Just Here

A place to talk about the town and its locations... From the pilot thread: It's not necessarily about the size of the town, but the economic history. That kind of formal apartment/condo building suggests some kind of economic boon, such as being an important (enough) location for trade, such as being a significant port on its river, or being a railroad junction (e.g., Grafton, West Virginia, peak population of only 8500, but had a very nice seven-story hotel). Or, maybe Riverdale is/was home to a major manufacturing plant (or multiple plants). Plus, given the rural surroundings, there may have been an oil and/or gas boom in the county, which could have been brought in more extra wealth. Also, perhaps the building started out as a luxury hotel, but was converted into a luxury condo/apartment building.

Portrayed by Camila Mendes, who attended NYU's Tisch School of Arts, just like another actress who played a Veronica on The CW. I thought Veronica had the majority of best lines in the premiere episode, plus she seemed to have the most agency/initiative, especially compared to Betty (who needs to overcome her introvert issues and her parental issues) and Archie (who suffers from designated hero syndrome). I'm really liking her recovering "spoiled rich bitch ice princess" (the character's words in the premiere episode) characterization. Her transformation is far from complete -- and she knows it (which I thought was one of the purposes for the scene where she comes home after the dance/party and lays down on the sofa with her mother). So, I see the kissing Archie in the closet as a lapse: She is used to getting whatever and whomever she wants, and not caring about the consequences, and sometimes that "bad" side cannot be completely suppressed. Plus, she is only fifteen or such, so hormones.

