Amethyst

I was more invested in the missing sample than I was in the main case with the little boy. Was there a reason why they couldn't take a biopsy from a nearby area? It was a throat nodule, right? Good to see Marsha Thomason, I've always enjoyed her work.

IA. Once he dies, that's it. Odin is the Allfather of the Nine realms, leader to billions of people, and yet there's no mourning, or any real mention of him beyond Thor's visions. Even seeing people praying or sobbing back in Asgard would have sufficed. They did a better job with Frigga's funeral, easily one of the most moving scenes in the Thor series. Didn't like the Hela reveal for the same reason. It brings up too many questions that they made no attempt to answer. Was she Odin and Frigga's child? Where has she been all this time? How is her escape tied to Odin's death? And no one in Asgard remembers anything about the carnage? Them glazing over this kind of stuff was what I was concerned about when I heard that the movie was taking a more lighthearted tone. You could tell that they didn't want to get too deep into this so they could get to the fun stuff, but the emotional stuff is just as important. It doesn't have to take away from the humor.

It's really baffling how they dropped this plot without a second thought. The only way we would have remember its existence was Toby mentioning the job, months later. A waste of Jami Gertz, as well as the girl playing her daughter. This, 100%.

I figured that was the case. In the end, we see that the grandparents' brains have been officially incorporated within the hosts. I just wondered why they waited so long to do it? How long had this whole thing been going on, anyway? Maybe those men in the pictures had been guinea pigs to make sure the procedure worked properly. And if the party mainly served as an auction for Chris, then it would make sense that some of their "success stories" wouldn't be in attendance. The Armitages' probably wanted prospective buyers only. Ugh, even writing that sounds awful, but you get what I mean.

Dropping this plot was the biggest mistake they made with Kate's character. It had promise, introduced some new people, and gave her some much needed responsibility. Kate and Toby buying that expensive baby bath didn't bother me. I've heard of first time parents going overboard with stuff for the new baby, so I chalked it up to that. I'm enjoying these new perspectives on Rebecca's flip-out at the grocery store. Like it's been said (and very well by these posts!) that this stuff is just par for the course for the Pearsons. People around them are just a ready ear to listen to their problems, or worse, be the target of their wrath. Randall and the hardware store guy. Rebecca losing her shit to a customer as well as the manager. Toby (an honorary Pearson by now) throwing his weight around with a UPS agent. On and on. So even in cases when it's understandable, (like Rebecca's long buried grief about the loss of her child) it no longer comes across as sincere. These public outbursts are just manipulative now because the writers dip into this well so often. And it makes the Pearsons look like special snowflakes because they can't talk to the people who are actually involved with the situation, but rather to some poor sap who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I really enjoyed this movie, and I can see why Peele calls it a "documentary." Well acted by Daniel and I was too thrilled to see those awful people get theirs. There were some confusing parts, though. Those pictures that Rose had in her closet, had all those men been "taken" already? Or were they just prospective targets? We didn't see any of them at the party, save for Logan, the maid, and the groundskeeper who had been claimed by her grandparents.

This. Dad couldn’t run the toy under the wash before gifting it to his daughter? That thing has been schlepped all over and it’s covered in grime. I cringe when the little girl clutches that bear to her chest.

Was that Sublime's Doin' Time that young Kate was singing? If so, they finally got a nod to 90s music. I didn't like that, either. "I'm usually pretty funny, but I'm also big and powerful." I just felt really bad for the UPS guy, because what if he had told Toby to get lost? Would Toby have beat him up or tried to get him fired? Who knows, but I can understand the poor guy not wanting to find out.

I hated Toby's "I'm a big and powerful man" speech. I get that he was in grief and we saw a similar scene later with Rebecca. But in Toby's case, what would have happened had the guy said "get lost"? Would Toby have beat him up? Yelled at him or gotten him fired? That whole scene didn't sit right because it felt like Toby was taking advantage of a clearly smaller guy. And the guy was just a service rep, we're not talking about a manager or anything.

