STOPSHOUTING

Ugh, this season has been so terrible after UNreal being such a fantastic season one discovery. So many bad and stupid plot lines, underdeveloped characters and absolutely nonsensical choices. I'm not sure why the one that tapped me out was having a 45-year-old career woman who has expressed nothing but disdain for parenthood breakdown at the "shocking" news that she'd be unable to conceive. I understand the "wanting a choice" idea, but Quinn is supposed to be an intelligent woman, not a Real Housewife who thinks she possesses immortal fertility. That's a "choice" she made at least 5-7 years ago, CONSERVATIVELY, no matter what a doctor says. (Also, I despise the TV trope that there's a single doctor's exam that can definitively state you can't have children. Unless he discovered she'd misplaced her uterus, there's more to it than that) And might I add this is the SECOND YEAR in a row that they've done a Quinn-related pregnancy/not-pregnancy storyline. Easier to overlook amongst season one's greatness, harder to give a pass here. Also, please stop pairing Rachel with every straight male that crosses her path. Not because I don't believe in a women's ability to enjoy and appreciate sex, more because it's lazy writing. Again, no smart career-focused woman, sane or insane, regardless of how sexually free she is, sleeps WITH EVERY SINGLE MAN SHE'S EVER WORKED WITH. It's awkward. It's uncomfortable. And it's incredibly boring to watch.

Oh and, "I'm not going to take my antihistamine tonight" is the sort of come-on my husband of 18 years might use, on par with, 'Hey, I just emptied the dishwasher.' Because we've been together 20 years, have three kids and romance is all about practicality at this point. It is NOT what horny teens and/or young lovers coo at each other. Sounds like a line Aaron cribbed from Candy. <<<<------Inadvertently picturing the Spellings "getting used to Gainesville" ... All together now, EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. A million times, ewwww.

To be clear the writers actually had our hero, Brandon, BLACKMAIL his professor to get Steve out of a crime he actually did commit. Solid moral center you've got there show. Rock solid.

Drew Barrymore's got nothing on the Bev Niners and their nonsensical, pre-Sophomore year, ancient history of debauchery. I hear the scene at the Chuck E Cheese on Melrose could get pretty rough and don't even get me started on the shit that went down at Donna's 6th grade sleepover.

PS: Currently, the visual aids link just goes back to this story page.

What is with this show and fucking France? It's like the Island of Misfit Toys. They do know "France" isn't a fictional realm, correct? This may be the worst episode I've heard to date. It's funny because I remember 90210 being such a big part of my teen years, and yet I never saw this one and we're, what, barely 1/3 the way through the series run? I think I must have stopped watching after the end of season three (and didn't begin until the first summer run). Seriously, the acting is THE WORST. Well, OK, maybe it's the writing that's THE WORSTEST. Ohndra's college, liberal RA BF turns bizarrely openly racist, to facilitate a quick dumping. (Because he couldn't marry the real-life-knocked-up Carteris why? I can't imagine that actor was in high demand elsewhere. Was Nana jealous of how much better his hair was?) The reunion of Dylan and Kelly that makes zero sense and seems wildly anticlimactic, given they're one of the "core couples" of the show. Oh and, PS, the goddamn Greeks were always in the Student Union at my college; a good reason to avoid it whenever possible. Then, there's the retconning of Emily Valentine as Brandon's one true love not three episodes after he endearingly referred to her as "that psycho". What. The. Fuck. It's gotta be because they were a real-life couple and she needed the work and Priestly had the pull (gag-inducing pun), right? I mean, it certainly wasn't their dynamite onscreen chemistry. They said I love you, endlessly, with the passion and intensity of two lampposts who happened to be in the same general vicinity of one another. And the listing of Brandon's "women" was the grossest grossness that ever grossed. Shut up, Brandon! Though I admit that, in my imagination, when Emily makes the "thing for wounded birds" comment, there's a smash cut to Brandon standing by a window with feathers hanging out of his mouth and guilty look on his face. Maybe some Yakkity Sax in the background. So, to sum up, is it too late to fill the writer's room with bees? Of course, since said enclave was clearly three chimpanzees and a typewriter, based on the plotting and dialogue, not sure that would even be effective.

