WineCheeseChocolat

Super late here but wanted to add to the trucking/Andrei conversation. My immigrant husband did long-haul trucking when he got here for three years. I wasn’t thrilled with the time apart (although I traveled with him some) but in the end he made good money with it and really improved his English skills. Absolutely you need some experience before you can get those home at night gigs. My husband was starting to try and get one after three years but a) he kinda sucks at driving b) he was burned out c) I’m going through a major health crisis where I need 24/7 caregiving. And yes, my parents are bankrolling us until it’s over but he proved himself to them (and me) for three years by doing a terribly difficult job he hated because that’s what he needed to do to support his family (I haven’t been working due to above mentioned health issues). Andrei? Didn’t even try. He went to trucking school, spent the money and then completely abandoned the idea with no plan. Did he not know he would probably need to drive cross-country in the beginning? Why didn’t his school help him find a job like most do? Maybe he was such a shitty worker they didn’t even bother. I get there was an unexpected pregnancy in there (use birth control people!) but Libby seemed to want him in trucking so there’s no case of nagging wife. She probably figures he has very traditional attitudes about child-rearing so he wouldn’t be much help if he had a 9-5 job anyway so why not send him on the road so he can make good money? Father Andrei is a dead ringer for my late father-in-law. Personality wise too. My husband cried when he saw him. Before he died we tried to get FIL here on a tourist visa and it didn’t work but if he had come over we never would’ve let him in JFK by himself. So I do sympathize about that. I think we would’ve planned his layovers better though. It was always the plan that if he had to fly to a non-home airport, hubby would meet him.

You see, something like that I think would’ve been interesting. Not it being the COTW but the COTW being “what constitutes consent in this day and age” and the squad reflecting back on their own experiences and situations they are looking at with a new perspective. Little glimpses into their pasts and how they feel about it, but not making the whole episode about it. Like how Old School SVU was back when the writers knew the meaning of subtlety.

It drives me crazy that everyone on this show just drops by everyone else’s apartments unexpectedly. It’s NYC, apartment buildings either have a doorman or you have to be buzzed up. But hey, I’m not going complain about more Fin in any way shape or form. PW is helluva fine (hey I like gingers) but please take the focus off his personal life and enough with the “Liv/Peter” BFF/manufactured romantic tension whatever they have going on.

Not only that but an arrest of Rape One?!

Was this on visajourney?

USA had a “Viewers Choice” marathon yesterday. Best Judge - Haystack featuring Donnelly defending Stabler and Novak as they were accused of civil rights violations. I love Donnelly but my choice would’ve been Guilt featuring Donnelly at some of her best AND the beginning of the Cabot/Petrovsery animosity. Most Ridiculous Episode Title - Zebras. In agreement on that. Best ADA - October Surprise. Ugh, it was just Barba Taking It Personally, he didn’t even get to get into a courtroom. My favorite Barba as ADA episodes were Criminal Hatred, Depravity Standard and Community Policing. My favorite ADA episode overall is Guilt. Best Undercover Performance - Undercover, which I’m not going to argue with although my favorite was Benson/Stabler undercover in Risk. Best Emmy-Winning Performance - Cynthia Nixon in the alternate personality episode. Can’t argue with that but I’m honestly on not up on who all has won Emmys. Best Guest Star Female - The one who killed her parents. Anne something. Don’t remember the actress. My favorite was the teen that played Missy in Damaged. T way she said at the end “You can’t kill me. I’m already dead.” Sent chills down my spine. Best Guest Star Male - The dude who played the villain in Night. I would pick the guy who played the father in Grief. He was amazing. Best Benson Episode - PTSD. Not going to argue here. She grappled with her fallout from her near-rape and actually admitted her mistakes. I’m sure I could think of better ones but I’m just glad it wasn’t a St Olivia saves the Day episode. Best Benson Boyfriend - shouldn’t have even been a category but it was Unholliest Alliance featuring Tucker. I think Cassidy was the best boyfriend, he had to help her through all the post-Lewis trauma and he was a big enough person to be nice to Amaro when he was camping out on their couch. Best Mama Bear - Spring Awakening when Benson became Noah’s foster mom. I would’ve preferred one that focused on the COTW like Desparate. But I’m just glad it wasn’t the Noah kidnapping episode. Best Recurring Villian - I would’ve preferred Best Villian since I believe Lewis and Yates were the only recurring one. Lewis was a great villain though. The casting department is good at casting villains. Really would’ve liked to see some different categories like more ADA categories, Best Defense Attorney (Calhoun!), Best Child Actor, Best Partnership, Best GLBT Episode, Best Ripped From the Headlines...

Your comment made me think of Carisi in the Eric Gardner/Central Park Five/rapist dentist uncle episode some seasons back. “He raped his own niece?!” I gave Carisi a bit of a break since he was new but seriously he had never heard of such a thing before, in his musical chairs with different SVUs before Manhattan? And the family annihilator episode was literally called “Annihilated.” Dylan Walsh character killed his whole family and his mistress but for a long time in the episode they thought the annihilator was the mom. It led to Eli because Stabler was so distraught he went to Kathy (who he was separated from) and they ended up having comfort sex.