I was also wondering why Kate was staring at her parents while they were hugging. So glad that Kate and Rebecca had their moment. That did make me cry a little, I admit. I felt bad for Rebecca during most of the episode, because she was trying so hard to be there for Kate. Some of that was teenage hormones, but Kate can be pretty awful to Rebecca as an adult. So that hug was cathartic to watch. And I was glad that they sidelined Jack for this one. So often he's the perfect father, the rock of the family, I nearly expected him to save the day once again. It was long overdue to have Kate and Rebecca bonding, even if it was over their respective tragedies. Good for Toby for standing up to Kate about his involvement in the pregnancy, and how their excitement didn't make them lose the baby. Kate was wrong for that one. Not as cohesive as last week's, but this one did give a more hopeful ending.

I forgot this was the winter finale until evil ex hubby showed up. At least Jo sent the text. The no-technology angle was interesting. It really is something to see how medicine relies on it. But it makes sense, especially with all the minutia like taking vitals. It's important but time consuming, and healthcare professionals are stretched to the limit as it is. Does Carina have to say "orgasm" in every episode she's in? Is it part of her contract? If she's going to be nothing more than a caricature, can she please go away now? That little exchange with Alex and Owen was funny, right down to the kid giving Owen the evil eye. But I doubt his mother is constantly applying her makeup in the bathroom. Maybe she's doing drugs? I feel bad for Levi. Can't feel good to be the bumbling one around the brilliant Meredith Grey. Hated Bailey standing over the IT guy's shoulder and asking him to hurry up. No way in hell would she deal with that if the situations were reversed. I thought that, too. Something seemed off about him.

So did I. Seeing Kevin begging for help like that was wrenching, and hit a little too close to home. People around can tell he's distracted, but no one sees just how much he's falling apart. Thought the final scene would parallel last season when Randall had the breakdown and Kevin found him. Also confused that Kevin has been around several medical professionals and none of them have a clue about his addiction. Or anything, for that matter. The show kept saying that this would be when Kevin hit rock bottom, so I'm pretty sure they knew what they were doing when it came to "wanna party?" bit. Definitely seemed like Kevin would hook up with the teenage girl instead of Charlotte. And while she's under no obligation, I hope Charlotte sends the necklace back, assuming she has it. At least Kevin realizes that he's been incredibly fortunate in his life. Blessed with athletic talent. Got the girl of his dreams. When football fell through, he got cast in a hit TV show, then a major film. Got a second chance with the dream girl. And so on. Maybe that's why he's so reluctant to ask for help? He already knows he's been given a lot. Or was it seeing his father at a weak moment? Kid Kevin looked like he was going to cry when he saw Jack doing the Serenity prayer. He was so disgusted by Jack so he might not want to end up like him. Again, must give credit to the casting agents, because the younger versions even sound like the older ones. I thought Justin had dubbed his lines over Logan (younger Kevin) at one time. That "These Days" cover was terrible, imo. Should have just used Nico's version. Great episode for Kevin.

IIRC, when they took the Grandmaster’s ship, Thor asked why there weren’t any weapons on it. Valkyrie replies that was because the Grandmaster mainly used the ship for orgies. Thor then quietly told Banner “Don’t touch anything.”

