Ottis

Actually, that is when Lizzy is most tolerable on this show. She isn't good at her job, and whenever the show focuses on her personal issues - her daddy search/her baby/her marriage - it drags and she makes decisions based on her own needs, not those of the team, the country or the mission. So Lizzy's best possible role is as a sidekick to someone, and in this case, I thoroughly enjoyed her tagging along with Red, being surprised by his schemes and showing a bit of a fun side in enjoying it all. They did throw in a line about how she didn't have jurisdiction, which while weak at least tried to address her gleeful participation. That was enough for me on a TV show. As for the implausibility of the bad guy's staff, or the FBI's looking the other way, meh. It's an escapist show with lots of fanciful aspects. I just want to enjoy the ride, this one was enjoyable.

I agree with all of your post except my point is Robin's "jerkish" reaction would have been understandable given the context of a weekend away, and the way Sam communicated her preference. Also, I actually am not totally sure that Robin really believes what he said at dinner. That may simply have been an attempt to save the weekend, which they are already on and presumably he paid for. Driving off in a huff, leaving Sam, would have been more than jerkish. That said, if he never calls Sam again upon returning from the trip, it wouldn't surprise me. From what we have seen, Robin is getting to know a single woman with three kids who says she loves murder shows, dreams of getting murdered as a release and doesn't communicate what she wants until it is awkward. Speaking as someone who once called 911 on a girlfriend determined to hurt herself, and who hid the knives at night, I don't think Sam is especially appealing so far.

I did one, too, and I admit that finding out if I was part anything special for victim status was part of my motivation. Sadly, I appear to be 100 percent Western European white boy. Well, sad except for my lifelong privilege. Sorry about that.

That's a good point. I don't have a clear sense of how time passes on the show. I had assumed they went out a few times, and that's why he asked her about a weekend. But that's my interpretation. Agree, and I never suggested she had to. My point was that when two people who clearly have a dating-type relationship (given scenes shown with them, even if there were few dates) "go away for the weekend," the vast majority of the time both people will assume that it will involve one room. It may not mean sex, or even sleeping in the same bed. But for costs and logistics reasons alone, most people would presume that being together (regardless of activity) is the point of the trip, vs. at 10 p.m. everyone goes to their own rooms. And less cost is likely preferred - who wants to pay more?

Dammit, Sam. You're becoming the kind of person I can't stand. You agree to a weekend trip with a guy, which he planned and which he clearly, while respecting it was a tough decision for you, also is almost certain to assume that your going means your relationship is headed to the next level. But you go *knowing* that wanting separate rooms is going to at the very least confuse the guy and more likely upset him, and *you don't bother making that clear before you go.* What's worse, when you tell him and he reacts exactly the way anyone would expect, you respond as if it's his problem. It isn't. He's allowed to be confused by your mixed signals. As for his need to surprise her, guys (and I assume, some women) do it all the time, and the ones who do it well plan it with aspects of their date's preferences/likes in mind. Which he seemed like he would do, based on what little we know of him. Though he doesn't seem to know her that well, honestly. I get that Sam is unapologetically her own person, tired of putting up any kind of front for the world, and I respect that. But there is a bare minimum of respect you also need to give others when you know that your preferences won't align with those of people who like you. If you can tell the other dude in a parking lot that you hated sleeping with him, you can tell this dude, "Hey, I'd love to go, but please I'll get a separate room, because .... etc." Seriously? A guy dating a woman asks her to go away for the weekend, and there is much back and forth about whether to go by the woman, and she decides yes, she wants to go. In what universe would any guy think of getting two rooms? Did Sam ever say it was to be platonic? Are they coworkers? What signal existed that indicated that the woman he is dating, who carefully considered whether to go and then said yes, would need a separate room? Yes, he could have asked while he was making his plans, as weird as that would be because no one expects this. But then so could Sam have made it clear that was what she wanted. She has no trouble shouting at other men in parking lots that she didn't like sleeping with them. She isn't shy. She is at minimum as much at fault as he is, for the misunderstanding. And this ignores the solution of them sharing a room but one sleeping on a couch or hotel cot, as a compromise.

I was waiting for the classic "A-Team" shot, where people are shown crawling out of the flipped cars afterward. Didn't see it. Me, neither. Another "red" herring we have to wait to play out. It gets tiresome at times. End this plot point, move on. Maybe worse, if there was actual footage of what happened, her death was an accident. I'm actually interested in this plot for the season, and the more they can show this - and showcase the skills that made Red what he was before he lost so much - the better. This is far more interesting than who is Liz's dad. There were a few eps mid last season where Liz was shown to be competent. Aside form those, she has never been good at her job, despite the throw away words about her being so, AND every plot involving her (who is my dad? where is my baby? what do I do about Tom?) are the worst things about Blacklist. Her acting aside, they just are uninteresting and make her seem selfish and blinded by her own needs. They drag the show down. I've given up that they'll get rid of the character, and will settle for her being an accessory that is carried along but doesn't drive any events. She should be Aram, basically, but in the field.

