Rapunzel

Actually, car phones were first used in the mid-1940s. Many movie stars started having them installed back then. Also, they were pretty big in the 80s until the big monstrous thing that we all know now as a "cell phone" first became more popular (cell phones were first commercially available in the early 80s or so). I didn't see a cord attached to the phone Donna was using, so I think she may have been calling from a cell phone rather than a car phone, especially as they were available then, given that it was 1990. My family had its first cell phone in 1991, though they were pretty expensive to buy and to use. My family intended it be used only for emergencies, but my older sister, who was 12 at the time, talked on it every chance she got. I was just 5 or so and didn't really care one way or the other. What I didn't like was Donna's whole attitude when Bos came to visit her at her new VC office to congratulate her and she kind of looked down on him and his gift of Wild Turkey a bit and she made a point to mention that she had her own personal assistant, etc. That's who it seemed she was calling with her cell/car phone and demanding that they book a flight for her to Switzerland right away after Cam told her to piss off. I used to like Donna, but her whole behavior and attitude in the season finale has really made me second guess that. She acts bossy and superior, despite the fact that she was wrong on Mutiny, and I still do not understand how, after such a big failure, she made Sr. Partner at a VC Firm so fast. Diane must really like her - if it were the real world, she would have been tossed out when Mutiny, or whatever its final name was, went completely bust. Donna is also incapable of launching this new venture on her own, which is why she had to ask for Joe's help to try to get Cam on board. I'm glad Joe didn't help her, though he was honest with Cam as to what Donna wanted. Seeing Cam give her the boot was a bit satisfying, given Donna's demeanor in the finale and the fact that she tried to oust Joe just like she ousted Cam years before. Guess Karma really can be a bitch. I also dislike how she has treated Gordon. Yes, as I've mentioned in previous posts, Gordon can be a pain in the ass, but the man is ill and she bullied him into investing his Cardiff money into Mutiny (I know, he had a one night stand, but he was honest about it and he had just been diagnosed with his illness - again, still not the right thing to do, but it didn't warrant Donna's reaction either) for just 10% of Mutiny. He should have gotten more than 10% especially as he bought the servers and was keeping the HW side of things together. Donna just didn't want him to have more because she was upset about the one nighter. Donna's Parents also bullied him as I mentioned in one of my other posts and made him pay them back for money that both he and Donna borrowed for the "Giant" and other things. They clearly stated that Donna and the girls would owe them nothing, but they expected Gordon to pay up, which he did with part of his Cardiff money. As previously stated, I used to really like Donna (at the very least I nearly always liked her over Cam), however the season finale and her attitude has kind of made me revisit that. I hope that the original 3 get this new venture off the ground and ensure she doesn't get a piece of it at all - especially since she probably got quite a bit off of Gordon in the divorce since he won the suit against Joe. CA is a community property state, so she probably cleaned up pretty well as Mutiny would have been bust at the time and she wasn't Sr. Partner in a VC company yet. She already took his Cardiff money, so taking anything else he had probably didn't bother her in the least. I still honestly cannot believe that the season finale caused me to change direction on Donna so much, but it has. Maybe something will help redeem her again next season, but right now she just looks like a selfish, self serving, spiteful person who only cares about herself and how she can benefit. I know others on the show have been like this as well, but they all appear to be growing, developing and maturing now whereas Donna seems to be going over to the dark side and regressing when she used to be the mature, reasonable, responsible one.

Just as a side note, I watched "Our Brand Is Crisis" a couple weeks ago for the first time. I kept looking at one of the campaign guys and knew he looked familiar, but I just couldn't place him. It finally hit me that it was Gordon from H&CF with no facial hair! I was actually glad to see he had shaved it off in H&FC (wonder if he did it for the film role or if his facial hair was real to begin with). He looks younger and, in my opinion, more handsome, without it. However, given that his character is supposed to have a degenerative illness (though seemingly one that may/can degenerate fairly slowly), I wonder if they did it just to keep him looking younger for now so he can quickly grow back a beard/goatee with lots of grey in it if they do another significant time jump. Love to see that he's taken up cooking though and has hobbies beyond sitting in the closet with his Ham radio. Also curious to see what happened to the other daughter, Hayley, and why Donna came to Gordon's house wanting Hayley's retainer for Joanie as she mentioned Joanie forgot it. Maybe it's a keepsake/reminder Joanie likes to keep with her? I also wonder if the loss of Hayley (if that is what actually happened - I think the show left some ambiguity in there) could be perhaps part of why Donna and Gordon split. Something similar happened in my family, so though Donna and Gordon may have had other issues, something like this could have definitely played a role, regardless of how it may have happened.

