l star

There’s got to be housekeeping and a grounds crew. Kumu, Magnum, maybe maintenance staff and someone to handle the tours. Plus the lawyers, accountants and whatnot that come with a large business. So I wouldn’t say hundreds but dozens is realistic. This was a good one! Magnum is full of shit though. I’m surprised TC can’t see how deep the jealousy goes and where it’s really coming from. I’m glad Ethan is sticking around. Trying to play hero was dumb but it also hit as realistic. I appreciate that he called Magnum out and cleared the air instead of letting it fester. Basically he’s fine with me for awhile. Finding out Magnum didn’t refill the generator would have sent me off the deep end. Of course his friends don’t seem to expect any better from him. I’m glad that dropping the insurance was about more than Rick being an idiot. TC was right to be angry though. He should have told him. I liked that the hostage situation was relatively short, but the pace stayed up. And we got a new hero!

I wasn’t crazy about this ep. The Kumu storyline was awful. Was I supposed to be supportive? She didn’t even know if it was the right skull! And what about the rest of the artifacts? Do they just not matter? Idiotic. I couldn’t believe that resolution either. I wanted the cop to just arrest them all for being stupid cliches. The main case was okay. Something about it was a little too easy or tied up too neatly though. I didn’t get how they took out the entire mob with that one action. Good things- I liked that Gordy gave them the case. I loved that pleated red dress that Higgins wore at the burial site. The conversation about Ethan was cute. I felt for Magnum- it’s hard realizing you were blown off. Higgins is too adorable any time Ethan is brought up to really care though. She just gets so happy and smile-y that I think Magnum is having trouble being too negative about any of it too.

I seem to remember Owen jerking Teddy around like a yo-yo for years. Not even just romantically- he tried to have her fired too if I recall correctly. Teddy is unquestionably at her most awful lately but Owen can fuck off as far as I’m concerned.

I enjoyed watching Magnum take a backseat a bit here. He was clearly along for the ride at every point, but this was Higgins' operation. I laughed when he told her to stay in her lane. I do miss their lost cat cases sometimes though. Science geek Higgins was cute. I like finding out little details about the characters like that and her grandmother teaching her to fly. I also liked the little detail that TC knew she was a pilot. It makes perfect sense, I just appreciate the show recognizing that. Seeing Rick and TC trying to blow off Magnum's favor made me think of our conversation here. I don't think it says anything good about Magnum that he knew that offering to pay money he legitimately owed to a struggling small business in a timely manner would incentivize a favor. First off, that's not a favor. Second, expecting your friends to carry you financially is not a good look. I think this is a perspective thing. Higgins was excited about the job because it paid 50K, not 5K. Basically this is a rich people problem. It takes tens of thousands to run and maintain an operation like Robin's Nest. She was talking about renting out just the guest house for 5 figures. I think on the scale that she needs and is after, Magnum's watch was a nice gesture last ep but small enough change to not matter overall to her. I wondered this. Surely Kumu would give Juliet a head's up if there was anything to flag. Maybe it's going to be that she didn't know what she was looking for so therefore didn't see it. He definitely came off blander than bland this ep though. I was there for Juliet's 'too perfect' instinct.

Didn’t we establish last season that Magnum doesn’t pay his friends for their help or equipment? I’m guessing TK is on his own.

I agree that Higgins can drift into superwoman territory, but I like her anyway. I think her cool competence is a nice balance for Magnum’s fly by the seat of your pants vibe. I didn’t see what the big deal was about expecting Magnum to pay rent. It’s not like she gave him some outrageous number. All they did was talk about a need for him to pay something. That seems reasonable to me. Higgins was adorable drugged. I don’t blame the doctor; I’d be trying to ask her out too. They didn’t even pretend like Magnum was cool with it either. That was definite and obvious jealousy. I think part of it was similar to the whole wedding storyline- he really did want credit for being her white knight. Mainly it was just jealousy that Higgins had sparked with someone else though. I’m okay with it as long as it goes somewhere. I’m still on board, but I’m nearing my get off point on this UST merry go round. I will give him this- that mad race to the hospital with cops chasing after carrying her out of the jungle did deserve some props.

