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Regalbegal

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Everything posted by Regalbegal

  1. I think that Stassi and Kristin's behavior was just so egregious they had no choice but to take action (calling the police on her was, in essence, putting her life at risk), even though they are part of the "core" cast. I am glad they threw Max and Brett out as well, given LVP/AC's stance at the reunion part 1; personally I think they should have been given the boot as soon as those old tweets came out. Curious to see what happens with Lala and Jax down the line - their behavior was at least as bad as Max and Brett. Or, maybe Bravo will use this as the excuse to just cancel the show (which, setting these issues aside, it is probably time to do so anyway).
  2. It started out as sort of opening credits for a '90s-style family sitcom. One thing I love about this show is that TPTB don't take themselves too seriously!
  3. This was the type of episode I was hoping for last week. Good job! Yes, this was a much smoother, more subtle theme than what they did with "Count of Monte Christo". It applied to the ballet, Eve's sister, and to a certain extent Martin himself telling stories to keep Malcom coming back. It is still unclear whether he is telling the truth this time or not. I still wonder if he did kill Sophie and Malcom had a (perhaps inadvertent, like stopping her from escaping?) role in her death, which might explain his subconscious torturing him. I guess they were trying to contrast the mellow tune with the grim surroundings (and I liked that we got to see Martin in action and being truly menacing). For some reason I have always found Jim Croce's music inexplicably creepy (maybe because of how he died?) so it worked for me. It was telegraphed, but still a fun reveal. And given that he is a lithe little guy, one could definitely see him "showing promise"! More Mr. David, please. He is all mood, and I love it. The April Fool's thing at the end was a nice/silly way to end things before the break...
  4. This show has been a homebound binge for me, I don't know how I missed it before. It is just the right mix of clever/funny and stupid/funny (thank you David St. Hubbins!). Poor Chauncey! Maybe the King should just marry her, I think they'd be a nice, blood-thirsty pair. I like the actress who plays Al (She was great in Cockblockers). Her droll-ness is a good counterpoint to some of the more over the top characters and plays nicely off of them, particularly Chauncey, her brother and her dad.
  5. This episode felt pretty anticlimactic. The acting across the board was strong (even the actress playing Eve stepped it up), but there was so much speculation almost from the time she appeared that Eve was related to box girl that the revelation didn't pack any punch. I kept hoping for another shoe to drop (e.g., Eve plotting to embezzle money from the family, break Malcom's heart, get Jessica convicted, or the girl in the box is still alive etc) to keep it interesting. Son of serial killer + sister of woman serial killer murdered may be 10+ on the dysfunctional relationship scale, but I can see why living with a daily reminder of his father's guilt would be catnip to Malcom, given his compulsion to punish himself. It is nice in these uncertain times that we can count on Malcom to get his ass kicked nearly every week. So, apparently Martin is a Malcom/Dani shipper, hmm?
  6. I would put money on younger sister. Which isn't really a super shocking surprise, given that some folks have been suggesting this since her first episode. The crawling into the box was a nice/weird Prodigal Son-esque touch, though. The question at this point is: is she just looking for answers, or does she really have some ulterior/vengeance plan (I hope the latter bc it will be a lot more interesting). All in all, it felt like a bit of a placeholder episode until the very end, but that was fine, a lot of fun moments and some Martin/Jessica time, which is always a plus. His friend was a fun addition - I think that was Raj from Good Trouble?
  7. This was a really good way to end the season. It felt a little over-packed/rushed (a lot happened), but at least it never lagged. Callie's gonna Callie. The only way I can enjoy this show is put her SL aside in a little Callie box and kind of ignore it. Would rather see both Jamie and Gael with someone else, but she is the lead on the show so... But, I just read that the actor who plays Jamie was upped to a regular for Season 3, so I guess he is sticking around. I thought the show played this perfectly - the timing was just right (they pushed the "will they won't they" about as far as they could go), and the fact that it all came down to a simple and straightforward declaration from him was pretty touching. I think I enjoyed Malika's SL the most this episode. Unlike Callie, the character has really shown growth over the season, and I loved the stuff both with her family and Isaac. It is nice to see a relationship face mature challenges that aren't about triangles/quadrangles etc. Which is why I am sort of over the Mariana/Raj/Evan/Isabella stuff (even though I have to admit the scene at the end between Mariana and Evan was pretty hot). Whoever does the costuming did a great job, everyone looked awesome at the Trap Heals party (especially loved Malika's jacket).
