JudyObscure

Typical religious hypocrisy? Reed said he was a Christian, not that he was Christ-like. I don't think professing belief in the divinity of Jesus means you're a hypocrite if you aren't behaving like Mother Teresa 24/7.

While Allison was carrying Gabriel home and putting him to bed, Cole must have stayed on the beach, as though his son's near drowning was no big deal. He better not blame her.

I think Missy's three divorces were only important in that she kept making them important. She brought them up as "proof," that she was, an expert on men, a survivor, a person who had been through all sorts of tragedy, a strong woman, and who knows what else. If we saw Missy or Baylor bring up the divorces five or six times, just think how often the others had to hear about it over the thirty nine days. I noticed that throughout the show she kept bringing it up in ways that made her look good, we didn't hear about the "shame," until the finale when she was crying about the meanness of Reed. Probably lots of people on Survivor have been divorced multiple times, they just didn't choose to make it their claim to fame.

You know, I hadn't even thought of that. I just saw her one nighter with Oscar as more of Allison acting out her self-hatred. But yes, you're right, even drunk and miserable some part of her should have said, "Wait! This is my husband's worst enemy! He has already told my husband about my affair and has demonstrated how much he enjoys hurting him." I'm also appalled at how cavalier she's being with her reproductive capabilities. She very pointedly went off her pills with a view to getting pregnant by Cole. Since we haven't seen the slightest hint of a contraceptive, then she should be well aware of the chances she's taking over the paternity of her future child. We can rest assured that Mr. "I have four children I can't afford and don't have time for," isn't using anything.

I think gay acceptance is just a short distance away for most mainstream Christian denominations. The changes over the last fifty years, like women pastors, have started with the more liberal denominations and then trickled down the candle to the fundamentalist side. My own church is a combined Lutheran & Episcopalian and I think almost half of the congregation is gay -- right now that's because the gay Christians who grew up Baptist or Pentecostal switched to us -- but I think in twenty years there will be full acceptance. Heck, divorced people weren't welcome in some of these churches fifty years ago. I liked Reed's speech because I think without it Keith and Wes might have voted for Missy. She could be very manipulative and with her beauty and her sob stories, I think she had Keith a little bit besotted. Missy spent the game getting her own way while playing up her three divorces as though she were the innocent victim of random afflictions. After seeing how unwilling she was to consider anyone else's opinion about things like how much rice to cook I couldn't help but think that the common denominator in those divorces was Missy. After a slow start I thought it was a great season and Missy, Jaclyn, Reed, and Natalie were all strong personalities who made it fun for me.

Natalie is such a satisfactory winner. There is no controversy about who was leading who, just a wonderful example of tenacity and strategy bringing the win. I think the thing I admire most about her is that, ironically in a couples season, she played the game alone during some of the early and all of the final episodes. After Jeremy left, she had no one with whom to run scenarios, making big moves solely from her own confidence in herself. Love. Her.

I thought that was a glaring mistake. Between "Waiting for Whitney to start college," as the only reason to try and delay the divorce and the complete absence of curious children during the screaming and crashing, I started to wonder if I'd missed a scene where they were all sent to private school in England. Telling your children that you're leaving is the hardest part of any divorce, I don't want the show to let Noah skip over that.

I just saw Ruth Wilson in, "Saving Mr. Banks," and although she only had a few lines, she was perfect for the part because she can express so much with her face alone.

My shampoo costs $1.29 at Kroger. It works perfectly as a surfactant to loosen dirt and then rinse off cleanly, without residue. It says a lot to me about Helen, much more than the kid's private schools, that she is ready and willing to live beyond her husband's income just for personal frills that she is then unwilling to let him borrow because he doesn't have as much hair. Yes it is "her," house in Helen's mind and she is furious that Noah isn't playing his part as the sensitive, safe, pet husband. I'm not ready to send Cherry to Hell. Purgatory maybe. I agree that the worst thing you can do to a mother who has lost her child is make her feel even more guilty, but the worst thing you can do to a grandmother is refuse to take her advice, resulting in the death of her grandchild. It's to Cherry's credit that she managed to keep that on simmer all these years and didn't let it boil over until Allison was adding fuel to the flame by cheating on her son. Allison was nuts to confront Cherry about the ranch's financial mess, instead of just telling Cole. I think sleeping in Noah and Helen's house and wanting to try new sexual tricks are the first hints that the affair's initial fever is cooling down. Six months ago they could have orgasms over a little fondling on the beach, now they need high risk situations and adventurous positions.