Why is a PROFESSOR serving WINE TO ostensibly underage actually 40-year-old STUDENTS? And it's not even a plot point. It's just a set dressing. This show is going to give me a brain aneurysm. Being complicit in grade fraud for an athletic star? Credible, as it could happen. A professor serving students, and a prominent athlete, wine with dinner just for the hey of it and therefore risking his job and the athlete's career? No. Fucking. Way. Also, umm, how good a player could DeShawn be if the coach is willing to drop him? The show does know that colleges only cheat for the starters, correct?

Umm, how could you not put a trigger warning on that clip where Lucinda talks about seeing Brandon being "hard" ... I mean, I was eating lunch. Brlughh. Also, so you've got Cress and Brandon seated at the table in front of you and you chose to mack on Lord Brayington? Yeah, seems kosher. And, yes, Take Back the Night was an actual '90s thing. We had it at my college (not for a week, though) and I remember my dorm mates getting dolled up and hoping the cute guys would come. So, yeah ... Maybe not as effective as they'd hoped.

The timeline in this show is just beyond bizarre. I mean, they're getting married after two weeks and everyone talks about how grown up they all are now. Didn't all this summer of deception stuff just go down about six months ago? Not like the ancient history of Dylan and Stuart's pre-teen drug ring days. (Oh we can laugh now, buddy!) Their whole transparent "deception" in order for them to figure out they're not ready to get married is so feeble my toddler would see through it, and he still believes me when I tell him there's a time limit on the toy aisle and if we stay too long mommy could get a ticket. And oh my fucking god, what the hell is with this dumbass Donna's a good girl and David just wants to get some never-ending storyline? What is the message here, Aaron? Seriously?!?! Guys are relentless and women should just shrug it off because they can't control their urges and it's up to females to keep that pootie on lockdown until he puts a ring on it? Am I confused, and this show is actually shot in the 1890s? Because, I'm a contemporary of the period and I'm pretty sure even the message the purity gals got was you don't put up with jackasses constantly begging you for sex. That the "right" guy will wait as long as you need/want him to. The only appropriate response to David's offer by Donna would be to punch him in his punky little face and dumping his shady white rapper ass. But, instead, it's a just a humorous, 'Oh David, you're so funny' moment. Can't wait for next week's plot when Donna drives David crazy by showing a little ankle and gets what she deserves for being such a tease. FFS show. FFS!

After being recommended these books by so many friends, and hearing the series was coming out, I read book one and thought it was meh, just OK, but that the interesting bits were really overwhelmed by all the rape stuff. I quit halfway through book two when I just couldn't take it anymore. The author has vehemently argued that she's not writing romance novels, to which I actually agree ... She's writing flat out torture porn, and I don't want to read that, for the same reason I don't want to watch the Saw movies. After hearing very good things about the TV show last season, I watched two episodes and then ... just couldn't. One, I knew what was coming and really, REALLY didn't want to relive it and, two, the endless sexual assaults, or attempted assaults, went beyond ridiculous (in their sheer volume) to grotesque, and that was seemingly going to be the M.O. for the series, as well as the book. I admit I had a feeble laugh when Claire is first brought into the Scottish castle in,I believe the very first episode, and meets with the leader and there's some comment about how is he supposed to believe that she just happened to be into the woods, and just happened to have someone attempt to rape her again and how it seemed strange. I expected her answer to be ... "Strange how? It happens to me, literally, every day."

I don't think it's a stereotype that guys, or gals, start out as close friends and then fall in love -- the way it is with opposite sex friendships -- but it's definitely a stereotype that IF, particularly, two guys are close friends that the only explanation for that is that they're secretly gay, or that people may interpret their relationship that way so you better make sure they're not too close, which is pretty much as annoying as any of the other you-can't-be-close-friends-without-wanting-to-bonk notions, coupled with a side dish of gay panic, which makes it not only irksome, but gross. Again I, personally, have no issue with those who interpret Cap and Bucky's relationship romantically. I don't, personally, see it, as it's been played onscreen by those actors, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. The thing I'd hate to see is a backlash to that, that goes: 'Hey, we gotta have less male friendships because everyone is saying they're gay just because they care what happens to each other.' For the record, I'm also glad they're not hooking Colby Smolders (sp?) Agent Whatshername up with an Avenger just because girl parts + boy parts = love is also a lame stereotype and, frankly, not what these movies do well anyway. Which leads me to reiterate my own, perhaps unpopular, opinion that shipping MCU characters seems especially pointless as even the overt romantic relationships they've shown (Pepper and Tony; Thor and Jane; etc.) have been lackluster in the extreme, to the point they're often the worst part of the films, so my guess is that even if the shippers got what they wanted here, they'd be super disappointed.

