Emily Thrace

I actually suspect Kayla was originally written to be Kelly Malcolm and TPTB changed their minds. Her motivations make a lot more sense if she doesn't like dinosaurs but feels for a young girl in a bad situation. Kelly Malcolm would have very valid reasons not to like dinosaurs. I have heard there were rights issues with her character because she was original to Lost World so maybe that's it. Or that they didn't want to muddle the story by including a character not in the first movie.

I suspect the Imperials didn't use grenades or their big gun because they were dealing with force sensitive people actually. Obi-Wan was deflecting their blaster shots back at them imagine what he could do with a grenade. Plus a big chunk of the rest of the group could be force sensitive as well. Besides would you actually trust Storm Troopers with grenades? They are liable to drop on on their foot and take out half their own platoon. I suspect that's why Tala held on to hers too so Reva couldn't redirect it at Obi-Wan. She was also clearly aiming to take out the tunnel itself not just a couple troopers. That's why she held it up so it would be closer to the ceiling. I also suspect she carried the grenade less for attacking and more as a failsafe in case they tried to take her as a prisoner.

Yeah considering Jonathan wanted to go to NYU since he was 6 why not just apply there? Or Columbia or Barnard? Or any of the like 15 excellent journalism schools in the greater New York area? It smells of the writers creating conflict for the sake of it. I also suspect Nancy being so definite in her plans means they are going to change just because of the laws of drama.

I honestly don't think we saw enough of Kali to judge her either way. Personally she came across less caring and more controlling to me but mileage varies. There are a number of reasons to keep both One and Kali alive. The first being they are a rare finds the Brenner went through a lot of trouble to get. Why waste them by destroying them? Why not keep them in alive just in case they become useful? Neither is in a position to cause Brenner any trouble as far as he knows. It could even be argued that letting Kali roam allows them to test her in the field. It also goes back to why Brenner does this in the first place. I do think he does actually care about these kids. The way he reacted to Five's death even with no one around sealed for me. I don't think he loves them like Joyce does her boys but he does truly care. (Considering he would have been born at the onset of the Great Depression and came of age at the end of WW2 I don't think its a stretch to say he had plenty of opportunity to to rack up emotional damage) I suspect Brenner is someone who just isn't capable of the full range of human emotion (Not saying he's a psychopath I'm thinking more Attachment Disorder if you want to name it). I think he cares about the kids as much as he is capable of. So taking them out back and shooting them is not something he wants to do unless he absolutely has to. I also think your assuming Brenner has total control and is only operating on logic. Which directly contradicts everything Owens has told us about how that job worked. Its also just not how any bureaucracy works, there are always multiple motives and agendas in play.

I suspect it works because its not electricity that Nancy/Will were manipulating but rather light. Hence why she could only manipulate the lights that were turned on not just by flicking the light switch. It also makes slightly more sense in physics terms because of lights unique properties as both a particle and a wave. I wonder if One continued existence is the result of the two sides in the US government that Owens mentions to El. One side wanted him dead one wanted to keep him around to see if he could still be useful and keeping him on at the lab was the compromise that was reached. Also the more I think about it the more it makes sense that Kali didn't so much "escape" as she was set loose. She was too sociopathic to control and her powers weren't what they were looking for so Brenner arranged for her to escape and didn't look very hard for her. I also wonder how much One told El was true. I could see Brenner using El as a sort of red test for 2 but its also entirely possible One just made that up to manipulate her in to setting him free.

I wonder if they aren't victims of the same experiments that Grogu was part of on the Mandalorian. There were earlier experiments whose to say when it all started. It might even explain why they are chasing force sensitive people and why they are so much rarer in twenty years.