  8. Two things I thought I would never say about this show... the first, was that the funniest exchange of the night was between two newbies, Brett and Charli. To paraphrase: Brett: I don't want to you have the last word and walk away making me look like and idiot Charli: (has the last word, walks away making him look like an idiot) Now, don't get me wrong, these two still have the personality of a bag of hair, but I actually laughed out loud at this. The second... I don't particularly like Raquel or James, but on a show where so many interactions feel scripted the issues between them last night felt very genuine. I think he is/has been verbally (and textually, is that a thing?) abusive to her, she finally reached awareness that this isn't right, and he was pretty ashamed about his behavior. The real-ness of it caught me off guard. I had a friend who was obsessive and all-consumed about her wedding planning in the year before her wedding, as was her husband to be. Everything was "my day, my week, me me me ". By the time of the wedding I peaced out on both the friendship and the bridal party. Britney and Jax are very much these people. Just because you are getting married doesn't mean the world has to step out of your way to make all your experiences perfect. Sandoval can be an ass, but why shouldn't he point out his problems with their unwillingness to drop the homophobic preacher until right before the wedding? Of all the newbies, I think Dayna is getting on my nerves the most, and that says something bc they all suck. Clearly she is trying to step into the space of "cool girl" a la Ariana, but really one Ariana is enough, Dayna is like a copy of a copy of a copy where any remotely interesting details have been erased.
  9. Watching the pilot again last night, in hindsight, it seems like they were even starting to allude to it then..... My wanton years of soap opera viewing always suggested that if a character shows up that is sort of opaque, either 1. they ultimately will have some sort of ulterior motive or 2. the actor is not that good. Hoping for the former here, otherwise Eve is just a really, really dull character.
  10. Yes, much fun and weirdness to be had, as is in this show's wheelhouse. Loved seeing Brian Stokes Mitchell (Ragtime!), I hope they bring him back. They continue to hit the mark with the guest casting. For me Edrisa is usually a little, shall we say, extra (i.e., a little of her goes a long way - this is a not a reflection on the actress, who is great, but more how the character has been written). But I liked her a lot in this episode, I am glad they gave her more to do than (somewhat embarrassing) fan-girling over Malcom, and glad they gave more insight into her character. Glad she, not he, ultimately saved the day. Enjoyed the moments between Malcom and Dani too and the strengthening of that friendship. I still think, if he were paired with anyone (although my pref is still he takes care of his shit before any romantic relationships), she is the one that there is the strongest connection/chem with; they feel like more equals while his relationship with Edrisa just comes off as so crushy/unbalanced to me. But, you know, different strokes... Yeah, I was in college back then and even if you did have a cell phone, it wasn't like today where it is something you take with you everywhere and use all the time. So, of the many unrealistic, "must suspend belief" aspects of the show I don't think this is really a big one. So, Eve is back. yay....?... I at least hope she will push forward some resolution on the girl in the box.
  11. There was this bizarre false equivalency that Cohen seemed to be pushing that made no sense. Yes, some of the women engaged in behavior that was not the best - for example, Kate's behavior around the penis cake (not that I care about her trying to annoy Kevin, but it shouldn't impact the guests and Captain) and Riley at times seeming to be looking for an argument (e.g., not letting the paleo thing go). But this stuff is not in any way equivalent to being physically and/or sexually threatening to others. Not to get too political here but he (and the "bros", yuck) were viewing this whole thing through such a clear lense of male privilege it is almost like an example they would use in company HR training - hurting someone's feelings by saying something "mean" to them is not equivalent to physical/sexual harassment. It is sad that the old Margaret Atwood quote (to paraphrase, men are afraid women will laugh at them, women are afraid men will kill them) continues to be relevant. Courtney was so composed and well-spoken, I hope she runs far away from the world of Bravo. What a depressing season.
  12. I enjoyed the episode, but can't say it was one of my favorites. Only based on two episodes so far, of course, but I feel like the season hasn't quite clicked for me yet. Could be me bc I didn't watch any of the cross-over stuff. I am not the hugest fan of Ava (I am over her "clone pain"), but this was pretty funny/endearing. The two of them were my favorite part of the episode. Ray really is a rainbow in character form! I miss Nora, and their interactions, too, though.
