Pop Tart

I'm so tired of the "girls just won't like comic con" bits. Certainly Penny won't geek out to the extent that Leonard and the guys would, but if nothing else it's a huge spectacle and it's in San Diego. Granted they live in Pasadena so not the same draw as it was for me coming from Wisconsin, but still, San Diego! I'm sure Penny could find plenty to occupy herself if she wasn't going to all the panels that the guys wanted to go to. And the panels, they're not just nerdy comic book ones, there are tv show panels and movie panels, lots and lots of big stars, etc. Again, not totally Penny's scene, but the whole girls won't like it is just old and frankly sexist. So that was irritating on top of their just not talking to each other. Otherwise pretty meh.

Okay, I'll take that since it's winter (although it's currently 12 degrees here in Wisconsin - so your winter and mine...). But he wears this combo ALL the time. Really all the guys dress in layers for a climate that for about 4/5ths of the year doesn't need it. The only one who's ever dressed as though she lives in southern California, is Penny. When I thought about my wardrobe rant a bit more, I realized that while I meant it somewhat jokingly, it really is just reflecting the stale-ness of the show in general.

And I'll defend him on deaf Emily - who was the same actress who played her originally, btw. She broke up with him because his parents were going to cut him off financially and he wasn't going to be able to buy her things anymore and would have to return the expensive car and necklace he'd gotten for her. My only other note is that I'm so loving that Bernadette is wearing something other then floral dresses with short, cropped, skin tight sweaters over them. For the last couple years a recurring comment in my head was that we'd never seen Bernadette in pants. Always the floral dresses (unless she's out at a bar, then it's something sexier) with the little sweaters and tights. I longed for her to show up in a scene in jeans. And finally she is! She looks so much better to my mind. I know they've changed her up because she's a new mom and so is relaxing the wardrobe, but I hope when she goes back to work they don't revert to her only wearing one thing all the time. Related to this, I'd appreciate it if they'd do something with all the character's wardrobes (outside of Penny). Leonard is still wearing hoodies with a various jackets over them. Sheldon is still layering a t-shirt over a longer sleeved shirt. Raj where's his sweater vests over button down shirts. Amy wears a sweater, blouse and skirt, ad infinitum. I get that their clothes are a shortcut for the viewer as to who they are, but it's been ten years? Some modification or switching it up would be welcome. Only Penny is allowed the many moods of clothes. And side side note to this - they live in Pasadena and Leonard wears a jacket over a hoodie all the time! Ha! Apparently I had quite the wardrobe rant bottled up.

Agreed. As an episode in and of itself I was interested in what was happening - at the very least I didn't flip away. But as a season finale? Makes no sense. Especially since there didn't seem to be a single thing in the episode that was setting up story for next year. Last week's episode could have made for a good season finale. Helen and Vik's relationship up in the air, Noah having a mental breakdown, Helen admitting to being the driver and Allison admitting to being there, etc. All could have led to another season of story. Instead we get this week where it's a couple months later and none of that is even mentioned (though we did see Vik with Helen so we know they reconciled) and everything is hunky-dory. There wasn't even a comment from Whitney or Martin (is that Noah's son?) about Noah taking the fall for Helen. Usually a season ender will take some time to show the wrap-up for that season's stories but also introduce a few threads for the next season. I didn't see any of that here. The weirdest part of that scene was that it was what happened from her point of view. In Noah's point of view he is inside the apartment trying to comfort her. So she is the one who initiated sex in the hallway hours after her dead husband was carried out on a stretcher.

I saw this differently and think that Schwartz passive-aggressively pokes at Katie and then wants to cry victim about how mean she is to him. They were having a great conversation, both laughing and expressing their love for one another and then he mentions how this is so much better then her sending him angry texts, etc. You could see all of the other women in the room with Katie sort of recoil a bit when he brought that into the conversation, because there was no reason for it at that moment other then to dig at Katie and make the point to the others, because he knew he was still on speakerphone, about how Katie is usually mean to him. And I think he does this to her a lot. The episode when they did the test drive of the car for Lisa and Katie went off on him because he made another comment about not wanting the wedding - I think he'd probably been making many comments (much like he did when they went to look at the wedding venue) and they only showed one and Katie's response because she's getting the villain edit this year. None of this is to say that Katie doesn't respond badly, she does. But I just can't get behind the poor, poor Schwartz, he's such a cool guy, idea. I think he loves being able to paint himself as the victim of all of Katie's bad behavior and never wants to take any responsibility for his role in their dynamic. Add this to his comment about semen in the wine, which I'm sure he thought would be oh so shockingly witty, but was just so gross and inappropriate given the staff person from Cline was standing right there, and you have me hating the guy.

