Betweenthisandthat

It's not surprising at all, but it is disappointing for the very reason that it is something almost every show does. I'm sure this storyline will be well-acted. Ian and Elizabeth are two of the strongest actors on the show, but I've seen love triangles too many times for it to be surprising or interesting if this is going the well worn and predictable route. I enjoyed what they were in season 1 and I was good with them remaining friends since I thought Jemma showed she wasn't interested in him that way. It would be great to see Fitz move on and for Jemma and Fitz to find their way back to the friendship they had while letting each have their own separate storylines. Or put them together. I don't care, but they're making the will they, won't they be what is defining FitzSimmons, at least from interviews about what is to come. I can only hope that it's intentionally misleading and something more fresh and interesting will shape what these two do this season.

I like Fitz and I like Simmons, I like them as friends. When I watched the first seasons of Agents of Shield on Netflix, they were my favorites aside from May and then Bobbi. But I'm not a shipper of the two of them. I don't believe Simmons owes Fitz anything if he has feelings for her and she doesn't share them. BUT the writing is fanning the flames. I liked the friendship between FitzSimmons and then it turned into a one-sided romantic thing which I wasn't a fan of because it lead to angst that wasn't necessary. The current interviews make it seem like this will continue and that the angst will grow because of the Fitz/Jemma/Will love triangle. I would love it if they dropped the whole Fitz has feelings for Simmons thing and let them be on the same page because the love triangle angst is creating a dynamic where Simmons has to feel wrong one way or the other because of her feelings and Fitz is the "friendzoned" guy who selflessly helps the woman he loves. Why couldn't Simmons have a space boyfriend she wants to rescue with Fitz's help without the angst? Why couldn't she have a story that has nothing to do with accepting or rejecting Fitz? Or with rescuing a love interest? I enjoy Fitz and Jemma, and but I'll check them out once this arc is done and hope that when I catch it on Netflix in a few months it will have ended up better than I imagined. However, the love triangle is trope I've seen too often to find interesting anymore. I'm not against the ship, but I'd have no problem with them being BFFs without the angst. TV needs more of those kinds of m/f friendships.

I thought she looked shady at first when they were talking about the drug, but then she fooled me for the rest of the episode. I liked that she wasn't this big bad guy but she wasn't as innocent as I allowed myself to believe. Abby isn't my favorite. I don't necessarily love her but I don't hate her either. I did enjoy this episode much to my surprise. Having that lighter in her heel was cool, and it's been a long time since I thought Abby was cool. She handled herself with conviction and composure without being annoying.

These two characters are married, and yet Castle is supposed to be excited that his wife who is moving out of their home has the hots for him still. Maybe that will make him realize that he doesn't have to win her back but that she has something else pushing her away. Does a married couple have to have UST? Is Beckett finding her own husband attractive a secret that only a woman who smells too much can reveal? This is one of the weirdest storylines. I can't help but wonder if this is making a mockery of the couple. I'm not a shipper, but these two are married and yet there's all this UST game playing that is usually for characters who can't admit they like each other.

I was glad the Lord was someone who actually existed, not a fake person to make Tony look foolish. The reason he didn't was because of his reasons for searching, which I liked too. He wasn't looking purely out of vanity and I was surprised to hear about that family in England because they haven't been mentioned since season 6. Also liked when he went to autopsy to make his peace with the guy who died and who he judged incorrectly. When Tony is used for comic effect like he was in this episode it's too easy to overlook the scenes he gets when he is written as a more complex character. Forgot to add I liked Gibbs' scenes with Tony. It was the first time this season that things felt alright between them. I like Bishop and while she shouldn't have gone in that house by herself, it isn't the first time an agent on this show has done something that in the real world would be foolish. Would have been good for McGee to answer his phone when she called but I didn't get hung up on that either.

I wasn't trying to explain anything to you but was giving my opinion. What might be clear to me might not work for you, that's okay. Although I do like that not everything is being spelled out right now. That's an interesting way to look at it. I never thought he had to justify himself but it is refreshing to have him speak clearly about what motivates him. That might be what I'm missing from DiNozzo. I know that he's motivated by loyalty to the team and Gibbs and a desire to help people and have his life mean something. I don't know if he's ever said why he he's still with the team after all this time. When I think of it, it is weird to be on a team for 15 years at this point with no promotion or career advancement. Does he not care about that?

