"JACKPOT (PART 2)" They Killed Him Off May 19, 2000

by
Gordon Hom

It's not like we were unprepared for this one, but it still is sad to see a regular cast member get killed off. Actor Jaime P. Gomez has been with NASH BRIDGES from the very first episode. The writers resurrected him, only to kill him once again. You knew something was up when Evan says "For the first time in my life, I'm really, really happy."

The moments we remember of Evan are his always revealing interactions with other characters: Evan's suicide attempt (Episode #92, from which a humane Joe rescues Evan), Evan's parting with Cassidy, (Episode #91, really the end of their innocent and sweet love affair), and his first meeting with Nash (Episode #1, in which a cantankerous Nash calls Evan a "mook.") Though Nash took Evan back into the SIU, Nash never really reconciled with Evan. Remember all those moments, Nash fans?

When you follow a show so closely for five years (like we have), the death of a character is really like the death of a close friend. What was missing from this 100th episode was a funeral. We needed to see Evan's funeral to give a sense of closure. What we get in this episode is Evan remembered as a friend, but he was also a brave police officer. Remember that Evan was introduced as a brash younger Nash who never quite measured up, so a police funeral would have been meaningful.

Nash's reaction to Evan's death (while undercover) is tortured. Forget all the baggage of his celebrity nonsense aside. Don Johnson really is a fine actor, conveying sharp grief and laughing at the same, the agony of a man who must maintain his undercover facade of blustery machismo, while feeling the sharpest of internal pain. Actor Jeff Perry (Harvey) is not too shabby either, as we feel his intense grief too. In a spontaneous bit of acting, Jeff Perry/Harvey bangs his head on a box as he hangs his head down weeping.

The exit of Caitlin brings no grief, but a sigh of relief. Nash/Don Johnson looks like the cat that swallowed a giant canary when he says to Caitlin: "Anything lined up?" Yeah, just jumping ship to another series, back to the soap operas for me, no more of this cop stuff...

For more, see synopsis for Episode 100

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