freebie

Plus, the detective knows -- and had graphic physical evidence of -- Perry's assault on Celeste. She knows he was off-the-rails violent in the moments before his death, so why isn't it plausible that Perry went to kick Celeste again, missed and fell? Also, I don't know many cops, but the ones I do know would take one look at this situation and think the bastard got what he deserved. So, why doesn't this particular detective think that way? What's *her* damage? They keep harping on how Celeste learned of Perry's "infidelity" that night, as if that somehow justifies the line of thinking that Celeste alone or in a broad conspiracy with her mom friends, including her "rival" Jane, cooked up an immediate plot to whack her asshole hubby. If that was in any way plausible, why would the recent knowledge of Perry's unfaithfulness trump years of him smacking Celeste around? My head hurts from thinking about how illogical this is.

So much word. I get that it's TV, plus I'm a lawyer, so I'm used to suspending disbelief in the interest of telling a good story. But this was just too much. The packed courtroom, the random photos of the guys, and the simulation video. What even? I assumed it came from Det. Suspicious Minds, but even so, that just cannot happen, in any case. Speaking of which, what was up with the detective showing interview footage to Mary Louise? I get that she wants to solve the mystery, but she's interfering in a private custody matter in a way that could have far-reaching consequences. Does she not get that her end game - presumably putting pressure on the Monterey 5, especially Celeste - could result in the twins being raised by the parent of the physically violent guy whose death she's trying to solve? One of the big problems with this season is that the detective is such a cypher you could assign any number of reasons for her extreme interest in this situation. And any of them would be more interesting than the big fat zero in terms of characterization that we have now. Maybe - in an amazing plot twist - the detective is actually investigating the death of Perry's brother, and this is all just part of an elaborate ruse to lure Mary Louise to Monterey! I did like the juxtaposition of Bonnie's conflict with her own "bad mother" with the more obvious focus on Celeste's actions. I'm still looking forward to next week when (I hope) Celeste reduces Mary Louise to ash with a merciless examination.

I was responding to the post upthread that stated Ava's middle name, but couldn't remember the middle names of the other four kiddos.

Riley Paige, Parker Kate, Olivia Marie, and Hazel Grace. I did not have to look that up. SEND HELP!

Things I enjoyed: - Santa bonding with Hazel over his secret ginger origins - Blayke shyly admitting she sometimes likes to act like mommy - On Christmas morning, one of the quints (Ava?) asking if Danielle was feeling better - The expression on Riley's face, after she attempted to one-up Blayke concerning the size of her present and was informed by Blayke that she, in fact, had a much bigger present than Riley's. Riley was all, "well played, master, I have learned much from this encounter" - The actual, mostly correct singing and bell jingling, plus the concerned looks on her sisters' faces when Parker got upset - The kids' absolute delight on the light-up squares - Bonus Riley gem: at the supermarket, insisting Adam purchase some beer for himself

Hazel has nystagmus, likely from being a preemie. It's a condition that causes your eyes to move involuntarily, so nothing to do with the TV lights, being tired, etc.

So, so many options. I think I like the small moments best. From S1 Bran lying in bed and peevishly sparring with Old Nan ("I hate your stories") and with Robb ("I'd. Rather. Be. Dead.") - the kid could act, before he was reduced to staring off into space From S2 Brienne pledging herself to Catelyn Stark - the feels! this moment sets Brienne on her path From S3 Jon and Ygritte's (first) farewell scene ("I do know some things") - gah! getting teary just thinking about it From S4 Sandor telling Arya the story of how he was burned - these two, every scene was a treasure From S5 Master Aemon's "kill the boy" speech - the complexity of this character and how much he was able to reveal in just a handful of scenes, I just love him From S6 Gilly standing up for Sam at Horn Hill; Sam deciding to take Gilly and Little Sam with him and helping himself to Heartsbane on his way out the door - perfect encapsulation of this little family and who they are to each other and themselves From S7 Sansa to Littlefinger: "No need to seize the last word, Lord Baelish, I'll assume it was something clever" - one day, I will slay my enemies with these very words From S8 Arya jumping up into Jon's arms the same way she did when they said their goodbyes in S1 - I was waiting for this and never, ever thought I'd get it