Agree with this. This was the first episode that I actually maybe started to like Cam a little bit more than I like Donna. Cam is right in that Donna casts people aside too easily and I get why that pushed Cam's buttons given their history. Part of the reason I may be finding Cam more relatable in this season finale may partly come from the fact that the 4 year time jump was a bit of a shocker and also, like Cam, I went off to live in Japan for a few years, though I went over a decade later. I do have to say, however, that the little Japanese they attempted in this episode was pretty bad. Although I suppose since Cam is a "gaijin" or "foreigner," maybe they did that intentionally. All of the main characters started out as equals nearly a decade before with the "Giant", and none of them would be where there are without the other. These are not typical employer/employee relationships. Whatever feelings Cam has towards Joe I don't think are quite as relevant here given the history with Donna. Her feelings towards Donna and the fact that Donna, once again, tried to act like the major power player and take over something that clearly needs expertise from all areas seemed to only help reminded Cam of the loss of Mutiny. At the time, however, I thought Donna was right to do with Mutiny what she did and that Cam was behaving like a petulant child. It always annoyed me that Cam always referred to it as "her company" and didn't really seem to acknowledge the others. Yes, she may have been the largest single shareholder, but that doesn't mean a thing when the others align against you. However, now 4 years later, Donna seems to be behaving more like the dominant or controlling party in this new venture they are trying to put together when, really, it stems from something Joe helped dream up and that he and Gordon were going to try to take to the next level (until Ryan happened). Yes, Donna did some additional research, but she knew she needed Joe to get Cam and no way could Donna do this on her own. Joe took it even further than that later on and also managed to eventually help bring Cam on board. Joe managed to describe this "new idea" it in a way everyone (except Tom, who became a major ass), could understand and get behind. Joe took the time to do his research and had traveled the globe to get additional information, going places and meeting people the rest of the team didn't even know existed. His explanation and knowledge got them all aligned on common ground and excited about this project (again, except for Tom). The fact that Donna said, without even batting an eye, that they could just drop Joe, was ignorant on her part, especially given her past with Cam. Until now, I really have never agreed with, nor really liked Cam, but I think she made some strong points and behaved (almost) like a grown-up. Her lying to Tom about sleeping with Joe is still wrong, however, as mentioned, Tom has become a bit of an ass anyway (not that that justifies the lying). Deep down he knows Joe and Cam have a deep connection - something he probably won't ever have with her - but he can't admit it to himself and is content to vent his frustrations on Joe and, to some extent, Cam, in the meantime. Joe didn't handle things as well as he could have with Tom either when they had their little altercation, however I think he has still shown growth where Tom has actually show regression. I really hope this new venture works out for the original three, especially as I think Gordon in particular deserves something good. Yes, he's been a whiny ass at times and has gotten on my last nerve more than once, but the man has suffered a lot as well. I always remember that Donna basically bullied him into giving all of his Cardiff settlement money to Mutiny and he slaved away on the servers/HW for only a 10% share. This especially irritates me when I remembered that Donna comes from an Upper-Middle Class Family, and, while they lent Gordon AND DONNA money when needed, the mother made it a point to tell Gordon one day when he took the kids to visit that Donna and the girls would never owe them anything but that she expected Gordon to pay them back for the money they lent them. Gordon wrote them a check then and there with a decent chunk of his Cardiff money. I can't remember if they knew Gordon was ill or not when they took his check, but either way, they handled it in a pretty shitty manner. Their attitude towards money, wealth and entitlement is coming through in Donna and it is a shame. I like it when Gordon and Joe are on good terms, like when they were planning to do business together again before Ryan died. I think those two, with Cameron as well, of course (provided she continues to show growth and keep Tom under control), could really do something amazing. It seems like Donna is going to try to give them a run for their money, especially given her little tantrum in her car (at least it was private) and, before this episode, I may have been backing her. Now, however, I hope they beat her to it and make sure they protect their development work accurately along the way. I still find it hard to believe that she is now Sr. Partner in a VC firm when she was so off on the Mutiny IPO. It seems, even if she went/was able to go into VC, it would have taken her much longer to get that far. I work for a Fortune Top 20 Tech Firm (though I'm an attorney and not an engineer), but seeing how these things play out on this show is always interesting. Even though things on this show back in Season 1 started happened starting a year or so after I was born, there are still a lot of similarities, especially regarding being first to market, IPOs, M&A, etc. That's one of the things that keeps me interested - along with Lee Pace, of course. Sorry to end on a shallow note, but I'm not complaining about the shirtless time we got with him this episode. ;-)

Thanks Candall. I'll respond to you via PM as I've had some thoughts about this as well.