Liz does OK when she isn't driving anything in the plot. Going along for the ride with Red works. The dad stuff and suitcase, meh. The guest star black lister was very good. Relatable and clever. I don't usually pay much attention to these things, but Spader should at least try to get into better shape while he plays a character on the run. I thought he was going to start wheezing at one point.

Between the meh skits and the over-the-top smoking, I skipped through a lot of this ep. Can't anyone figure out something to do with their hands besides smoke? It's disgusting. Did enjoy the "woke" jeans as an example of people going too far. Trump skits aren't funny anymore, because you can't make him look less qualified and presidential than he does himself. Better to focus on his supporting cast at this point, I think. There are a lot of people in Houston and Florida who aren't white, Michael Che. Most of the ones I saw on the news were not white. Try again.

This is what I've been posting all season. This episode I fast forwarded through most of... it was contrived, created by the fact that Jimmy should kick Gretchen out and doesn't. She's horrible, and there is no excuse for her behavior. She isn't "the worst," she's a childish, selfish loser who needs to move on. With every episode this season she makes it clear that Jimmy's reaction to her acceptance of his proposal was pure self defense. Run, Jimmy, run. Like I'm about to from this show. Hello, Better Things.

What is happening to Gamby? Not only is he helping a kid he once framed (the kid *was* dealing drugs, but still), he also is not on board with Russell's firing of the teachers (and the way Lee did it). Gamby was very reluctant there. I can't believe Russell doesn't see it and call him out on it. Two reasons. One was the dialogue on whether it was fresh or left over, which wasn't convincing IMO that it was fresh. The other is that sushi is a poor choice to bring into a school cafeteria. It smells and is out of it's normal setting, and some people don't like fish. I wouldn't have wanted it, either. Grill some steaks or something. Whose shoe was that that the new principal found in the woods - Belinda's? Or was that a clue for the shooter?

Yep. Why would any of Spencer's clients/former clients go with Spencer now? He left them to pursue a dream/higher status. And when he had them, he wasn't exactly going gangbusters. And that's the base from which ASM is going to expand? This could have been so much better with just some small tweaks. Spencer could have met car driver guy in Oakland about 5-6 episodes ago. Car driver guy could have planted the seed of an idea. Spencer could have worked the idea, gradually bringing Joe and the brothers in. Meanwhile, Spencer could have solved a few issues for clients based on his touch with "average people" and real lives vs. rich lives. Players could have seen Spencer's heart and motivation for the community, and themselves, and gotten behind Spencer. When it all fell through, the players would choose Spencer because, in the end, he appreciated loyal communities and regular people - which is where most new players come from. And Candace and her views would have made sense in the context of her choosing to go with the rich people, while Spencer "kept it real." Shoot, Charles could have played a small role in Spencer understanding real people and real lives, as part of Charles' rise. So could have Ricky choosing being a dad vs. football and money. Instead, it was a bunch of disjointed stories and incomplete motivations, that ended in a disappointing finale.

All of which was part of a plot device. That is, the writers chose for Foster's mom to have two kids, and chose to make them twins, and therefore we got the twin sister. I actually groaned when she first appeared on screen. It was like an SNL skit. Of all the possibilities ... an alien sibling, a brother who was a Homeland Security agent, someone who looked inexplicably and completely different, someone who looked like Ozzie who was played by Wyatt Synac, a twin was the worst choice, IMO. Bring back Ozzie!

They *almost* made Spencer into someone likeable... the stuff with the driver and the people of Oakland came late, very, very late, but was worthwhile. And then it was thrown out the window immediately. Meanwhile, Candace really hates Spencer, and makes another crack about how he doesn't belong. I don't know why. So the Andersons don't do a stadium deal, and instead bankroll ASM? While Spencer has been ignoring his remaining clients? How does this make business sense for the rich brother? Charles' ending was cliched and not even done well. And Ricky is gone? This was a wasted season. People either have no morals, or their morals shift for more money. And almost no ones acts logically.

The good part was that the ep had a plot. Also, Don's skilz. The bad parts, oy. The twin sister was lame as a plot device and lame as a character. Where did Jeff and Curt get beamed... just some neighborhood? Why? Assume that because Agent Foster was born in the spaceship, she has galactic citizenship that will stymie Eric?

I liked it. Hinted at some depth and wider angles that Orville won't touch. I may have to try CBS access .. what else does it give you? Only negatives for me was the clunky dialogue when the XO was buzzing the Klingon ship, and the all caps subtitles. Really?

Even Cartman always has a specific motivation. He isn't an asshole to be an asshole. He wants something, or is annoyed at something, or has a problem with a race or whatever. I wonder if his comment at the end, about how anyone can view themselves as a victim in a relationship, is a clue. I don't watch every episode (I didn't even know he had a girlfriend), but his behavior was pretty consistent and specific to be "just an asshole."