I'm hoping the same thing and although I know Nat needs to get rid of Keith I would like to see her keep him until Missy is gone. Missy is a very sympathetic figure to most of these youngin's who seem to see her as a brave 90-something soldiering through the hardships. Right now I think Keith will do whatever Natalie tells him to do but there's always the problem of Keith's Tribal Tourettes Syndrome.  

I agree Jaclyn would make a fine goat but who would be able to bear the pain and punishment of her silent treatment for the rest of the game? (snark) What's with the netting torture, Survivor? Didn't some unfortunate young girl jump into the netting on the first episode of her season and go out with a broken wrist? That stuff scares me more than those fat yellow slugs they used to eat. It gives your feet zero stability so of course your ankle is going to roll and if your tendons are the least bit weak or stiff there will be a serious injury. At least it happened to Missy who really shouldn't be turning to her little girl for support when she gets divorced, that's what friends are for. Dr. Phil always says don't lay adult problems on kids. It was sweet to see Keith be so chivalrous with her, though. If it wasn't for the spitting I might have a crush on Keith, but he's the reason I had to give up snacking during the show.

My heart was pounding through the entire episode, I was that afraid Jon would stay and they would never have another chance to blindside him. Natalie is a Survivor all star. Jaclyn's anger was an added pleasure.

Hasn't Noah talked about Helen in glowing terms, though.? I vaguely remember him describing her as so beautiful and brilliant that he couldn't believe she chose him or something of that sort. I thought her speech about choosing him, because he was, basically, such a boring nobody she wouldn't have to worry about anyone else wanting him, was very cold. I was also very put off by her assertion that she could have had anyone. Really? No one, not even drop-dead stunners, which she clearly is not, are every man's type.

No Dateline tonight, just an animated Christmas thing. Don't they understand that in this season of peace, goodwill and unrelenting cheer we need a little murder?

Alex began tonight's show with a reminder that the kids bring "emotion," that isn't seen on the adult shows. He also said some of the kids have never lost at anything before. It makes me wonder if Gabby had burst into tears. Poor kids. I would probably burst into tears over this amount of stress and I'm old. I could never be as cool and calm as Courtney.

One thing I've really missed this season is someone to hate and now I have it and it's a couple. Jon and Jaclyn may be tolerable on an individual basis but as a set they're the couple from hell that my husband and I usually end up doing things with because no on else will put up with them. Jaclyn has Jon totally whipped, groveling to her every wish, while all the while convinced he's in charge because he's good at Alpha male posturing and straight up lying to himself. Meanwhile, Jaclyn spends her days demanding that all about her show constant favors and total "respect," while never once thinking that maybe other people might deserve a little respect as well. The silent treatment is my least favorite thing in the world, those who dish it out deserve to find no one waiting when they decide to grant forgiveness. May Keith sit and spit his way to the million.

I didn't notice how Jaclyn was with the kids, but I agree that it was sort of offensive of the show to imply that Jon was doing her a big favor by overlooking her condition. Jaclyn might want to find a man who doesn't want children at all -- there are many.

JL quote: My thoughts on this were like GeminiDancer's, that Max really cares about Helen and doesn't want to see her hurt, and I thought Whitney had misinterpreted the joking around Max and Helen did at the party as something real. Children don't always understand that sort of thing. However! I really like your idea that Helen is having an affair herself! If we ever get a "Helen's Point of View," series that would make it extremely interesting.

