gesundheit

Yeah, that kind of bugged me too. They both had dark hair, that was about it. Completely different faces and body types, plus Marissa's outfit that day was because she was at a combat class, not because that's her usual look! I loved this episode and tried not to be bothered by the absurd conceit that (a) nobody would be working already on a Saturday and (b) Ri'Chard conveniently only needed precisely all this show's main cast members on this mission. For the most part it worked. I assume they won't follow up with Carmen or Marissa actually having to do egg-harvesting? I also wasn't sure why they said one half of the US would hate a kid from a Black egg donor and the other half would hate a kid from a Jewish egg donor. I do not think those are entirely separate halves! (But I got the point, just being nitpicky.)

Also, they had apparently kept their huge NYC brownstone this whole time and just went right back??

Now I'm sad it's over! I want more twists and suspects and madness! What a fun cast of characters. I'm honestly not as disappointed as I thought I'd be about the lack of resolution, although I still don't quite get the tunnels. I guess they were just going in there to obsess about the house? If they want to give me their terrible dangerous NYC brownstone, I'll volunteer to be the one to suffer through living there! Maybe they'll give it to me for free since Nora's living the high life off making a few bland vases! WORLD FAMOUS! I would totally watch another season but I'd be very sad have the show sans Theodora. I was sad to lose Mitch, too. And of course the dog and the ferret, R.I.P.

Absolutely dying laughing -- of course there's someone shooting up into their toes on the sidewalk outside their beautiful NYC browstone! NYC so scary!!! I friggin' love this show, it's just total utter batshit madness and I cannot get enough. The cast is amazing -- John's little deranged speech at the preservation meeting? Pitch perfect, I have to look up that actor (-- edited to add that duh, it's Joe Mantello and I can't believe I didn't put that together!). The Nora/Karen "cunt/bitch" showdown at the realty office was a hoot, too. I'm so sad there's only one episode left, this is funnier than anything I've seen in a while. Waiting for a big reveal on Theodora, who is definitely always wearing gloves for a reason. Mitch and Mo's dog is adorable, but I worry for pets on this show!

Okay now I feel like it's the son. Or a vast, vast conspiracy between the son, the PI, and almost everyone else on this show! I'm trying to think of how to even describe this show to people. Obviously people looking for a powerful, realistic true crime drama will be disappointed. Pulp camp thriller? Is that a thing? Campy pulp thriller? I don't know! Seriously bummed I have actual human obligations and can't binge the whole thing today.

It's SO MUCH RIDICULOUS FUN.

I can't discern any of it other than the fact that she really wants to sell that house again!! I'd been very sympathetic toward the daughter because her dad's so gross to her, but that was beyond. She's actually ruined her own future in many ways by destroying her dad like that, and she knew exactly what she was doing. Maniacal.

Okay WHAT? That was a hell of an ending. About 15 new suspects and a million questions! I did raise an eyebrow when such big name actors were killed off so early in the series, but I figured they'd be used again in flashbacks, not like this! I'm so scared that (I'm spoiler-tagging this only because it's something I saw that might be about the real-life story, it's not a show spoiler though):

I know the main two characters are pretty crappy, shallow people, but even Nora doesn't seem like she'd buy into Karen's commentary that much. Getting a little tired of watching her try to get laid because Karen told her that her relationship's doomed if she's not having daily sex (??? good grief, she's probably in perimenopause, I bet there's many days where she wants no one within a ten-yard radius of her girl parts!). I'm enjoying how they're testing our limited sympathy by having these rich people so haunted by their bankruptcy that they obviously bounced back from so easily, and continuing to live a life of luxury based on the idea that he's "going" to make partner soon, rather than their actual means. Gross. Also just cracks me up that they would even bat an eye about downgrading and moving. Oh no, living in a solid upper-middle class home that you can actually afford and not having your family's lives threatened regularly, sounds awful! I'm loving the flashback stories even though it's extremely suspicious that the PI would be able to get such unprovable, precise details!

That's good to know, being unfamiliar with the real story, because it means anything I've seen in passing about the real story isn't actually a spoiler. Also good to know because this series is highly stylized and entertaining and I'm really enjoying it but if I were to be worrying at every moment about credulity and verisimilitude, it wouldn't be any fun. So I'm glad to know I can stop thinking about whether it really happened like this and just enjoy the ride

I think this is creepy fun, and especially because the main characters are the worst. But of course I also don't know the real story and am avoiding it because I don't want to know, so I imagine for anyone who does know, the whole mystery/suspense of it is non-existent (kind of like how bored I am with A Friend of the Family, since there's no tension when I know what's going to happen).

I loved that. No shaming or calling-out, just a quick gentle note. And no mea culpa or nervous apologies, just "yup, got it." Progress! Yeah, we might get sent to the principal's office but it did not involve interacting with the actual principal. Vice principal or some other disciplinarian perhaps. Cracked me up that Gregory kept pointing out how discipline "wasn't his job." Teaching is like 65% classroom management!

The Kind/Martindale combo is incredible. I don't know the true story at all, what's it based on? Or maybe it'll be more fun to watch it without knowing? Poor little ferret.

