Dizzychickstar

I binged this show in about a week. Really enjoying the stride its found. I would watch an extended version of Will’s Distract Dem Kiddos Dance any day of the week.

I watch this show through the same lens as I began watching Scandal in later seasons. As in, I watched it as a political fantasy...and the fact that I watch NA, medical drama fantasy, while I do other things (tweeting, chores) as well, probably aids in its deficiencies failing to bother me much. I do appreciate the spotlight on the different health care concerns of varying groups which exist outside the show, however. I don’t watch many medical dramas, but I doubt many of these shows “go there.” These moments aren’t without their flaws. I also appreciated seeing the injured black female characters too as the warm and playful (and not so playful) bickering of the two sisters, in particular, felt familiar—helps that the episode was written by a black female writer. I do also kinda dig the running theme of faith/hope this episode. Though I did cringe when Kate asked Max to pray. I believe that a patient would do that, but I still caught second hand embarrassment. Bloom appeared to be reading something inspirational if not religious, and she is clearly still! struggling!, but she has faith in herself—pulling through like a boss in the hot chaotic mess of a suddenly busy ER. Kaye and Max, though not really on the same side religiously, complement one another’s views of the ambiguous nature of the right thing to do in a tight spot. Though the bit with guardianship and a woman (disabled or otherwise)’s right to choose got a little muddled, it definitely could spark conversation about those issues as well as impacts on relationships and the overlap of black Christian culture. All o’ that said, someone really really needs to do a wellness check on Max. His self-martyrdom is too much. That carpet? Also too much. And his constant pushing away of Helen just grates at this point. He’s a doctor; he’s got to do what is best for his child. Hiding bloodstains, insufficient rest, combined with “seeing” his dead wife on the reg, that’s not what’s up, doc. (Sorry, couldn’t resist)

Yay! This is a fun one to binge.

Aw, man. I just started this and I like it, but it appears the boards are dead...

I agree that this episode tied things up but also left openings and possibilities. But, I kinda just wanted to see more of the gang interacting without an immediate call for more action. Like those Golden Girls’ episodes that are reruns with their chit chat and joking in between. I love that Cooper returned and that Roberta has options. Love that Doc will make his way to his love and a new call to help the Waterkeepers. I totally agree that Warren has chem with everyone. Like those scenes with George, I was like, dang, that’s fire😊. I have to admit that I’m not heavily invested in Black Summer-I love this cast. *off to fanfic it on out...

I honestly didn’t find this idea far fetched at all. At. All. Public executions, attended by families, some of whom took home souvenirs, happened in American history. What we have layered over it and throughout are technological advances which enhance the victimization, voyeurism, and groupthink/mob mentality. Though I’m not familiar with those British female criminals, I do know that the backlash for POC and women committing certain crimes is worse and that actress is both. I think its super effective that we only have parts of the story. Would it make a difference if she was also a victim or already cognitively disabled? Should it, to the degree that this justice is carried out again and again. No one speaks out against this. No one. And there’s always the discussion of Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a tooth. But what if it looked like this? Again?

I wonder if she’s some sort of Talker; if she was actually dead and came back. Why doesn’t she need biscuits then? Maybe Cooper fed her what she needed over the course of their time together...? I dunno, but I really want to know.

The news about the series not being renewed colored my viewing of this episode, but my faves moments are: Estes’ knowing something had to be up seeing as Warren and George were collected so easily Murphy’s work with the talkers. He’s really come so far. I think he was able to control them because they were almost rabid (more Z like) w/o biscuits. Kaya and CZ’s hacking date inside the soda machine. Addy and Murphy trying to be civil with one another as they work together for the greater good. The bit about Cooper returning in the next episodes—been awaiting for that one. Doc/10K’s moment While I can’t say Sun Mei’s death was a fave moment, it was fitting that her death served to put the cure in the hands of our faves—good people who’d try to get it to everyone. It was also interesting seeing Red fight a Z who she doesn’t want to kill/hurt, yet she also has to look out for herself. Add me to those ready to see Pandora get her proper comeuppance.

I thought the phone interference (as cause of death) appropriate as it ties into the message that the trip really is a form of interference, avoidance...the voicemail of actually having to deal. And Katie and co really weren’t all that concerned with one more dead body. They were just interested in gathering data, every possibility regarding the game. It highlights these test subjects as just that—easily disposed of, smaller sacrifices to the god of the game, that next level high, escape, or thrill. I think it’s interesting that Cooper’s so nervous initially. The jokes, the extra talking and so forth, and he just ignores all those misgivings. I always find that interesting in these sorts of shows. I just watched this one and Metalhead because a friend advised me to do so before a choose your own sort of BM movie drops in a day or so.

