Kirsty

Matthew Morrison was excellent as the charming abuser. And I loved that his character has this stellar professional reputation, so that other doctors are fans of his and Richard is allowing him to scrub in within ten minutes of meeting him. That last bit was probably unrealistic but worth it to sell the bigger truth -- that a pillar of the community can be a domestic abuser. Why would people believe your ugly stories about him when they already believe him to be a saint?! I'm guessing the hackers taking over the hospital and turning up the heat because they "just want to show you they have control" is a metaphor for the controlling abuser who does sick shit for the same reason.

It's certainly better than Salvation, and that show recently got renewed for a second season on CBS. My understanding is that they're airing something else in its place for now, when the ratings count -- We're into November "sweeps" already, right? -- and then they're burning off the remaining episodes over Christmas when its dismal ratings don't matter a damn. So it's basically cancelled, but they're airing the remaining episodes for anyone who cares.

Jane drugging her ex-husband's tea is some dodgy soap opera plotting. Yikes. I guess it's something angry exes might conceivably do? Jane had decided her ex is the villain so she set a trap for him, and she is familiar with drugs... Still, that bit as well as the detective taking Jane along to the suspect's house at the end were the weakest parts of the episode for me. I really liked the conversation about Pete between Jane's sister and Jane's assistant. It seemed like the assistant couldn't help but defend him, even if doing so kinda gave her away. And I liked hearing their opposing takes on the guy. Uh, wouldn't you try to grab back the envelope of money from the lying drug dealer when he reveals that he never had the kid and doesn't know anything about it? Jane seemed so unconcerned about losing seventy grand afterwards that I wondered if she gave him prop money from her tv show or something. Ooh, I like the speculation about Lake's father. The bro-in-law and the director are both plausible, though the former makes for a much more dramatic storyline! I like Jane's sunglasses. They're cute.

I expect them to address it, but given that the show is about her mental health struggles, I don't expect her to learn and grow any time soon. Other characters can mature (see Greg and Paula at the start of the second season), but I think her character's journey is a downward spiral and she's going to get much worse. I really wanted her to talk to a therapist this week though. Rebecca and Nathaniel were sexy together, but man, that was fast. I was not expecting them to hook up in episode two. So, they're physically attracted to each other. And he might genuinely like her? But she's drawn to the worst in him! She was attracted to him when he was cold, selfish, and amoral, and not when he sent her a basket of girly things in the wake of the wedding fiasco. So if they dated she wouldn't want him to become a better person. I did enjoy that he was talking to his favourite person in his office and it turned out to be a picture of himself when he was winning! Lolz. I was glad when Rebecca confronted Josh in public and had it all out. I felt he deserved a scene like that, and literally leaving him at the altar was a lovely touch.

http://deadline.com/2017/10/marsha-thomason-the-good-doctor-bahram-khosraviani-the-brave-casting-1202190831/

Surprisingly enjoyable episode that had a lot going on. I like that some characters happen to be gay (two of Jane's employees and one at the police department so far) and it's not an issue, because that's how it is in real life. That's still not standard on tv and in movies so it's nice to see. They made the director look bad in this episode, between his tantrum and the motive Jane supplied for him. I just assumed that was a lie from Jane! I thought that was her way of getting rid of the detective. Like, it was her version of "Get some sleep". The appearance of Child Protection Services must be gratifying for anyone who was annoyed by Jane's parenting. Apparently the ratings held steady this week. PS. What's the assistant's motive? I didn't see that twist coming.

Amir doesn't run in or place any satchel. Amir just has to get on his bike as the villain's car pulls into the drive, so that he catches the villain's eye right before he puts on his helmet and takes off. Jaz sneaks into the fall guy's house while he's outside in the pool and leaves the bag in his bedroom. Then she sneaks out again, all while Dalton and Preach are on look-out. Yes, that was the same bag that our heroes stole while wearing masks. It was full of cash when they stole it. I'm guessing the cash was still in the bag when they returned it but it doesn't matter. The bag alone is enough to incriminate him. They're just that good?! Yeah, it wouldn't be that easy. But the house wasn't unlocked; we see Jaz picking the lock. And there's a security guy holding a gun by the pool. For the rest, you can handwave explanations -- Preach briefly took out the cameras and alarm, Dalton lets Jaz know when the coast is clear of security guys for thirty seconds -- or you can just roll with it! ;)

Aagh! I was so annoyed with the field team for having the same guy walk by the target twice! But I liked that their plan for saving Sofia was doubling down on that guy's appearances so as to plant suspicion on someone else. Anyway, I enjoyed this episode. I really like the Special Forces team; Heche and Glasses Guy are fine too, though I'm not a fan of the actress playing Hannah. But the show is too basic. Character and relationships are seriously lacking. I guess it's supposed to be straight-up plotty adventure every week, with the odd quip and tragic backstory subplot. And that's not for me.