Yes that's why his jealousy got no sympathy from me, nor from Ariana, to her credit. Sandoval has proven that he can't stick with anything that would require being a self starter. Remember the Toms' big Sangria promotion tour plan? Or lack of a plan? Or a plan to just travel around on Lisa's dime and drink in bars? Sandoval and Schwartz didn't want to make any effort at all, not even the tiniest bit of an effort to get their grand plan going. Why would a cocktail book be any different. If Ariana had said sure, Tom, you can be in on the book, you know she would have done ALL the work and he would want to show up for promo events, mix a drink or two and get his picture taken. Now I don't know whether Ariana can stick to something or not or get the work done, but she was the one who was approached and I'm inclined to think she'll work at something if she sets her mind to it. I think this is why Katie is still mostly okay with me, even if she is getting the villain edit this season. Schwartz did ask her to marry him, so she's planning a wedding. And since I think the wedding is going to be on Bravo's dime, she's planning her dream wedding without much regard to cost. I do think if she and Schwartz were actually paying for the thing, she'd be being far more cost-conscious. While she's planning this wedding, Schwartz wants to make passive aggressive comments about her choices and about getting married to anyone and everyone (including right to her face). If he's changed his mind about getting married then he should say so, but if he's on board (even if it's just for storyline/publicity purposes) then he needs to stop trying to needle and undermine her. I did wonder last night if she was using her fear of what could happen, danger-wise, as an excuse not to work because she was worried about wearing the heinous outfit Lisa picked out for the women. She's already self-conscious about her body and here's Lisa giving them something even more dramatically skimpy then their normal Pump wear. Doesn't make it right, but I kind of get it. All of this is to say that while I don't love any of the female characters, I get tired of the guys getting to play the "cool guys" who just don't care all while they gossip and whine to each other. And I'm totally convinced that when it's all over Schwartz and Sandoval will be the only real couple to come out of this.

Mean girls aside and however much Katie has gotten a big head this season, I can't agree with how 'nice' Schwartz is and too good for Katie. I know it's probably pretty producer/storyline driven, but him asking Ariana to stand up for him after Katie made it clear she didn't want her in the wedding party? That's deliberately stirring the pot and adding tension to the day for the woman he supposedly loves. This combined with the fact that he seems to be closer to the other Tom and often throws Katie under the bus when he's talking to him, just not cool with me. Katie in her talking heads will express a wish that her fiancé supported her more, but I don't hear her dumping on him to her friends. When the whole prenup discussion happened, Katie didn't think it was a big deal, but when Schwartz told FI Tom, he made it seem like Katie caused drama about it. As I said, I get that most of this is being produced to the nth degree, but that's true I think for the "mean girl" stuff too I'm guessing.

I thought the James apartment thing was very weird. At first it seemed like it was all his but then when he told Lala about living with the guy, whose apartment it was, it seemed like maybe he only had that little cubby hole behind the screen and the tiny balcony as his space. Jax definitely embellished. I don't doubt that he walked in on something happening (probably they were making out), but for him to then be the one to spread the story himself to anyone and everyone, including Lisa (Brittany's boss) was just gross. And I liked that Brittany wasn't getting sucked into his attempt to put her on the defensive and make it seem like she was the crazy one. Sure as his boyfriend he could feel angry that she was "cheating" on him with Kristen, but that's not where's he's at. He's into spreading a salacious rumor/story that just happens to be about his girlfriend. I have liked how Kristen is being pretty no-drama about it all and was just trying to get him to see that it was his relaying of the story that was the problem.

Boy was that a stupid resolution to the stalking story. When they first caught the guy I knew that he wasn't the actual end game of the stalking and I was dreading it dragging out for another few episodes, but the reveal that the billionaire was the driving force behind it all? Just stupid. He got his trusted staffer to hack them and have someone write graffiti in Bess's office? Really? Billionaires have power of press and government and business. He could have planted stories about Bess with the press to make her look bad or been bending the ears of other powerful lobbyists and politicians to put pressure on Conrad to ditch her. Those would be logical paths to his goal. This rinky-dink plan was moronic. And to have Henry in the situation room while the Seal Team did their bit was so irritating. He's now so powerful and important that he's standing shoulder to shoulder with the president and the generals while an op is happening and Bess isn't even in the room? Really? I may have to give up this show just because I'm so tired of he-man, macho Henry. I miss the religious ethics professor of the first season who was a much more interesting guy. This version is just boring and irritating. More and more it seems like Bess is getting sidelined so that Henry can have his action plots. Which is not why I initially started watching.

