needschocolate

While they were having the Big Argument, I realized that Kevin wasn't talking - and he is always talking, no matter who else is talking. He doesn't shy away from arguments, he encourages them! I wonder what rendered him speechless for a few minutes.

Oh Perry, you knew you were partnered up with a lunatic, yet every time he left you in the hotel to go commit acts you thought were heinous, you never considered packing up your suitcase and leaving? Instead, you wait to leave until he kills the PI and he is standing, armed, between you and the door. My hunch that Beth was dreaming in the beginning was confirmed when we see Ray had short hair, even though the only picture they had of him was with longer hair - the one they showed witnesses and put on the news (even though they knew he had cut it by the time the news report was on). Ray drove a "classic" car on their first date, so he hid the body in the same make and model at the junk yard. It was an old model when he drove it, now it is 15-20 years later, and he is able to find the same kind of car? I guess after he bashed in the DA's head, he borrowed one of the magic computers from another CBS crime show and did a search. The writers couldn't seem to decide if the audience was supposed to like or dislike the woman that took over for Beth - half the cast was in awe the other half gave looks of disdain. I did like how the three amigos pretended to be working when New Boss Lady cam out of the conference room - well, two of them pretended, Jack just stood there posing for a catalog ad. I don't know about obtaining warrants in the real world, but in the world of TV, they should have had no problem getting a warrant to find out who the PI was (or whatever warrant the New Boss Lady had to coerce out of someone). They need 10 Fancy Suit People to tell Beth that they won't let her be in charge of the case, but they only put one guard in front of her house. Once again, someone opens the door without verifying who is out there (at least Ben looked out the window first) - this happens so often that the stalkers know it - that is why none of the stalkers ever bother to hop the fence and sneak in through the back.

The only way out of the whole secret mess that I can imagine ---- Mike walks into the offices of Pearson Hardman, walks straight into Harvey's office and says, "You wouldn't believe the dream I had last night. It started with me telling you that I didn't go to law school, then Jessica finds out, and, pretty soon, everybody knows, including professors and your girlfriend - by the way, you had a girlfriend in my dream - you also had your name on the door, but so did Louis, so don't gloat. . And the CIA or the FBI or Homeland Security almost figured it out, but Louis stopped them - yeah, Louis! Imagine that? Louis helping one of us. Anyway, even though my lying threatens the firm, you guys can't get rid of me or you would be in trouble, although, I am not sure why that would stop you from firing me - Huh, funny how dreams can seem so real until you start telling someone then you realize how ridiculous they sound. Anyway, I woke up in a cold sweat. The only good thing about that dream was that I was living with that cute paralegal who keeps turning me down." Then we all go back to the way things were in the first few episodes (minus the secret), and, because Mike isn't psychic, we don't have Scotty, the British invasion, etc... and they can get rid of Hardman and make Harvey and/or Louis name partners some other way.

I thought it was a nice touch that, at one point (Nick's last scene?), it was just Sara, Nick and, Greg - the three that had been there since the beginning. Nick mentioned at least twice that all his friends were in LV. One time, he was talking to Sara and said (paraphrasing) "My friends are here, my family is here" and then he eyes Sara knowingly, as if to say that his co-workers are like his family. I suppose by "here" he could have meant "in the crime lab", but I understood it as "in Las Vegas." I don't remember his exact words, he may have actually said his friends are in Las Vegas, not just "here."

OT - So many women I know will refer to Steel Magnolias that I have come to realize that Steel Magnolias is to women what The Godfather is to men - the movie that gets quoted, the movie somehow relates to so many moments in real lives, the movie that provides lessons in how to deal with events. I need to watch Steel Magnolias again.

The implication was that Jeff and Jessica had not told each other "I love you" before now. This confirms my belief that Jeff is just a whiney baby man - getting all huffy because Jessica doesn't let him know every little detail about the law firm (that she started and runs and he just started working at) even though their relationship wasn't even close enough for an "I love you"? It is not unreasonable to expect complete honesty about the work history of someone you are in love with, but it is unreasonable to expect it from someone your are just dating. Well, on the plus side, Jeff broke up with Jessica before she told him the real secret. Something tells me that guy wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret. Another plus - Jeff may be off the show - yay! Although, given the way this show has evolved into "The Secret That Haunts Their Every Move Show," they may turn him into vindictive ex who will try relentlessly to find out the real secret. Ugh.

My recording cut off before the very end - what was Chuck Lorre's message at the end (the white screen that I usually ignore)?