Well. That's that. Much to process, but I think it all started to go downhill for me when the staircase Tyrion needed to access the Tomb of the Greatest Love of All was completely intact and totally safe. What else? Bran as king. I confess I let out an uncomfortable little laugh when Tyrion threw his lot behind Bran. It was like being at a dinner party and listening to an acquaintance wonder why the system of government in The Handmaid's Tale wouldn't work in the U.S. And then you realize they're serious. When Bran the Smugly All-Knowing, First of His Name, responded that he wouldn't have bothered to come south otherwise, I almost threw something at the TV. My beer was nearest, so I opted for a long swig instead. Finally, the Small Council. Seven Hells! I don't know what was worse: that TPTB utterly failed to think about who could fill the three empty spots or that His Grace, Bran the Couldn't Be Bothered, just left the Bro Council (props to whoever upthread coined that phrase) to their own devices. I did like Arya saying toodles and bugging out with her direwolf-emblazoned sailing ship, and Jon meeting back up with Tormund and most especially Ghost. Also, Sansa's hair, crown, and dress were very pretty. I hope Jon leaving Castle Black is a permanent thing. If anyone's watch has ended, it's his.

Well, if Saint Jon stated that he was uncomfortable with incest, then the audience (and the show runners) would have to acknowledge that the Greatest Love of All, which involves a twin sister and brother, is also problematic. Better not to say anything, I guess. Sometimes, I wish Tywin was still around. He would set everybody straight on this topic in a New York minute.

Some random observations, having read through the thread: I'm in the Mad!Dany is unearned camp, although I like the idea of it, just not the execution. If Arya decides to take on one more assassination for the road, I'm warming to the idea of her being named the Queenslayer. I thought the sudden ability of Dany/Drogon to figure out how to avoid getting shot was sort of ridiculous because there didn't appear to be a reason for it. And how busy were the smiths and engineer-types? Because they sure managed to assemble an amazing number of anti-dragon artillery in a short period of time. I think they have written Jon into a dead end. He couldn't have been more ineffectual. I can attempt to understand where his head might be at -- he's still reeling from having risen from the dead, he now knows his true identity/parentage (and realizes his girlfriend is actually his aunt), and he very likely did not believe for one second that he/they were going to survive the Army of the Dead. So, I can forgive him for being unable to think on his feet in recent weeks. But, that's just something else we weren't shown. How much time would it have taken to show him deferring to others on strategic decisions, acting confused and unable to concentrate, or just plain confiding in Davos that he was D.O.N.E.? I mean, I think he could have used an extra couple of weeks to recuperate more than anyone else, but alas. Cersei/Jaime was just the worst. And I wasn't terribly moved by Tyrion/Jaime either. It was more stupid decision-making by Tyrion. I get that Jaime in the show treated him better than Jaime in the books, but Tyrion's loyalty to and love for his family doesn't make much sense. I can understand those feelings for House Lannister in the abstract and for this version of Jaime in the flesh, but I can't understand extending those feelings to Cersei. Clegane Bowl was fan service. Yes, I said it. It went on too long, and it was improbable that Sandor got in as many licks as he did, considering that Zombie!Gregor couldn't actually die by stabbing. But I liked how it ended. Seemed fitting. I'm curious to see how Jon, Davos, Tyrion and Arya are going to interact with Dany after this. Jon in particular -- who tells the truth, who graduated from the Ned Stark Academy of Right and Wrong (school colors: black and white, of course), who would swing the sword himself if he sentenced a man to death, who is a man of his word -- is going to struggle mightily with this mess. I really hope Varys put some plan into action before he died. Otherwise, I don't understand why he burned the one note, when it looked like he had multiple scrolls when we first saw him writing, or why he left his rings behind. The little girl Arya was trying to help (along with the girl's mother), was holding onto a toy white horse. When Arya surveyed the fallen, after almost being crispified herself, she saw the body of the little girl still clutching the toy horse. Then, an actual white horse rolled up. Not sure what they were trying to say there, but ::handwaves:: magic!

