taragel

Well hot damn, Vanessa's one-and-done contract was up and she moved the frak on. Probably guaranteeing them all another season in the process. Or maybe not. I do wonder who the producers are and how invested they are in trying to make polygamy look reasonable. Because I couldn't understand why they passed up the chance to show the Brineys again after April left them. That's some primetime drama. I thought it was VERY telling which wives were outside with Paige and which ones stayed on the couch. Lol. Jeff's little snappy warning to the producer followed by that kind of insolent wink/tsking had me rolling too. That guy's way more interesting than what we've been sitting through. The Winders' utter charmlessness continues to baffle me. I think Kermit was probably inwardly horrified by all those heathens with their cheating and creeping and unworthy paramours they be courtin'.

Did anyone catch the previews for...I guess next season? There was a clip that started after the credits but my DVR cut it off. 😞 I loved that the production was an actual success! Patrick was great and Stevie nailed her big moment. I think this season more than any other has really developed such heart among these relationships. I'll be sad to see it wrap up next season.

I was very glad they did in fact have her stay single. I agree with the article linked that they do not have to be mutually exclusive. But for this particular show, I think this was the right answer.If the building of the romantic relationships had been better these last two seasons (basically if last week's episode metaphors had been slowly built over the last two seasons), I absolutely would have wanted her to pick a guy. But because they weren't, anything they chose would've felt a bit unearned to at least some folks. Her choosing herself was the only real answer because she's consistently always been searching to find her happy place. AND I'm really glad they didn't blow that out of proportion, and suddenly flash forward to Rachel winning a Tony for the musical she'd written or anything like that. They kept it small and realistic and that was the right answer. I liked it a lot. I also enjoyed the concert special and just wish it had been longer. I thought I'd read that we'd get a bit of Aline doing JAP Battle Rap with her, but I guess they cut that. I'm slightly regretting not buying Radio City tickets, but they were pricey and I'm pretty happy with what we got. Also, I went on cwseed and watched the documentary and that was really lovely and touching. Gives you a real appreciation of how much work and creativity went into making this show. CEG was my favorite show for at least the first season it aired, and I'm glad I felt it went out with this finale on a high note.

It took me an EMBARRASSINGLY long time to connect that Henry is also Sheriff Keller on Riverdale.

Welp. That had some pretty clear arrows pointing to Greg. Which...even if it was Santino, I still don't think I'd be feeling. 😕 I really hope they surprise us with the finale. (Although I suppose if the moral all along was "she just needs a more realistic idea of what love should be like" then Greg is really the only choice. There's too much nostalgia with Josh and too much white knight in Nathaniel.) But honestly...I'm really looking forward to the concert so much more than the actual finale. I'm so glad they're airing that. And White Josh finally rises! That was a really great number -- one of the best of the series -- though I always like the huge ensembles. I kind of hope there's one in the finale too, but I suspect it'll be lighter on songs with plot to tie up. (Rebecca still hasn't figured out her career dream.) I'm so ready for the concert though!

Bird's statement says they are "retooling the remaining S6 episodes" so that definitely sounds like they'll either cut the episodes around her somehow or recast/refilm. I imagine either way it will take them a while to regroup and there'll be no new episodes shown for a bit. The transcript of the court documents is a hell of a read. They very clearly got both Loughlin and her husband confirming via recorded FBI phone call that they lied and bribed to the tune of $500K ($400K to the shady org facillitating this and $100K to a USC athletic director) to get their kids in as crew recruits though they never participated in crew. They even had a showdown with a counselor at her high school who thought it was suspicious, but I guess came around after the husband talked to him/her. Lori inquires via email what they should do to make sure "our little friend" at the high school not expose the scam. Wow.

Oops sorry! That's right. I was misremembering the title. I do remember there being one triad, with a husband and wife who'd been married for a while (though still young) and they brought in a new girl--they could've been the ones that were Snowden like? There was also a husband and wife who both had multiple partners but the wife seemed a lot more into it than the husband and she was kind of hippie-like. Ah, the wife was named Kamala in that second group (which had 4 or more entangled partners I believe). And yes, they were all very open and bisexual I believe. The young triad were Anthony and Lindsey and Vanessa (lol, another Vanessa) and they were a lot more like the TLC couples (I don't think the women were intimate when the husband wasn't around, but am not totally sure).

