SparklesBitch

My thoughts exactly! SO misty over the credits. I tried to stay unspoiled as I possibly could, so getting to see Skinner made me grin like a loon, and I was super surprised by CSM. He looks....well. Not well, to put it mildly. Can you seriously smoke through a tracheotomy? Mulder off and running thinking he finally has the KEY TO EVERYTHING (for real this time, you guys) made me smile if only for nostalgia's sake, but I really felt for Scully, having to sit through all that convoluted explanatory stuff and realizing where they were going with it and then raining all over their parade by being the voice of reason. Also, holy crap was that dialogue clunky. That being said, I liked them drawing on contemporary events while folding it all together. Poor Sveta! Every time Mulder and Scully realize they need to protect someone, they are already in the process of being hurt/killed/abducted/maimed. Lastly, the Mulder and Scully being separated thing, I get it. Their relationship hasn't always been the healthiest thing, but damn. Watching Scully watch him on the porch all "wow, this man I love has truly gone off the deep end and I've heard this all before and I can't help him and I'm so worried" was pulling on my heart strings like crazy. That and her sitting in the car determined to leave but unable to make herself just go. Yeah. All the feels. Damn it, Gillian. =) Forgot to mention, LOVED that Scully is just as on board as Mulder by the end of the episode! Determined!Scully is fantastic!

Impossible to pick just one, huh? I totally understand! =)

OMG YAY!! I definitely need to go to this!

Very cool. I love how this show allowed so many of us to create such wonderful memories and brought our families together. =) Thanks! I have so many favorites, but probably Bad Blood. It just never gets old for me. Also, I have a soft spot for Never Again. Rebellious, "Not everything is about you, Mulder. This is my life," Scully both fascinates me and breaks my heart. I feel like Never Again is one of the few episodes where we really get to see her struggle against where her life is going vs. her idea of what it might have been if not for Mulder and his influence. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Mulder (how could you not?), but I've always found Scully's struggles more interesting. What's your favorite? =)

Oh, the Jimmy Kimmel interview bits and skit are hilarious! I could watch those two all day.

Hi all! I'm so happy to have found an X-Files forum on PreviouslyTV! I was a lurker on TWoP and never posted, but I'm looking forward to joining in on the fandom craziness this time around. It's a little weird (and very cool!) to see some of the screen names of posters I remember from back then. It's sort of like revisiting family! Anyway, I'm in my early thirties and have been a fan since the beginning...the show started when I was nine and my dad and I watched it together, almost without fail, every week for the whole run....and even managed to see both movies together when they came out. Sometimes I think he questioned his decision to let me watch it that young, and I know my mom was afraid it would scare me, but I'm glad we won! =) The show ended the same year I left for college, so the finale was the end of an era in two different ways for me. Scully was both my first TV crush and role model, because nobody I knew in real life loved science the way I did. It was great to see a woman on TV be so smart and successful AND be a scientist. So I went to school and did the science thing....and now I get to make cracks about "snapping on the latex" during work hours! ;) I haven't watched any X-Files since IWTB, but was so excited to hear it was coming back....I've been bouncing off the walls since I heard about it because it continues to be my favorite show of all time. We live in different cities now, but my dad and I have been quoting the show through text back and forth for months....it appears to be a sickness. ;) Can't wait for tonight!! Yay! =)

This is exactly how I saw that scene too, and I had momentary rage at her for being stupid. He seems like a sweet guy, and as much as I could not possibly care less about Daisy's love life, i think he's better than Matt by a long shot. He looked like he was genuinely distressed at having to cancel on her and she's playing games. Ugh. Stupid Girl Syndrome. It really was, but I'm still trying to decide if striking back that strongly against Russia was a great idea or whether it was too much. All I could think about were all the innocent casualties of such a drastic action. Then again, this is probably just one of the many, many reasons I'd never make it in the White House. Agree with all of this. I loved seeing the softer side of Russell, and couldn't help but grin at his "choosing the type of cardio" comment. However, I started out being really confused because, maybe it's just me, but I thought the actress playing his wife looked A LOT like the actress who plays Admiral Hill, so I thought he was sleeping with her. When she mentioned saving a child i was even more confused until the retirement email from the actual Admiral Hill came through and then it all made sense that she and the woman in Russell's kitchen were two different people. I was thinking why didn't she just tell him she was retiring when she was in his kitchen??? Then it all clicked. I just hope we're not being set up for Russell having some major medical issue that lessens his time on the show, because he's easily one of my favorite characters and I'd miss him too much. Me too. They continue to be super cute and give me all sorts of warm fuzzies! I'm very glad that Sterling is gone, and really enjoyed watching Russell play him the way he did. It would have been nice for the game to be drawn out just a little bit longer, especially since I wasn't sure whether he was playing Sterling or Elizabeth, but it ended up being pretty perfect. Lastly, Henry....just please, for the love of everything good, just stop being a super secret spy handler. You're awful at it. Really awful. Am I the only one who was proud of Dimitri for saying he was out? A pawn no longer, yay him! I hope he makes it to his sister and we get to see a happy reunion, but after seeing those two guys following him everywhere (and being incredibly obvious about it!) and the grid going dark as he finally escaped from them onto the train, I'm pretty sure he's going to end up dead.

