Earl Is Dead

True. It's true of a lot of shows, and I can't excuse the trope in any form, but it seems like other "bad boys" they've had the female characters fall for over the years, (Ross, Malucci, Ray, Gates?) they at least also wrote them with some finesse and attempted to give them some kind of redeemable depth. I don't see that here at all. This guy is just a pig, and prior to ripping his clothes off Neela was the only one calling him on it. It really disgusted me more than usual here.

Word. I'm glad I knew from this forum that he dies because I'd have been ticked. They really did a pretty good job growing his character over the years, going from young and arrogant to a good doctor, friend, and boyfriend. Stupid MP, wanting to be killed off instead of riding off into the sunset. One thing that did tick me off big time was seeing Neela hook up with that misogynistic Australian asshat. If they were going for the "nice girls always want the bad boy" trope, they missed that mark by not giving him one redeeming personality trait whatsoever. He's loathsome and disgusting and I wish she'd have kneed him in the groin instead.

Hey, it's baby vampire Jessica (aka Deborah Ann Woll) as new nurse! She was one if the best things about True Blood.

Based on how poorly written so many of the characters are in these later seasons, I wouldn't be surprised if there were no longer any writers around from the early days who knew or cared about the characters' backstories. Does Jeannie stick around for additional episodes? Yeah, yeah - I will go home and watch tonight and find out, but I'm impatient, and it really didn't feel like there was any resolution to her sub-plot.

Wow. I would have sworn that was Amy Adams. That’s some doppelgänger! And thank you for the info Doodlebug. I knew that “solution” Luka came up with seemed too convenient to be right. And IIRC he told her to go home and use them which, based on what you say is even less plausible. Loved seeing little baby Manny today!

Since this is my first viewing of the later seasons and I can't get home in time to watch every episode every day (and no way am I clogging my DVR with this much volume), I've really appreciated this forum to help clarify what's happening. One stupid little plot point I haven't caught yet - when and how did Darlene Conner go from being a med student to a nurse? Also - a question for Doodlebug if you don't mind me asking since you have identified yourself as an OB - several episodes back Luka treated a teenage girl with an unplanned pregnancy by giving her a device to take home with her that would cause a miscarriage so her religious parents would not be aware she had ended the pregnancy herself. I do not think of myself as someone who lives under a rock but would such a treatment even be safe, assuming it exists (which ... I've never heard of or even seen on TV before)? ETA: Oh, and add kidney transplant recipient Amy Adams to your guest star bingo game!

The ad I saw made it seem that only one of them gets to come back and join the new contestants. If it's #Matthew I don't think I can stand to watch. What deal with the devil did that dude make?

My $0.02 is that there's a combination of factors at play. Genetics, personality, mental health, trauma, environment, family dynamics.... I don't think there's one "perfect" formula that creates an addict. Glad your family has not had to suffer the pain of addiction on top of the other issues, ChristmasJones. Back to the topic of Diana - I think the show did a masterful job of letting us know that the step-brother (or someone related to his presence in her life) absolutely abused her, while also walking the legal tightrope of not coming out and saying as much. The parents' telling of why he was sent to his mother's house was stilted and odd. Inclusion of the bed-wetting fact as soon as he was gone, the cutting, the sexual acting out at a young age - it's either the truth or the show wanted to sculpt it as truth for our viewing benefit. During the intervention at one point Diana used the offender's name (and was bleeped out of course), and the parents' instant-reflex insistence that "HE WASN'T EVEN THERE!" was so knee-jerk it seemed pre-programmed. Something they had convinced themselves of and were never going to budge. Sad. I want to believe she was recovering and becoming more mentally healthy, but that sparkly gold eye shadow situation in her TH from rehab was yeesh. I hope she stayed there and continued on a good, less-glittery path.

Geeze, Robby was such a sad episode. I too wish there had been some kind of follow up and was disappointed to see the BSOJ say she'd left treatment. I also felt like there was deeper pain going on in him than just gender identity. Childhood abuse maybe? I don't know of course but it was rough to watch. And as much love as she had I hope Robby's wife did not take her back either. Glad she also got help - that codependency was some rough sickness to watch too. When she was singing Mary Had a Little Lamb....*shudder* Sad and creepy. They both need to find themselves outside of each other before they should be around d each other again.

