The Companion

Why didn't science look like that when I was in school? I could have been a doctor Me too. Mega Coven! I would have loved it if the Trickster showed I got creeped out the other day in a well lit parking garage! Poor Sam. And even when he gets laid, his partner dies. I am still mad about the couple in Shut Up, Dr. Phil I think the bar scene is one of my favorites in the show. JA clearly got the humor of that scene. This is super interesting. Jensen did a good job, IMO. I will say he is going to break a lot of hearts if his post-Supernatural plan is to be behind the camera. I found this one fairly entertaining. I do wish they would amp up the evil with Crowley. His Mom seems more evil and intimidating. I can't decide if Crowley is trying to control Amara or if this is defensive. On the much discussed hit on a random lady scene, it read like he was hitting on her to me and it was a bit jarring. I loved the Castiel/Dean scenes in this one. I continue to be impressed that JA directs such intense stories for his character.

I watched two in a row and wanted to talk about Baby. Then I had all the feels about The Good Place's finale and The Magicians, so I haven't had the chance to go back and write out my thoughts. It's on the to do list. 😆

Per the play, the Takers were coming and they didn't take the threat seriously/were too worried about their friends and getting home. That was changed with the time travel, so presumably it is now that the rulers disappeared and he was the one who could control the Takers.

It's a great question and one that I am not sure has a complete answer. I have to say that I love this show for making us think through these things. This entire thread is fascinating and I love that a comedy left us with such a rich discussion. I think you are right that owe is a tough word, because it isn't quite right. Perhaps it is better to say: what do we give each other when we are at our best? and What do we give ourselves when we are at our best? Because it isn't a debt. It is a gift with no expectation of mutual consideration (in the legal sense). Chidi gives Eleanor time because he loves her and he doesn't want her to be alone. Eleanor gives Chidi her blessing because he wants him to be where he feels compelled to be. I think that love is still a huge factor here. Eleanor and their relationship IS still the answer, because it is what gets each of them to where they are supposed to be. Chidi gets there by seeing the people he loves together. Eleanor by helping the people she loves along their own journeys. I see in the final moments of the show an assertion that love doesn't end. Or at least that that love and hope and joy and optimism remain in the universe to help the living along their own paths (in this case literally helping along someone that Eleanor herself loves). All of the "bad" gets worked out by the afterlife in its new state, which implies that ultimately the soul or the personality or whatever these characters were are susceptible to and capable of becoming good. Of becoming "perfect" whatever that means in the context of the personality. And once they are at that point, they rejoin the others to be a force of good in the world.

Hooray for Finn Wolfhard. Wish they had given him a smidge more to do, honestly. This was the year before he would blow up and become very recognizable. It was so funny for him to show up and then read this thread where nobody knew him yet. I liked this one a lot. It felt like an old school mystery and then suddenly it wasn't. The comment about the "new" policy to not kill people was weird and there were a few other bits already mentioned, but overall I found this one a really good mix of story arc and MoTW. I do see the concerns about Dean not being fully Dean and I can't decide what it means. I find it to be somewhat subtle and can't decide if it is a Mark of Cain hangover, so to speak, or something else.

I think this goes to the heart of who and what makes us us. Similar to questions raised by shows like Westworld, it isn't something that can easily be quantified or defined. I believe the show was indicating that the characters continue to exist but in another form. I suspect there is no true consciousness/identity as we understand it, but I suppose you could infer the opposite if that little firefly of light was Eleanor, right? It is purposely left open to interpretation. I think we can infer they continue and endure. It would appear the philosophy of the show does not allow for total destruction of the person (whether you define that as the soul or otherwise). I do think, conscious or not, we saw Michael being watched over or affected by the universe and/or his loved ones. I think that is one source of comfort in this story. Even if there is no consciousness, that connection still remains. I think this is a great analysis. I would add to the above line of thinking that I think the idea is that we reach a point of being satisfied (rather than seeing it as a limit, if that makes sense). Like being hungry and eating enough food. At some point, you take that last bite and you have no need or desire for more, not because you are tired of it but because you have reached fullness/satisfaction. Eating beyond that may still hold value or enjoyment, but you no longer need or want it. I think there is something really comforting about no longer needing or wanting anything, honestly. It is a satisfaction that is absolutely unattainable in life.