Yes, I think there are extremist cults in many faiths. Kind of like your mainstream Mormons vs the FLDS. Those are not minor differences along some reasonable spectrum.

Oh was it brother? I remembered it as sister. But yes, same idea! And normally I'll argue in favor of keeping incorrect grammar in naturalistic TV dialogue, because that's how people talk. But people who are literally teaching grammar at the level where they'd cover that on a regular basis? That seems a little less likely for sure. It would be so ingrained, I would think.

Hit home for me, I had an ex who was a lot like Tariq (in so many ways!) who did all the cooking in a way that felt like it was to shut me up about how I was the only one even trying to pay the bills (which had not been the plan). The cooking involved googling recipes and then smoking a lot of weed and drinking a lot of whiskey while cooking -- and very by-the-book about recipes. Nobody ever believed me when I explained who did the cooking, from the outside people expected the opposite roles. Now I make my own food but I still "can't cook." Which reminds me, my own teacher brain cringed when Janine said, "My mother never taught my sister and I how to cook." But it's just conversational, it's okay! She's not my student!

Absolutely. I rewound the Happy Birthday scene so many times just to enjoy each "kid actor" once all the way through. They were freakin' perfect, even the one who did a faceplant in such a low-commitment real-kid way! Some children's acting coaches in Hollywood right now are really nailing it instead of churning out the old-school Child!Star! types. And the casting director here has a hell of an eye. You don't need a Master's in PA, no. Did Gregory get a Master's though, I assume? I don't remember a ton of details from last season but I remember he'd said that was the educational track he'd been on in school, so I was assuming Master's in Educational Leadership or something?

I kept thinking about how Lindsay's probably spent all these months feeling smug and vindicated, like she was right to be paranoid because they totally were voting her out -- until she watched the episode. I recently rewatched some of Season 1 and was surprised to be reminded how much the challenges really were some spin on "an actual thing you might have to do if you're stranded." Of course the challenges were very hit-or-miss back then but they were generally more interesting. Now I tend to just zone out until one team is almost finished. Yes, I think not being able to see the big picture the way we do on the screen makes a big difference.

Yes, that is 100% a wig, very common for women to use as a head covering. I've no doubt that both Alan and his wife absolutely know why they do these things, they just vehemently disagree. Alan's reference to Scientology was critical to the discussion -- Ezra is not just "more orthodox" in the same faith that Alan practices, he's literally in a dangerous cult (that promotes oppression) from Alan's point of view. This is a stark ideological distinction far bigger than "more religious than me" or "I should just respect this difference." I think it's wonderful that Alan is softening and realizing he can love his son anyway and lose the anger, and that Ezra is also seeing how cruel he was being. There's a way to move forward here with love -- that doesn't require Alan to submit to Ezra's extremism.

I don't think he has any interest in staying faithful to Lucy, it's just that he meant it when he said he found Diana disgusting now because she hooked up with Wrigley. He's really that gross.

Also I'm pretty sure there's no threat his son will murder him or anyone else. It was a bit odd considering why he's been HAVING to show compassion and understanding to that serial killer.

That's what I thought too, but then I didn't quite get the reaction. Like why was his oldest son so upset? And if it was evil of their grandmother to give the other kids ice cream in front of them because they can't have it, why wouldn't the younger kids have been more excited? I don't know, I can't quite get my own thoughts together on it but I would've liked a little more than just body language to explain each character's positioning in that scene, because we don't know those people well enough to read them easily. I guess the older son is all-in on the orthodoxy and was appalled? But then was okay because his dad came and sat next to him? It's funny because I usually get mad there's not enough subtext in shows these days and they always spell everything out, but here I am wishing they'd given us a few more explicit hints. Also damn, if you're going to abandon kosher eating, that was a pretty weak selection of treats!!

Yes, so relieved that we've finally checked in with Alan's outside world and that his loved ones are looking for him! I also appreciate that Ezra is realizing his own mistakes while Alan is doing the same thing. I didn't understand the thing with Ezra and the candies? I really couldn't quite read all those facial expressions and the struggle with getting the carton thing open. What was that supposed to signify?

Yes, this is all so painful to watch and so many people are just making the wrong choice at every turn, but yes, I cringe because of the embarrassing realism. And Lucy's completely inaccurate sense that she's the one with the upper hand in the relationship right now is so sad and pathetic but, yes, human. She really is only 19. Even in that sex scene at the end with her pushing the whole, "Do you see how good this is?" thing. Made my stomach hurt. I guess I should've realized that Wrigley is actually a last name but it's always so funny to me when one dudebro has literally everyone calling him by his last name only and then his brother, who is also a Wrigley, is just... Drew. And somehow there's no confusion. I didn't understand why Pippa didn't give Lucy more details about how Stephen threatened her and why. He has no leverage over her now, she could tell Lucy how he called her a cunt for telling about Diana/Stephen and then later dunked the camera. Although Lucy would probably rationalize why that was okay anyway. I was glad to see Diana isn't perfect! But she really is truly lucky to hate Stephen.

I love that the collateral damage just gets more horrific every episode. What I don't get is why Bibi is the only one of the five sisters who doesn't have her own subplot. Outside of the episode where we got her eye-loss backstory, she's the only one we don't follow separately. And I'd like to!