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I don't think it's incest because that's where everyone's mind went immediately. For something that is supposed to be shocking even to Anneliese, that would be anticlimactic to the extreme. I also think it has to be something that Anneliese can leverage against Hannah and everyone backing her to get herself out of this mess. What about the Keating parents? I don't remember hearing anything about them. Maybe Hannah killed them, and Sam knew or even helped. It could have been inadvertent if they really want to go with Sam was never that bad and/or Hannah has been the actual Big Bad all along. No, Bonnie! NOOOOO! As soon as Anneliese said that Bonnie loved Frank I started cussing. I realize that Bonnie is a murderer and literally killed her own happiness, but I still want good things for her. Frank is no one's good thing. Why couldn't she have ended the show still grieving Ron? Finding her own feet again? Leaving Philly to start over with mommy Anneliese (every time Ophelia mentions Anneliese's lack of husband/family, I expect her to point out the obvious- she has a child in all but blood)? I could even live with her turning herself in to take the bullet for Anneliese. That last one is not my preference but at least it would make perfect character sense. I've come to realize that I would perfectly satisfied with Nate and/or Frank going down for it all in the end. I read something that called Anneliese 'compulsively watchable' and that is exactly it for me. I want to imagine her story continuing. I want Mikayla and Connor to walk away too. Oliver can go with them I suppose (I really don't care where Oliver goes at this point). Teagan goes without saying- none of this had better touch her perfect. Frank and Nate, on the other hand, are not just deserving of jail but seem to be on a singular track towards it. If I have to choose, I nominate Nate. He is less charismatic, less dynamic, less interesting and just altogether dumber than Frank. Every time he re-enters the story it blows my mind that Nate of all people still hasn't gotten caught. He's a selfish idiot! At least Frank has loyalty and love as alternate motivations. Nate's such a blank slate that anything he does, even breaking a dude's neck, gets a shrug that 'of course he did.'

In the late night repeats, I think they can say whatever they want. I watched a few minutes of one of their shows (the Rami Malek one) at like 1 am and they were dropping 'fuck' like this show does 'goddamn'. Put me down as another one who couldn't follow the Zane plot. The one good thing I can say about it- at least Alex got the chance to not be the fit throwing ass for once. I even actually liked Alex in this ep. Part of my issue with the plot was Zane. I get that he was being screwed over and racism was behind it. But the man throws a fit over something every week. Instead of this being a compelling point to understand where he's coming from, it came off as just more of Zane being Zane. Different place, different costar, different argument- same response, same behavior. That's very much a missed opportunity. This could have really brought all those details we've learned of his past into focus. Instead it got lost in the yelling. I'd been warned about the overflow of Donna ass kissing so I was prepared. It didn't bother me though. This was earned IMO. Zane treated Donna like shit a few eps ago. I know he's her boss but he was still out of line in my book. He's a perfect example of it's not what you do, it's how you do it. She does her job and does it well, and she's not some worker bee ten rungs down the ladder from him. I don't care if they ever become friends or not but making up some ground in relationship building with her was both called for and just smart business for Zane. Similarly I was glad to see that Donna still seemed to be giving Harvey the cold shoulder at the end. I really wanted someone to remind him why that deal with David Fox was required in the first place. You don't get to blow something up while everyone around you begs you to stop then ask someone else to fix your mess, with express permission to do whatever it takes on your behalf, then throw a hissy fit because you don't like how the agreement affects you and thereby throw your negotiator under the bus. He was just ridiculous, and that's even without his asshole line about him giving Donna her job like he'd patted her on the head and bought her a pony. If that's really how he thinks of her and them professionally, that's a serious wrench in my book in whatever thing the writers have going with them. Samantha and Donna are really clicking for me as friends and not in a 'Rachel replacement' way either. I never really understood what Donna and Rachel had in common other than proximity. These two amuse me though. As the granddaughter of a woman who literally has an entire closet full of gifts still in the gift bags, when Samantha said she was going to give the books to Robert again as a retirement gift I laughed out loud. It was nice to see Louis' sister again, which surprises me to say. Louis and Sheila are so caught up in themselves all the time that it didn't surprise me at all that they never discussed religion for their child. I'm fully expecting a version of this every episode. I'll deliver the baby! I don't even want you in the room! It's time for vaccinations! NEVER! Time for the Easter bunny! I will not lie! Want some candy? A speck of sugar will rot teeth! And so on. This was more enjoyable to me than most of their recent storylines however. From Louis' happy dance to how crushed and tentative Sheila was at the end, they hit the right tone and I felt for them. If I ignore Sheila at their celebration dinner I can even almost say I fully enjoyed them.