Comments sections are a cesspool that's true. Problem is that while I'm not angered by the changes in the show because I barely watch and am not thankfully emotionally invested in this, I understand the anger just not the way it's expressed. The show is changing a lot and yet not enough. They've broken up this couple for weak reasons and that has brought changes that could have been done without this plot. They've added cast members that may or may not bring anything new to the show, including this new lawyer who will have conflict with Beckett, and it won't take long to think of him as a potential love interest even if there are no facts to back that up. I understand feeling uncomfortable with the unfamiliarity of it all because the reasons for it are flimsy and the trust between fans and the writers is at its lowest because things are different. Yet they aren't addressing the seriousness of the split and want to get back to normal. Then you have to deal with writers and the cast and fans with dissertation length posts justifying the changes because the writing isn't speaking for itself. Switching the channel and showing indifference is the best way to change things rather than anger and rumor mongering. The rage adds to the idea that people are interested in the changes. Watching something else and talking about something else, now that would force the show to reconsider what it's doing and would send a message to other shows that going back to a will they won't they after a couple is together and married isn't the smartest decision.

Limited facts have obviously never stopped anyone from believing they *know* what's really going on. The fewer facts the better :) Seems like this is a storyline that exists because the current showrunners didn't know what to do with the characters and the actors are along for the ride because of money and opportunity to still be employed. From Katic's earlier interview from the beginning of the season, she spoke about the first two episodes and sounded she was on board for whatever changes would be made. She sounded like she wanted her character to do more than she did last season, and she's getting another storyline that at least gives her more chances for drama. Was Fillion proven right by the recent changes in the show? They're right back to the Will They? Won't They? storyline. So many shows struggle with keeping couples fresh that, call me gullible, I believe that is enough of a motivation for this "shake up," no matter how stale their changes might be.

As someone not emotionally invested in what's happening but still curious, to me these writers are being refreshingly honest. They are saying that Castle and Beckett together got boring and they threw in an obstacle to make them interesting and interesting for them to write about again. Not a lot of people say that about the shows they are writing for. Are couples that difficult for TV shows to write for? Most of the evidence I've seen points to the idea that it is difficult for them to write stories after the couple rides into the sunset. I'm sure there are fanfic writers who can think of great stories for these two as a couple, but fanfic is different than writing for television. But still, I feel like I've read better plots for fanfic than this "separation." For the sake of the show, I hope this works out for everyone involved better than it seems right now. I don't wish cancellation on anyone. It does feel pretty lazy writing, but after 150 episodes, maybe expecting originality is asking too much, especially when it comes to romance, something TV botches more often than not. Once Castle and Beckett get back together, what will keep them fresh then? Following these writers' logic, can these two be interesting without the obstacles?

NCIS has shown Gibbs to be this hero for so many seasons now that I see Tony asking Gibbs "Do I want to be you?" as a way to question that not as confirmation that he should be Gibbs. I don't think that this is leading to Tony becoming Gibbs but finally letting him be himself and being very much not like him and being just as good of a leader anyway. It's all been about "WWGD" (What would Gibbs do) and other agents seeing Gibbs as this legend, even Dornegut referred to Gibbs as someone he modeled when he wanted to be authoritative. Gibbs has almost always been right and rarely been questioned and I see something different happening now through Tony. I'm noticing that I'm viewing these scenes 180 degrees from how other people here are seeing so I could be completely off track. Gibbs has treated Tony like this before. He's "sidelined him," been secretive about what he's thinking and completely unreadable, none of this is new behavior. The only thing that is new is that Tony is challenging Gibbs in how he treats him and how he did his job in this case. For once Tony is thinking that Gibbs' way may not be the only way to do things and he's vocal about it now. The difference between Tony and Gibbs is that Gibbs feels compelled to lead, he has a vision of what that kind of leadership is and rules to follow it. Does Tony have his own vision of what kind of leader he is? Does he feel compelled to be a leader? That's a different set of questions to if he can lead. He definitely can lead, and he's lead when he had to but does he want to? Is that a goal he's chasing? I don't know the answers to that and I expect that he might start to answer these questions now. Tony doesn't need a trauma to make him be a leader but I understand that he needs a "reason" to want to be one. If Tony wanted to lead within the universe of the show, wouldn't that be something he'd be doing right now? He's totally capable of it. He hasn't been given a storyline that address that one way or the other (until now?).