I think Halstead and Manning should move to that other NBC medical show - The Night Shift (at least Manning should move - Halstead still has some moments for me, but I wouldn't be too sad if they both went). They could move those two over there and then bring Topher to Chicago Med. I'd so much rather see most of the whiners, irritators, bitchy, always have to be right people in the same show (The Night Shift) - that way I can either fast forward through most of it or just drop it from my DVR altogether.

True - I think at this point his name should pretty much officially just be "Dog."

Thanks Candall - appreciate it and the story about your Father. The bit of your post that I've quoted above is spot on. I've had some arrogant surgeons in my time who were quite good, despite their awful bedside manner (and I've already mentioned one that was arrogant with a shitty bedside manner who didn't have the skills to make either even remotely acceptable), and then I've also had those who were excellent and friendly in addition to being extremely capable. My favorite neurosurgeon in the world used to even meet me in the ER on the weekends to perform minor procedures before I had to travel out of the country. Due to my job, I travel quite a bit internationally (and have also lived overseas in Asia and Europe, so I've met all sorts of doctors and been through all kinds of medical systems), and he would go out of his way to accommodate me, including giving up part of his weekend. Those doctors are the good ones, but can be tough to find - especially surgeons. As mentioned, the surgeon may be absolutely brilliant at what he/she does, however their bedside manner may not give off that vibe. Filing a licensing complaint with the State Medical Board is much more likely to be successful than trying to file a lawsuit if there is actual negligence. As I mentioned, the laws in most states favor the medical professional/doctor anyway. That's another aspect of realism that is lacking in this show. They show families immediately running off to hire lawyers and sue. Talk to enough attorneys, even those that specialize in med mal, and they are extremely particular about which cases they take as they know that, in many instances, they are up against laws that do not favor their client, can only recover so much in damages, etc. Just once I'd like to see someone on this show be smart enough to know that they can try to get a medical professional's license removed and not have to hire an attorney and fight a big law suit (which the patient/family of the patient will likely lose and even if they win, the amount they can recover is capped in most states, and there is no guarantee the doctor will lose their license, so they may still be able to practice and possibly be negligent again) to do so. However, I suppose the need to ramp up the drama on these shows leads everything towards the lawsuit path. I had to laugh a bit when Dr. Halsted said his Med Mal Insurance was going to cost him around $35 grand a year. That is actually not too terrible, despite the fact that he has had complaints against him, though not successful ones (as far as we know, at least), but in many states the hospital picks up the med mal insurance coverage. He also mentioned that, now that he was an attending, his student loans were coming due. If he is worried about finances and has to cover his own med mal insurance, he should seriously consider joining, or going into, private practice. Even if he likes being an ER doc, most of the ER docs in my state don't even actually work for the hospital - they work in a group of ER physicians that the hospital contracts with. If Halsted joined one of these, it could be possible that he may not only be able to get his insurance covered by the group (and it may be less due to volume discounts), but he could also end up with a higher salary/take home pay.

They did leave an opening for Vasquez to return, and I definitely hope he does, despite the other show that the actor signed up for. As you mentioned, hopefully the filming schedules don't conflict. As for Citizen Z, I'm thinking that the people that saved him must have some kind of radio as the girl was listening to his broadcasts. Perhaps they have enough equipment and other things around to enable Citizen Z to create a new radio and get back in touch with the group. In any case, I just really hope we haven't seen the last of him and the dog.

Agree with all of this :-) "The Man" doesn't do it for me either, so they need to bring in someone else to fill the eye candy void. If Vasquez doesn't end up reconnecting with the group, I hope they find another good (and good looking) male fighter to join their crew. Their group is starting to get pretty small as it is and the addition of the Asian doc/scientist doesn't really help much as they need people who can fight without high tech toys. I'm still sad that 10k was Murphied.