Has Alex always been this awful? I’ve been trying to cut him some slack because he typically has legitimate points, but I’m over his personality. I hated that they had Samantha roll over so completely. Her interactions with Joy weren’t perfect, but they did not in any way deserve that crap he threw back. Especially since she only got involved because he asked her to, which was it’s own irritation for me. If he was so concerned, why didn’t he park Joy’s butt in a corner of his office? Instead of, you know, bringing her to work, leaving her in a communal area, and asking other busy professionals to keep an eye on her. Samantha still has some banked goodwill with me from being great with Louis last week though. I’ve really been enjoying Donna this season. She’s always been one of my favorites, but at times in the past she’s gotten grating. This role suits her. I’m buying that she’s the glue that holds it all together. I’ve been enjoying Harvey too, and I appreciated a break from Robert and all their nonsense. Even a season ago I think Harvey would have handled this storyline very differently. I liked the nod to his past while still letting him get on with what needed to be done. I agreed with the outcome as well. His brother deserved to lose his wife and his comfy life, but screwing over his wife and one parenting mistake should not have cost him everything with his kids. I’m not sure what to say about Louis. I know he’s always been eccentric and inappropriate but he was really pushing the line at the beginning with Harvey. And like Donna later, Harvey told him that. Louis just steamrolled past the objection. I was cringing. I was cringing at Sheila and Louis some too. I think Louis needs a hardass riding him in his life. And in Sheila’s place, I would have been SO pissed off at him for going mudding too. They are just too much for me this season. I love Louis and I don’t really want him toned down, but I could use a little less of their intense crazy every episode. Speaking of the Harvey and Louis scene, Harvey and Donna right after was easily my favorite of the episode. The dialogue of it was sexy teasing, but the way they played it was so sweet. Harvey actually seemed to catch her off guard a bit with the flirting. And the way she tilted her head to smile at him just screamed warmth, affection, and simple like to me. It was great.

Alice/Ben needed the adrenaline shot of trouble like Ethan. But did Alice say AVI would be working exclusively for Ethan? Because that is just stupid. Mostly because it would mean Margot is no longer a client but also because going all in with her company for a guy she thought was a murderer until a week ago is just awful business. Alice has been a lot of fun dealing with Ethan and Gretchen but that doesn't mean the stupid is okay. I think Peter Krause is mainly just miscast. When he's out on a job with Rhys or sparring with Margot, he's good. He's got this charm and spark that work there. He's great with Tessa. But as soon as Ben goes back towards his good guy, reformed side, it's all smirk, all the time. No nuance. I'm liking Tessa so much more than expected. She should just follow Alice around all the time. Alice needs the spice. She seemed to have a lot of fun at AVI too. A possible redirect of her evil leanings perhaps? She was certainly hitting the Ben/Margot reunion dream hard this ep. I assume it was because of their family fun at the birthday party. It must not be a serious priority for her yet though. She was not being subtle about it AT ALL. I did sympathize at the end. No kid should have to walk in on their mother and lover still in lingerie and watch their father's tongue in his girlfriend's mouth all in the same day. I think Sonya Walger has spent as much time in lingerie this season as she has fully dressed. Margot does have very good taste in both. If there hadn't been that weird push-pull breakfast with Felicity and Tessa I wonder if Margot would have gotten tricked so easily. Sex or no, her first instincts were clearly not to trust Felicity out of bed. It was like by the time she kicked Tessa out, all the stressful emotions had kicked her ass and she folded. Speaking of, I think kicking Tessa out may come back to bite her. Tessa appeared to be consenting to being babysat but rejecting her like that at breakfast was cold. It hasn't been that long since Tessa wanted Margot dead. Danny was ridiculous. I'm all for Danny/Margot hotness but how could anyone think the elevator at work was a great place to bang? Then he acted like a goofy puppy begging for attention. Just tell Sophie you will meet her downstairs in a few minutes. And don't try to justify by pretending there's romance involved. Just admit how hot the sex is and own it. But even when Sophie is right, she's still so annoying that I side against her. Was there anyone at AVI that Margot didn't have to remind that she is paying them to work for her? I really dislike new!Rhys. I'm not a big fan of Justine's lately either. Troy however, remains perfect.