Yes! You've said it better than I could, and I completely agree. Russell is a great character, and for all of these reasons, one of my favorites. Delicious is the best possible word to describe that scene. I can't wait to see how it all plays out. As for the rest of this episode, I'm a little late, but like a lot of people mentioned, I too teared up at the scene with the retired veterans and spent some time during the episode annoyed by Henry for reasons already discussed. Mostly because he kept harping on Allison about her very minor car accident. Seriously, dude. Pretty sure she got your point the first two times you hammered it into her skull. As for Nadine's fake crying, I'll confess it cracked me up mostly because it was so obviously fake, but the self-important bureaucrat guy was so uncomfortable with her "feminine emotions" that she got what she wanted anyway. It didn't bother me that she fake cried because it was her last resort tactic and hey, a woman has to use whatever tools are available to her.

Hee! I love how his nickname keeps getting longer and more ridiculous after every episode! I liked this one. I really felt awful for the mom of the kid who became the terrorist. The scene where Elizabeth is watching her watch the video and she hears his voice and she just knows and her face falls....damn, show. Punched me in the gut, and I'm not even a mom. That being said, I surprised myself in that I was wholeheartedly on the president's side as far as taking the kid out. I'm usually firmly in Elizabeth's corner for other options if they have them, but in this case, no....dude needed to killed. As for Elizabeth's brother, I liked that they came off as believable siblings, and that they squabbled about their different points of view over dinner, because who among us with siblings hasn't done that? I smiled at Allison's comment "is this how we sound when we fight?" and Henry's comment about fly fishing moving something in their WASPy souls cracked me up. I say this a lot, but I'll say it again, I love Henry and Elizabeth's marriage so crazy much. Also, I absolutely loved Elizabeth getting information out of her brother...there was something incredibly entertaining about watching her be so deliberately manipulative. i think that both of them have good points when it comes to their respective sides about how best to "save the world", but he was just so snarky and lofty about it, I was glad to see him get played by his own sister. Agreed. Yeah, digging shrapnel out of other people's kids doesn't give you a pass for refusing to go home to see your own kid. That's so NOT a thing you can make that kind of a deal about. Oh, poor Ivan broke my heart! Also yes, Henry continues to suck at this stuff....pretty spectacularly. I'm still a little annoyed that it seems to be his only flaw, but I'll go with it for now. That was one of my favorite parts! And before I forget, Russell was back. Yay!!

