TaibasJones

Was this a misguided attempted at upping/retaining male viewership? Anyway, Wardlow is such a weird random TV frenemy name. All I can think of is Waldo's nemesis, "Odlaw."

I must be taking crazy pills, because I feel like they are finally making Carteris look a bit younger somehow. Maybe it's the no glasses and the softer hair. The early 90s were challenging because it seems like there was not much between the mini business lady look and chiffon body suit things. I rejected both so I wore a lot of band shirts but that was before "girl cut" tees came in. I was happy when I didn't have to look like a cereal box anymore. Also I have to comment on the super random bongo poster. That struck a really deep buried memory, actually. This is so anecdata but I remember this resurgence in 60s fashion and slang around this time, at least in my part of the US (which was so backwater I KNOW it didn't begin there). Sassy mag was pushing this look pretty hard iirc. Environmentalism was trendy again (which we have seen a few times in 90210 now with the beach pollution commentary). I was flat ironing my hair, ha. My friends and I would hit Salvation Army and get polyester 60s dresses and there were a bunch of wild tights, patterns, granny glasses and peace signs in Claire's. The wild patterns come out on 90210 but they are definitely more of the true 90s interpretation (Chess King/Contempo Casuals) than true 60s. And then in 94 Woodstock happened again and my friends and I lost our minds about that because we were too young and broke to go (thank god). Sooo somehow that bongo poster seems spot on.

I totally get making Donna the MVP, but I have to give pushy Oooondrea some props too. It's so PSA-y and stagy per usual, but I was glad she had a line about not blaming the victim. I think she set some of the groundwork for Sue not feeling like she was completely isolated. I cringe to think that I thought Brenda's "BACK OFF MY FRIEND'S MAAAAN" slutshaming was justifiable back in the day and Andrea and the eventual reveal snapped me out of that (man I was so young when this came out). It is embarrassing to admit I learned some things from this show, but I guess it's good something was getting through my naive skull. My daughter comes home from high school with tales of girls who are making very bad Sue Scanlonesque choices and I can only go "Oh honey please be a little compassionate, they are possibly having a very hard time at home."

Now I don't remember if that was deliberately a baseball dress or not, but I do remember it! Much to my shame and mild discomfort I've been thinking a lot about Steve's pepperonis and poor Sue Scanlon and whatnot. I think it's all gleefully appalling to see now, and worth a thousand "BAAAARF!!"s from Tara. But when I was a kid in the frigid Midwest the presentation of this fantasy made me really happy to think that somewhere it was acceptable to chill in a tank top or wear small shorts (even if they would threaten to unleash the Bert and Ernies). Maybe that's why I live on the West Coast now. Scary thought.

I think this is the season where they started to lose me, partly because of the shifts in character. Though there's no way I could have articulated that as a tenth grader. I did finally watch the whole run on FX in the early 2000s. This podcast will not lose me, though. Too enjoyable. This is also the episode as an adult where I realized James Eckhouse is a low-rent Tobias Menzies. I submit the picture accompanying this funny/bizarre Eckhouse remembrance as evidence: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/arts/television/31eck.html

I think it's because of my viewing habits lately, but there was something kind of Twin Peaksy about this ep for me. The screaming in class, the dreams. That robber is no "BOB" but Mr. Pony makes a pretty good James Hurley.

That French manicure is very 80s VHS porno.

Somehow in the caps hockey Brandon looks like one those lawn decorations, like a satiny snowman or Santa you stuff with fallen leaves from your yard. And I hate to bag on Jason Priestley since cold sores happen, but I'm surprised that the makeup department didn't go after that.

GoT--I tried picking them up on the recommendation of several friends a few years ago and couldn't get through the first one (and I do like many kinds and genres of books!). Somehow I got the idea to listen to the audiobooks of them, I think due to doing an extremely boring tech job at the time and walking a long ways to work. MY POINT is that Roy Dotrice, who later shows up in s2 of GoT the show, reads 3 of the audiobooks. I love his choices for the pronunciation of the character's names, and he actually sings the songs that are in the book. Apparently he broke a Guiness record for the number of distinct characters he does. Having it read TO you is much better. That said I'm not a superfan. I had a frenzy of listening to them (very entertaining) and then wandered off. Made it through the first season then never went back, though I would like to see Blackwater at some point. I love Daddy's Boy for The Canon. I think I laughed the hardest at this episode. Well spotted on the music being front and center. I feel like to a lesser extent music was a significant part of what I remember about 30 Rock--I can still hear the jaunty "here comes Liz Lemon whose day is about to be ruined" music. Thanks for the podcast!

Okay, I've been nerding (nerded?) out about $cienos for more than 10 years now, since shortly after Operation Clambake went up. I read Going Clear and I knew all the terms and a lot of the history. So, I see what Tara is saying about maybe the documentary would be too shallow for people who have been following all the news/history, but I am SO going to watch it! Cannot stay away. Great podder as usual, glad to see Omar back.

Oh boy, I've had Empire at the back of my mind and this is my impetus to get to it. I'm late here but I came looking for Drip Drop in Show Notes as promised but it is not there. Obviously it was easy to find on YT.