AntFTW

I don't follow any of these people in the off-season if they're in other shows, interviews, social media or whatever it is that they do. I'm extremely curious at how the Dee-Jenny thing happened. I mentioned in one of my previous posts that Dee is losing all of her political capital. The part where Dee basically admits that she said Tori, Jordan and Dee are at the top of each other's lists but "we didn't shake on it" and that her and Tori didn't work together until the final. These have to be the sorriest excuses I've ever heard. I thought Tori had a great rebuttal in that Dee also didn't work with Jenny AT ALL. The alliance that Dee was in, the Paul and Cara alliance, voted Jenny into elimination twice when they obtained Tribunal power. Dee is in a much weaker position because I think people are more willing to go against Dee over Jenny. Dee isn't safe unless she's good at the politics, and she doesn't have the benefit of getting the same "charity red skull" that Jenny got.

Each girl is planning their elimination and how they can get their red skull against a person they think they can beat. When a girl is in the tribunal, they probably won't nominate Jenny if they plan on going in for themselves to get the red skull. The girls around the house will campaign to go against the person they perceive as the weakest, which all the cast members seemed to agree that isn't Jenny. Therefore, it's very possible that Jenny could coast to a final. Overall, either the woman (or women) in the Tribunal will campaign the house to vote in the weakest girl to put themselves in, or girls in the house will campaign to throw the weakest girl in and campaign the Tribunal to throw them in against the weakest girl (as both Jenny and Tori did). Additionally, it's very possible that many of the guys would want to run a final with Jenny so they may want to keep her out of the elimination as well. If the house votes in a "strong girl" (with or without a red skull), I can see the Tribunal throwing in Jenny. For the guys, it's trickier because I don't have much of a read on a lot of them. I have no doubt they want to go against the "lay ups." I can see Jay being put into elimination again. I think they view him as one of the weakest guys (which I believe is why he was thrown in the first time, other than being a rookie). Kyle, CT, Johnny, and Wes would rather go up against a "weak" guy. Bear has a big ego. He may think he can beat Wes in an elimination again. He may be willing to go in against Wes, a person Bear may not believe is the weakest player out of the bunch. - - - The dynamic of the Tribunal is more interesting to me now because throwing someone into an elimination is now a favor (as Cory felt he owed to Jenny). Instead of wheeling and dealing among the house or an alliance throwing someone in that they don't like, the Tribunal members have more incentive make deals among each other. If two guys are in the Tribunal and it's a guys' elimination week, they make a deal between each other to let one of them go into an elimination (assuming the house nominates someone they feel they can beat) in exchange for a later favor... and the same for the women... and that's all a gamble in the end of the day because that person may not be around to return that future favor. Emily is one that I would love to see back in the Challenge house. She is one of my favorites.

I looked at that thinking “ok, I guess they threw out the order of operations on math.”

I never thought of Dee as a strategic player. I think she rode coattails last season to a win, but a win is a win. We’re only at the second episode but Dee is not making great decisions at this point. She’s losing almost all of her political capital in this one episode. Ashley hit the nail on the head. She gave, arguably, the strongest woman in the house the easiest elimination win. Jenny can still go into an elimination but no other woman is going to want to go against her. I can see every other woman in the house campaigning not to vote in Jenny. Also, Wes mentioned that he could see Jenny beating him and Dee in a final. I don’t know if this season will only have one winner, regardless of gender, as they did in seasons 31 and 33. I don’t recall if they mentioned it so I’ll have to go back and rewatch. However, if it’s the case that there’s only one winner, I think Dee just made a terrible game move.

It wasn’t Angie’s building. It was their old high school. I assume Tommy followed them.

I think “Ball Sax” is gonna be the primary antagonist for next season.

One question I have is how exactly did Angela still have the power to make a deal with Dre? She was still technically an AUSA but do you think they would have given her any power to make a deal with Dre as she did considering they were accusing her of some heavy crimes.

If I recall correctly, it was because she was planning on killing Ghost. Correct me if I’m wrong. She hired the Jamaicans to kill Ghost without telling Tommy. Another thing... I understand that this is just a TV show BUT HOW EXACTLY DO YOU NOT SEE THE GUN? In such a close setting (as they were), it’s hard to miss.

This was a rather confusing episode for me. 1) I understand that Tasha doesn’t like Angela. However, after the woman literally saves you from a possible lifetime in prison, she couldn’t let it go??? Also, I thought that Angela’s explanation when she’s staring down the barrel of death kinda made no sense. 2) I think Tommy is overreacting. I think Teresi’s date would have been the same no matter what. Had James showed Tommy the pictures, Tommy still would have killed Teresi, regardless of who he was snitching on. 3) “Breaking team” is a new phrase for me. I kept having to go back because I had to make sure that was what they were saying.

My assumption is that they’re still going to charger her with drug trafficking, murder and whatever else they would have charged her with before Agent Tampio (I think that’s his name) intervened. I think Alicia failed to understand the balance her brother provided. I may have too little information about the Jimenez to even make this conclusion but it seems like her brother was the chaotic one; the outwardly reckless one, much like Ghost and Tommy. Alicia was the strategic one and Diego was the one that kept everyone in line because people were afraid of him. Without Diego, will people actually fear Alicia?

1) Procter is using a nice little "divide and conquer" strategy. He gives up dirt on Angela, and then tells James he has to flip on Angela because Angela would do the same to him to save herself. 2) Tariq... "Teach me the mother%^&*ing game, Ghost"????? Those couple seconds before James says "I'd rather kill you than...", he seemed like he was actually considering it. I thought this whole Kanan experience would have humbled Tariq a little bit, but apparently, I thought wrong. 3) SURPRISE! Angela gets caught by surprise at the end. They have labelled her "consigliere" but she just knows about the stuff she's directly involved in. She can't give them much about their (or rather Tommy's) drug business (connects, distros, street peddlers, etc) if that's what they're looking for. She knows Tommy is the distro and that's it.

With regard to Tasha underestimating Kanan, I thought that was one of few times James lashing out at Tasha was justified. She severely underestimated Kanan. I noticed the grin her and Angela shared because their plan ultimately worked but I don’t think she will ever know how close her son was to death.

The answers to these questions are very gray. Many people (clergymen included), especially in the Southern US, thought it was their right given by God to own slaves. People, at that time, used Christianity (using Christianity in the broader sense) to justify slavery, prejudices, and racism (and many people still do today). Adherents to the same religion also went in an opposite direction; they opposed slavery; helped many gain their freedom; and helped abolish slavery.

Taking a stab in the dark here... I'm thinking that next season Cato either buys his own freedom with the money or escaped to freedom (which I imagine would be difficult with a trunk of money). He uses it to locate his wife and buy her freedom.

Ernestine: vengeance is mine. Beast!

Agreed. Ernestine tried to prevent James' current situation from happening and probably would have been successful had it not been for the reverend. However, TR is definitely not in a position to change James' situation. Any suggestions TR would have had most likely would've been shrugged off as "you're just a kid. Stay out of grown folks business." Although TR didn't have to turn Sam in, Sam would have gotten himself caught anyway because he attempted to get his freedom from other wealthy pro-slavery planters.

1. Agreed. That part was a bit farfetched. I imagine in reality that Rosalee would just have been left behind. 2. John and Elizabeth... Just saying. 3. It would surprise me if Cato makes it out of that situation. The people that are hunting them seem greedy. I think they would take the money if Cato offered it in return for his freedom, and turn Cato in to get the reward

Well, Cato would have slowed them down obviously and Noah would have gotten caught or killed if he tried to save Cato.

Cato is an a-hole but I feel bad that he didn't make it. I feel bad for Ben. He probably wishes he would have kept Rosalee tied up after that. Now August isn't hunting them for the reward; he's out for blood. The actress that plays Elizabeth is stunning. I've always thought but I feel this episode magnified it. I love this. That would make for one hell of a finale.

Boo is adorable. That's my final thought of the episode. Kudos to the actress.

This episode took me by surprise. Two more episodes to go. I love Ernestine's comeback for Tom in regard to her kids, "they ain't just mine." This was already established but I feel the need to say it. That reverend is no man of God. Watching Sam hang was appalling. That is where I "clocked out." That was too much for me. Rosalee's plan was not the greatest. They chose to go out in the open and risk being caught or captured (by other people) back into slavery. Watching Rosalee and Cato shuffle through papers because they couldn't read was hilarious. This particular episode made me rethink watching content that includes slavery. As Tom is making his rounds and mingling with everyone and they're making their points to justify slavery, I'm arguing with these characters (in my mind) because I can't fathom how humans at any point in time have justified slavery. This episode inflamed me.

This episode... WOW!

This is one of those episodes that you have to watch twice. So it is implied that Elizabeth slept with the marshall to save Boo? This episode tugged my heart strings. James' care-free days are over; this is the day he realizes he is slave. I would imagine that this would take a toll on anybody mentally. Ernestine's children are out working the fields. The interaction between TR and James was intense. This is how a young man who sees how inhumane this is turn into a slaveowner. James has a few tricks up his sleeve so he's not as hopeless as Sam and Ernestine thought he may have been; he put sand in his back to make it heavier. I am obsessed with Elizabeth's and Boo's scenes. Elizabeth's face when she realizes Boo comes from her brother-in-law's plantation (small world) is priceless. It looks like Moses was killed by Natives as it looks like there were arrows in this back. However, I'm not sure. By the way, where does Elizabeth and John live? One thing I thought about while watching James' scenes is that at least he wouldn't live his entire life as a slave because the Civil War is right around the corner. This could be season 2 if they want to skip a few years.

This episode was phenomenal, and IMO, the best in the season. The child actors were amazing.

Hilarious! I didn't get the impression that they did anything more than talk. I think he seemed to shy to do anything else. That look was just pure heart-breaking disappointment.