Dac22

It honestly feels like the show suddenly decided Cahir was an inherently different character this season from the previous two. The show really leaned into establishing him as being this awful person who would do something like needlessly butcher a tavern full of people without much remorse simply because it would make things a little easier for him. That he was someone who cared more about his status and loyalty to Emphyr above everything else to the point he didn't care who he had to hurt along the way. But now it seems to want to essentially blame Emphyr for all of the terrible stuff he did as if Cahir was this mindless drone incapable of telling right from wrong and act like Cahir is this good and honorable guy deep down. If this is the direction they wanted to go, then it would have made more sense to me to show Cahir being conflicted about what he was being asked to do before he fell out of Emphyr's good graces and bothered by Cintra over the course of the first two seasons to set it up. I can see what they were trying to accomplish, but there just seems to be a massive disconnect between how his character was portrayed this season from the previous two that it feels a bit hollow as if something was missing.

But, again, I think we have. As I said before, he is no longer looking and longing for validation because he as found it. His relationship with Jade was the catalyst as having someone who genuinely likes and accepts you for who you are in your life is a big deal. Now it's true we haven't been given the specifics about what happened at West Ham, but Nate no longer needing validation from someone like Rupert and what the coaching gig brings allowed him to walk away because he doesn't need it anymore. He is perfectly at peace simply working as a waiter at the restaurant because he is finally at peace with who he is as a person. Him coming to accept and be comfortable with who he is changes his perspective and allows him to re-examine some of his past actions through a different scope which is why he acknowledges Richmond was all his fault. There's still another episode left so the full story hasn't been told yet. We'll have to wait and see, but I also do understand why his character and the handling of his story has been divisive as well.

Except I'd argue he has done that, to the viewers, in the last few episodes. He's someone who has grown comfortable in his own skin so he's no longer trying to be something different to feel better about himself. He is no longer looking and longing for validation because he has found it himself. We visibly get to see that through his relationship with Jade, the scene with his father, his decision to quit at West Ham, and other smaller moments. The self-loathing and insecurities, and the behavior as the result, have been tempered because he has finally found peace when it comes to who he is. As viewers, I do think we have seen the change in him the way we eventually saw it with Jamie. Now there is some discourse between what we the viewers know and what the other characters know, and we are seeing his change in a different setting than where his awful behavior took place, but we also have an episode left to see if they can stick the landing.

It's not like Jamie did anything to earn his second chance at Richmond, either. He was a self-involved jerk throughout season one, he ditched Man City for a reality show, it's implied he did some scummy things on said reality show, and then he is given a second chance at Richmond because of Ted. All he did was have a single talk with Ted about how crappy his father was and ask to come back. And while Ted initially declines, Ted being Ted eventually allows him to come back despite knowing the others don't want him because he had a bad dad. There was nothing Jamie did to earn his second chance at Richmond as he didn't even really apologize to anyone until after he was back on the team. But Jamie did ultimately grow as a person and made the most out of his second chance. Now there is a difference in that Jamie wasn't initially welcomed back by the team where as with Nate they asked him to come back, but that change is a show of Ted's influence after all of this time. So the real difference between Nate and Jamie/Rebecca for me isn't so much about earning a second chance, but that the latter two have had significantly more time to make the most of the second chance they were given.

"That goal is a lie. It should be retracted from the records. I apologize to everyone, especially the kids." Jamie is the best even when he doesn't have his wings. Though it was great to see the sexy baby get his mojo back and get to meet his mom for the first time. You can definitely see where Jamie got his personality from. And Roy has no room to ever talk about Jamie calling his sister fit after declaring his love for Mama Tartt. I've always viewed Nate's arc as one of growth rather than redemption so it works for me. It's not perfect, mind you, but he's someone who has finally grown comfortable with who he is and is no longer trying to be something else to make himself feel better about himself. Colin and Isaac, who bullied him along with Jamie in S1, being part of the group that approached him was a nice touch and everything with Beard at the end was tremendous as well. I know people have been frustrated and disappointed with the lack of Ted this season, but I think his story was basically over aside from this final part here. And I must say it was wonderfully done with him confronting his issues with his mom and about his relationship with his son. It was also nice to see Jamie be the one to inspire Ted for a change. Last but not least, Zoreaux, or Van Damme as he likes to be called, finally got his well deserve moment in the sun.

While I understand the disappointment, I also get why the show would do it. Now I'm not sure how well it will work out if there is another season, but I get not wanting to consistently repeat themselves as well.