LOL! So late to the party, but I just watched via Kanopy, which is a free service you can access with a library card. I'm firmly in the camp of viewers who are glad about not having spent money on this. Like some of the commenters here, I really was hoping for a psychological thriller from end-to-end, rather than an ersatz Rosemary's Baby. Some of it was honestly just ridiculous, even at the beginning, when I wasn't sure which way it was going to break. Annie's eulogy was so inappropriate -- textbook example of saying the quiet parts out loud. And then when she unloaded on a group of random, grieving strangers with her circus freak show family history, I actually laughed out loud. All I could think about was being in a group like that and having some newcomer spill all of that tea at her first meeting! I probably would start questioning whether I was grieving at all after sitting through her litany of woe -- formerly estranged mother with dissociative identity disorder, father who starved to death, uncle who killed himself -- yikes! I found it completely improbable that someone with her history was able to marry and have her own family. She must have had a ton of therapy. And don't get me started on how so many of these characters defaulted to the most illogical next step. Every time. Daughter has severe nut allergy and will be attending (a) a wake where there is typically food from a number of well-meaning friends and relations, and (b) a high school "BBQ"? No worries -- leave the epi pen at home! Random woman from your grief group (that you went to once, months ago) invites you to her house (what a coincidence -- her door mat looks just like the ones your weirdo mother used to make)? Sure, tell her your darkest secrets, like that time you almost immolated yourself and your kids. Totally normal. Random woman from your grief group conjures her dead grandson (on just your second visit to her home -- isn't this friendship moving a bit fast)? Don't run screaming -- take the candle she offers and a handy printed copy of the incantation. You might need it later when you coerce your husband and son to participate in a ritual to raise the spirit of your dead daughter. Son has some sort of seizure/psychotic break at school? Let's get that broken nose checked out, then head on home, kiddo! You probably need a nap. High school is so stressful! Dad is burnt to a crisp on the hearth and deranged mom attacks from a darkened corner (because who would think to flip on the lights when it's still dark outside)? Head upstairs into the attic. Probably nothing freaky or scary in there. Sheesh!

It's so fascinating to me that neither of the Pearson brothers recognize their own power. Sophie had to point out to Kevin that he never has to choose, and Beth had to point out to Randall that he always gets his way. What's disturbing is that neither seems to understand even now. Kevin's immediate conviction that a lifetime of Zoe was worth not having kids rang so false to me. If things run true to form, he'll get Zoe and kids because that's how it works for people who don't have to make choices. And Randall's failure to hear Beth at all early on was not even remotely endearing. Neither one of these guys can hear the word "no" and process it's meaning. Maybe adult Randall will have more of a clue, but based on the flash forwards we've seen so far, I'm not counting on it. Ugh. This show is becoming a chore to watch. At this point, if they just showed Toby and Kate raising their little button to manhood and Rebecca and Miguel getting together (because I love Mandy Moore and because Young!Miguel = rowr!), I would be more into it. I honestly used to get teary-eyed at some point during every episode, but this stuff is just too uncomfortable any more.

LOL! I am now actively looking for opportunities to fit this phrase into as many conversations as possible.

Argh! I still had the last two episodes to watch when Starz pulled the plug. I needed a warning!

Well, I'm here for the tea. So far, we have babies named after Confederate soldiers and inanimate objects, Kate Gosselin's transformation into a "psychotic Greek mythological creature," and a poor little girl who will have to grow up explaining that she is named after a baseball glove. This thread is gold! Frankly, I am torn. Do I hate watch because of the bad baby names, the self-referencing as God's Divine Nine, and the fact that Courtney's dad looks a little too much like Attorney General Jeff Sessions? Or do I just sit back and enjoy what seems to be a sincere couple whose relationship looks strong (so far) and their cute little brood? Decisions, decisions.

Argh ... I posted this morning, but don't see it anywhere now. Long story short, I loved this episode almost as much as the Ruth-centric episode. The parallels between Kid!Henry's version of events and original Henry Matthew Deaver (OHMD)'s version were super-detailed and thorough. These stood out to me: Kid!Henry gearing up with a flashlight before heading to the basement/Dennis doing the same before descending into the pit at Shawshank Dad Deaver and Warden Lacey saying to their respective Henry's, "Remember that story you told me ..." Both men being influenced to build a cage and imprison someone Both men committing suicide Kid!Henry and OHMD both exploring the homes of the recently deceased and finding evidence that the imprisoned Henry had not aged The fires attributed to each of the Henrys and the fact that neither was interested in getting too close to a cell mate Both Henrys becoming involved in sheltering the recently freed Henrys I do think we got answers to some questions, like what Kid!Henry meant when he said the forest was where Molly died. I also thought the two timelines explains the anachronisms some folks pointed out early on -- Kid!Henry's timeline is not the same as OHMD's timeline. And the parallel universes could explain what's going on with Ruth, if she's someone not stable in any particular timestream. I noticed that young OHMD had a carved soap figure in his cell, and he had that same figure (or a similar one) in his hand when Pangborn rescued him. Those figures remind me of chess pieces, so perhaps they're meant to be a coping mechanism similar to the one Ruth uses? For me, the biggest reveal is that both Henrys are essentially pawns. They're not inherently malevolent or in control of some malevolence. OHMD found himself in a parallel universe and went "home" just as Kid!Henry's Dad Deaver had received his creepy revelation. Presumably, Kid!Henry ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time when the warden had *his* eerily similar revelation. But Kid!Henry is a normal, respectable person in his own universe. The only weird thing is that neither one aged while in the "wrong" universe. OHMD was in Dad Deaver's clutches for years, but he walked out onto the ice and was rescued by Pangborn after being missing for a matter of days. If Kid!Henry makes it back to his own universe, would he similarly be missing only for a short while? Now I'm really curious about the other figures that were visible to OHMD and Alt!Molly in the forest. And I want to know what really happened with Kid!Henry's cellmate, Dennis's rampage at Shawshank, the birthday party family, the murder couple, the fires in both universes, etc. If both Henrys are not evil personified, then why are these terrible things happening around them? Is there something perhaps neither is aware of going on here? It's interesting that OHMD has no memory of his captivity or even events prior to it, but Kid!Henry seems to have total recall. I wonder if that means anything. At any rate, I'm in for the long haul. This is getting good!