I just finished binge-ing this show. Bradley irritated and there were times it was desperately in need of some kind of spark, but overall I found it compelling enough to watch in two days. Alex was the star of this for me. Even when she was getting on my last nerve, she was very watchable. Her husband was dead on though when he called her narcissistic and whatever else. She would be suffocating to live with. I think there's a lot of story left with her family. Her daughter was not a child just acting out. She seemed more like a child who had felt shunted aside for years, reduced to second place in her mother's life and left to bond with her similarly marginalized father. Alex's concern now just seemed like too little, too late. I hope that and her divorce are picked up again and Alex's relationship with Mitch is left behind though it is arguably the more important relationship to her. I thought for a moment that Corey might have been able to get through to Mitch when he told him not to mess with Bradley but I don't think he did. And to some degree, I get that. Mitch looks at Hannah and sees that she never said no. He doesn't value the fact that she never said yes so he doesn't see every layer. I think that made Mitch compelling, but I've had enough of him. I think it was perfect that the final showdown came down to the women without Mitch or Chip. Too much time was sucked up chronicling the effects on the men in what is really a story about women. Bradley was far and away my least favorite part of this show. I got so tired of the back and forth on the interview. I think it was supposed to come across as her holding onto her power but it just seemed like emotional waffling. I think that Hannah's story deserved more respect than that. In the end, her emotional reveal was more about Bradley's big decision than what Hannah went through. Part of what struck me about The Morning Show within the show was their wardrobes. They were so frequently wearing black and structured formal suits on air. I think of morning show wardrobes as being brighter and more relaxed to suit the peppy on air vibes. It really stood out to me. Alex's personal style was gorgeous though. I loved her coats- so luxe. And the apartments! Until I read this, I saw Chip as culpable in certain ways but I honestly didn't see Chip as a bad guy. He seemed so hapless that at times I wondered about his competency. He actually probably did more day to day to cover for Mitch than anyone. Unlike with Fred and Alex, the show completely glossed over Chip's involvement. His firing was always portrayed more as 'shit runs downhill' than ever even considering that it might be deserved. I think it was telling that he cared so much about what Mitch did to Hannah but never managed to care about Mia. If he'd found out about Hannah on his own like he did Mia, would he have given a damn? I doubt it. I think he'd have ducked his head, signed off on her promotion as planned and kept on going just like he did. Hannah's story had to be put to him as an outrage and communicated as such before he saw it for what it was. I wish we had seen more fallout for Mia in general but especially with Chip and Alex. For most of the first episode, I thought that Chip was Alex's estranged husband. I think because of that, I always saw their relationship as shippy, at least on Chip's side. Finding out he did it all for her made sense to me. I think if it was brought up, Alex would feel very similarly to how she reacted to Mitch's dating suggestion though. She's just too narcissistic to recognize and respond the same way. The pair that I kept thinking they were going to go romantic with was Bradley/Corey. I understand why they didn't complicate the power dynamics that way- they already had Yanko/Claire, but I think they are well set up for next season. Her growing relationship with Corey was one of the few genuine things about Bradley. I like Corey enough to be here for it. Yanko/Claire were cute but it would take something major to come back from her being embarrassed of him. She was just too immature. Though wasn't he married? I could have sworn he had a wife at one point, but he was single at the end.

Well, that was disappointing. When is Axe going to get rid of Victor? He screws up over and over again. This time his stupid shit almost cost Axe three billion. It didn't surprise me that Axe popped the pill so easily, but it did surprise me that he did it at work like that. I hope word of his stupid plan leaks out. He deserves to be embarrassed. I liked that it was Taylor that got through to him. That was a win for them that their relationship with Axe needed. It should have been Wendy however, and I find it curious that Axe didn't blame her at all. If she'd been in the office, there's no way she'd have gone for any of that. Instead he excused her absence to Wags. I realize that she was doing her job at Prince's office, but it still amazes me that Axe hasn't thrown a hissy fit yet about her not giving her full time and energy to Axe Cap anymore. Speaking of potential fits, Wags seems to have caught on that something isn't right between Axe and Wendy. I wonder if he's put together what it is yet. Not exactly a relaxing evening dinner party there. Wendy was absolutely trying to fuck with Axe and rile him up. I'll give him some credit for not rising entirely to the bait. I love that he invited reinforcements too with Wags. I wish Wendy had done more than push his buttons though. I realize that she can't prove he was watching her and natural instinct without more evidence would be to assume coincidence, but that deserved more than attitude. I can't believe that Wags is being open with this girl about his plan to knock her up. Why in the hell is she not running for the hills?! I wonder if Wendy would have been so willing to engage Prince if she and Axe were on better terms. I think she would have been. While she recognizes the threat of his wrath, I also think she is the only one legitimately, sincerely not afraid of him. She sees his wrath as something to be respected and managed, not unilaterally avoided at all costs. I cracked up at Axe talking to Wendy high. His reaction when she hung up on him was like, what happened? Like his computer randomly restarted. So a viewing party. Axe gets points for the society lady. That was very effective in knocking some of the shine off Tanner for Wendy. I don't think he expected her to be jealous too, so win-win. Tanner is such an obvious rebound relationship, but I think Wendy is still blind to that. It's hard to see it when you're in it. At least he's hot. I think that relationship has just about run its course though. When it crashes, she's going to fall hard. She hasn't been shown dealing with her divorce at all yet; she just jumped into the rebound. I don't care about Senior! Let him die, show. I also found it completely unbelievable that Chuck would object to the doctor's plan. He uses and exploits people all the time. At least this girl was (sort of) willing and going to get paid. Given his usual level of awfulness, I just don't understand why this was across the line for him. Sacher continues to be great. Krakow continues to be an easily manipulated joke. At least taking him out takes out Axe's bank once again. On the flip side, that means that story gets to keep going which isn't good for anyone.