Finally saw it and really enjoyed it. I understand why they went with a lighter tone. Hemsworth was clearly having fun and he deserved it after being so somber in the past films. I will miss Mjolnir, but wow does that lightning make up for it. The family drama is one of my favorite themes of the Thor series. The context of the elevator scene definitely stands out. For Thor, it shows an remarkable amount of growth. He doesn't hate Loki or wish him ill, he's just done with him. Thor has a fulfilling life beyond his family, and he's tired of wondering what craziness his brother will do next. So Loki moving to Sakaar only gets a shrug from Thor, as it should. For Loki, this scene highlights his immaturity, his selfishness, and it also means an end to the only real connection he has to someone else. I think Loki stopped wanting the throne a while ago and just wanted the attention. Now he'll no longer have it from the person that matters, and it's a rude awakening for him. I wish Odin had had this same poignancy. Granted, the Loki-as-Odin was hilarious. However, his death was moving but way too short. Frankly, the whole Hela reveal was poorly executed. So Odin has another child, but she's a murdering psychopath? When did all this happen? Did Frigga even know? I'm assuming Odin had Hela before he married Frigga, because no way would Frigga had exiled her child like that. While the juxtaposition that Asgard gained its fortune through corruptible means was interesting, Hela's existence is too large of a plot point to be done on the fly. Blanchett made a good villain, but she was pretty 2 dimensional. Walk in, destroy stuff and make a speech, rinse and repeat. Also, it didn't help that Hela and Skurge were on Asgard the whole time while the real stuff was going on in Sakaar. For the first time, I didn't care about seeing Asgard. It was just too removed from everything else. Even the stuff with Heimdall didn't really interest me. Shame, because I'm glad that Idris Elba finally got some badass scenes. The way the Warriors 3 went out was bogus. These aren't random Asgardians, they're Thor's best friends and Fandral didn't even get a line before he was slaughtered. It really should have been them standing with Thor in the end. They didn't even get a mention. This felt like they were really trying to scrub this film of anything extra from the other films, but the Warriors 3 deserved better. Guess I should be glad that Sif wasn't there. Loved the Hulk. Loved his newly formed speech, his childish temper, and his hilarious rapport with everyone. So glad he was in this. Question for those who read the comics, does this still lead to Planet Hulk? Valkyrie...what can I say? Such a badass and I can't wait to see more of her. Loved how her fight scene mirrored her introduction, with her striding the Bifrost. Only the second time, no drunken stumbling and she was proudly wearing her Valkryie armor. Absolutely loved her. Goldblum was perfection as the Grandmaster. He might play the same character, but he nails it every time.

I was skeptic about the whole "ghosts of the past" plot, but it ended up really poignant. They managed to weave the past and the present nicely without screwing everything up. I thought it would have been nicer for Christina to actually be present (like FaceTime) but can't have everything. Unfortunately, not everything else worked. DeLuca and his ex (what is her name, anyway?) were so obvious, I was surprised it took them that long to hook up. And it didn't work anyway because they had no chemistry. We know nothing about her, and that pithy speech from Big Sis about her brother still being hung up on his ex? Please. Ex girlfriend can leave, and take DeLuca's sister with her. It feels like they're throwing anything at the wall for DeLuca to see what sticks. Wasn't he in love with Jo? I can't blame Bailey for rolling her eyes at Ben's new profession. I forgot that he started off in a different path in medicine before he went to anesthesiology.

Randall's stuff was so predictable, I was glad he got told off. His discussion with Beth was the smartest thing he did all night. They're not going to win Deja over by demonizing and fighting her mother. For now, they need to meet halfway. Something tells me Deja won't end up with them permanently. There's no doubt that Rebecca and Jack loved Randall and would raise him in a loving home. But I can see the judge's concerns. As a Black man, Randall would have entirely different experiences in life than the rest of his family. We've seen that several times in the show. And if he has questions about why things are the way they are, he'll inevitably go to his parents. But it's different to hear the explanation from someone who realizes it's wrong, versus someone who understands it because they experienced it themselves. The judge had to keep all that in mind. But he did understand his own bias, so it was smart of him to recuse himself. And the right decision was made in the end. Kevin must have some serious money to get 3 rings, even if he wasn't planning on keeping two of them. I'm not opposed to the addiction plot, he's just so adrift. I was hoping someone at the hospital would somehow realize that he was high (or in withdrawal) and say something. Because wow, what a waste of time that was. He's obviously not in a good place for marriage, they could have spared us the rest. Since the actress playing Sophie is pregnant, suppose this is the reason they get rid of the character for now. But I don't blame Sophie at all, she was right. Kevin is the one who barged back into her life, now he's spiraling out of control and Sophie has no idea why.

The actual GFE scenes in the first segment were interesting, but the political stuff was boring. Hope they get better, because I'm a fan of Anna Friel. Liked the second segment more. But wow, Bria seems dumb. Factory life clearly isn't for her, but going after a sugar daddy this soon seems like a bad idea. I wonder if Ian is tapping her phone. At the very least, he can track the calls Bria is making. Same. The guy was scum and I have no sympathy for him. Loved the score in the episodes, especially the violins.