I know that some people feel like this was nihlistic or depressing, but I found it rather hopeful and beautiful. I said last night it was perfect for me. I am going to try to put all of that into words. Sorry in advance for the thesis on The Good Place's finale. So, I don't think this is suicide. I don't think this is like suicide. Suicide comes from a very different place. Maybe it is a place of hopelessness and despair, maybe it is a feeling that you are finally happy but will just be sad tomorrow (you have peaked), maybe it is a belief that others will be happier without you or will miss you when you are gone. There are 100 feelings that go into suicidal ideation but none of them are what we saw tonight. LAST WEEK, that is what we saw. Had they ended it last week, it would have been a suicide door. Because the people of heaven were done. They were bored and sad and depressed. They had lost all joy. This week we saw the opposite of that. Every character that we saw go through the door felt "complete." The only characters who tried to enter before completion failed. I think that is a critical point. People aren't using the door because there is nothing else out there. They are using it because they have done everything they want and need, and they have in some way accomplished the last thing holding them in this place. It is time to return to the universe to be a force of good and light not because there is nothing left, but because they have accomplished whatever their soul needs and craves and they are at peace. Perhaps, as implied, it is what is required to even become light. I think it was most clear with Chidi. For Jason and Tahani, it was very task based. Jason, in particular, felt like maybe it was about accomplishing a goal and then feeling that feeling you have when there is nothing left on the to do list. I think that feeling changed at his party, but it was a little less clear. Tahani was also very list based. But it was Chidi who taught us the most (how right is that). He reached that point and he wasn't devoid of joy. He still loved Athens and Paris and Eleanor. He still had stories to tell and things to discuss. He wasn't depressed. He just was complete. And Eleanor saw that and realized she couldn't "fix it" because there was nothing to fix. He wasn't bored. He wasn't rejecting her. He wasn't a zombie. He had just done everything his soul needed to be complete. It's a beautiful concept. Not unlike nirvana. In fact, I would argue a lot of this was like reincarnation including the parts after the trial. It was about first finding goodness and then about tempering and feeding your soul. It was about time. Time to do everything you wanted and needed. The idea that there comes a point where you don't want or need anything further. A transcendant state where you are metaphorically full? I actually really love that. I also loved that romantic relationships weren't a goal but part of the journey. We saw deep and enduring and unselfish love. An ideal that is rarely seen or shown on television. And I liked that there was a recognition that romantic love isn't the only love we crave and need. I think Tahani's relationship with her sister and parents may have gotten me more deeply than any moment other than Chidi's wave speech. The idea that we are not only reunited with our loved ones, but that our loved ones are still themselves (but their best selves). It solves the hell is other people problem and it allows for reunification and new bonds to grow. Strong, deep, enduring bonds. How beautiful is that? I want to touch on how perfect everyone's soul completion moments were. For Jason, it was what felt like a silly throw away at first. A video game. But more than that, it appears it was a true moment of achievement with his father (who he called "Dad" 😭), a perfect dance, a night of joy and the promise to never be forgotten. That is surprisingly poignant. And sort of perfect for this surprisingly deep and touching character who became so much more than comic relief. For Tahani, she isn't actually done. Yes, she reached the point of completion, but she found something else to complete. Arguably, she is still working towards completion. Perhaps the day comes when she achieves perfection in the architect arena. But more than that, I love that she became this perfect cosmic hostess. Anticipating the needs of those in her care. Suddenly a skill that seemed so arbitrary, that lacked any real utility, is the most important one any human could have. For Chidi, we don't see the moment, but we do see the impact of the love of his family and his eternal girlfriend. We see some of the journey (how great was that philosophy class?). I love that Chidi's comes back to his family (rather than some big philosophical achievement). And perhaps the reason is, in part, because so much of his brokenness came from trying to bring his family together and to make things work. There was a beauty in the answer being the simple coming together of people he loves without having to make it happen. There were no charts or slides or presentations. And then there is Eleanor. Eleanor who spent her entire life trying to take care of herself cannot achieve completeness until she helps others. Helps everyone she has formed human connections with. In a way, letting Chidi go was part of that journey. Ugh, I am crying thinking about her walking through that door knowing that she was done. But done in a good way. It was really beautiful work. I think the saddest part is Janet. Left alone to remember her friends. But I suppose her journey is truly amazing too. Learning the capacity to love. Being loved now and forever as she experiences all Bearimies at once. And we end with Michael keeping it sleazy. Oh how I loved his guitar lessons and his dog named Jason and his text messages that he will be there in 5 minutes. Everything is fine indeed.