I'm glad that I was at least partially right with my post from last week's episode ND 10K is still with us. I watched the previous season finale right before I watched this season's premier flashback mess of an episode and speculated that 10K was still alive but lying down in the bottom of the Zodiac so we couldn't see him. I had hoped, however, that Murphy hadn't bitten him. Too bad that happened - though at least he doesn't seem as much Z as Cassandra did - neither does the lady doc. The Captain (RIP) and the other guys from the sub, however, seem to not have thoughts of their own at all. It makes me wonder how much Murphy can control how much someone is affected by his bite. I really miss Vasquez. I was so hoping he would re-appear and join back up with the group. Hector is okay, but I can't see past the actor as the head of the Mayan's Motorcycle Gang on Sons of Anarchy. Also, I don't think he's as good looking as Vasquez so I'm kind of missing the eye candy. Maybe Vasquez will show up later (even if the actor is now on Power - that show has kind of been going down the tubes lately).

Unfortunately, in my experience, this has been quite true so I agree with your comment Candall. I have a condition that requires me to deal with neurosurgeons a fair amount. I've lived all over the world, and I've had some really good surgeons who were able to empathize and understand the condition and give excellent care, but I've also had those at the opposite end of the spectrum. Most recently, I had a younger neurosurgeon who botched a simple surgery not once but twice, making the exact same error each time. His errors were life threatening and then I ended up with a severe infection that nearly killed me and was hospitalized for over 3 months. His arrogance caused him still to claim he did nothing wrong. The severe infection that I ended up getting he initially claimed was just "wound drainage" and wouldn't come to evaluate me. When they finally got the cultures back, it was clear that was not the case. I'm an attorney, so I went to the State Medical Board as I knew this was my best option to stop him, at least temporarily, from practicing. They suspended his license while they investigated. They then eventually revoked his license to practice medicine altogether as they found him to be extremely negligent and not acting in the best interests of the patient. Medical Malpractice Laws typically favor the doctors in most states, so I didn't take this any further as I just wanted his license revoked so he couldn't injure or possibly kill another patient. The errors made on most medical shows, including this one, can certainly be exaggerated and definitely do often take some dramatic license, however, generally speaking, as laws are typically written to favor the doctors and the hospital/HMO/etc. will protect its own (in order to protect themselves), it can be difficult to completely remove (or even suspend) a bad doctor from the system. I am also not sure why Oliver Platt is in a wheelchair. I can't recall if he got some diagnosis at the end of the previous season (other than the psychiatric condition he has) or what - it would have been nice if they would have refreshed our memories if he had another condition. Or perhaps there's something actually going on with Oliver Platt? Does anyone know? If the "new guy" you are referring to is the one that did the eye "surgery" on the HIV positive patient, he was indeed on another one of the "Chicago's." He was on Chicago Fire as a Fire Fighter on Squad (I think), though didn't get much screen time and then left because he was transferred to another house just as he was transferred to 51 from another house to start with. I don't recall them ever mentioning that he had a medical background while he was on Chicago Fire. I like the actor - I always remember him from "Boss," another Chicago based show, which had a few of the cast members from Chicago Fire in it. It would have been nice, however, to see how he made the leap from fireman to doctor and, given his time on Chicago Fire, he would have had to have been pretty much done with med school to be where is now on Chicago Med, but, as I mentioned before, no mention of his medical background on Chicago Fire at all as far as I can recall.

Agree about Camilla. She is so one note, which is unfortunate. Responding to the comment you put in the spoiler tag in a spoiler tag. We'll have to see more next season, especially since Guero is still alive. As I mentioned in many of my previous posts, it's possible that he will reunite with Teresa and go overseas with her if that ends up happening, though I think the journal is the only thing that is keeping him alive, which is why the DEA is protecting him for the moment.