Gordie called her 'Aunt Wendy'. We've seen them having dinner after work, on a double date, Wendy hanging out with Axe's girlfriend away from the office, and phone conversations when Axe was away. She was the one he had to see and make amends with before going to jail. I think we've seen plenty to suggest that Axe and Wendy are more than just work friends. I do think they kept more of a distance when they were both married though. Chuck and Lara were both clearly jealous of their bond so I suspect they appeased them by limiting their social interactions to couple or family time as much as possible. I agree that they would still be friends if Wendy worked somewhere else, which she looked into, but that doesn't account for her wanting to be at Axe Cap. She's said repeatedly that she considers it hers too and wants to be there. I would say Axe has no filter or control when it comes to personal 'betrayals' by the women he loves, and that can lead to abusive behavior. We saw it when he thought Wendy told Chuck confidential patient information about him- he couldn't even play it cool long enough keep the advantage Hall recommended, when he lost his shit because Lara wouldn't pick up the phone after she left him, and even when he yelled at his mom about giving money to his dad. With others, like Chuck, Taylor or even Rebecca, he's able to keep the more visceral level of anger under control even when their transgressions are arguably much worse. Axe seems to be stuck in a kind of limbo with Wendy. It's clear that he wants more from her and is jealous of her relationship with Tanner. It's also clear that he's making an effort to be respectful like leaving her office when she said and offering a double date. I think he's stuck between the two and unsure how to step (I still think he really just wants her to make the step so he doesn't have to guess). Watching her put him in a position of power which is where he's most comfortable, but it was false and he knows it. The phone call effectively let her know what he did, and hopefully she will react. My question is if this is a one-time misstep like the aggressive phone calls to Lara or a troubling shift in their dynamic. I can work with the first but no thank you to the second.

I give the show a pass on Wendy/Chuck. They’ve been married 15+ years or so. First off, physically there’s no accounting for taste. Second, a younger, ambitious Chuck trying to move up the ranks and newly in love was probably less of an asshole than current Chuck. I’ve always just assumed they clicked as two bright, intelligent, ambitious people with similar world views and goals. The new girlfriend is where I draw the line. What about current Chuck is so appealing to her? Excluding physicality, he’s intelligent, successful, ambitious, well connected, and powerful. Every indication has been that he’s a good dad. His personality however is atrocious. So what hooked her so fast? I don’t get it. If they worked together maybe, if they were old friends, or even if it was a slow burn situation, I could see it. He does have some positive characteristics. But no way do I buy that a beautiful, smart, successful woman was just waiting to jump Chuck based on a very few personality driven interactions. He’s an asshole.

