MaryHedwig

My favorite guest judge was the lunch lady. I have a special place in my heart for her- she looks exactly like one from my childhood right down to the moles on her neck- but I thought she gave very helpful intelligent advice and held her own well with the more seasoned judges.

It is all about the birth scenes. If they strike as transcendent, then the show will work for you. If they do not, then the show will not. For me, they work- the birth scenes fill me with gratitude for the life that I have and make me want to strive to be the best version I possibly can (a nice thought to have on a Sunday night with the work week ahead of me). Some of the shows you mentioned are just too silly for me. So, as with life, YMMV.

So did I but I guess it worked for other people (one of the reasons I love boards like these- to get other people's reactions). I thought they needed to run the Jewish scenes by a consultant to check for authenticity and to de-trite them. Those scenes felt like vaudeville to me (as you nicely pointed out with the deli example). That also did not ring true, did it? I do know a thing or two about agoraphobia and it can be cure quickly with the perfect set of circumstances (as can many simple phobias) but the story here just didn't hang together right. By the way, don't those apartment houses have only common bathrooms? So for twelve years she used a chamber pot and her daughter...you can see, one more brush was needed for that entire subplot. Was that a real poem she was reciting? It sounded good enough to be one but I came up with nothing when I googled it. Yes, the midwives and sisters tolerate more pawing than I can (and I am a hugger). They also tolerate more odors than I bet I can. I think this is one of the reasons I love this show, I depicts women being what I only aspire to be. Why was he standing on that rickety staircase without a belay? He is an architect and should have known better- he was probably working on that building because it was deemed unsafe. And why were they having that heated discussion when he was in such a precarious position? His partner is also an architect and should have known better. That is the kind of accident that happens to two 15-year-olds deciding to sneak in to make a fort- not to professionals. Thanks, I missed all that. My eyes are partially closed during the crowning so my brain does not always record exactly which midwife is in the room (see my above comments of the midwives further evolved than I).

How can a show that cuts two umbilical chords an hour be bad but I did find myself more critical of the writer than usual last night. 1. More Chummy! If Miranda Hart is busy, work everything else around her schedule. If Young Sir is teething, Shelagh will be happy help you out. 2. Let Shelagh work as a midwife. or at least have her work as a nurse alongside Dr. Turner. Why should she be relegated to the reception at the clinic just because she is married. Marriage is not stopping Chummy. 3. Why is Shelagh smoking. And her line, "I always want one, you don't always offer" to her husband was too period 50's oppression of women for my 21st centruy ears. 4. Too convenient having dead boyfriend's parents in Ceylon. What was the plot point of that? 5. Our prison pastor officiated the funeral. I don't think we have seen the last of him. 6. Cynthia seemed less afraid of her own shadow last night. A relief. Her mousiness is painful to watch. 7. I agree with the above poster that the Yiddish was a little heavy handed, especially since her daughter did not talk that way. In fact I wondered if that whole subplot should have been run by a Jewish consultant- touching but the whole story didn't quite hand true to me. Including, why does she want to say goodbye to Jenny, who she had never met before?

Yes. This show is like therapy to me. When I land back in my life (after delivering a baby with Sister Winifred), the challenges in my own life seem almost like a sacred joy to conquer. That's Sister Winifred. She is transcendent. But I still have a feeling there is more to her story than we know. If I were a guy in Poplar, I would be knocking at her door... I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your father. My heart goes out to you. I hope the episode provided some catharsis for you.

Says so much. If it were not for missing Gregson and Bell, I'd be just as happy watching a show called "Sherlock and Watson: The Brownstone Years" without any procedurals at all. Do they have different writers for the A and B plots? How can they create such poignant and memorable characters as Alistair, Gay, Ms. Hudson, Alfredo, Randy, Mycroft, Rhys and then create such throw away ones with forgettable names like Bart and Joe Bay who go around killing blood brothers and partners to stick it to someone or make a few bucks?

I so agree. Until the end that was a very unsympathetic character but W.E.B.'s acting made you care about him the way Severide did. And then his weeping at the end.... I hope we haven't seen that last of him (and really mean the actor, not the character).

Thanks. I easily could be wrong on all this. Way out of my wheelhouse here.

I am kind of embarrassed that I know this but the actor who plays Clarke, Jeff Hephner, is making a pilot called Boss for the Starz channel. Kesley Grammar is the lead. So my guess is that they transferred "Clarke" to accommodate Hephner's schedule. The good news is that they did not totally write him out (like Jones) so perhaps he will have more air time if his pilot does not succeed. (Not to wish ill will on anyone.) Interesting, I believe that Boss is also set in Chicago.

