l star

Massen said that it only happened in London. Any other touched were in London when it happened. So that brings up why London? I also find it interesting that people are continue to develop touches even three years out. How long can they continue to show up from that day? I felt so sorry for Myrtle when they first showed her chained to the bed. I can only imagine what her mother did to try to get the devil out of her. Myrtle and Primrose have become favorites of mine. They're just so happy to help and be there. I'd like to continue to see more of the other touched. For example, Harriet and her fiance- is her family accepting of her too? Why is she at the orphanage? Desiree is another one who is delightful. I loved when she was waiting on Amalia in the police station and making all the criminals confess. She just looked so amused at herself. Penance called Amalia her sister in the first episode, and that fits for me. Amalia seems like the over protective and adoring older sister to her fiercely loyal little sister. I know others see their relationship romantically, but I don't. I could see Penance's faith becoming a problem between her and Amalia in time. Amalia is tolerant, but it hasn't really mattered so far. Interesting that Dr. Cousens' turn is specific to surgery. He can't heal the little scrapes and bruises, and his turn doesn't completely heal the wound. He couldn't heal Maladie at all until he removed the bullet. The intimacy between Amalia and him was evident even before their conversation on the stairs. He came off as frustrated with her as he was hooked on her. I enjoyed watching the Beggar King genuinely not know how to respond to Amalia. He's just a little bit afraid of her. I feel like Maladie's crazy showed more control than she was given credit for. She kept her people together, organized her missions, and kept away from the cops. She called out Mary's true story. I don't think the crazier behavior was an act, but it also didn't seem to be a sign that she was out of control. The scene with Amalia and Maladie at the pipe place was affecting. Amalia and Penance may be besties but Amalia is regarded as the leader while Penance is more one of the girls. I felt for Amalia when she walked in and everyone quit having fun. She was being very patient with Mary so it really wasn't called for either. I wonder if that difference is age or purely personality? Lucy got to participate. Or because Amalia is a widow? Even at the beginning, Amalia didn't think she could keep them safe at the orphanage. So why gather them all there? Maybe she just thinks they are safer there than outside on their own. I appreciated that they moved on the address on the flyer so quickly. That woman was horrific. I could barely listen to her story. Lucy's was heartbreaking too. Amazing how willing Mary got to cooperate when she was reminded of how much worse there was out there for the touched. You'd think Maladie would have gotten that through to her. I did appreciate her bringing a new opinion to the mix. She was right- recruiting Bonfire Annie without talking to her was a shitty thing to do. The fight between Amalia and Odium was my favorite action piece of these three episodes. Watching him walk on water was just so cool. Same for all the underwater shots and watching Amalia climb him like a tree. Watching Amalia ride up on that massive horse was cool too. The most moving scene for me was when Bonfire Annie lit up the crowd of touched behind her.

Has anyone else been watching the BTS videos? The one after episode 3 is particularly interesting. They really go into how the fight scene with Amalia and Odium was filmed. Laura Donnelly did most of the stunt work herself. Another of the videos explains how they filmed the scenes with Primrose at the Bidlow estate.

Loved watching Jessica manipulate the doctor for Vivian's file. Jessica is so good at that. He was squirming before she even got started, and she just twisted the knife. I kind of wish Malcolm had been wrong. It would have made Jessica keeping the phone call a secret more impactful. Really, the cops did everything right. Malcolm sounded crazy and had no evidence. I wish he had stuck to leading the charge that Vivian needed to be saved when the cops believed she was out of it. He could still have put it together when he saw her at the storage facility. I'm really liking Catherine Zeta-Jones in this role. She's playing batshit crazy very well. I can completely buy her as someone who slid through the system on her looks and the assumptions people make about beautiful, educated, white women while she looked for her 'equal.' All when really she's just cruel and violent. I especially liked her jealousy of Jessica. I think Martin only called Jessica because that's the only phone number he knows, but it rang true that Vivian would take particular exception to that. Here she is, ready to be his new, perfect partner and Martin's calling his ex. It gives me high hopes for if they meet again. I didn't really get what stopped Jessica from telling Gil about the phone call. I thought when he said actions are what matter she would for sure tell him. I wonder if she rationalized it as her staying out of it all. It's not that she left him to die, it's that she just didn't get involved. I'm guessing it will come out next ep just to piss everyone off. Or maybe Jessica will be the one to convince the cops that Vivian is lying. I wish Martin had left Malcolm behind at the end. I liked Malcolm on the hunt more than the idea of Malcolm drug along for the ride.

