Pepper Mostly

Mormons? Together forever Brenda and Travis? I think five years. Brenda will stay in school, work part time and do all housework and cooking. She'll graduate, get a great job at a non profit, work long hours. Travis stick out his bottom lip about being neglected and will cheat on her with a waitress from Applebee's, and get her pregnant. Emma and Joey? Three years tops. Emma reminds me of Teen Mom 2's Kail. She won't stop nagging Joey about getting a better job, buying a house, and dressing nicer. She will dump him for a young bank teller or car salesman or insurance claims rep. Joey will barely notice and eventually move in with a hairdresser who does roller derby in her spare time.

oh god, right? then he'll tell the little woman to go make him a sandwich.

Facepalm. God, they're all alike in their skeezy-ness I guess! I'm an idiot.

That is exactly what I think! No monitor, no nanny? No security system at the house? I'm suspending my disbelief hard core. That baby is Cynthia's meal ticket. No way he's not carefully watched!

Sigh. I know and I agree. I'm clutching at straws. I do not want Rachel to have any kind of personal relationship with Geraldo Lite. As you point out, she's smarter than that. That's why I'm feebly hoping she's stringing him along. Anything other than making herself vulnerable to a man who has power over her.

Gary hates Quinn, they established that last season. And these guys all seem to dig a big, splashy public humiliation. All this chest thumping to show who's boss. He snapped Quinn back and hard, and he did it in person in front of the whole crew so she'd have less room to maneuver. No wonder he and Chet are buddies. They both don't like women much. My tivo cut out at 1 hour 2 minutes--how much did I miss? Apparently Chet kidnapped his baby, and Rachel and Coleman sucked face? PLEASE tell me Rachel is still "producing" Coleman. If she falls for his line I will be bitterly disappointed.

hahahahaha, remember when Sandra Lee showed us a new use for our melon ballers? Like I was lying awake at night, thinking of ways to get more bang for my melon baller buck.

Poor Chet, that dog is the only creature on earth who truly loves him. He threw Quinn away, he's lost his wife and baby, all he has is his doggie. I loved "he isn't black, he's a quarterback". "oh, but he's different". Sure. A star quarterback, a singer, an actor, they're all right. Just as long as they don't move in next door, anyway. They can be thought of as people, not some nameless, faceless army of thugs to be hated and feared. I agree, Coleman has paid his dues in the trenches, now he wants that golden ticket. I'm old enough to remember when Geraldo Rivera was a crusading young journalist, with real chops and real cred, before he became a joke. Coleman reminds me of him. Jay's already made his choice. He might have thought he genuinely cared about Ruby. But old habits die hard. He's ambitious and wants his place in the sun, just like everyone does. He's watched Rachel, Wagerstein, even Madison advance while he's stalled. He's quite able to be ruthless (remember his scenes with Shia last season, when she was effectively put in The Hole? He was cold as ice. Brrrr.) I think he's remembering Rachel's glory moment with Faith last season and thinking that Ruby could be his Faith, he can do something good in this hell broth of a show.

Right? And he seems to love his job! You just know Emma's going to start in on his lack of ambition and needle him to get a better job. She is going to make his life a misery. He's not what I'd like to find under my Christmas tree but I do appreciate his easygoing attitude and big-old-lab-puppy goofiness. He seems good humored. So he's a total slob and he's unambitious and laid back. There's worse things to be.

So George is wasting no time in talking down to his wife, huh? "you girls with your soft, girly brains, such drama, you're so silly! why, we men are so logical and clear in our thinking! You are just adorable balls of fluff!" Travis and Brenda, oy. Neither one is especially articulate. I love Brenda, though. I love how enthusiastic she is and how happy. Joey absolutely amuses me. He's just such a guy. He works at the feed and grain store and he loves it. He lives his slovenly guy life and he is perfectly content. I've known dozens of guys like him. Emma could back off a little. Where's the fire? Take a little time and settle down first.

Right? Chet is living in some sort of fever dream. On the one hand he's all Iron John, MRA manspreader, but he's fighting to produce a dating show, which will never appeal the the testosterone crowd he so desperately wants! Why not go produce an MMA show, or one of those things like you see on Spike, about tattoo artists or blacksmiths? Why does he want to do this? As RCharter points out, men won't watch, no matter how many bikini clad torsos he shows, no matter how many pro sports ball players (and their entourages) he gets, because men don't watch this stuff. Which makes me think Chet is the same as he ever was--lazy, slovenly and self centered. He wants the show because Quinn wants it. He doesn't really have any original ideas, and his whole manly man schtick is going to wear thin real fast. I think he'll go back to hanging with the crew, getting high, telling stories, and cashing his checks. I don't see a real change in him.