I am admittedly a bit foggy, but there was a prophecy that Fen would overthrow Margo, and she got boxed into doing it by a neighboring queen. If I recall, they needed magic from the neighboring kingdom. They needed something, and the queen said only if Margo got ousted. Margo wanted to go search for the axes so that Eliot could be saved, so she was ultimately in on the plot. The people of the dessert hated Fillorians and would never have let her in without the banishment. There was a fairly emotional scene where Fen loudly criticized and banished her while whispering apologies. Both teared up. Margo then set off to the dessert with a mix that I think Josh made her. The next episode was the musical episode, one of the shining moments in a less than stellar season, IMO.

Yes I am. 😭😭😭 I loved it. I will probably form more articulate thought on it tomorrow, but it really was perfect to me. The idea that each of then accomplished exactly what they needed was great and I loved how their matured relationships worked. That speech by Chidi destroyed me, but so did Tahani's family. I loved that they got time with their families and not just each other. I am gonna miss this show.

I think my difficulty is two fold: 1. There is still fallout from that timeline including memories that shouldn't exist and the key, which makes it less clear. 2. I have always thought it strange that neither Quentin nor Eliot ever brought up their son. Even if he never existed, they should still feel something. They remember him. It has always felt like a big, hanging loose end to me. That being said, I don't think I want the answer to be that the Dark King is their son. I don't know. I think it would just be a little depressing to have the story go in that direction and to have Elliot not recognize his own kid (and be attracted to him *cringe*).

It's almost as if unapologetically killing off one of your main characters might upset your loyal fan base. Who knew? Honestly, if they are going to kill it I wish they would just do what the did with Killjoys. Decide it up front and tie it up. It sucks way less than having a show end with a tacked on ending. Agreed. They boxed themselves in by saying Jason Ralph will not return this season (I notice that a lot of articles say this season and not ever, so I am wondering if they have scrambled to soften that message from the original "it was the natural end of the character's story"). Could they at least beg him to come back to re-write the ending of the season as a series finale to at least get some revenue/syndication/netflix numbers? Maybe. But they would have to get some additional filming in if they didn't plan on that initially. I don't know if there is a way to right this ship or to tie up the story in a way that doesn't leave the fans angry and bitter.