He was looking for people with powers back in 1959 though and he seemed to zero in on Vincent Creel for one reason or another. I have always theorized Brenner is a former Nazi who was involved in with something like D-IX experiments or possibly the Lebensborn program and saw someone who had or developed powers as part of that. Assuming Brenner is roughly the same age as the actor he would have been around 18 in 1945. So not old enough to be leading a project at that time but old enough to have been an orderly or lab assistant or a guard. Which actually makes more sense since its unlikely Brenner would have been put in charge of MKULTRA if he was a high ranking Nazi. In any case he came across someone with powers who didn't survive the war for whatever reason but gave him a clue as to how to create someone like El. I suspect it involves drugs and that those drugs are what made him interested in the Creel's. Either Victor Creel took something during the war or afterwards for PTSD treatment or even Mrs Creel was went a little Divine Secrets of the Yaya sisterhood with some diet pills. In any case something in the Creel family history tipped off Brenner that One was what he was looking for. As for why One picked El, based on age at the time she would have one of the youngest kids there. I think he probably thought she would be more malleable because of it. Based on her conversation with Hop in the pilot I think Joyce knows Will is gay. She might not have fully admitted to herself yet but on some level she knows. I do wonder if that might be why they included Jonathan in the California crew so he will see how Will feels about Mike. Yeah that's what worries me about this love triangle. Since they can't really kill Jonathan because of the effect it would have on Joyce and Will. It would be too big a departure for a fun horror show to handle that kind of loss effectively. Losing a friend in battle though happened all the time in Eighties movies.

Neither of those drugs have been around "hundreds of years". Its not definitive because no one has studied the generational effects of these drugs. Its been implied since the second season that the drugs caused Eleven's abilities. We know LSD can't have created One since it didn't exist yet. Based on the number of kids in the program Brenner obviously found a way to duplicate whatever created him. Its probably some type of drug but I suppose it could be a type of radiation. Of the drugs readily available in WW2 amphetamines make more sense with MK Ultra than say morphine. Unless Victor Creel senior was part of some experimental PTSD treatment. Besides its a tv show with monsters and psychics it not exactly beholden to the exact effects of pharmaceuticals it just has to be plausible in the universe of the show.

El's aunt specifically mentions drug cocktails being used in season 2 so it stands to reason they weren't just using Lsd. Amphetamines do actually make sense if you are trying to "expand the boundaries of the mind" since it essentially speeds it up. There's really no definitive answer as to wether or not either drug causes inheritable defects in any case. Mostly because it never been effectively studied. Amphetamines do cause dna changes in animals so its theoretically possible in any case. Also since when are Steve and Nancy "true love"? I thought the whole problem in the first place was that she didn't really love him. She likes Steve and is attracted to Steve but I still think all the reasons they broke up are still there. A big one is that Steve is not academically inclined or ambitious at all and Nancy is seriously driven. That's not a knock on Steve its just who he is and he shouldn't have to change that to suit Nancy. I don't see him following her to Emerson so it still ends badly. I just hope they don't trash any of the characters while this plays out. Or decide to kill off one of them like they resolved the shows prior triangle.

Its often down played but most soldiers in WW2 had access to Amphetamines and used them heavily. Victor refers to the new house as clean fresh start. I wonder if after the incident in France he didn't end up an addict. Just because MK Ultra used LSD doesn't mean that was what Brenner used exclusively. Plus that would fit with my theory that Brenner is an ex Nazi scientist. He could have easily stumbled across an infant who was affected accidentally by the drugs during WW2 (who was then killed for one reason or another) and then continued his experiments once he got the chance in the US. I have always assumed the Upside down was influenced by the people who are pulled in their and by Will in particular because he was there and conscious the longest. That the monster or the place itself pulled a lot of its knowledge of the world from Will. That's why its monsters are so similar to D&D because that is Will's frame of reference for monsters.

I was wondering if it might be one of Kali's (8) illusions and we are seeing her escape. Also does anyone else get a major Tom Cruise vibe from Jason the basketball captain? Something about the glib charm and grand speeches paired with a dark side.

