Roccos Brother

My biggest gripe wasn't the slow burn, it was the fact that the padding involved SO. MUCH. REPETITION. How many times do we need to see Timothy tripping on lorazepam or imagining a murder-suicide scenario in his head? I mean, really? Or how many times do we need to have Chelsea whine and moan about her concern for Rick, and her astrology babble? Or how many times do we need to see Gaitok and Mook have the exact same conversation over and over and over again? Etc. etc.

I kept hoping Lachlan would be spared from drinking the kool-aid; and honestly, who the hell doesn't wash out a blender before reusing it the next day? Gross. But once it seemed apparent that his fate was sealed, I think it would've been much more poignant and poetic if he did turn out to be the only one in the Ratliff family to have died, instead of that cop-out. The blond blob's storyline didn't really feel resolved. As I mentioned last week, Kate seems to be particularly difficult to write for, as she seems to be the only one in the group who didn't really have an arc nor was there ever a crack in her facade. It feels like there's a lot more still left unsaid and unaccounted for between the three. That brief moment of vulnerability at their last dinner was a bit too little, too late. I know everyone wished for Greg to get his comeuppance, but that would have been too obvious. I would argue that giving Belinda her happy ending was also a bit too obvious. I also don't like that the Russians got away with everything, but Gaitok and Mook both got what they wanted in the end, so maybe none of it really mattered. The reveal about Rick's dad was exactly what everyone predicted, and it felt anticlimactic - I don't know if it was the way it was scripted or maybe Patravadi's acting ("He's your father! He told me!") just wasn't up to the task for that dramatic moment, but it just didn't feel convincing to me.

Mark and Carson just chilling, having their own little "gay beach" hangout has to be one of the cutest moments in TAR history. Also, I'm sure this has been pointed out many times - but Jonathan really is the worst. Not because he had a breakdown (lord knows I wouldn't last in that heat), but because we know based on his earlier treatment of Ana, he likely would have never tolerated the same behavior had it come from her; especially with his bizarrely self-centered comments during their pitstop interview. It was rough seeing Scott and Lori be eliminated, especially with how emotional they got. Despite all the criticism I've seen lodged their way, I thought they had a positive dynamic and attitude towards the competition as a whole.

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Penultimate episode but nothing really happened... still. There's no way this kind of pacing could be considered good or even decent writing. Kate's character seems to be the most difficult to write for, the cracks in her facade still haven't materialized like they have for the other two.

Belinda, you in danger girl.

I'm surprised this show tried to portray Austin as if it were some Trump-loving bastion of Christianity and ultra conservatism. I mean, it's Austin... not Odessa or Waco.

My late grandfather used to watch Chinese opera on TV all the time and as a child, I totally didn't get the appeal. This episode gave me a bit of nostalgia. Sad to see Jackie and Lauren go, they seemed like a very endearing and sweet pair of sisters. I appreciated the emotion they displayed throughout the episode. They also did surprisingly well in the singing performance.

I knew from the start that the boat captain was going to turn out to be a mole. His character's motivations made zero sense, why would he waste so much time and effort to help a stranger he pulled out of the ocean? Loved that the MTF character turned out to be a total badass and glad she survived. I can't wait to see more of her and the mother in season 3.

Well, that felt like a whole lot of filler nothing. I don't know if it's the acting, writing, direction, or some combination of the three but there were a lot of very amateur and cringeworthy scenes this episode. The interaction between Alicent and Rhaenyra was completely redundant and contrived. They already had this exchange and it added nothing to the plot, it was just more back and forth venting/whining about how terrible they feel. Another terribly written and acted scene was Cole's monologuing. He really phoned in with that performance and once again, the scene added nothing. Daemon's entire arc this season is giving "this could have been an email" vibes. They really dragged that storyline out only to (largely) end up back where they started.

I might be in the minority, but I'm beginning to feel for Alicent. I really thought based on the previews that she was going to pull a Virginia Woolf this episode. Usually not a big fan of these Hollywood Blockbuster show-offy spectacles, but this was very satisfying after seeing the Blacks play underdog all season.

I like the smallfolk finally playing a part in this conflict and also being able to see things from their perspective through the eyes of Hugh and his family. Olivia Cooke described it perfectly when she said the situation was very Marie Antoinette-esque. The chaotic rebellion was very satisfying to watch - perhaps because it mirrors and allows us to vicariously live out our "eat the rich" fantasies. However, that make out scene felt like more typical HBO gratuitousness and it makes me cringe a little because as much as I like the white worm playing a role and repping for the small folk, I don't see her as someone who can be fully trusted.

I can't even begin to describe the satisfaction I got from watching Cole be thrown off his horse and completely humbled and devastated in the end. Oh yes, I would watch an entire spin off series where Cole is just repeatedly placed into a state of sadness. 😈

Of course they would kill ALL the ratcatchers and both Arryk and Erryk had to die. I had hoped that the Jaehaerys assassins would get away with it tbh. I know it's the nature of this show that the lesser folk always pay the price for decisions made by the higher-ups - not unlike real life. At least we didn't have to sit through any torture porn. Interesting that the white worm spoke out in order to save Rhaenyra when she has shown us time and time again she bears no allegiance to either side. Also, I know this may sound crazy, but could it actually be possible that Otto and Alicent truly DO want peace for the realm and are not just driven by entirely self-serving interests?

Thank you writers/director for choosing to show the slaying of a child entirely off-screen. Given the show's inclination to shock I wasn't sure if they would. I was glad to see the return of the white worm. I had hoped she would have a bigger part as characters who play the underhanded machinations and stealth game tend to be the most intriguing to me.