Agreed that I really want some payoff regarding their kid. I suppose the argument is that the life never happened, but I don't really love that answer when it is an ongoing part of the show. I understand Alice is wrapped up in herself and I understand that she has no role models that aren't narcissistic assholes, but that doesn't mean she isn't being selfish and objectively terrible to the people who also loved Quentin. I honestly think that the writers completely failed by throwing Quentin and Alice back together the way they did. It didn't work for me and I complained about it last season a lot. I have swung back around to angry/bitter (sorry y'all) about Alice's statement that she knew and loved Quentin. This is payoff to a story we didn't see. Here is the thing, I suspect we were actually robbed of a fairly substantial story relating to Alice's character growth, and I suspect it is because the showrunners, in their infinite stupidity, were so committed to surprising everyone with Quentin's death that they allowed a storyline to be written for which no payoff was actually available. Hear me out: When Quentin had the threesome, Alice was hurt and upset and she had every right to be regardless of her background. But she was particularly upset because she grew up watching her parents weaponize sex. Her parents were the most toxic example of non-monogamy available and she feared ending up in a pattern like theirs. It made the threesome particularly hurtful for her. Mind you, I think she had every right to walk away for the cheating, but even more so given her background. So we swing back around again and Quentin is in some ways like her parents in the sense that he seems like he would be happiest in a polyamourous relationship, but completely unlike her parents in that he loves deeply. He would never weaponize his relationships. Had he survived, I suspect the story would have included a rather significant arc for Alice where she gets to the statement she made in this episode. Specifically, where she realizes she loves Quentin because of who he is. Because of his deep capacity to love and because of the way he loves. But instead we got a rushed reunion and sudden knowledge of Quentin's feelings which just didn't work because there was no build up to the payoff. Suddenly, she isn't at all threatened or hurt that she isn't Quentin's one and only. This is a huge shift in her character for no apparent reason. Now, you could argue that the reason is that it is a lot easier to share the affections of someone who is dead. They will never have to work out the details. However, the way she so assertively announced that she knew Quentin loved Eliot and she was okay with it and in fact welcomed it just felt like the end of an arc we never got on screen. I mean, I am okay with in for a few reasons, not the least of which is how important it was for the fans who saw themselves in Quentin to hear that they are lovable because of who they are and not despite of it. So many people who struggle with depression need to hear that. So do bisexual people who often feel like they are pressured to live in one world or the other by both sides of the fence, so to speak. Oh, it's okay you are bi because you are with a partner of the opposite gender and we can all just pretend that your identity is immaterial. See, e.g., the Larry King comment about Anna Paquin being a "non-practicing bisexual."The message to bisexuals is so often: you are lovable despite your identity. To be clear, that isn't saying that all bisexuals would want a polyamourous relationships or would be happy in them. Loving Quentin the way he is is less about that aspect and more about recognizing that the things that are lovable about him are the things that are complex about him and/or that he should be loved for who he is including that portion of his identity. Does that make sense? I am also okay with it because, as noted by jelaine above, Eliot needed someone to say it. He didn't see how hard Quentin worked to save him. He didn't know whether Quentin felt the same way. He was feeling grief and guilt and heartache and he needed to know that Quentin did love him. He should have heard it from Quentin, but that is a whole different complaint. And we needed it, I think. To know that they aren't completely sweeping the mutual affection under the rug.

I think, even if it goy to him, it would arrive in present day. So, he might still get it but not in time to save him. And agree on Alice. I thought she was selfish last week with Julia too. She isn't grieving with his other loved ones, she is acting like her grief is the only grief.

I am not sure where I stand on this one. I am still really bitter about Quentin. What worked for me with the Eliot/Alice stuff: pretty much 100% of Eliot (how great is Hale Appleman? Seriously.) The way he talked about loving Quentin. The way he heartbreakingly said he never got to talk to him. Heartwrenching. Also, Alice saying she loved Quentin the way he was. I think that is something he would have really wanted to hear. Oh, and Alice's eyebrow raise. 😆 What didn't work? Alice apparently knowing Quentin's feelings and how much Eliot must be hurting but still acting like a complete asshole to him on the hike. More of Alice mopes with no storyline outside of it. The Dark King reveal was a little meh to me. He is quite likeable and charismatic, so that is good. I really enjoyed Fen, Margo and Josh until the end. I think Margo sold her feelings short when she was desperately trying to save Josh and Fen. The unearned drama is not something I enjoy. I did love the fights and the werewolf callback and Margo wanting to have a complicated emotion. In the C plot, how boring was the storyline for Julia and Penny? It brought everything to a screeching halt for me. I liked the new characters, Dani (?) and her sister but it was obvious where the entire thing was going. Meanwhile, I have no interest in Penny and Julia together and even less investment in whether they get a normal life together. I think they are trying to sell it as hard as they can, but I am just not buying. In the D plot, where the hell was Kady?