Yes! I thought the scene was well done and the actors handled it well, but good lord, kid, that seemed to come out of nowhere. I get how she's feeling because she's not wrong, but I feel like she overreacted just a bit. Her immediate conclusion is that her mom is totally uninterested in her as a person? Wow. Also, I thought it was a little ironic for Stevie to be the one commenting that Allison gets shortchanged when it comes to attention. How about, Stevie, you stop being such a crisis all the time so that maybe your parents can focus a little more on your well-adjusted sister? Ever think of that? I feel like she was judging Elizabeth for not knowing about the fashion stuff. Shut UP, Stevie. This is starting to bother me too. I would have liked it better if neither parent knew about Allison's sketching. They implied it has been going on for years, meaning before Elizabeth took the MSec job, meaning that she's been "neglecting" or just "unplugged" from her kid for longer than just the year or so she's had the job. So, that means that both parents were about equally busy being professors of various things at the same school, and Henry's still the only one who noticed the sketching. Ugh. I don't like how that makes Elizabeth look (as compared to Henry) as a parent. Doesn't Henry have ANY flaws? That being said, I did really like (as others have mentioned) that Elizabeth didn't lash out at him over that, and that their marriage didn't take a hit because of the Henry's secrecy surrounding Olga's "visit". Well done, show! Also, I loved that Elizabeth and Allison actually talked it out like mature, rational human beings and that Elizabeth was honest and that Allison was willing to work with her. It was realistic and sweet, I thought. I still feel bad for poor Dimitri. That poor kid is going to get killed because Henry is an awful handler. I was totally taken off guard by the assassination and am totally going to miss Gorev, I thought he's make a good president, and I was proud of him for not selling out and agreeing to hand over secrets to our government just to get his money released. Him giving Elizabeth info on the hacker was a good compromise, I thought. Also, on that note, poor Olga! I wanted to give her a giant hug. Right??? As much as I wanted Jay to get his way because he's so passionate and I have a soft spot for him, it just would not have been realistic at all for them to give in. Really glad they didn't. So, it appears that we'll now be headed into World War III with Russia at the helm? Very interested to see where this will go. Where was Russell? I missed him! Lastly, I got a huge kick out of Elizabeth being a whirlwind of closet cleaning/fashion discussing activity in the middle of the night while she was feeling all emotional and guilty over not keeping up with Allison's life and Gorev's death, because that is exactly how I handle emotional stress and it cracked me up to see someone on TV doing it. Henry handled it a lot better than people in my life have, though, so kudos to him. All I've ever heard is something like "OMG, the stove does NOT need to be scrubbed at two in the morning, what is WRONG with you???!!!"

Thirded, although I'm not sure that's actually a thing. They're fantastic together. Before discovering this show (two weeks ago, yay for Netflix!), I only knew Tea as David Duchovny's ex-wife (I'm a giant X-Files fan) and Tim from the handful of Private Practice episodes I managed to sit through, so stumbling onto this show with these two leads that have such amazing chemistry together is such a treat! My favorite thing about the show in general is their marriage. It's so refreshing that it's happy and healthy, and even though they have their bumps in the road, they trust each other and respect each other, and that comes through so easily in all of their scenes together. This is the show that the Castle writers need to be studying if they want to fix the sad state of the marriage between their two leads. There doesn't have to be manufactured drama between the married couple in order to keep the show interesting and this show proves it. But anyway, on this particular episode: I literally pumped a celebratory fist in the air when Henry went off on the caller on air and cheered when both he and Elizabeth defended Stevie to the President and First Lady over that disastrous dinner. Cracked up at Bess and Henry requesting another cocktail at the same time, and flat out loved that the two of them weren't afraid to defend themselves to President either. Oh, and the President apologizing was great, and Bess managing to come up with a solution and showing up the men who have been shutting her out of the inner sanctum was my favorite. I really liked the nice little touch of Elizabeth asking Henry how many stupid moves are they going to let Stevie have, because clearly she's old enough and should be mature and responsible enough to not let things like that happen, which was a very good point. However, I also thought it was great that Henry pointed out that the whole country would already blame Stevie if the pictures got out, and she didn't really need her mother piling on top of all that. I was impressed with Stevie, for once, for actually being mature and not at all whiny. She certainly handled that much better than I would have and I'm 10 years older than the character is. On the rest of the characters: I love the younger kids and Russell, as well as Nadine and Blake and Jay, but if we could get rid of Daisy and Matt and their whole clandestine relationship thing, that would be great. Also, I hate that new NSA guy. God, he's such a tool. Me too. So glad it didn't.

