DearEvette

Leverage ran for five years. Crawford was a guest actor in two episodes. How he behaved on that show may have no correlation to how he behaved on the a show where he was not only the lead actor but also the director in charge for the episode that seems to have precipitated everything. People can act nice as a guest in someone else's home and be a big asshole in their own. I also don't think people not speaking up is some sort of vindication for him. Even in the age of #MeToo, Hollywood is still a company town and people might still be afraid of not getting work if they are seen to speak out about Hollywood talent. Also because of the way Hollywood seems very forgiving of enfant terrible white guys (ironically Mel Gibson comes to mind) it is not impossible to believe that Crawford may get work again in a high profile show where some of these people may need to work on again. I mean, look at the clusterfuck that was the Arrested Development interview last week. Jeffrey Tambor was fired from Transparent amidst damning allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct. He was still hired back by Netflix to work on the newest season of Arrested Development. And we find out that he was very abusive to Jessica Walter on set in an earlier season and yet her male co-stars fell all over themselves to defend Tambor. And this just happened last week. We would have never known about that without that interview because up until that moment Walter had remained silent and the male co-stars were willing to look the other way.

This is my biggest takeaway with Caitlin since about season 2. Their big ideas for Caitlin has been 1) to make her Doctor of Everything 2) shuffle her into a chemistry-less romance with the new guy of the season (I was rather surprised they didn't go there this season with Ralph) 3) deploy her Killer frost persona in the most baffling, contradictory, least logical way possible 4) make her selfish and betray the team. I agree they did retcon her, but that has nothing to do with Iris. To imply that her KF abilities are not a because of the particle accelerator is an yet another iteration of they have no idea what they are doing when writing her KF persona. KF was potentially a great plot element to propel Caitlin forward in her role and they've completely botched it.

That is definitely related to the phenomenon when the police officer/detective discovers quite by accident on the basis of some very small clue who the murderer is, meanwhile at that exact moment the murderer is with the detective's partner/spouse about to kill them. Despite the fact that the murderer could have chosen to kill the partner/spouse at any time, they somehow never do until coincidentally (and without their actual knowledge) the detective has figured out who they are. Where of course the partner/spouse's cell phone battery has conveniently died and thus can't be warned of the murderer's identity as the detective frantically tries to call them.

Not as numerous on Network but you can find some around: Insecure (HBO) Queen Sugar (OWN) Growinsh (FreeForm) Dear White People (Netflix) Chewing Gum (not AA but Afro-Brit -- Netflix) Free Reign (Netflix) Atlanta (FX) Power (Starz) The CHi (Showtime) The Quad (BET) She's Gotta Have It (Netflix) shows with major AA characters/character arcs: This is Us (NBC) The Good Fight (CBS All Access) Claws (TNT)

Yes. I liked that it was staged like a one act two-character play almost. Lots of intense dialogue and emotion with both Sam and Gabe hitting some salient points. Not only that, but the chemistry between them was off the charts. You could totally tell they were still pining for each other and this interview was the way to get back in each other's orbit without admitting they wanted to be. Sam is just hard headed and Gabe is now trying to backtrack. I thought it was very strong acting by both actors, kudos to them. Hate Gabe's look though. I like the scruff and the hair.

@GHScorpiosRule Now you have me curious about why? Do you just dislike reboots or are a big C&L fan or just this concept in particular? I am not a fan of the recent wave of reboots myself. Although I am bummed they passed on Get Christy Love but the original was so long ago that it almost doesn't even qualify as a reboot.

My understanding is that the director on the set, even for just one episode, is the boss. It is his/her shoot. He is answerable to the EPs and the showrunner when it comes to issues of the script or interpreting a scene etc., but for that set, the actors are answerable to him. Also how much authority he has overall depends on how much the showrunner accedes. It seems like the showrunner isn't very hands on himself, so Crawford probably was given broad range authority over the shoot. I checked IMDB and this episode of Lethal Weapon is his highest profile directing gig. He only has 4 other directing credits,the most recent in 2010, and they look like they were shot on his own home video camera. I'll wager that the guy simply didn't know how to control a set or a shoot of that complexity. Beyond the directing, though,if he's punching folks out that is beyond the pale. No matter you think about Wayans' complaints, violence is never acceptable in the workplace. Why would anyone want to work with someone who is punching folks out? All the attention on Wayans seems like a deflection on the real issue which is the fact that Crawford sounds like he had some issues that affected not just Wayans but the entire production.