Just saw this recent update on Variety about what they're doing: https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/hallmark-channel-cuts-ties-with-lori-loughlin-1203163751/ “We are no longer airing the episode on March 17, but we are not cancelling the show,” a representative for Crown Media, Hallmark’s parent company, told Variety. “The show is one of our best performers in the Sunday night slot, and were are exploring all sorts of creative options moving forward.” So they'll either recast the character of Abigail or perhaps they'll take a short hiatus and kill her offscreen, then bring in a new older female lead to serve the same general maternal figure function.

The problem for me with polygamy is that it is not about equality. The wife never seems to have equal rights, respect, dignity to her husband. She's sharing him; he is not sharing her. Even with Kody "I'm so progressive" Brown, we've seen him say he's disgusted by the idea that his wives might sleep with someone else (or each other), that he is the definitive leader and he will make the final decisions (like the current move), that he must be the center of all attention. I want a marriage and not a monarchy, and I imagine most other women do too, or should at least. Furthermore, I've seen the four women he's married to all have to bite their tongue and hold back their feelings of loneliness, jealousy, insecurity, anger and frustration time and time again--and that's just the sanitized "polygamy is great" version for the cameras. Every interaction or action requires and entails a ton more emotional labor and work than a relationship between just two people does. The rewards of living that way (for the women) seem very scant. So unless you're VERY religious, which I wouldn't assume any of these TV polyg families are, and really truly believe in the afterlife...this is a lot of misery you're CHOOSING to endure here and now. That's baffling to me. I do keep watching this shows in horrified fashion, wondering if we'll see anyone who seems to be truly happy and that it truly is working for. But haven't yet (even the Alldredges who seem the happiest on camera have a forgotten first wife they don't talk about). I did also watch Showtime's series Polygamy and those generally had open marriage type families where both spouses had multiple relationships. No one seemed all that happy there either and it was even MORE work to juggle all those people and their wants and needs and fears.

I'm very surprised Robyn will be giving up her live-in babysitter/nanny so easily. And if they really gave a damn about Meri's feelings, they would do exactly what she suggested and just find rental places (which they have to do anyway) and look for a place later that they all love. This whole "we need to buy the plague-ridden dustbowl parcel right now so we can feel like we have something to look forward to" is so damn silly.

Is Vanessa a twin? Her sister Adrienne really looks like her. She's gonna be headed for the nearest McD's by day 3, I'm betting. But also--like this is the detox for 21 days but then what does she get to eat afterward? Does she have to eat this way all the time? Ugh. And Brandy's gonna get the boot from Mrs. McGee if those previews are any indication. (I still feel so bad for John, the older son. You can tell he thinks this is all beyond bizarre but is trying to be a good sport about it all.) Tami and John need to form a support group. And Sophie is just so weird. I don't get why she's so excited about the third wife unless it's to score brownie points with the husband and stick it to Tami a bit. I agree she def. hasn't thought this through as there are really no advantages to her for him taking another wife. The Aldredges are so dull--and I can't see how Jennifer ever fits in with them. I assume those "interesting developments" via text is her saying see ya.

Ah, well that makes a bit more sense then. But I still don't really remember much other interaction between Sophie and Rome this year? Eh, IDK, it just seems like they make up whatever's convenient for the characters to think/feel at the time.

I kept thinking I would've liked to have seen the show this episode culminated in....but that it wasn't the one I have been watching? Everyone just seemed totally off. Eddie telling Katherine he's regretted not being with her every time he's seen her or picked up Theo? Uh...since when? Last week maybe? Poooossssibly the week before? Surely not before that when he was firmly in love with Delilah and hating Katherine at every turn and allowing if not encouraging his friends to hate her. GARY (!) saying "I just want you to be happy and if that's with Katherine, well great." WHAAAAAT?? He was the MOST hostile to Katherine. Hunter out of nowhere trying to sexually harass/retaliate against Katherine breaking up with him? (That actually seemed to smack of a scene or two having been cut along the way.) The biggest problem this show has is Katherine being more awesome than she was supposed to be, I think. Because they're now maybe trying to pivot from how they characterized her at the very beginning and nothing makes any sense. Rome suddenly wanting kids (thank God for Regina, but I know she's gonna cave to adopting some teen or something) again also felt too fast and out of nowhere. Yeah, sure he was happy in episode 3 or whatever when he found the pregnancy test but....just meeting PJ shouldn't have provoked such a response. Oh and Sophie inexplicably talking about "all the things" he'd done for her this year. Which...were...what exactly? He couldn't even do the dance with her in Jon's place, making Eddie conveniently step in. The 9/11 guilt was unexpected but I agree that the "it's a million little things" like survivor's guilt from 17 years ago and total financial bankruptcy right damn now is a justification that we haven't really seen play out in the right balance. The PJ being Patrick twist was pretty good, but I too didn't get the sheer panic of Mitch. I mean I guess lying to your somewhat mentally fragile/depressive kid for 17 years is NOT GREAT, BOB. But...I mean the guy died while he was a fetus, so...Mitch was his dad for all intents and purposes. It wouldn't really have changed that much... Sigh. This show. It's my new Nashville (in terms of hatewatching and not making a lot of sense.)