Congratulations on your new family member, trudi. Thanksgiving was nice and boring, thank goodness. I got to see the niblings and no one brought up politics, which I was dreading would happen. This year's black Friday movie marathon included the fantastic Fantastic Beasts and Moana, and also Arrival and Allied. We're not sure exactly how many years this tradition has been ongoing but it's definitely over 20 now, and as someone who can't even shop in normal crowds, I am very grateful to have a better place to spend black Friday.

Yay for HostileDad and for Oreo Balls!

Here you're eligible one day out of every year, (and like Hostile, we can't choose the day) and whether you're picked or not as long as you reported to the courthouse you've fulfilled your obligation for the year. Although I haven't had to report since college because these days you can check in the night before and find out whether or not you're needed. If you don't have to go, your name stays in the lottery for that year. Part of me has always wanted to serve on a jury and see the ordeal for myself but, alas, even when I had to report my number was never even called for an interview. I remain a jury virgin. :o(

*shudder* I get a wiggins just reading that Hostile. I don't know how you survived.

There is something about the production value of the Canadian episodes that is different to me. I can't quite put my finger on it. I don't feel like they're fake, more like... overproduced, maybe? It kind of feels like the participants might be coached as they are on other reality shows; situations that are more staged than real. Maybe they do this on the US version too and it's just more noticeable with this team - I don't know. I also feel like I might have ... seen this before? The tsunami connection was very deja vu for me.

Once again, an emphasis on the family aspect of this disease and how everyone needed to get help would have been so valuable. I want to believe any good interventionist is delivering this message and that it's just not shown. So sad to see him go right back (literally) to his family's open arms. Loved that dog though, and his little snow boots.

How very sad. Especially after so recently accepting help.

Agree this was a rough one. Very hard to see a likable person beneath the addict this time, and the family - ugh. I think the sister was trying to help, she just didn't know how beyond "don't enable." I always wish they talked/showed more about the family also going to Al-Anon or counseling themselves. It seems like it comes up occasionally but not nearly as often as it should and it's SUCH an important part of the process. For everyone. ETA: And I really wish Sars was recapping these Canadian eps. Sometimes that's the best part of watching.

I really enjoyed the book, but no, the movie trailers I've seen don't make me too hopeful.

PityFree I came here looking for this week's episode as well. Her name was Megan and I guess the episode didn't air in all areas? It appeared to be one of the Canadian productions so maybe that screwed things up. According to A&E's site it was S15, E18.

Question: What do you say when you are listening to an audio book? Do you still say, "I am reading Game of Thrones?" I have a friend who says this constantly, and it tends to rub me the wrong way. Not because I have an issue with audiobooks, but because - no, you're not reading. That's not true. "I am listening to Game of Thrones"? That doesn't sound right either. We might need a new word. Or maybe there is one and I just don't know it. Here endeth the Things That Made Me Grumpy This Morning mini-rant. I hope everyone is enjoying their week and summer.

I saw Finding Dory and I liked it a lot. Probably not quite as good as Nemo, but it hit a lot of the same notes and it was very funny. Sorry to hear of your loss, KPC. Many coping and cheering vibes to you.

Happy almost birthday LnB! Happy holiday weekend to all.

When I logged in here tonight it took me to a forum for "19 Kids and Counting." What?? Having a picnic for some friends this weekend. Are any of you great hostesses? In my mind I'm Ina Garten and everything is goung to be faaaaabulous. The reality is much more about stress and anxiety.

I went away, and now I'm back and everything is all weird. I do not like it.

The Oscars are fun for me because they're really the last connection I have to a group of friends I made in high school when we all worked at a video store together. Even today with husbands and kids and careers we do our best to go see some of the nominated movies together and get together for Oscar night. Hostile we all said the same thing every time Ride of the Valkyries played someone off. We didn't make it to all the best pics this year. I skipped The Revenant because ick. And we sadly couldn't find Room playing anywhere near us, but we did see the rest and a few nominated for acting awards. I thought Carol was just okay, but I thought that about Spotlight too so what do I know. We did find a small local theater showing the shorts, and if there's any way you can I highly recommend seeing the live action short that won (Yay!) called Stutterer. It's a charming way to spend 12 minutes of your life that you won't regret.