[Deal or No Deal Island Discussion: Let's see what's on the Board]

14 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

So, Amy got $75,000 and was able to choose who went against the banker?  So much for Joe telling us the higher value of the case the less power that person would have.  There are so many times this show just doesn't make any sense to me.

Thank you! This show was starting to make me feel stupid because I often don't "get" all the rules (although, in fairness, I'm usually multi-tasking while I watch this). It reminds me of that episode of Friends when Ross and Chandler help Joey prepare for a game show audition and the rules of the game are completely bonkers. In this case, however, I think Amy only got to pick because Rob and Aron were given an equal number of marbles and she needed to break the tie.

I think part of my mental block is that when Joe describes the games, it very much sounds like the losers will be the ones to face the banker at the end. And then many of the players decide that they WANT to face the banker and intentionally set out to "lose," so I end up getting very confused about their goals and strategies. I know they keep saying that they want to take their fate in their own hands by facing the banker (a debatable strategy), but it's still counterintuitive to me (I would probably take Jordan's approach- mouth shut, ears open, coast in the middle until the end).

10 hours ago, realitytvfan1017 said:

Also, did they say something on the show that there was no more visits with the banker at the Temple. What do you think that means ? Automatic elimination , points system?

I didn't hear that, but I've been guessing for a while that the final game will be played live (or at least live in front of a larger audience and all the eliminated contestants) back at the studio in California, perhaps even the original DoND studio. 

[S06.E08: Toilet Hacks And The Management Track]

Once again, a Conner manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by taking a good idea and messing it up. Dan's DIY class was clearly a hit, so why not change the execution by holding the sessions at the hardware during opening hours? No extra work hours needed, and the students are already at the store where they can buy all the tools they need for their projects. And Dan and Ben can take turns teaching too. Easy peasy! I've done this at my local Home Depot when I wanted to learn how to tile a wall and it was great.

[Deal or No Deal Island Discussion: Let's see what's on the Board]

Wow, Aron's behavior is so embarrassing. Telling Alyssa "I will avenge you" and then moping around the next day and rolling his eyes like a bratty child while Dawson was playing the suitcase round was pathetic. If I were his girlfriend (and he does claim to have one) I would be mortified watching him act this way over another woman, even if they were just platonic friends. Yikes.

I don't remember anyone's name, so I guess I'm rooting for the muscly NY garbageman, but only because he annoys me the least. This is a very weird show!

[S14.E10: The Final]

I was pleased with the finale, but need to rewatch the season to get a better feel for all the contestants. This one flew by for me. I felt bad for Dan, but he kept his composure and in a way it may have been a good thing that his bakes went wrong from the start. Shortly into the showstopper he knew he wasn't going to win, so he could just do his best and relax and enjoy the experience without the stress of hoping to win.

I loved Matty from early on, and enjoyed Alison's flirty chats with him. But I was distracted all season because every time I looked at him all I could see was a young Peter Falk (that's a compliment!)

[S01.E08 Please take your time]

I like Michelle so far, but was getting major secondhand embarrassment from her date behavior, especially when she continued to bring up sexual topics that he was clearly not responding to. I'll chalk it up to nerves for now and hope she relaxes after this. Otherwise, yikes!

I also cringed when Mark kept pressing his date about whether or not she could see herself married to him. It's a first date, dude! Calm down!

I like Stanika and her date (can't remember his name). Even if they don't work out long term, she can look back fondly on it as a fun fling and a good intro to the dating world.

[S06.E02: Say Anything]

It was interesting watching the reality of Amanda's situation hit her at the airport. After the initial greeting with Razvan, I could actually see her go into "oh shit, what am I doing?" mode as she registered that her distraction/fantasy man was now real. She looked uncomfortable and a little panicky, and it made me sad for her all over again. I hope this turns into a fun short term fling for her, and not a total train wreck (or, heaven forbid, a pregnancy).