Omg, that cute guy is Theo Huxtable! I would not have guessed.

Apologies for double-posting but I mistakenly posted this in the wrong thread five minutes ago. The show is really spreading the suspicion around. So everyone looks shifty as fuck, which must be why none of the men in Jane's life can have a clean-shaven face! ;) Her ex and her brother-in-law must have Sketchy Facial Hair. I guess the home help and her boyfriend are the first to get ruled out as suspects. And Jane's ex is obviously hiding his debts, while the personal assistant's relationship with him is depressingly believable. I take it he owes a lot of money and that explains what happened to his BMW. Also, everyone working on Jane's tv show is in a questionable relationship. At this rate, the cute African American guy will reveal his secret affair with Jane's sister! Anyway, last week I didn't notice that this is a noir show. But they repeatedly hit me over the head with it this week, starting with the cop's opening dialogue likening people to ants. That was bad. I can see why Jane thought that doing cocaine in front of the drug dealer was an effective way to get him to talk when she was desperate. But then I found it really offputting when she randomly took a shower at his house. Now, on the one hand, you never see a male protagonist stripping down to randomly have a shower in a strange house like that. High or not, writers don't tend to leave their main male characters curled up in their underwear. So why does our anti-heroine do just that in the second episode? Sexist bullshit, is my guess. On the other hand, and in spite of myself, I expect female characters -- particularly female leads -- to do the right thing. It's ridiculous! I have to remind myself that she's a screwed-up character in a story, not a model for all women's behaviour! But I think my expectation is a really common brand of sexist bullshit. And when a female main character behaves in a wildly risky and unwise fashion, as Jane did here, it turns people off. Still, her responding to PJ's talk of climbing out of the ghetto with "Oh shut up. Your father's a dentist!" made me laugh. I've liked Kyra Sedgwick since she played Julia Roberts' sister in "Something to Talk About". Unfortunately, the ratings are getting worse.

SunnyBeBe, that would be such an aggravating ending that I'd want to throw something at the screen! So I hope that's not the plan.

Charming pilot. Well played, ABC.

This was a lot better and more enjoyable than I expected. I didn't expect a female lead on a network show to be on Ambien, wine, and cocaine when her child is abducted. And I liked how stressed she was for a significant portion of the episode ie. so stressed she nearly made me anxious watching her! I found all her choices believable. That's obviously her writing office; lots of famous writers have done their work in a converted garden shed. She used the baby monitor for a child who isn't a baby just to keep an ear cocked, so to speak. And she's right outside! Burglary seems like more of a risk than a stranger kidnapping your child from her bed in the middle of the night. Maybe she's got into the habit of pouring herself some wine when writing at home or at night. I assume she took the drugs because she'd already taken an Ambien and fallen asleep at her desk and she wanted to combat the sedative effects. She didn't want to reveal any details that would reflect badly on herself or her parenting so she lied to make herself look better. None of that stuff should have mattered anyway, because she believed that her ex had the kid, and she didn't even call the cops. I found all her casual lies totally believable. This exactly. The personal assistant sleeping with the ex was the good kind of reveal that seems obvious in retrospect. So, who's her love interest? If it was her husband, he'd be more appealing to the viewers. So I'm guessing one of the cops? I like that both her bad family history and her source at the police station are going to come into play during this mystery and investigation. There are obviously cops who at the very least resent her for her work. I wasn't planning to watch any further than the pilot but I was pleasantly surprised and I'll tune in next week. I thought it was going to be way dumber, blander, and nicer. The ratings were poor though, sad to say.

The pilot for Lethal Weapon was much more enjoyable than this. I like the cast but it's one and done for me. Adam Scott is aging very well, isn't he?

