DoubleUTeeEff

I also noticed that he didn't have a beard! On the one hand, Katie kept referring to a "he" singular and not a "them" like there was only one kidnapper but on the other hand when "he" was tying up Katie, he looked like he did have a beard. Maybe the simplest explanation is that he shaved for some reason? I think they used the same blue van at each of the houses Zabel (RIP) and Mare visited. I mean, they were all the exact same bright blue color. That just stood out to me. I noticed Mare noticing Billy's Rolling Rock as well. It looked like he hadn't drunk any of it though like he didn't want to leave his DNA behind in a detective's house. But that could be a prop error, see blue vans. I knew I wasn't crazy to think that Erin wasn't lying to her dad about getting the ear surgery money! I haven't watched and read 18 million murder mystery shows and novels for nothing! Here's hoping that Dylan actually DOES use the money for DJ's ear surgery. C'mon Dylan, redeem yourself! Poor Zabel unknowingly made a deathbed confession to Mare. Falsely taking credit for cracking a case doesn't seem quite as bad as planting evidence but nevertheless, Mare and Zabel a match made in unethical police behavior. I will miss Zabel for the final two episodes. Lori's daughter getting bullied really took me back to middle school so well done on that scene, show.

The Good: I love Uncle Nicky and I am glad he is around to make me laugh. "Why don't they make shows like Bonanza anymore?" And buying Godfather I and Godfather II onesies! Nicky: Don't I look ready? Kevin: ....eh Randall asking Beth to dance was very sweet. Glad he finally shut his pie hole and was supportive. The Bad: Poor Kevin can't even watch an episode of Bridgerton after a rough day. Which I guess is his own fault for not speaking up and asking for what he wants. He didn't even think about it until after agreeing to the Great British Baking Show (or whatever it's called) and only because of what Zoe said to him. He was so into getting married and having kids a year ago but maybe he just picked Madison for convenience and not because he was really into her. I honestly can't tell if he truly loves her or not. I'm going to feel bad for her if she gets dumped right before the wedding especially after finally feeling like she's got a family with Kate and Rebecca and Randall. I don't see this ending well unless Kevin figures it out fast. Which might happen. Sophie might set him straight. The worse: Deja spending so much time and energy of her young life worrying about Malik and Jennifer. Ugh.

I shouldn't have watched that SNL clip right before the episode; that accent really stood out and of almost every character! Katie's alive! So, either Erin's case is unrelated or she fought back against the kidnapper enough that he ended up killing her. Remind me, was Erin's death an exact year to the date after Katie's disappearance? Was that a significant date to the kidnapper? From what we saw of him, he looked fairly stocky. Cousin Dan looked a little too slight to be him but who knows? And what is the significance of 5/29/17? That's too early for DJ's birthday, right? And besides, why would Erin hide the locket then? Is it an anniversary with the father of DJ perhaps? Did the locket belong to Katie and the kidnapper give it to Erin at some point? That doesn't make too much sense to have a date on it though. Although Katie had her birthday tattooed on her ankle so maybe she likes mementos with significant dates on them. Erin was pretty terrible to pretend Dylan was the father but she was smart about wanting to make Dylan's parents DJ's grandparents, I guess. I love Jean Smart. She was cracking me up this episode. "That was really STUPID, Mare." Yep, the audience agrees with you there! Plus, "Sorry I'm not MAIMED enough for you!" Ha. She was making me wonder with those mixed vegetables and chocolate syrup until she pulled that ice cream out. Becca really flipped out. Is she a super jealous type who messed with Erin after Siobhan went after her? Doubtful but maybe she had something to do with where Erin ended up that night.

I can't think of a reason why Frank would lie about knowing Erin and so freely give a DNA test unless it's because he does know who the real father of Erin's baby is and he knows it's not him or anyone he is related to. Is he related to John Ross somehow? I'm suspicious of John Ross not for any hard facts but because he's A) Julianne's Nicholson's husband B) He made a big show of being hungover to Lori the morning after Erin's murder C) He went out of his way to show Mare that he was an alibi for Frank the night of Erin's murder (showed her the pic of Frank completely passed out-which coincidentally would give him time to do something nefarious) Of course, I lose track of who is who and how they are related on this show.