Higgs: I see. I apologize too then. I thought the Bible verse went with the preceding two paragraphs and not the final reference to Rachel Berry, of whom I never heard. I do agree that we all have choices as to how we view these characters but, I at least, am not speaking about the entire, complex personality in every post. I can feel moved by both Cole and Allison when they talk about their son and irritated a few minutes later when they start trying to justify the drugs. An actress like Mare Winningham can give me cold chills one minute and win my sympathy the next when I think about how much her character cares about her family. That's what I like about the show and the conversations we all have about it. All of the protagonists are fully developed and even someone as "perfect," as Helen has flaws. She is the sort of woman I would like to have as a friend, but realize she probably wouldn't want to be friends with me. I identify with her more than any of the other characters and her reaction to hearing about the affair was almost exactly how I think I would react, but, at other times, I see that little bit of superiority slipping out and, at those times I don't like her. So, I think before we can accuse people of not understanding the complexity of the characters we would need to look at all of their posts and put them together. A sentence after a single episode about one event or remark doesn't represent a complete character analysis and isn't meant to.

Higgs quote: Since you're throwing scripture at Indi and me: First, calling someone "shitty," is not the same as casting judgment and consigning them to Hell. It's remembering that, even though we've said we are sympathetic to their grief, the drug trade has far reaching damage to millions of people including things like 43 dead college students in Mexico. Of course, there are worse things, but we weren't running a comparison study, just thinking about that one decision the Lockhart family made. Second: When Jesus said not to judge people, I don't think he was talking about criticizing fictional characters written for TV shows. Judging real people on message boards? Maybe.

For some reason, within a show like this, I seem to forget the drug dealing from one episode to the next and just see sad, grieving parents in pain. But you are so right, Indi. In real life, yes, they are shitty people. They might not be selling on play grounds but they are causing parents to lose their jobs or become neglectful. They are selling to teens who will sell on playgrounds. In one way or another they are hurting children, children just like Gabriel. When it was first discussed around that lovely, big Walton's style,, family table. Allison may have spoken against it, but at some point she not only agreed to let it happen, but was willing to take part in it. A woman who can go out at night without telling her husband where she's going and doesn't feel an explanation is required when caught in a lie about staying home, is not a woman who is too frightened of her husband to stand her ground on a huge issue like this.

I agree with that. Allison said something in an early episode about her anger at Cole being almost unbearable. I thought Helen, Cole and Mare were all doing great acting jobs this time. The MIL anger was totally believable to me. My own MIL and I were extremely close for ten years, right until the instant she found out I was divorcing her son. I never blamed her. A mother's going to defend her son no matter who's "at fault." Maybe it's because I'm a WASP myself (so long as you don't have to be rich to be one) but my reaction would have looked a lot like Helen's. I'm not a scream and throw things person, I'm a silent seether. I loved Helen's jerky hand movements and hyperventilating. Another thing that had an authentic ring for me was the scene in the store. Even though Helen didn't yet know about the affair, she had, had suspicions all summer. She sensed her husband's interest and so didn't like Allison -- that, more than snobbery might have prompted the "waitress," remarks -- but she knew she was indebted to Allison over the choking incident. I think her suspicions went up a notch when she saw Allison in the store and so she wanted to give Allison the formal "Thank you," she owed her to square things up.. In Helen's mind she will be free to take the gloves off next time they meet. I hope they have a season from the spouse's point of view, but I think one from Whitney would be great, too. "What Whitney Knew."

I just checked the schedule to see what my local PBS has put in this time slot. "USA Sled Hockey." Come back The Paradise all is forgiven!

Oh you guys are good. When I get falsely accused, I'm calling on the Previously TV Defense team. No bar exam required.

Very unsatisfactory. I don't feel sure he did it, because both he and his wife seemed a little below normal in intelligence and that might make both of their stories messed up and inconsistent. On the other hand, I can picture him faking time cards, then worrying about getting caught so breaking into the payroll office and killing the poor woman in panic when he gets caught. Still, not my favorite episode, though, at least for once, it wasn't the husband.