netlyon2

Yup! "You eat with your eyes first." ETA Interestingly, I've seen this given as advice for eating (mindfulness and appreciation, rather than just scarfing food down) as well as preparing food.

I was already a fan of Alex, but I absolutely adore the rapport she and Eric have. The Chef's Cut episodes are must-see for me, and I usually ignore those review eps for almost every other show. I also noticed that the bandage is still there. I think she said that she basically cut off the tip of her finger; hopefully at this point the bandage is just for protection and she's no longer in pain.

I laughed extra-hard at this because I've spent the past few days calling this episode "Jen Goes to Work at Wolfram and Hart" (just adding another layer)

Of course there's a huge difference between the two; I simply offered a comparison to someone who was equating them. And a lot of that difference creates the gray area where "good placement" slides right on into abuse of market power, which is literally what the segment was about.

The difference here is that Amazon abuses the fact that it owns the marketplace and boosts its own brand to the top of searches. In a physical space, the store brand generally has the same shelf space/prominence as other product options. Things might vary or rotate depending on demand and promotions, but the store brand isn’t consistently the first (or even only) option you see. Amazon’s practices are basically like making their own knockoffs of every product in the store and then shoving the other brands to the back of the shelves while putting the Amazon version at the front.

Have to post my agreement with this. I think it's pretty rare to see this topic covered at all, let alone treated seriously and respectfully. I also think the negative reactions to the show following its long-established format wouldn't be quite as . . . strong . . . had the planned topic been a different one. Just a hunch I have.

That was the first thing I noticed! On the plans, that ramp just went to nowhere and there didn't seem to be any way to get to (or onto) the patio. I actually forgot to watch the end of the episode (which I'll do later this evening), but I'm super-disappointed to hear that it wasn't addressed during the renovation.

Finally watched and I’m cautiously optimistic about the new season. I will admit to skipping the last three house tours due to a low tolerance for NKOTB puns, awkward fawning, and the Bargain Block dudes. The Twins: I’m actually the rare fan of the twins and Unsellable Houses. They’re silly and goofy, but not obnoxiously so (to me, anyway). And while Lindsey is waaay to fond of knick-knacks, I generally find their work to be solid and effective. (I’m really looking forward to this season with 3 real estate agents.) Other than thinking they should have put in a pot filler instead of the iced tea station, I liked what they did. I suspect they’ll spend the season caught in a cost-effective vs. luxury storyline, constantly being compared to Egypt and Mike (similar to what happened with Mika and Brian last season). Egypt and Mike: I don’t watch Married to Real Estate, but I’m familiar with Egypt from her earlier shows. I liked what they did for the most part, but I hope that powder room doesn’t end up being an expensive mistake. Hopefully they actually had a plan in place before making that decision and the “we’ll figure it out later” is just to create suspense or something. FtF Couple: I don’t watch their show, but their dynamic and outcome pretty much fit what I expected. The playroom under the stairs seemed pretty taste-specific, but I had the same thought as another poster: the space can be used for storage instead. I guess they’ll also have the powder room issue hanging over them for a bit. I’m already tired of hearing the word family, lol. Bargain Block Guys: *sigh* I guess they’re here to fill the Out-There Designs to Get People Talking role, but with a fraction of the charm and savvy that Tiffany and David brought. Hopefully their storyline will lean more in the “wow, what a big budget” direction instead of “respect my kooky designs for I am an artiste.” ETA I forgot to mention the island orientation. I think it’s probably an even split on which way people would prefer to have it, but for my own part I like the original position facing the family room. Turning it made a dining space that was way too narrow, and it would be impossible to seat people at the island and dining table simultaneously (presumably something you’d want to do while entertaining). It also impedes flow to the back of the house and through the sliders/French doors.

Is anyone watching their new show, Flipping Showdown? I didn’t see a thread for it so I dug up this one. I’m intrigued by the structure of the show: three teams and three rounds of flipping different types of homes. Based on the first episode, I find all three teams at least tolerable. (Actually, I quite like two teams; the third might start grating on me.)

This bugged me so much, especially since the space above the kitchen would have been great for one of their specialties: the second-floor living space! Since the living room is usually so tiny in these houses, the living space on the second floor always feels like a must-have. By the end of the episode, I decided that it was just prohibitively expensive to convert that space (filing revised plans, reframing/supporting, maybe tearing out work that was already completed, buying additional materials) and they decided to put a brave face on it by hyping up the catwalk feature.

