[S04.E03: Sober Sex, Plastic Silverware, and Losing My Religion]

Just now, Bastet said:

ICE thinks he's in Mexico.  He was supposed to stay there for X time (two years, maybe?), but he came back across the border to be able to see Beverly Rose.  He's cooking at the Lunchbox and living with his aunts.

Ah, I forgot he slipped away to see Beverly Rose. Haven't seen him at the Lunchbox in a while either. 

[S04.E03: Sober Sex, Plastic Silverware, and Losing My Religion]

On 10/7/2021 at 9:45 AM, Winston Wolfe said:

One thing though - who keeps their glasses on during or after sex????

People who don't see well LOL. Seriously, though, I'm guessing his vision isn't the kind where he can take off/put on glasses whenever. They probably stay on most of the time. That's what I've noticed with people wearing glasses on TV - they're either fake or the actor really, really needs them and doesn't wear contacts, for whatever reason.  

On 10/7/2021 at 12:05 PM, Stacey1014 said:

Outside of the dress shopping, I didn’t care for this one. I just don’t like the Becky storyline. The whole sleeping with one guy while still married to another guy bothers me. 

I totally forgot about Emilio! I know it's an arrangement but I thought he was around. Wouldn't Emilio need to live with her to prove they're actually in a love marriage?

And where's that baby? Not expecting Beverly Rose to be on set but I haven't even heard about her. 

On 10/7/2021 at 6:09 PM, peacheslatour said:

I must have missed that. What a rotten thing to say to someone in recovery. And yes, especially in light of what happened to her mother.

Yet another reason I wish the show didn't do this storyline with Becky. I don't think this show does a good job with the addiction and recovery storylines. And I wish the show went a different direction with Becky. 

On 10/7/2021 at 9:45 PM, babyhouseman said:

In the first show, I always thought of her as Roseanne's cool little sister that helped Becky get on birth control and smoked pot in the bathtub and thought it was the sink.

Jackie was that cool younger aunt. 

5 hours ago, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

Correct.  She wasn't crazy or unhinged in any way in the early seasons.  She was family oriented enough to have hung around her sister's house all the time to be part of THEIR family.  Now they are pretending that she's this crazy spinster type.  Thinking realistically, if you knew a family like the Connors, Jackie would have almost certainly have been married and had a kid (or two).  

Well, not everyone who seems like they'd be married and have kids actually gets (or stays) married and, while I could see Jackie being the type to adopt, biological kids depend on so many other factors besides your family. 

I think it would be great for to be a younger aunt who's fun and has had a few interesting careers. She could still be great without a husband or kids. At least we get a glimpse of that occasionally when she references being a cop. Jackie has been a truck driver, too. And even her messy life coach story has potential.

But it's just hard to hear Jackie say she doesn't have kids when she actually had a husband and kid, both of whom we saw. The ex-husband doesn't need to be on the show but I can't understand why they chose to pretend her son didn't exist. 

[S03.E08: Episode 8]

On 9/25/2021 at 4:07 PM, ahisma said:

Yes, Aimee&Maeve were awesome this season! And Jean&Maureen and Adam&Rahim.

I might be in the minority in not hating Eric. He’s a teenager and still figuring out who he is. And he forgot for a bit that he is a flamboyant, makeup-wearing, dance-party extrovert, until someone reminded him. Adam’s also figuring out who he is, but he’s a hang-at-home kind of guy. He made HUGE strides being able to come out in public and have sex, but in the end he isn’t a good match for Eric.

I loved Adam openly smiling when Maureen and Emily were clapping for him at the show. And I loved Michael really enjoying cooking. One way or another they’re all crawling out of the abusive cycle started by Michael’s dad. I am way more invested in the Groffs than I ever imagined I would be!

Hoping for a season 4, though not excited for The Who’s-Jean’s-baby-daddy plot line.

I am also surprised by my interest in the Groff family. I absolutely adore Maureen and I never thought I'd say I would prefer to see Michael get another shot at being head teacher. 

Also agree re: season 4 excitement (although I only started watching this show this past summer) and dreading the baby-daddy plot line. There's no way no one ever considered that he wasn't the father??? I don't know what the timeline is on this show but for all those months Jean was pregnant before telling Jakob, she didn't confirm? I thought running into the younger guy she had been with was a hint that they might try making the baby's paternity a question mark. It's a horrible thing to do to, especially to Jakob and Ola. 

On 9/27/2021 at 5:03 PM, iwantcookies said:

Eric is truly unlikable at this point. Pity since I enjoyed his story line until now.

I expected Lily or Jean to die. Killing off Jean would have given a fresh storyline.

Otie and Maeve as a couple I don’t care … 

Yakob is a fox. 

Jean is a ho we get it. Making Yakob not be daddy is mean.
Everyone is too old to be playing 16-17 year old kids. Adam looks 30. 

 

Jacob is quite good-looking and has a beautiful smile. I don't remember him looking that way when his character was first introduced. I was wondering how it never occurred to anyone that he wasn't the baby's father. Jean should have at least considered it and she had plenty of time to figure that out before telling Jacob she was pregnant. They hadn't seen each other in years. 

On 9/18/2021 at 8:19 PM, possibilities said:

I was actually sad that Aimee concluded she didn't want to be with Steve. Was it not about the assault at all, and she just didn't like Steve? He seemed like a great guy. I get that sometimes you're just not into someone and there's no particular reason, and also that kids that age are more likely to have churn in their relationships than be looking to settle down. But I liked Steve.

I was sad, too. Steve is so great and they're great together. But maybe they'll get together later on when Aimee is ready. 

[S03.E08: Episode 8]

On 9/22/2021 at 8:59 PM, possibilities said:

That's a good question. She seemed to be terrible at it when she was working at the school, making assumptions about things rather than actually finding out. I remember especially the girl who was putting a pillow over her bf's face and Jean assumed she was doing it to suffocate him instead of the real reason which was to keep him from seeing her face when she comes. Otis was good at the clinic because he asked questions and had an open mind.

But Jean seems to be good with Aimee, and I thought she was good when Adam's father showed up. 

Otis was good with the clinic and shows real talent. He's not a licensed therapist but I can see him being a coach, therapist/counselor in the future. Or really, just any career where those empathetic listening skills are needed. The clinic was unethical but so is a lot of what Jean does.

For instance, Jean wasn't supposed to therapize the students but she started spewing advice without developing that therapist-client relationship. And yea, she didn't ask enough questions about the pillow over the boyfriend's face. Writing down the details of students' sex and relationship challenges with their full names and then leaving her notebook where anyone could just grab it from her bag was a huge no-no. Otis was the one who took her notebook but any person who saw her writing in it could have taken it easily. It's not like Otis took it from her locked home office. As Eric said, how could Jean just leave her notes lying around? Also, using information for her book was wrong. 

I hand waved the fact that Jean should have referred Aimee to someone else - it's not always easy to warm up to a therapist. But it was hard to do that when she asked for details about Maeve. I had completely forgotten that Jean didn't know about Maeve. 

I think Jean is quite knowledgeable and often helpful but not necessarily a good therapist. 

On 9/25/2021 at 4:07 PM, ahisma said:

Yes, Aimee&Maeve were awesome this season! And Jean&Maureen and Adam&Rahim.

I might be in the minority in not hating Eric. He’s a teenager and still figuring out who he is. And he forgot for a bit that he is a flamboyant, makeup-wearing, dance-party extrovert, until someone reminded him. Adam’s also figuring out who he is, but he’s a hang-at-home kind of guy. He made HUGE strides being able to come out in public and have sex, but in the end he isn’t a good match for Eric.

I loved Adam openly smiling when Maureen and Emily were clapping for him at the show. And I loved Michael really enjoying cooking. One way or another they’re all crawling out of the abusive cycle started by Michael’s dad. I am way more invested in the Groffs than I ever imagined I would be!