I am under the impression that Claire isn't a fan of magic. So, I thought the final scene would be Claire sitting in the back, flinching because the massage was uncomfortable, and getting visibly annoyed at this guy pulling quarters out of her ear and hiding her phone, while Phil is eating warm cookies in first class, next to the obnoxious lady, who has passed out. If my husband and I were about to take a flight and one of us had the chance to switch to a first class seat, we would take it, and then switch halfway through the flight. I am fanwanking that the bully never intended to apologize, his plan was smash the pie into Manny's face while saying "here's your piece." But when Manny knocked him down, he changed his story to make Manny look bad. And since I am fanwanking anyway, the bully gets kicked out of cooking school to for "inappropriate use of butter."

I think it was only demeaning if they felt it was demeaning. We don't know if she forced them to get photographed - "Hey all you poor people - You want your check, then you better smile for the camera" Or if they wanted to do it - "My picture will be on your website / hanging in your corporate office / be on TV in America? Sure, take as many as you want" - "You are taking pictures? Can I have copies? - "Can I take my picture with you? You have given me an opportunity that I never would have gotten without you." If she owned a shoe factory in Kansas and announced that she was taking pictures for the company newsletter, some people would do what they could to avoid being in the pictures (I would be one of those people) and some people would rush over to be in the photo (my husband is one of those people). Some people love having their 15 nano-seconds of fame.

I thought she said he was playing on the bridge (but maybe I just decided that because of the lovey). Alternate answer, he was an adult, but after he died, the lovey was all she had to remember him by? Another option - she didn't think this through.

I can handle a certain amount of contrivance (there is a database that lists everyone who bought a scorpion? And that list can be cross-referenced with people who own really old Suburbans? Hmm, they must have borrowed Garcia's computer from Criminal Minds), but this show falls under the Mystery genre and what good is watching a mystery if you have no chance of figuring out who the killer/kidnapper is? So, from now on, I will have to look at all the extras used in every scene to guess "who done it"? They are trying too hard to make the killer a surprise. If this show stays on the air long enough, we will eventually see an episode where the killer is some guy who walked across a hotel lobby and got into an elevator in the background of the opening scene, and then wasn't seen again until they cross-reference men who were purple ties with people who like garlic salt on their scrambled eggs.

Well, I am glad that Anthony went home, if for no other reason than now there is only one Anthony. I am bad with names and it isn't helping that so many of them, especially the women, look so different in their talking heads than they do while working. I have discovered that the wacky hair colors and hair cuts in past seasons helped me tell them apart. There were three different guys I called Julian in the first few episodes - one was Anthony, but the hat helped, so the past couple of episodes I only have two Julians. Although they named this season "Return of the Champions" I have decided that what they were really going for was "Face Off: Class has Begun" or "Face Off: School Edition" or something similar. My theory is that they had trouble finding top make-up artists with much experience, they went with a group of people who showed some talent but didn't have much experience. Since they knew viewers wanted to see good make-ups, they had to add teachers/mentors that would hang around the lab long enough to give more instruction than Mr. Westmore can in his stop bys. It helps me to think that instead of watching talented make-up artists doing their thing, this season we are watching make-up artists that show some promise learning how to improve their skills.

I wonder if the writers undergo periodic mental/emotional examinations - it takes a warped mind to come up with some of the stuff they come up with. The unsub grows up in a house where his father abuses his mother until the day he kills her, and then himself. The unsub apparently got some sort of solace from listening to his mother's final screams. But his tape is destroyed in fire (first off, didn't he ever think of making a copy of it - those cassette tapes don't last forever, he was lucky to get 25 years). So, rather than asking women to help him with a project (for instance, tell them you need it for background in a video of domestic abuse) by yelling certain phrases and screaming, he kidnaps women instead and abuses them to recreate what his mom when through in her final moments, even though his mother wasn't actually tied to a chair. Maybe he had tried asking nicely and felt the screaming wasn't real enough. Maybe he kept such a tidy house because being clean (and cooking) must be incredibly important or his father wouldn't have beat his mother over it. Maybe he hit his head against the wall because he was also beaten. Maybe, maybe, maybe....maybe I would understand his motives and actions better if they actually did some profiling beyond "he's a white male in his 30s" Heck, as soon as they pointed out that his name wasn't in Garcia's database and the same officer responded to the abuse calls, I thought, "he's changed his name to the officer's name" but Kate took a while to come to that conclusion and Reid seemed totally surprised by this theory.

