kirkola

That's where I am too. Ben may be right from a strictly money stand point, but he is going about it in a rather childish way. They have had several conversations about the need to better communicate their feelings, and I think Darlene is doing her best here. It feels like the panic attacks scared her and Ben isn't giving her the space to deal with it. He is discounting her feelings on the matter. He can be right, without railroading her feelings. Also, it seems sort of petty that he insists on sleeping in the store. Now, as for Ben, I get that sleeping in your girlfriend's childhood bedroom and paying her Dad rent is a bit awkward. Also, it was clear in the beginning that he didn't really want to do it. And it was clear at the time Darlene discounted his feelings on the subject, and he just agreed. But he did agree, so this is where he's at. If he wants to have an honest conversation with her, he needs to explain that he wants/needs his own space away from the family, but he also needs to be prepared to give a little. And don't even get me started on the arrogance of walking into someone else's home and telling the owner that he has to sell because it makes life easier for her precious baby boy. That being said, I love Candace Bergen on here and think her sharp tongue is needed. The show is missing that sharp tongue, no holds barred, tell it like it is, persona. I had hoped Katey Sagal would fill that role, though I doubt we'll see much of her again, with her new show.

My initial response to the alligator story was "at least it's not in Florida, so we don't have to worry about her getting eaten by an alligator." Imagine my shock when it ended with her getting eaten. Also, to be fair to Florida, alligators aren't stalking residents. But every Florida resident knows that if there is a body of water, chances are better than average that an alligator lives in it. When I was growing up, a local business built a retention pond, surrounded by a fence. So picture a small pool with a concrete bottom, surrounded on all sides by a chainlink fence to keep kids out. An alligator was discovered in it. The working theory is that a bird caught a baby alligator and then dropped it while flying over the pond. But I wouldn't put it past the alligator having climbed the fence because it was there. So, I'm always shocked to hear alligator stories that don't involve Florida. Apparently South Carolina has 'gator problems now.

Just wanted to add, I think a brick wall would have "decent chemistry with Ryan McPartlin". Dude just sort drips charm from his pores. There's a reason my family still calls him "Cap'n Awesome"...even though Chuck is long gone.

It doesn't help that Scott Wolf doesn't look near old enough to have a college age daughter. Also, as soon as I heard Nick talking to the girls about George, I was kinda hoping they would jump to the wrong conclusion, just because they were just a weirdly unprepared for life. I mean, I know you can make pancakes in the oven, but don't they usually need eggs?

As to Jonathan & Jordan, I actually said "they must be the wonder twins" to which my siblings graciously knew I meant "they need each other" and not "one turns into water and the other into animals". (I really ought to read more comics and not just rely on the history of TV/movie superheros). Also, I am loving this version of Lois. Her superpower continues to be the pen...Morgan Edge doesn't stand a chance. (Assuming the town doesn't metaphorically skin her alive before she finishes the job...)

After the disastrous 30 minutes that was the pilot and binging the entirety of Miranda, I've been watching Max in each episode. I don't know what the writers are putting in Max's mouth, but the actor follows Kat with his eyes. He's constantly watching her when she's not looking. So while he might have freaked out and said "can't even conceive of the notion", it's not like he hasn't been paying attention.

The pratfalls are considered canon to the original source material, so Bialik is keeping it in the storyline. Not my favorite either, but keeping it toned down is helping. The original TV show had way more physical comedy. And I agree that the will-they-won't-they trope is totally played out. But, again, seeing the original helped me realize where they are going with this Max and Kat storyline and I'm all for it. We saw a little bit of Max's goofy side in this --breaking into song for no reason--and his sweet side--genuine desire to want to see Kat happy. I also love Kat's straightforward style. The only complaint I have is that Max & Kat do not harmonize well. I think they are both decent singers, just not together.

While the twins weren't as well fleshed out as I might have liked, it was clear the two actors had good chemistry as brothers. The sibling petty fighting and snide remarks, but heaven help the person attacking from the outside was on point, as far as I could see. I loved the chemistry between Clark and Lois, but then it was a highlight with whatever random arrowverse appearance happened. It looks good.