This was by far the best ep of the season to me. I loved Taylor's initial takedown of Oscar. I would have been fine if it had been left there though I did like their resulting session with Wendy. I don't understand why Oscar keeps showing up. He's not a real challenge to Taylor and doesn't ring true as the one that got away. I don't see the purpose of Spyros either. At least his antics this ep gave Mafee a chance to be more than the class clown for once. Taylor and Wendy's new enterprise isn't hitting for me yet. I still prefer the two of them to almost every other person or combo on the show, but it just doesn't feel solid enough yet. I hate the way Wendy lurks like window dressing in every meeting. She's fine in client meetings- her skill there is why she's involved at all- but it's unnecessary in the office. I really couldn't stand Chuck this ep. He was reveling in being an asshole in the scene with Axe. He had Axe cornered with Wendy and the kids and loved it. I was with Axe- Wendy should have pissed that Chuck used the kids to screw him. Chuck and the DA talking about prostitution was even worse. I might have let it go if I couldn't so easily see him actually doing it. Cat is fine, but I wish they would get passed the fascination with Chuck and sex. There is nothing appealing about Chuck at this point. I feel like I'm supposed to feel sorry for Chuck and Senior in their scenes, but I really just want to push fast forward. Senior seems to be there to make Chuck look better in comparison, but it's still not enough. I appreciated that Wendy was both unwilling to apologize for Chuck and somewhat unwilling to get sucked into his vortex of self-pity. I was honestly hoping that she wouldn't even sit down. He was really just there to get propped up again. I like that when Wendy says she's about to kick Axe out, he takes it seriously and clears out. He could have easily thrown in her face that she was living in his apartment and he wouldn't have the Chuck problem if she wasn't, but he didn't. Given that I honestly just assume he'll be an ass at all times, it says a lot about how he sees her. He was so jealous about that drawing though. If I were her, I'd have wanted to keep it too. It was beautiful. That kind of thing hits my romance button though, cliche or not. Way to be a jealous creeper, Axe. I can't believe he stayed up all night watching for her to leave just to suggest a double date. Is the deal here that he wants her to make the first move? He is at least trying to play nice which is to his credit but dude. Just make a move already. I think she stayed partially because she loves Axe. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's a romantic love, but he and their friendship have been shown repeatedly to be enormously important to her. The other reason I think is because they built the company together. She's dedicated years of her life to building Axe Cap into the powerhouse that it is.

I'm going to go in the middle and say that I think the way he spoke to her was abusive and unnecessary, but the action itself was not. My experience- I gave my parents money for a car payment one month when they were having trouble. If they had instead passed that money off to my brother or taken a trip with it, I'd have been pissed and the next time they had trouble, I don't think I'd have been as quick to pitch in. That's how I see this. Axe is giving his mother money with the understanding (or contract per this ep) that he is taking care of her. If it turns out that's not what is happening, it's reasonable to me that Axe can change his end too. That does not excuse the delivery however though it was in character. Axe has no ability to censor himself when crossed. He must win at all costs and that interaction was all about getting his mother to come to heel. It reminded me of the venom he spewed when he thought Wendy had leaked information to Chuck or when Lara left. The nastiness gets more over the top the more personally slighted he feels. That's compared to when Taylor left for example, when he went on a control and power trip but the interactions and treatment were much less visceral.

The banking subplot didn't really pay off in story but definitely did in humor. Ben Kim continues to be hilarious though why he is Bobby's personal errand boy? Is that part of that promotion he got? I kind of love Connerty now. But seriously, Sacher, his brother? I'm not into banging your way through the family tree. I wasn't into the painter. He was SO intense. I get that Wendy was nervous because it was her first date in a while, but even she seemed taken aback at times. That black dress she wore with the zipper up the back was killer. I found it odd the way Chuck said the kids were with the babysitter at Wendy's. It was a yes or no question. I wonder if he's going to make problems. I don't think he actually wants the kids full time, but he could use custody as leverage. That's one thing I appreciate about this show- the babysitter is an integral part of these people's lives, and that is not hidden or glossed over. I remember a time or two when it was shown that the babysitter was taking over after the kids were asleep. That reads very true to me for busy professional parents who are involved in their kids' lives but have other priorities too. Wags as a squeaky clean CEO candidate? The hell? I'm not a big fan of Senior but he is adorable with that baby. That moment when he collapsed and she crawled over to look at him was my suspense moment for the episode. I don't want him to die for her sake but I also don't care about his health problems. Though wow Chuck, way to be an ass. It's not Wendy's fault that he doesn't pay attention to his phone, not to mention the judginess towards the painter when his own date was standing right there. He and father just reek of entitlement all the time. Maybe it was his father's actual reappearance that threw him off? He seemed to think his father was fully out of the picture. Though just a guess from the description, I'm thinking Bobby saw him plenty in the early days of his fortune. His threat to cut off his mother was not a fine moment, but his father seemed to bring a more child-like side out. Sitting curled up in his old room looking for comfort, threatening his mother, screwing with his father from a distance- those are not the actions of a mature man. That's a kid hiding which has potential, especially since he's letting Wendy see right into the middle of it. I wonder if this story line is a chance for the writers to show a BDSM relationship from the formation? I remember it was said earlier that Wendy went through a camp(?) to learn the basics. I'm more on board with Cat and Chuck this week than last but I still don't see what Cat sees in Chuck. A new love interest this fast just screams convenience though considering I didn't blink at Wendy/Tanner, maybe that's just my lack of interest in Chuck talking. It seems Taylor can be a bit rash to prove a point. They seem to really hold Wendy up so maybe they think she's the ally they needed both in business and to mitigate the Axe threat. They may think he won't come after them with Wendy holding such a substantial stake. I like Wendy so that doesn't bother me, but I think they are expecting too much asking Lauren and Mafee to be okay with it. I wish we'd seen a bit of Axe's reaction. As the session at the beginning showed, this will definitely affect Wendy's focus and time with the traders. Though maybe as long as she has time for him and is happy there, he doesn't care.