For God's sake, Callie, let your dad buy you a car for your birthday!!! At this point, you can be sure he doesn't have any bad motives, it isn't a bribe, he isn't trying to turn you against Stef and Lena....he just wants to do something nice for you. Let him. He's an honorable guy, for the most part....excluding his affair. As for what's fair for the other kids....Brandon has a car, Jesus is off at boarding school and won't know the difference, and I'm pretty sure Jude wouldn't dream of having a problem with it. Mariana would probably be thrilled for her as long as she got to borrow it. I can't imagine that Callie would be selfish with it, as she's a pretty good kid and willingly shares what she has with who she loves. That being said, why oh why do Mariana and Callie think that buying a car on their own could ever be a good idea? Good lord. Jude was about fifty shades of adorable being all excited about throwing the party for Callie! His crushed look when he overheard Callie say she didn't want the party made me hurt for him. I'm so glad they talked it out and made up. I was surprised to find I actually felt bad for Brandon in this one. Normally his woe-is-me act drives me crazy, but I completely get why he would feel second best if his own dad seems to care more about a kid he barely knows more than his own son. Of course, we know as viewers that isn't what Mike is thinking at all, but emotions aren't logical, and somewhere inside Brandon is still that little kid who feels abandoned by his dad because his dad was too drunk to care. Poor kid. I was so excited to see the girls (and Rita and Cole) from Girls United! Yay! They look like they're doing so well, and I was hoping that we'd get a little more of an update on them and their various situations. Maybe in the future....*fingers crossed* Didn't really care about the whole Callie/Wyatt/Mariana thing, except to say that I share Lena's opinion that Mariana was genuinely hurting over sleeping with Wyatt and would probably give just about anything to take it back. Too bad Wyatt couldn't keep his big mouth shut. Ugh. I'm a sucker for Stef/Lena and was so glad that they actually made it to therapy. I was dreading a rehash of when Bette and Tina on The L Word first tried therapy, but I liked that the list assignment that the therapist gave them had the intended affect. Also, I was so happy that Stef apologized to Robert. She was wrong and it was nice to hear her admit it for a change. As for AJ, as much as it is a horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE idea for him and Callie to date each other, they sure are cute. I was so torn when they kissed. They absolutely should not be kissing at all, not while they're under the same roof at least, but he seems so genuinely into her and she looked so happy.......why do you do this to me, show? ....one last point that's sort of embarrassing....um....the whole Brandon and Sophia teaming up to take AJ's phone thing? It made me laugh. I can't help it, those two are such the complete opposite of sneaky criminal masterminds, that the whole thing came off to me, at least, as well, kind of comical.....and almost, well....cute? One of my favorite lines of the night was Brandon saying something to her about "you're fifteen! I'm not pimping you out to protect my dad" when her whole plan was to dance real close to AJ and "snuggle up to him" to steal his phone. Oh, and I loved the Sophia and Stef heart-to-heart moment.

Very first thought on this episode: where can I get a pair of pants like Stef's?????? They were so cute! Anyway....I was incredibly annoyed by the whole Callie and Brandon storyline. I mean...Mexico. Really? If she wanted to go para-sailing that badly, she probably could have talked Stef and Lena into it pretty easily. I mean, the kid has had a tough life, the least they could let her do is have some crazy fun. And also the whole "Brandon, you make your own drama" speech. She's right, he does sometimes. However, he never asked to be paired with Kat or her crazy, so I give him a pass on dealing with it in not such a great way. But seriously, Callie's one to talk about drama. Granted, she's had a bunch of bad things happen to her that were beyond her control, but she's made some pretty questionable choices herself. The whole time she was lecturing Brandon, I kind of wanted to knock her upside the head and say "Pot, meet kettle. You're black." AJ's whole storyline broke my heart. My grandfather has Alzheimer's, so I totally get how hard it is to answer the same questions literally twelve times in five minutes and having to keep explaining who you are. It's tough. After awhile, you find it's easier just to go with whatever year/time they think it is and agree to being whoever it is they think you are. I really loved the whole scene between him and Mike. I was all teary-eyed when Mike kept insisting he believed in him and he was going to be there for him. Well done, show. Also, the other cop was a jerk. Ugh. The only other thing I'll say is, I've done ride a longs. Stay in the damn car, AJ! Mariana bored me to tears (even though I loved her line "they made me tell!") and I thought the Callie/AJ stuff was kind of cute. He's such a good looking kid, I can't blame her for being a little smitten! =) Lastly, Stef and Lena. Hoo boy. I love them to pieces but they really do need to work on their communication. I could see the contractor's comment about their marriage coming a mile away, but I liked that it gave Stef a kick in the pants. I adore them so much I even love watching them bicker. My favorite is when Lena gets sassy though...and a little sarcastic. Whatever she said about Stef catching her having an affair with the neighbor and being pregnant with....an inflatable snowman, I think? That was awesome. I wanted to high-five her through the TV. Also, their collective reaction to the thought of Callie being pregnant with Brandon's kid cracked me up. Stef throwing her head back a little and going "oh god" killed me, especially with that eye-roll thrown in. ...and as much as I love Connor and Jude.....I kind of didn't even notice they were gone until Jude showed up in the preview. Oops.