[S03.E06: Chapter Twenty Two - Guns for Hire]

I think I'll enjoy this one better on rewatch. It was so different, and I kept expecting something more dramatic to happen so I couldn't really focus on all the campy fun. But I did enjoy the Alice in Wonderland vibes, from the crazy Mad Hatter-esque party to the game of space croquet (cheating included). I also loved the droid bar (it was very Futurama), and was satisfied with the short Mandalorian-centered arc at the end. However, I couldn't stop laughing at the opening scene about the star-crossed lovers. It was like watching a bad school play!

I'm not sure I understood Helgait's plan. I get the point of having a master switch to control all the droids at once, but what was the point of having random malfunctions of individual droids? Was it a test run of the technology or did he just want to instill fear in the people? Since he was a Dooku superfan and not an admitted supporter of the empire or republic, I'm not really sure what his goal was here. I may have missed something.

[S13.E10: The Final]

7 minutes ago, GaT said:

I never understood what Sandro was trying to prove. He overdid it almost every episode, you would think that at some point he would learn & just do what he was supposed to & not add 10  more bakes than requested.

I agree, especially since he seemed so strategic at other times, like when he deliberately chose a flavor that he knew Paul loved (can't remember which episode). He was frustrating to watch because he didn't listen. However, I do give him credit for re-doing some bakes in the final that didn't go well for him before. I respect that redemptive approach more than contestants who redo elements that they already got praised for.

This seemed like the most chilled out final ever. The contestants and judges seemed relaxed and giggly, which was nice to see, especially when Syabira and Sandro were cracking up about how terrible their technicals looked. It was a nice change from other dramas in the final like Rahul's exploding glass jar, Steph's emotional meltdown, and Alice's freakout over her parents' cancelled flight.

When I rewatch this season I definitely need to pay more attention to Abdul. He seems like a nice guy, but I literally forgot about him for several episodes and can't remember a single one of his bakes. It's bizarre.

[S01.E10: One Way Out]

5 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

It says a great deal that Mon Mothma is willing to draw the line at sacrificing her daughter. Forcing her daughter into a marriage is not something she is willing to do for the sake of the rebellion. 

I agree, but I've had a bad feeling about her daughter for a while. She was acting cartoonishly shifty during that cocktail party (last episode?) and there's definitely something up with her. I figured that she would get killed or arrested, but maybe they'll go the arranged marriage route. Either way, I don't have high hopes for her survival.

I loved the prison break, especially seeing that the guard making all the announcements was the least intimidating guy ever. I love how this show fleshes things out by showing that the Empire is both more frightening and more human than we've seen before. And I guess it's the same thing with the Rebels- I like seeing "the good guys" do all sorts of questionable things in the name of their cause, and I hope we learn more about Luthen and his original motivations.

[Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions]

1 hour ago, opus said:

I forget. What was the fifth number?

The fifth clue was the Buzz Lightyear one, with the correct response being "To infinity and beyond."

I was surprised, amused, and appalled by the clue about Alex Trebek's typical breakfast of diet soda and a candy bar. It made my stomach hurt just thinking about it!

[S01.E09: Nobody’s Listening!]

7 hours ago, Shanna Marie said:

The bit about him adding piping to his uniform is funny, but it's such a telling character detail. The idea of a uniform is that it's, well, uniform. It shows that you're part of a team.

I love the callback to this when Karn's mom notices (and criticizes, of course) the change he made to his collar before his new job interview. It's such a fun and telling character quirk that someone like Karn is an amateur designer/tailor in his free time, lol.

[Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions]

1 hour ago, StaceyNotStacie said:

Today’s game was fun. I’m guessing that the producers were afraid that one of the super champs would get eliminated in the semifinals and they wouldn’t get a match between the three of them. 

I agree, and based on this game it would be Matt. He was worryingly off his stride tonight. I was genuinely shocked by how many answers he flubbed.

I enjoyed the collective groan when Mattea said she enjoyed one of those songs when she was four, as well as Amy's response later, lol.