Eh, I think Anne is a fascinating character and a realistic one. I find it ridiculous and often offensive when shows white wash historical figures. Like Julia the show making Julia Child a lot more feminist and LGBT positive than she actually was. I feel like history should be told honestly otherwise we are papering over a lot of the struggles of real people. It takes away all nuance if someone must be 20th century woke to be good. It minimizes discrimination if the only people who do it are evil. It also seriously limits the stories that can be told truthfully if we judge everyone by today's standard. Anne Lister is a fascinating person not telling her story or even re-writing it because she was a Tory would be a mistake. Anne's politics were a direct result of who she was and the times she grew up in. Of course she is a Tory its the only way she can protect the life of privilege she has. Without the protection of money and class she would not be able to live as she does. Anne probably would have to been forced to be married and have children if it wasn't for her inheritance. That's why the Gentleman Jack insult landed so hard there is a lot implied violence behind those words. Outspoken women in those days were often beaten or raped back into their place. By voting Tory Anne ensures her own safety. I also think its not that Anne doesn't care about slaves or child labour. I think she just sees the current system as necessary and that everyone has work to do and must "get on with it". I also think Anne for all her study has blindspots and limitations like anyone. Even as an educated woman there are things like the life of slave are something she would have no knowledge of and no real way to get knowledge of. I also think Anne is a bit limited in general when it comes to sympathy. She expects every to just deal because she does. She just doesn't get that its not that easy for some. Which is perfectly fitting for someone as wealthy as she is.

The thing is she didn't realize she was working for North Korea until she had already handed over the information. Up until that point she thought she was working for a corporation presumably one based in South Korea. She also probably never thought she would get caught. So while it was foolish it wasn't quite as moronic when she signed up for it. Although the fact that her husband's career would be ruined even in that scenario didn't occur to her is definitely a little oblivious.

Yeah I was yelling at the tv that's why you don't date someone in their first year of sobriety at him. Mom has taught me that is not a hard and fast rule anymore but the principal still applies. Its also not considered a good idea to date someone who goes to the same regular meeting as you do. Partly because your relationship is going to come up in shares and it makes it harder to speak freely but also because the tension and baggage they are now bringing in to what is supposed to be a safe space. Marco is probably going to have to start going to a new meeting now and possibly find a new sponsor which could affect his sobriety. So yeah there is definitely some red flags on his part but that does make sense he is in AA for his own reasons afterall. I don't really think he's secretly behind all this or anything like that just a little co dependent like most alcoholics. Now Grace on the other hand I don't trust yet. She seems a bit too good to be true. Plus with her military background she could easily be a CIA agent working for Dot or some shadow organization with an agenda of their own. Trading in Fentanyl means she is in with all kinds of shady folks. She could even be the blond double.

I actually think Seven being rejected by Starfleet does make sense but might have more to do with her own failings than her implants. Seven has grown up a lot but Voyager era Seven had plenty of flaws like arrogance and a lack of understanding of social cues that might not have made her an ideal candidate for Starfleet. I can also see Starfleet being more hesitant about her than Picard or Icheb because she was assimilated so young and was still so affected by it. Icheb was never even fully assimilated and had a very different experience than she did. Federation pysch evals may be a little lax but they would still pick up on the giant red flags a post Voyager Seven would have been giving off. Also with regards to Picard I find it puzzling that people assume Starfleet would reject him over his mothers medical history. For one rejecting a candidate because of a disease their parent had is backwards in itself. Besides that surely by the 24th century we would have developed not only better detection for genetic tendencies like bi polar disorder but also a better understanding of how its triggered. Its also a complete falsehood that Picard's trauma makes him weak or in any way unfit for service. Just because someone has been through trauma or has a mentally ill parent doesn't mean they are one step from the edge themselves. Sometimes trauma can teach resilience especially in children, it might be why Picard has survived everything he has been through so far. Its entirely possible Starfleet is fully aware of Picard's history but also realized he is an extraordinary person and passing him over for something that might happen would be a mistake.

Yeah I side eyed that as well. On the one hand I have read enough about early contacts to know situations like that are not inaccurate. It was actually fairly common its why there is a Mackenzie way back on my mother's Cree side. On the other hand it really played in to the Nubile Savage trope and really wasn't necessary. It just felt like TPTB were trying to squeeze more tits into the runtime. So while I'm glad we are getting more of the Native story they still lack real agency or point of view. They couldn't even bother to dub the girls line so they could have a voice in the scene.

Eh the mob was a little more friendly in those days. Investing in someone they see as having potential was standard practice. They may ask for a cut later but it doesn't mean they are malicious. Investing in the community is how they gained support and stayed in business. The old Mafia liked to rule with love not just fear.