The best thing about this whole show (and this episode) was the McGees' adorable dog sleeping on the bed while they video chatted. Sigh.

Actually they did say that after this year, it'll be 4 years in a row where they'll have seniors (Graduating 2021 Gabe/Gwen/Aurora; 2022 Ysabel; 2023 Savannah; 2024 Breanna). They didn't want any of the kids to have to start senior year somewhere new, but they can't stay for 5 years (probably because of balloon payments/the show not lasting that long/them not being able to afford these houses) until they have another lull. When they said that, it was at least a little thoughtful of them, I guess, though I do feel bad for Gabe, who's obviously very unhappy about it. (Who knows, maybe Gwen is too and Christine's just smoothing it over to say she's not.) Flagstaff just makes no sense, especially after Kody "finally figured out" that THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT. Well, then pick somewhere else that has trees! Good Lord. Because "less house for more money" didn't derail them, I'm thinking the theory that Dayton's college being in Flagstaff is the real reason they're set on that place. It did not look cute, just dusty and empty to me. The amount of them excited about trees and cold weather was ludicrous. I think Meri already has a mental calendar going till she can move to Parowan, despite her protests otherwise.

So if we're keeping score: Meri hasn't been getting along with Kody for at least the past what? 12 years? Janelle said there was a long stretch when things were bad with Kody and the first FIVE TO TWENTY years won't be great. We saw how up until last season things were terrible with Christine and Kody since pretty much their dating/marriage time. Robyn's seemed over it for the past 3 or 4 seasons though she's still ruling the roost. And one of the best things is the cameraderie between the wives .... yet Janelle hates going to lunch with the other wives monthly, Meri says Christine doesn't feel comfortable around her (per the previews), Janelle and Meri famously haven't gotten along in the past, Christine was jealous of Robyn for a long time, Janelle and Robyn don't seem to have hardly any connection.... Plus the entire episode was about Kody "leading this family" even as his wives cry and protest and one son threatens to run away from home, and Aspyn considering not buying her beloved wedding dress because her father and her fiance might think she's showing too much. Yeah, you're really selling us on the plyg life. (Also, I think it's hilarious that they just keep stealing storylines from Big Love (Kody running for office!).

So...the whole big secret with Jon really is just a boring real estate deal? I mean...what can the significance of a woman he used to know and a building he used to live in really amount to in terms of actual surprise? He's not a bigamist with two families (presumably) so.... eh. I just can't imagine this plotline really going anywhere all that interesting or satisfying. And why was Ashley such a drama queen about keeping it a secret? Eh. And Jon must have been a hell of an actor because hiding so much pain for years and years....I dunno. I get that in real life it happens, but in a narrative story, that kind of reveal with zero actual hints or clues pointing to it is really kind of...contrived and cheap.

And yet.... Meri's mom greeted Janelle very warmly with a hug and some kind words when they moved stuff down to the B&B. I suppose it could be for the cameras but I'm not sure why Meri's mom would feel the need to fake that for them. So maybe there's no bad blood with those two.

I felt really bad for teenage John. He was so clearly angry and uncomfortable about Dad McGee taking on more wives and didn't feel he could express that really. My heart broke for him when Dad mentioned splitting his time and John wanted to know what that meant, and Dad started talking about sharing a bed on alternating nights when I think the kid really wanted to know if it meant he'd get less time seeing his Dad. :( The newest young couple with the two wives used their child's birthday party as a way to out themselves...to nobody. That was so sad. That poor little girl didn't get to see "the rest of their immediate family" and get presents and have fun with other kids because they were trying to make a statement. Plus, that first "introverted" wife seems like she might be plotting ways to kill the second one in her sleep. She had daggers for eyes several times. The Snowdens are just a hot mess. I'm looking forward to that whole thing breaking down because the new gal wants to eat some meat, damn it. And not in the way Dimitri is hoping. The Aldredges certainly seem the happiest (at the moment) with the whole arrangement but how long before that dissolves into a charade too? I noticed that Drew held both wives hands as they strolled through Niagara. So at least they have that before this bartender drops em like a hot rock. I find the Briney drama interesting and keep checking facebook for April updates. I think it's so weird that TLC didn't want to film that. Are the producers really trying to push a "polygamy is great" agenda? I always thought they framed it rather negatively. But that seems to be the only reason not to introduce this other side of things that actually has tension and drama to it.

