Ottis

While it’s possible that some by-the-book fed would think to investigate a local hacker who reponded to a post of an illegally taken photo at a White House official’s house by an unstable CIA agent after an attempted coup against the president, I’m going to say that it’s far more likely that the hacker gets a medal and is hailed as a hero by an administration seeking public relations wins and validity.

Possibly, but consider: The guy knows Carrie has cameras in the chief of staff's house. All he has to do is say that to any number of CIA, FBI or White House staff, and I highly doubt the authorities will give a shit about what the hacker did to Carrie. Aside from that, Carrie is on thin ice with lots and lots of people in the CIA and elsewhere. The hacker may or may not realize it, but all he has to do is send an email to any number of people with his claim and Carrie is done and the hacker is likely free and clear. Carrie gave him that on a platter. Dumb, meds or no meds.

This ep is why I struggle so much with this show - Carrie did a whole bunch of stupid here. Let's leave aside putting cameras in the chief of staff's house. She posts a pic on 4Chan, openly. Think no one in power will see that and make figuring out who did it a priority? And she posted it from her own laptop, which ... smh. Then she opens a jpg, on a site where pics are normally posted and visible. IT security 101. THEN she reveals herself to the guy, no wigs (and she just had one last week, where did it go?) and because he miraculously lives near her, goes to see him where she beats him up, TELLS HIM she is CIA and let's him live. If he goes to authorities and says a crazy blonde woman claiming to be CIA beat him and took his laptop, how long do you think it would take for people to realize it is Carrie? And how will she come off in this, given her history? And how does she know he doesn't have her info in the cloud or elsewhere? For that matter, how does she know that, when he said, "It's done," he didn't mean he released her hard drive online, or take some other step in retribution? You can't be a great spy and do these things. It makes it feel like she stumbles onto truths more than finds them through any particular talent.

ThIs felt like a Grimm episode. It was ok, I guess? Didn’t care much about any of it. And GA has sounded like she has a frog in her throat all season. Good for Haley JO. Keep acting. I don’t understand how people just suddenly realize they can pull a tooth.

Yikes. The baby shows up? Ok, I’m out. Deleted the rest after episode 3 and stopped recording.

When they went to having the queen pregnant, I nearly dropped the show. Babies never end well on TV. The story about it so far is boring. Why do they believe a random lamp with a blue piece of glass is somehow a magical message board telling them where the holy grail is? After 3 eps, I’m only interested in Da Nogry and his machinations, but not terribly. And the king looks like the prince from Princess Bride.

Does the network have access to market research that indicates the opposite of what is plainly obvious? I really need to know why this show continues with the "who is Liz's family" plot. The only one who cares is Liz, and that's because the writers keep insisting she cares. It's not interesting, show. It's barely interesting that Liz wants to find who killed Tom, and he was on the show and a decent character. To make it worse,, the show has Lizzie informing the FBI that she is back - and that she is back because she needs *the FBI* to help *her* find Tom's killers. Lizzie is like the KellyAnn Conway of law enforcement. It's always about what Lizzie needs, even when she makes no sense. I do not understand this show's refusal to shift focus away from Lizzie and move to interesting, and topical, blacklisters. Say something about the world and make the plot interesting, show. Lizzie is good in small doses. Move her issue to a C or D plot.

This was pretty bad. No emotional impact with William. Don’t know the kid. Scully’s emotion was wasted on me. William basically came out of nowhere. No interest in the two girls. Mild interest in Skinner’s explanation. But then back to William. Don’t understand why he can create an alternate reality only sometimes. I’m not sure why people think William was a dick?

The scene with Dr. They was the only part that connected the dots. Everything else was fan wanking. I kept wondering what the point was until that scene. While I enjoyed it as an old school X-Files fan, it would have been better if they had left it more in doubt at the end as to whether powerful people were literally trying to erase parts of the past. The figurative warning was fine. It just didn’t mean as much when we found out Reggie was nuts.

They aren't together, are they? Admittedly I don't pay much attention to the relationship stuff, but didn't we learn last year in the reboot that M&S had gotten together, had a kid (sort of) and then split up? To me, them knocking boots this episode was just ex's turning to something comfortable. Nothing wrong with that, given they didn't remarry anyone else. I also didn't realize the same actress played Chuckie and Judy. I just realized that Chuckie was a weird male and couldn't figure out why. That's why. I probably should never go to Bangkok.