While the danger is part of it, I got the feeling Rava is done with Kendall right now. She's upset with him over ATN calling the election despite it very much not being over as evidenced by her telling him "you said everything would be okay". So Kendall understood the personal aspect of it all, and like he is prone to do, aimed to spite her like she did him in his mind.

For now I'm going to assume Uncle's Day came about because Phoebe's father is nowhere to be seen. So since she can't celebrate Father's Day, her mother created this day since Roy plays the part in a lot of ways. And everything with Jamie in that scene was great. From how sweet he was with Phoebe, the thoughtful gift for Roy, and his quip about how "fit" Roy's sister is. Then later, wearing Sam's number in his first game representing England is a far cry from him pointing at his back and yelling ME over and over again in season one. While I know it's rather divisive at best, I'm on board with what they're doing with Nate so far. He was never going to grow until he became comfortable with who he is, and the show has done a decent enough job with that for me, with the scene with his dad playing a part in that. I certainly understand the perspective those he wronged shouldn't necessarily forgive him, but I buy the idea he could/will be a better person going forward. Not much to say about Roy and Keeley beyond it was inevitable. Using Phoebe's teacher as a catalyst for his epiphany was a choice, but her "smooth move, (insert name)" was worth it for the chuckle. Some other quick thoughts: Higgins is essentially right about the Willy Wonka kids, I didn't mind Rupert's moment of humanity because there had to be something there to successfully woo Rebecca years ago, and I'm not sure how I feel about Akufo's extreme pettiness.

The question I have is what else is there for Ted to do? I get the frustration, but he has accomplished what he can do as a coach and his own personal journey really only has one realistic ending without a giant swerve thrown in.

I also felt quite bad for Grigor being caught between the two. Both claim to love him, but neither of their actions made me believe that was the case.

I think his final decision was born out of spite. Once Shiv's deception became clear, he wasn't going to let her and Matsson win. Especially given how Shiv had tried to manipulate him for her own purposes when he came to talk to her about being a bad father and that he wanted to be 'the king' without losing his family. The whole "you're a good guy" spiel was just crap to get him to side with her while he was actually trying to have an honest moment about his misgivings about multiple things. I think Kendall could have looked past her lying about talking to Nate on its own, but finding out she was working with Matsson ultimately tainted her concern for the country with Kendall because he couldn't trust that wasn't simply another play of hers.

I think Roman is fully aware and simply doesn't care. It doesn't impact him personally and it gives him an advantage as Mencken is his buddy. Kendall even pointed out how Mencken being in the White House gives Roman an edge. I also don't think Shiv was driven completely by her morals as self-interest played a huge part. She needed Jimenez to win so the deal goes through. It just so happened her self-interests aligned with her stance so she wasn't put in a position to compromise like Kendall was. In the background to all of the political stuff, I think it was a power play among the siblings with Roman winning this battle.

Given Ted had been pondering why he is still over in England earlier, Nate could get the manager gig if he came back. Though it would appear to be a hard sell. He might have the know how when it comes to the game, and could conceivably get better at managing people once his issues get addressed, but he's already burn so many bridges with the current players at Richmond.

New Jamie even has an "empathy" face! That whole scene was great with Roy being properly freaked out over said empathy face to Jamie's retort about the elderly 'being skittish cause of the war' after the failed hug attempt.

Honestly, that's part of why I am one of the few that prefer the second game. Both are fantastic, of course, but the dueling perspectives and the complexity of the dynamics gives the second one the edge for me. Though I get that's generally an unpopular view as a result of people's attachment to Joel, Ellie, and and their relationship. That's not a criticism, as the series really pushes you in that direction, but it also pushes you to acknowledge their flaws and actions as well. The former simply makes the latter more difficult and the new characters don't have that protection. That naturally, and understandably, leads to the known characters actions/flaws getting mostly excused and the narrative twisted in their favor. But I personally never had an issue with seeing things from Abby's perspective. Yes, some of her actions were horrific, and I didn't necessarily root for her, but I get her side of things the same way I did with Joel/Ellie's less than heroic moments. The rest of Abby's crew was pretty meh as they really weren't fleshed out aside from Owen, who I think gets a bad rap from a portion of the fandom, but I enjoyed seeing the other side's perspective on things. The show is certainly going to have a difficult time juggling things going forward. Unlike the game, I think we might get a little more focus on Abby and her group so people could get to know them before things come to a head, but even that would alienate a lot of viewers who only want to see Joel and Ellie.