I was born in 75, and I can remember my Mom having to provide a marriage license to get store cards, because according to the stores, she had no credit. So it had to have been early 80s, possibly very late 70s for me to be able to remember it. My Mom was always looking for teachable moments, so she explained it to my brother and I. The entire thing seemed stupid to my kid ears, because my Dad rarely bought anything on his own. Mom did all the shopping and if Dad wanted something, he'd give her a list to work from. It made hardware store shopping fun. The Airbnb and birthing story needed more information to make it make sense. Clearly the women rented the house, so she had a right to be there, but where were the plastic sheeting, the buckets of water, the towels? I mean, far as I know, you aren't allowed to trash an Airbnb. So the guest would have needed to clean up after the birth. Also both the owner and tenant would have needed to hand over paperwork proving that they were who they said they were. Alot of that bit was just sorta random. Finally, at some point, officer Stanton (I had to look it up, calling him Routh didn't seem appropriate) should have realized that his rookie is a West of the Internal Affairs Wests and mind his ps and qs. I mean what if Daddy West overheard him in the precinct yelling at Rookie West or Rookie West casually mentioned names while complaining about a hard day at the family dinner.

Unless the real Robin Masters sent an employee, posing as Robin Masters into Afghanistan. Or Higgins, as a master spy, has a bunch of different alias, one of which is Robin Masters, famed, but reclusive, writer and the person in Afghanistan was just a fake. Yeah, if they decide they want to go the "actual writer plots that the original show played with" they will stretch it into whatever fiction works best. Though I'll admit, the second potential explanation I've offered would require explaining what a random fake was doing joining embedding himself in a war if Higgins didn't send him there. And it also neither explanation explains why the whole deportation plot line occurred. That plot line was just dumb from start to finish. Edited to add: I kinda want Booky to invest in Rick's bar so we can have more original recipe TC and current TC. I loved original recipe TC when I was a kid (it was Rick I didn't care for back then). And current TC is still awesome, so is current Rick. I need to go back and revisit the old show at some point and see if original recipe Rick was better than my memory of him, or if I still agree. (Note: This is not a condemnation of the actor, I just didn't like the character).

Yes, binge watching Miranda definitely helped. I am usually not a fan of slapstick and pratfalls, but somehow Miranda makes it look sorta charming. You end up rooting for her rather quickly. As for Call Me Kat, seeing what the aim is has really helped smooth out some of the rough spots. And it certainly helps that 2nd episode Kat isn't quite as manic as she appeared in the premiere. Less of a caricature of someone else, and more of a real breathing person. I'm still not 100% sold, but I'm willing to give it a few more episodes. Which I wasn't willing to do before I binged Miranda. So great job there.

I don't know. I get that this is an attempt at the American version of Miranda Hart (something on my list to watch, but I've not had the chance). But Mayim has done goofy/spacey before in the early 90s on a show called Blossom. It wasn't perfect, but the show had a little bit of charm to it. Her character wasn't near as flighty as either her friend Six, or her brother Joey, but Mayim did a decent job. Blossom had sort of an independent streak and marched to her own drum regardless of what others thought. I also know that when converting British Comedies for American audiences, alot of changes are required. I've yet to understand the reason, because I usually find the British versions more funny than the American versions. I think I'm the only person who didn't like the American version of The Office. Now the British version was very funny.

We only have Higgins word that Masters gave her the entire estate AND that she has to pay the upkeep on her own. Now I have no doubt that Masters pulled a bunch of strings and got her VISA issue wiped out. and he may have even deeded her the estate. But it makes less sense that she has to manage the entire upkeep on her own with her own cash. So, my head canon is: Higgins lied to Magnum about the money. A smallish lie, but one she feels justified to use to get Magnum to start paying. Meanwhile, the estate has been placed in some sort of trust that Higgins has control over and the funds for managing the estate are a part of said trust, so she doesn't really need the extra $$ from Magnum, she's just trying to teach him a lesson.

Rodney King and the LA Riots were one of the major "where were you when" moments of the 1990s. Not something easily forgotten, especially if you were raised in LA. However, I think the writers had written themselves into a corner with this one. Addressing the riots, required them to need a character to say "what was that" to give Hondo a reason to give a speech and the flashback scenes. Given the limited actor pool they probably had to work with, the task got left to Darryl. Without the pandemic, they could have written a different scene where maybe Hondo was speaking to elementary school kids. So I think they made the best of a bad situation.