Nah, you’re not. It was another too-long skit that was entirely dependent on the one-note character she was playing. When that one note is annoying, the skit is annoying. Teen girls are annoying, ipso facto.... I contrast that with Cecily’s “Girl at a party you wish you never started a conversation with” because the mangled stuff she says is just flat out goofy and often funny, and she delivers it with such assurance.

There were several skits that took annoying things and then tried to make them more annoying. Reality shows (twice!), old people who can’t get their line right, and southern rock (wait, that was a real musical act?). Haven’t they already done the “don’t you miss me now?” George W. Bush skit? I did enjoy the Southwest skit and its comment in religion, and the dinner where they showed how ridiculous discussion around me,too has become. I also liked the set up of Clown Penis but it didn’t go anywhere ... Clown Penis was also a bad pilot? Should have had him sell the hell out out of the call sign while being competent. The one-liner about Pats and Eagles fans was perfect. So-so ep.

Actually, er, those have come in handy a couple of times, in my travels. ITA. I've never owned a robe. Only our kids have had them. And my elderly MIL.

If you want to be serious about it, that’s the obvious choice. Which was was apparent a season or two ago. And if that’s it, who cares? Liz apparently doesn’t remember her dad enough to know the difference between him and Red. And she does know Red enough to know he has been protecting her and cares about her. If she finds out he killed her dad, she can have a fit and be mad at Red again I guess. It would matter to exactly one person... Liz.

What props Liz up is whatever Liz wants at the moment. Sometimes it's revenge, sometimes it's being left alone, sometimes she hates Red, sometimes she thinks of him fondly (and lately she joins him in illegal escapades). The only consistent factor is that whatever props up Liz is about Liz - and that's the least interesting part of this show. ITA. And I don't know why Red feels he has to be so opaque about it. Lizzie is a big girl. What could he be hiding? Liz's dad killed her mom? Sort of covered that. Liz's dad is an outlaw/traitor/criminal? Liz doesn't seem bothered by that. Liz's dad killed Lincoln? Liz's dad is part of an alien invasion? Liz's dad is Larry Nassar? If it left Blacklist as the Red and Dembe show, it would be much improved.

If Agnes and her dog doesn't matter, why should this? That's half in jest, but truly, what matters on this show to the characters is what the writers decide matters. They could easily decide that Liz has had enough of this silliness (or, if you're more serious, death and killing) and moves on.

Agree. Some people just aren't funny, and she appears to be that. Sometimes when you are serious you can play a dry silly/farcical, like John Cleese or John Malkovich, and it works. That's what the skit at the end, with the actors being told to act ridiculous, felt like. Even in that, though, Chastain seemed really out of place. The Mueller skit was frustrating. I actually thought Kate had forgotten her lines a couple of times, because the whole gist was that something good was coming but Mueller couldn't say what, so it was just a lot of smiling and smirking and eye rolling. It wasn't funny after the first 2-3 times, and needed more.

It’s ridiculous that Liz could fool Red. Is this some kind of Flowers for Algernon thing?

Does it matter if Red is Red, Tom is Tom or anyone is anyone on this show? They could all be Kardashians, and what changes? We are who the world perceives us to be.

That was completely uninteresting. It was kind of like an adult version of Home Alone. With an Incredible Hulk ending. At least I had plenty of time to try to remember where the show last ended. It’s too late for Lizzie to be competent. When she is, it’s so surprising. Takes me right out of the show. They could shoot Lizzie and move on and that would be fine.

I have a friend who painted their kids' nursery red. The younger one has rage issues at 11.