This ep fell flat for me. It's hard to root for s character whose actions betray what she has stood for. It's not the unapologetic personality I don't like. It's that she was behaving in so many ways that I don't think she would actually like in others.

I liked the ep, but in both eps this season I haven't felt the tying together at all. I keep seeing several different potential messages that are never carried out to fruition. This episode included Trump stop tweeting, people either not caring enough or caring too much about what he tweets, suicide as an option by an increasingly self-absorbed society, a rather understanding and nice subtheme about a healthy relationship that also happened to be gay, something about how anyone in a relationship can see themselves as a victim (Cartman) and so you should distance yourself from that, and still some vague commentary about white people and privilege. Why is Cartman being such a douche to Heidi?

ITA. And as a result, she has actually helped make him a better person, IMO. That's what, ideally, past relationships do. But while he seems to be steadily realizing that there is more and better in life than what he permitted by closing himself off to others, a lesson he has largely learned due to what Gretchen (and to a lesser degree, others on the show) has shown him, she is constantly on a rampage to hurt him or herself. I think Jimmy has outgrown Gretchen. Of course, the show is about them, so he isn't leaving. But if they don't show Gretchen maturing at some point, this will quickly become tedious for more than just me. :-)

Jimmy should call the police, change his locks ... and then move. Gretchen can be as mad as she wants on her own. Jimmy can find someone else. He's off to a good start with his book.

Loved the first episode back. Laughed quite a bit... "Its the most confusing, annoying gang bang I have ever been in my life..." I also liked the 80s music cues.

Scab teams during the 1987 strike. I grew up in NoVa and was a young man then, and a huge NFL and Redskins fan. I remember that team well, and what those players did - especially beating Dallas when Dallas had so many regular players back and the Redskins had none. Loved how this ep framed the Cowboys' handling of the strike as divisive and selfish, while Gibbs and the Redskins were much smarter and more ethical. That for me sums up Redskins vs. Cowboys, at least until Snyder bought the Redskins. Not sure how I feel about no ring for the strike players. I agree they contributed to the season, but it was a full season (not a shortened strike season like in 1982), and the team still had to win all the other games and the playoffs and Super Bowl (my favorite SB ever, down 10-0 at the end of the first quarter, and then Doug Williams and Timmy Smith WENT OFF). It sounds like the strike players did get playoff money, which isn't chump change. I would totally hire Tony Robinson to paint my house if I lived there. And if I ever met any of those strike players, I would shake their hands and thank them for helping making my team champions.

This show is becoming less and less interesting: - Don't care about Agent Foster's adopted parents and her issues with finding out about her past. - Don't care about Richard being fired and fighting for his job. - Don't care about Jeff's conflicted love for Kurt, especially since Walsh saw the issue clearly: Tell Kurt, no blackmail. Not sure where this show is going. There is nothing at its center with Ozzie dead and no more to learn (apparently) about the aliens and what they are doing.

Wait - what is this? A glimmer of a plot that creates rooting interest from the viewers? Candace telling Spencer that all the smarter, more affluent, subtext: white people in the room will never let an ex-player subtext: minority from the streets who thinks he belongs actually belong? That's a motivation I can get behind and root for Spencer. Too bad it has been missing all season, and was barely mentioned last night. Because aside from that comment from Candace, the show has shown Spencer to be in over his head because he truly isn't very good at what he does. I suppose Candace's issue with Spencer is one she has with all men, particularly players, in general. Or she is really another version of Spencer, who also can't really belong, and this is projected self-hate? Am I going too deep for this show? The twists and turns for Charles would have been fascinating, except it skipped over the most important part; Why was Siefert fired? Yes, the coach was fired. And yes, Charles provided some insights to the owner. But what about any of that would cause the GM to be fired now, AFTER the organization hired a new coach? You would fire the coach and Siefert, and THEN let the new GM pick the new coach along with the owner/president. Did Csonka cause Siefert to be fired? If so, that makes Csonka's "Now it's time for me to take care of you" comment short-sighted, and it wasn't Charles alone who didn't understand the ramifications of losing his boss. It was all sloppier than it should have been, and took away from what should have been a nice twist and development for one of the few characters trying to better himself. Also, did Siefert say the team was just about to make the playoffs, and he is fired? If so, it apparently wasn't performance related. The Patriots guy actually leaving was funny but too much. No professional organization would do that. There would have been more, "Take care of yourself, let's see where we're at in a few weeks" and a polite departure.

I guess I don't get as upset (at TV shows, or IRL) at people acting badly when it is more a matter of who they actually are and which you need to accept at some point to be in their lives (Jimmy), vs. people who act badly in a calculated matter to punish others (Gretchen). That's a key difference for me. Totally get that, and I agree we need the drama for the show to exist. Within that context, I don't understand excusing and/or justifying Gretchen's behavior, as noted above in this post. YMMV of course.