penguinnj

I really do think I liked it. Initial viewing literally had me on the edge of my seat, but now I've had some time to digest and rewatch. I just think you have to view the entire series in pieces. For those who liked the detective stories, season 1 and part of 2 is for you. If you watch for character development then the rest of the series is going to be more to your taste. Irene said she liked "detective stories and detectives" and that, for me, is the difference. I have a hard time watching movies like Saw without a Rifftrack and a drink, so this was tough in areas and I will admit I almost lost it when the little boy is in the well- that seemed gratuitous. I can mostly get around the plot holes with hand waving, and if I just replace Euros with Hannibal I can kind of get around the magic mind control although her displaying these abilities at 6 is a long stretch. I was actually happy that most of the questions I would have asked after the episode were actually answered :) I would have spent days wondering if Mycroft and Sherlock told their parents the truth and those sorts of scenes never seem to play out. And I thought Mrs. Holmes nailed the reaction- despite everything Mycroft lied about her daughter being DEAD. But, as I said, this may not, legitimately, be why you watch Sherlock. I also wonder if Sherlock's obsession with the boy swimmer Moriarty killed can be linked to the death of Redbeard - is that what the emphasis on Deep Water was all about? Wonderful acting all around- Gatiss in particular was outstanding. And I am a Mary fan so I was happy to see her again.

I think Victor was just a friend, not another sibling. He was to Sherlock what John is now.

So good to see Anna again- I've always loved her!

I remember The Flaming Lips being a big deal on the show- ugh with the music rights. I remember Steve saying something like- "you may hate Valerie but she pulled off a major coup." It was a really good line. I also miss Steve and feel that Claire/David got a little more flushed out in the PPAD stuff but a good deal of it seems gone. I didn't watch as much Melrose- they didn't have a similar club did they? I know Charmed did and I think some of the same bands did both shows but I'm sketchy on that.

I meant to mention this last week but I LOVE that Adrienne is using cold caps during her chemo treatments. I used them myself 3 years ago when I had cancer and hardly anyone had heard of them- so very glad to see them getting exposure as an option. When this show does something right I want to sing it from the mountaintops.

I remember those mid-heal shoes being a thing got a while in the 90, Basically once they jack hem up another 3 inches they are fine or you can have a lovely work pair of simpler shoes you don't like your heals to high, but like 1-2 inch heels are not sexy. I remember having a pair for something- and they did look exactly like grandma shoes- in Sophia sense

The machine the Doctor is making on the roof is supposed to fix the anomalies and time distortions in NY- which he says are his fault. So, theoretically he might be able total the Tardis back to NY now if he found a replacement for the gem. And I can just say as a former kid with siblings and cousins and later my own children- EVERYONE has a cold at Christmas- a little touch of realism I appreciated :)) I've really missed Capaldi!

I know I'm getting my seasons mixed up, but does Val, at some point, end up earning credit (in business courses, I guess) from her real life experience? I thought that was brought up once on a forum a couple of years ago when were trying to figure out if Val would up with a standard business degree. If anyone has better recollection please let me know.

Just to chime in- I also totally loved the Chad/Theo scenes and wanted to see much much more. I also wanted more Andre with them instead of running into Theo on his way out. When this show works it could really work and they blow past it- sigh :(

I didn't know the new season had started, so I cleaned the living room today and watched last week and this week back-to-back. Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure this is in the second episode- although I think it is. I noticed- and commenters from last week noticed- how checked out Robin was, but in this episode you can see her yawning during the couch segments. I'm guessing the new baby is keeping her up nights. To a large extent I think I can understand where Mariah is coming from, but I also get the distinct impression that she is thoroughly enjoying the power she has over her mom right now. Doling out her precious forgiveness is not coming any time soon.

Yep- he relapses with drugs- heroin again, I think. But after he gets "clean" he spends quite a few episodes casually drinking and no one says a word. It is bizarre. After officially turning 21, if I recall correctly, there is a tiny bit of casual drinking for almost all the cast. But drinking no ordinary 21 year old would do. I remember seeing quite a bit of wine with dinner- certainly acceptable for Felice and her crowd, not so much 20 somethings- and the occasional martini after a hard day of saving the world. For some reason this sticks out- after Susan and Brandon finish some do gooding out a story he tells her he'll buy her a martini- more Mad Men than UCLA but there you go.

I am so embarrassed that I remember this, but I blame it on liking Claire and David. The chancellor plays the piano while singing a very slow rendition of Silver Bells at his incredibly boring party. Brandon convinces David to join the chancellor at the piano and they "liven things up" by playing a slightly jazzy version of Jingle Bell Rock. Everyone instantly loves it and the chancellor "warms" to David.