I'm already tired of the family in jeopardy story, mostly because it seems to be written solely as another way for Professor BlackOps to have another "action" story. I started out the series really liking them as a couple, but lately I'm starting to hate him. I hated the way he was talking to Bess about her former student, because he's just sure it's him. And I'm sure it will turn out to be the student, even though he seems to have an alibi because Professor BO can't be proven wrong. And given the threat to the family shouldn't he be assigned protection as well? He was the one who was mugged for his briefcase, so clearly he's been followed at least once. I don't believe that Homeland Security wouldn't have assigned protection for him. But of course if they had, then he couldn't be running his own investigation.

I agree with others that I don't think Kate's behavior in regards to the ex was crazy. Searching for info on the ex online is pretty normal and while actually going to the store is not so normal, I don't think she agreed to the interview to further investigate her, I think she went with the interview because she was totally caught. And I even get why she'd be insecure enough to say the things she did about the ex to Toby. How does he go from that pretty, THIN, nice ex to her? It's not logical thinking, it's insecurity and self-loathing. And the comparison she was doing between herself and the ex just wasn't computing for her. And I think so much of her weight issues circles directly back to Rebecca. Sure it was the little girls who gave her the mean note, but it was Rebecca who first put the thought in her head that she should be self-conscious about how she looked. When Rebecca was saying it, she was feeling confident enough to go ahead without, but then when the mean girls struck, suddenly her mother's message is reinforced and cemented in her mind. I could totally relate, in my home it was my dad who always the oh so helpful comments about my weight as I was growing up. He did it, I'm sure with the same intentions as Rebecca, to protect me and I know, to get me to lose weight for my own good. But those constant reminders took their toll and made me aware that I should always factor my weight into my interactions with people, especially men. I didn't have the weight issues that Kate does, but I think the writers are capturing exactly how the focus on weight creates that ever present self-consciousness about it. I loved how this episode with that one day in the kids life, illustrated so well all the intended and unintended consequences of everything a parent does.

I was not happy with the pressure to drink that was going on. First you had Vicki practically pouring the shots down Tamra's throat, then there was the collective "Heather" said in disapproving, disappointed tones, when she took a very small sip of the shot, and then in the previews you have Shannon ordering a vodka drink of some kind for Kelly after Kelly says multiple times that she doesn't want a drink. I understand that any of these women can refuse to drink when pushed (as Heather did, and I admire her for that), but social and producer pressure can be big. So they drink, then they get in messy, horrifying arguments. Rinse, repeat. And as embarrassing as the fight was for all (and I don't blame Heather for being angry about being kicked out of the store), I was more mortified for the people later in the episode with Shannon and Vicki's drunken catcalling and shrieking. As with all of these shows, I'm always most uncomfortable when the antics of the women are affecting people who are just doing their jobs. Drunken shrieking in a bar, at the bar, is bad, but kind of expected by the bartender. But when someone is giving a heartfelt performance? Just gross and horrifying.

I thought at first that he was in the saloon when he walked through the door, but then realized the women were dressed much more respectably and thought maybe not saloon, but another dining establishment/club, but when it started moving realized it was a train car, possibly the dining car? Trains back then did have more elaborate decor in the higher class sections.

I'd love it if it turned out that Kirkman was behind the plot - but I think that's darker and more complicated then this show is going to be. I enjoyed the pilot more then I expected to (not a particular fan of Kiefer Sutherland's), but don't expect a lot of realism here. More the kind of solid drama that sometimes, okay maybe often, descends into corny, hokiness, like Madam President. I like MP best when it's about her staff, the WH staff and the politics. I also like the family dynamic on that show. Not as a big a fan of the action stuff they inserted into season two with her husband suddenly a super-spy and action hero. So if they go too much that route with this show, I'll probably be out. I don't think Tom Kirkman is having an affair with his assistant, but I could see jealously rearing its head later in the season when he and she are working closely together and the wife is shunted off to First Lady duties. The FBI stuff isn't interesting to me yet - but we'll see. And I agree with posters upthread, there's no way the kids in that party wouldn't know something was up. Someone mentioned 9/11 and how many, even with cell phones, didn't know it had happened. But 2001 was lightyears ago in terms of social media. The kids at that party would have been getting alerts all over the place from social media. Not necessarily about who the new president was, but certainly about the explosion. Same goes for those who were watching in the bar. Especially since it's a bar in DC. They'd have all been on their phones frantically checking for news and trying to get hold of people. Not all just looking kind of calmly at the tv. I'm a ways older then those kids at the party (and probably most of those in that bar scene) and I immediately go to twitter, fb, instagram, etc. when I suspect something is going on in the world.