The passive aggressive game was strong this ep. I appreciated Sacher's dig about the left and right socks but Prince was masterful at the end. I wonder if Axe can even see it for the fuckery it was or if he's still too busy reacting. I don't have much interest in Prince's secret dark side, but that scene was a joy to watch. I liked the scenes with Wendy and the painter. Sometimes you just need to hear your bullshit laid out. Once Wendy got him out of his head a little, he was off again. The scene of him showing her the painting was really cute. 'One to the pole and one to Jesus.' I can't even take Wags' plot seriously. I think if we were supposed to, Axe would have done more than basically roll his eyes at the crazy. I am here for the Taylor/Wendy story. Though seriously- give up all the bigger than Axe talk, Taylor. They need some independent goals back. They really do work well together though. Wendy's skill seems to be reading people more than anything else. She knows how to talk to people and how to get them where she wants them. Combine that with Bobby or Taylor's genius and you get magic. I don't understand why she seemed to think that Bobby would be okay with this scheme though. Unless she's seeing it as expanding Mason Cap so therefore expanding Axe Cap? Taylor seemed to be suggesting more of an independent partnership though. It was nice to see more of the traders this ep. There's a certain energy that they bring that I was missing. Mafee came off like the village idiot however. It was interesting seeing Bobby on the ground, working these plans. He earned the Yonkers win which made Prince in his head at the end even more devastating. Still, I think of putting on the tennis whites to go woo Sacher as more Wags' territory for some reason. Like somehow Bobby is supposed to be above that or maybe passed it. I love Julianna Margulies but I barely paid attention to her here. I can barely muster up enough interest to follow Chuck's storylines anymore, much less care. Sacher was the redeeming note this ep. I loved her reaction to Senior's crap. He's like the definition of old blowhard. I've noticed it for a while but I also binged the series. I agree they dialed it up though. I feel like Bobby is just waiting for Wendy to say go. He doesn't seem to know exactly what to say or do as soon as the mood shifts even slightly so he brings up Chuck which promptly ruins the mood. It would be endearing in another character. He was right about one thing though- as close as they were before, their relationship couldn't include intimate dinners at home with Lara and Chuck in the picture. There are in each other's space in a new way now. I missed that! You're right. I said above that she's good at reading people and I think that is a further example. There's a lot of psychology in BDSM. The same skills that she shows in her work probably helped her a lot as a dom too, and vice versa.

Does anyone know how old the kids are? I was guessing about 13 for Gordie and Kevin, with Dean a couple of years older. Eva looks about 10. I’m not always great at guessing kids ages so I wondered if the series had ever stated them. Did I hear correctly that Dollar Bill is now balancing two families AND a girlfriend?

I re-watched, and you're right. Senior did want Wendy there. I still think that's most likely coming from Roxanne. Being accepted by Chuck is important but since Roxanne seems to have been the one feeling the snub, I'm sure the acceptance of the only woman in the family is a big deal too. That's especially true if Wendy has kept the kids distant even at things like the wedding. Nothing about Lara and Bobby's parenting in the early seasons suggests that they were the type of parents to send their kids to boarding school. I think the current situation came from the loss of the family unit and Lara and Bobby going their own ways. Bobby reminds me very much of someone who loves his kids and wants what is best for them but is not actually all that interested in them. I can see Lara having headed that way too once she had her freedom. She's no longer tied to her family through her businesses or supporting her family with Axe. It's easy for kids to get lost in the shuffle once the structure that held together selfish people falls away. I think that's why I couldn't care about whether or not Axe taught Gordie anything about consequences. These kids were always going to be spoiled and arrogant by my standards. Gordie's whole concept of bad was tied up in whether or not Axe was mad at him, not what he did to the town or if he upheld societal expectations. Not being held accountable for one incident is not enough to matter in a tide that's been set for years now. I thought taking it was petty which is why I liked it. I find Taylor and Wendy's relationship interesting because they seem to actually like each other; the trust has just been broken. I wouldn't mind if their relationship rebuilt but given their recent history, a little pettiness headed Wendy's way from Taylor is reasonable and human. I think the core of it is simply that Chuck and Axe don't like each other, much like Lara and Wendy were never going to be best friends. Which is fine- not everyone has to like everyone else- but in the hands of power hungry, arrogant, entitled, crazy people like Chuck and Axe, you get a stupid one percenter war. I don't even think it's about a lack of respect, jealousy, moral condemnation or whatever else really. They just don't like the fact of the other's existence in their world.