I think the disconnect is in how much Ben and Alice each think she should feel betrayed by him. Though he wishes she would get over it, he obviously gets why Margot is pissed at him. Alice, however, has never been particularly angry. I don't think he realizes that there is still a lot of betrayal and hurt there even without anger. Love doesn't cancel that out. I really enjoyed this episode with the exception of Sophie and Rhys/Justine. Those scenes were a drag for me. Troy remains a bright spot. "She's going..." Ha! Everything Ethan was mind blowing awkward. Next week could be a lot of fun. Ben and Alice's flirt fight reaction was a lot more fun than I was expecting so kudos. Since when does Ben sleep over and it's not a big deal? And now my favorite part- the new little family. So. Much. Fun. I loved that the only thing they agreed on was that Tessa would not be meeting Rhys. Their introduction story was certainly appropriate. I wonder how old they were. So the story is that they had just met when she got pregnant? Together 15 years, with Alice for 1, 15 years old and a few months kid, plus another 9 months- that timeline is really tight. Tessa's glee at working with Margot was adorable. As was Margot's pride. Tessa is reckless but she certainly has a knack for the family business. She is also already excellent at playing Ben. From the Daddy love to playing the broken family card on him, he is in way over his head. However it all seems really fast. I'm waiting for her to stab them in the back like the crazy she is. Their pride when Tessa gleefully spilled the beans about Tad as a final parting shot was a bit disturbing. I wonder what Alice and AVI would say about that wrist move. Has Alice ever known Ben to injure someone like that? Ben and Alice's final call did a really good job of showing the new distance, with Alice making eyes at Ethan and Ben slipping seamlessly into his new family life hammering the point home. Ben was certainly thinking about that family life. I wonder if we will see him try to start something back up with Margot. The chemistry and ease are still there, and certainly the motivation and history. However no thank you to Danny/Sophie talk. I can't believe Danny/Margot have been together these last few eps and they deprived us. Come on! That phone call made up for a lot though. I welcome Felicity back but I want both, show.

I was so happy to see that reaction. She shouldn't be over the feeling of invasion and betrayal, especially when the reminder is being delivered with just a hint of a smirky smile while she is obviously hurting. I was really impressed with Mireille Enos and the writing for Alice's flashbacks. So much about her character makes more sense now. I don't even object to the potential love triangle. Maybe Ethan's presence will be to show us how Ben is different from Christopher Hall because I don't see it. Sybil is a nightmare. Remember, Margot! I do wonder if Tessa chose Margot over Sybil out of tactical smarts or emotion. I'm hoping both. I liked that Ben really wasn't concerned with the when or the how. And he never questioned that he was the father. He just wanted to know why she chose to do it this way. He gains some points in my mind for that. I'm wondering why she chose to have the baby and give it to her mother too. Why not leave it in Spain? Or have an abortion? I guess we are supposed to go with Tessa's assumption that she kept it because she loved Ben but I would like more. After all his talk about how he should have gotten a say too, as soon as Margot pointed out Tessa is his so he can take her he started backing up fast. This exchange says everything about my opinion of Ben: Margot: What do you suggest? Ben: I don't know. I would just like to be involved in her life. Margot: You're just going to leave her here aren't you. Ben: For now. But I will be right back and first thing in the morning we can all talk. All platitudes with Ben. It reminds me of when he told Alice that he went to jail for her and she responded that it was for 72 hours before he cut a deal without her. No matter how valid his points, he always manages to undercut them with swarm.