I think Shannon is a control freak so likely is going to pack up a lot of the personal stuff anyway. It's funny, Heather is often seen as the control freak, and she is, but her need for control seems to stem from her highly organized nature and feeling that things should be done right. Whereas I feel like Shannon's need for control is more emotionally based? I loathe David, but agree with the poster upthread who said that he has looked trapped since episode one. In those early episodes, while Shannon was extolling her happy family, here was a guy who could barely seem to be able to stand to be in the room with her. All while she decided what he ate (I particularly remember a dinner with a very sad piece of grilled chicken and maybe a few leafs of lettuce) and what he did with his time. Shannon just strikes me as someone who is a bit of an emotional vampire who sucks her loved ones dry.

forumfish I was just coming to ask the same question. I'll admit I was only half watching but I didn't catch anything about the why or how the locket played into it. They're so determined to get everyone matched up, it's like they've given up any semblance of interest in writing the mysteries. The last few episodes have been very thin in the resolution of the murders and this was the worst yet. And I actually like the FBI agent guy with Jane, just wish they were still actually thinking about the murder cases. And though I've always given a side eye to the forensics, I thought the handprints on the dress were especially clunky. Perfect handprints of the killer but no one else's at all.

That was one of the many other things that made me rage-y about Beth this episode. When she's having her come to Jesus moment with Jules and Jules tells her that she confronted her because Dorinda told her she should and that Dorinda had told her some of the stuff Bethenny was saying about Jules' anorexia, Beth goes on this rant about how can she listen to what other people say and how she shouldn't have confronted Beth on hearsay, etc. That followed by her poor little me's "aren't I allowed to have my truth?". She just makes my head explode. Her whole rant at Luann back in the Berkshires was all based on what she'd heard from other people. This and the casual "well she's just a whore" comment when she's telling Carole that for some reason Luann isn't responding to any of her texts, I'm surprised the top of my head didn't pop like they did in The Kingsman.

What I've decided with Ramona is that she isn't jealous, instead she's still majorly bitter about how her marriage went south. Mario cheating in such a public way was the final straw, but I have a feeling he'd been doing so for a long time. But as long as she could pretend it wasn't so, Ramona could maintain that she had the most wonderfulest, fabulous marriage and lord it over the other ladies whose marriages had broken up. When that all fell apart so publicly, she became this bitter, anxious woman. And she just can't stand to see Luann possibly be happy in a marriage - thus she has to do all she can to make Tom as bad as Mario. Tom wouldn't be for me, but I only believe about 10% of what we've heard on the show, since the ones relaying the information are Ramona, Bethenny and Sonja (who of the three was the most honest initially). Ramona is determined to sour things for Luann before they've even really started and Bethenny - for what reason? because Luann held out on signing a contract this season? - is determined to just destroy Luann altogether. Sonja's first version of her times with Tom was believable and Dorinda describes it pretty accurately. It is Ramona who is revving her up. In fact I find it extremely disturbing how Ramona, supposedly Sonja's longtime friend, will come upon Sonja acting mature and fine with how things are going and start talking all about how Tom was her lover and how she feels so sorry for Sonja for how she's been treated, etc. And suddenly Sonja is a tragic heroine. Yeah, I don't get this either. What specifically did Luann do to Bethenny that would warrant her scorched earth response. She has spent this entire season trying to take Luann down and the reason is? Because Luann was mean to Carole in previous seasons? And regarding Tom there's been a lot of discussion about whether he's thirsty to be on tv or not and I'm definitely leaning to not. There were a lot of reasons for him to be uncomfortable at that party, but one of them seemed to me was just the whole reality show thing that was going on. If he was thirsty he would have allowed himself to be drawn in by Sonja or Ramona in some way (whether to flirt with them, ewww, or to argue with them about their versions of events). When Dorinda's John has been on this season he has gone out of his way to start things with various people, that's thirsty. That's wanting more screen time.

Sure Bethenny we totally believe you're concerned for Luann. The woman you called a whore and who you continue to slut-shame while expressing your "concern" about her engagement. And Ramona is now beyond exaggerating (was it 7 dates with Tom or 4?), she is now just making things up. Her telling Sonja that of course Luann knew about Sonja and Tom. Just made up. Ramona's lies notwithstanding, Sonja's tragic face about the loss of Tom? All about him marrying Luann and nothing to do at all with her actual relationship with him. I fully believe their "relationship" consisted of him hooking up with her from time to time when he was between partners. Nothing at all wrong with that, but something that Sonja wouldn't have blinked over losing if not for the fact that he's marrying Luann and Ramona is egging her on. So basically this season has become two stories. The first is all about how far Dorinda, Carole and Ramona can crawl up Bethenny's backside and the second all about how they can stop Luann from being happy. Prior to tonight I had mixed feelings about Dorinda, but her running right to Luann to tell her what Ramona had been saying tipped the scales for me. I no longer think she's simply a pawn of the producers, I think she has malice in her heart.

