pasdetrois

Thomas does the Jekyl/Hyde thing. He's fatally charming when sober -- I'd listen to that accent forever -- but he's a mean drunk.

Some members of this reality cast may end up being rarer than the dodo bird - reality "stars" who remain themselves despite the questionable notoriety of being on television. I see Shep, Cameran and Thomas falling into this camp.

I saw Whitney's documentary when it first became available on DVD. I watched it because of Halston's fashion (I also once owned a marked-down Halston gown) and because of the 70s disco scene (Studio 54). I have absolutely no memory of Whitney. If Whitney would get a decent haircut, he could rock the aging-Jason-Bateman look. I think Whitney has severe body issues. And I blame Patricia. She's the kind who eats her young.

They're essentially carpetbaggers.

This happened in my family also - there's a whole pile of Norwegians in a small area of MN with that exact experience. I think Groban and his family are intellectuals who aren't emotional - I noticed his restraint throughout his episode, whereas I would have been very emotional at the kind of discoveries he experienced. Scandinavians veered between "...sens" and "sons" when they arrived in the US. For example "Larsen" became "Larson." Also, in my family they completely changed a surname because the family had a religious schism in the 1800s.

Ugh, they are all "acting." Tiffany's endless screaming and stomping and getting in people's faces is very tiresome. Tired and nauseous - is she pregnant? I ask in part because on the after show she was heavier and kind of hiding her belly. Back to the acting. I can see Mattie standing just beyond camera range, then entering the "scene," flopping down on the porch furniture, hiding her face, and squeezing out a few tears because she's so "upset that her housemates are arguing." She is trying hard for Hollywood. Daddy's drunken soliloquies about aliens and such are hilarious. Except that I'm pretty sure he earnestly believes the random stuff that comes out of his mouth. Scary. Walt is much better when he's back in his role as Greek chorus. And so is Murray, whom I suspect has a pretty decent brain. I was actually gagging during all the pool scenes.

I rarely enjoy extended courtroom scenes on any show, and when they're infuriating and badly done it's a death knell for this viewer. At this point I'm only still watching for glimpses of Ellie and Hardy. I know Beth had a water delivery, but why was her whole head soaking wet? I can't decide if Claire is being revealed as very weird, or if it's the actress' portrayal. I thought Lee was putting in fence posts way out in the middle of nowhere. Wasn't the shot of three women/girls watching him through a window a shot of the clients who hired him to do it? And he gave an email smirk to make us think he was thinking of murdering again? If the images of the women watching from the window were a flashback, it wasn't obvious to me.

I think Thomas' place is on Edisto Island. I wonder why a real estate developer would sell his town place, which makes no sense to me unless he owns another in-town residence and they are pretending he only lives at the plantation. Given the economy and his party ways, I've often wondered if he's as wealthy as everyone is presuming. I also wonder if Kathryn hoped the visibility of their relationship on TV would pressure him to marry her. I doubt that it's ever gonna happen, now that he has no political future. I don't think she's mature enough for parenthood, and neither is he, and I'm sure Kensie will spend a lot of time with nannies. Or maybe her maternal grandparents. I do feel sorry for Kathryn in that she's swimming in a pool of reality TV sharks. I enjoy small doses of Patricia, but I suspect she and Whitney are mean snobs who present a palatable persona for TV. I wouldn't want her for my mama.

If he's in Angola, that comes with its own punishments, although it's not the hellish place it once was. (Family member worked there.) I wonder if his attorneys can try to manipulate the trial process by claiming the documentary will make it difficult to select an impartial jury.

I saw "thank you." I like how the show is swinging from farce (Betsy K.) to pathos (Jimmy's forlorn mood at the episode end). Not always easy to portray.

Remember Ouiser in Steel Magnolias? She was rich as Cresus and wore fabulous diamonds with ratty overalls. Wealthy southerners can be eccentric or "I don't care" when it comes to having exacting appearances.

I mentioned flipping the good guy paradigm in a previous post. I could see Maggie and Glenn becoming a power couple, aligned with Deanna...against an unhinged, mistrustful Rick and Carol.

Murder is never funny, but I kind of laughed at Jarecki's oh-so-casual approach to what amounted to "blah, blah...photos...blah, blah...here's an envelope, did you kill Susan?" It was clear he was extremely nervous but trying to play it cool. He had no idea how Bob was going to react once it dawned on Bob that Jarecki had betrayed him. And then after that: "...want a sandwich? where's Bob's bag?"

The Jarecki involvement is a bit fishy to me. He's probably trying to walk the lines between delivering a notable documentary with a big reveal and selectively helping law enforcement. I agree that the Durst millions have protected Bob Durst. I suspect they and he have spread a lot of cash around. Even jurors may have subconsciously deferred to the wealthy white man, in hopes of a payoff (such as a job). I also suspect Bob is psychologically disassembling, and perhaps has done so for a long time. It's very possible he has delusions that he is able to mask. And his age is affecting his abilities too.