Theresa's exit storyline is terrible which is such a shame because I like the character and really like the actress. Hate hate hate Jennifer's outfit. Not a huge Gabi fan but love seeing lots of Chad- is there anyone else in their age group? With Theresa leaving, is it just Sonny, Paul, and JJ? That group could really use an injection of new players because then you are just rotating Abby/Chad, Gabi/JJ. I actually thought it was a mistake when they shoved Melanie with Brady the last time she was on because she worked better with this age group.

That makes a lot of sense- thanks!

Ugh- this uneven pacing is really bothering me- which stinks because I think some really interesting things are going on. Maybe it's just me, but did both John and Steve seem remarkably laid back about the whole "kidnapped wives" thing? There just didn't seem to be any urgency. Steve was just sort of hanging around the police station- I know he was "coordinating with the police" or whatever- but I just wanted to light a fire under him :)- sorry, not sorry. The framing of the stories just didn't match up- burning alive is an every minute counts kind of way story and in the next scene you have John telling Paul don't bother checking out that lead- and he doesn't. Joey is at a party- looking stupid- while mom's being barbecued??? Paul, Sonny, and what's his name are having a beer and watching football instead of helping with the "rescue"? The stakes should have been much higher- it should have been over the top and ridiculous but it wasn't. Orpheus, Kayla, and Marlena played it that way, but nobody else did. And I hate Hope's sweater which I have a feeling she will be wearing for a long long time.

This is terrible, but I had a HUGE smile on my face when Steve (and the writers) took the time to explain he was quitting his bartending job to work with John again- it's a little thing but I hate when those details are forgotten.

How can old man Clyde outrun JJ?? Seriously, throwing Joey at him got him, what, a 5 step headstart? And then they had to have JJ pant at Roman so we know he really tried to outrun The Flash, er Clyde.

Commenting on the Titan discussion from a page back- when Philip came back and was working for Deimos and wanting to do something with the drug Titan developed for Caroline, didn't the show make a big deal about how Brady had restored Titan's reputation and how they were completely legitimate? I also remember that a few years ago, Victor sold off the shady drug dealing part of the business to Stefano- who gave it to EJ- because he knew Brady wouldn't like it and because of his addiction issues didn't want him near it. I remember laughing because they were setting up the contrast with Clyde vs. Vic and Stefano who made a big deal about the fact that although they were peddling illegal drugs, they never did it near any schools or playgrounds because they had kids in Salem- sort of unintentionally hilarious. All this just to say, that yes I think Titan was supposed to be clean. Not sure about Dimera, but when Sami and Kate ran it I thought they did a similar kind of housekeeping- but I could be wrong on that point. Does anyone else remember?

It absolutely floors me that Theresa who is a BRADY acts like she doesn't have any friends/family other than Nicole in Salem since Eve left. Her shower was just sad- she and Gabbi worked together at her company, right? Even at their engagement party everyone was there for Brady- I don't get it. Other than Caroline and Eric who is in prison, she is almost completely unattached which is bizarre. Would have loved to see he share some screen time with cousin Sami before she left.

Late on this- but I would sacrifice a dozen Nicks for the Sami/Kate/Gabbi coverup which was one of the BEST storylines in recent years. I still remember the look on EJs face when Sami told him the truth- beyond hilarious.

I just have to note this bit of continuity- which is so very very rare on they show. I loved that it was Kelly who asked how many calories where in the carrot cake. It not only calls back to her eating disorder, but her self-esteem and weight issues that are wrapped around her upcoming modeling storyline. 90210 does this so rarely I have to give a shout out.

Sad goodbye to last time I liked Kelly's hair- agree Donna will look much much worse as the seasons progress, but I did not care for JG's short cuts the next 2 seasons. I do have to say I am looking forward to not hating David again- I thought he and Claire were kind of a good fit and at least had a few laughs. As others have noted he had fabulous chem with Val- and I thought he did a decent job with his depression storyline two seasons from now.

This episode also marks the start of an upcoming glaring inconsistency that I always hated. OK, yes Kelly and Dylan hate each other, but the Kelly hates the scamily thing- especially Erica- is all over the place. Last week, didn't Kelly invite Erica to join the Not sorority? Now she sort of hates her? And isn't Erica all Team Brenda and shitty to Kelly in the next weeks for pretty much no reason? This has driven me crazy for years! Thoughts?

This is the last season I loved Kelly's look- she successfully grew out her bangs and dressed really well.

The first Clueless druggie trope character I remember is the brother in Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead- and that's who that guy reminds me of