I don't know ... when I passed the bar here in Maryland, I got taken to task by the Character Committee interviewer for some old speeding tickets from years prior (law is my second career) in another state. You would be surprised what they can/will dig up. Even if you don't have the more obvious red flags on your record (criminal conviction, academic honor code violation, etc.), they want to know about things you wouldn't think would be issues, like your debts, civil actions you were involved in, mental health issues, etc. The general standard in most states, including Arkansas, is that you have to be of "good moral character." Good luck, Josh.

They are being held so that the three adults and five tiny children can be in frame for the entirety of the conversation. I don't think the teachers are carrying them in on the regular. It's just that this is a TV show about adorable quintuplets, so production will take any opportunity to put them in the shot while the adults chat. Also, I don't think it's a cheat that Adam had help from the babysitter and Dale/Crystal. The point Danielle was making was that he does not have the kids from morning until night the way she usually does. That's not to say she goes it 100 percent alone because she has help, too. But he handled baths, bed, and breakfast the next morning (complete with Riley meltdown) without another adult in the house. I was actually impressed with how he handled Riley while still interacting with everybody else. Plus, Adam doing their hair the next morning was adorbs.

I don't blame Camille for not noticing anyone sitting there. I was so checked out by this point in the episode, I didn't notice either! Also, I thought all of the racing around looking for Amma would have been more effective if (a) we weren't shown her actual whereabouts at that moment, and (b) this show wasn't telling me over and over again that Amma is a central figure and that the Adora-Amma-Camille triptych is important, so I don't think Amma is going to be in any real peril, at least not this early in the story.

I thought this episode was boring, easily the least engaging so far. I was actually shocked to see it had only lasted 48 minutes, because it sure felt longer to me. Four episodes in, and very little has happened to move the ball forward toward any kind of a resolution. If this was a 20-episode season, that might be OK, but ... Interestingly, one of my co-workers, who has read all of Flynn's books, said that you could read at least *half* of the book and still not be spoiled by anything we have seen on screen so far. I mean, there's slow burn and then there's glacial! Where to begin? Camille's "tour" of Wind Gap's seedier side in exchange to answers to her questions was just pointless. Did she really waste one of her questions on why Det. KC became a cop? And the answers about the actual crimes she is there to cover were just not helpful at all. Honestly, I felt like nothing new happened at all. Amma still annoyingly enigmatic? Check. Adora still ridiculously melodramatic? Check. Alan still pathetically wimpy? Check. They even relied on some of the same visuals to ... make some kind of point, I guess ... like young Camille putting one toe over the threshold to her mother's room echoing Grown-Up Camille doing the exact same thing a couple of episodes ago. Why? Who knows? As for the things that did happen -- more on the police chief's cozy relationship with Adora, the brunch bunch opining on who they thought murdered the girls, the maid explaining why she stayed in Wind Gap, the crazy Calhoun day pantomime rehearsal complete with new teacher character -- what was the point? And after all that, the catalyst for actual action is a completely chance encounter between Camille and John wherein Camille passively absorbs information about little Natalie's own penchant for sharp objects and Amma's relationship with the dead girls. Come on, a reporter should have been asking those questions on day one -- were the girls friends, did they hang out together, who else did they spend time with, was there anything unusual in their backgrounds? The pace of this is just excruciating.

