EarlGreyTea

I can't believe they killed off Natalie so soon! I thought for sure she would be around all season. Nice twist. Also, was it just me, or did she and Love have crazy chemistry? I thought for sure she'd try seducing Love, too. Was that....a used tampon in Joe's box o'things?

Pia is the most whiny, entitled character I've come across in a good long while. Angry because Sophie had photos of Nick taken down in HER OWN HOME and demanding to know where the detective is all the time, plus the audacity of bitching when he doesn't answer right away!

Pia drove me absolutely nuts with her histrionics, entitlement, and general shitty attitude. Kind of wish she'd been the one abducted. I hope it's not her POV for every episode. Maybe if the actress was stronger, I'd feel more for her. Right now she's ruining my enjoyment of the show overall. I think it's meant to contrast with Betty Gabriel's (the wife) cool, detached manner. I absolutely loved her.

I'll say it again: no matter what complete nonsense Jinger and Jeremy are on about these days, Jinger really has never looked better. Nice clear skin, fashionable clothes, not allergic to putting her hair up, and she got rid of that Kate Middleton raccoon eyes look. She is far and away the most gorgeous Duggar girl. I have nothing nice to say about Jeremy.

I think the showrunners read the room and realized Mallory was by far the least popular sitter back in the day. Her family was annoying, her parents took total advantage of her, and she was incredibly whiny (albeit for good reason). I feel like I read somewhere that she wasn't as popular because her life wasn't as aspirational as Stacey or Claudia's lives. Makes sense. I did really like the Mystery Diary book, though. And her inexplicable closeness with Stacey once they lived close to one another. I LOVED The Great Romance and Wicked Stepsister book arc. I'm glad they didn't sugarcoat how hard it is blend a family.

This explains a lot! I had no idea he was a Duplass. Who knew Mark was the more appealing one? I have to agree with what was said about his character in this episode (don't remember his name, don't care). It's rare that I dislike a character so quickly right off the bat, but here we are. Hot messes usually need some kind of charisma or appeal to keep them interesting to me, but all they've given this guy is slapstick college humor (which is appropriate, I guess, given the setting). No thanks. Ji-Yoon is too good for him and they have no chemistry. Next!

I will sit marooned on an island in my deep love for this season's setting. I have family in Albuquerque, and I find it stunning (well, most parts). I loved how gorgeous the desert looked in the background on dates and B-roll. It's not as glitzy as previous seasons, and maybe it didn't quite fit Katie's personality (although I thought her casual daywear looked good against the backdrop), but I never thought anything looked cheap, except for those Hometown dates. Yikes. Also, call me a sheep taken in by advertising, but I totally want to stay at that resort.

Girl, you never let an ex know when they're living rent-free inside your head like this!

I need to work on whatever issues I have that are making me salivate over mopey Greg in that gray suit. Quarantine thirst? Anyone else?

Kind of seems more COVID-related. Who's got time to quarantine? This was filmed when? If it was last fall or early this year, no way did it feel safe to hop on a plane (not even now, really).

Yeah, I seriously wondered if that was the same mall set used in Stranger Things. Overall, a bit too gory for me, but I'm in. I really like how diverse the cast is. Even if they're checking some kind of diversity quota, I don't care. This minority appreciates the effort. Reminds me a lot of Cruel Summer on Hulu, also set in 1994. They even used some of the same music. If you liked Fear Street, I think you'd like Cruel Summer. When it's all complete, I'd like to rewatch the series in chronological order.

And from this seconds-long trailer, Dule Hill is going to be AMAZING as the dad. He seems to have the same gravitas and world-weariness that Dan Lauria possessed in the original (although who knew he was old enough to credibly have elementary age kids? He is 46, apparently. ). For me, much of it hangs on this particular casting and the narration of Cheadle. Can't wait.

So I know you posted this years ago, but I am watching the pilot for the first time and this is my main issue. There was not NEARLY enough hysteria. My presumed dead relative shows up, and if my immediate reaction is not to drop to my knees in gratitude/hysteria/confusion, it's not realistic. The scene where all the families were reunited at the airport was really undersold. There should have been more hysterics, more tears, and maybe some fainting. Maybe that would have been too over the top, but it would have sold it better for me. The medical researcher, upon her return to work, was greeted with mere hugs as if she'd been gone for a few weeks on vacation. Also would have been nice to see the characters acknowledge historical events between 2013 and 2018. I mean, a reality show star is now the president? Give me something to work with, people. Also, I wish they had taken more time to establish the characters before the plane. Some more exposition about the characters' family dynamics would have been nice. I didn't have enough time to care about any of them before, so why should I care now that they're back?