Remember when Axe picked the boys up early from the camping trip Lara set up to toughen them up? He was always going to bail Gordie out, even if he recognizes that he shouldn't. The speech is really where he really lost me. That was just melodramatic, overly indulgent bullshit. I handwaved the line about 'destroying a headmaster' because for Axe, that's just basic life strategy. After that talk about Gordie, I'm even more curious about Wendy's background. I'm thinking upper middle class- rich enough to be comfortable with the straight line of expectation from prep school to Ivy League but not so rich that anything was buyable. No way would getting expelled ruin Gordie's future with a billionaire as a father but that seemed to be more of a 'my experience' conversation. I'm also curious who it was that required Wendy's presence at the family meet and greet. I'm thinking Chuck's. My guess is that at the wedding, Wendy gave those kids strict instructions to avoid the main players at all costs so I could see why having her there would be a point for Roxanne. And Wendy obviously assumed that it was Chuck's father's normal bull. Still, I'm thinking that came from Chuck. He just doesn't seem to get it. He seems to think this divorce is something that just happened to him because he screwed up a little. Wendy was unhappy long term until eventually, she was unhappy and unsatisfied to the point that the marriage was broken for her. I always think of that scene when she dressed up to play dominatrix for him but just couldn't do it. They were basically broken up half of last season. Chuck just seems to think this is a phase. I wondered which Mason Cap employee would be the first to fall. It makes sense that it was Lauren to diversify and Sara to leave. I wonder if this reality was something that Taylor foresaw. Technically they still have their own shingle but if their people leave, does it really matter? I was surprised that they didn't try harder to keep Sara. Instead she was basically pushed out. So now intimate phone convos in the almost dark- this is all headed to Wendy and Axe hooking up right? I feel like they've been on a bullet train that direction for about six eps but then I did just binge. So far this season, keeping them in different places just feels like an attempt to delay the obvious. Then again, Axe does seem to be hooked on skinny blondes.

I've been binge-ing this series, and I'm finally to the current one. Confession: I fast forward through Connerty and Sacher's scenes and have for about a season and a half. Sometimes I even fast forward them when Chuck is in the scene too. It's really made the show much more enjoyable for me. Of course Chuck is going after Axe again. It was always just a matter of time. Wendy is really the only positive thing between them. There certainly isn't any like or respect. I'm not surprised that it comes about when Wendy is leaving him either. Chuck was never good at admitting his fault and since he lost his job, I think that has only gotten worse. Much like I think early seasons Chuck would have gone along when Wendy didn't feel like doing BDSM in an earlier ep, I think he also would have come up with some kind of bullshit to answer her moment question in earlier seasons too. Now there's just not enough left between them to make the effort worth it. I hope their split sticks this time. I really thought Axe and Wendy were going to end up hooking up. I think he thought so too; he was just waiting for her to initiate. The way Damian Lewis said 'oh' each time was perfect the perfect mix of surprise, recognition, and unease. The problem is that right now Axe is perfect for Wendy which makes it an awful time to sleep together. In the last few eps, he's hit every note perfectly when it comes to what she needs right now. He couldn't be more all in on her side if he'd walked into bullets for her. Combined with the journey she's been on all season of losing herself and trying to find her way back, she's way too vulnerable to the appeal of that. So while I think they'd both be willing, I hope she stays in the guest room. For now at least. I could probably get on board an Axe/Wendy ship next season. Last thing about them- I think Axe saying that he's only a gentleman for Wendy says it all. That has nothing to do with manners and everything to do with him actually thinking of and prioritizing her feelings in conjunction with his own wants. For someone as essentially self-centered as Axe is, that's huge. Season one Axe could have articulated a desire to do that or even recognized that that's what Lara wanted, but I'm not sure he could have followed through with any sincerity. I still doubt that he could if the situation was his problem, not Wendy's but maybe this is a bit of progress. Well the Taylor situation just screams clusterfuck. I fully expect all three of them to start screwing each other over immediately. Surely they all expect it too. So what's the point? Some kind of last man standing endgame? It makes perfect sense for Axe to truly believe that he can control all the actors, same for Chuck honestly, but I thought Taylor would have more sense than this. Not to say that they are not arrogant or risk-adverse, but basic sense should have had them declining this whole mess.