Scott’s reply just made me laugh, so I thought I’d share his post here. 😆 (Yes, that ceiling is very taste-specific, buddy!) https://www.facebook.com/100044468948037/posts/366934698132159/

I started wondering the same thing a few minutes after he showed up in the episode! My alternate theory is that he’s actually the Timekeepers. Either way, I feel like there’s more to be revealed about his character. 🤔

When I read this article, I didn’t imagine she would actually be on the show, so I was quite surprised when she showed up in last night’s episode! It was rather bittersweet seeing her so excited about the house and knowing the hurdles she would face in trying to buy it. It’s also easily my favorite of the houses they’ve done, and if designing for a client actually makes Keith practice some restraint, then I’m all for it. (Total coincidence, but I had just been thinking at the beginning of the episode that I was surprised they weren’t being approached by buyers who were looking to buy and renovate a house in the neighborhood.) I would totally want a half-bath upstairs, though I get why they didn’t spend the time and money to put one in. ETA Wow, and the appraisal ended up bringing the purchase price down to $88k from the $102k that she offered. 😬

What really pains me is when there is an existing coat closet that gets demo'd or converted into something else! 😭 Some of these houses have a side/back door with a mudroom/space, so I guess it works in those cases.

This actually made my heart flutter: Bonus:

@Jacks-Son, I agree with @saoirse that the title is a reference to the Lotus Eaters from the Odyssey, but I don't think that it is supposed to explain anything about the substance that Roxxon has been drilling. The lotus flower has a couple of symbolic meanings, but the phrase "Lotus Eaters" is exclusively a reference to someone who is on a journey/quest and faces the temptation to abandon it by giving up their burdens/memories (similar to the peach-induced ballroom illusion in "Labyrinth"). So the title itself is a reference to the temptation that Tandy faces to abandon their mission for the illusion of being with her father. (I suppose Ivan is the other lotus eater.) My view is that Tandy consciously gave in to the temptation and made an active choice to stay in Ivan's mind. Once she went through however many iterations of the explosion, she naturally began to forget (which Ty may also have done if he decided to stop trying to get out). Thus we have a test of Ty's wits, of Tandy's will, and of their connection to one another. It's a standard part of the Road of Trials on the Hero's Journey that I found particularly effective in this episode, since it underscored the desolation of Tandy's day-to-day existence. I really hope the show does the same for Ty's repressed anger at some point. I think they are playing out the mysterious substance over the entire season, and probably into Season 2. My unspoiled speculation is that the substance is what Hess theorized, but that Ty and Tandy's unique, magical connection is what caused them to develop their powers instead of turning into fear-zombies (and how Tandy's power developed as the opposite of the substance/Ty's power). My hope is that they'll at least explain the connection (via Ty's thirsty girlfriend) this season if they are going to leave the Roxxon science stuff until next year. (Please forgive the nattering on; I'm an English teacher on summer break! lol)

This reminds me of how one of the guys behind Leverage (can’t remember if it was Dean or John) tweeted that the plots and storylines that TNT dismissed as too far-fetched couldn’t hold a candle to the schemes that keep getting uncovered nowadays.

Mina explained it to Karen during the episode. As I recall, the structural changes that they made required support posts that needed to be stronger than the decorative columns. I remember the convo because I was hoping that they would find somewhere else in the house to put the columns and was disappointed when they didn’t. In terms of their restorations, I think M&K are in a tough spot. They are working with houses that are in terrible condition and trying to sell them at enough of a profit to keep the business going. Even if they wanted to restore most or all of the period details (which I’m sure Karen would), it’s just not good business to do so since they don’t have a market like the couple in Vintage Flip or a client like Brett on Restored. I generally respect the decisions they make regarding what to restore vs. replace. The layout changes, too, are designed to appeal to the majority of buyers because it doesn’t make business sense to hold on to a property for months hoping that the “right” buyer will happen along. I accept that even as I am another person who would not want my kitchen visible from the front door.

@mojito, @RedRockRosie, I’m glad it’s not just me seeing it! This is so weird. Did they, like, lose new footage that they were planning to use and decide that mixing in some old stuff would be an acceptable way to stretch things out? I’d honestly prefer that they just have a shorter season of new stuff and then go back to reruns.

