mandymax

Wild thought here, but could it all come down to Mallory being the villain, and wanting to get back at Kate for ruining her friendship with Jeannette by proxy? Maybe Mallory was the one who saw Kate in the house when she snuck in to get the snow globe, put two and together and got five, and then called Jamie and played the snow globe and did some heavy breathing to 1) make him think Kate was having sex with 2) Martin, because the snow globe was the clue to try to guide him to Martin's house? And Jeannette knows it and is trying to protect Mallory by taking the snow globe and getting rid of it? It would be a redeeming factor for Jeannette, at least. I don't know - maybe/probably a reach, but this show has been slowly building to what I'm thinking will be an explosive conclusion, and it would make sense that it would have an ending no one expected. There's an awful lot to try to cram into the last two episodes. Has it been renewed for a second season?

I did, too - at first. But then I thought about the way Martin said it - "Don't worry, THIS PART will be over soon." As though this was just one step in a longer process. So it no longer seems like an assault to me. Plus, Martin would probably not want to think of it as being "over soon," given the extent he's gone to to finally have Kate in the palm of his hand. He'd want to think of it in a romantic context and make it last as long as possible.

Remember the grilled cheese she ate that was obviously drugged? She was slumped against the wall, and Martin came in and told her, "Don't worry, this part will be over soon." I've always wondered what he meant by that. Did Martin assault her? Did Annabelle assault her? God forbid, was there some sort of film made of her? Something completely different?

Count me in with those who thought the roller rink scene would end differently than it did. Taken by itself, it wouldn't have bothered me, but within the context of the entire story, it would have felt like jumping the shark. I'm still not liking Mallory, but I think it's because I'm not fond of the actress portraying her. She just doesn't seem to fit the role, in my own opinion. Did anyone else have the thought that Annabelle might be the girl from Widow Falls? Kate was so vehemently NOT in favor of her that I wondered if she might have experienced a bit of Stockholm Syndrome with Martin and been jealous that there was a girl before her. I could see Martin using that to play against her and get her to bond more tightly to him. I can see how Kate would feel that Joy raised her to be blindly obedient. From my own experience, I understand that kind of conditioning. Everything is great and wonderful and fun as long as you're following the other person's rules, but as soon as you balk, you get brutally steamrolled and berated and torn apart. In time, you learn to avoid that by doing everything they say just to keep them happy and prevent your own tearing-down - regardless of who that other person is. I loved the directing of the scene in the basement, from the slow transition back and forth within the mirrors to show two of Martin AND two of Kate throughout the entire scene, to the small detail of Kate having to eat with her fingers as Martin reminds her that he's taking such good care of her - showing that juxtaposition was powerful. That scene was incredibly well done.

Teresa used to be adorable, both in looks and in personality (well, except for the table flip). Now she looks, to me, like someone with whom life and unpleasant reality caught up. I do sympathize with her regarding the loss of her parents; it doesn't matter who you are or what you've done, losing a parent is heartbreaking and a deep loss. I have to say, I loved Marge's hair. I think it's a good look for her.

I noticed that Jeannette was wearing Kate's scrunchie when she went to Martin's house and hid in the closet. And while I liked the scene with Angela and Cindy, something about it made me distrustful of Cindy. I was humorously relieved when I saw Angela drinking out of a bottle because I had the thought that Cindy would spike her drink and try to kill her. Beyond that, I don't feel like we're any closer to knowing for certain what happened. How many episodes left? Four? They have a LOT to cram into four episodes!

I believe Jeannette definitely kept the scrunchy as part of her idolization of Kate - "I have something that belongs to my idol!" And I believe Jeannette definitely had a crush on Martin in 1994, which would lead to her going in and out of his house whenever she feels like it to feel "close" to him. Which makes me wonder: 1) Does she see Kate in Martin's house and get jealous that Kate gets all the "great" guys, and just run off because she feels hurt? 2) Does she feel betrayed by Kate somehow before the kidnapping and somehow orchestrate things so she essentially delivers Kate right to Martin's door, in order to (in her own mind) gain favor with him and get back at Kate at the same time? 3) Does Jeannette do something out of line to make Martin hold her crush on him over her head, and use it was leverage to get her to bring him Kate? Remember, Jeannette was pleased to tell Martin that she'd see Kate and could give her the scrunchy back, so he knows she knows Kate and considers them friendly. Somehow, some way, Jeannette's interest in Martin has to play into this. And I agree with those who have said that Martin sees himself in Gideon and rips into Jeannette out of empathy, while savoring the idea of getting the most popular girl in school at last. I believe that whatever Martin does and ends up doing is going to tie directly back to that.