I have to believe the confusion and messiness was intentional. As if we're seeing it from Rachel's perspective--everything is out of control. She can't keep a handle on anything. I was on the edge of my seat, for real. I get up criminally early and watch something I've tivo'ed from the night before while I drink my coffee, and I didn't even settle back on my couch for the first 20 minutes. So while I was intellectually saying "there's too much happening, its a mess, they're trying to squeeze too much story into this" I hung on every word. Rachel's losing her mojo. Madison is begging to pick up a few crumbs of Rachel's genius but Rachel has no confidence. Quinn's trying the old Quinn tough love but Rachel's not feeling it. That scene with the boss, wow. You could smell her desperation. She sees it all slipping away. Come on Rachel! God, she's amazing, isn't she? All the regulars are great, but I don't feel that the acting is as good as last season among the women. Shamiqua, Faith and Anna were more compelling at this point than Confederate Flag Girl, Football Princess or Debutante are. Ruby interests me, though. I loved that tiny scene with Quinn and the editor, where she's showing him how to cut the scene to tell the story they want. You really get a glimpse of Quinn's ability and skill there. I enjoyed the reminder that Quinn is great at her work.

Right? Remember Brittany last season? They were trying to get her reaction after being the first one cut (to everyone's shock), hoping for fireworks. She pasted a sweet smile on her face and said "he's just such a great guy! I'm so glad I got the chance to be here!" and said to Rachel through gritted teeth "and i will keep saying that on continuous loop until you let me leave". But Rachel found a way to get the reaction she wanted. Brittany absolutely knew the score and thought she could beat them at their own game. I don't think Ruby is a cynical as Brittany, but she might think she's smarter than the production team and underestimate them. Ruby will be the lightning rod this season, I think. She'll challenge Darius and will not endear herself to the producers.

He is being devoured by the need to give Rachel her comeuppance and assert his power over her. So he sticks around pointing his camera at anything he thinks he can use in his quest to punish her. His need to crush Rachel for good and all will have to take over, causing him to make terrible decisions and eventually blow up in his face, causing his utter humiliation. That's my theory for now anyway. He's not good at intrigue, though! He is so transparently gunning for her it will certainly be easy for Rachel to cut him off at the knees.

I love backstory, but I don't mind filling in my own version of Quinn and Rachel's here. We know Rachel has a screwed up family, she went to Vassar (clear across the country, to escape them, no doubt), has probably had very angsty, troubled relationships with boyfriends, was probably guilted into coming back to CA by her mother, took a job in TV thinking she'd be able to write her novel at night and do volunteer work in her spare time. But she discovered not only a super human ability to zero in like a laser on people's strengths and weaknesses to influence their behavior, and a mentor in Quinn. She's been insecure and troubled most of her life, and now has found her genius. Trouble is, she can't reconcile the fact that she is great at what she does with hating herself for what she does. Quinn does not have this problem, she is intoxicated by her power over people, and doesn't fret about the collateral damage. She's amoral but not unfeeling. I believe she and Chet truly loved each other in their weird way. Quinn I see as a scrappy kid from a lower middle class background, I think her real first name is Debbie or Janice or something, and reinvented herself as "Quinn" to sound professional, polished, and strong. She worked her way through college at a restaurant or hotel where Hollywood heavyweights hung out because she wanted in to that world. She's worked her butt off for everything she has and does not understand anyone who is not as driven as she is. I would like to see a really good writer attempt a book version of the Rachel/Quinn backstory though!

All excellent points! Jay has been shown to be very, very savvy, not just in terms of how the game is played for ambitious young producers who are interested in advancing, (he has show ideas himself, clearly he wants to be in Quinn's and now Rachel's position himself one day); but in terms of the human dynamics involved. Remember his scenes with Shia last season, after Mary's death? He was charged by Quinn to virtually hold her prisoner in a hotel till things settled down. He smiled and was calm, but my blood ran cold when Shia, overwrought and on the verge of losing it, tries to share her feelings with him and he shuts her down. Not unkindly, but firmly. And he says later that he doesn't want the responsibility of keeping her secrets. "you and I, we're still good". I enjoy seeing characters change and grow, so I wonder if this is a bump in the road or the beginning of a new direction for Jay. I also agree that it will be very interesting to see how Jay handles the racially charged atmosphere this season. He's been able to hold himself aloof from the casual racism he's encountered, or even laugh at it. I don't think those coping strategies will work for him now.