Favorites: I haven't seen these for years for feel free to help me out with episode names and inconsistencies The one where Paul is away for work and comes home maybe once a week. At first their encounters are romantic. On the last one Paul arrives and Jamie shushes him so she can finish the paragraph she is reading. The one where his mother calls during foreplay. Jamie tries to continue afterwards and Paul says something like: "No amount of therapy in the world could get me to continue now." I think this is the same episode that has my favorite line of the series: Paul's mother hears some explicit romantic suggestions of Jamie to Paul and Paul's mother says, "She will put her eye out." The one where they care for a child during Halloween. Jamie goes trick or treating with him and knocks on the door of their English neighbors. Off camera the English husband says, "Whose there?' English wife says, "It is 4B begging for food." Absolute least favorite: Paul walks around New York with a perpetual erection. In my opinion, this show jumped the shark when Jamie got pregnant. The premise was a young couple adjusting to married life. The pregnancy just killed that premise and Jamie has no fun to watch.

Actually I think that men have been shaving their armpits long before you and I were on this planet. (I am thinking specifically of photographs I have seen of circus performers from the 19th Century). I have a feeling manscaping was always with us but not talked openly until we became metrosexuals. I too am surprised how many lines I have written about BBT's armpits, but they are odd creatures. They are very intimate and yet they are out in public for all to see. I am think I am about to go googling....

I thought that Dr. Chase on House was Australian.

No. Alistair (Roger Rees) was only in one previous episode (Ep. 1:6 Flight Risk) in which Sherlock's hires him to pretend to be his father and lunch with Watson. (Honestly, it was not a very nice move on Sherlock's part but it was before he had delivered the bond he has now with Watson.) After Watson learns of the prank she tracks Alistair down to find out what she can about Sherlock (I wasn't routing for Watson here either). No other backstory on Alistair. No prior scenes with Alistair and Sherlock together. No clue as to why he relapsed. Actually, that is the point of growth at the end for Sherlock, he will never know but whatever it is, it is Alistair's story and not his own. So do I. In the few scenes where the top buttons are opened, he looks like a completely different (and sexier) person.

Oh to be an English actress of a certain age! Can't you imagine a great luncheon with Sister Monica Joan and Violet Crawley from Downton Abbey? Or maybe I meant Judy Parfitt and Maggie Smith? Can't decide- both would be amazing.

You are correct. Wade is just a conduit of chemistry. I think he is showing that show together.

He is the brunt of one of my favorite lines. Someone is offering to sell some porn to MASH in a trade and says that the porn is great and looking at Radar (who he has never seen before) says: "Will probably kill you."

Loved this character! You could really see the miserable heart-of-gold human being beneath his arrogant shell. My favorite scene is where he listens to his sister Honoria's stuttering voice on tape. Tightens my throat every time.

There was a blackout and many MASH members were huddled in a small space: Voice of Young Female Nurse: "Sorry Father." Voice of Father Mulcahy: "That's OK my child, how would you have known?" Which I always assumed meant the she had inadvertently touched him "down there" in the darkened crowd- but none of that was said explicitly . I just loved the subtlety here.

i loved her comment about jazz: "Do they know what the others are playing?"

What a nice cheery presence she is. But I think there is more to her than we know. For starters, I think the lady has seen My Fair Lady. I would welcome your thoughts and speculations about her.

Love him- can't stand the smoking (I know it is period but still...) Tonight he was blowing smoke in the face of his (possibly) pregnant wife.

Love how Sister Julienne says it is a privileged to care for her. May all people with dementia be as indulged and know that they are truly loved by the people who surround them.

Wow, you and I have the same fantasy parents!

Love Ina. Love her laid-back relaxed approach to life. Love the easy romance between Ina and Jeffrey. However, sometimes I imagine Ina as a Miss Havisham. Jeffrey died long ago or left her at the altar. Ina spends her days cooking roasted chicken in anticipation of his imaginary return. Ina has 24 hour mental health surveillance- she thinks they are just ground security. Ina's guests are really well-paid, great looking mental health workers coming over to check up on her. By the way, Ina is 66 and seems to have tapped into the fountain of youth. What is her secret? I can tell it is not exercise or a low-fat diet.

Not me, but I was seeing some sparks between the prison chaplain and Trixie. That actor was way too cute to just have a walk-through part. Was I the only one thinking that Sister Julienne had some back-story that made this prison rotation a tough one for her? Could she have had few years of misspent youth? Did she let her own baby go? Twice I saw her look reflectively when only the camera (and us) were on her. Love Evangeline when she is being a bad-ass and not just cranky. Sometimes I wish that I could rent us to kick some butt of the b___'s in my world. The Shelagh childless plot is just too cruel to me. Also, the power that the husband has over the wife in those times makes me cringe (although Patrick does a good job of not flaunting it). Something is wrong in a world where the doctor and the prison matron are the only two smokers.