  13. Right, that is who I was referring to. I have a feeling we have not seen the last of her.
  14. This really was a slog, wasn't it? As you said, Courtney was the only one to come out of this unscathed. Kevin is a whiney, sexist baby. Maybe Kate shouldn't have tricked him about the cake, but it didn't deserve a temper tantrum, and I didn't deserve to see him naked. Tanner is gross. Glad Kate finally wised up to this (I think?). "I am getting more lesbian by the minute" may be a line I use in the future. Simone, however book smart she may be, has no emotional intelligence. Did she think Tanner was anything other than a sleazy tool? Did she think a 6 week job would be a training experience? Kate has shown her good and bad qualities over the years, but this season sort of brought out her worst. Brian is a weak and sad follower. Lee was completely ineffectual as a leader. Rhylee is still overly combative, IMO, her behavior just paled in comparison to the other assholitry on board. Ashton, I don't even know where to start. Vile. Between this and Vanderpump Rules this season, Bravo needs to really re-think/retool its casting process.
  15. This episode was completely off the rails bananas and I loved it. One of the things I like about this show is that it doesn't take itself too seriously, and this episode just took everything that is ludicrous about the show and wore it on its sleeve. Shine on you crazy diamonds. It really is a great cast from top to bottom, and I like that all of the character pairings/interactions are given their little moments. I liked the Dani/Malcolm scenes. I am not sure he should be paired with anyone romantically given what a mess he is, but if he were she would IMO be the best choice as the one who gets him best (the ME is great, but she would be in way over her head, and there is something vaguely problematic about bringing on generic blond white lady as a love interest when there are two lovely women of color in the cast). Either way, even as a friend I think it shows growth in the character for him to open up a bit to someone, it is nice to see. I don't think John was lying to Malcom about what Martin told him, but that doesn't mean Martin was truthful with John about his intentions. Sheen is playing Martin a bit differently than before solitary - definitely more unhinged - which is interesting. I laughed out loud at: "because you killed people, and you're a dick". Accurate. Any use of David Bowie's music is a win. I thought the opening sequence was really well done.
  16. I hate that Ariana has taken on all of Sandoval's worst qualities. This episode was marginally more entertaining than the last, probably because we had limited time with the JV crew. I hope they are done dragging out this Stassi/Sandoval conflict. He is so clearly in the wrong, and the whole thing feels so clearly put on, it holds no interest. While Stassi, Katie and Lala are not great, I completely get their exasperation with Kristen. I too have had that friend who will perpetually cry on your shoulder about how awful her boyfriend is, describing all the different ways he hurt her, and then expect you to be all fine and dandy with him when she brings him around during the break-up/make-up cycle. Either she is happy with the situation with Carter and should shut up about it, or she should end it. Funny that Jax amongst everyone seems to have Carter's number....
  17. Michael Sheen is great, but I didn't really miss him either, I am fine with Martin popping in every once in a while rather than being in every episode. Ainsley is still "meh" for me, but holding out hope she will have some greater purpose in the SL as the season progresses (the revelation about John last episode gave me hope). I sort of liked this episode more than the last one - even though it didn't quite have the same whackadoodle horror movie energy, it was tightly plotted and I think gave some real insight into where Malcom's (very messed up) head is at. I may be dense, but it didn't dawn on me until quite late in the game that Simon was the killer. It tickles me that Malcom's idea of vacation wear is a white linen suit.
  18. This season is so far very depressing. Whoever was in charge of casting the new folks should be fired, not only for overlooking social media stuff but also these people are just boring. It is like they looked for some of the core characteristics of the original cast - vapid, sexually busy, conflict-prone - and left our the most important: some charisma and personality. Yeah, Jax was (is?) a sociopathic fuckboi, but he is also sometimes charming and very funny. Max and Brett (and Brett?) are flat affect and interchangeable, making it hard to understand why these women are fighting over them. Dayna is like Ariana lite. And Schaena is just making me sad. Maybe they need to just chuck the whole thing and start a new show focusing on the staff at Mother Lode....
  19. All I could think was: good thing Malcom has never seen/read Gerald's Game.... For the most part I really liked this episode. There were some genuine surprises (Martin intended to kill Malcom, Ainsley had seen John as a child), some really good one on one scene between strong (IMO) actors (LDP/Sheen, MRJ/Payne), and I got a kick out of the over the top, go for broke horror vibe (the call is coming from inside the house! He has an axe!). The only thing that brought it down a bit was the law enforcement stuff, it felt just sort of random. Either there needed to be more - e.g., showing more of the conflict between eyebrows and the team - or just left out altogether, as there were plenty of other things going on in the episode. This was quite an eventful episode for his hair.... On other shallow matters, even with serial killer beard MRJ is still sexy. That voice...