I watched the last episode of the previous season right before this mess and I was really hoping to find out what happened to 10k and whether or not Vasquez changed his mind and ended up meeting up with the rest of the group after all - it's better than being alone. When I saw Doc giving an intro stating that this episode was a flashback, I was still a bit hopeful as I thought maybe the flashback part would only be the first hour. Unfortunately that was not the case. I agree with many who have posted here and felt this was pretty unnecessary - especially for it to go the full two hours. What, exactly, was the point of it all? To show us a bit about Zona and who was there and the fact that they were kidnapping doctors to try to find a cure? To introduce "The Man" as the next big bad? If so, that could have been done with a few simple comments as the military guys on the sub knew about Zona as well and "The Man" doesn't seem all that compelling to me so far. As for 10k, when I re-watched the previous season finale, it appeared he had possibly had surgery to remove the bullet since he was bandaged and able to get up and walk. I can only hope that when they showed Murphy's bite marks on the cheeks of the head military guy from the sub and the female doc and the others as they were riding in the Zodiac that Murphy got 10k out as well (without biting him, of course) and he was lying down in the Zodiac so we just couldn't see him. I really hope they did not kill off 10k - I'd rather lose Addie. I also don't want to lose Vasquez as I think we need another strong, good looking, male who can fight as part of the team.

Agree with all of this - especially the part about the daughter - she definitely looks way older than the 15(?) that she is supposed to be. In any case, the actress' teen years are definitely behind her. Also like Alice Braga. She's in a new movie that is out on DVD and also on Amazon (free on Amazon streaming if your a Prime member) called "Ardor" (which I have yet to watch). Kate del Castillo, who played the original Teresa in the Mexican series is a fairly good actress, though was under investigation, however, for helping broker an interview for Sean Penn with a major cartel figure (actually the then current head of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, or "El Chapo") that was wanted on tons of charges, including vicious murders (she was suspected of having other dealings with "El Chapo" as well). Sean Penn did get his interview and has openly talked about it - especially about being transported in a trunk to somewhere in the jungle to meet with El Chapo. El Chapo was eventually captured by Mexican Marines later on. When they arrested him, they supposedly found copies of the original Mexican version of this show that stars Kate, "La Reina del Sur," in his house. Alice Braga plays the "Teresa" character better, in my opinion. Both actresses are beautiful, though Alice more naturally so. She also looks dirty and rough (due to hair, wardrobe, makeup for this part, not saying she looks like this normally), as the role calls for given that she is someone who has been living in a warehouse in the series for the most part (yet her natural beauty still shows through), while Kate always looks like a model, no matter what happens to her (perfect hair, perfect makeup, etc.), in the Mexican version (this is fairly typical of telenovela-type series though). I haven't seen Alice in anything before this (someone mentioned that I may want to watch her in "City of God," which I think she did in 2004, so I may give that a try - especially as it also looks to be free on Amazon Streaming if you are a Prime member), though I definitely do like her in this role, however, despite my doubts about which direction this US version may be heading and how it compares to the original.

The book is based on a true story. The real person this is based on is not even named Teresa Mendoza. The book does give a bit more background on her and her rise, however. This US TV version in particular takes a fair amount of dramatic license. The original Mexican version is much better in pretty much every way so far, and more accurate, though after this last episode of the US version, I am hopeful for next season. Some info on the real person this is based on and content that is in the original Mexican TV version I'll put in spoilers.

Yes, I mentioned this is my previous post, though lumped it together with some spoilers, so completely understand if people didn't read it. slf also realized, after their initial post that you quoted, that we did, in fact, see Chico (Brenda's husband) killed. I suspect many people may have forgotten that detail since it happened in the first episode or so here and Chico was barely mentioned since. Even with 13 episodes, it can be tricky to keep everything straight, especially for those who have not seen the original version of the series. I'm very curious to see where next season takes us and the comparisons/differences between the original Mexican version of the show and the one that the US is trying to make. There are an interesting amount of similarities (though fewer than I would have wanted at this point) as well as considerable differences so far, and what appears to be several characters that may be kind of hybrids of characters in the original, so that makes me even more curious about next season. I also wonder if the setting will change to what it is in the original, which I prefer much more to this. While Teresa was always from Mexico, she leaves it for someplace in the original version that I think adds more to the show as the location is almost a character in itself.

I'm not sure how to tell you without possibly creating a spoiler based on the original version. I expect this will be explained more next season, but in any case, I'll put it in tags based on info from the original. This could, of course, end up varying in the US version - we'll just have to wait until next season to see what happens.