I don't mind Mattea's hand gestures, but can't stand her constant stream of remarks throughout the game that she mumbles to herself. It's very distracting!

[Hallmark Mysteries: Mysterious Small Town Hijinks Ensue - General Discussion]

15 hours ago, Justaguest said:

This interview with the writer of both programs discusses it.
https://tvshowsace.com/2022/09/23/john-christian-plummer-hallmark-francesca-quinn-pi/

Thanks for this! I feel reassured!

I also want to say that I don't think this plot worked for me as the first installment of a potential series. I think my main issue was that the info dump at the start, followed by a time jump that significantly changed the characters' initial introductions was not only confusing, but also made it difficult to care. For instance, after touching on Francesca and Wyn's secret relationship in the intro, I had zero investment in Francesca's relationship with her murdered fiance, and felt nothing when he died. It would have worked better for me as a second installment, after I got to know main characters. And I'm sad that we missed out on seeing a full movie about her step-mother's murder spree. She was much more fun to watch than Francesca!

[Hallmark Mysteries: Mysterious Small Town Hijinks Ensue - General Discussion]

Guys, I'm worried!

I just listened to the Deck the Hallmark podcast for the Francesca Quinn movie, and they indicated that it was somewhat public knowledge that this one was a reworked script of what would have been the next Mystery 101 movie. As in, the movie that was supposed to address the crazy cliffhanger of the last Mystery 101 where we saw Travis and Amy estranged. Say it isn't so!

I don't really follow Hallmark news, but a brief search yielded an article from June 2022 that had no update about a new Mystery 101, and noted that Kris Polaha had deleted an IG post from last year about being excited to film the next movie in 2022.

I REALLY hope this is wrong, as Mystery 101 is my favorite HMM mystery series and I would hate to lose it. But if I squint, I guess I can see what they mean about the reworking of the script. After the weird intro in Francesca Quinn, the two leads were estranged (just like Travis and Amy at the end of their last movie), and I can see how the explanation for how it happened would have worked for 101. Also, instead of the evil stepmother, I can see the puppet master in the 101-verse being the Wolfman, the serial killer from Travis's past, and the victim being his ex-wife, who was brought in during the last movie. I vaguely recall that the Wolfman died off-screen in the last one, but it seemed weirdly anticlimactic and could easily be a fake out.

Does anyone have more info about this? I don't want to lose Mystery 101!

[S01.E01: Shadow of the Past]

On 9/5/2022 at 3:08 AM, tkc said:

Today I learned that Elrond’s full name is Harold Elrond. Cool!

I'm pretty sure that Herald is his title, as it seems that he is not yet Lord Elrond.

I like this so far and am looking forward to the upcoming episodes. I love revisiting Middle Earth, but it will take some to get used to this aesthetic.

[Persuasion (2022)]

This was... odd. Based on the trailer, I was all set to roll my eyes at a sassy version of Anne Elliott, but they really made her more of an awkward, adorkable type, which caught me even more off guard. She's supposed to be the dependable one, the one that can run the household with her eyes closed while everyone else focuses on nonsense, and here they had her blurting out embarrassing stories about octopus dreams and drunkenly yelling out of windows. I guess they really wanted to lean into that Bridget Jones comparison for some reason. And I agree that this version of Anne doesn't fit the storyline of someone who was persuaded to give up her great love.

In terms of an adaptation, the most disappointing scene for me was Anne and Wentworth's first meeting. In the book, this scene hit me hard because you can tell it's a total gut punch for Anne to see him unexpectedly walk in the door. It's a moment she's thought about for eight years, and it knocks the emotional wind out of her in a way that I could completely relate to, and it sucked to see it reduced to a comical moment in which Anne goes directly into snarky banter mode. Yawn.