I liked that the captures happened just how Malcolm said they would- Friar Pete was the wildcard while the other guy stuck to the plan. My question is did Martin intend to follow the plan with the others or did he always plan to go his own way? Is being locked in Vivian's trunk his plan or hers? I thought his but banging on the trunk was not very stealthy. So Vivian Capshaw just got way more interesting. I thought by the end that maybe she helped Martin but this looks way more twisted. I really liked the JD and Jessica scenes. It was sad that she could see so clearly how wrong what was happening to JD was, but dismissed what was happening to her. I think that's typical though. It's easier to see when it's not you. I liked that the show brought the similarities out. I also liked the scenes with Vivian and Jessica. It's too bad she mistook the crazy for guilt. Her compassion got the best of her. Still it was interesting seeing Martin's women together. The plane plan fills in more blanks about Martin way back when. It seems he always knew he would have to leave his family eventually. Speaking of family, they are moving Gil more and more into being part of the Whitly family. His scenes with Malcolm and Jessica were great. I liked that Jessica didn't let him blame himself for Ainsley. I had wondered before if it was just Malcolm and Jessica that he took an interest in. It makes me wonder why not Ainsley though. Maybe because she was so young, she simply didn't need him like Malcolm did. That smile she had when Malcolm called her the favored child says otherwise though.

Interesting that Friar Pete and the other escapee are only in the next ep. Surely this isn’t a one ep thing.

Thanks! I missed that.

Has anything been announced regarding whether or not this show is coming back?

I like TC fine, but I really don’t care about Rick and Kumu. Really I’m here for Magnum and Higgins, together or apart. I really don’t have a horse in the Miggy race either. I like their partnership but they have enough chemistry that I’d be okay with romance too. I liked this ep. Pairing up TC and Higgins was a nice change of pace. I also liked Magnum’s uncle. I was glad he came around about his uncle’s relationship with his mother. I sympathized but he overreacted. I actually felt sympathy for the dad. It seemed like it was an accident. I also thought the daughter was a little hard on her family. I understand why she might disagree, but her father wanting to protect her brother is not exactly a curveball. This was not a great night for Ethan however. I expected his freak out to be about her revenge kick that got her disavowed. But secrets? Because she held onto a painful part of her past for awhile? I’m not here for that. I felt for Higgy when she said that’s not what she wanted.

That was great. I loved how happy Malcolm's cleanse made Jessica and Gil. It's interesting that it was presented as actually being a good thing for him. So much for that now. I also thought Malcolm and Dani's disagreement on agoraphobia was presented well. I liked that it wasn't used to dampen their romantic interest. It was just a disagreement in sympathies. I was screaming when Capshaw followed Friar Pete. Why close the door?! I did like watching her kick his ass though. She should have called his bluff. Martin was right- no one would believe him. I felt bad for her when Martin left. I bought in too, but she was always just a means to an end. Even if she was more to him than that, he was never going to give up his chance to escape for her. Now she's screwed. Given that he's escaping for family, it's interesting that Martin still called Jessica his wife. I doubt it ever occurred to him that she wouldn't make it out. I hope not anyway. I know the show is still pushing the Martin/Malcolm relationship but Martin is more entertaining with Jessica. Plus his we're the same stuff is bullshit- Ainsley is obviously his true mini-me. Funny how she wasn't even mentioned. I hope this storyline doesn't become all about Malcolm rather than the whole family. I shared Jessica's cringes about the rats. Ewwww! That sequence was truly intense. I wasn't worried about Malcolm- he always does this- but I was really worried that man was going to hurt Jessica. I loved that she used her shoes as weapons though. She used them well! Plus she called Gil- obviously the only sane reaction. When his car ran over Felix, I was so disappointed until Dani got out. I thought for a minute he'd deserted Jessica and I was pissed. So Martin says he's not a killer anymore. It's been how many eps since he tried to kill his roommate? Obviously this change is recent. Even if it was true- which I don't believe for a minute- there's no telling the mayhem his crazy cohorts will unleash.