I'm glad you got that but even as someone not averse to the idea, I never got even a hint of that from the Cap-Bucky relationship through the three films. I saw them as friends close enough to be brothers. Nothing more. It also seems to me -- again speaking from the skewed perspective of a straight woman -- that if that is true, and I just missed the romantic elements, doesn't that feed into yet another stereotype ... That all close male friendships must be "gay"? That men can't cherish, even love, other men in a non-romantic way? Isn't that just another "can't sit next to each other at the movies" tired trope? I definitely agree with your last sentiment and everything Evans has said has led me to think his Cap will die onscreen, and soon. So if the fans were to get their wish it would definitely be a dying declaration sort of thing; which would tick off more than it would satisfy.

I'm a straight gal who finds Chris Evans super hot and I'd have no issue, in theory, with the movie version of Captain America being gay. I say "in theory" because I don't really want the gender, sexuality and mortality fluid comic world to take over the movies; because I think a decade-old loosely connected movie universe spanning 12-15 films is very different than a nearly century old comic universe spanning tens of thousands of books. The massively changing characterizations in general, independent of sexuality, just wouldn't work in a movie environment, IMO. The truth is the MCU is an action franchise, geared primarily to kids and teens and the truth is I can't think of a single time they've actually done a romantic subplot interestingly, let alone well. Throwing a line into a future film, as suggested by some, that says Cap and Bucky are a couple would actually be a pretty crappy way to introduce it. I mean, I wish all their romance was more nuanced than that, but especially if they are going to do something most would find groundbreaking. A plot like that would deserve better.

Well, I've been kind of slow binging this over the last few months and I'm really feeling ... not great about season 3 to date. I've been spoiled, inevitably, on a few upcoming events, but am trying to watch with as fresh eyes as possible. I'm not annoyed from any kind of 'ship perspective, as that's not really my thing, just the wildly diverging, for no logical reason, characters. First, Bellamy becomes a cold-blooded murderer, killing his friends and allies while they sleep. Even Finn's psychotic break -- and when he did the shooting, I was like, they gotta kill him off now -- was more nuanced. (That they didn't SHOW Bellamy murdering makes me think they WILL try and redeem him and, no.) Then, Lexa, the unflappable warrior queen, just says, 'Yeah, let's NOT avenge our people who were totally wholesale killed, because this girl I want to do made a lame speech?' AND Idra, who watched every single person she knew and loved murdered in front of her, responds, 'Okey-dokey, Commander' in 2 seconds flat? Seriously, show?!? WTF?! I'm not buying either flip-flop and it's just not ... interesting, if you can't trust in the world and storyline they've put together to stay true to itself. And, Pike, the one-note asshat ... I don't believe he'd win an election with a pledge "I'll bring back all the murdering." And give me something that shows he's at least a little savvy, even if only for his own self-interest. We get it. You like to kill Grounders. Guess what, there's more of them than you and bullets don't last forever. So, umm, check with history, Mr. Earth Skills teacher, on how that usually works out. Lastly, perhaps it's my hate for Isiah Washington, the actor, but, man, I couldn't care any less about Jaha and Allie and the dumb ass City of Light. Not bailing yet, but totally unimpressed with a show I liked so much up to this season I actually bought it on iTunes so I could watch before it came to Netflix. Regretting that decision now. Big time.

LOL I have had the same thought.

By the way I must apologize for the visual anyone might have, due to my unfortunate wording, of things dangling below Dylan's belt. Stick insect peen. I am so sorry.

Below the belt for Dylan to dangle? But not skeevy as all hell for Brenda to consider it UNTIL she realizes it's a trap set by her dad. It was more like, 'Oh, yeah, Dylan if you were an option I'd be totally into it,' and then five minutes later run off to marry Stuart. Umm, yeah, solid plan, Bren. Solid plan. Just move to France already. Because "you have spoilt eet"

When did Brenda even start to care about Stuart? Last episode she wasn't even sure she wanted to date him, let alone marry him. Now they're both sure this is true love all of a sudden? Also, asshat, you can't "tear up" a prenup. It's a legal document filed with the court. It's like tearing up a marriage certificate doesn't make you divorced. Or shredding a birth certificate makes you dead. Idiots. Oh and, FOR SURE the notary Brenda used was definitely Ohndrea. Because you just know Nana is one with her little stamp and seal in a bag.

