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Just some housekeeping notes: We don't really do "hate" or "love" threads here at PTV. We do have a Mary topic, where people are free to take positive or negative thoughts about her character over time, and the aforementioned Mary and Edith, Edith and Mary topic if you want to compare/contrast. However, if you post outside of the episode and speculation topics, please remember to use spoiler tags until this series/season airs in the US. This episode had a lot of Mary/Edith interaction, so it's natural there will be a lot of conversation about it. Please keep in mind, though, that this is an episode topic, so the bulk of your post should be about things that happened in this episode. If you want to examine a character or a relationship over time, that should go in the characters'/relationship thread. (FWIW, I realize the spoiler tagging is slightly inconvenient, and really appreciate everyone's cooperation on that. Y'all are troopers.) Also, as I said a few days ago in the Mary/Edith topic, if you feel like you're making the same argument over and over, it may be time to turn your attentions to another character or storyline. Final note: if you think someone is being a jerk, please use the report button. It's the quickest way to get mod attention. Cheers!

You called it! I don't know about pharmaceuticals, but the outside sales force at my company is absolutely made up of pretty people. With few exceptions, they are tall, thin, young, and stylish. But they are also smart, even if not educated in our specific sector. Sales is as much about personality and customer service as product knowledge. I think Penny and Leonard's formula is simple. They make each other feel special. Leonard was raised by emotionally unavailable parents who always made him feel not good enough. Penny has dated a long line of guys who just wanted a cute blond, and any cute blond would do. But Penny gives Leonard warmth and appreciation, and Leonard treats her like she really matters.

I figured they were going to go down the "Leonard is jealous and insecure" path. So I was happy to be wrong, even if I was less than thrilled with the message behind Penny flirting her way into sales. Billy Bob was great. I missed his intro, but what I saw seemed like guest starring versus stunt casting, although there were a couple of fun meta jokes.

Ooh, Arabesque, I would love to see Carolina Chocolate Drops! Are they as great as I imagine?

I haven't heard much press yet, but I'm still pretty excited about it. If nothing else, it looks like TPH will get plenty of opportunities to be fabulous.

Ha! I think they tore it down and built an outlet mall.

I'm throwing a caution flag on the political talk. Meaning I'm not calling a halt to the conversation, but urging everyone to take care and keep the posts commercial-related. There are plenty of other places on the internet for discussing politics in general. Thanks in advance for the cooperation!

Yes, chilling the dough makes a HUGE difference for chocolate chip cookies. Basically it prevents the dough from "melting" as soon as it hours the hot oven, resulting in a thicker cookie that has less surface area to dry out. Also, remove them from the oven as soon as the bottoms have even a HINT of browning. This will prevent over-baking, which is a sure route to crunchy cookies. Leave them on the cookie sheet for about five minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. The bottoms will finish crisping from the heat of the cookie sheet, while the rest of the cookie is spared the punishing dry heat of the oven.

I was in my local Walmart this weekend and saw Imo's-branded Provel cheese for sale in the deli. I couldn't help but think of this thread and laugh. That sounds amazing! Would you mind sharing the "recipe"? Do you use regular crust? Vegetables?

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

Guys, please remember per the mod note that plot points from the new episodes need to be spoiler tagged until they air in the US. The only exceptions are the actual episode topics and the UK-specific speculation topics. http://forums.previously.tv/topic/15036-living-with-spoilers-in-a-uk-first-downton-world/#entry420160 I'm going to go back and edit the last few posts to add spoiler tags. Also, if you find yourself making the same arguments over and over, it might be time to step away from the Mary/Edith debate for a bit. ;-)

New interview with Matt Czuchry, where he dances around the JM/AP question, as well as whether he'll be back for another season... http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/27/the-good-wife-s-secret-weapon-matt-czuchry-on-cary-agos-s-terrible-horrible-year.html

Henry says he fits "squarely within the parameters of Generation X." There are a lot of definitions of GenX, but the latest birth year I've seen is 1984, which would make him 30. The earliest end date I've seen in 1976, making him 38. Since he's "squarely within" those years, I'd interpret that to mean he's GenX by every definition, so born in 1976 or before.

Beth Salano is the least sympathetic grieving mother ever. I'm starting to think she killed her kid, just so that she'll have an excuse to run all over town shrieking at everyone. The look of terror on Carver's face when Miller invited him to dinner literally made me spit-take.

Not to mention, she was the wife of the SA. Didn't the politics and the realities of Peter's job ever come home with him? In RL, maybe it wouldn't. But in the show's universe, running for and serving for SA is a huge deal that takes over your life and sucks your whole family down into a rabbit hole of lies and intrigue. So how could she be so completely and totally unaware of the grittier side of political life?

I don't mind montaged contestants, for many of the excellent reasons Noreaster has laid out above. But in exchange, I'd like: The option to watch the full performances on YouTube. A much shorter show. Three hours a week is just too much, considering how little actual new content we see. I end up just skipping the episodes until we get to the knockouts or the lives, and even then, it's not appointment TV. The battles are just a dead zone to me. The blinds are entertaining for the sake of the coaches and being exposed to the new contestants. The knockouts are entertaining because we get to see them do songs of "their" choice. But the battles are total meh.