So is Vivian Capshaw just a dupe? I don’t like her and Martin’s twisted whatever but I like the idea of that even less. Maybe she helps. I wonder if Martin’s family will be afraid of him if he escapes. Jessica is the only one I can see possibly being afraid for herself (when she rejects him), but surely Malcolm would be afraid of what he might do. Ainsley would probably welcome him.

I don't understand how they can tell from just the legs whether or not the victim was conscious. Alive or not, I get but not conscious or not. I like that they decided to go in a functional relationship direction with Jessica and Malcolm. I tend to agree with Malcolm that art therapy may not be his answer, but I enjoy them regardless. I didn't miss Ainsley at all. I enjoyed seeing more Edrisa which surprised me. She hasn't been my favorite lately. Blaze in particular really worked for me with her. I hope he sticks around., even if it's offscreen. They really do have chemistry. I'm ready for them to do more than dance with it. I laughed out loud when Gil was speechless when Malcolm brought up Jessica at the crime scene. Way to keep your composure dude. He's going to have to do better than that when Martin finds out, which should be gold. The prison girlfriend situation is weird for me. I feel like they are trying to make it twisted and sexy, but Martin is so not sexy to me. It's just twisted and gross. The actors are definitely going for it though which improves it somewhat. They give it a sick energy. I still find it interesting that they went with a girlfriend who looks so much like Jessica. I just don't care about Dani/Malcolm. I must have missed it when she became interested in him. She's always liked him but I never thought she saw him as relationship material. Now all of a sudden she's putting the moves on him.

I liked this ep a lot. Higgins and Ethan remain super cute. It isn’t promising that Higgins was so bored without a case though. I think Ethan was definitely thinking about proposing. I didn’t get that vibe at all from Higgins so I think that’s when they’ll break up- he’ll move faster than her probably just as Magnum does something to get her attention. I liked the military storyline too. It was really moving. My heart hurt for the wife. She was so happy he was home and it all went to shit. I liked that Dennis wasn’t in peril. Theirs was the weakest of the three storylines for me but I can appreciate how normal the problems were.

Ooooh yay! Jessica’s memoirs are going to be a story! I honestly took that as a throwaway line. That has potential. I’m sure Malcolm and Ainsley will wonder why on earth she would want to do that. An Edrisa episode? I have mixed feelings about that. If this is cute, quirky Edrisa with a funny little crush and a lot of passion for her job, sure. If it’s the Edrisa of the last couple of eps, no thanks.

Of course Jessica’s sister is awful. Very predictable. I missed why her accounts were frozen if that was part of the story. I love however that there is a Grandma Milton out there to meet. Please show! Bring her on. Sister did give a hint as to why Jessica is so steady though. She’s always had to be. Interesting that Martin’s new friend looks so much like Jessica (or like Jessica would if she was actually age appropriate. I know, old news, it’s just stood out to me more recently). I wonder if that is on purpose or just a coincidence since they got Catherine Zeta-Jones. I’m not looking forward to the competition between the two any more than I am their bonding. I laughed out loud when Malcolm ‘comforted’ Dani by saying he can’t kill the guy twice, but I haven’t warmed to Martin. Not on his own anyway. So are we supposed to assume that Ainsley had no idea Malcolm was investigating something high profile? Because this is the first time I can remember her being uninterested in his cases. Edrisa was a cringe. That level of tone deaf is hard to feel anything but pity for. They do seem to be making it clear which woman Malcolm is interested in which seems unnecessary. I was fine with Edrisa’s crush at sane levels. It’s not like he and Dani are hooking up next ep. Speaking of sane, I’m not convinced Ainsley is. Girl is cold. It wasn’t so much the prank as the way she acted at the end that makes me think psycho.