Fox Finally speaks. From a fan pov, I am bummed that Clayne is gone because I did think he and Wayans had god partner chemistry. But then again, I don't have to work with the guy. I'll still give the show another try. In everything it will all depend on how entertained I am by the show. He's not a deal breaker for me and I hate to reward bad behavior. Whether I stick with the show will completely depend on what is on screen.

First of all, yay Brooke. Just like Kelsey in CoCo's pov episode that gave us some insight on her, this one worked less as another Lionel episode than a nice way to introduce us to Brooke. Yet another mew character that breaks out as very interesting. Second of all, Sorbet Lives!!! And how apropos that Al has fallen under her spell. Third of all, I knew Silvio was a bitchass bitch. But this was even more assery than even i had given him credit for. But it does seem to be inline with some of this seasons larger themes about group, societies and belonging. Another reminder that even a marginalized POC like Silvio who may face some of the same discrimination, they also can still view blacks as other -- or more other other than themselves. I hate Silvio.

A Joelle episode! Yay! And girlfriend came through. For a brief moment I was so happy for her (but still low key pulling for Reggie). And then came the moment I knew. AS I was watching I started sayonh "OMG he's Hotep, he's a Hotep." groans. My poor husband (who is a total Gabe with a little more street cred, but not enough to know what a Hotep is) was completely puzzled. Had to school him real quick. Sighs. But maybe this is a turning point for my boy Reg. Hafta say, i am not loving the parody show within a show this year as much as I loved last year's Defamation.

Coco is still the wheeler dealer. I always like that she is often the smartest girl in the room. But honestly, this didn't give any new information about Coco. Instead we got a lot of new info about Kelsey and I am here for it. One thing that is nice about the 'enforced' room-mating of students in A-P because of the relocation of the white students, is how the show is enforcing proximity of the main 'stars' with some of the more supporting characters. Finding out out that Kelsey is Trini and a Lesbian with a sharp POV is everything. Not only that but she is such a strong, sensible support system for CoCo really filled her in a lot as a character. She isn't just a clueless Bougie girl with her support dog. Kelsey was the real revelation here. I hated and loved the fakeout in the end. I like how it allowed CoCo to imagine the possibilities up what she was potentially giving up. It gave her time to agonize over her decision, but in the end she needed to decide what was best for her. My husband actually thought it was a true flash-forward, but I knew it was a fake-out. Given what we had learned about CoCo and her ambitions & aspirations, no way was she going to go home to her family and have baby. She's too much of a striver.

I watched this episode with second hand embarrassment for everyone especially Tom Cavanaugh and Carlos Valdes for being stuck in that idiotic Harry subplot. WT even Fuck is that? Also I skipped the last couple episodes, but the Thinker's big plan is ... make everyone dumb? Really show? That is what you squandered all the personality and chemistry of The Devoes on so they devolved in this Wile E. Coyote of a plot? In addition to making Harrison and Cisco look like fools, they're making Caitlin into this selfish creature. They are in the midst of this DeVoe crisis and her attitude is analogous to treating KF like she has been kidnapped or Amunet is a walking amber alert. Priorities, girl. Iris was the only one who was acting like she had any sense this episode. This season has become so disappointing ater such a strong start. These writers really can't plot for shit. And they can't handle a 22-24 episode season.

