ribboninthesky1

This is the only L&O show I've ever watched regularly. And I am continuously amused at Stabler being undercover. Even aside from the decades he was on the force before joining this team, he's definitely done enough "organized crime" undercover work for someone to recognize him. I get that NYC is densely populated, but come on. It is so ridiculous. At least Reyes tries to change up his look. I thought the woman was his wife's aunt, not his? She appears to be estranged from his wife, since apparently she's never met their children? Or maybe they've kept their distance since he became a cop? Not sure how long he and the wife have been together. I thought it was more strange that she was his CI - I didn't think cops could enlist extended family members like that. Jet has been my least favorite cast member (which is saying something because Stabler is annoying), and yet she's the only one besides Ayanna who has remained across all seasons. Sigh. I'm mildly obsessed with Ayanna's braids. Whoever the actress uses as her stylist is on point.

The show seems a bit disjointed, but the episode switch wasn't the problem for me. I've not read the books, so my perspective is just based on what's aired to date. It feels like the show wants to toe-dip into trauma because of the source material but not! too! much! Just enough to keep it quirky. I keep wondering how Angie is still employed, but I am pretty sure I shouldn't be wondering about her addiction. Or wondering how Will has made it this far in his career without having to write or type up and review reports. The way Faith's diabetes was introduced was...abrupt. But I appreciated that Will was trying to look out for her. I'm ambivalent about Ormewood because he's more caricature than character. Anyway, it's still early days and time for the show to find its footing. I think Rodriguez is a producer, so I wonder if it's a choice he made rather than the showrunners? It's interesting, I've been thinking that Sonja Sohn sounds...southern-y. I looked her up, and she grew up in Virginia. She was also born in Georgia, but on a military base so not sure if her father was a Georgia native.

Agreed. I liked the sheriff and her bonding with Faith. I wasn't too surprised by the twist, but I was still hoping the sheriff might be a character that might pop up now and again in future episodes. Once the twist was revealed, I was kinda hoping Josie got away with it. White people (men especially) have been murdering black people with impunity in the US for a long time, so I'm perfectly fine with someone taking revenge for direct, physical harm. I wish she would have left Faith handcuffed elsewhere, dispatched the final killer, and made her escape. The show had no problem handwaving Mark-Paul's character shooting the man who kidnapped his daughter. Not sure why this plot had to end as it did, even if it was true to the books. I like Angie well enough, but agree with her sponsor that her relationship with Will is codependent. On the one hand, I appreciate that they have a shared past, know each other, and are actually friends. On the other, not looking forward to a bunch of will they/won't they for the sake of drama. I'm kind of...eh on Will, mostly because he comes off rather immature in relation to and condescending to Faith at times. I'm from Georgia, live in Atlanta, and I don't know what the hell kind of accent Rodriguez is going for. Good thing he's handsome.

I'm...not sure what to say about this season. It started off pretty good for me, and this started veering off-course right around dumb Clara getting kidnapped. I was curious how Harriet eventually ended up working with Chava, and of all the flashbacks, that's one that was entirely relevant to this season. Unless I missed it. There was the flashback of how they met, but nothing else beyond that. Jonah and Meyer could have been largely absent this season, and I wouldn't have missed either character nor do I think the story would have been adversely impacted. There were much more interesting things to flesh out if they wanted to: aforementioned Harriet/Chava partnership, flashbacks with Georges (RIP, handsome) and Zev and the others mentioned but not shown, why Joe was taken and brainwashed, how Roxy got into counterfeiting, how Travis broke out of prison, details of the botched Spain incident, etc. I remember wondering if Meyer was actually the one who killed Ruth in the first season, so I wasn't surprised that he made the call that led to her death. Doesn't really explain why he then chose to take Jonah under his wing, but whatever.

I watched the first season, and generally agreed with the complaints about the show. I think season 2 has better pacing so far, although I'm not a fan of the Meyer flashbacks. I think I understand they're trying to round out the story, but I think the flashbacks would have been better served in the first season, minus the revelation that Meyer = The Wolf. Also, this episode confirmed Jonah wasn't needed in this season at all, really. He oscillated between annoying and insufferable last season, and I've zero interest in his love life or his nosy, intrusive fiancée. Maybe I'll feel differently after watching the rest of the season.