So Brenda is finally killed in this version (man, do I feel bad for Justina Machado - she keeps getting killed off in TV series lately). I like the actress a lot and would like to see her in a role that lasts again. El Guero still being alive is a bit of a surprise. I love that we got to see original actor who played the original El Guero in the Mexican version ("La Reina del Sur") in the beginning of the episode. He was played by Rafael Amaya in that version. Rafael is now playing another famous Mexican TV character that they have introduced into this show in one of the first scenes of the episode, Aurellio Casillas, in "El Senor de Los Cielos," (not sure if he will play a long term role, especially given who his character is in the series he is currently in and that he is the lead - it just finished it's third series, with each series being over 60 episodes - they may have just brought him in for a Cameo given that he was the original Guero). We also go to see "new version" El Guero at the end of the episode (played by the actor they chose for the US version). The new "El Guero" didn't get nearly as much screen time as the original El Guero (Rafael Amaya) in the original series, but since they have kept him alive that may change in the next season. I'm not sure that the fact that he is alive now necessarily means he'll stay alive for too long. I think he's alive, in part, because he's been working with the DEA while he was stealing money from Epi and the Cartel and the DEA wants that journal just as bad as Epi does (there is some additional info in my spoiler tags). Teresa partnering with Pote happens in the original, though a bit differently. While Pote is a criminal and has done awful things, he's the least nefarious of Epi's men and the only one who appears to have a conscious or a code. Yes, Gato raped Teresa while Pote was there, but had Pote done anything to stop it, he would have been killed. I know it doesn't make it right, but given the world Teresa is living in, she doesn't have many options nor much support/help from anyone. Lots happened in this episode - some things that tie back to the original more, others that do not, however I'm looking forward to next season and to see how things continue to play out. I'll put some additional info on the original, including more about El Guero and thoughts about his future, in spoiler tags.

More later, but I am so happy to see Rafael Amaya in this episode! He was El Guero in the original version of this show, "La Reina del Sur." The character he is playing in "Queen of the South" is the same character he plays on another Mexican TV show that just finished its third series not too long ago, called "El Señor de los Cielos" (The King of the Skies). His character, Aurelio Casillas, is the lead in that show and is a pretty big drug kingpin. "El Señor de los Cielos" is streaming on Netflix as well and has all 3 seasons so far with over 60 episodes each. It's a pretty interesting show as well.

I believe it is still streaming on Netflix, so if you have that, you should be able to watch it. It has all the episodes and they are subtitled. There is a book as well, which is based on the True Story, though the name of the actual woman the book/series is about isn't Teresa Mendoza. I can't remember exactly what it is at the moment. Before they even made the original Mexican version, there was talk about making a movie, but it never came off despite them having some of the cast members picked out - actors popular in America (some interesting choices, from what I remember).

It is over 60 episodes (63, I think). Most Mexican and Latin/Southern American series have that many each season as they tend to air most nights each week rather than just once a week. That's a big reason they can go into more detail, however even many US Fall Series, that often have about 20-23 episodes (and typically more like 10-13 for Summer Shows) could do a much better job with character development than some of them seem to, including the US version of "La Reina del Sur." The setting of the original version is also a character in and of itself in this show and is far better than the one in this version. If this show gets a second series, I think there is still time for it to get better if it starts to lean more towards the original and introduces characters from the original version, but we'll have to wait and see. Putting some info on the original in spoilers.

I had a lot of the same thoughts and also felt that if Van were so concerned about her daughter being taken care of, she wouldn't have ordered an expensive, original cocktail (possibly even more than one), basically 2 starters (with one of those being a bowl of soup that alone cost close to $30) and then what was probably the most expensive entrée on the menu. She then even practically forced Earn to order a drink as well because "she couldn't drink alone." All of that money could have gone for clothes, food, shoes, etc. for the child. I'm not saying Earn has no culpability here either, however, especially if has the chance to get a slightly better job. But that wasn't going to happen while they were sitting in that restaurant and he wasn't going to start pulling in a little more money overnight and Van knew that so she should have gone easier on the food. There's nothing wrong with going to a nice place occasionally, even if it's a stretch, but she way over ordered in a place like that. I know Earn picked it, but as was mentioned, he didn't know the happy hour menu was gone and wouldn't have gone there (or would have borrowed money beforehand, which seemed to be his original intent). Yes, they could have left, but Van may have given him a hard time for embarrassing her if they did that. Even assuming Earn is able to find a way to make more money, that still doesn't mean Van should be so wasteful with it and order like she did. The atmosphere was nice, and she still could have had a nice meal for less there.