More thoughts on Roberta’s punching Cooper. I am now rewatching old episodes and it’s the one after Garnett dies, Gun Show Shootout. Roberta uses the bartender zee to work out her feelings-her bitter disappointment in actually believing in hope with Garnett. She eventually begins to punch away at him again and again when she could easily dispense of it in one knife to the head. That attack on Cooper is definitely, I think, an echoing of this scene. She is once again angry that another man dare give her hope and then take it all away again. And just like in that scene, she gets back on mission again once she physically and vocally works out those feelings. It might have been effective to flash on Garnett’s/Charlie’s face to make that connection more explicit, but just my two cents. There should be a Talking Zee after show to discuss this kind of thing.

Interesting interactions between George and Addy. No real loss with Finn-first in the sense that he is now a Talker, but more importantly, I just didn’t buy them as a couple. Maybe because Addy seemed still too consumed with anger and sadness to be open to a romantic relationship on any level. Perhaps it felt like an escape tho. Tho the whole bit with Pandora skulking about felt a bit cartoonish, I think it fit the retro vibe of the Wild West the show was channeling tonight. I missed Murphy. I did enjoy the George/Warren interactions. Weirdly sweet moment with the Talkers singing Charlie’s song.

Oh, I loved the Murphy/Warren scene. Sooo sweet and it really illustrates how far they’ve come. Prior, they may have parted without a word about feelings—just strategy. I will probably rewatch this scene for that. And, I hate to be that person and I don’t really see them like that, but I thought I detected a little heat, and I’m not mad at that. OT, can I steal Murphy’s gloves?! I’m glad I’m not the only one who was bored by the history scenes. I just feel like if they were going to go that route, they should have gone full out Z. Make one of the fathers a zombie, put in some of our actual faves (even Doc) as stand ins, a little fan service if you will. I was on my phone during those scenes. I also couldn’t believe one of the gang wouldn’t have gone in to get the recipe from the mother since it was so important. Seemed like the brother turning Walker was played for laughs—at first, that really took me out of the show, but I suppose it shows how life is considered a spectrum now. Cause our group was totally unphased. It did seem in character for Warren to hype up Cookie mom like that. I did like our injured soldiers 10K and Addy coming together in complementary and unexpected ways too.

Warren had already begun to question whether what she had with Cooper was too good to be true. There was foreshadowing that something isn’t altogether square about the two of them, the talk about one being dead and the other—when Cooper says he’s definitely alive. I think with hitting Cooper, fighting him physically, Warren was drawing a line. If you hide something from her, try to keep her from her path, her friends, etc., it’s over. He knew exactly who Murphy was and he still tied him up and put him in the trunk. (The battle in between-loving and still not trusting—is a fight she will walk away from. And yet, she did not kill him.) She’s been there and done that. She also seemed to not want to know what Cooper knows about her—she shut that down quickly. I think he will pop up again. Interesting too, but totally in character, she blows off Murphy’s questions about who Cooper is. I also imagine that fighting him, hitting him, is an attempt to get him to stay away, to not pursue. It’s like once Murphy showed up, a flip was switched. But again, I think Cooper may just make his way to Newmerica.

I agree with @Enigma X I'm sure she wants the show to be a success. And while centrally black and female, have broad appeal. If that were the case, I think she'd be aiming for a "blacker" network like BET or Centric, and even then, I'm sure networks, showrunners, etc. want all the eyeballs they can get. I was trying to speak to how not seeing your @lasu experience on the show might suggest you "should't" watch it, and I get that you like it (you said it's one of your favorites), but it sounds like you read comments by Issa that lead you to think this way. Honestly, the best source is probably Issa herself, directly asking on Twitter or seeing if you can find something about her feelings about a white audience. Or reading comments from some of the white cast members on the show about their experiences--what it means for them.

That was a sweet moment with Misty Day. I always appreciated the way that character expresses her ideas—-like the description of M having the smell of death. Similar to what March picked up on back at the Cortez with Queenie. Eager to see what conspires at MH, but kind of wish Queenie had been paired with the Warlock instead of Madison. And yes to the glimpses of Lange in the teaser as well.