The Future Me
For the casual viewer Shane's attention to detail when it came to Oliver's tie was a sign of how well she knew him. Hardcore fans remember that at the beginning of The Future Me, the appearance of a Windsor on a day other than Wednesday was a sign of the depth of Oliver's distress, a point about which Shane had to be educated. In the latest film Shane correctly identifies the Windsor of her own accord---he's also wearing it on Friday. |
Something Good
God Trying To Get Your Attention? It was just a chat between two besties in Something Good, but Becky Starkwell's proposition that perhaps "God is trying to tell [Shane] something, like stop getting hung up on unavailable men" finds its way back into Higher Ground when Shane attempts to discern God's Will when it came to her relationship with Oliver. |
Prompted by the revelation that Shane had a nickname, Norman and Rita discuss the nicknames to which they would respond. Despite indicating the opposite in the episode, apparently enough Rita would mind if Norman called her "Reets," which is why he's forced to keep trying in Higher Ground.
Dark Of Night
We Know A Hacker In Dark Of Night, Shane uses her hacking skills to break into the City Hall mainframe and track Michael's internal search activities to which she comments, "Now you see why Washington hated to lose me." And it seems that's not too far from the truth, as Steve came from Washington to bring her back as a matter of "national security" in Higher Ground. |
The Treasure Box
Who can forget the iconic montage sequence of Oliver and Shane reading Jonathan and Katherine's letters in The Treasure Box, particularly Shane casually sitting on the table opposite Oliver as he read? Not only is she perched atop available furniture in Higher Ground, she's reading her own letters aloud, their style closely matching those of Jonathan and Katherine.
"Why Did I Let You Go?" It was a heartbreaking line when read aloud from Jonathan and Katherine's letters, but even more painful to see play out in Higher Ground when Oliver asked, "Why would a man who obviously cares so much about you let you go if he didn't have to?" to which Shane replied, "I ask myself that question all the time." |
A Hope & A Future
Lost Dead Letters It was a box of lost dead letter from Terminal Annex that provided the POstables with the life-changing, decades old letter they delivered in A Hope & A Future. In Higher Ground, it was a twelve year-old dead letter found somewhere other than the DLO that made all the difference. |
For Christmas
Twin-ing The tap dancing twins from Telluride to whom Norman delivers his Dear Santa Project presents in For Christmas have nothing on the twin potatoes Norman and Rita end up raising in Higher Ground in this cute, but subtle, potential callback to the Christmas classic. |
Name Game "I see we're back to calling me 'Ms. McInerney,'" Shane quietly questions Oliver in Higher Ground. If you remember in For Christmas, Jordan calls Oliver out on it, too, to which Oliver responds, "I'm not sure why I do that." Of course, Jordan challenges him with, "I think you do." In Higher Ground, Oliver not only has a reasonable explanation for the formality, he has a formula for when it's ok to break away from it. |
Pressing On,
~C
Callbacks: Part I | Part II | Part III
P.S. Have you nominated your favorite SSD moments for A&D's 2nd Annual Mailbox Madness? You have until Friday at 11:59pm EST. Get nominating!