mrsdalgliesh

Ok, fine. I'll confess. I was thinking that, too. This show. Gah. Once Hannibal is exposed as the Ripper, we should be in for at least two episodes of Alana in the fetal position muttering "I'm not spoiled! I'm a good little girl!" Rending of garments (and her medical license) might also be appropriate.

I, too, was a little confused about Drake "recognizing" the jeweler -- but I suppose it makes sense that Rose's insistent speech sparked something which was then set aflame by noticing the man had been murdered. It's not like Drake has layers of subtlety to work through; he dealt with his guilt by seeking actual, physical punishment. After being a soldier, the only identity he has is as a cop. Seeing a murdered man who needs justice would suggest only one option to him. MM and the councilwoman got things hot as well. Yowza. It's tough for me to see Jackson be such a fool. I've enjoyed the character's vast knowledge (and, ok, I've been in lust, alright?) -- and while I intellectually understand that a person can be book smart and still lack common sense, I didn't necessarily want to see it in this character. My crush dims a bit. Just a bit, though. I appreciated Susan's rejection of Jackson's latest plan, but I don't like the plotline that had her keeping the financial picture a secret from Jackson until it was this late in the game. And Shine? Evil incarnate. Hope the show has a suitable end in mind for him. Something painful.

I think they've signaled all along that's where we're going, and they've tried to show Nell in challenging situations so we'll see her as capable -- but they've built up the Hetty mythology so deeply that anyone would be a step down. Plus, as I've said, Linda Hunt. There can be only one.

My whole standard for a show like this is whether or not I think I'm seeing any spontaneity in people whose lives and personas are so closely managed. So when the comedy people are funny, that's fine -- but when a more dramatic actor gets goofy or loses his/her mind on a game, I love it.

I was worried it would be worse: that they would put Deeks on the sidelines and then have Kensi reject him entirely --- so I was pleasantly surprised! Deeks was major in saving the day and we had reunion scenes. My only complaint is to agree about Hetty. I worry that Linda Hunt wants to retire and they're having her made an egregious mistake like this so Hetty can decide to leave. I'm not ready for Nell as operations manager (though I'm pretty sure that's another thing they're planning). I'm never ready for Linda Hunt to disappear from anything.

I wonder if Jimmy was crying because he was about to get a bullet in the head. Maybe it was both that and the betrayal. I agree with everyone that it was not good seeing Raylan stoop so low as to threaten Ava's safety. That felt off-kilter, as did the "you're too late" scene later. Did Elmore die after this season was already written and filmed? Because it seems like they've lost their way this year. One thing this episode did prove: more Rachel and Tim is a very good thing.

Wait, what? Jennifer Jones is Bernadette in Song of Bernadette? I may have to re-evaluate! For that matter, I can't remember her in The Towering Inferno, either. Miss T, The Best Years of our Lives is one of my favorites, too. The score's theme is so gorgeous and I could watch Myrna Loy welcome Fredric March home on a loop.

I agree that Alicia needs to wake up, but I didn't find her last imagining of that call selfish. And, for me, her actions as "the widow" were consistent with the importance she had in Will's life. In my universe, she needs to wake the hell up and kick Peter to the curb, and if Will's death gets her to do that, excellent. I'm thrilled to see that the writers seem to be dumping Damian out with last month's cottage cheese, but damn, they really seem to have a hard time writing plot lines for Kalinda, don't they? OTOH, as hot as Cary was at the deposition, I say "look no further." David Lee's response to Diane's firing of the client? Thank goodness for one moment of his snark.

The final scene does remind me of those, you're right. What I was surprised to see earlier was how choppy it felt, with this episode and then that one and then a minute spent on something else. It felt pasted together.

Thank goodness for that one brief moment of David Lee snark. It made the whole thing survivable. Peter is toast.

Milburn, I was riveted, but not for any complimentary reasons. I'll give you this: she was different than the women you'd usually see in a film of that period. I probably need to see her in other things. Also, I'm not David O. Selznik.