Cool it with the condemnation Braylord. If you didn't go over there for "dinner" to get some then why did you arrive looking like an extra in the cast of Soprano Babies? Also, put a hairnet on that thing, you're cooking. No one wants to dine on Pasta a la Brandon's Chest Hair. Button up and get over yourself!

When the red hair came off so easily in the water, I just assumed Clarke had smeared her hair and face with blood from her kills to hide her blondness, which is super bad news for the trading post keeper she'd had sexy time with a few nights ago. Imagine the smell. Maybe she was just pretending to be asleep when Clarke snuck out all, 'Thank god she finally left! Ewww.' I think it's interesting that they found more Ark survivors, as I said early on that having 12 separate bases and only 3, to this point, discovered, gives the show endless abilities to add new characters without being all, 'This is Stan he's been standing over the here the whole time, we just never mentioned him.' Yep, looking at you, "Ice Nation," our new Big Bad, apparently. But, seriously, how the frick would it take them more than 30 seconds to recognize Bellamy and the others? Kane was a council member -- Chancellor even, for a time -- on the Ark and Bellamy and his sister were legendary not only for their deception, but the fact that (remember this?) Bellamy shot Jaha. It'd be like the Secret Service saying, 'Hey, John Hinckley and Dick Chaney, sorry we didn't recognize you there. Our bad.' Pretty sure the uniforms alone would have instantly ID'ed these folks as fellow Ark survivors to Pike's crew. As someone who has been slowly binging the seasons, 2-3/week, for the past couple months, I, too, have zero interest in Jaha or the stupid City of Light plot and don't give two shakes how it works, because I can already tell it isn't gonna make a lick of sense when they try and explain it. Which is a bummer.

After spending days looking for the perfect frame, now hastily tries to return Tara and Dave's anniversary gift ...

Rayna's "I guess you're not very good at biology" was the perfect response to that, and a rare instance of sharp writing, or great ad-libbing by Connie Britton. I think her using the name "James," which is neither her mother's, nor Maddie's, legal last name, would be a valid reason to go back to the judge. It certainly does NOT exhibit someone wanting to cut all ties with her so-called abusive parents, and Rayna's record label. It'd be different if Maddie had previously used, or even once performed under, that moniker, but to adopt it a week (day? month? who knows with this show) after she was supposedly emancipated from the same woman she's now invoking to jumpstart her career? If nothing else, I'm guessing Rayna owns the rights to her stage name, and who can profit off it. (And while "James" is a fairly generic surname, I'm sure it would be obvious why this particular singer wants to use it.) I'm not saying Rayna should blackball her kid, but making it clear that she is NOT supportive of this career move of her daughter could, practically speaking, scare off a whole lot of labels, who are clearly hoping to capitalize on Rayna's fame, thus protecting Maddie, which is Rayna's goal. Of course, this ignores the utter B.S. that is the idea you must live in the same city your record label is headquartered at. It's not like you go into the office every day and sing. (FYI, 99.99% of recording is done in independently owned studios, no matter where your label is headquartered.) That's not how the music industry works, Nashville. That's not how any of this works. <<<<<------Which should totally be Nashville's tagline.

Off topic, but I miss that show soooo much! It was my TV happy place. Uncomplicated. Sunny. Romantic and sweet. #LavonHayes2016!

Will's dad? Seriously?!? I've seen subtler stereotype portrayals in Bugs Bunny cartoons. I'm sorry but so completely unshaded bigots in this day and age? I just don't see it, unless their church affiliation was Westboro. You can be the biggest, fundamentalist, Bible-thumping, black and white know-it-all but once you're talking about your son -- your only child, at that -- the shades of gray are inevitable. Especially after years have passed; because time really does soften just about every position, especially with general societal evolution on this topic being what it has been over the past decade. And Maddie completely ignoring everything but stupid want-to-punch-her-in-the-face Cash. Ugh. But never does Nashville use a light hand when a sledgehammer is available. Never have so many quite capable actors, and so much really good music, been so poorly served. I'm also glad this hot mess is coming to a close. PS: I always loved Luke. Rayna used and abused him from day one.

And Michael B Jordan goes the Evans route and departs a horrible Marvel comic movie, for what's shaping up to be an awesome one, by joining Black Panther cast. Which makes sense since Panther is going to be directed by same guy as Creed. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-michael-b-jordan-893845 Oh and, is it official that all of Hollywood's most beautiful people have now been, or are scheduled to be, in a Marvel movie?