I enjoyed this one alot. Liked the premiere too, but I'm a big Tony fan and liked where both episodes took his character. Gibbs told Tony why he sidelined him in the elevator scene. Tony would have sensed something between Gibbs and Mitch and wouldn't be able to mind his business and wanted him to protect the team and focus on the work. Focusing on the work I understand, the protecting the team part needs more explanation. It could be that Gibbs is really thinking about leaving the team or taking a step back and having Tony lead. It's clear to me that Tony can lead. Gibbs is such a control freak, even more now than he was in season 4, that I can see him passing the team to Tony gradually and as part of a long process. Tony has lead the team before but Gibbs so unceremoniously ousted him that it felt like it was always a temporary decision. This time, if Gibbs is really planning to leave or take a step back, it would be a different choice than running off to Mexico to avoid life. The biggest change Gibbs has made is in telling Mitch that revenge isn't worth it. Gibbs has been all about revenge for a long time. Even last season he helped Fornell avenge Diane's death and he did the complete opposite here. That was shocking. It's been noted that Tony didn't call Gibbs "Boss," and that makes sense seeing that Tony is questioning Gibbs' M.O. in a real way and isn't blindly taking orders from his "Boss." I don't know if Gibbs is even angry at Tony. I can't decide, but I don't completely buy that that's Gibbs' motivation in the end. He wanted to control Tony and what Tony knew and how he'd react, but that's nothing new and that makes more sense to me given what happened in the episode. What was different was that Tony was angry at Gibbs and was 100% done with the way he was doing things in this case. I saw Tony's anger and impatience, which was warranted, more than I saw anger from Gibbs. I loved the teamwork with Tony, McGee, and Bishop and that Tony airing Gibbs' dirty laundry lead to stopping Mitch and that arrest at the end of the show. I understand what is going on between Tony and Gibbs for now, although I assume what Gibbs is really thinking will remain a mystery for awhile longer, and I'm interested to see where this will lead.

I haven't watched this episode though I've read what happens, and it's interesting to me that in the TVLine article at least the writers basically admit that they're doing this to inject the spark back into Caskett, as if they were boring as dry toast in the last few seasons and need to return to a season 1-3 dynamic. It's as if Caskett can't be interesting together as they are, so there needs to be a some kind of mini do over so that they or the audience can care about these two again. That's really revealing.

I haven't watched Castle in awhile, but I might check it out to see what changes have been made. I like ensembles and wished this show were more like one. I've never completely gotten the idea that the show should focus on only two characters when it has others waiting for their stories to be told. Why should they remain paper thin? I have no real concern that Haley (is that her name?) will take over Beckett's place but that her presence and as well as the other guy Beckett's working with might further erode Lanie's place on the show as she barely has one. All in all, I'd be more likely to watch a show if it can give decent to good material for all of its characters, not just Castle and Beckett, whom I've struggled to care a lot about for awhile and really haven't been enough reason for me to tune in. I loved them in the earlier seasons, Castle the writer in particular, but now I'm indifferent, so change seems like a good thing at this point.

More spoilers: http://www.tvfanatic.com/2015/09/ncis-boss-teases-a-new-gibbs-a-test-for-bishop-a-decision-for-to/

They have toned down the sexual innuendo a lot. In past seasons, Ziva licked Tony's face during a sexual harassment workshop, he's talked about his exploits more openly, I don't know if we heard much from McGee. Kate and Tony teased each other quite a bit even though she's known as a "prude." NCIS used to be much more inappropriate about sex. Remember when Ziva asked if Tony was afraid of a little pussy and said she was a screamer? Or when Tony talked about Kate at a wet t-shirt contest, and then we saw the photo and she, with Abby's help, photoshopped Tony's face onto a gay porn photo? Compared to some of this, and I'm not listing all of the behavior, what we've gotten has been very tame lately. Bishop talking about sex one time feels like nothing compared to Gibbs seeing Kate's wet t-shirt photo and Tony as a gay porn star in his work email. That was some fun times, and it was fun at times because it's pretty clear that it's inappropriate and that everyone was being inappropriate, not just one person.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/05/jon-cryer-ncis-first-look?hootPostID=9581e732f52dc21f05dd703de5e73f2f First Look: Jon Cryer talks saving Gibbs life as 'badass doctor' on NCIS

