gesundheit

What a great ending to a lackluster season. I can't wait for White Collar/ Blue Collar/ People Who Think They're Too Special For Employment! I loved Reed's rant at FTC. He's a showman, he was cast to be a showman, and he did not disappoint. That was great television. He must have stayed up all night writing that, he looked so excited to be saying all of it. Highly entertaining. Reed and Josh didn't get to select their edit any more than Missy and Baylor did, but as the former are both entertainers in real life I imagine they were far more strategic about it in terms of what the editors could work with. Missy and Baylor talked plenty about Missy's divorces. They didn't both vote for Jaclyn. This hits a little close to home for me, admittedly, because I do work on a hotline for LGBT youth. But there are tens of thousands of Christian kids sitting around right now terrified that they're going to burn in hell because of their sexual orientation, or afraid that they will have to turn their backs on a faith that matters to them in order to be who they are and wondering if just removing themselves from the earth is the only solution. It's actually a big deal that they were on there showing that you can live as both (and on a show that is based on lying and backstabbing, I'm not going to ask them for perfect squeaky-clean Christian behavior in the context of the game show). I don't really think Jaclyn/Missy made a mistake by not voting out Natalie. Keith would've beat them too. I was sorry to see Keith feeling so embarrassed on the reunion -- he kicked ass as one of the biggest underdogs on the season! Why do they even let quitters come to the reunion? Anyway. Very satisfying results.

Oh no, of course not. That's why I was saying "if" she hadn't basically stolen the sperm for the insemination she'd have a case. But she did. So no case (even without the other false identity, etc, stuff).

I love that Jon talks to musician guests instead of having them perform (or just having them perform). I also love that Paul McCartney freely admits that he can be bought now. I find it refreshingly honest. I admit that it didn't land at all comedically (the whole thing really fell flat), but the whole point was exactly that: Klepper playing the ignorant idiot American who can only understand other countries based on one stereotype. (And of course also getting it mixed up with other countries.) The argument of the package was that Sweden's government is superior to the United States. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the responses, but it just seems like a lot of people are taking offense on Sweden's behalf when in fact the piece was very pro-Sweden and anti-US. But again, maybe I'm misreading the reactions.

I'm not in love with the teaser that most of the characters have really exotic and exciting/unusual jobs now. Most people with low-level clerical grunt jobs in local government stay that way -- even if they are hilarious and loyal. That's such a big part of the appeal. But of course it could just be a misdirection. So yes, yes, I remain cautiously optimistic.

Unfortunately I doubt it. He's walking into an established entity as a host, not a producer. I think he'll be a fresher, edgier late night host, but he'll still be a late night host. And he won't have the same awesome team of writers. It's sad. (It's not sad for him, it's a comedian's life long dream come true! Just sad for us.)

If she'd been on the level, it affects a lot. That's a pretty egregious piece of medical negligence. She could make a pretty penny.

Exactly. And had she not been sneaky about it and done the insemination behind Rafael's back, she would certainly have a case regarding a child that is her husband's bio-kid that was meant to be hers. That'd be one hell of a lawsuit. (Regardless of whatever this contract was that she brought up -- who's to say what it really said since we only got about one sentence explaining it.) And of course we can all do our legal surmising based on the numerous precedents of cases regarding accidental inseminations that were done on the down-low. Countless! I wonder if this show is going to be as awesome once there's an actual baby. Few shows are. I get nervous, so I'll enjoy it while it lasts. I miss Luisa again.

If it hadn't been for the fact that she arranged for the insemination surreptitiously, she'd still have rights to the child. That said, she'd share rights with Rafael, not with Jane. (In other words, whatever custody arrangement Rafael had with Jane, he'd have to then take that and split it with Petra somehow. But it wouldn't impact Jane's parental rights.) I agree with those of you above who find smug to be a bad look on Rafael. I'm ambivalent about him to begin with and that component is starting to make my decision a little easier. Which sucks! Because it's a pretty important part of enjoying the show. I could not love Rogelio more, though.

My fantasy casting list for them is a mile long. I cannot wait.

Me too. That was always the strength of the L&O franchise. I don't mind that SVU occasionally drops by the personal lives of the characters, but only if it's endemic to the CoTW. This is getting incredibly tedious. It's not why any of us are watching. I was very disappointed that we never got to see the hero dog.

Don't be silly now! Wendy is a lady-person who never murdered anyone and doesn't live by biker code, why does what she thinks/feels matter at all?

What I meant by "nobody has to do a challenge" is that you can just step down if you want to and be all, "Oops, I guess I lost this one." So you don't actually have to do anything even if you technically have to report for duty.

Much fanfare preceded MJM's appearance on this final season of Sons of Anarchy and he ended up having about 2 lines and 18 seconds of screentime. I hope he gets to do more here! I think we're meant to know they cannot. She was really phenomenal in that scene. Pretty impressive to think she was having to go so deep emotionally... by herself. Not to be too graphic, but if whats-his-name's member is sooooo freakishly large, how did fake-doctor go down on him so easily? Seems like it would be quite a feat even if one did not have a gag reflex. I have to say I was a little uncomfortable with the idea that the nail in the coffin of Jimmy hitting rock-bottom is that he's having sex with an obese woman. Because apparently that's just so awful. And then of course the twins offer to be servile to him forever. Eww. Also uncomfortable. But there's a non-freak blonde chick out there he's into, which is apparently the healthy choice, rather than a fellow "freak." Why can't a freak get the guy? Speaking of the non-freak blonde chick, not only is she poorly acted, but she's utterly milquetoast. Thankfully the previews seem to remember that she showed up there in the first place to kill someone, so playing Miss Morality is tedious. Sidibe's tenure was blissfully brief. She was so awful in this episode.