You're right muffkins. Alice may talk about how impressionable Tommy is, but I think what she really means is 'continually runs to the dark side with the slightest encouragement'. Tommy is a low rent conman who isn't bright enough or ambitious enough to actually pull off the conman life. So she wants to protect him from temptations she knows he wants, not from being corrupted. It's sad for her but I sympathize. There's no telling how much money she's given him considering when we met him, she saw him and went straight to her checkbook. Unfortunately you are also right about Rhys and Margot. I don't buy it at all but I'm not sure why exactly. I looked up the actors' ages and Mireille is 41, Rose is 35, and Sonya is 42. For me, the actresses can play and the characters fit professionally and personally anywhere from mid/late thirties to early forties. Whatever the show says. However for some reason, the idea that Ben and Rhys are supposed to also be the same ages or younger is not working for me. At all. Peter is 51 and John Simm is 46 so it's not the actors' ages doing it. As ridiculous as he is, Rhys just doesn't seem like the actual little sibling of the pair. Why am I overthinking this? I need to let it go but for some reason, it bugs me. I checked back on a few season 1 episodes and found some other interesting tidbits I hope they don't drop. Margot was chosen by their father as the heir to the firm however when he died, their mother gave it all to her favorite, Rhys. She was apparently the misogynist of the family. That was when Margot and Ben left the family. He told Rhys he chose to go because he wanted to be with Margot. They also say repeatedly in S1 that they were partners, away from the family, for 15 years. When they start getting into why Margot gave up Tessa 15 years ago I wonder if they will remember all that. Maybe they will also mention why Margot's last name is Bishop, not Griffiths.

I've always assumed Margot was in her late thirties. Surely Rhys is her older brother and like Ben, he's in his mid to late forties. I assumed that was part of their dynamic- she was the kid sister Rhys didn't want hanging around however his best friend insisted. One more layer of jealousy on their massive sibling dysfunction. However if Ben is a decade older than Margot I hope that's mentioned in all this. I don't think Margot was actually a child. I think the actress played it like Margot knew that too. She can believe what she wants, but she had a baby, changed her mind at the last minute about keeping it, made a lousy choice for who she gave it to then never asked any questions. She screwed up. I'm guessing she was early twenties, maybe young enough to believe she and Ben could leave the Firm to go off and do their own thing, playing happy family until reality hit her in the face. My question is- how many people knew she and Ben were expecting a baby? Did Ben know? What was her story? Regardless I'm in for this. So far the show has acted like Ben and Margot's relationship is all thoroughly in the past and emotionally, Margot's problem. Now they have to deal with each other and Alice has to deal with their past staring her in the face and throwing a curveball in her future plans. Since Ben and Alice are incredibly boring IMO, they can use a few curveballs. Maybe Margot can bring something other than swarm out of Ben too. Ben is such a misfire for me. Who wants a boy scout on a show like this? I know he's 'changed' but I'd really like some more of whatever attracted Rhys and Margot to him. Danny and Margot worked for me. Like I immediately started searching for fanfic about them (there is none). He and the show would be well rid of his Sophie crush (didn't that already pass because he couldn't trust or something?). I couldn't believe he made Margot kicking him out such a big deal though. Take a hint, dude. I also wasn't following when he said "You know when we got into this thing, you didn't tell me you were a mom." Got into what? Banging a few times then stalking out does not constitute a 'thing'. And did he still honestly believe Tessa couldn't be hers because of her hips? Because if so, as much as I like seeing Margot get some, I may have to take back everything positive I said about him. Kelda Feegle, I'm expecting the outrage to go where it belongs- towards the grown man they have now captured.

Brynn Thayer. She was on One Life to Live.

My guess is Nate's under the sheet and Atwood goes after Annalise for killing him. She has to get off clean, because her law license status is still so fragile so stakes. Plus Wes behind the scenes.

I have been assuming that Laurel doesn't know she's pregnant. What if she does, or at least strongly suspects it? If she does and tells Wes, that could be why he is turning on Annalise. Laurel thinks that as long as she's in their lives with all the related drama hanging around, they will never be able to move on. Impending fatherhood could certainly prompt a guy like Wes to do something drastic, especially if he thought it would prove something to Laurel. It's not like either of them have much loyalty and affection for the rest of the K5.

HtGAWM is part of Shondaland. It's notorious for being bank vault tight against leaks. Social media pics could very well be a clue but I take them with a grain of salt. I've been burned too many times by seemingly obvious conclusions with Shonda's other shows. Promotional photos and press release for 3x07- Call It Mother's Intuition. A few questions- I wonder who the guy is talking to Annalise at the AA meeting. I don't recognize him. Nothing good comes from the full K5, Bonnie, and Annalise having one of their dark meetings at the house. Interestingly, everyone seems to be dressed for court but Wes. And finally, anyone recognize this house? I feel like I've seen it before but I don't think it's Bonnie's. She lives in an apartment. It's obviously not Annalise's. Bonnie looks very at home there so I think it's got to be someone we know.