I was wondering about that. I have no real issues with Bailey. Of the two, I find Nolan far more annoying. Thank you for this. I was racking my brain trying to remember where I knew the actor from. Never watched Army Wives, so Charmed. Which was....a long damn time ago, my goodness. I thought it would have been more interesting to see Bradford struggling with how to manage the Little League team and learning to find balance on his own. But then super-Chen wouldn't have been able to fly in and take charge! The varying perspectives on the nature of evil was the best part of the episode for me. There are no easy answers, and police definitely see the worst side of humanity (often within its ranks).

@shapeshifter, thanks for the (kind of hilarious) spoiler! Saved me some time. You took it all the way back to X-Men! I think you have the right twin - his brother has a fuller face, if I recall. I just realized I used the actress' last name (Diaz) instead of Lopez in an earlier post, so can relate to the name mix-ups. Anyway, yes, you would think they would have already had a discussion about the number of kids. Totally understand why Angela wants to postpone, but why not make make that clear before you get pregnant or (at least) while you're pregnant with the first? I'm unfair for putting the onus on her, but given she bears the physical burden and risks of pregnancy, it's on her to set the boundaries, IMO. Her body, her responsibility. Which made her quip about the grandkids on the very next date even more ridiculous. Taken alone, it would have just been fun flirting. But her "no-sex, take things slow" declaration the night before made her seem fickle. But hey, I barely tolerate Chen. I don't know...I feel like the show has forgotten about them. Or at least, they want the viewers to do so, given the last of chemistry between the actors.

As a Scorpio, I was highly offended! Not really, as my astrology knowledge is minimal so I have no idea why Scorpios make questionable romantic partners. That said, it was very interesting to see the show's perspective shift on workplace relationships from the first season. I'm not invested in Chenford, but I thought they seemed more relaxed and natural on the 2nd date (1st date, take 2?). I thought Bradford hated fancy-ish restaurants, so I didn't understand why they went to one. I love the bond between Harper and Diaz (best part of the season), although I question the wisdom of asking another cop to be the godparent of your child. But there was plenty of implausibility to go around, and this was the least of it. I've no interest in Rookie: FBI edition. Still, I'm kind of curious what happens to the black woman as the last of bank robber trio still standing and apparent mastermind.

I am not a finance person. My interpretation: they file insurance claims against the stolen bonds and get their money back without having to worry about the thieves or further security of the bonds themselves. And since the bonds were unregistered, they could still be cashed in by Hannah? Without fear of reprisal? I think? I wasn't surprised about Hannah's plan - I assumed the bonds were in those FedEx boxes as soon as we saw the random FedEx guy carrying boxes out the next morning. I thought Leo/Ray was in on that part of the plan because Bob was a loose cannon and he wanted to ensure everyone got their cut. The one thing I didn't get about Hannah's plan was she supposedly saved his life by taking the bonds herself, but just assumed anyone on Ray's team wouldn't kill him for not getting their cut. I appreciate Stan being a foodie, but otherwise, I really had no idea why he was chosen for the team. At least everyone else had a clear purpose, but he was as dumb as Bob. More likable for sure (at least he was loyal to Ray), but just as dumb.

I didn't know anything about the shuffled order of the episodes until I started watching. My order was: Yellow Green Orange Violet Blue Red Pink White Which differed from the the Vulture-recommended order in that Violet and Green were switched. Since I was pretty close to the "ideal" order, it worked for me. Red was probably the weakest episode for me because it felt the most gimmicky, unnatural. The more interesting aspect of the series was no happy ending for anyone, really. Not even Hannah, although I know I should think otherwise.

I've not read Tom Clancy's novels, but even I was wondering why it seemed to be only Jack and Greer in the mix. Wright was kind of an interesting foil, but got sidelined halfway through. November just seemed to be around for quips and "comic relief." It's been three years since season 2, and I barely remember anything of it beyond Ryan being annoying. At least the show was consistent in that regard. I appreciate shortened seasons in this era of streaming, but this one felt like it could have been wrapped up in six episodes. Also, I spent more time chuckling at the absurdity of the writing and dialogue than I should have given that WWIII at stake. I appreciated the cinematography and the eye candy via some of the handsome male actors I've never seen before. It started off well enough, but went downhill quickly. Once I saw poor Krasinski struggling to run around the city in skinny jeans to the Czech president traveling around all tarnation with little to no security, it got increasing funnier.