Hoping for a season 4, though not excited for The Who’s-Jean’s-baby-daddy plot line.

You can sit with me at the not-hating-Eric table. I personally just really adore his character, even though I didn't always agree with him. I thought he and Adam were horribly matched and it had nothing to do with makeup or wanting to go to dance parties. Neither of them is ready to have a boyfriend. Adam needs to figure out what he's doing and is just learning to express himself openly. It wasn't that long ago that he had issues during intercourse with his girlfriend, exposed himself in the cafeteria, and bullied Eric. The boy needs time to figure stuff out. I appreciate that Otis was uneasy about them getting together in the first place. Eric has a great friend in Otis but could still stand to hang out with more people benefit from meeting people who enjoy the same things he does. I don't think his romantic partner needs to be someone who's flamboyant and/or likes to wear makeup.

On 9/27/2021 at 11:20 PM, ShortyMac said:

The actor who plays Adam, Connor Swindells, is 25. Asa Butterfield (Otis) is 24, Emma Mackey (Maeve) is 25, Ncuti Gatwa (Eric) will be 29 in October (!!!!), Patricia Allison (Ola) will be 27 in December, Kedar Williams-Stirling (Jackson), will be turning 27, as well.

I didn’t realize the cast was so “old.” But shows casting actors in their 20s to play teenagers isn’t new. 

Yes, I think it's the norm to have older actors portray teenagers. It actually wasn't too bad in this show. The actors who play Otis, Eric, and Jackson pass a whole lot better for high school students - especially the actor who portrays Otis. The actor portraying Maeve looks a lot more mature to me, especially with the dark hair. Some people just have those kinds of facial features. For instance, Lily and Adam also look much older to me and I think it's just their natural facial features - thin lips that seem to be pursed tight into a line or a frown. 

[In The Dark - General Discussion]

On 9/8/2021 at 10:14 PM, possibilities said:

You're a fugitive, Trey. Why are you answering the door without knowing who's knocking? Wouldn't Darnell have a key? Or announce himself if he forgot his key?

I liked that they established that Murphy's mother botched raising her. It explains a lot about how Murphy turned out. I'm not excusing Murphy, but it's still wrong that they never allowed her to be independent-- or even to go to freaking school for gods sake. That over-protective smothering is a real thing that doesn't work. Contrast with Chloe, who had a horrible person for a parent, but he didn't totally infantilize Chloe and she was a more functional person even at half Murphy's age.

I love how deliriously HAPPY the dog looks all the time. It's out of character for the plot, but makes me feel better about having a dog in a show where the plot is so high stress. That dog's spirit clearly has not been killed by being a working actor.

 

I think Murphy and Chloe are apples and oranges aside from losing their eyesight during their adolescent years. Murphy's mom made it sound like she had behavior problems before she went blind. I think her parents adopted her at an early age but her background could have a lot to do with how her parents treated her. 

I do think Murphy's parents - especially her mom - are quite overprotective and it can be difficult not to be when you have a child who has challenging issues (not referring to her blindness because that happened later).

On 9/9/2021 at 3:36 PM, possibilities said:

Max was selling drugs out of his food truck. Jess and Felix stole Max's drug money. Jess shot Nia to prevent Nia from killing Murphy. Murphy is not even close to the cause of all their woes. I'm not saying she's not complicit, up to her neck, and basically comfortable being obnoxious. But the way everybody else forgets how they got where they are, and enjoy pretending Murphy is the cause, is more than bullshit, it's actually a complete insult to reality.

Murphy is relentlessly loyal to the people she's decided she loves, and puts her own safety on the line to do things like find out who killed her friend (season 1's entire premise) and then to find her other friend (this season). She will fuck, lie, steal, scam, do whatever she pleases to get what she wants, and was lazy and rebellious before all this started. But the way Felix and Max try to convince themselves that Murphy is worse than they are, is... well, it would be laughable if it wasn't so foul.

Max was a criminal long before this show started. Jess and Felix had to know there'd be consequences to taking that money. But I can't help but think Murphy is lost without Jess and feels guilty about the way she treated her. 

On 9/9/2021 at 11:15 AM, dubbel zout said:

Gene, Murphy slipped through your fingers—again—because you didn't cover all the exits. FFS, it's not that difficult. I hate how they're acting as if Murphy is some master criminal when it's really their own stupidity (and plot necessity) that keeps the search ongoing.

I don't feel sorry for anyone anymore except Pretzel, who is not getting fed properly. People food is not an acceptable substitute for dog food, Murphy!

I barely even see Murphy feed Pretzel people food. I'm always wondering, when does that poor dog eat? 

[In The Dark - General Discussion]

On 9/2/2021 at 3:38 PM, possibilities said:

It's frustrating that everyone is so stupid. Even cop shows, which are generally more about adrenaline than due process, know you need to read people their rights, allow them to have a lawyer, etc. And Murphy, and FELIX WHO APPARENTLY WENT TO LAW SCHOOL WTF, and F's sister who IS a lawyer, all seem to be completely forgetting about lawyers anywhere in any of this. 

Murphy is reckless, but it's not like the rest of them are what I'd call prudent, either. They've all given up on Jess pretty easily, and no one has tried to question the woman who actually helped Jess escape, and Murphy is the only one who seems to suspect the family of the missing Jennifer Walker, which is weird as hell since it's so obvious and also family members are usually the first suspects.

I do kind of get why the police are so incompetent, though. Gene is grossly unqualified and he knows it. He SAID SO when they tried to promote him. He was a trainee under the Chloe's dad who murdered Murphy's friend in S1 (why can't I remember his name?), and Gene was never actually given any real training because they were always trying to cloud the issue and break the rules. So Gene's in over his head. It doesn't excuse him for being completely incompetent, but it's in character also that he's fucking things up a lot, and bro-ing out over loyalty to Josh, because that's how he was with Corrupt Training Officer, too-- until he suddenly realized what was happening., which was kind of too late. And he hasn't had any better guidance since then, either.

The entire department is iffy, because the chief was corrupt as hell, and deliberately buried cases and hid evidence and generally fucked things up on purpose, which sadly I have no trouble suspending disbelief about.

But Murphy seems to be on the one hand the most reckless and self-absorbed, but also the smartest and bravest of the bunch, so it's kind of interesting to see the dudes be all emo and give up while the women are the ones doing the real investigating, ass-kicking, and persisting. I think Jess is also brave and loyal-- perhaps co-dependently but at least she owns it and doesn't claim it gives her a right to lie and manipulate Murphy the way Felix does. Jess is less self-absorbed and reckless than Murphy, but she's not taking the coward's way out or giving up. She is after all the one who shot Nia. It's like they're using all the tropes, just flipping who gets assigned to each one.

Murphy was cruel to Felix but he just kidnapped her, tried to stuff her in a trunk and sneak her across the border, he was lying to her and taking advantage of her blindness. It's hard to feel too sorry for him in that moment. I actually thought she was insulting him on purpose and crossing a line in order to get him to leave since she had already been telling him to go and he had been refusing. I was actually surprised when she panicked and wanted him to stay. He's compulsively been giving in to her even when he doesn't want to, and then not owning his choices but framing it as though he HAD TO, which is bullshit, "nice guy" behavior and not really friendship or love.

It's also condescending that he and Max are SOOOO convinced that Jess is dead, and thinking Murphy is just stupid not to realize it. I can accept they fear the worst and even that they think it's true. But the condescending and dismissive way they deal with her about it reeks of sexism. They not only disagree, but they have so little doubt about it that they feel justified in KIDNAPPING HER and telling themselves it's FOR HER OWN GOOD, rather than admitting it to her face what they think, or admitting to themselves that they just don't want to keep trying to find Jess at least partly because they're scared. If they want to give up, they have a plausible excuse and should take the consequences of that, rather than just resorting to paternalistic self-justification.