Lolz at Anne Heche's glasses acting at the start! Just like Kiefer on Designated Survivor. How has she managed to halt the aging process, though? She looks great. Also, the medic in the field is competing with Mike Vogel for Most Sexually Attractive. I found it very network-tv this week. The sets and lighting didn't look too good in "Ukraine", some of the exposition was clunky, and the absence of profanity from the Special Forces characters' dialogue stretches credibility. That bit at the end about Dalton's father and the importance of doing nothing was cringe-inducing. It all lacks subtlety. For me, the show has two major issues, though. First, if every mission succeeds with no losses, then there are no stakes. And second, the characters need to have more personality and be less bland. I dislike the pretty lady in Washington who used to be in the field. I think it's her acting, but maybe I just don't like her face. I really hope the show isn't setting up a romantic relationship between her and Noah who was top of his class, but I fear it's inevitable. Wouldn't Dalton be a bit weak right after giving blood?

Trailer for Season 4: I laughed out loud when I saw Aidan Gillen in costume. This show already has Tom Hardy's bonkers performance. I'm not sure there's room for another ham! Having watched Gillen most recently on Game of Thrones, I'm afraid of what variety of accents we might be subject to this time! Trailer looks good, though.

Oh, you're right! That's a really good point. No one was a smartass, or an annoying douche. There was no smug asshole with a giant ego in charge of either team. But then this is NBC, not CBS. ;)

Introducing the male lead by way of a doggie conversation was... I was going to say a dirty trick, but to be honest, I'd like more of that! Pander to me. ;) More gorgeous men having the chats with canine buddies please, Hollywood. Way to win me over in two seconds of screentime. Does that actor remind anyone else of Jamie Dornan? While it kept me engaged and never bored me, the work of the team in Washington doesn't make for especially great viewing when compared with the exciting action of the Special Forces people in Turkey. In reality, I'm sure that Washington Intelligence work is really important; on tv it looks like they don't do much. It looks like they Google a lot! Sometimes it's a Google image search. Also, the episode would have been much more compelling and enjoyable had the trailer not spoiled almost every story beat. But I liked this. I like the two teams of people, and I'd watch it as a kind of Bones-style workplace drama crossed with Homeland. I'll tune in next week. Too bad the ratings were poor. I'm already afraid it won't last a season.

Spoilers for all episodes ahead, as I just watched the final two this weekend. The lack of professionalism from the cops on this show got on my last nerve: all the thick guys making dumb jokes and the one guy constantly hitting on Robin; Adrian and Miranda's boring relationship bleeding over into their work; Miranda and Robin continuing to work on a case when they were ridiculously compromised by their respective close connections to the brothel and surrogates; and did Miranda burst into tears on the job every single week or did she just cry twice in some episodes to make it seem that way? Her tears were understandable when she was pregnant (because hormones). When it transpired that she wasn't pregnant, I wondered what the fuck was wrong with her and how that would possibly be acceptable behaviour for a cop working a murder case. You know it's bad when Robin is the most professional one of the bunch. The character of Alexander/Puss went right past unlikable and all the way to repugnant. And there was just so much of him! I didn't mind him in the first three episodes because I could take him in small doses. And he was effective at creating dramatic family scenes, at home and in public. But by the end of episode four I'd had an overdose of the most repulsive fictional character I've come across in a long time. He had no redeeming qualities! He was like an internet troll brought to life. He got worse as the show progressed and there was more of him in every episode, until I was sick to death of the sight and sound of the fucker. Sweet jesus, he was awful to listen to. I bought Mary's attachment to him. I agree with HollyG above that he groomed her and preyed on her. And in any case, I believe that you could persuade a super smart teenager with no common sense that rain isn't wet and that the day after Monday isn't Tuesday, as long as your argument is pretentious enough and you make the teenager feel smarter than the rest of us "sheep". By the end of the season, it was actually a little hard to buy her ability to finally break away from his hold, given that she'd stuck with him through every terrible thing until then. Maybe she was more scared of leaving the country than of leaving him? I don't know. I thought Nicole Kidman was fantastic and her character was kind of wasted. Julia was a more interesting character than her attractive husband, so I didn't understand why the show focused so much more on him, while she went under-used. But it's likely because he's a love interest for Robin. Julia's gay partner amused me with her academic nonsense, but I was glad Julia had her support. Can you imagine if your adopted child's younger, more beautiful birth mother came back into the picture after 18 years to mother your child and sleep with your husband?! That could make for a psychological horror movie all its own. Pyke and Julia had a beautiful home. But their parenting was so liberal it made me angry. Also, the coincidences in the story were laughable. And can someone explain stuff like "Puss" biting Robin's face. What the fuck was that? Why include the scene? I already wanted him to fall into the ocean and drown before then. I guess it was to make Pyke rush to her defence? Or why the bizarre circus that was last season's villain attacking Robin in a room in the police station? It's a strange show and in the end I had to make myself finish it.