I'm totally baffled as to why Mare would go to such extremes to plant drugs on Carrie and be so stupid as to leave the drugs with the stamp on them. I would think a move like that would mean she wanted to get suspended for some reason but she seemed genuinely upset when the chief suspended her. Did she think she would get away with it or was she just so desperate it was a hail mary pass? So Kevin was with someone else at the beach. Was it Katie? Do we think that Mare suspects or knows that Carrie and/or Kevin had something to do with Katie's disappearance and that's why she's so desperate to keep Drew away from Carrie? It might also explain why she hasn't solved Katie's case if she wanted to keep Kevin out of it. And it might explain why Kevin committed suicide. Mare conceded that she wasn't a very good mother this episode so it makes me wonder why she wants to hold onto Drew so badly. Is it just because she failed Kevin and wants to make it up to him by taking care of his son? Is it because she wants a do-over? Is she genuinely concerned about Carrie being an even worse mother than she would be? Or is it more than that? She seems very adamant about keeping full custody and not even considering to allow Carrie anything. I'm totally into this show but I had to laugh at the literal handing over of the badge and gun. Someone could make a good compilation of all the cliches in this show. Murder in a small town, world-weary detective with a mess of a personal life, plays fast and loose with the rules, doesn't play well with others, has to hand in gun and badge, continues to work on case after suspension, etc. I thought Dylan looking at DJ was Dylan wondering if DJ actually was his son. If he's not, what's going to happen to him? I don't think Kenny is up for the job. At least Dylan's parents seem invested in him. I feel like the show is going to want to surprise us with whodunnit so whenever Mare and Zabel speculate about someone being the murderer, I think, well it can't be him (or her) then. So far they've mentioned Brianna, Dylan and Kenny, I think. So, Siobhan has a girlfriend and she's made a date with someone else? Where is this headed? A confrontation with the girlfriend and their involvement in Erin's murder somehow? A parallel between her and Kevin? She's going to piss off her mother with that documentary she's working on.

It's also possible that she knew Dylan was the father but was threatening to expose Frank unless he paid for her son's ear surgery. Frank has a lot to lose: his job and even his entire career as a high school teacher, his fiancee, his grandson and his reputation so there's a lot of motives for murder right there. I'm not saying I know where this baby daddy story is headed but I think there are still multiple explanations at this point. It's also possible that Erin's friend got it wrong and someone else is the father but she misinterpreted Erin and Frank's relationship as inappropriate when in fact it was entirely appropriate. It could be that Erin and Frank became close but there was nothing more to it other than student/teacher. Frank might still be worried about how that would look and that's why he tried sussing out Mare. It's so early in the season that I tend to lean toward Frank being a red herring but maybe this information about Frank is something that is related to Erin's murder, like if Faye found out about it. (ETA: Faye did seem super interested in the conversation Mare and Frank were having outside while she was inside reading or whatever.) ETA: More evidence that Erin asked someone who said yes for the ear surgery is that she told her dad that she got the money when he asked whether "the father" was going to pay for it. That could be evidence she thought she was getting it from the actual father or possibly someone else who had taken advantage of her since we know Dylan said no. Frankly, I'm surprised we haven't found out that Erin was pregnant at the time of her death. That is one cliche the show has avoided so far. Of course, we're only in episode two! Anything could happen.

Yes and no? Randall is a Black man existing in a racist culture. That is a burden. He was adopted into a White family who definitely wasn't perfect when it came to dealing with race issues. That is also a burden. He did not choose either of those burdens. However, he does have to deal with them in one way or another. Those were the cards he was dealt regardless of how fair it is. I suppose it would be completely fair if he decided not to engage with his brother on this topic. But, if he wants a real relationship with Kevin I can't see how processing his feelings with a therapist is such a terrible idea. Is it a burden in a sense? Sure. But it's also something that can help Randall too. If he chooses to have a real conversation with Kevin on the topic, he can only articulate his own feelings and experiences--he has no control over whether Kevin chooses to really listen. So it that sense, the "final understanding" can only be a two way street which is a "burden" on both brothers. I'd prefer not to think of that as a burden but as a way to connect with another person that results in a better relationship and a more rewarding experience in life.

