A Boston Gal

We here at Previously aren't the only ones enjoying this season, and its well-written flashbacks: http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2014/09/27/the-art-flashback/a8NN2DnvylydcJ8Z9u2cEO/story.html

Kelly Ripa has always been a bit dodgy in my book...don't ask me to explain it; I can't. There's just something "less than sincere" about her...

Thanks, Actionimage. Actually, I was hoping to blame something other than my own incompetance for not catching this episode. No such luck. ;)

So, that's why my DVR didn't catch it, because it's moved to the CW? Great, thanks alot, WLiiA.

editorgrrl, bingo! Yes, it has to be from Gillian, although the first idea about a call-back to a previous episode almost made me give the writers more credit than is due.

Wouldn't be the first time the "main stream media" was hornswoggled, right? But by the time we figure it out, will anyone still care? ;) eta: because who the hell knows how to spell "hornswoggled"??

"Does Maybelle know what you are???" "She knew what I was." Albert, I've missed you so much. If this show doesn't end with at least a modicum of hope for your character's future, then there's no justice in this world. Tonights's episode reminded me how good the show can be. I was even engaged enough with Margaret's dealings with the Widow Rothstein (and it just hit me this second who that actress is...!! ) to be rooting for her. Can Margaret reconnect with Nucky, and get herself out of trouble? I actually care. A sharp, let's-see-what-I-can-do-about-this Margaret is infinitely preferable to a Margaret of the "it's in God's hands" variety. And the flashbacks continue to be very well done. I wish we had had them in an earlier season; not necessarily the first one, but still, sooner than this. It's as if the showrunners only cared about revealing the details on Nucky's backstory now that it's all coming to an end.

Well now Time magazine has the story. Does that make it more likely or less likely that it's producer driven? Or does it only show that no one does any investigation of their own?

MostlyC, my friends and co-workers are tired of hearing me talk about this show, and it's not even on yet.

A great mix of acts. Good to see E & D back, even if they didn't make it into the finale.

I'm sorry, but if that work song was a call to arms, I'm not seeing much of it, besides Uncle Jack with a pain in his back. ZaldamoWilder, this show's treatment of the Margaret character and her motivations/personality has always bugged me. You're right, it's haphazard. My beef has always been Margaret's signing everything over to the church when her daughter got polio, thus setting her and Nucky (and her own fortunes) spiraling downward. The practical Margaret we knew and loved would never do that. But in this case, I think she covered her tracks pretty well. What else was she gonna say when caught with her hand in the cookie jar? Something like, "Here, I got what you wanted!" seems to be the only thing possible.

I seem to remember in Prince Poppycock's year, there were only four finalists, with him coming in 4th, thanks to spoilsport/part-time homophobe Piers Morgan.

You dear sweet wide-eyed youngster. When the first time a president's elected that's younger than you, then call me. ;)

Loving this last season, loving the posts here. It's as if the whole series has gotten a new burst of energy. Where was all this sharp writing and character development for the past couple of seasons? Now I'm sad it's ending, where a few weeks ago, I just couldn't care at all. And, who'duv thunk, Nucky has a personality again. Yay, I'm rooting for the show's main character once more. Would love to see a teenaged Tommy (he'd be a teen in 1931, yes?) rightly inherit the Commodore's house. That would be an interesting note to end the series on.

I see your point, but if Wendy Leibman is "undiscovered" enough for this show, so is Emily. Amen to the SOS observations! The back up instrumentals just diluted the whole act, and it became less interesting to watch. That, coupled with the slow songs just killed it for me. Love them, but it wasn't their best night, unfortunately.

Megan, really. <sigh> With all the dramatics on the episode (not that it wasn't a serious situation), you'd think the title would be a tad more appropriate. Not necessarily "The Show Where Dan Nearly Dies", but still... smarlo, I know exactly what you mean, but I'm torn about Laura. I think she's a little too enthusiastic about acting out the show runners' suggestions (and as you said, her acting skills are not the best) but during the moments that she's having unrehersed interactions with the bidders or Dan - and not playing to the camera - she seems quite warm and sweet. She's also made the effort to lose weight, and redo her hair; obviously, she wants to be portrayed as attractively as possible, as we all would want to be. But (and once again, I'm circling back to your view) it would be nice to hear her do her "Pay the Lady" tag line without the abundance of artificial flourish, for a change. Like I said, I'm torn. <g>

OMG, Dave Marciano made a "King Richard's Faire" reference last week, comparing a dressed tuna to one of those giant turkey legs served at the local renfaire that happens every late summer in Carver, MA. Captain Dave at a renfaire - I don't know why I'm so tickled by that, but I am.

Dammit, I was honestly hoping for an E & D pairing with Yo Yo Ma for the Grand Finale Results show. ETA: I also don't consider Sons of Serendip a "singing" act as such. Is there such a category as "unexpected musical ensembles"? Whatever; if they or AcroArmy or even Emily (yes, I, too, am making an Emily exception in my AGT Singer Hate) win, then I'll be okay with this season. Not great, but okay.

Just came back from vacation and had a marathon of episodes I hadn't seen before waiting for me...almost made it worthwhile to come home again! The bowling was hysterical, as was Joe's mashed potato slinging. Any clue as to the format of the new show?

Sophie, I agree! How do we know how we'd react, especially three years out. What I'm saying is, if we could get a small hint of how they were processing the event of 10/14 soon after it happened, then yes, we'd be able to empathise with their confusion, fear and panic. We could share that beginning with them. But seeing these characters three years out after such an event, with no other information (at least to begin with) left me with a very arms-length sensation about it all. Anyway, this discussion has been going around and around since the beginning of this show. I'm just stating how I feel; it's not like a plot point or twist (ie: Laurie was Patti's therapist) that's fun to debate. Just my personal preference, that's all.

I'm glad SOS (fka: Sons of Serendip, until TBTB decided to rename them on live TV) got through. I was worried the season was going to have a complete breakdown. I wouldn't mind them taking the whole thing, with Emily coming in second. Just hit me last night how Dan Natterman and Wendy Leibman were carefully kept out of the same semi-final performance.

Obviously, I'm not ganesh, but I would also be tempted to see a "just after" episode...or even a couple scenes, if only to establish that in "The Leftover" universe, people react to earth-shattering events the same as they do in this universe. I think many of the complaints about the characters on this show have boiled down to we're not 100% sure they are reacting as normal people would, whether it's how they're investigating/not investigating, they can't/haven't moved on, strange cults have emerged with a disinterest/impunity from the world at large, and/or something weird is happening with animals. I think this episode did a great deal to establish the "normalcy" of these people and their pre-10/14 world. Still, I wouldn't say no to a brief glimpse of what the next day brought for the Garvey family.

Latverian Diplomat, anyone that can think in potential TNG plots is OK in my book! :)

That's got to be it, wt. My DVR is only set to catch new episodes. Dammit. :(

Wait, what? Did I miss something? Did an episode run that my stupid DVR didn't record? I don't remember any of this... :(