Your first paragraph encapsulates my thoughts on the show after the second episode. The pilot episode was dumb in an entertaining way. The next episode was just dumb, and I wondered why I was watching. Santiago Cabrera is hot but unless he's going to come over and watch it with me, I'm done with this show!

This was tremendously stupid. I was kind of divided between enjoying the nonsense and rolling my eyes at it. What was your pick for most ridiculous thing in the pilot? Mine is the speed at which everyone checked Liam's data before calling the Pentagon! I've spent longer checking a shopping list. Also, what was the point of the holographic projection? It must be to help slow viewers understand the concept of the show. Or maybe it's just supposed to look cool and scientific. Santiago Cabrera's character is meant to be a genius so I don't think he needed a dodgy holo-visual in order to get the picture. I agree that the eye candy is good what with the cute MIT student and Cabrera playing Iron Man or whatever. It's too bad his character has Tony Stark's ego, though. It's unattractive. Unfortunately there were a lot of scenes of uninteresting relationships. Harris/Grace? No one cares. Also, if you work at the Pentagon and your boss is the Deputy Secretary of Defense, of course he's going to keep things from you! Get a grip. Liam/Sci-fi writer? They just met. Brunette Rachel McAdams doesn't really have a character so far, though I can tell she likes Liam because she didn't sprint in the opposite direction when he told her first that he wants to spend all his time with her, and then that he's in love with her, lol. (Maybe she'll ghost him in the next episode.) Can you imagine if a female character did that after one night? Grace/Daughter? Snore. Grace/Santiago Stark? I want to care. It's the only one I'm slightly interested in. It would help if he didn't love himself so much and if they had more chemistry. But I mean, props for dressing them in black tie costumes for a random Ball in the first episode! What a ridic show. Staying with costumes, could Iron Man's pants have been any tighter when he was on stage at the start? And both the white skirt and the white dress Jennifer Finnigan wore were unflattering. I'll probably watch the next one. :D

Right? He's the weakest actor. Juliet's mother is second worst, unfortunately, but she has an awesome villainous step-mother role. Escalus is just terrible all round. That shit he pulled with Rosalind where he's like "Yes, I'm trading you to some rando. Yes, I'm basically pimping you out. But can't we forget about that and sit here together because it makes me feel good?" I hope Rosalind has learned her lesson about Prince Shit-Weasel after this episode. I'm surprised the show isn't trying to make me like him? I thought the show would want a decent love triangle with Rosalind torn between him and Benvolio. You're a genius. That makes perfect sense but I didn't see it. Murder in a cathedral is so gothic!