I think Randall should have gone over with his therapist how to approach Kevin on this topic. He has a therapist and specifically a Black male therapist so you'd think that would be an excellent resource he could tap into for discussing his feelings and childhood experiences with Kevin. He knew Kevin was coming to discuss just those things so he could have prepared himself through therapy. I think he did a better job articulating his feelings when Kate blindsided him than he did with Kevin who he knew was coming. I think seeing Randall and his therapist have even a short conversation would have really helped the audience see where Randall was coming from as well.

Yes please! From your lips to the writer's ears.

Little kid Kevin and Randall are so adorable. I loved Randall emphatically saying Yes! when the puppet asked him if he liked to read books. Too cute. I also liked Kevin telling Randall he was still drunk when he said Kevin's painting looked like a Pollock. Randall finally apologized to Kevin! That was cathartic. Also nice that Kevin acknowledged he resented and was envious of Randall for not only being smart and successful but also Black. It sounds like it was all wrapped up in his mind as a whole. Now that I know about the ghost kingdoms, Randall and his ghost mom make a little more sense.

I knew that ring was going to end up stuck on Miguel's finger! So gross that Jack used butter to grease it up instead of you know, dish soap, like a normal person. Whenever Beth was running down the list of things she had to "let go of" in regards to Tess, I was thinking you can still do all those things! She can still talk about Tess' crushes, help her get ready for dates and watch her walk down the aisle. It's just a different gender than she was imagining. I felt bad for Tess when she said that Beth didn't have to try with Annie and Deja but at least she has a mom who tries. That's worth something, IMO. Toby is going to end up blowing up again if he doesn't share his feelings with Kate. I am nervous about the upcoming discussion between Kevin and Randall. I hope it goes well for them and doesn't end badly.

Even if there were a bunch of crew spots left unfilled, how would you feel if you worked hard to get good grades, score high on the entrance exams, do volunteer work and other activities and applied to Stanford and didn't get accepted and then you find out that some other kids got in because their parents paid, cheated and lied for them? Add to that if you went to a school that didn't even have crew or even if it did, your parents couldn't pay all the fees it might cost or afford to send you to a prep class for the entrance exams? It's not like you'd think, I should have been born to rich, morally bankrupt parents and then I could have gotten in to one of those unfilled crew spots! Oh, well my fault for not having rich parents and cheating. Any one in that situation would be pretty pissed if they really tried and failed to get in and found out other people actually cheated on the tests and lied on their applications and paid bribes to get in and it worked. Of course they can go to another school but like greyflannel pointed out, going to those prestige schools really does open opportunities for you all your life. Olivia Jade really didn't seem to care about school at all. Plus, she used her mother's name to start a business so she probably would have been fine in terms of earning herself a living. Because her mother cared so much about her going to a prestige school, she not only forced her into school when she wasn't interested but completely destroyed her business when the scandal broke.

There are actually a lot of differences between the "back door" and the "side door" but I'd say the fundamental one is that with the "side door" you are guaranteed a spot. The "back door" is basically giving a school a charitable contribution. That is not nor should be illegal since there are plenty of people who give money to schools because they genuinely want to give back to their alma mater or kids or whatever. BUT, what happens is that Mr. Moneybags will give a school a large donation while Moneybags Jr. is applying to the school. When the school receives the donation, they will give Moneybags Jr's application a "second look." If their test scores, grades, etc are up to snuff, the school will consider giving Moneybag Jr. a spot but there is no guarantee that it will happen. One can argue that this is unfair and I think it is. However, schools also give other types of students "second looks" like economically disadvantaged or minority students and give them spots that they might otherwise not have gotten. Some people argue that this is also unfair. I don't, since they are trying to even an uneven playing field but regardless, it's the school's discretion to give whomever they want a "second look." The "side door" included out and out cheating including cheating on the entrance exams and faking applications with false sports activities and photo shops of said sports activities. Also, they'd give a payment to Rick Singer's foundation which would go to key players in the admittance process. A coach from the school would vouch for the "athlete" and the student would be admitted based on that. This was an absolute guarantee for the student to get admitted into the school regardless of the qualifications of the student. The student wouldn't even bother to play the sport that they were ostensibly admitted for. I think the "side door" is unethical on multiple levels plus many people were getting personally enriched by the scheme. Yes, some of the money made it back to the school but it was all based on lies. Even if the students were qualified and had good enough test scores and grades, they would be admitted based on the lies about the sport they "played," which would only happen if parents paid Rick Singer. So the coach who wasn't personally enriched and just gave money back to the school still participated in the scheme since that money ultimately came from Rick Singer and Rick Singer got it via the parents who Rick promised admittance into the school based on lies and cheating.