I don't think Laurel knows yet either, which just makes Meggie's breach of confidentiality even crappier. That's mainly why I don't think she's pregnant yet in the main timeline. Laurel's smart and observant. She's not one to just let things ride normally. I think if she was 8+ weeks along, she'd have noticed something and found out by the time of the fire. I think Annalise set the fire, or at a minimum, knew it was going to happen. With the memories and life she's had there, I can understand why she would want to burn it all down and start over. She only made it a few hours there sober before the memories overwhelmed her. That said, no way she did it herself. Maybe that's why she's crying- she got Nate to do it and somehow, he didn't make it out. She was too clear headed and prepared with a plan for it to randomly be Wes IMO. I think whichever man Laurel was secretly meeting at the house, they got out and know what really happened.

I loved the solidarity vibe of Annalise's suggestions. Really her call in general. While I fully expect that this whole Frank turn will throw a wrench into their peace, I very much hope it doesn't throw them back to the twisted, power playing manipulation of a relationship they had last season when they could barely speak without deliberately hurting each other. I want more of Bonnie hiding Annalise's junk food and needling her about how a law practice can't survive on a free clinic, and Annalise casually asking her to cover for her with her boyfriend and suggesting bad movie sleepovers and desecrating ashes to make Bonnie feel better. As for Laurel, I just want her to dial back the whining. I honestly don't think she knows about the pregnancy or hasn't happened yet but I wish she did. If that was her motivation for this obsession with finding Frank, I could be on board with her pursuit. Instead she finds out where he is and does nothing. She barely even keeps the secret for a whole episode. As awesome as Karla Souza's face was when Annalise walked in, I was so irritated by Laurel's lack of ability to stand her ground that I couldn't even appreciate it. Tell Wes no, Laurel, Frank's location is your business! Jump his bones if you're into him! Go find Frank! Tell off Drake yourself for jumping all over you! Call Bonnie and warn her if that matters so much to you! Just do something.

I've been assuming Wes and Meggie are broken up in the fire timeline. Either that or she knows Wes is reading in the lounge down the hall because she has shown no concern about his whereabouts whatsoever.

Me too! I keep thinking that since I've been safe four times now, I should be able to relax a little about it but nope. Outside of Asher and Frank's (unfortunately) short-lived friendship, Bonnie and Laurel are really the only non-romantic pairing that has crossed the two groups. They've gone out either two or three times now but they don't seem to actually like each other much at all. The connection is just Frank, and using each other for information about Frank. Then again, if I remember right, didn't Frank and Asher's friendship coincide with Asher and Bonnie's relationship? Back to this ep, Laurel's stress about not warning Bonnie at the end just made that earlier lie funnier. They are more alike than they seemed. I wouldn't include criminal in that but very definitely self-righteous. She amuses me typically but it's a short trip to irritating for her. I object to how extreme she is. People are either worthy of her time or not. And if they aren't, she acts like they are just dirt under her foot. I hope along with some background, her mother brings some insight into that attitude. Seeing this written out is a bit disturbing. To be fair to them though, I've had social groups that had more connections than this with less than 14 people. I love Asher! Especially when he gets a little more to do like last week. I laughed when Mikayla said now they've broken up. My first thought was oh, now you two can break up? Even after Asher called a no sex break until after exams? So much for that just sex relationship. I'm not either but I'm still holding it against him. He clearly wanted her to come to him. Killing her father is a major move, both in how it would emotionally impact her and that she would have to deal with the aftermath. He was waiting outside of the funeral home for her. He walked in on her in the shower. He started the fantasies about them running away together to have cute babies. He wanted her there and he set the tone for that increased closeness and intimacy that led to them sleeping together, so to then walk out without a word was really shitty. Especially since he caused the reason she was already super vulnerable and alone before she even saw him. It's almost like she gave him what he wanted from her and he couldn't deal. Parallel to him thinking he deserved to stay in prison? Or he's just an asshole. Regardless, I hope she gives him hell for it. This. It's not like she was going to be mad about it.