I know I'm supposed to suspend disbelief, but I can't get past a European head of state being missing for several hours and the apparent lack of response from the Czech government until the morning? I get it, tall dark and handsome was head of security, but wouldn't there be security check-ins? A protocol when no one heard from him? And why did it take all night for Greer to arrive? It was unintentionally hilarious.

I had super low expectations - the trailer seemed boring when I watched many months ago. I only watched it because I have HBOMax. I was pleasantly surprised and entertained for about 2/3 of the film. However, by the time Ishmael was revealed as alive AGAIN, it really started to drag. Film could have ended with him (Black Adam) imprisoned, really, and wouldn't have lost anything. I agree with others on Pierce Brosnan - he was great. I completely disagree with others on Aldris Hodge - he was borderline terrible. And I didn't even get to see him shirtless! *boo* I was familiar with Sarah Shahi from TV, and this is the first role where I liked a character she played. Dwayne Johnson wasn't bad, but the writing did him no favors. The Cavill cameo as Superman was bittersweet, given what we know now. All told, it was entertaining for a film I got to see from my comfy couch and no extra cost (I get HBOMax as part of my grandfathered AT&T Fiber service, so it's not a separate paid subscription).

Thank you for remembering! Maybe it wasn't in the flashback because it stopped after baby Denny, and the affair was later.

Not HenRen! Stealing this. Hen and Chim's convo after the 1st date was hilarious. And he was so wrong for calling Karen with the "Hen is dead! Well, not really, but I needed to scare you back into her life!" spiel. He was all up in their business. I don't know how the show did it, but baby Denny's facial expressions while sitting in his carrier were spot on. He really looked like, "You two seem new at this. So, um...am I gonna get a bottle or something...??" Also grateful that the medical school storyline is done. Does anyone remember HenRen conflict from an earlier season where Hen supposedly cheated with Eva while they were together? Did I imagine this? It didn't come up in the flashback. When Athena showed up and said Toni called her, I wondered, "Who is Toni?" Totally forgot about Marsha Warfield's character since we haven't seen her in awhile.

Buck is such an airhead. I still give him the side eye over his treatment of Bobby back in season 3 and emotional manipulation of Taylor last season. Still displeased with how the show glossed over the latter. Anyway... I did enjoy the Buck and Hen day drinking scenes. That said, I thought it would have made more sense for Eddie and Buck to have the sperm donor conversation. The show has more or less pulled back on that friendship, and it ain't because of the shippers. My sister thought JLH was pregnant as well, although I agree with others that she's just a regular sized, petite woman who has birthed tiny humans. I try to keep in mind how TV really skews my perception of body size(s), especially with women. Same. I've kind of hated the medical school storyline for reasons already stated, but mostly because I like her with the 118.

Aw Harlan! He was one of my favorite characters, and I was hoping he'd make it.

I spent a good part of my post-college, financially destitute 20s couchless. I do not miss those days, and I love my sofa. Athena's dad having dementia hadn't occurred to me until I read it mentioned here. I figured it was just some freak accident. I don't actively dislike Lucy, but Arielle Kebbel has bugged me in every show I've seen her in (admittedly, that is only a few). Right? I was like, "Oh, we're picking that back up, are we?" Heh, let's hope that they don't put Kenneth Choi out to pasture again if that happens. Buck has to be in his early 30s by now, right? I was more perplexed why he felt entitled to be interim captain in the first place.

Sibeth truly has nine lives. I was thinking it was ironic yet fitting that a snake would be the thing to take her out, but nope! She lives and is about to have the Witchfinders under her command again. It is absurdly hilarious.

I remember seeing this show on Hulu months ago, added to My Stuff to watch later, and then promptly forgot about it. It was only when I read someone's Twitter feed about it recently that I remembered. Super late, but I enjoyed this. This really took me out of the show, thankfully it was the season finale. It felt like I was enjoying a gritty, grounded show about regular people, and the writers decided to toe-dip into some kind of magical realism. I don't mind the genre, but it felt really incongruous here. It also opened up a bunch of questions that I'm not entirely sure the writers will address next season as it felt tacked on for dramatic effect. Finally, any compassion I felt for Michael (and Richie indirectly) pretty much evaporated.