For me, it's not even about who is right or wrong about what happened to Jess. People can reasonably have different hunches about that and make different choices about what to do in this situation. But their complete lack of humility about it, and the way they go immediately to patronizing and lying and abduction? No.

I definitely feel like this show has too many moronic cops, lawyers, and law school grads. But I guess it's necessary for the plot.  Even Trey seems like an incompetent criminal - so far, he's given up extra money to the Canadian(?) cops, lost his phone, and left an identifiable, registered gun at the scene of a crime. I think Gene is great (though I'm conflicted because I want the gang to be safe and not in jail) but he's unqualified for the role. Any reason he couldn't have just been given his regular job back, convinced the new/qualified chief to rehire the former detective (can't remember her name, the one a couple of people thought was the chief's wife), and continue to work the case. I'd even throw in Josh as a consultant on the case or whatever. But Chief is such a stretch!

I don't know that Max and Felix are being condescending in thinking Jess is dead and Murphy is wrong for thinking she's not. While either of them could be right at this point, Murphy is acting, in part, out of guilt and need. She needs Jess to be alive. She was quite dependent on Jess and feels guilty for how she treated her - hence, the flashbacks. I don't know that the guys' opinions are based on gender so much as they are based on not having the same kind of relationship with Jess that Murphy has. As you mentioned, Murphy has shown that she's intuitive. But she's also rude.

The kidnapping was awful! I'm not condoning it AT ALL.  I also don't feel like Max and Felix immediately resorted to kidnapping. I don't feel like Max or Felix (before Murphy told him off) could leave Murphy in Illinois. She wanted to stay there and look for Jess, even if it prevented Felix from sorting out his own situation. 

On 9/2/2021 at 3:01 AM, PinkRibbons said:

I can't defend Murphy on what she said to Felix, it was shitty af. But he doesn't get to have it both ways - use her blindness to trick her and then abandoning her where she has almost no idea where she is. Also, her attacking his puppy dog crush on her? Grow up dude, you just said her friend is dead.

And how is that a foregone conclusion? Any druglords that might have been after Jess are dead themselves. And how did neither of them clock the fact that the mother was shocked to hear that Jennifer had bought a new identity and the uncle didn't even react?

Oh, and speaking of things that don't get to go both ways: Felix and Max are circumstantial, but Murphy is in for a life sentence? The cops have blood and a button. That's it. She hasn't made a formal confession. They still can't do anything but place her at Nia's gravesite. Plus she majorly helped Gene out by giving him the story about Tyson, and now he's all about forgetting it and arresting her just to get in good with Josh, Murphy's embittered ex whose boner for her arrest is way too personal and a solid reason for the defense to have his findings excluded? (I am also a proud owner of a Law and Order Law Degree, with a minor in Boston Legal.) Okay, the deal wasn't made with an attorney present and that's bad, although without her attorney everything done in that police station seems suspect. They have her on aiding in the improper disposal of a body and escaping police custody, and on that second one I'd avoid prosecuting considering it makes the police look SO. BAD. Like, hilariously so.

I love Darnell. Also are there literally any cops in that precinct with sense.

 

On 9/1/2021 at 11:13 PM, possibilities said:

The kidnapping was so wrong. They could have told her no and refused to participate in her plans if they disagreed with them, just like if one of the sighted people involved had been making demands they disagreed with. Murphy was absolutely right about that. Felix could have gone to Canada alone if he wanted to, without taking Murphy with him if he felt strongly about it. But it was 100% patronizing condescending bullshit to not confront her directly, and take advantage of her blindness. 

 

The kidnapping was terrible. I became sad watching it, like the episode where Jess never came to the bus station and Murphy was all alone. 

I think Max - and then Felix - didn't see any other way to get Murphy to do what they thought was the right thing. I feel like they have told Murphy no and then she insists she's going alone. Knowing she's a fugitive and watching her bump into furniture before she even leaves the house makes it tough for him to do what he thinks is right for him - going to Canada. 

They say hurt people hurt people. And boy did Murphy and Felix hurt each other!

On 8/27/2021 at 10:56 PM, PinkRibbons said:

Leslie had a point about Murphy, (although I wish they would have pointed out that for Murphy, her phone is almost an indispensable to her as her cane, and even with no service, being without it is a genuine reason for her to go into an anxiety spiral) but honestly Murphy's dead-on that Leslie is a bitch. The whole thing with the newspapers? How insanely easy would it have been for her and their mother to fib and give them to Felix as his inheritance? That's so inconsiderate it's breathtaking, as is the fact that she acts like it's ridiculous that he gets upset over it.

I liked that Murphy got a dig in about searching for things in the dark. I'm just hating Leslie so much over how inconsiderate she is to Felix that I'm strongly rooting against her. Her saying that Murphy has a need for control? Murphy already has a fraction of the control that a non-disabled person would have over their life. I don't really blame her for wanting as much as possible.

Max has also been getting on my nerves ever since he told Trey that Murphy was just using him. He seems to need to create a narrative for Murphy that vilifies her. She's a sexual user - oh, she's also a chaos-magnet who's too much like his mom! She's not the one who willingly used their business money to launder drug money, Max. And when Murphy broke up with him at the end of last season, she was at least mature enough to say they brought out the worst in each other, which they do. Max wants to put everything wrong with the relationship onto her.

It's really sad that Felix keeps getting the constant signal that he's less-than, but I don't like him and Murphy as a romantic or sexual relationship. She uses sex as a comforting mechanism and he doesn't seem able to separate sex and romance. They do make a sweet pair of friends though, when they actually spend time together not arguing.

I don't understand why Leslie and her mother couldn't even let Felix have the newspapers that would have meant so much to him. I doubt they would have missed them. Sheesh, give the guy a break and tell him his Dad loved him and left his newspapers!

I do like that Leslie stood up to Murphy, though. Murphy is rude and people don't call her on it. Also, Murphy is especially rude to someone who is letting her, a fugitive, stay in her place without contributing a single thing except chaos. Max is her lover. Felix is her brother. Trey is a gracious guest who realizes it's time for him to leave. Murphy is a rude guest who acts like Leslie owes her something, including feeding her dog. 

I'm so sorry Felix fell for Murphy. Doesn't she have enough people who are into her? I think Felix wants a relationship. I think he'll be back for Murphy, despite the risk. 

And I know people hate Max but he has his own issues and the Murphy narrative he created helps him separate himself from her. Under different circumstances, he probably would have continued to interact with different women as a way to ease his pain. The problem is, he wasn't expecting to see her again. 

[S05.E10: And the Violence Spread.]

On 8/28/2021 at 6:50 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Man, I was almost having an anxiety attack before the opening credits!

Lol, Kurt saved Diane's firm by getting drunk with those STR Laurie guys. But I thought people from the UAE weren't supposed to drink.

And there it is. The billionaire was only using Wackner as a puppet judge. If Wackner doesn't do what he wants he gets himself a new Wackner who'll be more compliant. I was surprised he admitted it.

Holy crap, that court scene between Rivi and his wife was intense. Emmys for both of them.

Okay, Diane saw the light about her supposed racial privilege and agreed to step down as a named partner. Seemed too easy to me. She basically got shamed by CCH Pounder's character because she's rich enough to wear designer shoes and take vacations in Lake Como. Liz also wears designer shoes and could afford to vacation in Italy if she wanted to. No reason for Diane to feel she has undue entitlement IMO.

From where she was standing the prosecutor was exercising his White Male Privilege in a way that he might not have if she weren't being an Uppity Black Woman. It was a heat of the moment reaction to his behavior.

I'm going to have to rewatch the interaction between Diane and Vinetta again because Vinetta shaming Vinetta for anything except telling Mateo to lie and not recognizing the legitimacy of her court. But this is the second comment I've seen about her shaming Diane. I must have missed something. I can't see Diane basing her partnership decision on someone's comments about her shoes or vacation. Especially when she walked past the woman as the police held her up against the wall.

I honestly would have preferred that Diane keep the name partnership and bring on another name partner. 