At one point - perhaps during the inauguration scenes - they were showing things as they appeared on tv and the chyron below the swearing in said something like "House of Representatives won't hold another vote" or something like that. So I think Montez is here to stay.

What I find interesting is that in that scene Bronn is mentioning how the serving girl only has eyes for Jamie. But now we know she's Arya, so her eyeing Jamie was a lot more in the "hmm, who to kill first, you or Walder" mode then it was in the "I want you". Jamie is on her list, isn't he?

After watching Carole last season and her total inability to get something written for her publisher - which led to them dumping her - I'm becoming even more of a believer in Aviva's gossip that Carole had a ghost writer for What Remains and The Widow's Guide. Not that the stories and emotions aren't hers, but given what she's been showing us, I'm convinced that she had someone else doing the work of writing. She just doesn't seem to have any ability to buckle down to do the really hard part and write the book. Evident last season and very evident this season with her collaboration with Adam. And the thing is, there's nothing wrong with having a ghost writer, it's just that she's held herself out as the "real" writer of the group and so far I see little evidence of that.

That was almost the last straw for me in terms of the eye-rolling. She's breaking up with him because she now sees the fragility of life so she's going to devote herself to taking care of her two grown children? Made absolutely no sense. If they only had the actor for a few eps, then just have him be off screen for this last handful. And if I had a nickel for how many times Jane found herself alone with Alice? She's the only one running after her after the shooting. She's the only one there in the sewer (did none of the cops think to check to make sure they'd be able to get in at the other entrances?). She's the one who gets locked in the room with Alice and a hostage. I enjoy the show when it's just procedural and banter-y between Jane and Maura but, as with many of these types of shows, when they throw in a "BIG-BAD" it goes off the rails in implausibility and the writers twist themselves and the characters into knots to keep the "BIG-BAD" going for another day.

I agree that the hair comment is what got Bethenny going. She clearly didn't like that Luann suggested she'd copied her hairstyle and then even said something like "well maybe you copied mine" and I was like whaa? Great comeback Bethenny. Luann has had the same hairstyle pretty much throughout the series but she copied your hairstyle? And I don't even think the two styles are that similar other then in length, but it clearly angered Beth - of course it doesn't take much to make Bethenny feel threatened and ready to jump down her throat. I think almost even worse then Bethenny's nasty, cruel, attitude with Luann was the way that Ramona was sitting there with a gleeful smile while she watched Bethenny go after Luann. She was loving watching her new "bestie" in action. In regards to Ramona and her dog - I've noticed so many of the dogs on these shows are allowed to go in the house and I think it's a symptom of the HW's narcissism. They want the cute dog as accessory but do no work to care for them whatsoever. If they could have full-time dog nannies they probably would.

I will have to re-watch (at least that part, not sure I can take the whole episode again) but I thought the crown was made of antlers. Still a stupid crown for the Iron Islands, but a bit better then driftwood? If it was driftwood, then I agree with everything that's been said. I'm with everyone else in the "stupid Bran" thinking, but I can't go so far as to blame him for all the ills that have befallen his family. Yes his fall from the tower led to the unleashing of the resentment between the Lanisters and the Starks, but regardless of that event, Ned still would have been asked to go to King's Landing to be Robert's Hand and he would have accepted and taken Arya and Sansa along. And Ned already had suspicions about the Lanisters involvement in the death of his predecessor (can't remember his name). Once he got to King's Landing he became even more wary of Cersei and Jamie and his investigations into what his predecessor had found out before he died led him to the conclusion that Joffrey was not Robert's son. And because Ned's honor trumped everything, he would still have done a lot of the stupid things he did. Yes, Catelyn (sp?) did go after Tyrion (thinking he was the one who'd injured Bran) and that contributed to the increasingly bad blood between the two families, but if Ned wasn't already challenging Joffrey's rule at the same time, Catelyn's kidnapping of Tyrion could have led to a different outcome. Don't get me wrong I still find Bran to be super annoying and his actions beyond stupid - but a lot of the other stuff was already in motion, regardless of his fall from the tower.