I think you have to go back to through Randall's earlier scenes. There was a bit earlier with Randall and Beth where it is heavily implied (or maybe outright stated, my memory is sometimes faulty) that the family is getting tired of Kate's sudden activism. It's the scene where Kate is sending Randall photos from the BLM marches. At this point, unless they want to backtrack and show Kate as being a long term ally, it feels like suddenly, with George Floyd's death, she's become active. And I'm not discounting the activism. It's great that she's willing and able to march. But sharing all this with Randall felt like she was asking for some kind of validation from the Philadelphia Pearsons for her good deeds. So at the cabin, when she walked up to Randall, I could feel Randall's exhaustion of Kate's sudden spirit. And understand, I'm Caucasian who is still learning and hope to one day be the right kind of ally. Because what I have learned in the last 12 months is that I grew up with what Martin Luther King Jr. called a White Moderate. One who was perfectly happy with the status quo and was thoroughly shocked to hear and see what my friends in the black communities have been saying (and in some cases, not saying) for years. On some levels, I did know (my black friends always over dress for every occasion, even when the activity doesn't warrant it), it just did not register (which shows my privilege). I'm trying to see better now. And what I'm seeing is that Kate appears to be over-compensating for having not done enough in the past. So where I'm trying to sit down and watch/listen, Kate is doing the trademarked Pearson Grand Gesture. So for me, seeing Randall in front of Kate saying that while he loved her, he couldn't do this right then, made a certain amount of sense. I agree with your assessment of Kevin. I would only add that that Kevin does admire Randall as a father even if he doesn't always admire him as a brother. The resentments that Kevin and Randall have had growing up are certainly hard to let go. And it definitely looked like Kevin was trying to move passed it, not with a trademarked Pearson Grand Gesture, but with more of an olive branch. Which makes me think Kevin is likely still in therapy and still working through his issues. But both men were raised by one very closed off father figure, so both are going to have to come through this to the other side. Overall, there were a few missteps, like trying to shoehorn the mask wearing into the explanation of the flash forward scene with Older Rebecca. And the fact that Miguel should have been aware of his wife's poison ivy itch. I know from experience, that when dealing with care-giving and dementia/alzheimers, you have to be more vigilant about what they get into and how to respond to it. I would have preferred if Miguel had been calling the doctor with the pill bottle in hand to confirm possible drug interactions. At least if they had written it that way, Miguel could have put the phone down and said "I got this Randall" and given Randall a break from his savior problems. Lastly, I just wanted to say that I'm okay with Randall changing therapists because he explained to the current one why. Reasons matter and I suspect therapists, like doctors, are used to this. What isn't okay is being racist about choosing your doctor/therapist. But Randall is essentially saying one of his issues is the hole left by his adoption and being raised by a white family, even as he acknowledges that his family was indeed loving. I have heard similar things from Asian adoptees (adopted by white families). Randall is certainly not saying he doesn't like white people.

As someone who's oldest and dearest friend came out of the closet, the revelation certainly gave me pause. Not because I love my friend any less for being true to themselves, but because I didn't know what that meant for me. It's a bit selfish on my part. And not the reaction I was hoping I would have to someone's coming out story. Intellectually, I understood and supported what I was hearing. And because I love my friend, I was happy for them. But, I still wondered what it meant for me as a straight person (though I hate that term, it sorta implies everything else is crooked). Did all the times we said "love you" mean anything more than friendship/family or did it mean something else to my friend. And because I wanted to be supportive, I never asked. At some point, I know we will have that conversation, but when someone is revealing their truth....it is not the time to say "what about me". So I get the Charlotte being nervous about the Tess part. People's emotions are what they are. And they can't always be explained intellectually.

I can't speak to reality show contestants (who mostly seem like they are only there for their 15 minutes of fame), but the caretaker guilt is real and will eat you alive if you aren't careful. My own father died 3 months into the premiere season of This is Us. And at the time, I wasn't sure I would be capable of watching the show, but I stuck it out. Dad had been in decline for years and I moved home to help my Mom and siblings in what turned out to be his final year. And after he passed, the "what ifs" appeared. What if I came home earlier? What if I had done more? What if I had recognized the signs? My family and I got through it by talking. Whenever we felt like....however we felt like. Sometimes it was anger at some of his choices toward the end....others were more happy memories. In the end, you have to accept that what happened is what happened. Even if I had been there sooner...even if we had gotten Dad help sooner, he still would have made the choices he made. Randall needs to see that too. Getting Rebecca into the trial is not a guarantee, and the likelihood is good that it may not affect the outcome. And I know from experience (not Dad), 9 months with an Alzheimer patient is a lot longer than Randall thinks. He's far more likely to regret losing that time with Rebecca. Time where she remembers him and speaks relatively coherently. But that is what therapy is for.

