The War at Home Push-Pull

Thanks to Marie’s comments about the elevator in my recent blog entry, I thought maybe it was a good time to examine the Goren and Eames relationship throughout The War at Home. What a mess of a story – on so many levels. Nobody had a good Thanksgiving weekend that year.


Goren is caught in between two incredibly strong forces, a dying mother who is his only connection to a much wanted and needed family life and his job which defines who he is and what he excels at. Pull-Pull

A third element pulls at Goren – perhaps unexpected to him. Eames is concerned for him. Not family and not really the job. Pull-Pull-Pull

Eames is caught as well. She tries repeatedly to be an ear for Goren and he continually brushes her off. Pull-Push. Perhaps it’s because she makes the mistake of always asking about his personal life in front of Ross. She could not have been more accommodating and concerned towards him in the first three-quarters of the episode. Then he walks out on the Deputy Commissioner and Captain Ross and sweeps everything off his desk. Eames has had enough and speaks sharply to him in front of the elevator.

Robert Goren doesn’t make mistakes very often, but angering your partner is a biggie and as far as she is concerned, it’s time to give him a good shake, so she challenges him for an explanation. PUSH and Pull. She’s worried that he’s jeopardizing his job. She really doesn’t want that. She has continued in a very comfortable (but dynamic) working relationship since she “acquired the taste” for his style.

Eames is saying “Just – I know….” when he cuts her off with “Back off”. What a pity we don’t hear what she’s about to say.

That “back off” was probably the comment that set her off. Boy, if they were married, he’d be eating cold shoulder that night. After offering him a warm shoulder, it got *really* cool. And he seemed to be baffled. What a guy! Goren is still all wrapped up in his own issues and had no idea he’d hurt her feelings. For a guy who can pick up subtle nuances in his suspects, he is so hopeless with Eames. Sometimes he treats her like a piece of furniture.

And what is she thinking as he walks out at the end saying “Fire me”. It was more than a message to Ross, it was a message to Eames expressing his displeasure with the cold shoulder.

We, the audience, are also feeling the Push-Pull. As Marie said, we want to hug Goren and make it better and we want to smack him to make him realize how obtuse he’s being towards Eames.

We feel for the loss of the daughter, but want to shake Dockerty for his stiff upper lip and high expectations he placed on her.

We know that Captain Ross insisted Goren work the case when he was the last person who should have been there, but Goren’s always the best man for the job.

Some of us will be annoyed at Eames for not being more understanding towards Goren. Personally, I thought she was perfect!

The War at Home is the 8th episode in Season 6 and was written by Warren Leight, Diana Son and Julie Martin. This is one of those episodes that leaves no one satisfied. Except maybe those of us who are happy catching glimpses of the intimate side (as my friend Susan so correctly refers to it) of the Goren/Eames relationship, however hard it is to watch.

Here is a video synopsis: