pasdetrois

I hated this episode and was shocked at how bad it was, especially after last year as well as last week's first episode. It's as if a completely different set of writers wrote it. It was astoundingly trite and predictable - I mean I knew how every single scene was going to pan out. And parts of it were just downright stupid and illogical.

Grant was played by John McMartin from the long-ago film Sweet Charity. Love it when a show brings in the old-timers. I keep flinching when the native American stuff but don't go into full-tilt outrage.

Loved the butterscotch reference - I guffawed. Titus, wait until you have 12 pairs of cheap reading glasses, all different strengths, lying around.

The poor man's Lion King bit, with the disgruntled cat, was hilarious.

Laughing at the real housewives schtick - RHOK. Like another poster, I was reminded of Monty Python...when the knight showed up at the convent and was swarmed by sexually frustrated nuns. Bjorn is physically massive. So when Ragnar was berating him I was thinking "ya big loot." Loved the looks amongst the men as they allowed stricken Torstein to confront the soldiers. They knew they were seeing him alive for the last time. The princesses are seriously miscast. Aslaug resembles a NYC fashion model (especially the perfect makeup and hair), Crazy Pants is, well, Crazy Pants, and the timid married one annoys me.

I think binging - I watched five epis last night - will not work with this one. Kimmy's hyper energy can be a bit tiring when it's viewed non-stop. But I love the writing. Love the opening theme song. Love seeing Carol Kane again. And I like the roommate. My only complaint is the frantic pace causes me to miss some of the great bits. One of the Mole Women reminds me of Michelle Duggar. Wonder if the resemblance is intentional.

Have been eagerly looking forward to this return. First episode was a winner! Love the acting chemistry between the two leads. Olivia Colman is knocking it outta the park. I tried watching Gracepoint and could not abide it. I scoffed and snorted through two episodes and quit, then found the first season of Broadchurch online. But the actresses who play Beth and the one who's in hiding annoy the heck out of me. I can't stand hysterical screaming female characters, regardless of the motivation. A teeny bit goes a very long way. My long-ago ancestry is in Dorset, so I'm loving the scenery.

Absolutely. Think Robert Duvall in Tender Mercies. It's routine in many Christian churches that preach the born-again philosophy. Some do it in creeks and rivers. I used to listen to two relatives argue about which baptism style was correct: dipped vs. sprinkled.

Glad Little Bit is gone. Since the TV thing didn't work out, perhaps she's pursuing a second career option - getting pregnant and hitching herself to a wannabe country music singer. Walt seems to have come out of his shell. Not sure I like it. Over-the-top horniness, vomiting and sharting in a cab...not a good look. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with the aggressive sexual pursuit of Hott Dog (or however she spells her nickname). Maybe it's all for the cameras, but two guys constantly salivating and propositioning her is uncouth. Even for a show about drunken rednecks. Does anyone know how old these people are? Daddy is older than the others, right? Remember how heavily they featured Lyle in season 1? Now he's more in the background. I wonder if he's always so drunk that he barely functions. I did laugh when he slapped Daddy's dinner plate onto the floor, because Daddy worked so hard to figure out those confangled microwave buttons. Murray's one-liners are still hilarious. He and Walt know how to form full sentences. There was definitely a fox in last night's episode.

I scored the impossible-to-find Shredder during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle madness. Bought it from the back of a truck on K Street a few days before Christmas.

Well, the women clearly are trying to recover from whatever bad impressions they left during season 1. I could see the stilted determination to present improved facades to the camera. Still, Andrea was axed and for that I am grateful. Lydia's face looks quite different. Maybe it's the weight loss. Instead of a necklace that says "Wow," she needs one that says "Duh." Wonder if her son's marriage is because of a pregnancy, because she implied they were all rushing toward a wedding. Janet kind of horrifies me. Her face work is horrible and she tries too damn hard. She seems so unsettled, despite having a business and children. I don't like watching her rush from wacky hairdresser to wackier baker. So awkwardly scripted. Does anyone know how La Mascara fared? So Gina says she'll move to the US to be with her partner. Will she leave family and business behind? I'm not up to date on work permits and visas - she can't stay indefinitely, can she? Even a marriage doesn't guarantee one can remain in the US. Glad to see she toned down the makeup and spray tan; she should make another pass. Chyka has been the most chic, but her hair is now too severe and her makeup is clownish. If Gamble is named after Shakespeare' work, shouldn't it be Gambol? What a weird voice she has. Not a fan of the other new one. Maybe the nasty persona is all for the camera. Because she was mean to her housekeeper, I can't be bothered to learn her name.

Same shit, different century. As portrayed by the actress, Princess Crazy Pants annoys me. Way, way over the top portrayal, even for an incest story. I don't trust Ecbert. He wants to get into Lagertha's britches and take advantage of her position. Not be her One True Love. Floki usually annoys me, but this episode seemed to integrate his whimsical thuggery a little better.

Each episode is better than the last! Jimmy has infinite patience and it's going to be rewarded when his practice grows. I love that he's not mean to old ladies. I'm glad the show didn't go over the top to make fun of the seniors. Life is hard enough as we age without being ridiculed by smart ass TV writers. Based on decades of experience with a close family member with a severe mental disorder that comes and goes, I know not to obsess over labels and symptoms, trying to fit someone into a diagnostic box. Because these conditions can be "all of the above" - physical distress, delusions, etc. And sufferers can move in and out of the symptoms in the course of a day, or even an afternoon. They can be lucid and delusional during a conversation. I see that in Chuck. As many folks know, it's almost impossible to force someone into treatment. Health insurance, provider availability, extremity of symptoms, and patient willingness...all create the perfect storm of a blockade against forcing a beloved family member into treatment. In real life, it's uncertain whether a judge/magistrate would order Chuck into involuntary treatment. What's tricky is knowing without a doubt whether a psychiatric delusion can cause actual physical pain. Is Chuck imagining the pain he feels or is it real? That's why I tried to pay attention to the doc's little fakeout. It wasn't clear to me if Chuck was tracking what she was doing. Also, extreme stress definitely pushes certain people into psychiatric illness, which may be a factor in Chuck's story. ETA: years ago some Taos, NM, residents were reporting that they could hear a constant humming or vibration, and it was driving them crazy. It was never verified. But I am reminded of this in Chuck's "crazy" scenes.

The monks and their sand painting was unexpected and beautiful - right there in the middle of the controlled chaos of the White House and everybody racing by. The Navajos have a similar tradition.

And the women, beautiful. I'm a bit distracted by Robin Wright's physical perfection, clothing, expensive haircut and makeup. As well as the impossibly chic (and emaciated) female Whip. I live and work in DC including time on the Hill and very few smart, powerful, hardworking women look like they do. The look of the secretary of state character is more realistic. Also, Spacey's acting seems a bit more rote this season. I also am wondering why Stamper is taking booze by syringe. Does he think it will help control his intake? Weird.

This is exactly what I thought also.

I'm with you. Occasionally I get impatient with the pace, but in exchange I appreciate smart writing and the great acting (and the NM locations). Although we've had Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Wire and other great series, quality TV is still rare and I appreciate anything from trusted teams like Gilligan and Odenkirk. I'm pretty sure I won't love BCS as much as BB, but that's OK. I appreciate watching Odenkirk's work. Thanks to whomever pointed out the actor who plays Patsy on Getting On (on HBO). That little series is my current favorite, and I never would have recognized the actor in BCS. I'm enjoying Chuck's story. I know some people with schizo-type disorders, and they are not comical or terrifying one-note personalities. A lesser production would have made Chuck into a joke or a villain, but we see his delusions as well as his humanity and his smarts. I think McKean is doing a great job in the role. Kim's character is growing on me as they begin to flesh her story out. I'm slightly distracted by Jimmy's toupees and wigs, but perhaps obvious toupees are part of the character.

This was a tidy-up episode - all the hanging story lines jammed through a redemption arc (well, except for Anna) to set us up for the final season. Robert the doting granddaddy, Mrs. Patmore gets her memorial, Edith has her baby, Thomas is a friendly mentor, Atticus and Rose threatened then married, Susan put in her place, Lady Sinderby saving the day from bigots, the prince steadfastly wooing Violet...I mean, the thing could have written itself. But the fashion was divine. Was Mary wearing Chanel at lunch (or, as Violet would say, "luunchsheon")?

I've been wondering why Durst agreed to this series. You'd think he'd want to lay low and not give law enforcement any ideas. Maybe the series allows him to send out a giant FU to everyone, bragging that he got away with murder (well, at least two murders). The episodes are dragging a bit. Could use less repetition of the staged scenarios.

Fun fact: as a former munitions factory, the structure was so strong that it was cheaper to turn it into an art gallery than to try to tear it down.

The thought of walkers down the road from my house is funny. So when Aaron was describing the community's apparently massive, impenetrable walls he spewed out some technical stuff about the walls' composition. How would a struggling group of people, with walkers everywhere, build such walls? Where would they get the materials and the equipment? At one point Rick was holding Judith in the barn and she started fussing. He handed her off to Carl and she immediately quieted. Cute. Yeah, I'm glad we have them as characters - evil or good - but their scenes together were pandering and entirely too twee. Like the show's in love with itself for having a gay couple in it. The reason I am suspect about the new community is that Aaron freaked out in the car, I think when he saw the flare go off. It was as if his plan wasn't working and he had to bail and save his own skin. I had the strong sense his plan is bad for our gang. Plus, Michonne's quiet confidence and wise words and loving looks towards Rick are meant to throw us off guard.

Growing up, I had school friends whose parents worked in shadowy organizations about which the parents were not forthcoming. I think the parents thought we had no idea, or that their children were buying their vague explanations. Actually their children would talk about it and speculate. So, I wonder if Paige might speculate that her parents are AMERICAN spies, not Soviet spies.

His eyes look like the all-black demon eyes used in every cheap horror movie. Only his are real. I have the impression that his current wife - the sassy one - knows the real truth and tried quite hard to help him get away with stuff when the police came calling. Anything to hang onto his money. I wonder if the police willfully looked the other way when the first wife went missing. That kind of thing happens sometimes when money and power are involved. Because they missed some big ass red flags.

I loved that too. Mr. Carson's eyebrows should have their own acting credit. However, I think he was indicating to one of the footmen that the nasty brothers should be formally escorted out.

The makeup companies should do a product line featuring the gorgeous moody colors from this series. All the dusty blues and grays, with some of England's green thrown in. Just gorgeous. I love the costumes too. My mind will flip forward to modern runways, where sometimes we see similar looks. It's still hard for me to fathom Vikings crossing an ocean in those wooden boats. One reason I like Travis' portrayal of Ragnar is that I don't see anything else like it on TV (I don't watch any of the other "ancient" shows). He has otherworldly eyes that he uses to great effect. I like how all the actors try to mimic the Scandinavian accent when they speak English dialogue. It lends continuity. And I appreciate how much work went into the merge of the various languages in last night's episode.