This was easily my favorite episode this season. From that first hug Frank and Bonnie brought it. He looked like he really didn't know what she was going to do until she said thank you, like surely part of him knew she would. Before the season started, I thought a likely reveal would be that they kept in touch. This ep reminded me why while also reminding me of that ep when they were holding hands while they talked in the office. I liked that Bonnie didn't even pretend to give him a pass for his involvement in Annalise's car crash. It's so fittingly messed up though that she didn't care about him shooting Mahoney, just that he stupidly took Wes with him. It was a nice parallel to his moronic self-sabotaging prison reasoning. She was fighting a losing battle to get him to come home. He was a nerve-riddled, self-despising shadow of last season's Frank. Liza Weil was killer listening to Frank's fantasy. She's been knocking it out of the park this season. At the end I think Bonnie thought maybe they could figure something out, but she seemed to miss that for once she's dealing with someone more unstable than she is. Listening to them I couldn't help but think that it all sounded great, right up until one of them murdered somebody else. If I'd read before the ep that they were going to sleep together I think I would have been shocked but watching it play out, it made a lot of very sad sense. It was an extension of their fantasies about being somewhere safe and happy together as a couple and family. I am really looking forward to their next scene together now. I'm going to be pissed if it's about Laurel. Regardless of that cut to her at the end, there was no romantic betrayal in this ep. I didn't get that. I thought the parallels were that they both have some sociopathic tendencies, massive daddy issues and the bad luck to meet Sam. Speaking of, Annalise needs to get out of that house. Bonnie is showing some perspective on Sam but Annalise is too close. After the flashbacks, I get why she would want to burn down that house. Interesting that Annalise thinks Bonnie has a decent relationship with her sister. That's such a normal mislead when you want to be left alone about something. I'm loving Annalise and Bonnie this season. With the cutback in drama, they seem a lot more like friends with a tight bond. Of course all this with Frank is going to screw that up but it was fun while it lasted. You suck Wes. Laurel too, if for only for that random lie to Bonnie at the beginning about being in her car. I didn't expect Annalise to give being sober even a passing shot so her throwing out the alcohol was a surprise. Did she know the president was going to be at that AA meeting? She seemed surprised but she pulled out her agenda in classic Annalise fashion. She probably did. She wouldn't be Annalise if she didn't try to burn down every potentially positive relationship she's got. Sincerely thank you show, for not having her move on Wes. I wonder if Mikayla's white trash adoptive family has anything to do with her determination to marry the 'black prince' in S1. Going from the disdain in her voice, girl's got some kind of major issue about them.

The series is going out as it started- all about Jane. This ep, Korsak's decision to retire, Nina and Frankie's engagement, and Maura's big decision about her book were all given minimal screen time in favor of Jane, Jane, Jane. And ITA, the case was ridiculous which is unfortunate since this was the most enjoyable ep they've had in awhile. I'm okay with Korsak retiring. I agree with Kiki- he's been hedging for awhile, just waiting for someone to tell him it's okay. My dad was like that about retirement. Now that he has Kiki and the bar to focus on, plus Jane is leaving, retirement makes a lot of sense. Why are Frankie and Nina getting married? Because they are super cute. I loved them this ep, and everything with Nina. I wanted them to have their moment at the end. What kind of stones were supposed to be in those earrings? Certainly nothing that looked to me like the ring. I think my joy at Maura's trip was heavily biased by my overwhelming relief that she was not leaving the lab. Thank god. Her big ending is certainly not on the same scale as the other characters' though. Hers is more in line with Angela's. I'm saying thank you, even if I am pouting a bit around it. Her parents are probably happy at least. Aren't they based in Europe? I was thinking Maura lived in France for quite awhile as a kid. Making that sudden jump from write in the library to write in Paris for a month felt very in character. I loved it, almost as much as I loved the crap she was giving Jane over Davies. I'm sad I won't get to see Maura in Paris! Hot FBI guy is hot. I don't blame Jane at all. The fact that she thought he was there about the job should have been a huge red light, but Jane is obviously stressed. And since I'm not going to be watching them work together at Quantico, hot FBI guy is hot shirtless and thank you show. The one thing I didn't like at all was the show's insistence on telling us over and over that he was husband material. If marriage is on Jane's mind, fine. Wanting out of the field so that she can look towards having a family makes sense to me for her. That does not mean that one night has to put her on the marriage track, show. That just reeked of them overcompensating. So basically Jane is leaving BPD because some inexplicable instinct in her told her to take the leap. For an independent woman looking for the next step in her life, I can actually support that. Unfortunately this is the series finale and I don't want to watch that. If she was excited at all it would help, but right now all I'm watching is everyone cry over Jane making a move that she doesn't even seem to want. But this is the Jane show- she has to have the biggest story of them all. Everyone wouldn't be crying over Jane if she was staying put.