My sister was interested in this, so we watched together. I think there was a fair share of miscasts - Pratt, Kitsch, Wu. Constance Wu as Katie could have been an interesting choice, but her final scene opposite Jeanne Tripplehorn was particularly cringy. It was supposed to be a crescendo of dramatic reveal, and it didn't land for me. I agree with a comment in another episode thread that Kitsch might have been a better choice for Reece. Pratt wasn't terrible, but I wasn't exactly rooting for him as the protagonist, either. I realize Pratt is well-liked by the industry and his fans, but for me he comes off flat in his leading man roles. I think there needed to be a certain balance of the Reece character - resilience, vulnerability, confusion, toughness. Like the Ben reveal at the end was already absurd, but it should have been devastating for Reece. Instead, Pratt has the one tear rolling down with an inscrutable expression, and it doesn't pack any emotional punch. I'm sure the book is better, but beyond general sympathy for Reece and his platoon being betrayed, I was not invested in Reece's journey. The mystery had a lot of potential, but maybe the book to TV adaptation missed some nuances. I guess because he didn't kill Hartley? Never mind all the other bodies he dropped. One of many nonsensical actions. Wasn't the "logic" supposed to be that she would have the private contractors take him out on the island, and somehow have plausible deniability? But even that didn't make sense - if Reece had been killed, I can't imagine there would not have been some type of inquiry or investigation into the incident, especially since she deliberately dismissed government security forces.

I've tuned out most of Eddie's arc, so I assumed it was something I missed. Maybe he indeed meant benching him during his denial phase of PTSD. I totally get why the department wanted to control the narrative. They wanted to save face. I thought it was interesting that Bobby held no animus towards Taylor, as he seemed to recognize she was doing her job. Why are you trying to apply logic???? Seriously, I was confused about that too, but just went with it.

I wish the Bobby intervention would have been with May or Athena rather than Eddie. Even Buck. It didn't feel right with Eddie, especially since they've barely spoken this season. I'm so glad Taylor wasn't weepy over Buck, and they parted on good terms. She promised not to run it after Buck caught her on the phone and her laptop investigating. Buck's issue seemed to be that she was gonna run the story prematurely, put Jonah on notice, and potentially put others at risk. To me, once Jonah was arrested, that was no longer a factor. But this mostly felt like a manufactured reason to end things between them, when it should have been episodes ago. Hopefully, Taylor can find somewhere to live quickly! Besides, trust issues went both ways in that relationship in my view, so I wasn't sympathetic to Buck at all in this context. Ha! The Librarians was quite entertaining. Too bad Albert wasn't raised in Australia.

I'm grateful I waited until the HBOMax release. I got to break it up my viewing into 2 chunks. Still felt long. Agreed with others in that it should have ended with Riddler's arrest. I was confused by Robert Pattinson's casting when it was announced, and nothing I saw in the film alleviated said confusion. I developed more sympathy for him once I heard/read that Matt Reeves used Kurt Cobain as inspiration for Bruce Wayne. I realized that he didn't have much to work with. He gives a mean side-eye though! Given that he couldn't crane his neck at all while in the suit. Zoe Kravitz was okay, but this version of Selina Kyle was rather dumb. Colin Farrell was wasted, as was Jeffrey Wright. The score bugged me immensely. I am amused that a 3 hour film even has deleted scenes. And even this deleted scene drags on and on. I lost interest after 2.5 minutes.

Certainly can't speak to the norm, but I lived in Tampa, FL once upon a time and can confirm there are indeed real life 1st responder teams who are all very hot. Word to the bolded! I vaguely recall Oliver Stark and Aisha Hinds speaking out via social media (can't recall if it was Twitter or Instagram). Not sure about any other cast members. Eddie and Buck were BFFs and those shared scenes have been noticeably reduced this season. Whether it is because of what Ryan said or vaccination issues, who knows. If it's the latter, I question why Ryan wasn't dismissed like Rockman Dunbar. Maybe it's a contract thing since Ryan is presumably considered a main cast member. In any case, the show needs to decide what to do with Eddie. I'm not remotely invested in his arc, but all of the main cast have had their own so it's not out of the norm. That said, if he can't be organically integrated with the main cast, then write him out. Beyond contract requirements, I don't know why he would need to stay. I'd fully support more Ravi screen time. Ah, good catch! I was neutral on Taylor before Buck pulled the cowardly and manipulative move of inviting Taylor to live with him and then dropping the "by the way, I kissed another woman!" bomb. Totally team Taylor now, and I think she can do better. Personally, I would have tried to move back into my old place, or moved out into a new one. I like Buck, but that was a shitty move. She honored her word and still did her job, so good on her. Right???