I just watched the episodes where Jane shoots Paddy and recently, the early episode with Maura’s super rich ex who Jane thinks she’s choosing over her. I’d forgotten how lousy Jane is in those eps. In the one with Paddy, Maura freaks out at Jane when it happens (her mother is also in the hospital after a hit and run). As soon as she sees her again? She starts apologizing. Jane responds with attitude and all the reasons she was right. Next time they see each other is in Maura’s kitchen. Maura walks in and points out that Jane shouldn’t be there given that they have been ordered not to speak. Jane responds by making Angela choose between her and Maura. It’s bitchy and completely unnecessary. In the ep with Maura’s ex, Jane makes her prove her loyalty before she lets it go. I know those eps are not representative of their entire friendship but damn Jane is awful. And all the time, she’s stressing about whether their friendship will survive. There’s another ep I just saw too (these marathons are awesome) where Maura has an ex from Africa who shows up. She’s secretive and Jane and Angela just will not let it go. Eventually Angela goes through the man’s stuff and passes what she finds on to Jane, who contacts Interpol. Maura is shocked when she finds out but doesn’t get to be angry. She doesn’t even find out what Angela did. Normally Jane and Maura’s relationship is cute and fun, but it’s amazing how one sided it gets as soon as any stressors enter the picture. That’s not even touching the awful moments between Maura and Angela.

I was not expecting Ainsley to kill again so quickly. This time Malcolm wasn’t there to clean up all the evidence for her. So did she just kill and walk away? Risky. Jessica and Martin scenes continue to be gold. Wow, Martin holds a grudge over that while turning him in thing. That’s a few times now that a grudge has been hinted at. I hope it’s building to something more than an argument. Bellamy Young looks great with curly hair. The dream element was okay. Definitely less goofy than I was expecting which is good. I liked the touch that Ainsley still followed in Martin’s footsteps. Jessica was much looser and more casual, maybe more like she was when Malcolm was a child. Martin was very much the same which makes sense if all that changed was Malcolm knowing about the murders. The Dani/Malcolm pairing was a dud, even in perfect dream world. There’s just no chemistry there. It was nice to see Malcolm as a functional, real detective though. Does he carry a gun in real life? That surprised me somehow.

As a general rule I find Higgins and Ethan super cute, but the PDA was a bit much. I thought Magnum was being ridiculous- who cares if they’re playing footsie in their own space under the table- then the giggling started. I did appreciate that when told to get a room, they did. Usually it just gets more awkward. I liked this case. This is the kind of case this show is made for. I liked the twist too that the dad never intended to run. Hopefully the brothers can learn to appreciate that. I liked the conversation at the end. I didn’t really understand what Magnum was SO bent out of shape over all episode, but what he said made sense. I still think there’s a fair amount of jealousy coloring things from his end, but they’re trying. I can appreciate an adult conversation.

I figured they were just getting dressed for their day- any errands and appointments. We may only see Jessica at home typically but that doesn’t mean she actually spends all day there.

I'm re-watching this series. I'm most of the way through Season 2 and three things really stand out. One, how little Fitz wanted to be president to be so betrayed that they lied to him about it. The entitlement he feels about everything is mind-blowing. Two, how many chances Olivia and Fitz had that they went back on just to continue with the affair. They were really incredibly selfish with how they handled it. Three, how toxic Mellie and Fitz were. He hates her, then he's being cute with her. He's begging her to be on his side, then he's a drunk asshole screaming at her. I don't know how anyone could watch him in his marriage and think he'd be a good romantic partner for someone else. Much less father to all those new babies they planned on in Vermont. That's not even counting in how awful he was to Olivia over the years. B-613 really ruined this show for me. It ruined Huck and Quinn. The presence of her father destroyed Olivia. It took over until no storyline on the show could build without this lurking presence waiting to take over. Plus it just got to be so stupid. The love triangle was really secondary to me because I started hating Fitz so early on. The way he treated Mellie and Olivia was just appalling. They went too far at times with Jake too. It was hard to really invest in a love triangle when Olivia just kept running back to Fitz for more abuse. I disagree. Mellie obviously changed from the first season but her political ambitions were clear by season 2. Same for her complicated relationship with Olivia and her cold-bloodedness. I think the biggest thing with Mellie is that she was never supposed to be one of the main characters like she became. It's hard to grow a character's presence that much without showing the obvious change in direction. Also, though I seriously doubt it was even a thought at that point, they did a good job laying the groundwork for Mellie's rape reveal with her reaction to Fitz getting aggressive in the shower in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. She couldn't even respond to him trying to kiss her after he grabbed her she was so put off.