I'll really miss Rosario, but that was a nice sendoff for her. Will comforting Karen was a great moment, and I was glad Karen said goodbye to Rosario. It was also a nice way to bring up Debbie Reynolds' passing. And even if this mention wasn't intentional, it brought up Suzanne Pleshette, who played Karen's mother. I'm guessing Karen's mother has also died, it sounded like Karen mentioned her in past tense. This was the first time I've noticed any issue with Debra's acting. Looked like she almost broke character when they were talking about the dog.

I have a feeling that the judge's associate will sue Jo for influencing the judge to have the procedure. Even if he did sign the form. And that will force Jo out of hiding and she'll face her husband again, blah blah. If they're cleaning house, Carina would have been a good candidate. Talk about broad. Gun-gina? "My specialty is orgasms." Girl, bye. I'm actually OK with Amelia and Tom. They have more chemistry than Amelia and Owen did. Liked how Meredith handled the loss. At least she's using it to try to help other people.

That probably was the case. In retrospect, Kevin probably figured that his good looks and charm would be enough, and had little to no acting training. I just would have rather seen something else than him trying to betray his roommate. Kate probably became Kevin's manager/PR/handler/agent once she moved to LA. Guessing she quit night school.

Yeah, that was such a classic cliche. It felt like Kid Randall's issue with being rigid got sidestepped once he said he knew the truth about Kyle. That explains why he didn't want to to go the Larsen's house, but the rigidity clearly followed him into adulthood. What was the point of Kevin's plot? It would have made more sense to show how he got involved in The Manny rather than the meandering mess we got. But Kevin definitely deserved that verbal beatdown from Brett, along with the note from his (former) roommate. So did I. This episode had its moments, but it was OK. They are giving Mandy Moore some good material this season. The last scene with her in the past and present was the best one of the episode. I'm cool with her and Miguel, even if parts of it are retconned.

(while standing outside the women's bathroom) Kevin: "Randall, there could be a woman...pooping in there." Randall: "I know."

I'm cool with learning more about Jack's history and the introduction of his brother. We need a break from the looming death stuff anyway. I was also wondering why no one was searching for Kevin during the fundraiser. People knew who he was, and the hallway wasn't abandoned. Whatever. His addiction is clearly getting worse, and that last phone call was so depressing. Randall finally made some headway with Deja, although I still think he's doing this for his sake more than hers. It's good that he wants to connect, but it has to be on Deja's time, not Randall's. The girl's got enough to unpack. Yeah, Madison is annoying, but she had a point. Kate and Toby used to giggle and smirk at the other members of the group sometimes, back when they first started dating. Even so, Kate doesn't know shit about Madison's life or her personal issues. She acted like a jerk at the meeting and I don't blame Madison for calling out Kate's bullshit. I did laugh at the 180 when she learned Kate was pregnant, though. Something I forgot, I wish we could have seen Kevin hanging out with his nieces instead of just hearing about it in passing. I sometimes forget that the "Big 3" are related when they never actually hang out together.

Shaun had to lose a patient eventually. I don't know hospital protocol, but I'm surprised Glassman didn't pull Shaun off the case once he saw how attached he had become to Evan. Even Dr. Douche could see that Shaun was obsessed. Claire was kind of on the fringe and didn't have much to do, she could have taken Shaun's place. Glassman was right, false hope is cruel. I felt bad for the parents, but worse for Evan himself. Clever as he was, he was still a kid who wasn't ready to die. The father/son thing kinda veered to to the right. I though the son's secret would be that he was the cause of the whole thing. Like he accidentally mailed a souvenir that contained the parasites which made his father so sick. Not really getting how the failed romance paralleled his father's disappointment, but whatever. At least they made up and the surgery was interesting to watch. Kalu is interesting. He wants to be closer to Claire, but he keeps his patients at arms' length. Was that Penny from Gray's Anatomy playing the mom?

I also liked the Montclair couple. They were genuinely sweet and it was nice to see them admit that they would probably upgrade homes in the next several years. It's hard enough having a newborn, let alone renovating on top of it. Much luck to them. Wouldn't mind seeing them on a Where are They Now episode.