Artymouse

After "El Camino," I decided to rewatch the entire BrBa series. It's been a few years since I saw it beginning to end, and it once again amazes me how well-put-together it is. I'm just past the halfway point of Season 5, and I'm dreading what is coming up in the next few episodes. I know that "Fly" is a love it/hate it episode, but I've always loved it. But what struck me on the rewatch is just how suspenseful it is. I know, from having watched it a few times, that Walt isn't going to confess to Jesse about watching Jane die, but it's so well played that I was on the edge of my seat while Walt was talking to Jesse about Jane and Jane's dad. And on the rewatch, I find Walt absolutely contemptible. Even when he's not actively behaving like a narcissistic monster, I still find him chilling. His arrogance is monumental, and I think I'd forgotten just how arrogant and manipulative he was in so many different episodes. The performances in BB are across-the-board brilliant, but Aaron Paul's transformation through the seasons is mesmerizing, as is Bryan Cranston's evolution into the personification of evil. But I've also developed a new opinion of Skyler. I still think she was a victim of Walt, but she could have opted not to break bad by letting her divorce attorney go to the police. So I see her as more culpable now than I did the first time around. And after Ted Beneke's accident, she visits him in the hospital and he swears he'll never tell the truth about what happened to him. Skyler simply says, "Good," and it's so chilling, it's almost Heisenbergian.

Like I said, it’s been a while since I saw the last run of episodes, so I’d forgotten what Skinny and Badger told Walt. So you may be right. I still think he intended to kill Jesse until he realized Jesse was being kept prisoner, but I guess I need to rewatch the final season.

I agree. I think his initial plan was to kill Jesse along with everyone else. I haven't watched the finale in a while, but I seem to recall Walt hearing about that blue meth was still out there, and assuming that Jesse was profiting from what Walt perceived as his genius work (much like he saw Gretchen and Elliott as profiting from his work with Gray Matter). So I wonder if there's a real person out there who functions like the vacuum guy, helping criminals disappear from the old lives and create new identities. And then I started pondering about what Ed Galbraith did with all that money. I wonder if he was creating a nest egg for a grandchild the way Mike Ehrmantraut was trying to do for Kaylee.

I was blown away by Aaron Paul's performance in this. Jesse has always been my favorite BB character, and I worried that he would be killed off in the last few episodes of BB. So I was a little nervous about watching El Camino, because I didn't want him to die. Overall, I thought it was a satisfying epilogue to the story. But what an amazing performance by Paul. I'm curious as to whether he might be eligible for an Oscar nomination, since the film will be shown in theaters. I think it would be well deserved. I loved the scenes with Skinny Pete and Badger, and Skinny giving Jesse his beanie was poignant. I could have done with a little less Todd -- he really creeps me out. The diner scene with Walt and Jesse was very cool. If VG ever revisits the Jesse story in Alaska, I would love to see Jesse getting therapy for his PTSD. It's going to take some time for him to recover from his ordeal, and doctor-patient confidentiality would allow him to tell his story without repercussions. And scenes of Jesse in counseling could be both entertaining and moving.

"Four Weddings" has been my mindless summer binge-watch, after finding three seasons on Hulu and then discovering I could watch the entire series on TLC website. Like everyone else here, I love to hate-watch BLAN bride and Dracula-Marie, but a couple of things I've noticed that I haven't seen mentioned. One bride took off points from another's overall score because "the potatoes at the potato bar were smooth, and I like mine lumpy." Seriously?? And then there was the princess bride wannabe who had three dresses and talked about being in love with her shoes. At the reception, one of the guest brides (I think it might have been the one having the same-sex wedding with the rainbow theme) said, "She must not have one of those friends who would tell her not to (change three times), I'd have told her!" I thought that was awesome! And the Charleston weddings where two of the brides had college mascots was interesting. I live in South Carolina, and I've been several times to the aircraft carrier where one of the receptions was held. I can't remember what time of year these weddings took place, but it must not have been summer because the USS Yorktown is hotter than the back door of hell during the summer. But blonde-haired pearl-clutcher cracked me up with her very Southern primness. She and the winning bride seemed to have a fun a connection, though. "Do you want to lay your head on my bosom?" when the 33 attendants were walking up the aisle. Then there was the bride who didn't know what zucchini was. "I'm eating broccoli. That's a normal vegetable!" I love this show, but my teenage son is concerned that I'm leaking IQ points as a result.