I have nothing to add to the sandal people discussion that hasn't been said, except that when she mentioned that the cost was about the same as if she outsourced to China, my first thought was "so you built your sweatshop in Africa instead of Asia." Lumi lady's voice sounded okay (high, but not too annoying) in her talking head at the end, but sounded "hollow" during her presentation. Perhaps she was nervous - she seemed really nervous. It has got to be rather scary and confusing when all the sharks start talking over each other. I giggle every time I imagine the look on the barista's face when some woman lifts her arm and digs around in her armpit before paying for her latte. They said it was waterproof, so, in theory, your money will be sweat-free, but the cashier isn't going to know that. It is an awkward place to keep your stuff. And if you put too much stuff in it, you will end up looking like one of those overly muscle-bound guys that can't put his arms down at his sides and has to stand with his hands a foot away from his hips. Okay, I can see how it could be useful for a key and an ID when you are out jogging, especially if it is sweat-proof, but I wonder how long it would be before the EMTs/police would think to check your armpit for your ID. Plus, depending on your running stance and if you have sleeves, it could rub against your inner arm. My daughter uses a pouch that straps onto her arm when she jogs - it is big enough to hold her ID, key, and phone (so she can have music to jog to). I don't thinks she puts her ID in it though - she figures they can get her information from her phone (call any contact number and the person who answers can say who the phone belongs to, but it is better to have someone listed under "emergency" or "ICE"). He said that most of the money he invested went toward the cost of the mold, so I don't think the "specialized" parts would be readily available. However, I didn't really understand what made his so special. I thought he said he has a 30% profit margin, so each one costs him about $30 to make. When he said what his previous sales were, I thought to myself, "hmm, seems like everyone who would want one, has already bought one." I don't see much of a market for this. I can see how this would keep kids entertained for a couple of hours - once, making it $50 an hour fun.

Earlier in the episode, Abraham knocks the best friend's head against the wall and she is knocked out and later wakes up. Later, Ray knocks Amanda's head against a car, so I am going with the idea that Amanda is just unconscious. However, she is lying in the street, so there is always the possibility that she will get run over by a car. However, I hope she survives, because I don't want to have the whole Jack as a single parent storyline. I am pretty sure Perry regrets getting Ray out (the actor that plays Perry did a good job of giving the "Oh crap, what did I get myself into" look). I don't understand what Perry's plan was in the first place. Why did he get Ray out? I know he wanted to scare Beth, but what did he think Ray would do or what did he plan on Ray doing?

When my daughter had her baby, we turned her old dresser into a changing table. It was too low to change a baby comfortably, especially since her husband is quite tall, so I made a box to put it on. The box has drawers, and a lip around the top to keep the changing pad in place. It is heavy and has rubber pads on the bottom, so there is no danger of it sliding anywhere (and the rubber pads keep the dresser top from getting scratched. Leslie's dresser also looked too low to make a comfortable changing table, so raising the pad would have been a plus. It took me a few hours to make my box, but I think a real carpenter could do it in an hour. She is my favorite also, but I can't ignore her voice. I find it annoying, yet I also find myself trying to talk like her. I don't want to talk like her on a regular basis (or on any basis), I just can't figure out how she does that with her voice. She is not the only one I have heard talk this way, so it is not something specific to her, like she was kicked in the throat by a cow many years ago. I can't make my voice have that gurgley, gravelly sound - I just sound hoarse. (disclaimer - I often read to small children using different voices and I have a tendency to try to mimic unusual voices. I am intrigued by how the vocal fry works, as I can't come close to copying it). I think the non-elim was planned in advance to coincide with Ellen being on the show. I rarely watch her talk show now, but used to tune in in the past. It seems like any time she had a contest/game between two audience members they would both end up winning. As soon as I heard Ellen would be announcing the winner and loser, I figured there would be no loser going home this week. The non-elim makes me happy because I really like this show, and now it will last one episode longer than I thought. There are two things I would change, if I were in charge - use a point system instead of sending someone home each week (as other have mentioned), and have them switch carpenters each challenge. All the carpenters seem good, but I think some may be more creative than others (Chip seems to have more input than the others do), plus sometimes personalities don't get along (Leslie was difficult to work with, but I felt her carpenter wasn't the most easy-going guy either). Maybe the "prize" for winning (getting the most points) would be that you get first pick of carpenters the following challenge.

I thought she said she needed a job, so she would have enough time on her hands to make up a few hundred accounts and post comments. And what was Bobby saying - he would hire some of these people at his restaurant? I don't know if I live near any of his restaurants, but I am pretty sure I wouldn't waste my money eating there now.