Yes to pretty much all of this. Well, I guess she did get aired out with no window. Does anyone know if these are archived somewhere on this site or otherwise? I loved this so much. I don't know which line was a bigger tease, Dean in shorts or Dean saying he had washed every car in the bunker but still not giving us some classic car porn. Good on Piper for getting some and getting out before having sex with Sam was fatal. I loved Dean's joy in coming up with new names for the monsters. The feel of this one was so great. As I have said before, I love it when the guys get along, so this was obviously a hit with me.

I noticed on rewatch with my son. The transcript online actually says: "Check my mind, one Time Lord to another." https://tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=36830 Doesn't mean she is right, but she also wasn't surprised by the failure to regenerate so I would guess weapon that kills Time Lords. That would also explain why Doctor Ruth stole it.

The Doctor did say "Time Lord to Time Lord" before the telepathic contact, FWIW.

Got it. Agreed. I didn't find her waving the gun any different than, say, threatening Daleks with a jammie dodger. Similarly, the gun set to kill someone pulling the trigger wasn't that far out of the Doctor's playbook. She did offer an out.

Sadly, I did get spoiled. I missed that there would he a major reveal and had to time shift a day. Still, it was so amazing to have Jack back and I am stunned by the fact that they kept it so quiet. I still hold out hope for Danny Pink. Yes, I know I am the only one. Danny Pink fan club, party of one. Agreed on all points. I was spoiled that Ruth might be the Doctor, so she starts digging and I thought: holy hell. It's a TARDIS! I love Jack so much, and especially that gleam which he has for everyone. Hee. He really is a great character. I interpreted that to mean she was bluffing and didn't want 13 to give it away. Speaking of wheezing, one minor nit. Wouldn't Lee Clayton have recognized the sound of the TARDIS in the coffee shop? Agreed. I haven't had a chance to post on last weeks, but I felt the queen was particularly week. So, I have to give props for the fantastic work this week. Ha! Me too but I am firmly in the introvert category while she was a clear extrovert (plus the well taken point about false memories to keep her from the lighthouse). This episode was fantastic. Start to finish. I loved how it started off like a typical episode and then got all twisty. I am intrigued by the mystery of Doctor Ruth and I could not be happier to see Jack. Some interesting canon issues with both the placement of Doctor Ruth in the timeline and the fact that she had a husband. I felt like last season never quite came together from a storyline perspective. So far this year we have a lot of mystery and I am so hopeful about the payoff.

I think I liked what you didn't. She felt sort of sociopathic to me.

Yes! He comes off as kind of petty and small by focusing so heavily on the Winchesters and refusing to kill them without justifying it. He is supposed to have a renewed commitment to evil. Where is the bite? I would be fine if he was being super manipulative, or if he was trying to get good characters to go bad, or if he was toying with them, etc. It doesn't feel like any of that is happening. I didn't believe for one second that Dean would stab him. Maybe Sam, but not Dean. If they are so obsessed with super shocking deaths, that would have actually been surprising. I also didn't believe he would kill Sam when Sam tried to kill him. That is a problem. If he is supposed to be so evil, there needs to be some actual danger to these scenes. In prior seasons, they at least had him hold something over them and/or he wanted something from them.