"It takes a toll:" Chris Underwood talks about "Survivor: Edge of Extinction" Turns out Reem wasn't so bad after all!

I think Chris is likable, and he obviously has a knack for using sales techniques on the other players. But thinking back to the first episode after he was voted off, the other tribe members were utterly shocked that he was voted off. I remember Probst saying he'd never seen a reaction like that. So, taking that into consideration, it's not that surprising that he got most of the jury to vote for him. He had their respect before they ever knew him as anything other than a guy from an opposing tribe, then they got to know him on EoE. Plus, you feed a bunch of starving people on a deserted island something besides rice, they'll have warm and fuzzy feelings toward you. Yeah, if Devens had made final three, he probably would've won, but given that the other two were Gavin and Julie, it made perfect sense to give the prize to Chris. And like Wardog said, the concept wasn't on trial. Who can blame Chris for doing everything he could do to try and win, once he got back into the game? It's not his fault that the concept was a dud.

Thanks! I didn't realize that.

Yeah, he deserves $1 million just for that!

Have I completely lost track of time? I thought the finale was airing tonight.

I was happy to see Chris win. This is my first Survivor season (except for a few episodes of S1), so I’m sure I’m coming at it with a much different perspective than a longtime fan. I didn’t have any real favorites, but there were lots of people I didn’t like. So glad that Devens lost; his faux-playful arrogance got on my nerves. And I suppose I get why people think Chris is undeserving because he was out of the game, but I think he took the best of a not-great situation and played a pretty decent game when he returned. Took guts (I assume) to give up immunity to fight Devens with fire, but I’m still not clear what his options were at that point. So why did the entire jury look as fresh as a daisy, except for Eric, who was dressed like he was still hanging out at EoE? He looked rough!

I’m still a newbie, so here’s my question: players talk a lot about “sitting next to” someone at final tribal council. What is the significance of that? And are they speaking literally about sitting next to a specific person?

I also feel like they’re forgetting about Henry. That relationship was played as the love of Teddy’s life. I know they weren’t together all that long, but for Teddy to say that Owen is the only one who’s ever made her feel all these emotions, I don’t know, but I feel like it’s almost erasing that entire relationship.

Jackson and Maggie are doctors, and they don’t take a first aid kit when they go camping? She at least needs a Benadryl, and I know that not every first aid kit has it, wouldn’t Jackson have gotten the fanciest, most voluminous first aid kit available to go with his upscale camping gear? That looked like a pretty sweet air mattress; surely he was as picky with his first aid kit purchase. I just really don’t like those two together, though I think Jackson is an interesting character in every other aspect of the show. Owen actually had some good moments this episode. I agree they should’ve brought along a psychiatrist to get Unicorn Blood Lady, but since they didn’t, I thought Owen handled things with sensitivity. But Lord help us, are we gonna have to deal with more Teddy/Owen romantic drama? I’ve never bought the two of them as “mint to be” (TM April Kepner), and if they stay together, it’ll be a big train wreck. Definitely not worth breaking the heart of Tom Koracik, who’s the best new male character they’ve introduced in many seasons. Other stuff: DeLuca falling on his sword for Meredith is beyond ridiculous. I can’t believe I’ve come to like Amelia, and I think she and Linc make an intriguing couple. And possibly unpopular opinion: I actually find Hellmouth entertaining. But Ortho Dude needs to go; he behaved like an ass, but even when he’s not, I just don’t think there’s any substance to the character.

True! And Aurora looked like she'd just been to Hawaii, with the flower in her prettily styled hair. I think that's the first time I've seen her when she didn't look like wild animals had been nesting in her hair. She's an attractive woman, but she's rarely had a chance to show it. Did she find a hidden immunity hairbrush?