Adaptation aside, I don't think it worked very well as a film. It just felt very rushed, with a lot of telling instead of showing. The William Elliott/Miss Clay "romance" was too abrupt and pointless, and I honestly don't know if those two were meant to be really in love, or just two schemers. It was bizarre to see them get the fairy tale wedding with everyone else looking up adoringly, when they had been set up as villains. I also don't like thinking about Lady Russell as a sex tourist, and most of the other characters were barely developed. Also, I thought it was really weird that Wentworth gave his oddly specific speech about how good Anne is in an emergency BEFORE Louisa fell. It would've made much more sense if he said it afterwards, which I think is what happened in the book (it's been a while since I read it). And speaking of Louisa, everyone seemed strangely blasé about her head injury. It definitely seemed like a more serious touch-and-go crisis in other versions. In this one, as soon as Anne and Wentworth arrive Louisa's house to tell Louisa's parents, Anne smiles vaguely and says she's off to Bath in a totally unconcerned way. It almost felt as if even the characters knew this was a plot device that would work out, so they didn't bother getting upset about it.

On 7/19/2022 at 2:53 PM, Hiyo said:

I wonder if the style would have worked better had they set it in the modern era (kind of like Clueless).

While not strictly "modern" anymore, I'm convinced that the 1991 movie Soapdish (starring Sally Field, Kevin Kline, and Robert Downey jr.) is a retelling of Persuasion, set in the world of daytime soap operas. I've never seen this discussed or confirmed anywhere, but there are way too many plot similarities to be a coincidence. It's also just a hilarious movie for fans of old soaps from the 80s (but FYI, the ending is extremely dated and transphobic).

[S04.E04: The Night Market]

I loved this episode, but one thing that would've made it even better for me was if the cat familiar from previous seasons had been part of the fight scene. Not as a fighter (because I don't want him dead) but in the crowd.

And Guillermo had a similar phone conversation in a previous episode this season, so something is definitely up with him.

[Rutherford Falls - General Discussion]

I just binged the second season and loved it. I'm particularly glad they pivoted from a Nathan-centric storyline and allowed the other characters to shine. I enjoyed the mayoral race story more than I thought I would, but still think it was a mistake to make Bobbie a high school student rather than a college student, as it's just too much of a stretch for me to believe that an 18 year old would make a good mayor. Have these people never heard of Ben Wyatt and the disastrous Ice Town??? However, I would love for Bobbie's make-up tutorial videos to be a real YouTube channel- they always look gorgeous!

Terry was once again my MVP. Amazing actor, amazing character. I rewatched the scene where he dressed down the "pretendian" (great word, by the way) multiple times because it was so awesome. And I will forever love this show for actually giving us a pay off for Terry's throw away line from season one, "do you know how many Dirty Dancing classes I've had to teach?" He IS a great dancer!

I didn't mind Josh in the first season, but I'm 100% team Nelson now. Don't screw this up Reagan!

I really hope there's a season 3!

[Who Do You Think You Are? - General Discussion]

I though Nick Offerman's story was interesting (I don't mind when they focus on one small part of a family tree), but I wish he would have talked to a Mohawk (Mohican?) historian as well, to get another perspective on the land dispute.

[Say Yes To The Dress - General Discussion]

I'd bet good money that Kayla's mother "accidentally" spills red wine on the reception dress on the big day, forcing Kayla to wear the ball gown all day. She clearly meant to control the appointment with her "unlimited budget for a ball gown" decree and was NOT happy about being outmaneuvered with the two dresses plan. She's definitely going to be pouting and whining about it for a long time. Awful woman.

[S01.E03: Part III]

55 minutes ago, dwmarch said:

It has been a long time since I have watched the prequels and I was a little surprised by this. Was there some attraction between Padme and Obi-Wan? I remember Anakin getting jealous but I don't remember if there was any merit to it. But now when Obi-Wan is asked specifically if he had sex with Leia's mother he responds "I wish!"