There's very little personal responsibility though when it comes to the crazy side of fandom. TvLine is clickbait much of the time although they provide legit spoilers too. I read that site regularly and it can be annoying but I never saw any article teasing that SK wasn't going to be in the first episodes after she signed her contract for this season. That drama was completely fan-created and teased by people who actually knew nothing and had no secrets to tell as it turns out.

It's great to see Katie receive the Prism Award. I wasn't pleased entirely by the storyline itself because I actually would have liked to see more of her recovery process in season 2, but that's just a personal preference because I like Laurel and thought that character was underwritten in some episodes in season 2. Aside from that though, despite my criticisms of the show, the writers let the character go through some traumatic survivor's guilt and not only did she seek help, she was still able to see through Sebastian Blood when no one else believed her that season. It was a flawed storyline, but it was acted well in my opinion and looking back on it, there were some great moments. She's a character who hasn't been weakened by her addiction. I'm familiar with more male character addiction storylines, so it's nice to see a female character with those problems seem to come out the other side and reclaim some agency in her life.

Saw this today though I'm sure it's been posted elsewhere. I have to agree with EBR and I hope she gets the material she and Felicity deserve this season: http://www.themarysue.com/arrow-emily-bett-rickards-stop-crying-felicity/ I thought she cried too much, not because women shouldn't cry but the material she was getting was taking away the character's strength. I love funny women, there needs to be more of them on TV, and when the show made her a female lead, they equated that status with adding more drama to her life and having her react in a way that took something away from what made Felicity special on the show. I'm relieved to see EBR mention it. Whether or not it was true to the character, I don't know of the drama she went through was good for the character, at least I didn't find it entertaining to watch. If they can write Felicity to her strengths and the rest of the women on the show too, then I'd watch that. I don't know if I have faith that will happen, but I hope it will.

That piling on is so noticeable. It's quite....remarkable, I guess? Is that the right word to use? If anything, it just turns me off the show again because I end up linking the show with some of its more vocal fans, for lack of better words to use, and it's icky to me whenever a show (and its cast? is that what being presumed here?) seems to neglect one if its cast members. I'm curious about the first episode or so and what spoilers come out because I care about all of the characters, not just a few, but I can't say I'm getting teases that I find interesting. The costume change is different, and I hope for a lighter season, but I was so put off by season 3 that I don't know if I should bother. The Flash actually sounds more interesting at this point, but I do think that the Arrow cast beats them in looking like they're having more fun with each other at least in the photos. That's something that has been nice to see, even if it isn't enough for me to commit to the show this season. ETA: I'm also glad to hear that Felicity might be getting a life outside of her relationship, and I personally hope to see more Thea and Laurel interaction since they're working together. I would love to hear more about the women on the show and what they're up to this season, and I mean ALL of the female characters.

Will definitely be binge watching on Netflix too! Also didn't see this posted but last month NCIS named #1 drama in the world again: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/18/number-1-us-drama-ncis-named-the-most-watched-drama-in-the-world-for-second-consecutive-year/419169/

I think the comparisons actually do an injustice to Felicity. Not to pick on you because I've seen other people say this and even TVline is explicitly saying that The Flash is looking for another Felicity. But what does that mean? How is Supergirl like Felicity? She's cute, white, young, awkward, wears glasses That just seems like surface similarities when the two characters have different lives entirely. I would love to see Felicity being written as one of a kind, not someone who can be reduced and copied so easily for another superhero on another show to fall for. I know it's hard to be original, and originality isn't something TV strives for what but about writing different kinds of female characters, not replicating the same one so obviously from the beginning? What I loved about Felicity especially in the first season was how different she was from everyone else, and I enjoyed how different and diverse the female characters were in those first two seasons. Writing diverse female characters and remembering what makes each one of them different and interesting is probably too much to ask from these shows, but I wish they'd at least try.