THAT'S where I know him from!! Thank you for this, it was bothering me, but for some reason I didn't look him up to find out who he was.

So much this. It annoyed me too, but I wasn't sure if it was common with LGBT youth or not. I didn't come out until I was in my twenties, so my experiences are much more along the lines of "hey, I'm insert your name here" and the only other thing that got added to that was your choice of pronoun if you so chose something that differed from the norm. Otherwise, I was so excited to see Cole!!! I loved that he was much more confident and happy with himself now, and enjoyed the way the date between him and Callie played out....that it became clear she wasn't interested in him romantically, but they talked it out like actual human beings with level heads even after all the emotions got addressed. Well done, show. I hope we get to see more of Cole in the future. Heck, I'd love to see anyone from Girls United come back again. Didn't really care too much about Mariana or Brandon in this episode, but really, how did Brandon ever really think that what he did would turn out well? I have to say though, I did enjoy the look on the instructor's face when Brandon's partner (I was so bored by this storyline that I can't even remember her name) called the Bach piece uninspired. So funny! Lastly, the whole debacle with Lena's family....I still don't know what to think. I was afraid at first that her dad (love the new actor, by the way!) knew about Nate calling his wife that word all along and was just sweeping it under the rug. I was extremely glad that wasn't the case. Strangely, I actually liked that he checked to see, just for a moment, if she perhaps heard him wrong, but then automatically took her at her word. I feel like it was true to someone wanting to be fair to both people that he loved even in that kind of situation. I wanted to smack the brother for not seeing the need to apologize. The jerk. I don't get why he bothered to reconnect with his dad in the first place. I felt really sorry for his girlfriend, getting dragged into that whole mess...and also for Lena's mom, what with her keeping mum about what her stepkid called her for 20 years for fear of it ruining the father son relationship. I adored Stef's mostly quiet support of Lena and her feelings, and then was especially charmed by her finding a way to respectfully stand up for Lena against her mother when the whole "Lena's too sensitive" thing came up. Very sweet. Stef injecting her little bits of humor was great though. Her line about Lena's brother hiring an actress to play his girlfriend was super cute....and for normally level-headed Lena to seem to take the suggestion seriously for a second was even better. Oh, and just on the family dynamics in general, all the grandparents on this show are super fantastic about welcoming all the children in the house with open arms. First with Callie and Jude and now AJ for however long he sticks around. I love that they automatically treat everyone like family. Lastly, the fanfare with which the parents and grandparents treated the kids going off to the LGBT prom made me tear up. All this unconditional love and acceptance gets me right in the feels. =)

Welcome! =) As for this episode, I liked it. There was less edge-of-your-seat, high stakes drama, and I always love it when Stef and Lena get to be relaxed and playful with each other. They were so cute together in this episode (goofing around with Jenna on video phone, swoon!), despite the underlying hint of hey love, Monte kissed me one time and I don't know how to bring this up because you're going to understandably freak out. I was kind of bored with Mariana's story, but glad that she got to help out her biological family with a pretty great idea. I was also pleased to see that AJ seems like he might actually end up being a positive addition to the show, and I really liked that they gave Mike something to do. He seemed really excited to connect with AJ. I still find Connor and Jude utterly adorable, and I think that their relationship just rings so true, especially Connor wondering why Jude would be ashamed of not wanting to play the zombie game and Jude being all well, you insulted me, jerkface, so duh....and then Connor finally admitting that he's not okay with what happened during the shooting. Teenage boy bravado covering all sorts of unresolved deeper feelings. Sounds about right. Also, I totally see what they were trying to do with the whole gun storyline, and I thought Stef handled it extremely well (especially her short talk with Jude in the bedroom)....however, it made me feel a little strange for not only being excited to learn how to shoot a gun for the first time, but not freaking out (or bursting into tears) when I finally did learn because of the seriousness of the situation or whatever. I'm a gay chick in my early thirties and I learned how to shoot way back in the day when my police officer father offered to take my teenage brothers shooting and neither of them would touch a gun, so I asked if I could go. Years later, we still go every so often and it has become my favorite father-daughter bonding activity. Other than that I learned at an outdoor range, my first shooting experience was exactly like Jude and Connor's. I got the same speech about how to handle a gun, was instructed over and over how to stand, how to aim, what to shoot for....and then later how to load the clip, put the clip in the gun, then clean everything afterward. I think learning all this stuff definitely takes the mystique out of guns and teaches you that Stef is right, it isn't a game, there are very real consequences to using one incorrectly, etc. I was surprised that Lena was so against it from the beginning.....I figured she'd be all for any sort of educational opportunity, and like Connor said, there's no safer person to learn with than a cop. Then again, her wife did end up on the wrong end of a gun at least one time that ended incredibly badly, so I suppose I can't blame her. And now for the shallow comments....whoever was in charge of dressing Lena and Stef in this episode really brought it. They looked gorgeous through the whole thing! Also, Stef at the shooting range was super hot......both because of the shooting and that jeans and slightly baggy blue button down shirt combination. Dang, girl. And her uniform. Always the uniform. Lena, of course, is always effortlessly and elegantly gorgeous, but she's so cute with all her curls piled on top of her head at bedtime! Lastly, and not forgotten.....Carl's reaction to Stefa and Lena being each others' wives. So funny, and based on my experiences, so true. Stef's line was great: "Sisters, really?" =)