As regards the latest episode (Season 3 episode 5), I have never had less sympathy for Sidney! I haven't much for Geordie either but at least he doesn't seem to expect it. He knows he screwed up and deserves what he gets from Cathy. I have never felt so totally on Mrs. Maguire's side as when she told Sidney first to wipe the smile off his face and then that she'd like to clip him round the ear. What a tool! But I guess the show is telling us through Sylvia that Sidney just needs to grow up. Still, I was fed up of indulging him and Geordie this week, when people around them have it worse. No one likes an ultimatum but Amanda is right, it does come down to a choice between her and the Church; she's just admitting it aloud. And she's entitled to an answer. To be honest, we're all entitled to an answer after three seasons! Pick a side and stick to it, Sidney, so we can all move on with you one way or another. I thought Ronnie was a good character played by a good actor. What a slippery character and a consummate liar. But probably because of that, he could sniff out when other people (Sidney, Abraham) were hiding things too. I liked the mystery in this one, even if the Romani party was a bit like Third Class in the Titanic movie, from back when Leonardo DiCaprio was a young man. So I guess the point of Geordie's affair with Margaret was to kind of parallel Sidney cheating on Jesus with Amanda! Lolol. Yes, the writers do seem fond of her. Maybe Morven Christie would have to get hired by another show in order for Amanda to leave Grantchester. I loved the Amanda/Sidney 'ship in the first season. But when that season ended I naturally thought they were done. She's married, he's a vicar, game over, bring me the new love interests etc. And I know I'm not the only one who's tired of their doomed romance dragging on. Judging by the reaction on Twitter, people really resent Amanda for it. Amanda/Sidney has no future so let's find a pairing that does. I think that's what viewers dislike about them. It's not Amanda herself that's the problem; it's that we're forced to follow them down this romantic road to nowhere. It's a dead end. People want to know who Sidney will end up with, and unless he leaves the Church in the final episode, he won't end up with Amanda. But these two continue to torture each other every season, which prevents Sidney from ever finding someone he might actually have a future with.

I'm enjoying the season. I think it's getting better with each episode. Season 3 has already featured the requisite Sidney sprinting-through-the-village-in-an-emergency scene. I'm still waiting for the requisite Sidney in the bath scene, preferably Sidney wallowing and/or drinking whiskey in the bath! With or without a jazz soundtrack. I've always liked Amanda and I still totally agree with you on this. She's easier to watch this season, now that she's out from under the yoke of the expectations of her family and class. She seems freer, less hemmed in, and happier. That said, I'm surprised that Sidney/Amanda is still a thing. Sidney can't be with her and keep his job, so I'm very curious to know how it will end. I expect him to have some kind of epiphany about what he should do. My guess is that he will decide to leave the Church to be with Amanda, but then the decision will get taken out of his hands at the last minute, possibly by her. Do other posters think the writers would ever kill off Amanda? Killing off the female love interest is a tasteless but common move on shows about angsty male protagonists, and this is a murder mystery show. But she could simply move away, in a less dramatic story development. Then again, maybe Amanda is an intrinsic element of Grantchester. I think I would like if she got a job at the university. Or better still, if she inherited a significant sum of money and she enrolled at Cambridge. And it would be interesting to see Amanda move beyond Sidney? Like, her feelings for and relationship with Sidney freed her from an unhappy marriage and from the unfulfilling role of bored, upper class wife. But what if over time she and Sidney grow up and find better matches elsewhere. They're both young; Sidney doesn't have to be the love of her life, nor she his. Sidney's other love interests on the show have been a mixed bag. You know the way he clashes with Geordie sometimes? Often when Sidney is kind of railing against the unfairness of the world or the injustice of the institutions of power. Well, I would like if he clashed with a woman that way. So if it was up to me, I would introduce a female character to the village, one who represents Tradition, Duty, Conservatism and The Way Things Have Always Been Done. (Grantchester's version of Lemon Breeland, if anyone has seen Hart of Dixie!) A female character who is introduced as his antagonist -- or even as his nemesis in the village -- who blocks his attempts at what he considers progress, but with whom he has excellent chemistry. And then I'd have them hook up a season later.

Right? How often does that happen? I thought she might be dim, or ugly, or overly timid, and so fare badly against Charlotte. But she was impressive. I do think the fact that this is a show made by women is the main reason for details like that. I also like that those two characters weren't sisters in arms all of a sudden. Just because they're women, doesn't make them friends. That's my guess too. The Justice has shown that he doesn't feel he owes Mrs. Quigley the truth. He doesn't feel he has to keep his word to her either. She's overestimating the respect he has for her. She should blackmail him, as a last resort. Agreed. And I totally buy Lucy as a clueless teenager who doesn't know not to shoot off her mouth. It's exactly what she was doing at home in the brothel with the other harlots. (I like the way Charlotte also exasperates her mother.) But that's beside the point in this case, because whatever Lucy did or didn't say to the Reptons, he was going to rape her. When the warm-up act is being hunted out of doors, the main act is going to be violent. You know he raped sassy Charlotte as well. Mrs. Repton said that to Lucy to punish the only available target for the lashing Mr. Repton gave her at dinner.