Originally, I thought Carmen's response was a legal tactic, as it seemed out of character for the Carmen we've seen so far.  But you bring up a point that perhaps it was simply a heat of the moment reaction.

On 8/28/2021 at 1:04 PM, Medicine Crow said:

When he's in a scene, I just can't get past the fact that it's HIM.  Not a good actor .. sleazy is an apt description!!

I think Wayne Brady is incredibly talented who looks and acts cheesy. It works in some roles. BUT his character didn't have any chemistry with Liz and I didn't buy them being together. 

On 8/27/2021 at 2:15 PM, stonehaven said:

One other thing, when Marissa and Wackner were barracaded in the room, she talked about her father and used past tense once. Are we to infer that Eli Gold is dead? When did that happen?

I hope not. I'm still hoping for a guest appearance. 

[S05.E10: And the Violence Spread.]

On 8/27/2021 at 1:02 AM, bobbyjoe said:

I feel like I know next-to-nothing about Carmen which is really damning about the direction this show has taken in recent seasons.   The Good Wife/early Good Fight would have been all over making her a compelling character throughout the season— instead, we got lots of a pointless fantasyland where people just make their own courts and nothing vaguely realistic happens.

And, really, show, you’re going to end on a dumb montage that literally juxtaposes torch carrying white supremacists with people portrayed as picky about pronouns like this is at all comparable?  That’s the worst kind of stupid bothsiderism and another symptom of how the show went from giving us genuinely thoughtful, complicated and nuanced court cases to this kind of lazy nonsense.

Kurt and Diane were charming, and if we join the showrunners in ignoring everything that happened between them all the rest of the season to get here, their scenes were the most enjoyable part of the episode.

Here’s a short list of some of the storylines that dead-ended or basically went nowhere this season: Wackner’s court,  Jay’s visions, Carmen having any real details or backstory, the conflicts we saw between Kurt and Diane, pretty much anything having to do with ST Laurie, Marissa actually becoming a real rather than a pretend lawyer, etc.  Lately this show feels like it’s being written by people with the attention span of a gnat.

I would have loved to know more about Carmen. She didn't look or act like someone right out of law school. I wondered if she had another career first. We got to see a glimpse of her tiny apartment and that was it. 

Also wondered about Marissa's path to becoming a lawyer. Who is supposedly supervising her if she spends so much time at the fake court? Carmen was right about that but she doesn't have a relationship with Marissa like Maia and Lucca did so it felt more like an insult than advice or a warning from a friend.

On 8/27/2021 at 8:41 AM, ifionlyknew said:

One of the policemen said the not a Koch brother alerted them. Said CCH Pounder was stealing intellectual property by having a court similar to Judge Wackner's court.   Earlier CCH Pounder's character told Diane Wackner stole her idea.  I think the writers were showing us how many things are routinely taken from African Americans without them receiving credit.

Setting aside how unrealistic these courts are, Vinetta seemed sincere about keeping her neighborhood safe and had a valid reason for starting the court, so I think she was telling the truth about Wackner using her courtroom idea. I wanted to see more of Vinetta's side of the story. Intellectual property is not usually a police matter but it could have made an interesting case for the firm to work on - especially since they like to think of themselves as a Black firm, yet Wackner is their client and not the Black woman who seems to just want justice for lives lost and for her community. Missed opportunity, in my opinion. 

On 8/27/2021 at 2:15 PM, stonehaven said:

One other thing, when Marissa and Wackner were barracaded in the room, she talked about her father and used past tense once. Are we to infer that Eli Gold is dead? When did that happen?

 

On 8/27/2021 at 4:11 PM, stonehaven said:

Wayne Brady is a talent to be sure. I used to love him on Whose Line. Yet, his actual acting is not great. His ego has turned him into a smarmy, sleazy persona that he would have mocked in the early days of Whose Line. 

 

[S05.E09: And the End Was Violent...]

On 8/20/2021 at 2:26 AM, bobbyjoe said:

It’s just dumb, frankly, and not at all what The Good Fight is best at doing. If anything, Alegra surprisingly making a convincing argument that they need to tell Dubai that they need more money and workers, not less— since that makes them look less weak— is the kind of storyline and turn that feels like more classic Good Wife/Good Fight.   The “character who seems like a weirdo incompetent at first but suddenly has flashes of brilliance and saves the day” is a recurring theme where they’ve often done best.  And I did laugh at the cats, silly as that was.  This felt like an Elsbeth kind of story, which are usually my favorites.

The cats made me laugh but I agree that Allegra's suggestions were quite valid and I'm surprised no one else pointed out how more cuts and changes would make clients feel iffy about continuing to work with the firm. They're unstable. 

On 8/25/2021 at 2:46 AM, Roseanna said:

Well, Boseman had a girlfriend who could have been his granddaughter, so why can't a woman have a younger lover? After all, Liz has a child already, so she isn't evidently look for a serious partner to share her life with but her lover can just be for pleasure.

But reminding her son, who she once brought to work, where is he now? Even Lucca mentioned her baby occassionally. 

The only woman I remember seeing Adrian with was the judge and she certainly didn't look young enough to be his granddaughter. Was there someone else? 

I don't think the guy Liz is dating is supposed to be a "younger lover." There may be a small age difference but when you're in your 40s/50s that isn't a big deal. I don't think the issue is with his age. They just don't seem to be a good match. And thought she is divorced and has a child, she could still be looking for a partner. It's not like single/divorced parents never remarry or have serious relationships. It happens all the time. 

Del wanted to meet her son so there has been mention of him. Lucca's son was part of the story quite a bit because her pregnancy was part of the show and she's the primary custodial parent - her son's father lives out of state and his mother was part of the show for a while as the child's caretaker. Liz is likely splitting custody more evenly with her ex and is with Del when her son is with his dad. Lots of single parents do that until they're ready to introduce their children to a new partner. 

On 8/27/2021 at 9:52 AM, ferjy said:

Ha, good point about David Lee. Although my comment was referring to the responses from Dubai and London. It’s always hot in Dubai and always raining in London (well, not always, but for comedic  purposes...)

Ha, David Lee has never had good people skills. That's part of what makes him so funny. He's been practicing law for eons and is still awkward. 

[In The Dark - General Discussion]

7 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I was disappointed Trey ultimately had sex with Murphy. And while Felix's sister is a bit abrasive, everything she's said about Murphy is inarguable.

I'm so bored with this season.

I really was glad when Trey and Murphy were stopped in their tracks during that train ride. So I was definitely disappointed to see them hook up and also to see Felix get hurt. Honestly, I don't understand how anyone was having sex in that house knowing they're all fugitives. 

I like the actress who plays Leslie but the character she plays is, as you said, abrasive. But I feel like Murphy finally met her match! I'm still enjoying this season but this episode fell short for me. It was mostly sex and looking for Murphy's phone.

[In The Dark - General Discussion]

On 7/9/2021 at 3:02 PM, possibilities said:

I liked what that showed about Murphy's conscience though. She feels guilty and afraid that she failed Jess. It was a way to show that she does care, and she is afraid, and it's still in character for her (compared to the usual ways they show women  being scared and feeling guilty-- Murphy would experience it as blame and anger and violence, not groveling and submissiveness).

It's not Jess's fault Murphy dreamed her that way. It showed Murphy does appreciate and feel insecure in their friendship-- she sees Jess as someone who on the one hand always takes care of her, and on the other hand, might leave her because she's not good enough, even when she isn't actually at fault.

Thanks for the reminder of how the whole mess started, with Jess and Felix taking the money. It makes things more even in the group. 

Does Max know that Murphy didn't steal the money? 

I don't find Murphy to be the least bit likeable (which is fine, because I don't need to in order to enjoy the show) and I like Jess but they really seem codependent to me. I think we're seeing Murphy's guilt for how poorly she treated Jess and how much she misses her whenever she's not around.