Can't they ever just leave Callie alone? Just for maybe two episodes? Yes, she made a really really bad judgment call, and she seriously deserved to be fired, but seriously. Can't they give the poor kid an episode without any drama? So much for the one fatality, I should have known that was a fake out. Glad they sent Jesus to whatever school program he's at. I felt for Mariana in this one. I know she was just trying to help out Ana, and even though she went overboard, I totally get why she was feeling rejected. I really like her and her boyfriend together, so I'm hoping her sleeping with Wyatt won't end them. That was such a bad decision, but I get why it happened because of her emotional state and where her head was at. So happy that Brandon sucked it up and went back. Loved Lou calling him out on giving up. Jude and Connor were so great, I just wanted to hug them both. Everything they're both going through with the newness of their relationship rang so true. Well done, show. Lastly, I can't help it. I feel like the worst fan in the world, but I still really like Monty. Kiss or not, she makes me smile. Stef needs to be brought down a couple of pegs. She needs to quit making unilateral decisions and stop using her job to heal her emotional wounds. Lena needs to confess the kiss and stand up for herself. There's no way she's been letting Stef bulldoze her for all the years they've been together. Surely she knows how to get her thoughts across by now. Make her hear you, woman!!

That's a fantastic scene, and she definitely deserved an Emmy for that whole episode. Well, both of the episodes dealing with Fisher beating her up, actually. The Auntie Barbara call was hilarious (and I would have gladly handed her an Emmy for that too), but she really brought it in the scene where she breaks down because of Fisher. These characters, man....they can sock you right in the heart. Another time when I wanted to give Jackie a huge hug was in Mall Story where she's all upset about feeling stuck and needing to get out of the pit that is Lanford, but not knowing how. That whole speech sums up everything I felt before I finally DID get out of my hometown for greener pastures.

I just marathoned the second season over the last few hours and cannot get enough of this amazing little show. The writing is great and the actors are perfect and every episode is a treat. I'm so glad that it is coming back for a third season and can't wait! I think the three main actresses each deserve a whole wheelbarrow of awards for their work in this show. Having never really been familiar with either Niecy Nash or Alex Borstein before now, I'm blown away by how amazing they are. I've loved Laurie Metcalf since Roseanne and always thought she was a brilliant actress, but this show just kicks it up a notch. There's not a trace of Jackie Harris in Dr. Jenna James and I love it. The last two scenes of this episode really got me, though. Everything from the three ladies on the roof and Dr. James' honest apology to everyone gathered around Mrs. Lee with the hospice volunteer singing made me tear up...and then Ms. Birdie along the bottom of the screen singing along was the perfect thing to make me smile. Well done, show. =)

Me too! I'm only four episodes in at this point, but I already feel ridiculously protective of them when they get crapped on by other people. But yeah, working with either one of them everyday? No thanks.

Same here. Before this show, I knew her name and knew she was loud and that was about it, but she is amazing as nurse Didi. I originally checked out this show only because of Laurie Metcalf, but Nurse Didi is quickly becoming my favorite character. I feel like she's the warm, comforting island of normal in the big, giant sea of crazy.