Color me shocked that we're at the penultimate episode and I'm rooting for Natalie or Keith. I certainly would not have predicted that at the beginning! This finally got fun. Nobody has to do a challenge. Any one of them can just sit there and forfeit. They don't, because it puts them at disadvantage in the game. Which is where she stands now: she can't win a reward, she can't win immunity, and she almost certainly cannot win Survivor. I'm fine with her staying.

Two things that cracked me up: Jax's "good choice!" response to Chibs' VP selection, as if there were any chance it would be someone besides Tig. Please. It's either going to be Tig or one of the glorified extras! Also, Jax's obscenely patronizing "Chibs, this is how to be a leader" nonsense. Jax was basically the club's little brother when this show started! David Labrava was very sweet in the aftershow. He was really proud that Happy was the only long-term character who "never lied" in terms of any of the internal club deception. Oh honey, he never lied because at least Sutter knew not to give you more actual dialogue! I can't believe after all that's happened, they still act like it's a fun honor to be patched in. Who the hell would want in on that club??!! That is massive overpraise of that child actor! I noticed that, too. With all the trips down memory lane, we never heard from Siff, Perlman, or Lucking. (Lucking in particular seems to have been erased from memory. Which is a shame, he was fantastic.) All said, I'm still hoping that snowball in hell will end in an Emmy nomination for Jimmy Smits.

Tricky show to watch. I'm frequently about to roll my eyes at how overwritten the characters are, but then I remember they aren't real, they're actually overwritten memories. Of course Helen didn't say anything that awful in therapy, of course Alison's mother isn't so heartless, etc., etc. But sometimes it feels like it's an easy way to excuse un-subtle writing. It's hard to tell. I also like to take sides, but I don't know who to judge because I don't know what's real! So it's not quite as fun. I mean I do know a few things: I know that there was an affair. I know that Noah and Alison both confessed to their spouses and were given a second chance by said spouses, and they both completely blew it the first chance they got. So as things currently stand based on the information we actually know, those are the two people I'm rooting against the most. Ruth Wilson's attempt at an American accent makes me completely insane. I do find it highly distracting. I don't know why West's bothers me less, but I think maybe it's because I'm used to his from other things. It was a local group, they did mention some sort of Hamptons-esque literary society. Noah resents being beholden to his in-laws for this money, but his lifestyle requires it. On his salary and his wife's, there is zero chance they'd be raising a family in Brooklyn. He's going to have to do a lot more than be annoyed about the money. He hasn't made any efforts to make the massive paradigm shift necessary for no longer taking it. I'm sad to think of the idea of an English teacher out there teaching America's teenagers that Romeo and Juliet's love was perfect and pure. Yikes.

I did love that ending. Valerie is awful but she wouldn't be if she were aware of how she is. And I love that she can seriously act and is being given the chance to do so (and it didn't even occur to her until the NY Times writer spelled it right out for her). Maybe being praised for that rawness will pierce through her haze of non-awareness, but then again, this is too cynical a show for that to last in any positive manner. Dear god that director. How horrible! And hilarious. That was a weirdly emotional episode to watch.

I'm going to be pretty sad if Luisa doesn't become a more regular character.

Wasn't he her father? I'm having terrible memory lapses with this show. I remember he presided over (?) the wedding, but I thought he was her father. The framing device really confused me. At first I was really excited and thought that they cut off Brandon/Callie's potential-whatever super-quickly. But then realized this was a flashback to when that was blissfully off the table. But pretty much any episode of this show makes me happy. It can be the worst episode and still the theme song and spending any time in that house makes me feel warm and cozy.

I was surprised to be saddened by Daniel's death. I'm glad both he and Emily acknowledged at the end that it hadn't all been a lie. Now Victoria just has more reason to hate Emily and she no longer has anyone being a voice of mild reason in her life (or anyone hating her in a way that actually bothers her). So just a lot more of the same, ultimately. I really think this show needs a paradigm shift, like Emily and Victoria needing to work together against a common enemy or something.... a frenemy story.

And what's he going to say when he gets to the hospital anyway? "Oh, I tripped and fell into a vat of boiling tar and then some chickens jumped in?"

I don't think she was in on it. I think that was just actual bad acting. (As opposed to Lange's most excellent bad fake acting at "learning" of the death!) I think it would be odd of Stanley to take Ethel's head. I mean wouldn't that be more of a superficial oddity that wouldn't really appeal to the museum? Anyone could glue some pubes onto a head and put it in a display case, right? I believe the surgeon actor (forgetting his name!) is also doing the voice of the psychiatrist. I'm wondering if that's for a later reveal or just for the actor to do more in the episode. I forgot where Bette and Dot were this episode? Does anyone recall why they weren't around?

I did enjoy the Chiklis cameo. It seemed a little silly that all 5 other main actors from The Shield had appeared but he hadn't. Charisma Carpenter's cameo seemed about as random as whats-her-name the waitress from earlier in this season, but at least the nursing home receptionist had a function. Did Jax ever find out Gemma's complicity in JT's death? It's all so far away at this point. Not that it would matter.

Yes, that's Julie Goldman.

Also, I don't really care about pooooor Liam. So if he doesn't pursue the line of work his gramps wants him to, he has to find a job and support himself after high school like most adult humans instead of being bankrolled by a multi-millionaire while he pursues an art career? My heart's not exactly bleeding.