I like when Malcolm reminds Martin that his actions had serious consequences for the kids like Ainsley's bullying at school. I think he dismisses that as overblown or inconsequential. I did appreciate this too: She's made of tougher stuff. Because she's your daughter? No because she's your mother's. Edrisa is fine, but a little is a lot with her. Dial her up to 11, and she's too much for me. I'm here for any Martin/Jessica scenes. I get why she feels like he's the only one she can talk to since no one else knows the truth, but that relieved look on her face at the end just seemed ridiculous. Surely she knows that the chances of them actually being on the same page are slim to none. Maybe she thinks that the fact that they want the same thing, the kids to get away with it, is enough. Gil is going to pissed when he finds out Jessica went back to see Martin again, even after their little talk. I don't fully get them. Why would Jessica go to Gil for every little problem with her grown children? I get that they got close after Martin was arrested, but sometimes I have trouble figuring out exactly how close they are supposed to be. I guess he's over getting shot down now. Having Ainsley use Martin's old office is a choice. It definitely demonstrates how cold she is on another level. It amuses me how zombie Ainsley goes when she's in kill mode. The lack of empathy is definitely the most striking characteristic for me though. I think she's going to feel perfectly justified when she finds out what happened. She may be horrified but no way will she feel all the guilt Malcolm feels. I think he knows that too. As much fun as they are together, I think deep down he knows exactly how cold-blooded she really is.

I like Perdita Weeks. I think she’s better in her warmer moments though. Playing bitchy doesn’t seem to be her strength. This ep encapsulated one of my biggest issues with this show- they make the cases too big and easy. I don’t think the tone suits major cases like this or the one where they took down the mob. It helped that they met all the idiots along the way. How did no one rescuing those girls ever go to the cops? The whole thing just didn’t make sense to me.

How did Martin know about Gil and Jessica? I loved that moment- "and my wife." I thought it was interesting last week that Martin's fantasy was all about Jessica instead of Malcolm. Jessica must have been really desperate to call Martin about Malcolm and Ainsley though. Interesting that it didn't end up putting her off what she'd figured out at all. It all just makes me want more Jessica and Martin scenes. Malcolm should take Martin's rant more seriously. I suspect that there is some truth to it. He covers up his crazy very well, but I have the feeling it would come pouring out relatively easily. That's especially true now that he's been locked up for so long. Interesting that he blames Malcolm as much for ruining his mother as he does for ruining him. Way to project there Martin. I think Jessica is far from ruined. Edrisa cracks me up. He facial expressions when Gil reminded her how many people Martin has killed were perfect. Poor Gil though. He was trapped in the Whitly crazy this ep. That speech should have been ridiculous but I loved it. Bellamy Young can really carry off those dramatic speeches so well. Scandal trained her well. I loved too that Malcolm just broke. He didn't even try to lie to his mother. I felt his real concern then too- losing Ainsley. He's not hiding all this to get away with it. He's scared. It makes a lot of sense considering his father and really fleshes out his motivations in a great way. I agree that Ainsley is going to be most angry about the lie. I wonder if Jessica will be the one to break next. She's definitely a lot smarter and more perceptive than she gives herself credit for, but she looked so scared and hopeless at the end. It will be hard for her to keep that fear in check. "That's Ward Z. The woman's ward. A magical place I hear." Hahaha Martin.