This is when she stood out for me. Season 1 is still my favorite season of the show because it was about protecting the city from a real threat and how class issues fed into that. Maybe that's not what the comics focused on but season 1 had a real concern for the people living in the city that made Arrow feel like it was more than a comic book or CW show, and Laurel was part of that. She had a job that was about protecting people who couldn't afford it, and was her trying to be a hero in her own way without a mask and without the glory. I wish that arc hadn't ended or that like season 2, there was a way to bring her in contact with the big bad of the season so that team Arrow's "street justice" better intersected with actual law and order so that she and Quentin would have more relevance to the main action. Despite that, I don't see Laurel as uncaring or unfeeling or cold or whatever. I don't think that about any of the characters, but she is written inconsistently to fit whatever the writers think people on message boards will respond to, and that only weakens the writing for her character and the show in general. I liked seeing her connection to Nyssa, but then the writers didn't give her much to do with Thea, who she's possibly known most of her life, or Oliver, who was once the love of her life, and even her relationship with Nyssa came and went when it fit the plot. So at times her relationships to the closest people in her life feel shallow when they weren't originally and shouldn't be now. I don't blame casting or KC for that. There are times when I can buy what all the characters are doing and feeling, so the casting for all the characters has worked for me when the writing works.

I enjoyed her scenes on The Flash and convinced me that she can and should be written lighter, hell wouldn't mind if all of the characters were, but such a development like the Canary Cry should have happened or been referred to on Arrow, and actually wish it wasn't a mechanism but something she acquired like the comics. I like Laurel. I have no big problems with her. I don't think she's anymore selfish than anyone else on this show, and I have no problems with her being BC at all. However, I loved her relationship with Sara at the end of season 2, and it's shameful that season 3 disposed of it so quickly. I've said this already, but Sara's death as a mistake, and I can only hope that her resurrection redresses that wrong in some way. I would have loved to see Sara train Laurel, for Laurel to admire how Sara fights and protects other women like she can't, and to see Sara train her because she believes Laurel could be a kind of hero that she can't be because of her dark past. I would have loved to see Canary and the Black Canary together, then Sara could die if they had to kill her to put her in the spin off and Laurel would be enraged but even more motivated to fight in her sister's name. Then she's be resurrected, etc. We got a different story instead, some of which I was okay with, but she suffered from what other characters suffered from on the show: lazy storytelling. I don't think she was the worst-written, but they could have done much better. Listening to those voices that said she didn't belong as BC, they had her fight her visions of Sara and even Oliver to prove herself when they should have spent more time showing how she became BC from her perspective as a subplot, with Oliver rooting for her while protective of her rather than telling her how unworthy she was. I also don't think she had to lie about Sara's death for so long. I don't enjoy seeing Quentin and Laurel on the outs like this because it doesn't make either of them look good. I'd love to see her closer to Thea because they were and should continue to be close, especially now that they're both in masks and have to look out for each other. My only wish is that they write her healing her relationships with her father, her sister if she returns on Arrow before LoT airs, and for her to have some growing friendships with the rest of the team. Also for her to be lighter. Less suffering and personal drama for all the characters would do this show good.

Yes! I happen to like both characters and wish that here or in the media there'd be less hate for both and much better writing for them in general. I have no idea why these two are pitted against each other: they don't fight on screen and seem to get along off screen. There's no basis for the continued comparisons between the two except Oliver. Both women are vying for role as female lead and it's not like we can have two women be important at the same time, LOL. For some reason, Laurel is somehow still perceived to be a threat, even when she's clearly not. The show has taken great pains to almost erase any history of an emotional connection between Oliver and Laurel. Laurel getting a story and screen time has no effect on Felicity if and when the writers decide to give both women the storylines they deserve. It would be so great if the media and fandom and female viewers online could rally for better storylines for both women (and all the female characters in general) rather than getting off on trashing one to support the other for sport. The show suffers when one character's storyline revolves around who she should date and the other's bashed because she on screen for more than 30 seconds.