I interpreted Obi-Wan's comment more as wishing that the truth of this sweet little girl's background wasn't as awful as it really is. As in, "I wish the father that you so desperately want to learn about wasn't a murderous monster who force-choked your mother in a jealous rage." And as far as I could tell, there was never more than platonic friendship between Padme and Obi-Wan.  

[S04.E18: The Best-Laid Plans, a Contrabassoon, and a Sinking Feeling]

On 5/8/2022 at 11:55 AM, Yeah No said:

I am beginning to seriously wonder whether the writers are trying to kill this show.  It's obvious they have no respect for the characters, their history, reality or the audience.

I feel the same. I can deal with some level of stupidity and unrealistic storylines in a sitcom, but I can't deal with the lack of respect to the original material and to the audience. I increasingly come away from this show feeling insulted and condescended to, as if the writers think that just because I was a fan long ago I'll accept any trash they throw at me. It's just not worth it anymore.

[Season 9 Discussion]

I've had a few laughs this season, but I'm definitely out when season 9 ends. Everything that I once found fun and endearing is gone and it's now a chore to sit through. The family is scattered and the holes left by Pop Pop and Murray are huge; the 80s nostalgia is increasingly hamfisted and unfunny; and I have no interest in "the next chapter" of Erica's married life and Adam in college. It was once a fun show set in a decade that I remember fondly, sprinkled with real-life memories of the creator's family, but it's not that anymore and I'm done. I may cave and watch the series finale, but that's it. I hope all of you who hang in there for season 10 enjoy it!

[The Fantastic Beasts Series]

I think I need to see this one again to really know whether I like it or not. I still love spending time in the wizarding world, but Crimes of Grindelwald made me lose a lot of faith in this franchise and I was quite apprehensive going into this one.

My biggest take away is that this movie was clearly meant to be a reset for the franchise, since it tied up all the main cliffhangers with neat little bows (Credance's identity, Queenie's allegiance, and the blood pact). It makes a serviceable ending if WB pulls the plug, and if they continue as planned it allows for the significant time jump they will need if they want to get to their presumed end date of the Dumbledore-Grindelwald duel in 1945.

I love the casting of Mads, and in that first scene the chemistry between him and Jude Law was palpable. Speaking of, was Dumbledore just imagining that scene, or was it a memory? I assumed it was the former, but other people interpreted it differently.

On 4/15/2022 at 3:15 PM, Browncoat said:

I would like to see how Dumbledore ends up with the Elder Wand, and it might be interesting to see how he comes to have the Resurrection Stone as well.  I'd also like to know how James Potter got the Invisibility Cloak, for that matter.  I haven't delved too deeply into Pottermore -- maybe those questions are answered there.

Not to get off track, but these are answered in the original HP series (fully in the books, partly in the movies). Grindelwald stole the elder wand as a teenager and had it until he was defeated by Dumbledore in 1945 (Grindelwald's been using it in the Fantastic Beast movies) and Dumbledore used it from 1945 until his death. At some point the resurrection stone became part of the heirloom ring owned by the Gaunt family (Voldemort's mother's family) and Voldemort stole it and turned it into a horcrux when he was a teenager. It was the only object to be both a Deathly Hallow and a horcrux, although Voldemort had no idea it was the former. Dumbledore found it on the grounds of the Gaunt's home (they were all dead at that point) in the summer before HP's sixth year at Hogwarts. James Potter's family was descended from the youngest Peverell brother, the who received the invisibility cloak from Death, and the cloak was presumably handed down through the generations.

[Ben and Mahogany]

3 hours ago, nutella fitzgerald said:

My other question is: how does any of this cockamamie tale of a homeless couple and their Oprah giveaway of some benzos explain the most recent arrest? Wasn’t it for missing a court appearance (or as Ben might call it, Mandatory Judge Time)? Or is he still working on that story?

I only skimmed the linked article, but Ben said that he moved house and forget to inform the court, so the summons went to his old address and by the time he found out about it he had already missed the court date. Make of that what you will.