Why does Gloria's sister, who lives in Columbia, have a much lighter accent than Gloria, who lives in the US? (rhetorical question) I liked the Claire/Phil storyline, especially the ending. Just when I thought that Phil had gone over the deep end and thought Julianna was a real person, he comes back out and grabs Claire. I really didn't like the ending - Phil, Jay and Mitchell all having a good time making breakfast, a sign that they had had an enjoyable Valentine's night, then Cam is whining about not knowing where to put the bowl. I don't know if anything could have been a good punch line to that set up, but Cam whining certainly wasn't it.

When I saw this thread, I couldn't decide if "unpopular opinions" meant people who like the show or people who hate it. Personally, I liked it in the beginning and I like it now (though not as much as earlier). Mostly because of the little side comments, like the way Phil answers the phone. It is one of the few shows that you need to pay attention when viewing or you miss too much. I don't think the characters have changed much and I think that is part of the reason for the complaining. When it first came on, it seemed new and innovative, but now it seems more predictable. I can't think of any show that was as popular and got such positive reviews as MF did and was able to maintain that level for more than 2-3 seasons. On the other hand, it wold be wrong to have the characters change greatly. Life just doesn't seem to work that way, at least not without going through some major trauma. There would be a lot of complaints if Claire started buying alpacas, or Gloria started quoting Shakespeare.

I didn't mind Einstein. I don't know if she and Reid could be a couple in real life, but I certainly thought the show was going to go in that direction. She is s young genius, a bit quirky, a doctor, and they showed the "I'm empty"-"something will fill it" in the previouslies. Since she is a 2 hour plane ride away, I figured they would have to have some sort of "next step" during this episode. Therefore, I was surprised at the end when it turned out that Reid was playing chess against himself. I expected him to be playing chess against Einstein vie text message.

Took a while to watch this episode, but I noticed two things - -- JLH's character (forgot the name) said that she had signed up for a class taught by Gideon, but then he only gave 2 lectures. I thought that was a jab at MP only staying with the show for 2 seasons (did the same thing with Chicago Hope). -- Morgan and Hotch? (maybe Rossi?) referred to Reed as "kid" - I understand that he was pretty young when he started witht he BAU, but isn't he hovering around 30 now? Seems odd to keep calling him the kid.

I loved the way that each of Beth/Michele's stalkers had a moment where they looked at the other stalker and thought "this guy is nuts!" At first I thought the stalker was the blond girl, but quickly changed my mind and figured it was the BFF. But then, for a few minutes, I suspected it was the mom, mostly because she was so lax about the ordeal her daughter was going through - "well, honey, just show them that you aren't what they think." but I went back to the BFF. I do like how they keep you guessing, but it isn't impossible to figure out (it doesn't end up being some unknown - "the assistant coach did it!") On the other hand, I thought the actual stalker's story was rather convoluted. The mom had a daughter, who ended up being the stalker, that she gave up for adoption. Then a few years later the mom and her husband adopted a girl, who was the victim. The stalker tracked down her birth mother and found out that she had a daughter and decided that she would make that daughter leave so that she could take her place. How does she do this? By registering as a student at the same high school as the daughter, spending weeks (months? years?) befriending the victim, while living in a back room, that no one notices, in a house that everyone hangs out in to party, and then starting rumors about the victim and a football coach, including having sex with the coach herself so that she can film it, until everything escalates to the point where the victim decides to run away.

I had this feeling of deja vu when I watched this episode, then it all came back to me --- two episodes ago (Merchants of Menace) the story was that someone was selling a convertible that belonged to s serial killer and when they reveal the car, there is s dead body in it. In this episode, someone is selling a convertible that a mobster was killed in. I got tired of all the episodes being about someone close to one of the CSIs and I am glad that they have slowed that down, but they better not be replacing "family member of the week" with "crime convertible of the week"

The episode thread is not the place for flirting. If you want to flirt, you should go to the Small Talk thread. :-)

When I first read your post, I thought "I know I have tried the cable remote...but it was a long time ago...and they have changed other features since then...." So I gave it a try and withing 30 seconds, I had captioning with sound! Thank you, thank you, thank you! ETA: Only my newest DVR has the closed captioning option in the menu. The older DVR does not. Both are from Comcast. The newest one is the one I watch most and is hooked up to the TV that I couldn't figure out CC on, so I am still thanking Quilt Fairy profusely.