I am watching the Season 3 DVDs of ELLEN, and though I thought I'd seen all of the episodes in their original run, this episode is one I'd missed. In it Ellen gets a mammogram and meets a woman named Chloe, played by Janeane Garofalo. The episode is very low-key and funny, with a real improvisational feel to it, though at no time does it lose sight of the seriousness of the issues it presents. It brings out the importance of having a mammogram, and it shows the fear involved in having one, but at no time does the episode preach. It is character-driven and lets the story tell itself, and the issues are present without hitting the audience over the head with them. It is beautifully written and executed. Ellen and Janeane have great chemistry and a fun give-and-take in their scenes together. This is my new second favorite (after The Puppy Episode) ELLEN episode. I don't know if it did, but this episode should have won awards. It is a shining example of telling a good story first and trusting the audience to get the message without having to spell it out to them.
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