I really don't like Crowley, who is more or less human depending on what the plot requires and who is in love with his own voice. But I find it particularly annoying that he keeps getting a pass. I don't want to hear how killing monsters is what they do, and then watch Dean no kill Crowley for no reason. At least he is bad enough at his job to have his plans backfire. Yeah, I am at a loss with regard to why we needed the angels here. There were plenty of ways to establish that Heaven was in chaos. Nobody seriously believed Castiel was in peril. I just didn't get it. Oh, and show, giving her a penis doesn't invalidate the fact that you just killed off yet another recurring female on your show. Nobody wants to watch angel infighting at this point. Hannah had established order and we were probably all good with that. 🙄 Crowley is definitely outmatched. I do think he believes they are natural allies and he will be able to raise her and use her, but he is missing that the demons and hell are just as insignificant to her. I really loved Billie. She was a highlight. I would actually have been totally on board with more reaper, less angel torture. How are they reacting to Death? How are they responding to a mass casualty event. What's the status of the veil? These questions and more ignored in favor if making Castiel scream. DEFINITELY NOT IN HIS TUMMY. 😬😆 This. Crowley kills without reservation and has no leverage. I told them they needed to get that baby some food. 😆 Despite the rather uninspiring cure for the zombies, I actually enjoyed that storyline. I thought the tension and buildup were good.

Who could have predicted it? Yes! I kept expecting him to get some pie. I mean, maybe as an immortal being BabyAmara doesn't have to eat, but having just had a newborn, I couldn't help but think the baby was probably starving. Babies eat so frequently. I was like: you were locked up for hours? FEED THE BABY. I was a little underwhelmed with Darkness as a hot chick, honestly. But I did like the zombies and the tension of the episode. It definitely had an old school zombie apocalypse feel, which was cool. I liked the actress who played Crowley and wish they would change it up a bit. Oh well.

I agree, but i do wish that she would show some progress. It feels like her character has been trapped in this infinite loop of being unable to deal with her feelings and turning to dangerous magic to try and resolve the problem and then feeling guilty about the consequences. Rinse. Repeat. Hopefully she gains some momentum to doing something else. I do think the show does a good job of bringing her background into her character. I have previously theorized this is why her clothes were just a little too tight, a little too short, etc. early on. She was dressing conservatively compared to her upbringing, but it wasn't really conservative for anyone else. As for Eliot (stupid autocorrect keeps making it Elliot), I think that he had so many emotions behind his feigned apathy. It was beautiful and hard to watch his denial, his feelings of brokenness, his attempts to get back to a place where things couldn't hurt anymore. That conversation with Margo about fixing something that wants to be broken was everything. I am, personally, a bit of an Eliot. I do my cryin' in the shower and rarely let anyone see me broken/destroyed. Fewer martinis, but similar coping mechanisms. Lol. Agreed on Julia. They have given her so much more to work with lately and I love that. Her interactions with Clay-ntin were so sweet and touching. Especially the part where she assured him that his real friends would be there. Plus, I liked her telling Alice to get it together. I think they could be interesting together if Alice gets pulled into her storyline. I don't think I would have said that a couple of seasons ago.

I keep hoping they will turn her into something other than the gf/ex gf of Q and moping about something that happened. I don't hate her because she just exhausts me. The sheer audacity, though, to complain to Julia about how much she misses Q. Please. You were together like 5 minutes. I love them when they are on the same page, but I also love the depth Hale Appleman is bringing to Elliot's pain and attempts at denial. I also love that they are supportive of one another, even when they disagree. Honestly, they should take some time to get back in synch. They have both changed. I don't know how to feel about Golem Quentin (Quenlem? GQ? Golin?). Initially, he didn't feel like Q but then he did that half smile with Julia and my heart broke. Props to Luca Padovan for getting it a little too right and causing me to cry. Was it emotionally manipulative? Probably. Did it remind us that Quentin was this heart of the show that is now missing? Absolutely. But I think I liked it? I was a bit sad Yu-Jin ended up bad. I was intrigued by him and the mystery of the missing memories. Kady gets most improved storyline over the last season and a half. Agree that some of it can be a little unclear, but I really like what they have done with her. I was so happy to see Josh, which surprised me because I have always been neutral on him. I thought it was a weird directing choice not to have them hug or anything. Still, I liked the reunion there. Overall, not bad but still hard to watch without bitterness.