Right? Jack had this whole laundry list of things he lied to Rebecca about and the Sarge was like cool, cool, keep on lying to the woman you claim to love so much and want to marry. I mean, I don't expect a veteran of a war to get into the details of the horrors of war if he or she doesn't want to but lying about your brother being dead is just...I have no words.

"Cancer?" "No, I'm fine." I really liked this episode. Nicky finally made it to California! The speech Uncle Nicky "no stupid nicknames" gave to the twins at the end was a little on the nose but Griffin Dunne still sold it. I really enjoyed watching him and the young Nicky too. It was heartbreaking to watch Jack be so good to Nicky and know that they were estranged for most of their lives. Also, it was hard to watch the TSA agent rip the wrapping paper off that present and Nicky to drop his globes. So sad! He should have kept the figurines. Hilarious that Nicky got the twins his favorite John Grishams at the airport. Man, last time Nicky flew you could smoke on the plane! That is quite a difference from today. Nicky is right-some times this country is stupid about it's rules. Not the smoking, lol, but the liquid thing.

TIU fails at the basic "show, don't tell" aspect of any good work of fiction regarding Madison and Kate's "friendship." Besides one party that Madison planned for Kate and one lunch date that I remember, they barely show us how Kate and Madison are BFFs. It's mentioned that they are friends but we almost never even see them talking. There was a conversation between Toby and Kevin at the dinner but not one between Kate and Madison. There should have been multiple conversations between them based on the fact that they were expecting babies around the same time at the very least. The more I think about it, the more Toby's behavior at the dinner annoys me. He's allowed to have feelings, express those feelings and set boundaries but he should not be rude and hurtful. If he's so emotionally fragile that he can't control himself, he shouldn't even be attending the dinner. Let Kate go alone and watch the babies so she can have a break. That way, he can relieve someone's stress rather than add to it. Sometimes you have to suck it up and sit through a dinner when you are feeling bad in order to be kind to the people around you. Especially if you are not willing to share with them what's making you feel bad. That's just being a decent human being. Yes, Toby has feelings but so do Kevin, Madison and Kate. His feelings aren't more important than theirs. That dinner was meant to be a treat that everyone was looking forward to during a pandemic with limited socializing and after all the hard work that comes with new babies and Toby shit all over it. A lot of comments have been pointing out Kevin's largesse but Kevin isn't a mind reader. He didn't know Toby had lost his job. It's easy to put your foot in your mouth when you don't have all the information. Offering someone you want to spend time with a vacation spot, buying someone an expensive, but affordable to him, baby gift and offering to share child care are really thoughtful gestures in my opinion. If Toby is uncomfortable with it, all he had to say was "Thank you for the offer but Kate and I have that covered." Instead, he lit into Kevin's lifestyle and even said something along the lines that the "nanny was doing all the hard work" instead of Madison. Literally while Madison was nursing a baby. Poor Madison can't even sit down to eat without doing, yes Toby, the hard work of nursing and Toby's attacking her. Plus she's the one who laid out the whole sushi spread for them while Kevin and Toby were sitting on their asses smoking cigars. And that's just how rude he was to Kevin and Madison. What about Kate? He accused her, in front of other people no less, of betraying him by telling them that he'd lost his job when he asked her not to. He just assumed the worst of her. He didn't take her aside and ask her or even ask her at the table. Just accused and made everyone uncomfortable. So rude. To sum up Toby is

I really liked Kevin standing up for Madison during the Toby tirade. Remind me, when was the last time Toby was pregnant with, gave birth to and nursed twins? If I were in that situation and could afford it, you bet your sweet bippy I'd get a nanny too.

Well, Kevin did live in the basement for a while... And William lived there during the same time frame. So...Beth's got a point. I actually called that one! *pats self on back* Annie is one smart cookie. She took that opportunity to use her Dad's ipad. I love her. It was mean but Randall really made me laugh when he said "I don't think so, Jennifer!" when they were looking at her instagram. Toby is exhausting. I get that losing a job is hard but damn, they hadn't even dipped into the savings yet! They have savings! Toby is in IT, that's a pretty good job market generally, And I gotta say, if my brother or brother-in-law wanted to buy a house in Malibu that I could vacation at, I would have no problem with that! Turning that down is just over the top.