I think this episode showed the clearest depiction ever of why Meri will never be happy. In one shot everyone's telling her "WE'RE SO HAPPY YOU FOUND THE MONEY" and she's all mopey downbeat "pensive" about it, and in the very next confessional she's complaining that they can't be happy for her like her own family is. Later in the hour, Robyn says "I'm trying to pull you in" and in the next confessional scene she says "I don't need to be pulled in. I'm here" when previously all she complained about was never getting included in things. I mean, JESUS TAKE THE FREAKING WHEEL.

I'm not sure what would work the best either, but the show has been so centered on her love life for so long (even after her diagnosis/recovery) that it would be a little unsatisfying not to wrap that up I think. I wonder if they'll do a flash forward to give Rebecca some romantic HEA?

This is one of my favorite episodes they've done. Loved the romcom trope skewering (and though it was really fun that they poked at Devil Wears Prada since Aline wrote that one). I was thinking that it's impressive how much more central Rebecca's (former) coworkers have become to the story. Who would've thought George and Maya would be such key players back in the early days?

I was a little disappointed in this as a season finale too (definitely sad to be wrong about it involving actual pandas!). I think we've been primed for so many twists that I was surprised this played more like a coda that served to return us so almost wholly toward the first season's setup aside from the obvious changes. It was also very downbeat, and I've never fully been convinced by the Chidi/Eleanor thing (they got them together too early for me) so I was less than thrilled it took up so much space in favor of more of a focus on the group. I expected more of a philosophical debate/question here, I think. Like a lot of folks, I am a bit tired of the mindwipes/resets and fear they're treading that familiar ground a bit too frequently, but...this show always surprises me so it's very possible it'll go somewhere else entirely before the s4 premiere is over.

Meri actually said at one point that she didn't have the money from her "clothes business" for a full 40% (?) down payment and that she had maybe about 10% or10K saved from that. And really, that probably puts her at the top of the heap for LulaNo sellers. For a show where nothing ever really happens, it's amazing I have such a roller coaster reaction to watching. All this catfish bullshit and now the B&B stuff has made me take KODY's side so much more than I actually want to. But then I think well, it's his fault in the first place for expecting fidelity when the very situation means he doesn't have to be loyal. It's such a screwed up dynamic from the start. ::Shakes head:: The conversation with Christie was ridiculous--very clearly implying Kody should have been more supportive of Meri getting catfished when she was basically out there indulging in an emotional affair. But then at the end, his revelation that "this is all about Meri" when they were talking about the business and money/loans--what a revelation it must have been to him since he expects it always to be all about him. There was a quick snippet of Mariah in a promo saying she thought Meri brought Christie down so that she can get Mariah to see she's a blameless victim in all this and Mariah does not agree--that was my favorite part and I'm not sure it even made it into the episode. It is bizarre how they dance around the fact that Meri wanted to cheat on Kody (sorta...they were divorced!) and then they can be very honest like Kody saying (I think last season--in the countdown episode) that he and Meri are "basically like divorced people who live near each other." Uh, no basically about it. That's what you are! Watching this and watching Seeking Sister Wives, where one of the wives (a first wife like Meri) actually left (though they're not following that family this season because of it) and some new families where you can already see the first wives are resentful as the husbands add on wives like they're last-minute items at the checkout counter, you just wonder how these non-handsome (mostly) men manage to convince so many women (some not even raised in polygamy) that this is how it should be. Ladies, love yourselves more. (Also--oh boy Aspyn, watch out. That boy already considering polygamy...)

The underwear selfies bit made me laugh out loud several times. It's one of the best bits they've done in a while. I think the fact that they felt the need to show Nathaniel overhearing and feeling bad about her and Greg might indicate he's endgame. IDK. I'm glad they let Skylar sing a little this episode. If he's not going to be "real" Greg then we should at least get to hear him sing. But what were the reprises?