CAT19

I love the Diana character, she's great comic relief. I think her character is written to have this character flaw - some lack of self awareness, and a bit of self grandiosity. She is an accomplished woman, but she may think a little more highly of herself than others do. The actress is hilarious in all the interviews and behind the scenes stuff. I love her! But I'd never heard of her before, and I think most people probably hadn't/still haven't. I looked up her on Wikipedia and IMDB, and yes, she's been in a lot and obviously a great actress, but I'm not really understanding the "This is Miriam Shor!" stuff either. She's just not as accomplished/famous as Sutton Foster and Hillary Duff. (? Unpopular opinion)

I've thought soap opera with this show recently too! Especially with the way the are keeping Charles and Liza apart. My guilty pleasure back in the day was Passions and it reminds me of my favorite would be couple Sheridan and Luis. I don't even know if they ever officially became a couple because I lost interest in it. I already think Liza and Charles relationship has suffered this season. I liked the cute sweet interactions and connections, and aside from the Hemmingway "date" there hasn't been any of that this season. Part of the reason Charles' declarations of feelings are falling flat to me. I'm having a hard time believing he actually likes her. Actions/words. I knew Josh was going to punch Charles and thought it would be lame, but I actually thought it was funny. I laughed when Josh said, "Totally worth it!" Josh was always a really good boyfriend to Liza, and I just wish we could see Charles act a little like that to Liza. Just show us some affection/warmth. Pretty bummed how it's been playing out. :( I am wondering if Pauline was still in the house when Liza came in and she and Charles kissed. Could be a plot twist where she knows but doesn't tell Liza she knows. I feel like there's going to be some twist there.

I mean no one knows for sure, but I was LOLing at the comments at the end of this article: http://www.celebrityplasticsurgery24.com/jennifer-westfeldt-plastic-surgery/#

I just watched the last couple minutes because I missed the face Liza made when she left Charles' office. Then saw the preview again for next week. Josh saying, "I want to take you on a proper date." This is how it's done! The last two episodes have made Charles look like a doofus/jerk. My my prediction based on what Darren Star said in an interview, *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

I wasn't crazy about this episode. It felt disjointed and some of the lines felt forced/flat. Like Charles speech before he went out to dinner. Just seemed like he was spilling words out. As for Charles, he was a real jerk this episode. I get that he was under emotional stress, but he seemed out of character. First to keep asking Liza to stay after she said she had to leave, then to just have her leave when he got back, and I thought the follow up conversation in his office about marriage/kids/divorce was a little condescending. The last conversation was sweet, but it's kind of coming out of nowhere. Saying "us" like there is a them. They haven't talked at all about what their relationship is and what they want. They haven't even been on a date. That is what I want as a Charles/Liza shipper. I want to see some relationship, not just a make out scene. Ugh, getting annoyed with these writers. And I completely disagree about Pauline and Liza looking similar. Jenifer Westfeldt's face doesn't move and is so distracting/annoying. I looked at before/after photos of her online and she was really beautiful. I think she should have allowed herself to age gracefully as Sutton has. I could buy Sutton as being in her 30's and Jenifer being in her early 50's. Don't get me wrong, she's still attractive and looks great "for her age." But to me it's obvious she's had work done which is a dead giveaway someone is older.

Yeah, it will be interesting to see. I am thinking she regrets doing what she did and wants him back. She's going to explain things from her perspective and Charles will come off like a neglectful husband from her story. I don't think they are going to paint him too badly because I'm pretty confident they are going to keep him as a love interest for Liza. I think Charles probably wasn't the best husband to Pauline, but she was a difficult person to be with and they both are to blame. For me it still doesn't justify leaving her kids. And I say this as a mom who has suffered depression and been really low. I had to pull myself up for my kids, not leave them behind so I could fulfill all my desires.

I think we have to agree to disagree. To me, taking a year long vacation from your family is not acceptable.

Well based on what Pauline said in this episode it seems unlikely Charles is keeping her from her kids. I'm just not understanding the Pauline advocatism. Did people ask what David (Liza's ex) side of the story was, or just accept that he was a loser who gambled away their savings and cheated on her? What's his side of the story? No, no one sympathizes with David. We should mostly try to keep it to the show, but you are accepting what your mom friends have told you, which is only one side of the story. Why did the judge side with the fathers? And yes, being a mom is incredibly difficult, and I understand how Pauline felt, but not what she did.

Which Charles actually said to Liza. Liza replied, "Yeah, but she also left her kids, and that's intense." I don't care why she left her marriage, there are many valid reasons to leave a marriage. The only valid reason I see for abandoning your children is mental illness (having thoughts of harming them, etc.) I am getting the feeling I'm the only mother posting here, so try thinking of it from the kids' perspective. Imagine if your mom took a year vacation from you during your childhood.

Charles mentioned in the episode where Liza babysat and the episode where Liza and Josh go camping I believe that Pauline just up and left with another man and went to live in Napa, and that their daughters were confused and upset (paraphrasing) about it. I'm a mother (2 & 4 daughters), and forgive me if I'm assuming incorrectly if you are not, but most mothers do not abandon ther children. I don't think it is judgemental to call someone selfish for abandoning their responsibilities to young children they brought into the world because they felt lost. A lot of mothers do feel the same way Pauline does. I do! But you don't abandon your kids. You get some childcare and do some "self care," get back into your hobbies and social life, etc. And I don't mean "go off" as in yell, I mean a passionate disagreement and disapproval of what she did. Bonus points if it's in front of Charles.

First time poster here. I'm a Charles/Liza shipper, and I am getting really annoyed the writers won't let us see what they look like as a couple. I've seen some fans mention that once Liza and Charles are together then the show is over. That's not true! Them getting together was never the premise of the show. Let them date for a little while and then the show can go back to focusing on the female friends having fun together, Liza having awkward/funny encounters at work, and then sneak in cute couple moments with Charles like we saw with Josh for 3 seasons. They could do funny stuff like Charles doesn't want to tell his daughters about Liza because he doesn't want them to get too attached, and they're hiding it from their co-workers, etc. I just don't want the show to end with Charles finding out and they get together and we never saw what their relationship was like. I've also seen a lot of people say Pauline's backstory is like Liza's, and I disagree there as well. I think Liza can relate, but I never got the impression that Liza felt forced to quit work and stay home with her daughter. I felt she chose that staying home with her daughter was what she wanted. I don't think she regrets those years raising her daughter and sacrificing her career. I think now her career is a priority in her life and she doesn't want to make any sacrifices for it. Martha Plimpton's character made that dig at her in season 1, saying she didn't stop working, "that's what nannies are for." I always thought Liza decided raising her child was more important to her than her career at that point in her life. I would love for there to be a scene where Liza goes off on Pauline for abandoning her daughters. Something like mothers make sacrifices for their children, it means putting their needs ahead of your own, you don't take a "vacation" from your family. I can't believe they are trying to make Pauline a sympathetic character and draw similarities between her and Liza. Pauline is a selfish excuse of a mom/wife and I hope Charles wants nothing to do with her. (Like Liza wants nothing to do with David).