  20. I get the need for a little action (respect), but Tanner is not only a gross human being but seems like he would be a lousy, lazy lay especially when drunk (which he is, mostly). Honestly, if she absolutely needs an on deck booty call option she might be better off with Kevin - at least the mutual hatred might make things interesting! Overall, the cast this season (minus Courtney) is awful and everyone is wrong, it is just levels of wrong. Rhylee is definitely combative and not easy to get along with, but Ashton is an awful manager, rude, assaultive, and a HR nightmare. Kate is often rude and dismissive of the stew she doesn't like or thinks is not up to her standards - it is fine to point out areas needing work, but every season there is one stew she not only is curt to but gossips behind his/her back with the other stew etc (this is not what a manager does). Simone, on the other hand, seems unwilling to accept her faults/current limits and understand that her learning is not the main goal here, it is running the ship. The male deckhands are gross and stupid. Kevin is sexist and pissy, and an "eh" chef. The Captain has been ineffective in dealing with this mess. This level of un-likability tips the show from silly fun into unpleasant to watch at times.
  21. I finally caught up with the last few eps over the holidays, and was please that the show continues to be on an upswing. The cast is very strong, IMO, and elevates the sometimes clunky dialog, and I like that the show has a bit of a sick sense of humor. Love the addition of Michael Raymond James (RIP Terriers), and they left things with a great cliffhanger this episode, looking forward to the next one. The new FBI agent is fine if a little superfluous (I don't know if the show really needs another foil/adversary for Bright?), but as others have pointed out her eyebrows are aggressively distracting....
  22. I am willing to tolerate a lot of plot incoherence (this is AHS, after all), and I appreciate the '80s references and pretty good take-off of '80s slashers, but it is just not as fun as I expected it to be. I think part of the problem is the cast - this very much feels like "AHS - JV Squad". Leslie Grossman and Cody Fern (and Matthew Morrison before killed off -or is he?) seem to be the only two who really get the "camp at camp" vibe. I also think throwing a real serial killer into the mix was a mistake - we all know how things ended for him IRL, plus I just think it is kind of gross throwing him into this campy send up given that real people suffered and died. All that said, I will probably be in it to the end, which is more than I can say for some of the more recent AHS seasons.
  23. Although Micheal Sheen was the draw for me, she has really become the standout of the show. The scene near the end with the video was riveting - she and Payne both did a great job. The small IRL age difference between the two actors just doesn't jump out to me the way I know it does for some others - I buy them as a (highly dysfunctional) mom and son. I don't think we have seen the end of the "what did mom know and when" SL. Also glad they seem to be lining up an interesting SL for Ainsley, the actress has been really under-used so far. This episode did the best job so far in balancing the family stuff with the story of the week. JT and Malcolm are an amusing team ("don't touch me with your shaky bandage hand" heh). Liking all the supporting characters, although I wish they would dial down the quirk on the ME just a few notches (why does every procedural have to have an overly quirky science type?). I think the show is getting into a groove and I am enjoying it. The writing still could use some improvement (dialog still a bit stilted at times), but for the most part an enjoyable hour of TV that goes by quickly.
  24. Yeesh, for sure, that show fell far and fast (I can’t believe it lasted like 3 seasons?). At least this early on this show doesn’t seem to be taking itself as seriously as The Following did, so hopefully that is a good sign.
  25. I really should be enjoying this season more than I am. In theory it should be right in my wheelhouse - '80s slasher homage (which I love), campy (which I prefer over the overwrought drama that AHS sometimes falls into), I was growing up in LA the time of the events (remember both the Olympics and the following summer of Night Stalker fear so clearly - no sleeping with an open/unlocked window). But at this point I am kind of "meh" on it; not the worst AHS season, but sort of in the middle. Part of it might be Emma Roberts in the lead, who I always just find overall unlikeable - not in the sense of "what I great character I love to hate", but in the sense of "she is annoying, get her off my screen". That said, I am still curious about the (likely) twist. I will miss Trevor and his huge schlong (unless that somehow gets resurrected too....).
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