Julie's Review of Over the Rainbow 

Ties to Australia, through people and marsupials persist in this bi-continental episode. When Jordan is visited by a stranger with an Australian accent, she finds out not only that J.D. had a brother, but that J.D. left her a boat. Meanwhile the morgue staff and BPD are trying to solve a mystery…could the culprit be a kangaroo?

This virtual episode was definitely a journey into the unique. It finally dealt with issues Jordan had to put to rest regarding her relationship with J.D., but it required a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief for the reader in order to get there. During this episode, we learn that J.D. Pollack had a brother named Will—a brother who seemed to know everything about Jordan's and J.D.'s relationship, including issues related to Jordan and Woody—but Jordan never knew of Will's existence. That one premise was difficult to comprehend, especially given the fact that J.D. was (before the night at the inn) ready to propose to Jordan.

The "B" story was out there as well, but it was definitely creative and many layered, as the culprit could have been the ex-wife, who switched the pills; the ex-wife's boyfriend; or a Kangaroo named Sylvia.  The artwork that showed Woody acting out the part of the Kangaroo was hysterical.

Though the plotlines were a bit sketchy, Nynaeve delivered excellent conversation with some interesting pairings. Seeing Kate rib Woody about having the M.E. thing covered spoke to Kate's being part of the "family", as her comments were more teasing than her usual contempt.  Additionally, Nigel's attempt to be there for Woody was touching.

Three other elements were masterfully handled in this episode. First, setting descriptions were so detailed that the VS7 "viewer" could easily picture exactly what an episode "looked" like. The second item that was brilliant was the music. Using Hem's The Part Where You Let Go was well selected, as it so completely complemented the scene. Also when Woody turned off Kate's Four Star Mary song and indicated he was making the world safer for eardrums, music crossed a new threshold—it was used to add a touch of humor. The third well conveyed element was Big CJFan's and Nynaeve's artwork. Pictures like the hand with the pill bottle and the shot of the harbor with boats—the shots without faces—were as weighty in the episode as character pictures.

Though the storylines in this episode required a lot of suspension of disbelief, there were some important pieces of information conveyed here. We learned that Pollack either was working on a story tied to the death of Jordan's mother. We saw Jordan close the book on her relationship with Pollack. And we saw Woody accept that Jordan was doing what she was doing for a reason. So while the stories may have been a bit out there, the "takeaways" were substantial.