over and over and over again.)

- We never know the extent of the abuse of the girl.

Court Benson and Carol Teitel\'s husband/wife characters talk about the former\'s suspecting (or at least wondering) the worst, particularly after the bizarre incident with the clothing where he tried to show them his \"power\".

We know that, at best, she was abused hypnotically (if that\'s a word).

- A side note to abuse...note how Gwynne\'s character\'s crippled wife doesn\'t seem to say anything (though she may have felt it) during the clothing incident, or any of the other incidents.

A year and one half ago, my daughter, suffering from major depression, wanted to be and was hospitalized for two months. (She was 14 at the time.) One of the chief questions her counselors there were wondering was what her true relationship with me was - read: did I abuse her in any way.

Can\'t say that it was easy going through that, but IMO is was quite a necessary thing to ask.

When my wife was able to convince the counselor that I truly never had (in fact, I\'d have and still would give my life to protect my daughter from abuse of any kind) the counselor said words to the effect of \"Good...you wouldn\'t believe how many of the kids here have mothers who will not do anything about the men they\'re married to who abuse their kids.\"

Ms. Juster\'s \"wife\" character\'s behavior was the hallmark of such a woman...one who\'s likely been hurt deeply emotionally, yet through her choices in response to that pain has not grown out of the internal state in which she was pushed into, who basically is saying (sorry to put it this way) \"PLEASE DON\'T LEAVE ME! I\'ll do anything, anything, including letting you have your way with my/our kids, but PLEASE don\'t leave me.\"

Ms. Eric captured this perfectly.

- The RMT had its share of episodes with things TV that I recall at the time generally wouldn\'t touch. (And we were just getting into the cable age in a significant way around the time of \"Star sapphire\".) I wonder how much controversy, if any, this episode caused at the time.

- GREAT performance by Fred Gwynne.

- Finally, the music (what sounded like a combination of an electric organ interrupted by staccato marimba-sounding notes) used whenever Gwynne started using his ring on the girl was another RMT music bed that I always found interesting.

- My favorite music in this episode, however, is the powerful piece at the very end of the third act...used as a finale for a TON of great RMTS. Very apt here.

- One last thing about parents...isn\'t it interesting Gwynne got that ring from his father (and no, most fathers aren\'t bad men by any means, not the way so many of them are portrayed in today\'s media).

Was it used on Gwynne\'s character when he was his adopted daughter\'s age, or did he just watch his FATHER use it? We never knew and may never know that answer.

Whew... (Steps off the soapbox...)<br>