I was really interested in reaction to this one. The "Me, Too" skit, the ATM skit and the Drunk Boyfriend took contradictory positions on knee-jerk issues. I was sure some people would be offended, and looks like that's true. I actually liked the fact that the "Me, Too" skit showed how silly it can get. Cold Open: What is the fascination with Morning Joe the show, and Morning Joe the guy and his relationship with his cohost (I know they are dating)? The set up is annoying, and takes away from the actual skit. I thought Murray looked kind of lost. He did deliver a couple of lines well. Monologue: Sam tried hard. It felt like he was embarrassed, though. Maybe he's uncomfortable in the limelight, and that's why he is so good as a character actor. The Science Room with Mr. Science: A cliched concept, but still some good laughs. In the MTZ we didn't hear the F bomb. Lil Pump: I had to look up Stanley Tucci to see if he had died. It was nice and all, but why? Red Carpet Rundown: One of my favorites. Poked fun at the silliness of trying so hard to keep up with what the "woke" crowd condemns and supports, and how will-nilly it all has become. My Drunk Boyfriend: I like bourbon, but I've never seen people like this (male of female, robots and humans). They really exist? WU: Enh. Captain Hook: Yep, through the ultra-sensitive lenses of today, even classic children's tales look sketchy. That's the world we've created. ATM: Heyyyyy, wait a minute. So there *are* black guys who scare you, and some will rob you? So maybe it's OK to be nervous in some situations? Because it's about behavior, and not color? Stop talking sense, SNL! Boyfriend: Oddly short. At first I thought the wife and husband were partners in watching gay porn. Aidy just kept smiling and nodding. The husband's abrupt "My marriage is over" caught me off guard. This either needed a longer set up to the realization as a close, or a less open acknowledgement of where the husband saw the actor before. Genetics: Aw, great dog. And oddly, the same sketch essentially as the boyfriend ... once the context was clear, the marriage/funding is over. Chantix: I actually don't recall this one. Second that. Great movie. You should watch some old Gong Show's on You Tube, first.

I agree with this. It got too complicated and double-secret at the end. And I struggled with some things before that: - Audrey is too smart to have been conned that way by Lance. - Pete should have noticed the car following him at the end. Even we noticed, a couple of times. - Why did Carly suddenly lose her desire to expose Pete? She actually believed his too-late explanation of his 11th birthday, after he botched it earlier? Even with a NYPD detective telling her that isn't Pete? I didn't see anything that would sway her to either believe he is Pete, or decide he isn't and he was kind of cool so never mind. - Winslow's death was too convenient. - The Native American bad guy was awfully unforgiving about not getting his bail money back, and far more forgiving toward whoever arrested him and charged him. Seems like he would be psycho about both. - And Lance was both scamming his ex's mother AND wanting to get back together with his ex? That seems doomed to failure. - I especially struggled with Karolina. So she was trying to scam Vince several years ago, it didn't work and he somehow ... *kept* her? For years? And yet she was ready and willing to do the long con? How could she do that for years? And Vince, of all people, not realize she was faking? And if she wasn't faking, was that ever made clear? - Also, I thought Cranston was over the top. And not in a good way. The cartoonishness took away from the menace. I think it was the accent that was the worst part of t. Like doing a James Cagney impression. And the ending with the FBI ... OK, whatever. Overall I enjoyed a lot of this show. But the pieces never fit together smoothly for me, especially in a show where ideally we should be wowed by its interconnected intricacies.

Thank you for this response! This is what I thought the show was trying to say, and it just made me ask more questions so I wasn't sure I understood it correctly. So if this is the explanation: Why have drug gangs take out Frank's family vs. only Frank? Seems like they are expecting a lot from drug gangs. Was it personal somehow? Because that's a convoluted solution to a simple problem, which they seemed to have addressed more intelligently with Gunner sand how they went after him. If they were cleaning up the mess, why was Curtis, arguably the easiest target, still alive? Gunner was, too, until Frank went there (don't know if Frank led them there, or they were headed there anyway). Why did Frank believe others who made the decision to kill his family were alive? As Punisher starts, someone says they are dead. And as far as Frank knows, they are. At what moment did he become aware that there were others tied to his family's death? He asks Russo about it, but that is far into the season. Also, all the family flashbacks, showing his wife killed in their bedroom ... was that how they were actually killed? It seemed like the carousel had a tie to their deaths, but not sure what it was. Were the flashbacks artistic license, and their deaths happened at the carousel? FWIW, they made Frank too unhinged and emotional, and not enough angry and vengeful. His actions were mostly reactive. He was more like The Pinball than The Punisher. I think if they had addressed some of this better, I could have really gotten into the series!

I'm out. I tried to stay with this show, but CW emphasizes soap opera relationships over interesting plots and story. Dropped Supergirl a month ago, but have watched Flash since it started. until now. Best to all.