I just watched the first four episodes of this amazing show and fell in love within the first few minutes. I can't wait to watch the rest. Anyone up for some season 1 discussion?

I happened to catch this episode as part of a marathon while doing laundry today, and was reminded of your comment about it. You're right, it is definitely just.....ridiculously silly. I can enjoy the pure fun of the food fight as long as my responsible adult side doesn't kick in, because when it does all I can think about is how much of an inconvenience they're being and how childish it all is. In order to really enjoy it, I have to remind myself that it's a show and they're acting and it's not a real store, and therefore they aren't destroying real product and blah, blah, blah. That being said, it's clear that both actresses are having a blast. Every time I see it though, I have to wonder if the milk thing was actually planned, because Laurie seems genuinely shocked. Then again, I guess it would be hard to not react like that when something gets poured over your head, even if you're expecting it. That scene got me to thinking about how some of my favorite scenes from the show are Roseanne and Jackie alone together. Things like them on the mini road trip, or them in the kitchen with their respective babies complaining about how Thanksgiving is a man's holiday, them ending up at the Lobo that one Halloween when Roseanne is dressed as a guy and pretends they're a couple, the Halloween where they pretend fight in the kitchen with Jackie as the witch and Roseanne as the gypsy and the whole thing with Mrs. Butterworth.....and I think my very favorite "sister" scene with the two of them: sitting on Jackie's couch as Jackie reads the letter Roseanne wrote to her before she goes into the police academy. As much as I love it when they bicker and toss insults at each other, I love it even more when they, every so often, let slip how much they really care about each other. I still really love their one scene in the episode where Roseanne gets the sexy photos taken of herself for Dan for their anniversary and Jackie goes with her. Roseanne is trying on outfits and Jackie surprises her with something really pretty that she bought for her, and just for a second before Roseanne makes a funny quip, there's a genuine appreciation from Roseanne that what Jackie bought her was really beautiful and genuine excitement on Jackie's part (and a cute little giggle as she hands over that outfit) that her sister is celebrating this really cool milestone and it's just very sweet and I'm going to stop rambling now and just say that I adore watching those two women play off each other. They've got such great sisterly chemistry. =)

Nana Mary is definitely my favorite recurring character. Everything that comes out of her mouth is hilarious and perfect, and I love how much everyone loves her. I forget which episode it is, but there's this cute little back and forth between Dan and Jackie over who Nana Mary is staying with overnight when she comes to visit. If it was any other relative, they'd probably be trying to pawn them off on each other, but I really like how Dan seems to genuinely be a little bummed when he realizes that Nana Mary is going to Jackie's ("Hey, I thought WE had Nana Mary tonight!"), and Jackie just kind of smiles like she won ("no, I'VE got Nana Mary!"). Also, with Roseanne trying to get her to come live with them. i could have done with a little more Nana Mary and a little less Bev during the run of the show. Both actresses are fantastic, but I just always really enjoyed Nana Mary's scenes with everyone more because they were always happy she was around....and I liked that she was a smart ass. =)

Agreed! I really disliked the flowered one that Roseanne said was the best. Darlene looked adorable in the green one, even if it was noisy. THIS. So much this. Laurie, Roseanne and Estelle were so phenomenal that the other two just stick out like sore thumbs, especially Sarah Chalke. This episode was on during the marathon today and I forgot how bad her whole somewhat inappropriately cheerful "we had a pretty cool aunt growing up and I hope I can be the same for you," speech was before she just kind of tosses the baby off to the next person. Everyone else was choked up and crying and she's all, "well, hope you live, kid!" I love the bejeezus out of this whole scene. I love David freaking out and Dan trying to calm him down, and the relationship between the two characters is just fantastic. Also, Mark not being an idiot for a change is really refreshing. On a slightly unrelated note, the episode "Scenes From a Barbecue" was on today too, and I love that episode from beginning to end anyway, but the part with Dan and Chuck arguing over how to cook the burgers on the grill is awesome. There's something about John Goodman's delivery of the line where he say something like "No Chuck, I was going to stack them all up and let them cook as a team" that makes me dissolve into ridiculous giggles every single time I hear it. He's so great, I totally get why Roseanne and Laurie and the kids all had such a crush on him at the time.