I hope we also get to see what's driving the way Jess' behavior. And I mean the way she puts her life on hold for Murphy, not her stupid decision to take that money. That was just dumb. But what made her not want to (or feel like she can't) move on with her life and let Murphy deal with the consequences of her decisions? I'd love to see that. 

On 7/15/2021 at 9:59 AM, NoReally said:

This! They could've gotten away with it if Murphy had just kept the guy in the shower a little longer. Nothing we've seen of her suggests that she wouldn't have sex with the guy. 

We've seen Murphy have casual sex for pleasure. We've never seen Murphy have to have sex with someone she didn't like - someone she wasn't comfortable with and who would physically harm her if she couldn't pull off the transaction. The closest she came was Felix and the hotel desk clerk but she actually likes Felix and they care about each other, even if they bicker and started out as enemies. And I don't the hotel desk clerk is someone she disliked or was afraid of. Murphy didn't feel threatened by Felix or the woman. 

On 7/15/2021 at 11:09 AM, dubbel zout said:

I bought it, especially under the circumstances. I think the fact that it was entirely transactional—distract the guy so Trey can steal the money—is what bothered her. Stranger sex for Murphy is usually about her needs and wanting to forget something. This wasn't that. I'm not explaining it that well, but I do see the difference here.

Exactly why I bought it, too. We've never seen Murphy have to be intimate because her life depended on it. It was always about making her feel better. 

On 7/17/2021 at 4:47 PM, CrystalBlue said:

What does the color of his skin have to do with what a dumbass he is?  Total rookie move regardless of race.

Not saying Trey didn't make a rookie move but I can't deny that as a Black man, he has an entirely different experience dealing with cops. 

On 8/14/2021 at 8:28 AM, dubbel zout said:

Josh is acting as an agent of the police, which gives him certain privileges. (N.B.: I got my JD from Law & Order University.) But he's mainly there because he's mad that Murphy screwed him over and he wants revenge.

I got my JD there, too! And my undergrad is from Hudson University. 

On 8/15/2021 at 12:04 AM, PinkRibbons said:

Does anyone else get the feeling that Josh was unreasonably set on arresting Murphy even before she got him fired? Like he comes to her house for sex - as part of her attempt to have a genuine relationship with him, and he just happened to spot a picture of Max. He starts basically interrogating her, refuses to listen to any attempts she tries to makes at communication*, assumes she killed Nia and then has the audacity to demand she give him a phone to call the police on her. Frankly his attitude strikes me as someone who much more than the justice he claims to want really just wants one last big case under his belt.

*This is one of the stupidest things he does, now I think of it, because if he hadn't launched directly into "I WILL TAKE YOU DOWN" and listened to her, he might have gotten a full confession just listening to Murphy trying to reason away her actions. He acts like Murphy used and abused him (immediately assuming she slept with him for information), but I'm getting the feeling now that it's more like he's using her to fulfill his fantasy of going out with a bang. He never even tried extending some compassion to her before she got him fired, her doing so just made him go from determined to fanatical about putting her away. She hurt his ego and he can't forgive that.

It felt forced. How on earth would Josh recognize Max in a tiny, goofy photo booth picture? Max's most distinguishing feature is his height and that's not visible in the black-and-white photo. 

[S02.E03: ... opened a textbook]

On 7/30/2021 at 1:48 PM, Paloma said:

I have the same hang-up but also know it makes sense from Devi's teenage perspective, because, despite it being in the very distant past, I still cringe when I think about the handsome but dumb boys I had crushes on in high school and even college. I was very much like Devi in high school--a top student with just a couple of friends, not in the popular group and mostly unnoticed by boys. Although hormones and romantic pop songs (this was the 1960s) were mostly to blame for my crushes, the desire to have a handsome boyfriend also came from needing to be validated by my peers. If one of my crushes had actually been interested in me, I'm sure I would have soon realized that he wasn't right for me.   

I get it! Devi is academically inclined but that doesn't mean she isn't like other girls her age who are interested in having a handsome boyfriend. 

I just wish the show had chosen a handsome, age-appropriate love interest for Devi so this could be more believable. I have a hard time seeing short, small-framed wrinkle-faced Paxton as a heartthrob. If Paxton kept his shirt on, it would make sense for him to switch roles with Ben. 

Of course, I'm only referring to Paxton's physical status as a heartthrob. Once we see more of him, we get to know that he's a flawed but kind person with strong family values. 

[S05.E07: And the Fight Had a Détente...]

36 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

Her last episode was in the second season premiere.  Diane was offered a partner position at the firm of the woman who declined to hire Diane in the first season.  While Diane was considering, Barbara met with the woman and took the job.

I may need to re-watch.

Do you know why the actress left the show? I love Audra McDonald but I was curious about that character. I remember her being annoyed with the way things were going. 

[S05.E07: And the Fight Had a Détente...]

On 8/7/2021 at 10:18 PM, gesundheit said:

Yeah, I was confused about why they would sign those documents. First I was confused that HR would be bringing anything like that to name partners anyway (sadly they would not typically be subject to the same HR policies that other staff would be), but then I remembered there's a parent firm, so they are subject to the parent firm's policies. Or something. But then why sign a document they know to be a lie? Why are they faking a relationship at work? I'm not sure how that gets them anything. I understood why they did that with the judge, but that was a situational strategy.

I love Boss Diane but I don't see how she can really stay managing partner at this point. If she's not a name partner but still partner, I fail to see how it would have the impact implied on her clients (if she did what was asked and stayed an equity partner, it doesn't make sense that her clients wouldn't see her regularly anymore), so I'm not sure why they're presenting it the way they are. I hope the lighthearted stuff with Liz this week doesn't put a pin in that story for too long.

I wasn't so confused about why they signed the documents as name partners. Rather, I was wondering where was the conversation: "It's come to our attention that their may be a romantic relationship..." 

HR just creates legal documents based on FOX news and doesn't ask questions? 

On 8/8/2021 at 12:30 AM, txhorns79 said:

I was a little surprised when Liz claimed Barbara Kolstad left or felt forced out because of Diane.  Not that the character ever made a big splash, but the last thing I recall about her was her jumping at a job Diane had been offered(?), never to be seen again.

What happened to that character? I was curious to see more of her but she disappeared with only a small mention. Interesting that the show is bringing her up now. 

On 8/8/2021 at 2:33 AM, Roseanna said:

I didn't speak of Diane but an ordinary person IRL. Or are people in US just accustomed that they are lied about?

It's not a US thing. It's more of a person-likely-to-be-in-the-news thing. That can happen anywhere. The majority of Americans aren't mentioned in the news, let alone considered significant enough to be lied about. 

[In The Dark - General Discussion]

On 7/1/2021 at 4:58 PM, tennisgurl said:

Max might be the smartest person on the show, cutting ties with Murphy is going to remove so much unneeded stress from his life. She is so selfish and toxic and she spreads that toxicity to everyone around her. Like when Jess was getting upset in the store about the fact that she is throwing her whole life away partially because of Murphy's terrible ideas, while all Murphy can do is whine about how Max doesn't like her anymore. Its sad how being a codependent enabler has led Jess so far into this mess, and now it looks like its about to get worse. The only reason to be around Murphy is to get to hang out with Pretzel, the shows real star. 

I feel like the dog training place was always basically running just so that Murphy's parents wanted make sure her lazy self had a job, so I guess that's why we never saw much guide dog training. Or because the show just doesn't know how guide dogs work, between this and Josh getting instantly fired without a fight for losing his sight, its bizarre how a show about a blind person seems to know so little about being blind. 

I agree re: Max. Instead of blaming Murphy for sucking him in again, he is taking responsibility and making sure that it doesn't happen. 

I've seen some comments on Reddit from people who think Max is being petty. But I think he's asserting and protecting himself. It makes me wonder if Jess would have been able to do that had they met as adults. 