I think it was the actors or other PTB way of showing Rios is not quite comfortable in his new role and is nervous. It also underlined that Rios is actually the first Cuban Captain Star Trek has ever had I suspect that was unintentional though. There have been ambiguously brown Captains with names like Rivera or Garcia but other than the Captain Hernandez (Who mentioned being Mexican American once) of Enterprise there been any Hispanic characters with a specific cultural backgrounds. B'lanna Torres was on Voyager for seven years and it was never stated if her father was Porto Rican or Columbian or Mexican. Its an interesting sign of progress both that Rios can be very explicitly and overtly Cuban and use Spanish on a Starship and not have the suits worried about the audience not getting it.

Actually serial killers are more common than most people think. The FBI estimates there are 30- 50 active in the US at any given time. With UK having roughly 1/5 the population that would put them at 6-10 at any given time. Since Manchester is the second largest urban population in the country it would have a slightly larger share of that number. So 2-3 would actually be about bang on statistically(not including the Bevans in that number because they hadn't been active for decades). Its a bit of stretch that they are getting caught but better forensics and surveillance has helped a lot in that respect. Its actually another mark of accuracy for Scott and Bailey.

That might be because of technical issues. Really heavy artificial make up colours like that can be a bitch to light because the make up is so thick it doesn't reflect light the way normal human skin does. If you watch the first Guardians you'll notice Gamora's skin tone actually varies quite a bit because they were still trying figure out how to light it and just how heavy to actually apply the make up. Plus a lot of the blue face paints still use copper which is fine in small amounts but can cause reactions in higher concentrations. So it might have just been easier on the crew and the actor to have the make up a few shades lighter.

By being raised by white people in white neighborhood it cost Randall a lot of his identity as a black man. That's kinda one of the main points of his story. Why do you decide how Randall feels? Other than some assumption that his fate would have been terrible without the Pearson's. (Which isn't necessarily true btw. ) People are allowed to feel however they want, its forcing our own expectations on them that is the problem. That's a big part of what Randall is upset about. He was never allowed to wonder or express his loss because people like you decided it means he loves Jack and Rebecca less or is "ungrateful". Which is simplistic and really unfair to Randall.

The thing is though Randall didn't ask to be adopted. Why should he grateful for something he had no say in and effectively stripped him of his identity? Yes the adoption may have saved him from a terrible fate but it also cost him something no money could ever buy back and even love couldn't fill. Randall is allowed to mourn the life he didn't have. (Its not that different than Beth mourning the life she pictured for Tess). It doesn't mean he doesn't love his parents it just means the adoption cost him something. Which is true of all adoptees even same race ones. IMO the only people in an adoption who should be grateful are the adoptive parents they are usually the only ones who don't lose something in the process.

Yeah but its not just the weight Steven Strait has aged visibly. I almost wonder if he is ill and that has something to with the shorter season. The Rocinate can survive without Alex but The Expanse just doesn't work without James Holden self appointed saviour of the universe. I can't wait for Drummer to start taking down Marco's supply depots. She has just been itching to fight back since day one I can't wait to see her get her chance. Monica is going to end up back on the Roci at some point right? because her vs Avasarala is fun but the Roci could do with her lightness. Bobby is where she belongs I just hope they all realize it soon.

I actually really liked this weeks episode, the mother daughter conflict was nuanced and real and not so "Ripped from the Headlines" as some of stories have been. I was also glad to get some movement on Abby's family situation. The limbo is getting a little tedious since it looks like Hubby is going to take her back anyway. Although I keep expecting the other shoe to drop there since Abby as a single parent going through a divorce is the more interesting story. I suspect there will be a bombshell with regards to his cheating in the finale that will shake things up. One thing I would like to see is more exploration around Abby's drinking and how it got so out of control. They have gone over the incident in the courtroom plenty but things like that don't happen in isolation. I suspect there are other incidents her kids remember that are part of why Sofia is so angry. If the show wants to portray Abby's alcoholism effectively they need to address that it wasn't just one incident.

I was wondering if she had a beef with Athena and was taking it out on May.