LadyAmalthea

I do remember at the time thinking it was odd that they seemed like such a team in the publicity, but that Tom didn’t ever speak up or support Nicole in what was happening, so it is surprising to learn that they didn’t get on at all but in retrospect perhaps shouldn’t be. I’d like to know this too. I’ve never seen a show with such a well received premise and great actors and setup go off the rails and burn audience goodwill so quickly.

Weren't the OuaT showrunners also Lost writers? The rotten fruit not falling far and all that...

That article is a whole big yikes. I’m certainly interested in the whole book, especially as on Twitter Ryan names Sleepy Hollow as another show she was interested in writing about. It took courage for Harold Perrineau and others to go on the record about this. I only watched the first season of Lost but the part about his character’s son really got me, from having to challenge the script to Malcolm David Kelley being written off because he had a growth spurt. Aren’t they on a magic mysterious island where such issues can easily be written into the show? SMH.

Just got around to watching this in the Oscars lead up, and WHAT was Tom Hanks thinking?!? I never could shake the idea of Tom Hanks in a fatsuit with a silly voice and couldn't get into his scenes at all. Austin Butler however was very good. I am usually a Baz Luhrmann fan but something was off here, the film felt like a collection of scenes rather than a cohesive story. Admittedly, some of those scenes were very effective, like the influence of black musicians on Elvis and the Comeback Special, but ultimately the film seemed more interested in interrogating Elvis as a performer rather than Elvis the man, which is a valid take, but I never really felt connected as a result.

I loved this film, the kind where you want to watch it again to pick up on all the nuances and foreshadowing. Yes - that was my impression while watching, and solidified by the final scene. Note that Colm has a red front door, and Pádraic has a green front door, and at one point Pádraic accuses Colm of acting "English." I think a great deal that was "unrealistic" about the characters was in service of the allegory, and how this conflict consumed both of them to the point of self and mutual destruction.

The weight obsession was briefly covered in season 1 - Bonnie did think it was bullshit and a red flag, and was one of the things that helped her wake up. Sarah I think talks about it in her book as something weird but didn’t know it was at Keith’s direction. This season is so focused on the trial but they’ve even left so much out of that - Daniela’s testimony was days apparently, and we never actually heard Lauren’s testimony about her role in Daniela’s imprisonment. The Times Union podcast NXIVM on Trial has been doing some good coverage on what was left out of The Vow and it’s blind spots. I can’t believe there’s only one more episode when it feels they’ve barely scratched the surface. For anyone looking for something more thorough, I also very much recommend Sarah Berman’s book Don’t Call it a Cult.

This one: Pam Ferris was excellent casting in the original, although I think even she wore a fat suit.

I love Emma Thompson, but am giving her huge side eye for donning a fat suit as Miss Trunchbull in the Matilda movie - firstly, it looks absolutely terrible and in no way like an actual human person but a tiny head attached to a fake body, and secondly, this is a situation where there would be many actresses of that size/body type who could have played the role.

I hate fat suits for many reasons but primarily because they are such a distraction because you know they're wearing one and it breaks the immersion. I love Brendan Fraser and want to see him do well, I just wish there was a different project for his comeback.

Yes, I wish they’d made the show focusing on all three siblings, under a different title obviously. Elizabeth has been done to death.

I really wish this was equally about all three Tudor siblings, because really Elizabeth is the least interesting part of it and I spend her scenes just wanting to get back to Mary and Edward. A think a great deal of it is in the casting - they can say Elizabeth is 15 all they like, but Alicia von Rittberg is a fully grown woman and it lessens the impact of Seymour's predation. Even the contrast with Bella Ramsey (who plays Jane Grey, and is 19) is more effective to show what a creep he was and how vulnerable Elizabeth was to his grooming. I believe this is an invention of the show.

Lashing out as a grief response is certainly much worse than mass-murder, I agree. /s I really enjoyed the show, and don't think the narrative was portraying Teela's leaving as justified - Cringer essentially gave her a talking to in the second episode about it. People deal with their grief in different ways, and often not all that well. That's "realistic".

Actually, as I understand Salzman was the first of those charged to turn on Raniere and it's suggested that the evidence she was able to provide helped convince Mack to do so as well. She was fully cooperative with the prosecution while Mack was helpful but "could have done more." Not saying Salzman didn't deserve prison time, but I can see why she got off lighter than Mack. Edit: What really steams my clams is people like Nicki Clyne and the rest of the First Line (so far) getting off scot free.

There’s also a lot of argument that someone can’t be raped if they are physically stronger/weigh more than the other person, that I personally find troubling. Those involved with the show seem to be dancing around the word rape that I can’t reconcile with the clear directorial choice of “she’ll rape you” over Luke’s pained face, but a great deal of the reviews/commentary surrounding this episode is calling this rape based on what is there on the screen, regardless of the show’s intent.

I’m actually kind of shocked at some of the commentary here. Luke told June to “wait” and she not only ignored him, she put her hand over his mouth and kept going despite his clear discomfort. The episode ended with June’s voiceover (ostensibly) about Serena saying “she‘ll rape you” as Luke looks at June with unease. There’s no ambiguity for me. That it was a trauma response/June reclaiming herself/whatever doesn’t negate her actions. It wasn’t about Luke, it wasn’t about sex, it was about power and anger and domination. It was rape.