I was referring to the video in the wedding episode. I remember thinking they barely made it work then. I can't imagine it being anything other than an attempt at cheesy manipulation on this show.

My first thought to the video was way to rip off The Closer, show.

This season is not working for me. The stakes seem to be whether or not Mike gets out, the guy gets executed and Louis gets laid. Of course Mike is getting out. The only question is if he serves the time he deserves or if he skates out early and they pretend it's justified. I'm supposed to care about the death row guy because Rachel's heart says he's innocent? Rachel's an idiot. And amusing as everything with Louis is, this thing with the architect (interior designer?) is not exactly something to carry a drama on. I wish I could fast forward Mike, but I don't watch alone. Way to be awful Mike. Harvey is working to get Mike out of prison, in a deal that Mike agreed to, so Mike withholds relevant information and lies to him. Kevin has tried to be a decent guy and friend to Mike, so Mike goes behind his back to try to bully his wife into a deal. Even Gallo- I know he's a Bad Guy, but he and Mike had a deal. Now Mike is blowing him off instead of following through. I have no doubt that whatever he told Donna to do that was now legal will come back bite them both in the ass too. My main issue is the separation of the characters. I doubt Harvey knows or cares that Jessica is on this Innocence Project. If he even knows it exists, it's only because Mike's fiancee is leading it. He very clearly doesn't care about the firm. Louis is pulling Donna away from Harvey's desk very frequently and obsessing over the architect. I really don't think Harvey has even noticed because he doesn't need Louis right now. Speaking of Donna, I think that is the most striking distance. In the past, their bond was a defining feature of both their characters. Her moving down the hall gave him panic attacks. Now unless he's yelling at her or generally being a jerk, he really doesn't seem to notice or care whether she's there or not. It's like Harvey is on a different show right now and the loss of those connections are really hurting the show. At least Mike is only being a jerk over the phone. There were a few good things. I appreciate that Gallo is not an idiot and that Mike finally said he resents that he's in prison and the others aren't. I know the deal was Mike's choice, but I still understand that feeling. I loved Jessica telling Rachel that the PI couldn't be Rachel's guy because then he wouldn't be Jessica's. That was perfect. Gretchen stepping in to back up Rachel was a really nice moment. As was Gretchen taking her donut and peacing out. I also very much enjoyed Donna's scene with the trader. I tire of her superiority, but it is also a significant part of what makes the character. In that scene, she was awesome. I like that Cahill finally came out and said that what he cares about is getting Sutter in jail, not Mike out. The real bright spot for me has been Donna and Louis. I have a soft spot for Louis anyway, and seeing him with Donna just makes that spot mushy. I laughed at the rage on his face when Donna said she'd had a break up, but I also appreciate that he let it go. I like seeing two characters that I like have someone else who really likes them too.

Holy crap that was awful. Really, Jane thought as long as she told Angela, everyone else could just find out when they got the shocker of an FBI call? Callous. I'm glad Angela wasn't instantly happy. I don't know why Jane seemed to think she would be. At least she came around for my sanity. I'm glad to see Maura actually having a reaction to all this madness too. I understand and agree with her not putting her feelings off on Jane while Jane was trying to decide, but I'm glad to see that Maura is upset about her leaving. I don't feel like Jane should stay for Maura or Maura should expect Jane to stay for her, but this is a huge change in a very close relationship. The sadness and uncertainty of that needed to be voiced so I'm glad Maura did, and Jane at least mentioned it. The miracle baby was really several dozen steps too far for me. First, no thank you manipulative asshole powers that be. Second, is Maura really going in the direction of believing that the baby's improvement which she did not cause, diagnose, or in any way affect is a hint that she should be a 'real' doctor? No, Maura! Give your rounds to Kent and go back to what you thrive at. Third, Maura was basically useless to that child. I realize terminal illness is not the typical issue clinic doctors encounter, but Maura should have recognized how out of her depth she was. Fourth, Maura has always a had good grasp on who she is. I can understand her wanting to explore other areas of medicine, but I can't understand the suggestion that she is letting go of the career she's already built and loves for it. As soon as they showed Nina joining Frankie to look at the stars, I started dreading the upcoming proposal. The siblings' marriage conversation was too big of an anvil to miss. Why are they getting married? Because an ep ago they thought just pretending not to be involved was the best way to deal with her mother? Because they've been together a whole few months? Or could it be because his sister is making a huge life change and his brother put the idea of marriage in his head? Ding, ding, ding! I do believe that is my crappy, stupid answer. They were being so cute in that scene too. Positives- I have always loved Korsak and Maura's scenes and tonight was no different. They treat each other like adults in a way that few other characters on this show do. It seems like it's been way too long since they had a scene together. I also continue to love Kent and Maura together. Their scene was lovely, as was that she had already been discussing the case with him. Also, Maura's graveside outfit was fabulous and I cracked up at Tommy telling Angela not to give TJ popsicles for dinner (been there). The final scene was just beautiful too. Other negatives- that ugly tank top Maura had on at the end, the horrible family at the beginning, and the creepy, awful case.

