A PAIN IN THE ASCENSION

Let's just take a moment, before we continue with the salute to the Crossovers of the Week, to pay tribute to a TV character who passed away last night (even though she was blown away in 'Las Vegas' last week - literally!)

You wouldn't have guessed it to look at her, what with her small frame of little bird-bones, but Monica Mancuso was one tough-as-nails, hard-assed bitch. And I mean that in a good way.

"She must have slept her way to the top" would have been the kind of snarky comments cattily whispered behind her back; never once considering her ability to use her ambition and her determination to reach the top of the food chain in the business world.

But Monica really was more Trump than strumpet. You would expect to see such qualities in a male character who might have one day challenged The Donald for supremacy in the business world. But when it's displayed by a woman, then the knives come out in describing her.

It might have been because she was such a small, frail-looking wisp of a woman that led to her development of her Amazonian persona.

Or it could be that she was inspired by a family member.

It's possible - and we might never know now since her rise to the top came to an end so suddenly with a big letdown! - but it could be that Monica's uncle might have been a retired FBI agent named Nick Mancuso.

"Nico" had been dismissed by most of his superiors as "a lonely misanthrope with no respect for authority", but who bulled his way until he achieved his goals, no matter who got brought down in the process. (Mancuso probably retired from the FBI sometime after 1995.)

That type of attitude served Monica well as she ended up reaching her goal to acquire the Montecito, only to be brought down by the casino itself - and a good gust of wind.

Her uncle would probably tell ya she was quite a dame; one who made one hell of an exit.

Here's looking at you, kid. Up, up, and away!

('Las Vegas', 'Mancuso, FBI', & 'Favorite Son')

BCnU!
Tele-Toby

"When this passion called aspiration becomes lust,
When its flame is fanned by greed and private hunger,
Then aspiration becomes ambition - by which sin the angels fell."
THE CONTROL VOICE
'THE OUTER LIMITS'