With Carol turned into a cardigan-wearing stone cold killer, and Rick seriously considering whether to assassinate Jessie's husband (I think that's what we're supposed to believe he's thinking), I wonder if the show is planning on flipping the good guy paradigm. We think of our guys as being the good guys, threatened on all sides, but maybe Carol and Rick are evolving into bad guys that will have to be dealt with. The show wants us to wonder whether Alexandria is safe, or a bad situation, but maybe it's civilization and the Carols and Ricks cannot fit in there because they are too far gone.

Tiffany has the classic southwestern Louisiana accent. My cousins sound just like her. It has a Cajun influence. You get way back in the Cajun parishes and you'll hear it. Wasn't Lil Bit originally from SC?

I had the feeling he was talking to another person in the bathroom. Only, um, he was alone. Combined with the groaning, it was really weird.

While I appreciate the character Mike, I was kind of bored at an entire episode devoted to him. My mind kept asking "but what about Saul?"

Love that explanation lolalempick because I've also noticed the differences in "accents" and wondered if they meant anything geographically, like we have in the US. I believe Lydia's Figaro is an Italian greyhound. Greyhounds can be skittish and shy.

In the 1980s (and even still today) people who were not heavily racist were nevertheless casually saying things like "this black guy came up to me..." or "this Oriental woman at the PTA..." or "this white lady at the bus stop...." People were still subconsciously distinguishing everyone based on race, even if there was no evil intent behind the comments. It was part of the cultural mind change going on. I noticed when Stan said it, but I don't know if the writers were simply mimicking the times or if it's going to become an issue later.

I never liked Siggy so I'm not mourning her death. It was beautifully produced, but as I watched I wondered if it was a dream or a wanderer-induced bit of foolery. I think the CGI-aspect of it distracted me. The two kids walking on the ice looked like bad special effects. But I appreciate that Siggy saved the children. Too many characters now. The really good actors bring into sharp relief the lousy ones.

Even though I suspect Gamble is a serial, aging rich-husband hunter, I hated Janet putting out into the universe that she's essentially a sex worker. That's foul and uncalled for. I seriously question the validity of Pettifleur's biography. One of the women said no one had heard of her. She's essentially the new Andrea, with her boorish attempts to appear wealthy and accomplished. She's uncouth and, given her random babbles about her new "book," not very bright. Chyka, please scrape off some of the makeup, at least in the day time. You've aged five - 10 years with that crap on your face. I saw actual dents in Janet's face when the light struck it. We see where Lydia gets her fame desperation - from her mother. Leave the damn dog alone. If you love him so much, pay attention to the fact that he's hiding from those stupid costumes and wants you to leave him alone. I did love Lydia's witch costume, which reminded me of Salem witches. The show has lost its spontaneity.

Sigh. Another good reality show ruined. The series has clearly entered heavily scripted territory and each character is playing a role. They've switched out Lyle the Angry Drunk and Martha, and now the series is featuring Daddy the Endless Drunk Who Sexually Harasses Women (do they think we think he's attractive, because to me he's pathetic); Tiffany the Bossy Scold; and Walt the Frat Boy. With a heavy dose of Hott Dogg the New Girl as Sexy Victim. We have useless Lauren in the background, with her ridiculous extensions, and Murray desperate for camera time. The after-talk show is even worse. Is Mattie auditioning for a TV show? I grew up in southern LA and MS and I loved these characters when they were allowed to be their natural selves. Now they're all desperate to capitalize on their 15 minutes of fame. I think the CMT bios were written a while ago, when season 1 premiered. If that's true, Daddy is about 35 friggin' years old. And Murray right behind him.

Philip wears eyeliner! Loved that poor Stan's sullen son connected with Stan a little bit as they sat in that sad little apartment. (That wasn't the original family home, was it? Looked too tiny.) As a traditionally-minded 1980s FBI guy, I understand Stan's belated determination to rekindle his marriage, but the storyline is boring. I've always been very annoyed at Martha, to the extent that I have hated her time on the screen. Tonight was the first time I could not take my eyes off of Martha. My interpretation was that the sudden discovery of the spy pen jolted her out of her complacency about what she's done, and she was suddenly terrified for herself. Plus, she had to act very quickly while terrified to figure out what to do. I saw it as "my life as I know it is over and I may be headed to prison." Can someone explain why she became wary of Clark, instead of rushing to find him and confide in him about the pen? I didn't catch what tipped her toward the frightened suspicion of him. I'm expecting Clark to get rid of her via "suicide" and handily frame her for the pen. I just don't know how the KBG will pull that off - with whom would she be in cahoots if not Clark? Or, will The Pen investigation bring Clark closer to Stan's dawning recognition? Loved the little moment when the three FBI guys silently leaned in toward The Pen. The South Africa story bores me because I don't understand its connection to everything else, from a storywriting perspective. It just seems tacked on to everything else that's going on in the very busy lives of Elizabeth and Philip. It doesn't feel necessary to me, yet it's quite convoluted.

I've watched almost all the episodes, and starting with this one the show turned a corner and went from funny and fresh to pretty horrible - the Unbearable Kimmy Schmidt. Somehow it's become too frantic, too chaotic, and tries too hard. I'm not finishing all of these latter episodes and I may drop it from must-view.