Playmakers actually came out in 2003 - if you can believe its been that long already (I know I couldn't believe it had been that long). It really is worth watching, and you can still get find it (at least used) on DVD and I own a copy as it actually is that good if you like sports dramas. It is more realistic than Ballers and focused on more of the cast overall and multiple issues and has more interesting plots. I remember wondering why on earth it never got a second season and then found out that the NFL used whatever influence they had to have it taken off the air. All the teams in it are fictional, if I remember right, but it goes into some serious issues, including how they are able to beat drug tests, even while people are watching them take them (the details are gross, so I'll let you all leave that one to your imaginations), it talks about severe injuries, domestic violence, a misogynistic, womanizing star QB who has the Equipment Manager scout the stands for him every game to find a girl(s) for him to home with, the over the top partying, some of the contract negotiations and things that go on in the front office, etc. Ballers tries to keep things a bit lighter I think, in part, to help avoid running into some issues with the NFL, but it does show them partying pretty hard and using hardcore drugs. It also goes in to the womanizing a bit, though a lot of that of course isn't exclusive to the NFL or pro sports, of course. Playmakers is darker, more dramatic, and, therefore, seems more realistic, though of course nothing is ever 100% accurate in a TV show. Agree with those who have posted that they want to see more storylines than just how much money Rickey will end up chasing after each season and how many career changes Charles is going to have, etc. For some reason I have a feeling that Spencer may end up going to work for Andre - at least for a time - especially given how he was outed for being fired at the party and that he is unregistered. I know he hates the guy, but it may help him get registered properly and Andre could end up taking over the other firm. Also, when Playmakers was done back in 2003, they didn't know a ton about the post-concussive issues these guys could have years after they stopped playing. I think it was just really just starting to get more notice - though the NFL may have known more about it earlier than when it really started being more publicized. The knew concussions were an issue, and after too many your career was pretty much over, but the fact that the damage could affect them so many years later and so severely I don't believe was addressed/discussed too much back then. It may be an interesting topic for Ballers to do - better than Spencer's hip injury and budding pain killer addiction, which is so typical and common on shows about sports.

I was on a business trip to Japan not too long ago and stayed at a Hilton in Tokyo. Hiltons all over the world have the "Hilton Burger" on their menu, and I've never been disappointed when I've ordered it, regardless of what country I was in. It's the one thing I tend to know is going to be pretty consistent. When I've been traveling to a particular region long enough, even if I love the local cuisine like I do in Japan, sometimes you just still just get a hankering for a burger. I was absolutely shocked when my colleague met me for dinner at the restaurant in the Hilton and we both ordered the burger, that they were boiled. Not only that, they put barbeque sauce on it though that wasn't mentioned on the menu at all and I've never had a Hilton Burger served that way before. Japan is famous for having some great beef, so I wasn't expecting this at all, especially not a Hilton where they try to keep certain things consistent. Thankfully, there was a Burger King across the street from the Tokyo Hilton and I went there and got a Whopper value meal - a much better burger than what I had eaten at the Hilton (something I never thought I would say - nothing against BK, just you would expect a higher quality burger from a Hilton and that is part of what you pay for). However, with everything so expensive in Tokyo, that "value meal" cost me about $15.00 (and it came with a small soda and a small order of onion rings - not medium, not large, no supersizing - that didn't really bother me though as the burger was what I was really after anyway, along with some Coke Zero to wash it down with - no Diet Coke or Coke Lite in Japan). It was worth it though as at least I got my burger fix. I can't imagine any restaurant in the US boiling a burger - it was so disgusting - I took one bite of it and that was it. It should almost be illegal to make a burger that way. If this so called "chef" at the Towns Inn can't even manage to cook a burger properly (or maybe he didn't have a choice and the owner would only him make them that way - I think she said she ate them that way very frequently and thought they were delicious), then I would be very hesitant to order anything else off of the menu. They also seemed to do a fair amount of microwaving, which, if I wanted my dinner cooked in the micro, I would stay home and do it. Burgers are not hard to grill/cook correctly and don't take a ton of time. There is no excuse for boiling them as the meat just gets destroyed, however I suspect they weren't really using quality ingredients to begin with, especially given that they were primarily preparing frozen food that was kept outside. I have to believe that that is some kind of health/OSHA violation - those weren't freezers that were built to be kept outdoors or true walk-ins like most restaurants have that have tons of lining and insulation. Anyone know how the place is doing since GR's visit?

Agree that Kim (I didn't even know her name until I saw it in your post) has basically been a waste of screen time and space so far, and I have a feeling she may not be long for this world. I'll spoiler tag some things about the original.