From what I can see public perception of Clayne Crawford as Riggs is very positive. So no, not coming from the public since the public had no knowledge of the behind the scenes turmoil until announcement of troubles on the set and rumors of firing him. Since he is popular with the audience and he is a lead in the show (not just a supporting or ensemble), and the chemistry between Riggs and Murtaugh is an important element of the show's identity, I'd think Fox whould be really reluctant to fire him. That would not be their first go to. Shows put up with a lot of asinine behavior behind the scenes to maintain a 'show must go on' facade. If the show is making even a little profit for the network, they aren't going to want to rock the boat. So the decision to fire him has to come from a place where they had determined that keeping him is more detrimental than a recast. Which leads me to believe that what is really happening is even more serious than the initial reports indicate.

Poor Lionel, is he cursed to only ever come into contact with the most obnoxious, arch, self aware, bitchy gays? Where are the guys like him? I wasn't a huge fan of this glimpse of this segment of the gay subculture at Winchester. They felt too 'on' all the time and their dialogue felt like it was taken from social media. Maybe it was just because it was places that Silvio was taking him to and these were the people Silvio hung out with. I want Lionel to find his tribe, not to be dragged along to Silvio's. And you can miss me with the over meta references to loving Taylor Swift by the guy played by Todrick Hall. I rolled my eyes so hard at that. Really show? I am still enjoying Troy's DGAF attitude. Also love the Black lesbian who worked on the paper. She breaks out a bit in this episode it was nice to see more of her.

I really enjoyed Ragtime by E.L Doctorow. just loved he depiction of Coalhouse Walker's rage even though I knew it would end badly. But this was one black man who was not going to be ignored. Also prompted me to look up pictures of Evelyn Nesbitt. She really was very beautiful. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Since most of my book reading back in the 80s and 90s were mass market sci-fi fantasy and romance, I rarely read "important" novels. This is one of the first ones I ever read. In hardcover even, LOL. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. Yeah, I am very surprised I loved a book about the building of cathedral. But it was rather soap-tastic as well. The Conqueror by Georgette Heyer. A book about William the Conqueror. History tells us that William of Normandy was born a bastard, held off multiple assassination attempts, became Duke of Normandy, repelled the French and invaded England to become it's King. Heyer does all that plus invites us to watch him as a strategic military genius. I, Claudius by Robert Graves. Sex, betrayal, murder, stuttering... it has it all.

I think I liked Troy the most this episode than I have all last season. Also loved the Troy/Reggie interaction. I don't think we got any of that last season so it was nice to have a nice chunk of it in this episode. But I am kinda over it that Reggie can be such as ass to Sam and yet can hang all chill with that Pastiche asshole (who I admit was confusingly hot as fuck in this episode). That said, was not a fan of this installment. While Reggi's PTSD is important and believable, it dragged the episode. Don't think I laughed once this episode. This is a comedy, not therapy. Still loving Joelle.

For real though. We are not a sugar on grits family. I think the first place I ever saw that was on tv. Nobody I've met IRL does it.

Heh... I just the put the 'how can merpeople have developed enough melanin to look black' under the same category that I put 'how can fish turn into people' and 'how can Donna have a perfect twist out after living in the ocean' -- basically it is all magic.

Watching this first episode I felt like what maybe the black students felt with the relocation of the (white) Davis Hall students to Armstrong-Parker -- displaced, out of sorts and a little alienated. Not because the show is not as good, in fact, it felt just as biting and incisive as it did with V1. But because this is Sam's POV episode and she is in a really bad place. On the one hand she is so much in her head, her need to fight back so hard, that she is ignoring the great advice she is getting about not engaging the wrong people in fights. You are not going to change their minds. They are entrenched. All it does it frustrates you. I was so mad at her that she could not see it. But then again, I was struck by the overarcing message of the episode (a message that doubles down in the next episode) in that Sam, a black woman, is being disproportionately blamed and held responsible for things she did not do just because she is the uncomfortable black. Versus Troy, who really did damage property is being largely ignored or absolved (and conveniently is nowhere to be found to face the music). In addition all the people who conveniently rode behind her activism have all dissipated. Except Joelle, who remains ride or die. Love Joelle. Looking forward to this season, so happy the show is back.

Aw man, that would have been great to include. Would remind us why we like them together in the first place instead of the relentless downer vibe we are getting so much of this season. A nice moment of fun, friendship, levity, and a great throwback reference with the perfect visuals. Sigh.