There is a very sexist element to the coverage of Mia as a "scorned woman" as though it isn't perfectly reasonable to be hurt and feel betrayed when someone cheats on you. Even if you ignore what happened to Dylan and think that Soon-Yi was 21 and not 17 when the affair started, it is still a normal human reaction to be very upset that a partner cheats on you and with someone so young. I think there a couple of double standards here. One, is that it's almost acceptable for men to be unfaithful and women are expected to "stand by their man." I'm thinking of all those politician's wives who literally stand by their man during press conferences after being cheated on. While when a woman cheats on her partner it's not accepted with a wink and a nod like it is for men and there is no such thing as dismissing a man's feelings or portraying him as a "scorned man." Which brings me to double standard two, men's feelings are considered valid--it wouldn't be considered amiss if a man were very angry after being betrayed by a woman like that. While women are dismissed as just being "emotional," as if we all weren't human beings who have emotions.

That's definitely a good point about Leah. I'm not sure Gretchen saw that one coming especially since Leah figured the whole thing out. She did exploit these girls but I think she thought their "weaknesses" were things to be overcome. And a lot of the girls did overcome them on the island, for better or worse. Shelby came out of the closet, Marty faced her past, Rachel made peace with swimming or the water (unfortunately for her hand), Dot learned to step back when she was burnt out, Toni learned to chill and I'm not sure what Fatin learned. Maybe how to have real friendships with other girls? I just feel if this were a group of boys, there wouldn't be so much questioning what makes them special and why they would be capable to be leaders or create a functioning society. Even though I guarantee all of them are victims of toxic masculinity, would anyone describe them as damaged? Or would they be impressed by their ability to overcome adversity? I mean, Marty was injured so badly that she had to learn to walk again and ended up competing with adults she was so good. I feel like girls and women get beat up by the world and then are told that makes them unable to fully contribute, not something that happens with boys so much even though boys get beat up too. I am 1000% in agreement that this experiment was immoral, unethical, evil and a horrible thing to do to anyone whether they are vulnerable girls, vulnerable boys, or even stable adults.

I really liked this even though it was a show about teenagers, not something I generally enjoy. I ended up liking or at least sympathizing with most of the girls. I liked Dot the most even though she was in on it in some capacity. I didn't care for Nora or her halting speech but everyone else I got to like at least a little bit. I see how Leah was off-putting with her obsession over the author but I really liked how skeptical she was. I felt some affinity with her over that. I couldn't stand Shelby at first but then felt sorry for her and ended up impressed by her. I really liked Marty and Fatin and learned to like Toni and even Rachel a little bit, too. I thought Nora was a bad actress and it took me out of the story. I hope she is dead in Season 2. I dislike the comments about how the girls are "damaged" or not particularly good subjects for an experiment like this. I think a lot of the struggles that the girls went through are pretty much something that almost all girls experience in some way or another. I guess that makes all of us damaged? I feel like it's re-victimizing victims. They can't help being preyed on by predators or learning about how their fathers are hypocrites or trying to measure up in some way that is no way achievable. I feel like what they showed is just the reality of life for girls and women so to call them damaged is really harsh. As to not being up to the challenge, we're talking about girls who are incredibly smart (Nora), talented cellist, basketball player, diver and dancer (Fatin, Toni, Rachel, and Marty), pageant winner (Shelby). Dot took on adult responsibilities way before she should have had to. She even did something that many adults would have a hard time with. Leah was the only wild card and she was in a school for talented kids even if we didn't see her talent so much. Or was she a writer? In any case, they were all elite in some capacity or another. Talk about having to measure up to unachievable standards. For Christ's sake what more do you want from them. I feel like Gretchen, lol, arguing against not diminishing girls' capabilities. I didn't see the shark coming. The whole time I thought it was going to be that axe. I thought it was Chekhov's axe and was nervous every time I saw it. I didn't mind the crazy experiment part of it as much as other people seemed to. It was obviously meant to be over the top and not actually a viable experiment but rather an extreme reaction to an unfair society. I will say that if one were to do an experiment like this you would need not only a group of girls and a group of boys but a mixed group as well. In my opinion, the success of each group would depend more upon the individuals in the group rather than the genders of the groups but that's probably too rational, ha. If they wrote the boys as well as they did the girls this season I probably wouldn't hate spending time with the Twilight of Adam group. However, I am way too invested in the girls stories, so I would prefer to spend more time with them instead.