I liked Eve as a fan girl in the beginning. I mean there is no way she would spend more than 5 minutes with Malcolm without getting weird creepy guy vibes....and she stuck around long enough to sleep with him. But she seemed genuine in her freakout over Malcolm's sleepwalking (sleep slashing?) nightmare. And she didn't come back until Jessica prompted Eve. So I am starting to lean toward related to girl in the box. Like maybe the girl in the box was Eve's Aunt. I'll admit, having the actress playing Jessica looking roughly the same age as the actor playing Malcolm, has thrown me for figuring out who is older and who is younger on the show. It makes it hard to figure things out. The girl in the box should have been in her late teens or early 20s. Which means that if Eve were the one in the box, she'd been in her 30s by now. So Jessica's age and not Malcolm's. And yeah they are all consenting adults and all that. But I would be a little put off by sleeping with someone my parents age.

Oh good. I didn't think I could take two different character (different shows) exits in one week. Even if this one has been a long plot point. I need escapism at this point...not sadness. I am having a devil of time convincing those who should stay home and be safe to do so, while at the same time, convincing others to stop overreacting. Also, I would be okay with next week's plot as it might encourage others to see the danger the real world threat is. But I can also see where it might be a little too on the nose for many people.

Hard to tell, Michael is pretty drunk and especially self-destructive at the moment. I'm not sure he was ever sober at any point in this episode. Though his quipping skills are still good.

I don't believe the Harlem Cinema House would have been allowed to keep the original 35 mm movie prints. And even if they somehow did get to keep them, they wouldn't be in very good condition. Once a film finished its initial run, it would have be sent to secondary theaters, which Harlem Cinema might be considered, and then sent to to the next location. Printing the film was expensive back before digital and they only made a limited number of copies. So first run theaters tended to be in large cities and followed by the cheaper theaters in those cities, followed by sending it out to the smaller towns. A theater who didn't send the film along to the next address would run the risk of the Studio ignoring them for the next big release. Also, film was transported in those smaller containers, and then spliced together unto larger spools (platters) for running through the projector. 2 small canisters fit onto one large platter. Then it would be cut down back down to send to the next theater. Thereby cutting and taping the film repetitively. So, even if Harlem Cinema did somehow keep the films, they aren't anywhere near the condition our crew thinks it is. And this doesn't even include the fact that the room needs to be temperature controlled to keep the actual film from deteriorating. The original movie posters would be valuable though. They are also supposed to be sent along to the next theater, but the 2nd and 3rd run theaters would sometimes lose the poster and it ended up in someone's home. Leaving the next theater to improvise a poster, often with hilarious results. Sorry, both my parents worked in the theater industry for a good number of years and I grew up hanging out in them. I love this show, but they fail at realism. Often.

Also St. Jack who led by example. He picked out the house, bought it and presented it unfinished to Rebecca as "here's the house for you". Never mind that she might have wanted to live somewhere else. It's one of the reasons I have never really enjoyed the big romantic gesture. It's all about the giver choosing what the receiver wants/needs. Sure it's sweet and romantic, but saying "I don't want that" ruins the moment. So Rebecca just goes along with it because it's sweet and Jack is being thoughtful. But is it really thoughtful, when she doesn't get to have a say in its execution? And unfortunately, her kids saw Rebecca spend a life time of "going along with it". And it's led to the Big 3 to make some pretty crappy decisions.

I know it happened in Florida. A friend of mine's mom taught Special Ed and apparently the teachers were informed, but not the students. So friend's mom is trying to comfort a room full of Special Needs kids who actually thought the school shooter was there to kill them. I get that Special Needs kids have different levels of understanding, but to have the shooter enter the room and waive the gun around was just unnecessarily cruel. Friend's mom retired shortly after that. She couldn't take the stress after that. Conversely, the college where my brother works had an active shooter drill setup by the police department for better training of the emergency response team. Frequent emails explaining the situation and what steps to take were sent. The majority of students were asked to stay home, though I think a few participated so teachers could be teaching at the time. And the "active shooter" carried blanks and, afterward, there were some areas with fake-blood splatter, etc.

I do believe that's a generational thing. Both Jack and Rebecca were raised that the male parent was the final decision maker, even if he was wrong. And also that you do not ever disagree with the the male parent. My parents were the same. It's one of those pesky lessons you teach your kids by doing and not by telling. Women may have been burning bras and demanding equality in the streets, but in suburban homes...they were still towing the line.

Oops. And I was worried I missed a few in Kevin's list.... The very fact that we are getting to see Randall's manic behavior and his eventual recovery is compelling to me. I like that each character is a living and breathing person and not a caricature.