allhailkingjack

Your call, of course. I didn't mean to imply that Catherine Bell's absence is why the season is bad. It's just poorly done in general.

Skip season 1 because it's terrible and Catherine Bell is barely in it. Things get better in season 2 and onward. Being a 90s relic, the show still has some wrongheaded ideas about workplace equality and sexism in general, but Mac and some other female characters are still somewhat ahead of their time. Overall, the writing quality is substantially better than Good Witch and the cast has talent to burn. It's a fun, enjoyable show, although tonally very different from NCIS.

I'm in a FB group for GW fans and I can tell you they are hyped to see her in these other things. I was a fan of JAG back in the day and I actually think she was quite a bit better on that show. Then again, Mac was written to be a more complicated character with actual human flaws, not the Mary Sue they write Cassie to be. That's why characters like Sam appeal to me - he's allowed to be less than perfect, but apparently that can't be considered for Our Heroine.

I don't recall the friend showing up before. The show is notorious for dropping characters into a black hole with no explanation, so it doesn't surprise me that they pulled this one out of thin air. As for introducing more witches, that would be really interesting and also very much not Hallmark's thing. From what I've seen, they keep things small in terms of storytelling scope.

There's been no announcement of a renewal, and this time last year the news had been out for a month. I'm thinking that doesn't bode well for the possibility of a season 4. Sam's proposal was too soon, just like the "I love you" in episode 4. But I can forgive James Denton anything when he plays a scene as beautifully as he did the proposal. And I'm right about done with Grace's sanctimonious meddling. I don't know why the writers have to make an otherwise likeable girl so obnoxious.

I don't know why, but lately CB's line readings have been making me want to crawl out of my skin. The cadences, inflections, the very rise and fall of her voice are all hideously unvarying no matter what the scene calls for. It wasn't like this in the movies or during the first season, and I guess I had enough goodwill left over not to notice it in the second season. Thankfully, there's more than one way to "visit Hallmark town," as was so aptly stated above.

How do the ratings go up over multiple episodes in which NOTHING happens?

That's nothing to the fact that Martha walked out of Cassie's store with an ENTIRE BAG of ginger candies and Sam and Cassie JUST STOOD THERE. I can't even...I'm starting to wonder if she even charges people to stay at Grey House.

The painter served literally no purpose except to stress out Cassie and Sam about the future of their relationship. Usually people are noticeably improved after a stay at Grey House, but this guy could barely squeak out a "Good to meet you" at the end.

That looks like it's from tvseriesfinale, not tvbythenumbers. Also, Sam did in fact buy the lake house at the end of season 2. We just haven't been back there this season.

Nailed it. I think the flower story was a smart choice, but they resolved it way too soon. This has never been a fast-paced, plot-heavy show - one of the reasons I liked it - but it seems like things are dragging even more than usual lately. I'm also worried they're rushing toward the marriage proposal finish line, and I think it's too soon for that. There should be actual relationship development with those two, not just sweet fangirl moments. We'll see, but I'm getting concerned.

Can't agree with you about James Denton's acting - I think he's incredibly gifted and I see a lot of nuance and polish in his work - but I have wished to see more, I don't know, heat(?) from Catherine Bell in these scenes. I can't tell if it's her acting (or lack thereof) or if it's just the fact that Cassie is written as such a shallow, saintly character that there's literally no script direction for her except to smile. And while they're no longer trying to keep their relationship on the DL, the ILY conversation did happen sooner than I thought it should. (I will say I believed it more from Sam's side because he seems to have been in love with Cassie for quite a while before he even considered telling her - or at least that's what I see in James' portrayal). I love the fluff scenes, but I have been hoping for deeper interactions between them - maybe even a genuine disagreement. But I'm guessing that with a ten-episode season, Hallmark feels the need to rush some of these milestones a bit.

That's a good point. I assume the wheelchair ramp is off to the side and not shown in frame - or at least I hope that's the case.

LOL. It wasn't. I was merely speculating on the idea of a very non-canon relationship.

I'm choosing to take the charitable interpretation that Cassie had one of her "feelings" that Sam wanted to say the words and was having a little trouble, so she helped him along. Seen through any other lens, she definitely came off pushy. Nonetheless, I loved the moment when he said it. Yep, and this is weird because we know she's capable of more. Well, if anything, Abigail was encouraging him not to say the words. Speaking of her, I liked the fact that Sam was able to make her laugh. No one makes Abigail laugh, ever, yet Sam pulled it off. I might wonder, in an alternate universe, whether - but alas, this ain't that show.