Brian Tyree Henry was just nominated for a Tony award for Featured actor in a play for his role in Lobby Hero. Congrats! He is just an awesome talent.

The first inkling was a blind item on TVline (the more gossipy tv focused sister site to Deadline) that appeared several days before the first Deadline article. The first Deadline ( 23 April) article read way more damaging to Crawford. It made reference to 'long time' problems and made a point to say that it was Wayans' involvement that got the show greenlit in the first place. Interestingly all of this appears to be a 100% Deadline scoop. From a quick look at other entertainment industry outlets, they seem to have reported on it only after Crawford's apology statement. I did see somewhere, I think maybe it was The Hollywood reporter(?) cited 'sources' but it almost read like Deadline was their source. None of the other outlets I looked at seem to have picked up on the 'it's a mess behind the scenes' spin that the second Deadline article pushed. Whatever the case, I tend to agree that the second season just didn't have the fun of the first season. I mean it could be as simple as sophomore slump. And really my most hated part of S2 was Riggs daddy issues with their inability to actually do anything interesting with Roger's family a close second. If there was really some personality problems between Wayans and Crawford, or even if it was just Crawford, they already had the tools in place to move the show into a more ensemble vehicle and less a two man lead. The supporting cast, to a person, is really great. I mean, I loved the episodes with The B Team and am low key bummed that they seemed to have abandoned that as a concept. It would have been nice to see Bailey and Bowman getting better cases. They have an easy chemistry and charm that could have taken some of the pressure off the main pair. And they are wasting Keesha Sharp and Kevin Rahm cruelly.

One thing I always wondered about beverages on tv is when it comes to liquor. Admittedly I am not rich, nor do I know any rich people so maybe it is just a rich people thing, but do people IRL keep their brown liquor in nicely cut crystal decanters, with matching crystal whiskey glasses on a silvered wine cart sitting at the ready in the living room? Or is that an 'only on tv' thing? I mean we have a cute little wine cart in the dining room, but the booze is still in the bottles they came in from the liquor store (and looking at it, it could really use a good dusting right about now...). And I keep my vodka in the freezer. Mostly if we do offer alcohol to a visitor it is typically beer.

The fact that Al can go anywhere in Atlanta and be instantly recognized by a wide demographic, and yet the only "perks" Earn can get him is to stay for free at the house of a sketchy star-fucker proves that Earn just doesn't know what he is doing. If Al's girlfriend, the ex-stripper now Instagram celeb, is more aware of the sorts of things that management can demand for a person like PaperBoi than Earn does is yet another brick in that wall. Earn needed to be fired. That was a conversation that needed to happen. That said, I felt more of Earn's frustration this episode than I did during the 100 dollar bill episode. And I can't say I don't blame him when it comes to Tracy. He is just one of those people... Fun fact: my husband was re-watching season one and in the episode where Van has to take a drug test after a night of smoking weed with her friend, she seeks advice from Al who gives her the 'use someone else's urine' as a tip from someone named Bibby. So Bibby was hustlin' even in season 1!

Honestly, that stuff about Wayans sounds small potatoes. If that is the most that he has demanded he is the most low grade diva I've ever heard about. He called in sick one day? I could understand if he calls in chronically, but one day? He had already been hurt during a shoot, enough that he had to be sent home by the production, so he had concerns about his own safety on the set. The only account of whatever incident that resulted in him getting hit by shrapnel was from Crawford who took pains to downplay it. But who knows how out of control that particular set was or the nature of how he got hurt. Except for the table reads, it sounds like all the Wayans stuff in that articles is centered around that one particular shoot. And if the table reads were an issue now wouldn't they have been an issue all throughout season one as well? Even that sounds benign. He requested, not demanded. If they were such a big deal production would have insisted on them. In contrast the Crawford stuff sounds more long term and habitual -- multiple reprimands, mandated therapy, causing a director to quit? Outside of what feels like a real lack of leadership, it just seems like the stuff reported of Wayans just sounds rather penny ante compared to what is being said of Crawford.