This scene reminded me of something my brother likes to say- she was short circuiting his brain. She showed up at his door instead of him going to her, looking like sex instead of her normal professional vibe, she got in his space, she touched him which she seems to never do with the traders, she opened up emotionally and played damsel, she made it sexual, gave him a way to play her hero then she cleared out before he could find a clear thought. If she had actually interacted with him, I think he would have gotten his bearings again. Instead she blew his mind and left him to sort it out. Manipulation 101. So lust crossed with his crush and basic decency resulted in him doing what was 'right', at least in romantic hero parlance. They were definitely leaning into Mafee's goofiness but it worked for me. The kiss at the end was the best part though.

I think Axe/Lara probably mirrored Wendy/Chuck for a long time. When things were good, Lara/Chuck could let their spouse's attachment to someone else go. What difference did it make? Lots of people have someone who is more family than friend. However when the shit hit the fan, the jealousy and unease pushed to the front. Lara needed to feel superior to Wendy and needed to believe that her relationship with Axe was the most important. She needed Axe to say that Wendy was sleeping with the enemy and therefore not a part of them. He not only refused, he wouldn't even distance himself. In essence, he wouldn't protect Lara and their family by eliminating the threat. So when she thought he had finally chosen her and them over his relationship with Wendy, finding out it was a lie was crushing. She tried to forgive but once it was out there, there was no going back. Since then, he's lied about coming home to say goodbye and help her and the boys through this in favor of spending his last free moments making things right with Wendy and planning to go to jail to protect Wendy with no thought to the irreparable damage that would leave in Lara and the boys' lives. There's no denying anymore that while Axe loved Lara, it was never just the two of them with their boys against the world like she needed to believe. So she prioritized and walked. I think Wendy's value goes well beyond just skill. Wendy is integral to the fabric of Axe Cap. Everyone knows how important and essential she is to Axe. Therefore she is seen as trusted and essential by the staff. She's also well liked and trusted on her own. All together that makes her a key part of the culture and cohesiveness of Axe. I think that's also why she can't let go. She could be good at her job anywhere. It's all the other factors combined that make her great at Axe and make her feel so needed and important. I actually don't think she screwed up with Taylor. She didn't see that Axe had already pushed them too far for comp to really matter, but Taylor was also deliberately keeping their plans private. When Taylor agreed to give Wendy a day to work on Axe, Wendy took them at their word. Why wouldn't she? She's not a mind reader and Taylor was keeping their plans VERY close to the vest. I thought this showed that she was truly moving on from Axe. No way do I believe that a Lara who still saw any possibility of getting back with Axe would call Wendy about anything, but especially something as personal as their son. Now watch me start season four and have them getting back together. Oh well. (I need my shrug emoji)

I would find it a lot more realistic if Axe, Wendy and Wags had their own pop culture references and different groups of the traders had their own. It's everyone being on the same page that is unrealistic to me. That is partially because of the age difference but mainly because of interest differences. Axe, Wendy and Wags are longterm friends so it's not surprising that they have similar pop culture interests and references. A lot of those should go over fantasy game playing Taylor's head and vice versa. Same for the sports references, movie quotes, game and music references- everyone shouldn't get all of it. Taylor's reactions in this conversation rubbed me the wrong way. They seemed to just assume that Wendy would actually be interested in leaving with them, which tells me that they hugely misread the relationships at play. I'm just now binge-ing this series so I haven't seen what happens next, but if Taylor couldn't tell that Wendy, of anyone, was loyal to Axe way beyond the job then I can't imagine them being able to successfully navigate their own staff. They also didn't seem to expect Wendy to be angry or feel any betrayal. Taylor's reaction when pushed was no more promising than their misread to start with.

It was t just the easy wrap up that was lame; the way it was delivered fell flat too. I needed something more from that last scene- a hug, an exclamation thanking Robin, even laughter for some reason would have hyped it up. Instead it was just a letdown. Particularly coming right after the scene of Juliet with her dogs. That scene was perfect and totally sold me on the emotion of her leaving. im going shallow for a minute- that tank top Juliet wore most of the episode was awful. Perdita Weeks is a beautiful woman; it should not be that hard to find flattering casual clothes for her. The whole second episode fell flat for me but the first one was fun. Watching Higgins and Magnum compete was a ride. I shared her surprise that Magnum doesn’t compensate his friends for anything. What the hell? Running that helicopter has got to get expensive. I liked that Magnum just admitted to feeling put out that Juliet had blown off his offer to be her white knight. That rang really true and doesn’t even have to be shippy. I also appreciated that Juliet called off the wedding instead of the magical save doing it. I realize that she felt cornered, but agreeing to the marriage scheme never seemed true to Higgins.