From the pilot - "Chapter One: The River's Edge" Veronica: What is a chock'lit shop? And, why does it sell burgers? Betty: Then, why, Kevin, hasn't he said or done anything? Kevin: Because Archie's swell. But, like most millenial straight guys, he needs to be told what he wants. So, tell him, finally. Kevin: Gamechanger. Archie got hot. He's got abs, now. Six more reasons for you to grab that ginger bull by the horn, tonight. Veronica: I'm filled with dread. Archie: Why's that? Veronica: Are you familiar with the works of Truman Capote? I'm Breakfast at Tiffany's, but this place is strictly In Cold Blood. Veronica: Honestly, I feel like I'm wandering through the lost epilogue of Our Town. Veronica: Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale High. (spots Archie) Veronica: Oh! There's the hottie we were with last night. The red-headed Ansel Elgort. Is he your boyfriend? (simultaneous) >>Kevin: No, he's straight. >>Betty: No, we're just friends. Veronica: In that case, mind putting in a word? I'd tried every flavor of boy but orange. Kevin: Actually, to clarify, Betty and Archie aren't dating, but they are endgame. [Flashback: Archie is walking home from work] Ms. Grundy: What are you doing walking in this heat? Archie: Uh, building character? [Archie, Betty, and Kevin are eating lunch at school. Veronica joins them.] Archie: So, how's your first day going? Good? Veronica: Not to be a complete narcissist, but I thought people would be more...-- Kevin: --Obssessed with you? Any other year, you'd be trending number one, for sure. This year, though, it's all about Cheryl trying to win the Best Supporting Psycho Oscar for her role as Riverdale High's bereaved Red Widow. [Cheryl Blossom shows up at the lunch table] Cheryl: Veronica Lodge. I'd heard whisperings. I'm Cheryl Blossom. May I sit? (Cheryl does not wait for a response...) Cheryl: Betty, would you mind? (Cheryl sits) Cheryl: So, what are you three hens gossiping about? Archie's Efron-esque emergence from the chrysallis of puberty? (Betty shakes head at Veronica, prompting...) Veronica: Extracurriculars. Weatherbee wants me to sign up for a few. Cheryl: Cheerleading. You must. I'm Senior Captain of the River Vixens. (Cheryl adjusts her hair) Kevin: Is cheerleading still a thing? Cheryl: Is being the Gay Best Friend still a thing? Cheryl: Some people say it's retro, I'd say its eternal and iconic. Veronica: At Spence, I sat at the top of the Elite's pyramid. I'm in. Betty, you're trying out, too. Cheryl: Of course. Anyone is welcome to try out. But, Betty's-- (looks at Betty's tray disapprovingly) Cheryl: --already got so much on her plate, right now. And, being a Vixen is kind of a full-time thing. But, open to all. (Cheryl stands up, looks at Veronica) Cheryl: Follow me on Twitter, and I'll do the same. My handle is @cherylbombshell. [At cheerleading try-outs] Cheryl: Hmm. Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle? Veronica: Well, you haven't seen our big finish, yet? (whispers to Betty) Veronica: Don't freak out. Just trust me. (Veronica grabs Betty, and leads her in a long kiss.) Cheryl: Check your sell-by date, ladies, faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994. Cheryl: Veronica, welcome to the River Vixens. Betty, better luck next time. Veronica: Wait, what? Why? Because you couldn't bully Betty into being a bitch? Cheryl: I need girls with fire on my squad. Veronica: I know what you need, Cheryl, because I know who you are. You would rather people fear than like you, so you traffic in terror and intimidation. You're rich, so you've never been held accountable. But, I'm living proof. That certainty, that entitlement, you wear on your head like a crown? It won't last. Eventually, there will be a reckoning. Or, maybe, that reckoning is now. And, maybe, that reckoning is me. Betty and I come as a matching set. You want one, you take us both. You wanted fire? Sorry, Cherylbombshell,* my specialty's ice. ----- *The online (CWTV.com) closed captioning had "cherrybombshell," but Veronica clearly says "cheryl-bombshell." [in the cheerleaders' locker room] Veronica: Perfect. Very Betty Draper, Season One. Betty: Why did you defend me? I know the crowd you ran with in New York. Why are you being so... nice? (cut to Veronica and Betty walking together on running track) Veronica: When my father got arrested, It was the worst thing, ever. All these trolls started writing horrible things about us. We'd get letters and emails saying that Dad was a thief. My Mom was a clueless a socialite. And, I was a spoiled rich bitch ice princess. And, what hurt the most about it was... The things the trolls were writing were true. I was like Cheryl. I was worst than Cheryl. So, when my mom said we were moving to Riverdale, I made a pact with myself: To use this as an opportunity to become. maybe, hopefully, a better version of myself. Betty: That's a lot of pressure. Veronica: You're so doing this. Slaying your dragons, Betty Cooper, one by one. (to Archie) Veronica: Hi, Teen Outlander. Archie: Hey, nice outfit. Veronica: Betty, here, has something to ask you about the back-to-school dance. Go on, Betty, ask. Betty: I was wondering if you wanted to come with... both of us. Archie: Huh? Veronica: What? Betty: It's you're first dance at Riverdale, you should have someone to go with, even if it's just a friend. Veronica: I mean, I'd love to. Archie: I'm not really in the headspace for a dance. Betty: Oh, That's okay. Veronica: Totally unacceptable, Archiekins. We need an escort. Take a break from being a tortured musical genius and come spend a blissful evening with not one, but two newly minted River Vixens. [at the dance] Veronica: Can't we just liberate ourselves from the tired dichotomy of jock/artist? Can't we in this post- James Franco world be all thing at once? Kevin: Betty, you will not believe who just propositioned me in the bathroom. Give you a hint: His name may be Moose, but I'd describe a certain appendage of his as horse-like. Betty: Now, that I'm a River Vixen, and you're gonna be on varsity football, I have this fantasy of us as a power couple, and maybe even just as a couple. Archie: Betty? Betty: Is that so impossible to imagine? [After party: Veronica and Archie are alone in the closet] Veronica: I know her brother died and everything, but Cheryl Blossom truly is the antichrist. Veronica: You're a little more dangerous than you look, aren't you, all boy-next-doorish? Archie: You have no idea. {Groan.} Veronica: Where's Betty? Cheryl: She spiraled and fled. Between us, she's a lot more high-strung than she looks. Veronica: You shady bitch.

Wait, they aren't going to Mississippi in 1870? {Obligatory Karma Chameleon music video embed}

(For politicians and other notables in the political sphere that may not necessarily fall under the "celebrity" moniker.) Janet Reno, former U.S. attorney general, age 78, passed away early Monday morning, from Parkinson's complications. (Washington Post Obituary) SNL fans may remember Will Ferrell's impersonation of Reno in the "Janet Reno's Dance Party" sketches. (skip to 4:40)

For those without cable/satellite or even OTA, here's how to watch Tuesday's general election results coverage, via Variety (2016 Presidential Election Results Live: How to Watch Online). Most simulcasts starts at 7 p.m. Eastern, but some outlets, such as CNN (4 p.m.) are providing earlier online coverage. A summary of the major networks/channels' offerings: ABC - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/ CBS - CBSN: Online - http://www.cbsnews.com/live/ - and apps NBC - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nbcnews PBS - YouTube: http://youtube.com/pbsnewshour CNN - CNN.com and apps, running from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. (apparently "no pay-TV authentication required," per article)

From early October: Second season order increased to 12 episodes:

Some behind-the-scenes news involving Tom Sizemore: Stuntman Sues Tom Sizemore for Running Him Over on 'Shooter' Set - The Hollywood Reporter

FYI: The CW's website now has all 22 episodes of Forever in its CW Seed section.