On 6/27/2021 at 9:29 AM, shapeshifter said:

It's an interesting dichotomy that Gene's speech patterns sound like he's "from the hood" while at the same time he's the only morally uncompromised character on the show. 
--Not that IRL that doesn't happen, but on TV, if it does happen, it's usually the main character, and it usually comes off as unbelievable. 
Gene is also the straight arrow in a police department with its share of crooked cops. 
Gene and Pretzel are the only reason I'm watching this season, and Pretzel seems to have lost screen time
--not that Pretzel ever had many lines. 😉 🦮

Just like IRL, your accent/dialect/speech patterns don't dictate your moral compass. I hadn't thought about that but since you brought it up, I appreciate that about Gene's character. 

On 6/24/2021 at 3:59 PM, tennisgurl said:

Can the feds actually fire Josh for going blind? As other people above have mentioned, that seems like discrimination, they couldn't just give him a desk job where he could still do his work even without sight? Its hard to root against Gene and Josh, who are honestly a lot more likable than the gang, especially Murphy, but they are being set up as the seasons antagonists. For now at least. 

I know it's TV but I wondered about this, too. Were they firing Josh for not disclosing? 

He seemed to fear that he'd be relegated to a boring desk job and maybe that's true. But why did he have to get fired? 

On 6/24/2021 at 12:40 PM, possibilities said:

Josh could have kept his job or sued for discrimination if he proved he could do his job with reasonable accommodations. His refusal to disclose, and get training, and use assistive tech is kind of his own fault here.

Moreover, he was doing a pretty effective job, so they don't have the right to terminate him just for having a disability. It's kind of surprising that this show doesn't know about that, since they've made an effort to get a lot of blind stuff right (though it's also not their first failure in that regard, either).

I had a legally blind acquaintance who worked as an actuary for Prudential, and she could see less than Josh seems to. There are lots of ways to do what Josh needed to do, and as a federal employee, he surely has a union, access to lawyers, and a boss who knows the basics of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Yes! Josh acts like ADA doesn't exist. But I feel for him because he's clearly having a hard time and it seems like he wasn't a regular IRS agent; he was a criminal investigator for the IRS. He hadn't told anyone about his eyesight nor has he accessed anything that he's entitled to. We've seen how much he resisted the cane. A lot of this plot line is unrealistic but I appreciate that the show touches on people who undergo this kind of change at different stages in their lives - during the adolescent years while going through puberty and loss of a parent, in their 30s while on a great career track. I get it. I wonder if that's why Josh is so adamant about taking Murphy down.

On 6/24/2021 at 9:15 AM, dubbel zout said:

I like Gene more than Josh, but it is a bummer we're supposed to think of them as the enemy.

I'm really tired of Murphy bulldozing everyone into doing her bidding whether it's smart or not. There's no way Gene would have known where to look in the woods if Murphy hadn't forced Max to take her there to look for her stupid button.

I know, right? Is it possible to root for both teams? 

Also, Murphy seems to be able to convince people quite a bit. Part of it is that she's smart and perceptive. But I think some people just have a hard time saying no to her and she knows it.

On 7/1/2021 at 9:35 PM, PinkRibbons said:

I've always felt that Murphy was a little too much of a question mark, because we never really been told how she got to where she is. By the time the show starts she's been fully blind for at least a decade, which hasn't stopped other blind people from living full lives. I always wondered if her parents set her up to fail by overly sheltering her.

So actually the scene with her Mom not wanting her to go to jail actually made more sense with my headcanon, because aside from the "your child will be safer in jail" thing never sounding right, her mom is probably thinking that her blind child is not going to be safer in jail with her disability. Murphy panicked without Jess because she's so used to having someone take care of her. I really wonder if she's just a victim of being too sheltered in regards to her disability.

But also they've definitely nerfed her since the pilot - remember how much she avoided using Pretzel? I loved that scene where she got thrown out of a guy's apartment without her cane and only then was everything absolutely terrifying. She used to be more independent and skillful. I mean, wasn't that the whole reason Jess lo-jacked her phone?

It made sense with my head canon, too. I would absolutely not expect Murphy's mom to start spilling her guts to the cops, especially since she doesn't know the full story and doesn't want to get Murphy in more trouble than she's already in. Murphy has some issues but she's not someone a caring mother would want to serve up to the cops. That part rang true to me. 

I do feel like Murphy's parents sheltered her by not giving her any consequences. It's fine to give your teen/adult children a job in a family business. But it seems Murphy was receiving a paycheck without doing any work and even sabotaging some of the organization's efforts. If she didn't want to work at Guiding Hope, it was on her to develop a skill and find a job. By keeping her on the payroll, she never had to do that. 

On 7/1/2021 at 10:01 PM, possibilities said:

That's true. She used to pick up strangers in bars, and she was investigating the murder on her own, taking cabs (or uber, I guess?). She improvised a lot and thought quickly. I think her sudden helplessness is a retcon, as is her weepiness over Max hating her.

I actually think Murphy's character in Season 3 is consistent with Season 1 and 2. 

Jess took care of Murphy, even when it interfered with her own romantic relationship. Murphy did pick up strangers in bars, take Uber, investigate a murder, etc. But doing those things when you know you have a roommate/best friend/doormat who will track you down, forgive you when you're insensitive, and even tell you whether you have your period, is not being independent. Jess tracks down Murphy when she's missing for too long, forgives her when she's insensitive, and even tells Murphy when she has her period. 

Drinking in a bar where she doesn't pay for her drinks and buying morning-after kits while her parents kept her on the payroll at a job where she was frequently absent and disengaged is not being independent either. 

Not having a comfort zone or financial cushion to fall back on, I can understand Murphy feeling helpless. I'm not saying Murphy can't learn to take care of herself. But she hasn't had to yet. So this is realistic and interesting to me. 

As for Max, he's probably the first person to put his foot down and say he's no longer going to interact with Murphy because it's not good for him to go back and forth with Murphy. She's used to people forgiving her, not holding her accountable, and enabling her, so it makes sense to me that she's fixated on Max because he's not doing any of the things she's used to. 

I love that Murphy is realizing she hasn't yet learned how to be alone. Now she can do something about it.  Making steps toward learning how to live alone would be fantastic growth.

[S03.E13: Welcome to the Art Class]

On 4/13/2021 at 9:52 AM, joanne3482 said:

I had the same thought but then he beat Dave in chess and so I wondered if Malcolm isn't secretly smart but super content with himself and not as driven as Martin. 

I think Malcolm is smart, too. He's just not nerdy. And I like that the show doesn't make him a stereotypical dumb jock character. He hasn't been able to figure out his path after sports but that can change without being far-fetched. I wouldn't be surprised if he started personal training or even stumbling upon a new professional interest through the people he meets at his job.  Marty is smart and has stereotypical nerdy interests but he is also fun and cool, just not with women. 

I really like these two characters.

On 4/13/2021 at 6:55 AM, Harvey said:

This episode's plot died the moment the guys didn't know how to track down Walter. Hello, we are in 2021. Facebook exists. They were neighbours for more than a decade, there is no way they don't have dozens of common friends, so they can easily find him.

The scene where Tina explained to Calvin that she just wanted to spend time with him was really cute though.

I can't imagine Walter on Facebook or that they'd have friends in common after being rivals for so long. Or that Walter would have friends at all, to be honest. 

[S03.E11: Welcome to the Dad Band]

On 3/10/2021 at 10:32 AM, MaryMitch said:

It's always annoying to me when on TV people in large corporations think they can get raises by asking their immediate supervisor. So I was glad to hear Jerry (?) tell Marty that he didn't make those decisions. It's odd that Marty wouldn't know how how that worked.

I'm not surprised since this is his first job. I have worked with early career professionals and they often don't know anything about performance reviews, salary negotiation, etc.