While the military storyline seemed written to tug every heartstring, I can't bring myself to care about Rick and TC. Full disclosure however- I've only seen a few episodes. I saw a handful in the earlier seasons and the last three or four of this season since my schedule changed. So it's very possible that I simply missed the character groundwork needed for them. Even for a show as inconsequential as this one, so far they just don't seem to matter. The marriage plot reads like fanfic but I can work with it. Honestly I'm going to be annoyed if they went through all this buildup, and she doesn't marry Magnum. I'm on board with him being put-out over the snub too. That reads true for his romantic hero bend. Really the only part I can't wrap my head around is it being common knowledge. Do they just expect everyone they know to break the law and lie for them? That's not very friendly. I would have much preferred a scene where they told the group that Higgins' visa was up so given the sudden time crunch, they decided they were running with romance and marriage. Anyone with half a brain would have still known the truth but without the obligation to lie. I feel like I should comment on the actual case of the week. I appreciated the school principal's general don't-look-a-gift-horse-in-the-mouth attitude. It was a nice twist from suspicion or curiosity to the point of idiocy. Instead just don't fight a good thing and be grateful. Using fire extinguishers as a hiding place was just goofy but the visual of all those cocaine filled extinguishers lining the hallways of an elementary school made up for it.

That makes a lot more sense. I was thinking less than three months too, and my head was not making it work. This reveal still bugs but at least that is logical. I don't like the secret son reveal. With two episodes left, this seems so extra. There isn't even time for real consequences from it. It's just dropped here for extra drama, like it was picked out of a hat. Actually this whole incest story feels like that. I said after the last ep that incest didn't fit the shocker presentation. Now I feel dirty for still feeling that way. I know every show has to have their thing, but incest is a revolting one to choose. Taking it to the point of predictable incest that doesn't even shock is beyond me. There could easily have still been a big secret- even a secret child- to blackmail Hannah with without this. Now I think all over again that they should have made Gabriel Bonnie's instead of Sam's. The timing was perfect. Now instead that storyline was dropped in a completely unsatisfying way and Frank and Gabriel are suddenly half-brothers?! Ridiculous. Even moreso if Gabriel really is done on the show. What did I like? Tegan is always great though she's coming off a little dumb right now. I feel like she should all up Annalise's ass right now figuring out what's true and what isn't, what Mikayla and Connor actually know, and a million other questions. Instead she just waits for Annalise to tell her what to do. I liked that Connor broke ranks. I like his alliance with Mikayla a lot, but this turn is very interesting which the show needs. I liked all the Frank and Bonnie. The star crossed lovers backstory isn't at all necessary, but young!Frank/Bonnie are always super cute, and current Frank/Bonnie is hot. Sam is such a dick. I couldn't decide if he was more jealous of their relationship or revolted at the idea of his Bonnie with Frank. Regardless, it made me sad when he leveraged her past to get what he wanted from Frank like Annalise once did with Asher. What kind of people think someone else's tragedy is equal opportunity currency for their own manipulations? It made me hate them both for a minute, then I remembered Bonnie's insistence that Sam would never do that to her. Then I felt sad and hated him all over again. That scene of Bonnie going to Annalise with her heartbreak couldn't have been more maternal if they'd tried. Doubling down on making Nate smug, arrogant, and condescending does not help his likability. I couldn't believe Frank went along with any of that. Nate's an idiot.

Where did you get that her final scenes are with Cecily Tyson? I don't remember Mikayla and Annalise's mother ever having a scene together before. Maybe a group scene? Aww, I love that she singled out Liza and so sweetly. I realize I'm reading into it, and I don't care- it makes my fan heart happy. Annalise and Bonnie have had so many really great scenes through the run. Makes me hope there will be another one to remember. Spoilers- don't retcon show. Sam was absolutely the bad guy. Flashbacks have never supported anything else so I don't see these being any different. Honestly, I'm curious why they are going there again, especially for two episodes worth. I feel like they covered it. Maybe to bring Hannah into it? Yet Marcia Gay Harden is not a listed guest star. Are we thinking this is pre-baby? I feel like in these pictures, Oliver has been subbed in like one of the original K5. He's not, and I don't remember ever caring about that before. I can't bring myself to miss Wes or Laurel (or god, Wes/Laurel), but looking at these, I do miss Asher.