Here's the video of Joe's truther spiel: "I'm just asking why suddenly all of this is blowing up in October..." "I'm just saying..." Update: Clip/tweet has been deleted by the Morning_Joe account. Hmm...

(Thursday 10-13, First half hour) So, we're off to a fine start... Good gawd, Joe is going full* oppo-dump truther on these most recent Trump sexual harassment/assault stories, saying he doesn't understand why the women didn't come forward a year ago after the Megyn Kelly thing, so it must be coordinated by the Clinton campaign. And, Mark Halperin is being the voice of reason by stating that he thinks it's an organic development, following from the Access Hollywood tape and the second debate. Though, it would have been nice if Halperin or someone else mentioned the difficulties and risks of coming forward publicly. Also, another classic Morning Joe trope: When Mika was trying to talk about her experiences in Washington, Joe was talking for her and interrupting her. *Though he leaves himself a slight opening to walk-it-back, saying this is all just healthy skepticism.

For those that didn't catch it live/recorded (like me), here's the video of that segment (MSNBC.com).

Today is suspending Billy Bush, "pending further review of the matter." Internal show memo/email:

Here's some screenshots I grabbed from the YouTube trailer. (Screenshots uploaded to Imgur, here.) (click each image to enlarge)

So, on Wednesday, it was announced that NBC was developing a series titled "Mail Order Family." This is how Deadline described it: That was the extent of the description, just a log-line. Nerds of Color has some additional background in an article criticizing the project: (Note: Links to the webseries and a podcast of the PBS episode are in the original article.) After criticism on Twitter (Mic.com), news articles, and a Change.org petition (with ~10,000 signers), by Friday afternoon, NBC decided to not move forward with the project (Deadline). Given that this was a comedy/sitcom,* it just sounds like a "bad idea." So, I have no problems with most of the objections. And, the fact that this project got approved without any apparent due diligence or significant modifications is just more proof that Hollywood needs more diversity up and down the development chain. That said, one minor issue raised by this, is the fact that the project, given its early stage, was apparently not allowed a chance to re-tool the concept: E.g., by removing the mail-order-bride angle (e.g., whirlwind marriage after meeting on a cruise), or by giving it a more serious treatment while still staying a comedy (e.g. genuine mail order bride shows up at wrong house, hilarity ensues, but also serious complications such as a jealous/controlling would-be "buyer" husband, immigration issues, family problems back home in the Philippines, et cetera). And, if the mail order bride angle was retained, the series could have worked with anti-human-trafficking organizations to publicize the human rights issues of mail order bride victims, which would have generated more long-term positive publicity than an online petition that few people will ever hear about. *And, to some of the "but it's based on a real life situation" pushback I've seen elsewhere, regarding the scrapping of the project: If this was a serious prestige drama by FX, HBO, or Netflix/Amazon, then I'm sure that people would have more much faith that the serious issues would be more properly handled, compared to a network sitcom.

Yay, another (possible) adaptation: NBC has ordered a pilot script (with penalty) for a The Italian Job adaptation (EW.com).

Alec Baldwin is SNL's new Donald Trump (The Hollywood Reporter). Trump vs. Clinton - SNL "On the season 42 premiere of Saturday Night Live, Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) faces off against Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon)."

Deadline: ‘Magnum P.I.’ Sequel About His Daughter In Works At ABC From John Rogers & Eva Longoria Regarding the daughter character, CNET has some additional plot background from the original series. Not optimistic about this potential series, mainly because I don't trust John Rogers (The Player, Leverage - see IMDb) to properly handle the procedural/legal and espionage elements in this show.

Bee has responded:

Richter's tweetstorm that biakbiak mentioned:

Update: Apparently Mediaite got it wrong. The original post: * * * Per Mediaite, Corey Lewandowski has been "suspended."

Thanks TVLine, for making me feel older: The CW turns 10 today. The netlet premiered on September 18, 2006.

Andy Dean? (Wikipedia - Former Trump contestant and works/worked for one of Trump's businesses.)

From The Hollywood Reporter -- The Netflix Backlash: Why Hollywood Fears a Content Monopoly It's about 3000 words. Here's the summary: And, some core sections:

Video (MSNBC.com) -- It's 14 minutes, but well-worth watching the whole thing.