I think this show is trying to have it both ways in too many areas right now. Malcolm isn’t a killer, just almost. Jessica has been so disgraced even her money is untouchable but her name is still powerful. The Miltons built this school but one can still be expelled. Ainsley is a killer but doesn’t know it so it doesn’t count. Martin ruined Malcolm’s life but underneath he’s really just a loving dad. The show needs to pick a lane somewhere. So Gil is going to go with pouting. Figures. If he wants Jessica, he needs to go for it. It’s not like he hasn’t heard that bullshit about her being unworthy before. The reaction to Edrisa was so weird that I questioned whether I actually saw her get punched. Not only were there no legal consequences, none of her coworkers seemed to care either. Even Edrisa didn’t seem to care. This episode was so boring I had trouble following it. Why did the library guy get poisoned? I knew a kid did it as soon as Jessica walked in saying it couldn’t have been a kid. They really need to give Malcolm a partner. At least have somebody on Malcolm watch so that when he ends up alone with the killer, someone is looking for him. I liked the cut to Jessica when Malcolm said he knew the best interrogator. I would think she’d be a much better option to deal with the kids anyway than the NYPD. All they would do is prompt them to bring in lawyers and rich parents to cut it off before the interview ever even happened. I liked the opening scene a lot. The whole escape plot still doesn’t make any sense but that scene was entertaining. It’s interesting that the fantasy was all about Jessica instead of Malcolm or Ainsley since he’s supposed to be doing it for Malcolm. I laughed when Jessica in the cleavage baring little black dress told him to drink fast because she wanted to have sex with him. It was just such an obvious male fantasy moment. The whole thing made me want to see more Martin and Jessica scenes.

Surely the money situation is building to something. They’ve established now that Magnum is routinely short and how it inconveniences those around him. They’ve also established that his friends are justifiably running out of patience with him. TC and Rick have been shown to need their money for the business. Juliet is past being willing to spot him anymore, and she needs her car to stay out of trouble. Just leaving a car like that on the side of the road or having it impounded is not okay, especially when it doesn’t even actually belong to Magnum. Even his bribery attempts are being met with impatience and calling him out. So the situation has come to a head. I don’t know what the purpose of it is, but surely it’s all building to something. Maybe Magnum taking it more seriously? He doesn’t even seem embarrassed to be called out which blows my mind. Maybe raising their PI fees and the type of cases they take? Contracting with someone for more consistent income? So their fee is a flat $450? That’s ridiculous. This case was pretty obvious. Of course the husband did it. Even having it be the brother because he was pissed he wasn’t being paid would have been more original than the husband did it. I did like the brief guilt trip aspect. It was a very human response that the show doesn’t often include.

The buildup was fun, but they lost me at the fake exorcism. I think I would have been okay with it had it been Malcolm’s crazy idea, but Martin was too much for me there. I feel like Martin is much better in smaller doses. Giving him a friend and more privileges makes me nervous. I like Christian Borle but I am not sure the show needs Martin to have that much room. His escape idea is crazy. Martin does understand that if he escapes, he will have to run and hide, right? He can’t actually just go hang out with Malcolm whenever he wants. I am disappointed with the amnesia storyline too. What happened to Martin being all that’s my girl? Now we’re back to it being like he has one child again. And Ainsley is boring. Hopefully she starts remembering soon. What happened to her while Martin was cutting up the body? Did she not help? i was on board with JT’s storyline last week but not anymore. Last week was a group of racist cops who saw a black man and lost all sense. It was racial profiling. This week other cops are knowingly out to get him. Those are two very different storylines and motivations that they are trying to conflate into one. I don’t begrudge this show’s efforts to be topical. I just wish that they would pick something and run with it, preferably last week’s. If Gil actually wants Jessica and has any sense, he should recognize what she said for the bullshit it is and not let it deter him. This is just another version of what she already told him about not feeling good enough. So convince her otherwise. Don’t just walk away. Hopefully he left to come up with a plan because I am not on board with dragging this out. I really only care about Jessica and Gil because she does though. It’s not like there’s a lot of heat there. I would be just as open to her dating around. I liked seeing more Jessica and Ainsley’s relationship. I know Malcolm is where all the drama is, but their relationship is sweet. I really like the scenes of all three of them together.