[S03.E10: Welcome to the Procedure]

On 2/23/2021 at 5:09 PM, HurricaneVal said:

I think each brother is a little jealous of the other.  Marty probably has the typical nerd baggage of "not athletic enough, not cool enough, not popular enough."  Malcolm probably carries some "not smart enough, not successful enough, no clue what I want" baggage too.  Malcolm is the oldest, right?  Yet he was the one still living at home drifting a bit, while his little brother graduated from college, has a career, and was living independently.  I didn't watch the first season, and only some of the second season so I don't have the whole backstory.  Is Malcolm the oldest?  Had he left the nest and had to return home?  I seem to remember the security gig being kind of new, something Marty got for him at his tech company.

I think they're both a little jealous of each other, too - for the reasons you stated. 

Malcolm is the oldest. He started college, I think, but didn't finish because he lost his athletic scholarship due to an injury. It doesn't seem like he left the nest, but I'm not sure how old he's supposed to be. I think the actor looks much too old to play Tina and Calvin's son and I read elsewhere that he seemed to be miscast because he looks like he's closer to 40 (though I enjoy him and both brothers). I think the younger brother Marty is around 25, making the oldest brother in his late 20s.

On 2/23/2021 at 5:26 PM, willco said:

Exactly what I was thinking ! Calvin is crazy-- once the prep is done, the rest is easy. They sedate you so you don't even know what is happening, There is a very small risk of injury, but if your doctor is any good at all, it's a pretty small risk. I, at my doctor's insistence, have to have one every year. And the prep is awful and I usually fast for 2 days because my colon doesn't clean out very well ( thanks to Crohn's ). So yeah, to do the prep and then just skip the procedure is kind of silly.

 

 

I think that speaks to his fear of finding out something is wrong. The prep is awful but there's no potential cancer diagnosis at the end like there is with the actual procedure. 

It's not smart but I thought they made it entertaining enough while still being a PSA. Well done, show. 

On 2/23/2021 at 4:39 PM, Browncoat said:

They were both jerks. Grover chose Malcolm first.  Even after Marty whined, Grover still wanted Malcolm.  Marty was a jerk, butting in like he did in the beginning.  Malcolm did not have to react the way he did, but Marty could have graciously accepted Grover's choice, too.

Yea, they were both wrong. I like that they're both at fault sometimes. 

[S03.E02: Welcome to the Election]

On 11/24/2020 at 6:30 AM, Harvey said:

It was predictable that only Marty was going to eat the pepper, so it was nice when Malcolm eventually joined him. It was also pretty obvious that Dave's political opponent was going to steal Calvin's ideas. However, I liked how Calvin turned it around and showed that Isaiah really didn't know what he was talking about. And the "We're all from Earth" joke was pretty funny 😄 .

I was surprised that Dave did not win the election. I suppose they don't want to change up the base dynamic of the show too much, since it wouldn't be maintainable if Dave had a job and left the house often. In that case he would have friends other than Calvin and he wouldn't be obsessed with being Calvin's friend, so the show wouldn't really work anymore.

I'm glad he didn't win, for the sake of the show. But Dave does have a job as a conflict mediator, doesn't he? 

[S02.E03: ... opened a textbook]

10 hours ago, Harmony233 said:

I found paxtons episode to be a little boring to be honest.O do think meeting his parents though it made sense why he was more forgiving towards devi than Ben is.Paxton parents believe in kindness over success while Ben parents believe in ambition and success over anything including parenting there own kid.

I loved "meeting" Paxton's parents. They are such low-key people and it makes so much sense that he is, too. 

Ben's parents make sense for him, too. 

9 hours ago, Harmony233 said:

To be fair I think devi needs to focus on herself and Greive properly  for her father and not be obsessed with having a boyfriend.To be fair I think Ben is just as messed up as devi is and  is just as obsessed with relationships as devi is because of his parents neglect and  not wanting to be alone.

I get that Devi is in a boy-obsessed phase right now but I'd like to see her without a boyfriend and even learning how to be a better friend.

[S02.E03: ... opened a textbook]

1 hour ago, truthaboutluv said:

I'm not sure I get the bolded since we've had a whole season of Paxton before he got a solo episode. I don't see how Ben would be more known to the audience than him. Even without a solo episode last season we met his sister and so got some insight into his home life.

And the focus on him being the "dumb jock" who realizes that no one, including his own parents, see him as anything more than a pretty face jock rang true when you remember his reaction to Devi's mom going off on him last season. I thought the actor was brilliant in that scene when you could see the restrained anger and embarrassment on his face and how he was clearly internalizing Devi's mom calling him nothing but some pretty faced loser only good for hooking up with girls. 

Not the actor's fault by any means but I  actually find the actor who plays Ben to have a very punchable face. It's the same reason I am not a fan of Adam DeVine and am part of the unpopular group that hated him and Hayley on Modern Family (not that I wanted her with Dylan either). 

It's part of the reason I continue to be Team No One in this triangle. Sorry, not sorry, I don't buy the chemistry and whatever they've tried to sell me with Devi and Ben. In fairness, it probably didn't help that I was sort of predisposed to hate the pairing the second Ben was introduced and I knew the writers would use the oh so overwrought and overused cliché trope of enemies to loves. Yeah, no... 

Meanwhile, Paxton is cute and he and Devi actually do have some nice chemistry but boyfriend is dumb and so it just kills the whole vibe for me. Also, Devi may not have liked hearing it but I think he was probably right and not just being a jerk when he said that honestly they just don't make much sense. So yeah Team No One here. I'm still waiting for a real love interest for Devi for me to actively root for. 

We did get to know Paxton quite a bit before his solo episode - not as much as we got to know Ben, but we did get some insight. 

I don't like Adam DeVine either (also doesn't mean I wanted Hayley with Dylan) and I thought his character was corny. Same as his commercials and in Pitch Perfect. The actor who plays Ben doesn't annoy me so much - maybe because he's not playing a goody-two-shoes. 

I also predicted the Ben love story but I didn't expect Devi's love life to turn out this way.

I think Devi and Paxton vibe nicely together - but not necessarily better than her and Ben. I think it's because she and Ben have this banter and Ben looks at her a certain way when he realizes how much he likes her. Also because ben doesn't have so many wrinkles and undereye bags the way Paxton does. It's just more believable.

[S02.E10: ... been a perfect girl]

 

On 7/16/2021 at 9:59 AM, twoods said:

I think Ben actually likes Aneesa and seemed to be over Devi until he found out that he was her first choice. He seemed very bitter she ran after Paxton, and just assumed he was the first choice because he’s popular and hot. I’m sure Aneesa’s lack of academic ambition will get to him next season, but I think there are genuine feelings for Aneesa in there. Ben didn’t seem to be with her to get Devi jealous since he assumed she wouldn’t be jealous since she’s wanted Paxton from the beginning. 

Yes, Ben seemed to genuinely like Aneesa (before realizing her lack of academic ambition) but also had feelings for Devi. It happens a lot in high school and even in adulthood, so I guess that makes it 

On 7/16/2021 at 5:12 PM, Snapdragon said:

I mean, the man has bags under his eyes!  I just don't get what they were thinking with casting him.  

I thought I was the only person who noticed the bags, wrinkles! I realize that the actress playing Devi is closer to her character's age. But the actor playing Paxton looks much older. There are plenty of actors his age who don't have wrinkles or bags under their eyes so it's not his age; I just don't think he was the best choice for this role. I have no issue with the actor and I'd watch him in another show or movie but I am not liking the romantic scenes between him and Devi. 

It's like we're supposed to be sexually attracted to Paxton yet believe he's 16. Neither is believable to me. I look at Paxton and he seems like an average-looking, small-framed, ~35-year-old with wrinkles and bags under his eyes, who is but too old to be kissing Devi. Again, not talking about the actors' real ages, just what it looks like to me.

I don't like the shirtless scenes either. It makes me wonder if that's why the show went with an older-looking actor: it's not cool or comfortable to cast an actual 16-year old in that light.