In addition to the lack of Jane focused shots that I mentioned in the media thread, I agree with the low-key acting. It was particularly noticeable in the Angela/Ron reunion scene, and it and Lorraine Bracco were all the better for it. Angela is typically very grating but there, she was vulnerable and genuinely overwhelmed. It made that scene for me. Same for her earlier scene with Jane, though that one was made with the quiet punch of Angie's 'I love you Ma'. I also liked Jane's measured response to Maura's secret. She clearly didn't like it, but she also didn't let the squad embarrass her. Instead she held back until they could talk about it. That is serious maturing in their friendship and I like it. Maura not being good enough cracked me up. Particularly since the obvious reasoning was that Tilly really didn't like another woman pulling Edward out from under her thumb. So she preferred a debutante to a doctor! That's awesome. I agree about insta-romances but like I've said, this one was there for me. I would love it if in the next ep, Maura said she was meeting him for lunch. I don't want or need a finale shocker-wedding, but a first date or two would be nice. She clearly still liked him so much. The instant physical affection and trust was sweet, and speaks well of the connection they had. No, no, no! I am almost stamping my foot here at the idea that Maura will give up her medical examiner career to be a 'real' doctor. If forced, I could deal with her leaving to go identify bodies in war zones like Hope or the like, but I am NOT okay with her giving up being a ME. She likes writing and is really enjoying the clinics, but she loves her job. Not just the medical part of it, but she's always seemed to love everything else involved in being the Chief ME like the business parts and dealing with her employees. And unlike Jane, she's always been shown to be able to balance her life and career very well. I agree with you about not wanting massive changes though. Someone ending the show with one is not really surprising and this is Jane's show, but I want everything else to just keep going after the goodbyes. I really want Maura to end up with a relationship on the horizon. I don't care if Jane does or not, but for me, Maura has really wanted that in a way that Jane hasn't. It's partially because Jane is still building her career while Maura has already achieved so much she's wanted in hers, but I think it's also that Maura doesn't have Jane's family. Or it could be neither of those. But for me, Maura's happy ending involves love and building that in her future in a way Jane's doesn't. If they would just explain why the hell Jane Rizzoli even considered getting out of the field, I would be fine with her happy ending being new professional challenges.

I have to agree about the Jan Nash bias. One thing that did stand out about the last ep was that there was only about a fourth as many shots centered on only Jane. It did not hurt the show AT ALL, IMO.

Sasha did an interview with TVLine about directing the last ep and the final eps. Thankfully the writer actually watched the episode so there is a nice discussion. I didn't realize that the party scene was all one shot. I find those little directing tidbits interesting. The fireplace was different! I knew that scene with Jane and Maura talking about Edmund was different somehow, but I didn't realize that it was because we'd never actually seen a fire in the fireplace before. With the change in focus and lighting, it was like a different room. She sold this to me and I'm guessing that is because she actually recognized the need to sell it. I'm all for 'show, don't tell' in shows but they have to actually show it. I enjoyed her memories of her cast mates. Those are more BTS tidbits I find very interesting. Her choice of the old autopsy photo is awesome! I wish I knew what the French tea set she told the Post that she took looks like. Also: I will always love and appreciate her affection for Maura. She seems to still really enjoy her. Me too, Sasha! I've thought it was a bit odd that Angie was given the 100th ep to direct since it was first announced. I feel that way even more now. I wonder if both Sasha and Angie were asking to direct for years? It's odd that Sasha couldn't or (more likely) chose not to make that happen earlier if she really wanted to direct and that when it did happen, the eps were close together, and in Angie's case, a huge ep for the series. It's like someone at TNT said 'fuck it, we're done with the show anyway, let them do what they want'.