Could Ashley also have been abducted at some time? Or have had a boyfriend of her mother's take an inappropriate interest in her at some point? Maybe she can relate better to Kate now?

I'd thought at first that Annabelle might have been a split personality of either Kate's or Martin's - but the way Kate looked directly at her mother when beginning the "ghost story" and saying that it was about a little girl named Annabelle who was the victim of everything her parents did to her, I'm wondering if Annabelle actually has something to do with Kate's mom. I also caught Kate's explanation at the end that she was the only person who knew what happened to her - "the other person didn't make it out alive." Not "HE/MARTIN didn't make it out alive," or "he/Martin was killed," but somehow inferring that a whole separate person was there and was on the brink of escape or rescue but died.

Maybe? Probably. But in her own mind, she is/was all those things, so she likely wouldn't be thinking about providing proof to back it up. I remember the scene where she and Jeanette ran into Kate and her mom after aerobics, and she - Cindy - acted toward the mom just the way Jeanette acted toward Kate at the mall: goofy, hero-worship, giddy just to be talking to her. This also makes me think she's re-imagined her entire high school social life. Oooh - what if she saw that Jeanette had the chance to be popular, the way she never did, and had something to do with Kate disappearing and Jeanette taking over her life?????

I tend to think that Cindy is remembering her high school days and her interactions with Kate's mother as she WISHES they were - so popular, all the boys wanting her, Kate's mother looking up to her - especially given the context in which she shared these memories: while assuring her "nerd" daughter that she surely had lots of people who wanted to be her friend and that she would one day be just like her mother (Cindy). Her gazing off into the distance while saying that Kate's second husband once wanted HER kind of sealed it for me - like she was daydreaming. I'm so curious to see how they tie all of this together!

I caught up on this show yesterday and am completely sucked in! I do like they way they've handled the year-jumping with the lighting - warm and golden for '93, normal for '94, and dark and menacing for '95. Not only does it make it easy to tell them all apart, but it plays into the characters as they were in any given year. I also noticed the different outfit when Kate was banging on the basement door to be let out. My first thought, given how tense things had gotten at home, was that she formed this bond with Martin that turned romantic, and she ultimately ran away and he hid her so they could play house - hence the fancy clothes, like at-home date night - but it quickly went south and he kept her captive. Something HUGE had to have happened for Jeannette to go from total nerd to It Girl in the span of twelve months, complete with the last It Girl's boyfriend who apparently adores her and It Girl friends who suddenly looked up to her the way they did Kate.

I completely understand how Delores could burst into tears over hearing that her dog made it to Heaven and NOT be emotional over the news of her relationship. There have been many articles written about how much more strongly we bond with - and grieve - our pets as opposed to bonding with other people. I would react exactly the same way. I agree with those who enjoy Bill much more than in previous seasons. For me, it was the time the guys took him out and got him drunk and then lugged him into the house like Navy Seals carrying boats over their heads during training. Ever since then, he's seemed so much more likable to me. Maybe he was so stiff that first season due to nerves at being filmed. And I try not to comment on other women' looks, but I'm seriously troubled by Jackie's facial features since surgery. Nothing about the work she had done looks balanced or even slightly natural; in fact, she seems more cartoonish with every episode, and her mouth appears to be dangerously askew, as though everything is shifting in ways it shouldn't. I would hope she recognizes this when she sees herself on TV and visits another plastic surgeon for corrective work.

I thought the service was beautiful. Gia is gorgeous. And I love that cousins Milania and Antonia are obviously still so close.

I'm not a Teresa fan, but I do feel for her regarding the loss of her father. I know there were some who found Nonno creepy, but he captured my heart when they were all in Punta Cana and Teresa was lamenting the absence of her husband, and her elderly father looked at her and said, "Now *I'll* be here for you." And then, when they showed the backflash clips of him fussing over the girls and saying, "I'm crying on the inside" as they cried, that just cemented it for me. He loved his family so much and had no reservations in expressing it, and they all clearly loved him just as much. I'm pushing 50 and adore my father - I literally can't bear to think of the day I'll lose him - so I relate so well to Teresa's pain in missing hers., and I have to admit that in this particular case, my heart goes out to her.