I know the character is supposed to be a heartthrob and I accept that shows tell us who's who. For example: this one's cool, that one's a geek, he's a heartthrob, she's the most popular girl in school, etc., and that doesn't necessarily match up with how the actors seem to viewers.

On 7/17/2021 at 3:42 AM, TrininisaScorp said:

Oh, Kamala, girl. What IS you doing?! At home, they are freaking out and shame faced right now. I think Kamala is being rash, but maybe she just isn't feeling Prashant or is worried about not making the right decision. Mr. K is cute and kinda fun, so I get that she took the moment to be free. It's gonna be awk as hell when she goes home. 

I don't think Kamala is choosing Mr. K over Prashant. I think she's not ready to get married so she's choosing a fun evening with a fun date over a proposal dinner she's not ready for. 

On 7/17/2021 at 8:02 AM, meatball77 said:

I understand why they don't hire actual high school kids to play teenagers but I don't understand why they hire anyone over the age of 25 to play teenagers.  I'm sure there are plenty of 18-21 year-olds who can act well enough and are pretty.  It also bothers me that they have an 18-year old making out with a 30 year old.  Yuck  I realize it's acting but still. . . . .

Yep, it bothers me that a teenager is kissing someone who looks to be well over 30. 

On 7/17/2021 at 4:13 PM, shapeshifter said:

I'm still wondering if Aneesa blew the mock trial because she believed she was just Ben's second choice, but I don't know that we'll ever get that answer.

I appreciated Paxton explaining why he was hesitant to go public with Devi as his girlfriend. It was reasonable. I mean, if people look at him as a loser for dating the girl who 2-timed him and got his swimming scholarship arm broken, wouldn't that be humiliating for her too? But kudos for Paxton not pointing out that it wouldn't be good for Devi either --which I think Ben would have. Sometimes being super smart is not the most important thing. Being nice to and respecting your disabled sister, and having a good relationship with your parents and grandparents are good qualities in someone who you want to have a relationship with.

LOL. And the forehead too.
He just needs a really expert Botox person who specializes in not paralyzing actors' faces.
Or maybe one of those chemical peels?
IDK.
He should find out who does Julianna Margulies. 

I really think Aneesa blew the mock trial just because. Will there be another season? I'd like to see where this goes. 

I completely understand why Paxton didn't want to go public and I wish Devi would just be single but I know she's 15 and wants a boyfriend. I don't get how Paxton is so good-looking and Devi isn't but I'll suspend disbelief for the show. 

Just like I'll handwave Paxton's forehead wrinkles. 

On 7/17/2021 at 4:23 PM, Irlandesa said:

I think the real issue is that the actress who plays Devi is a teenager.  If the whole cast were in their mid-twenties-30 years old, the show could probably get away with it because, even if they're older than they're supposed to be, they at least look like contemporaries.  But most of the main players are on the younger side of things. Then you have Paxton. 

I honestly think the real issue is that the actor who plays Paxton looks older than he is. There are plenty of actors that age who don't have crow's feet, wrinkles, or undereye bags.

On 7/18/2021 at 9:52 PM, archer1267 said:

I've seen Prashant get some heat on blogs/recaps for his advice to Kamala but honestly, I didn't think it was so terrible or unrealistic. I work at an engineering/science-based university and there is a lot of sexism in the academic departments, particularly the labs. One way for women to survive is to pick their battles. I'm not surprised that the professor didn't want to get involved in the politics of the lab, nor was I surprised that Prashant advised her to stick it out, as her lab assignment was changing anyway. I've also learned the hard way that complaining to HR is not the solution that people may think it is. I'm glad that Kamala stood up for herself and that she'd found allies in her coworkers, but it could have gone another way.

Anyway, I think Kamala's reasons run deeper than that. I think she just isn't ready to get married, period. Or, maybe being in America has made her think twice about an arranged marriage?

I don't have an issue with Prashant at all. I think his advice to Kamala came from a real, empathetic place. It may just be that he's not the type to challenge authority. 

Kamala is on a different mission that doesn't include arranged marriage. No telling whether she and Mr. K will hit it off but it's a chance to unwind and have fun. Prashant is great but the end goal was always a proposal/marriage, which Kamala didn't want to feel rushed into.

On 7/19/2021 at 4:38 AM, Aulty said:

Totally agree with your view on the lab situation. And lets not forget that Prashant also encouraged Kamala to get in with the geeks to become part of the team - which is what made her sneaky dairy based plan possible in the first place.

I really wanted her to chose Prashant and show how aranged marriages can work in modern time. They were on the same page about taking it slow, and he didn't seem to have a problem with her career or any plans to move back to India.
Also, both actors are just so damn gorgeous. Yes, I am shallow.

I would have loved to see a favorable outcome of modern arranged marriage, too. But I could see how suffocated Kamala felt. I just wish she had an outlet besides running away.

[S05.E04: And the Clerk Had a Firm...]

On 7/17/2021 at 1:34 AM, Roseanna said:

Their relationship isn't just about sex, it's also emotional. Their commitment seems deep. F.ex. when that Ruth Balder Ginzburg died and Diane knew that a new Conservative judge would be appointed in the Highest Court, Kurt comforted Diane. He felt empathy towards her grief, although they disagreed. 

It's also possible that the marriage had practical reasons, but I don't know US laws.

I remember The Good Wife episodes when they met and Diane was absolutely smitten. I think it's a realistic portrayal of loving someone whose politics are completely different. 

On 7/17/2021 at 10:56 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Jay is still hallucinating. Is that an actual symptom in long-haulers?

Did I miss something? How did Liz end up in bed with a potential client? I didn't like her doing that.

 

I think were already acquainted when he came to the firm for legal support. 

On 7/18/2021 at 3:16 AM, Roseanna said:

Obviously it wasn't a perfect relationship, but who in the series have such? 

In the beginning of the show Diane lost her savings and she was advised that Kurt (they were separated because of his affair) should divorce her in order to avoid to lose his money too (I didn't fully understand the reason, didn't they have a pre-nuptial agreement?) But Kurt refused which IMO tells that he has feelings for Diane.

I think they definitely love each other. I love that they don't agree because it's so realistic.

On 7/22/2021 at 2:34 PM, Scout Finch said:

Okay, you're right. In the episode that just aired today there's a scene in their kitchen and a dining room in the background. Still, the bedroom is in a strange location.

I thought they had a master suite in their home and that's why there seemed to be a living room off from their bedroom. 

But if that's not the case, then it looks like a studio apartment that's too small for 2 people - especially 2 mature, professional people who could use individual home offices or, at least a designated space for work. Is Kurt really keeping his gun display in the common area? Both Dian and Kurt have serious business that doesn't belong in the living room.

[S05.E03: And the Court had a Clerk...]

 

On 7/14/2021 at 6:21 AM, jada said:

This is not about different groups, it is about fundamentally different ideologies. Diane sells her self as a forward thinking, anti-racist, feminist liberal etc and she is going to bed with someone that is against all of that - how does that make sense? She is going to polls to vote for one thing and he is going to the polls to vote against her....these are not minor differences of opinions. Differences like - one is a night owl, one is an early riser, one is an introvert, one is the life of the party - that makes sense makes the world go round. 

So true and and I think it's so realistic. I know at least a handful of couples with opposing politics that were especially challenging during the Trump era. 

[S05.E02: Once There was a Court...]

On 7/10/2021 at 1:05 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

The actor playing Marisa's defendant is in some Sandra Bullock movies:  Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks Notice for example.

Yes, I recognized her voice from Miss Congeniality. She looks great!

On 7/9/2021 at 7:05 PM, marinw said:

I'm confused about Marissa. Isn't she still in her first year of law school?

She is but it seems like she's in some special program and I remember Liz (or Diane?) had a throwaway line about her sitting in. 

On 7/2/2021 at 10:38 AM, marny said:

I saw the “I admired your father” comment more as shade with plausible deniability. 

I hope we get to see what was behind that comment. So much potential here!