She’s investigated moms killing their kids, moms pimping out their kids, moms sexually abusing their kids, moms neglecting their kids, moms not feeding their kids in some sort of power play, moms letting their husbands turkey-baster impregnate their kids...the list goes on and on. Rollins hasn’t been there nearly as long but she’s seen shit too. WTF was with them not being able to deal and having to cry and hug it out in Benson’s office? And there has been a family annihilator episode years ago that had Stabler Taking It Personally because it turned out to be the husband that did it. But before they realized it was the husband, everyone thought the wife had killed the kids, tried to kill the husband and then turned the gun on herself.

The first time, absolutely, the second time it seemed like she was trying to get him to say it back. Just my the way I read into which could’ve been colored by how annoyed I was by the episode in general.

I know, right?! It’s a different situation having an abortion when it’s your first kid than when you already have one that your limited time and resources would be taken from if you had another. Also found it manipulative that Benson kept trying to get Noah to say ILY. He’s too young to recognize the difference between loving someone in the moment and loving them but not liking them in the moment. She’s teaching him he should just pander back what women want to hear. She obviously wants to raise a boy with integrity but that’s no way to do. Benson used to be one of my favorite characters and I keep hoping she’ll get tolerable again but don’t think it’s going to happen.

Well that sucked. I called the school shooting when Sam was standing in the doorway and ominous music was playing. Stone was way too unbalanced and angsty although the actor is fine. The quick Stone/Carisi scene at the bar was a highlight and I’d love to see those two together more. Other highlight was Benson moaning to Fin about feeling her age and he’s all like “we’re getting older, that’s life” and walks away. If Fin did 10 years in Narcotics and was in the Rangers in ‘92, he’d have to be older than Benson by a few years I’d guess yet he’s not acting like he’s been given a death sentence. Did she really though? The first time I saw her express serious interest in motherhood was in S9 when she told Stabler she had tried to adopt. It could’ve been interesting if it was part of her past from the earlier seasons with regards to all her motherhood/parentage issues but now we’re sick of her personal issues so it just feels tired. Plus, it’s just another plot device to prop up B/R as besties and give Rollins extra angst over a pregnancy THAT NEVER SHOULD’VE BEEN WRITTEN IN IN THE FIRST PLACE. Seriously, they should’ve dressed Kelli in loose black clothes and then shipped Rollins off to Atlanta (and WTF that she wouldn’t be able to get an abortion in Atlanta, it’s a major city, not a backwater) for some family emergency.

Evelyn and David. He was 27 and she was 18. And they started messaging when she was 17 which was creepy.

This popped up on Amazon Prime so I thought what the hell, let’s relive my youth a bit. Joey’s likeable this season, before the whole world starts worshipping at her alter. Sure she had some immature moments like being so bitchy to Jen, but I could still see the self-conscious teenage girl who had had to grow up too fast. I really liked when she stood up to Gail when she found out Gail was having an affair and talked about the ripple effect her father’s infidelity had on the family. Also when she asked Grams for help delivering Alexander and pointed out of all the reasons Grams disliked the situation (which were not valid anyway) none were the baby’s fault. And WTF Grams with all the racism. Glad she got cool later on. Speaking of the affair, WTF was Gail doing pulling Dawson into her confession to Mitch and announcing “I’ve been having sex with another man.” I know Dawson already knew but seriously she should be trying to protect him from the fallout, not exposing him to even more adult scenes he shouldn’t be part of. Annnnnd of the topic of inappropriate adults, back in ‘98, the Pacey/Tamara didn’t bother me because Pacey was several years older than me and I thought 15 was like, totes an adult who had the mental and emotional capacity to make well-thought out decisions on having a sexual relationship with someone more than twice their age. Now? SO MUCH TAMARA RAGE. She committed a felony (and she kept saying so!) and when the news came out she had the nerve to stonewall Pacey for not being discreet. HE’S 15 YEARS OLD. Her ass should’ve been in jail. GAH. Jen has always been my fave and the more underutilized character. I loved how she kept going at Joey until Joey gave in and they became friends. I also loved her sitting by Gramp’s bedside and talking to him. I hated how she was slut-shamed. Dawson could go to hell when he told her she must understand his mom cheating.

My husband and I didn’t do the K1 route, but my husband and I are a pretty “normal” couple that just happened to be from other countries. We did technically meet “on vacation” but it was a months-long backpacking trip and we developed a relationship over an extended period of time. We both love traveling and did some together and FB etc was really just a way for us to keep in touch between times we saw each other in person. And we dated for several years with longer visits to make sure we were out of “vacation mode” before committing. I really don’t get hopping online with the intention to meet someone internationally. There’s so many apps, websites etc where you can find a variety of partners within an hours drive. I had thought that the show hasn’t included US/Western European relationships because there was not enough drama in them but Evelyn/David, Darcy/Jesse and Rachel/Jon are proving me wrong. Also don’t get why David never visited Claremont before committing to the K1 - I assume he doesn’t have a record like a Jon does. I think Jon’s an alcoholic. I get puking from nervousness or food poisoning or whatever but whenever that’s happened to me, I’m all watery-eyed and red-faced afterwards and I’d DIE of embarrassment if it happened on a public street in front of a camera crew! Jon’s nonchalance was weird and disturbing. It was like NBD?!

True, but there’s caveats to that rule. The man needs to provide for all wives and provide for them equally I believe. I don’t see Azan willing to do that (see above post re: lazy). From what I’ve seen and heard, formal polygamy has greatly decreased in many countries where it used to be common because young men no longer have the means to support multiple wives. Doesn’t stop them from having side pieces of course.