KellerWilliams is a reputable brokerage, and surely Mimi had to obtain a license before holding herself out as a real estate agent. Presumably, knowing a little something about the areas you're servicing is a prerequisite for the job and likely part of the coursework required to obtain a license. Why assume KW took Mimi on without that knowledge? Also, just how long is one required to live in a particular area before gaining sufficient knowledge to assist clients in buying or selling houses? Mimi has been visiting the Houston area for years -- how long have her daughters been living there? I would think at least 10 years, if not more. Plus, she herself has been living there for at least a couple of years, right?

I don't think it's a big deal that a six-year old is starting gymnastics classes. You don't need to start at 2 or 3 years old to learn and progress in a sport, let alone have fun. No one is saying her goal is to compete internationally! Also, while Blayke could use some pointers on form (straight legs, pointed toes), she was pretty game and did a lot of things that showed she isn't an absolute beginner. I even saw a round-off (with spotting from one of the coaches), and they had her on the bars, which are challenging, and the high beam, not the version that's a few inches off the floor. Finally, not to be full-on stalker here, but I Googled gymnastics facilities in/near League City, and quite a few are off I-45, which is the big interstate near there. I have no idea where the Busbys live, of course, but it seems a bit of a leap to assume that they are having to travel for an extended period of time just based on a 30-second segment showing them driving to the gym. Around here, people routinely jump onto I-95 to make quick trips -- it's actually quicker and more convenient to drive on the highway.

Count me as one of the viewers who would have no idea there were so many highlighted words. I only caught a few in the first couple of episodes and spotted exactly one word(s) in this episode, even though I'm now primed to look for them. I paused to see what was written on Camille's abdomen when she first "introduced" herself to Alice, but even that was hard to make out and would have been impossible to see if I hadn't paused. Honestly, if I didn't know she was covered in words, I could easily have concluded that she was just showing some scars to Alice to prove she was a fellow traveler. So, I think I have to agree with the viewpoint that, while catching all of the words isn't critical to the viewing experience, I'm having a hard time dealing with the visual "noise" in general. There are so many flashbacks, quick cuts, visions, etc. that I feel like I need an Excel spreadsheet to parse what I'm seeing. Not only that, but there are so many things that just aren't clear enough for me to figure out what exactly happened, who was involved, and whether it really happened or was just some vision of Camille's (like the girl in the road). Case in point was the entire sequence leading up to Camille finding Alice. I saw flashbacks of what looked like Alan coming to visit with flowers, Alice sitting with a woman who I guess was her mother, a woman (in white!) flinging the flowers onto the floor (was that supposed to be Adora), a sliver of Alice through the bathroom door with what appeared to be a lot of blood dripping, and the bottle of cleaning fluid (?) next to Alice. But I have no idea if she drank it to kill herself, or how did she get a hold of it. They showed Camille focused on the custodian's cart, but ... I was thinking of reading the book to see if that helps improve my viewing experience, but I won't if it's just as non-linear. I don't need everything resolved in episode 2 (or on page 10), but throw me a bone once in a while! I remain hopeful we might start to see some forward progress soon, based mostly on the preview that refers back to something we've already seen, as opposed to adds 5 other mysteries. Just this episode alone, we have Amma's veiled threats about what Camille did in the past, the whole sequence at the pig farm, the utter weirdness between Adora and Alan, John's girlfriend randomly inserting herself into the mix (and wearing an out-of-season cheerleader's uniform in the process), and the incident with Alice -- did that occur at the beginning of Camille's most recent hospitalization or was it at some earlier time? And I thought Westworld this past season was a challenge!

Regarding Serena's role in creating Gilead, wasn't there a S1 episode where she was arguing with Fred about something, he reminded her of the law against women reading, and she snapped, "I know. I wrote it"? I think it was when she was starting to suspect dear hubby was giving June privileges, like playing Scrabble, that Serena herself did not get. Fred really is such an asshole. Regarding Nick, what frustrates me is that he never took the time to just sit Eden down and explain how weird this is for him, how her youth is something he is mindful of as they begin their relationship, that he wants her to understand this is new territory for him, too, blahblahblah caringhusbandcakes. It wouldn't cost him anything; his love (or whatever) for June would not be corrupted by him being kind and gentle with Eden. And it might just save his ass.

So much word. I want to know all of this, and I am here for the spin-off, in which an international tribunal holds Nuremburg-style trials for every last one of these criminals!