Poor Annie sat in that car seat listening to Randall give his speech thinking, Oh, god, Is this my life now and looking none too pleased about it! She was adorable as all heck though. Yup. Looked like Jack's was just a one off too although he did start drinking later in the timeline as we already know. I felt like Kate's reaction to Ellie was poor although I'm not sure I blame her. I know it threw Kate for a loop. I think it would have been better to reassure her and let her know the door is always open rather than question her at such a vulnerable time though. My jaw dropped open when Toby told Kate he lost his job. At least he can sign up for unemployment.

Kate and Toby actually got a babysitter during a pandemic in order for Toby to sit in a parking lot. That's...extra. And during the episode where we got a lesson about video over the internet and how we don't have to physically be somewhere to be there. Which I liked, aside from my Toby snark. Too obvious that the baby's middle name would be Rose. However, I did enjoy that Kevin and Madison named one of the twins after Nicky. Well, mostly Nic Cage but Nicky too. I'm not sure why everyone has to go immediately to rude first and then explain themselves instead of just politely asking for something up front. I'm talking to you Dude in the parking lot. Nice of him to give Toby a pig though. I'm glad Randall and Kevin are finally really talking. Randall didn't seem to be tripping over himself in order to apologize to Kevin though maybe I missed it. When Kevin told Madison that she and the twins were all he needed, I couldn't help thinking, I'm pretty sure you need to eat too. Of course, he can probably get acting jobs in LA. Do women actually have to give birth with masks on? Interesting how freaked out about needles people can get. Madison is about to push two babies out of her body and she's freaked out over a needle! I'd want that needle stuck in me as fast as possible if I was about to feel that pain. I know needles are a thing for a lot of people though. Surprising lack of drama with Kate which was nice. I'm glad she just let the birth mother have her moment. Jack annoyed me this episode. I'm not sure what that character brings to the show any more and now we're going to have to watch his slide into alcoholism which looks fun.

Little Three! Are we sure that's not still going to happen? It didn't seem resolved to me. Maybe she will get someone else who can help him and not necessarily break any rules herself. There were a couple funny lines this episode which was nice. I liked Kate telling Kevin to tell DeNiro she loved him in Meet the Fockers and Kevin saying he's not going to do that. Also, enjoyed Kevin telling Miguel if he were there he would kiss him on the lips and immediately regret it. Miguel is awesome for helping Kevin out like that and getting the plane tickets, BTW. Kevin, if you are going to stop on the side of the road at night please put your hazards on. K, thanks. I'm glad the speechifying was kept to a minimum. I was scared Jack was going to give a huge speech to the coach but he just said don't call my son stupid, I'll be watching. That was better than the usual Jack speech. Also Kevin's explanation to the TSA employee wasn't too over the top. A little bit but not too bad. I'm not so sure why he's worried about being there for the babies. They are in a hospital! The babies will be fine. It's Madison who needs more support now. Randall was a true bro at the end there. He's great for thinking of Madison when she needs it most. Good for him. I'm guessing Kevin will make it to the hospital on time. There's got to be some drama with Kate coming, I think. Maybe a last minute change of mind on the part of the birth mother and then changing her mind back again or something. There's no way it's going to just go smoothly!

Well, that happened. Randall didn't need therapy, he just needed to scream in a lake with the ghost of his dead biological mother! I still don't know why she didn't try and find William, who was living in the same city (and has a super original name) between getting out of prison in 1985 and dying in 2015. At least after the internet was invented? When she found out that she didn't have much time left? Wouldn't that light a fire under a lot of people even if they'd been ashamed or whatever? I'm surprised she didn't say anything to her father on the phone when she was facing 5 years in prison. Seems like a good time to grovel even if her father was a hard ass. She came across as fairly passive in life besides running away instead of marrying Marshall. Even that was a little cowardly. I'm surprised there wasn't a shark! Well everyone was right about Madison going into labor early. Kevin's going to end up in the same hospital fighting death while his kids are being born, right?