'Once' More, With Feeling

by David Bianculli

3.5/4 stars

Thirtysomething," the groundbreaking drama created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, ran on ABC for four years. "My So-Called Life," their 1994 followup, lasted only one on the same network--a shamefully short run for a series so bold and beautiful.

"Once and Again," the latest Herskovitz-Zwick series, ends its run tonight at 10 after three seasons on ABC. The major shame this time isn't that its run was too short, but rather for this entire season, the network mishandled and scheduled the show so egregiously that even steadfast fans had little chance to find it.

Well, those fans can watch it tonight--one last time.

The beauty of "Once and Again," which launched in 1999 and earned Sela Ward an Emmy that season, is that it allowed itself to evolve. It began as the story of two people, Ward's Lily Manning and Billy Campbell's Rick Sammler, who had emerged from failed marriages and begun to love one another. Its distinctive gimmick, other than its mature approach and its interest in finding the humor and drama in everyday life, was having its characters address the camera, revealing their thoughts in black-and-white asides.

Three years later, many of the supporting characters have emerged so fully realized, they could carry their own show. This extended family includes not only Lily and her children (Julia Whelan as Grace and Meredith Deane as Zoe), and Rick and his children (Shane West as Eli and Evan Rachel Wood as Jessie), but Lily's sister (Marin Hinkle as Judy), Lily's ex-husband (Jeffrey Nordling as Jake) and Rick's ex-wife (Susanna Thompson as Karen).

These others aren't weakly drawn hangers-on. They have lives and loves of their own. Two weeks ago, Lily's daughter Grace pushed her crush on her teacher (guest star Eric Stoltz) to such limits that he left school; meanwhile, Rick's daughter, Jessie, realized she was gay, and came out with a school girlfriend.

With Rick and Lily now married for a year, this family works through its problems together under the same roof. For example, last week Lily's mother (Bonnie Bartlett), suffering from the onset of Alzheimer's, moved in.

Ward has been remarkable, and she's not alone. Every member of the cast deserves praise, having been given episodes in which to shine and made the most of each opportunity. Yet above them all, there are Whelan and Wood as the elder daughters, Thompson as the often overwhelmed ex-wife and, of course, Ward.

Tonight's closing hour serves up dilemmas, and plot twists, in the forms of seemingly blessed events, including a sudden wedding, a pair of lucrative job offers and other lifealtering occurrences.

"Too much good news," Rick says with a smile, as he and his loved ones try to process all the dizzying alternatives in this farewell episode. It's a well-written, well-directed hour, and one that ought to please fans.

At the very end, though, it's the actors who get the last words and give "Once and Again" its touching final notes. It's a powerful conclusion that is unexpected and unspoken--but very honest, real and touching.__ NY Daily News (April 15, 2002)

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