LoveLeigh

I think it feels forced and fake because she is so damn difficult and he has to work so hard to not make her doubt everything he says or does. If he doesn't make a big deal about the "firsts" Kate will question if he really loves Jack. He has to watch every word he says and worry about her reactions. Who could live like that? He can't relax for a minute around her, she will question why he seems disinterested. She is a real pain in the ass.

The problem is that there are some relationships that should respect specific boundaries. Sex does not have to be part of every male/female relationship especially if the relationship has been defined as not a romantic one.

Candace and Carol take Cookie on a girls' trip to Miami to have some fun and take her mind off Lucious. After an unsettling visit with Leah, Lucious is left to deal with some inward self-reflection. Meanwhile, Andre makes a bold decision regarding Treasure's upcoming album and Giselle goes behind Becky's back to find Tiana a new audience. Original air date: November 12, 2019 Wow this show is really seeing almost no forum activity. I can see why this season is the final season. I think many viewers fell away.

Lucious, still obsessed with his past, tries to make amends for his wrongdoings with an old friend. ... Andre and Lucious go head-to-head in a competition to figure out the direction Empire should be heading in. Meanwhile, Becky and Giselle are at odds over the future of Bossy music. Original air date: November 5, 2019

Cassidy is OK but I don't think she is the right fit for Kevin and I hope after this season she is gone.

Randall looked at Rebecca real weird when she was showing him pics of baby Jack. I think the pics she was showing were of one of her own children and he realized she was losing her memory. There were other signs that were subliminally shown to us. I commented on one above.

I do not think all the characters were unlikable. They were people, with many aspects to themselves. I don't think anybody is totally likable or unlikeable. They do good and bad things. Who is a total "Pollyanna?" I am one of those viewer who never disliked Noah. He did some asinine things for sure, but I never crossed over into hating him. Helen said some brutal thing, but I always liked her. I thought Whitney was a huge brat but in some scenes I liked her. It seems more true to life: to have them mess up big time as many people do and then suffer the consequences of their huge mistakes. But, I acknowledge we all come to this with our own perspectives based on our own personal life histories. I think Treem thought she was being creative. She is a lousy writer and she provided no satisfying end to the Alison murder. It was ridiculous and she should lose her membership in the WGA.

I am spoiler tagging this because the mods do not like discussion of previews.

Next week is the finale? This was the most idiotic season of this series. What was the point of any of it? I do not see the "fun" and the homage to the 80s was not enough to carry this crap and the music I can listen to on YouTube. I have watched other seasons that had more original and interesting plots and the stories were not just developed around constant murders. This was real amateurish crap and judging from the fact that I am the 5th person to post here after this episode aired, it seems many viewers just stopped watching this pile of manure.

I love THIS IS US, so any episode I appreciate but... this episode bored me. But a boring THIS IS US episode for me is better than no episode so I am happy. I suppose I am not liking these sub plots with Randall and the teacher and Deja with her new boyfriend. But, they have to develop new story lines to keep the show going so this is what they came up with.

So why did Joanie act like Luisa had been in her life during her entire childhood and why did she call her "Mom?" I do not get what you are implying. Are you saying Sarah Treem blocks all those who do not praise her?

My opinion is that it does not even matter because this was the final season and they spent very little time developing the character of Joanie for the validity of these theories to have any impact on any character arcs. It was random and shoe horned in stuff. They should have not introduced an older Eddie (he was unnecessary, it was a Treem shtik) and they should have developed Joanie discovering how her mother died more thoroughly and have her confront old Ben in a longer and more detailed grounded way without having her appear so unhinged with that comment of how she would kill him. They should have scripted Joanie to be more stable without infusing into her those parts with all the random choking sex. I know many people feel that was who she was because of her trauma but I feel it was the wrong path to go because it made her reconciliation with her husband a weak joke. They could have made Joanie a troubled woman in some other way. It diminished the integrity and believability of even the job she had. If Joanie had gone back to Montauk as a strong woman with minor problems and in some other way confronted Ben and if he had no "trap" it would have been more satisfying. Then when Joanie talks to Noah they could have shared memories and he could have given her advice regarding her past and the future that would have made some sense. And nobody answered the question: did Luisa stay with Cole because Joanie called her "mom?"

THE DEUCE just ended in almost the same way, with an old Vincent in 2019 seeing the ghosts of his dead friends from back in 1985. Both of these scenes made me cry because I am sentimental. However, THE DEUCE ended without so many flaws as THE AFFAIR. All over twitter they are praising THE AFFAIR. I don't get all the Treem love over there. The writing for this episode was as awful as the previous episodes in this season. The entire Joanie/oldBen scenes were preposterous. Ben's "trap" was a joke. AND the version of Alison's death that he told Joanie was a third version so there was no closure there. Old Ben seemed crazier than ever. How could he have managed to continue to run that trauma facility? In spite of all the many flaws, I loved this series and I will miss it and the characters. I can enjoy a show that makes no sense, is filled with bloopers (Joanie returning home with no luggage etc.) and jut enjoy the wacky and silly ride. And I did.

Since Joanie called Luisa "mom" does that indicate Cole and Luisa stayed together?

They never revealed what Ben's alibi was. Plus, Noah never hugged Joanie. He just said something like "it's good to see you Joanie." Plus, Eddie in the future was totally unnecessary. Joanie running to get that rifle was laughable. This entire season's writing was flawed. However, I am very sentimental so when I saw the scene with Noah at the graves and then dancing on the cliff I cried. I cried not so much for Noah but because that combined with the final scene of THE DEUCE really drove home hard how we do all pass into "the arms of time" and we will all age (hopefully) and one day be there where most of the people we know are gone. So we either remember them as "ghosts" as did Vincent or we visit their graves. So I cried.

Stacey in this episode looked a lot like Sarah Treem. Maybe THE AFFAIR is the story of Sarah's childhood.

I replied in DM and in "Small Talk."

This article explains Ruth Wilson's exit from THE AFFAIR

NM

Well, since the show is fiction and not a documentary I suppose we will never know. Only Sarah Treem knows and I think she did it as a shtik. Her writing is just awful. How does she get work? Who does she know?

They wrote Ruth Wilson off because she asked to be written off. She wanted to leave the show, it was her choice.

Well, it was sentimental and I cried in parts... but it also was corny in other parts. I did NOT think it was funny that they duct taped Bruce to the chair. And of course Whitney who goes from yin to yang and decides she wants her father at the wedding. I thought the series would end with those kids outside the motel room. Did Margaret die in 2051, the same year as Helen? Wow she lived to be 100 years old. The Joanie thing was totally unnecessary. Totally.unnecessary. So much was left unanswered. Did Whitney stay married? What happened to the sex allegations against Noah? Why was Joanie calling Luisa "mom? And I was right about EJ being Eddie. He was unnecessary too. I don't know... I liked this series and I am sad to see it end but I feel this season was very flawed.

I think the series will end with cliffhangers and many plots unresolved and left hanging. It will leave us wanting more episodes but it will be OVER.

I can't wait to discuss this episode with all of you. I will be watching it at midnight, when Showtime puts it up On Demand. We can go to the speculation thread until we view it.

The "hookers" went online at websites. The Deuce was before everybody had access to a computer. The homeless are all back, sleeping on the streets all over NYC.