Caught the back half of "Duel in the Sun" yesterday. I've always been aware of the film, and of Jennifer Jones being in it -- and I think that long-held knowledge had led me to believe it was a classic. Yeah, not so much. Or at all. Jennifer Jones gives a master class in acting, if by acting one means flinging yourself around, tossing your hair, and lying on the floor/bed/hay with your arms over your head. Both Joseph Cotton and Gregory Peck must have been wondered why they were being punished.

This season has been rough -- though after a near perfect first season, I'm not surprised it's a bit of a disappointment. I'm still a fan because of the actors and locations, but too many of the episodes seem forced as the writers try to focus on one Big Issue or another. I was thrilled to hear that Amazon picked it up because I'd like to see the writers relax a bit.

Somehow I became a fan of this show and then a fool for Kensi/Deeks. The show is more fun as escapist entertainment than its predecessors (JAG, NCIS) because it's taking place in its named locale (no lame sets or backlot streets) and it blows stuff up on a regular basis. So that's fine. But how did I get to the place where I was looking for Densi fanfic? It's pitiful! Anyway, a friend of mine is speculating that part of the fallout from this Afghanistan plot will be Deeks going back to the LAPD for a time. This will set up the point at which he'll come back on board as an agent.

Oh, yay! This is the only chat/talk show I watch, and I watch it via YouTube. The recent episode with Matt Damon, Bill Murray and Hugh Bonneville was one of the best ever -- but I have so many favorites. Anything with Miriam Margolyes is fantastic (especially the episode with Will.i.am). The episode with Rob Lowe, Alex Kingston, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms is classic. Mostly I just enjoy the fact that bringing all the guests out at the same time (1) produces moments of genuine spontaneity; and (2) exposes celebs who are too cautious about and/or full of themselves to be spontaneous.

I'm a Midwest girl, but I lived in Dallas for 23 years. Having escaped, there is almost nothing I miss (other than my friends, of course), but Kelly's voice makes me sentimental for something I can't define. So onto the DVR it goes. Suddenly I'm yelling, "Johnny Bonds!" everywhere.* *kind of like "Denny Crane!"

I am unnaturally obsessed with Freddie's hair. Am I alone in this? And just how big is that basement? (My dad and I both have trouble giving up potentially useful gadgets or boxes. One begins to need storage space.) One of the things I appreciate about this season's Hannibal/Will relationship is that BF & Co are letting Will seek vengeance without using a variation of the "yes, yeeees, give in to your evil desires" trope. (Which never works, btw: the minute the villain says this, the hero returns to his/her senses, puts away the gun/knife/whatever and gets out the handcuffs.) Hannibal is killing for his own reasons, not as a way to turn Will to the dark side. Will as his sous chef would be far less satisfying for the doctor than Will as an unknowing "friend" and fellow intellectual/profiler.

Yes. Exactly.

This has not been a particularly good season, but this episode had its moments. "Why would I help you besides the fact that you're an asshole?" he asks. "There is no other reason," Raylan replies. It's all in the delivery. TO nailed that reply. "I may not know much about a lot of things, but I still know how to Blow Shit Up." Preach it, Boyd. Was there anything symbolic about Raylon not having his hat on during the entire episode?

That was crazy brave and/or crazy smart writing. The core of the show is Alicia, but her changes are defined at least in part by the people around her. Chris Noth doesn't do many episodes, but Peter is the beginning of it all, the starting line (and as of now, I hope he's not the finish line). Likewise, Alicia and Will didn't have to be together for Will's presence to be in the background of every move she made. Furthermore, Will and Diane were a character all their own, and Will was the only sounding board for Kalinda. Now what? Devastation, that's what. Rhondinella, I'm looking forward to the same scene you are -- and despite the preview, I have no idea where the writers will go with it. And that, it seems, is exactly what the writers wanted out of this kick in the gut. I was completely unspoiled, including being unaware of Josh Charles' desire to leave the show, so I absolutely could not process what I was seeing. I agree with swimmyfish: I needed Kalinda and Diane to be there to make it real. On the other hand, I didn't read Eli as anything but horrified (at least in that moment) and worried for Alicia. That's what makes Alan Cummings' portrayal so interesting for me.