@SpiritSong, when Rachel said he was coming up, I spent the commercial break mentally preparing myself. At one point, he was lifting both arms in a strange hulking movement that left me utterly perplexed. @attica, I agree that tonight’s show had a surprisingly hopeful tone that I quite appreciated. I spent the day reading about the CA FACT ruling and was depending on TRMS to get me up to speed on the travel ban ruling, which she did in spectacular fashion. I’m seriously considering adding Sotomayor’s dissent to my AP English course in the fall.

I think Roxxon is a thread that runs through the whole MCU: movies, Netflix shows, and ABC shows. (I haven’t watched Runaways yet.) It’s importance has varied from major storyline to Easter-egg-type reference, but it’s there. [I got curious, so here’s a more thorough discussion. Just scroll down to “In Other Media: Marvel Cinematic Universe.”] Other than Roxxon, I haven’t noticed any direct connections.

I think Chris now has two podcasts, one that is an audio recording of the show (which all of the hosts have) and one that digs deeper into one of the topics that he is currently covering. Since both are directly related to the show itself, I don't begrudge him the promo time the way I would if it were a book. Even with the books, I'm like, "Hey, if you've got the platform, have at it." Now, what really bugs me is when they go onto another show to do a segment that is a glorified infomercial for their book. Especially if it's someone whom I dislike enough to avoid their show altogether (*side eyes the other Chris*).

Some thoughts on @friendperidot's musings: 1. I'm in DC, where I don't think moving houses is a thing. However, they've had two spinoffs (Louisiana and Alaska), so I'm guessing it's a thing in places where people buy land without property on it. idk The Snow family has three four generations of house moving/flipping (Paige/Melinda/Kendal/[Sister #4]; Donna/Tony/Gary; H.D.; and maybe H.D.'s daddy?), so it's been a thing for at least that long. 2. I'm fairly certain that most of the attendees for both auctions (pre- and post-renovation) are recruits, passerby, etc. 3. In previous seasons, they showed the staging as part of getting the house ready for auction (along with putting plants around the outside); I can't recall if they still do so. I seem to recall more than one episode where the new owners have asked about keeping some or all of the staging furniture. I imagine the permanent and semi-permanent stuff (eg islands, built-ins, and wacky platform beds) comes with the house. 4. I think that sometimes they have to demo parts of the house due to the original location, which can offer a variety of one-time only issues such as having a lot of trees/power lines or being located in downtown amid a lot of bridges. Other times, they demo a part of the original house that isn't worth the trouble or expense of saving, like exterior brick that makes the house heavier, parts that are built on a slab (and would require them to build a subfloor before the move), or sections that make the building too long or wide to fit on the truck or road. When the movers are planning the renovation, they can take these things into account. For example, the if the flippers have to cut off a roof because it makes the house too tall, they replace it with a lower-profile roof so that it won't be an issue when they move it to its final destination. I find the whole premise of the show interesting. It makes sense for places where people buy the land first and the actual structure is a secondary consideration. I like the idea of the old houses being renovated and relocated instead of trashed in favor of new builds.

I’m usually Team Drew as well, and for the same reason. I watched the first episode pretty soon after it aired and I’m pretty sure the caption said that the living wall cost $12,000. I still haven’t recovered. I get a bit angry every time they show Jonathan’s living room. I found it interesting that there was some discussion of the view from Jonathan’s master, but almost no discussion of the fact that Drew’s was a walkout (except the switching out of the slider). If there’s a little patio or sitting area off of the master, it seems like that would be a selling point. I only enjoy the Property Brothers shows without clients or other competitors (B vs. B, Drew’s Honeymoon House, etc.); I’m not quite sure why that is. Also, why is JD looking more and more like a member of Bon Jovi circa the early 90s? If nothing else, this show is a great marketing tool for the channel’s whole lineup. For a while, I refused to watch Good Bones because of that annoying “Teamwork makes the dream work!” from the commercials. I started watching because I liked Mina and Karen on their episode of BvB last season, and now Good Bones is one of my faves. This week, Bristol and Aubrey seemed far more palatable than they were on that one episode of Flip or Flop LV that I tried to watch.

@mojito, that recycled footage drove me bonkers! First, I thought I remembered the shed. Then we got hit with the Slays and I wondered if they were floating a return. Finally, old contractor guy showed up and I remembered the whole “Texas-sized Tiny House” schtick. I wonder if something happened to whatever footage they originally planned to include, so they thought they could slide one past the viewers. Was the Snow house an older flip as well. I thought I saw Casey and Katrina in the auction part, which would make it at least post-Cody and Susie. Idk ??‍♀️