I had to laugh at the beginning when they showed Dolores sitting on her bed, talking to David, with the big star wall hanging positioned perfectly behind her head like the Statue of Liberty's crown. Was that deliberate? And while the realtor paperwork may well have been signed before filming, I have to give credit where credit is due: I thought Theresa's approach to the realtor was actually quite diplomatic. She wasn't hostile, she wasn't accusatory, and her explanation that (paraphrasing) the realtor's husband and Joe ironing things out would make Theresa more comfortable listing her house with her actually made sense to me.

Around the fire ring, when the ladies kept hearing "animal" sounds and then screamed bloody murder and made a break for the house - Melissa stood up, pointed at someone off camera, and called them something crude (I forget what) before running off. I'm assuming it was one of the producers making the noises a la "Blair Witch Project" to get them all riled up, but does anyone know for sure?

I used to think the whole situation with Dolores, David, and Frank was just odd, but now I'm actually kind of liking it. It shouldn't work, but somehow, it does.

I burst out laughing when Patricia described how she poached Michael as her butler - "I don't think she was even buried yet."

I've actually started rewatching the entire NJ franchise this week, and I can't get over how completely different Teresa looks in season one. She's actually cute and pretty and her face looks smooth and natural and attractive. And it's interesting now, in hindsight, to watch her count out stacks of $100 bills to pay for furniture and the girls' clothes, and to hear Caroline comment about how "carefree" Teresa is with "no stress" and "not a care in the world."

I missed the news of Teresa's dad passing until this morning, and while I'm not a Teresa fan at all, I immediately felt for her. To lose two parents in just a few short years has to be unbearable. I'm 48 years old, both of my parents are still alive, and I already dread the day I lose either one of them, let alone both. I'm sure the girls are absolutely heartbroken, as he was a member of their household and part of their everyday lives for so long. I do agree with the poster who suggested Teresa may feel some sense of relief. I've been in caretaker positions of sorts, and it's so stressful, not knowing what each day would bring. Her father's health was failing for quite awhile, and that's a difficult cloud to live under. And then you feel guilty for feeling relieved that that part of it is over. It's a tough situation. I sympathize with her on this point. Poor Nonno. He was so sad after his wife's passing. I suspect he was only hanging on for Teresa and the girls.

I was surprised Melissa didn't put copies of her CDs in the time capsule (which I'm sure was dissembled right after "That's a wrap!"). And I'm probably wrong, but I would so like to believe that if it weren't for the show, none of these women would associate with Teresa, given how shady, immature, narcissistic, and just plain ridiculous she is.

Enough body bronzer.

Say what I will about Teresa and Joe's rationalization of their crimes and their behavior - it was so incredibly touching to watch Joe and the girls together in Italy. You could tell that the five of them (Teresa being the sixth person and not included) were thrilled to be together again and spend time with one another. When Joe got emotional at the dinner table and looked like he was ready to cry, I really felt for him. And it was touching how much he was trying to win Teresa over. I think this is a bona fide case of "Don't know what you've got till it's gone." I believe Joe's punishment and deportation were just, but I'm rooting for him and the girls to grow even closer. Teresa . . . I've never seen such a raging narcissist in my life. I'm blown away by the fact that she actually admitted to her part in the hair pulling - what motivated her to actually take responsibility??? I guess she thought the producers would just leave the whole incident out of the show and not show her in a bad light, so no one would know - that's the only thing I can figure. She truly believes she's a goddess on a pedestal. It's frustrating that even after this, everyone (except Margaret) still gathered around and stroked her ego. Kudos to Margaret for not caving and actually showing that Teresa's behavior was hurtful and she can't get off easy just because she's The Teresa.

I've been rewatching season 5 - the Ashley season - and this time around, I actually feel a bit sorry for her. It's crystal clear that Thomas was triangulating her with Kathryn, probably telling her all sorts of horrible things about Kathryn and how mean and evil she was and how she wouldn't leave him alone, just to play on Ashley's jealousy and get her to fight Kathryn for him and therefore feed his ego. I was in a relationship like this years ago, and it took me quite a long time once I was out of it to realize what he'd been doing and that the girl he was triangulating me with was actually a really nice person who was probably glad to be rid of him. I was so ashamed of all the bad things I'd thought and said about her, simply because I'd believed what he was feeding me. I would imagine that one some level, Ashley realizes this now. Not to say that Kathryn's perfect, because she isn't, but she certainly wasn't deserving of Ashley's vitriol, and I'm sure that somewhere deep inside - not that she would ever admit it - Ashley feels bad about it and recognizes that she was played by Thomas. So the part of me that recognizes myself in her relationship feels sad for her. That relationship sucked the very lifeblood out of me and turned me into someone I never knew I could be. I actually kind of feel lucky to have survived it.