So I did a horrible crop/lasso job on one of her photos, but you can still kind of see the effect. She would look so stunning with a shorter do, IMO:

It was kind of infuriating that Pacey and Dawson weren't allowed to be sympathetic at the same time - in terms of writing, that is. Season 3 Dawson, as I said before, was a whiny asshole who tried to bump off Pacey and poor Will in that borrowed boat (However, to be frank, I didn't mind much since I loved Pacey and hated Dawson). Season 4 was all about Dawson's redemption. Fine. But this is when I started caring about the writing only allowing for one or the other to be sympathetic at a time. In one season, Pacey lost his boat, kept his academic probation from Joey, threw a heinous tantrum at prom, and a bunch of other things. All while Dawson came out smelling like roses. I wish there was a little more nuance in the writing to allow for both to be sympathetic at the same time. Of course, as Pacey was my first TV crush, I was always sympathetic towards him (except Promicide, although the sentiment behind it - his crushing insecurity and depression - I did have some pity for.).

I think Pacey and Joey simply gave Dawson too much power over them. He lived rent-free in their heads for the entire relationship and long after. I kind of think Dawson got off (so to speak) on the power he wielded over these two from such broken homes and sad circumstances (yet he whined the most about his own home life!). But they allowed it! Make your choice and stick with it, Joey. Her constant soothing of Dawson's ruffled feathers in S4 drove me berserk. I have always thought it was a testament to the sheer force of Joshua Jackson's talent and the insane chemistry of P/J that so much of the viewing audience ended up on his/their side. On paper, Dawson was the injured party. If my best friend and "soulmate" ran off together, I'd be pretty livid about it too. Yet Pacey was able to generate such sympathy that Dawson ended up looking like a whiny, bratty idiot much of the time. I will say the writing didn't much back Dawson up, because trying to crash his (borrowed) boat into Pacey's was sociopathic!

I kind of got the impression they lived off whatever they caught and were probably malnourished when they got home as a result. I seem to recall an interview with one of the writers or producers about this particular scene. They pointed out how it would have stopped the romantic moment flat if Joey began talking logistics, i.e., a toothbrush. Also if she'd shown up with a backpack, Pacey might have guessed why she was there and ruined the big emotional reveal. 13-year-old me was briefly confused when I first saw it, but it was SO romantic to me then and I didn't worry about the particulars. 33-year-old me would need a reliable WiFi signal, lol.

I think Jinger looks great. For my money, she's snatched Jessa's crown as Most Beautiful Duggar Girl, roots showing and all. Jessa seems less interested in fashion these days (not judging), but Jinger always looks like she's put some thought into her overall look and aesthetic. Also, her skin is great. Say what you will about their move to LA (and there's plenty to say), but Jinger has never looked lovelier. The less said about Jeremy, the better.

Derick and Jill gave a super brief statement here.

Do we really think Anna knew beforehand? Who in their right mind would climb onto their high horse on Instagram claiming their husband is a good provider days before his arrest? Unless he blindsided her again. Someone one Reddit says M7 should be named Miranda Rights Duggar. 😆

Yeah, can someone familiar with federal stuff explain why it's not immediately apparent what the charges are? How long this raid may have been in the making? And does no bail kind of imply a more serious charge than, say, financial crimes?

It's true, unless they Photoshopped a mugshot. TMZ is pretty reliable, they will pay off almost anyone to get the dirt before other outlets.

TMZ reporting that Josh has been arrested by the Feds. Unclear what the charges are. Wowza! Mug shot at the source, too.

I think the introduction of young Rose, with the music swelling slightly and her gorgeous face being revealed under that equally gorgeous hat is, for my money, the single best character introduction in cinematic history. Fight me!

So I re-watched the movie last night. For my money, one of the most poignant lines comes from Mr. Harvey: "You're a young man, Jimmy. You still could be playing. If you just woulda laid off the booze." Garry Marshall delivered it with such perfect notes of regret and disappointment. Hanks' very brief look of shame was a nice rejoinder. I've always felt we are our own worst enemies sometimes. Did that article shown in the HOF scene with Jimmy's dates of birth and death mention anything about his post-AAGPBL life? I wonder if he remarried or what.