Yeah, I agree with this. Jeremy, of course, read Madison all wrong. I think he was hoping to use her to get to Rachel; he could pour poison in her ears, feed her little bits of dirt, get her on his side. Maybe he'd seduce her--Jeremy likes to dip the old wick as much as Chet does. But Madison is not dumb. I think Jay is acting like an insufferable college sophomore--he's had his consciousness raised some, maybe he responds to the Black Lives Matter movement in a way he didn't expect, who knows? And props to him for that. It speaks well of him that maybe he's finding a principle somewhere. But he's like a 19 year old, rolling his eyes and blowing his hair off his forehead and muttering "Jesus, you're so LAME" under his breath at his parents when he comes home for Thanksgiving break.

I am fervently hoping that the over the top opener was a kind of meta, sly wink to the viewers--a show within a show. Everlasting has to top last season! UnREAL has to top last season! Chet and Jeremy are both absolutely furious that Quinn and Rachel have not been punished. Jeremy thought he had put Rachel in her place with his non-proposal in front of the crew and cast, but lo and behold! She's back, she's the show runner, and she just fired one of his team. Chet is still remembering that Quinn embarrassed him when everything went to pieces in the big wedding finale and handed him the reins. They will band together in all their male fragility and try to make the girls cry. I have a feeling that will not go well.

Chet always hung out with the crew. You just know that he's going to exploit Jeremy's rage for his own ends. And surprise, Jeremy is no better than any of these other ethically bankrupt souls, for all he climbs down off his cross every now and then to frolic in the mud with the rest of them. I hope his ex girlfriend from last season is thanking all the gods each and every day for escaping from him. A little heavy on exposition but that's to be expected. I am giddy with joy that UnREAL is back! That's the funny part! Jay, Wagerstein and Madison are every bit as bad as Quinn and Rachel! They're just not as good at it as they are. Madison gets that, and while she's unsure of herself, she's not judgy. She wants in. Ever since she "entertained" Chet last season I knew she was no delicate flower. She's ambitious, and she hangs in there, even though she's terrified sometimes. I love her. Jay and Wagerstein are on their high horses for no good reason, they're just there because it helps them deal better with their own dirty hands. Just last season Jay was encouraging Shamiqua (who went to Julliard and clerked for a supreme court justice!) to act like Omarosa or Nene Leakes! He got Chet drugs and hookers so that he could have access to his ear to pitch his own ideas! Now he's Mr. Principled? Wagerstein used Madison to advance her own ambition. They're hypocrites of the first water, what's more, they know it. That's why they're biting back so hard. That amuses me. Rachel firing Jeremy's guy was gold, I loved it. Every soul shaking, heart breaking and emotionally crushing moment last season was followed by a swift blinking away of tears and a terse "So. Are we good?" and moving on to the matter at hand. To me that's the whole thing. Its all sacrificed on the altar of the show. Personal relationships are nothing to getting the job done. Rachel remembers because I don't think she forgets much. She remembers everything and uses it. But she is ambitious and wants success. Quinn's her road there. Adam bought what Quinn was selling, too. So she can hang on to that and think she dodged a bullet. I cosign every word of this. Chet's new persona made me laugh, for real. In the 90's he'd have read Iron John and gone to drum circles. What a dope. But a dope with power. And holy moly, does anyone else think he leaves Darius in the shade? My my (fanning self)

I cosign every word on Chet. I loved his character! Sure he was a lazy slovenly spoiled man child, but you could see glimpses of the younger, hungrier, more ambitious young go getter he must have been once. And I agree that he truly loved Quinn, as much as he could love anyone. Its a tribute to the actor that Chet was, if not lovable or even likeable, human and flawed and sometimes, not unsympathetic. The scenes with his dog were so real. And every now and then you could see this look on his face, like "how did we get here? how has it come to this?" I think he's just great and I'm looking forward to seeing him again this season. I'm hoping for some attention on Madison, I'm betting she will be an interesting little girl. She's not as naive as she appears but she is green. She wants to be part of this world and she knows its sleazy. But I think the acting across the board is stellar. Shiri Appleby is just amazing, so subtle she can convey universes with a flick of her eyelid. I watched the whole first season again this weekend, I cannot WAIT till tonight!

Damiano is way overrated and his accent isn't cute, merely unintelligible. I don't get this presentation of him as a hunky heartthrob. Plus he seems to be a bit of a diva. Who makes gnocchi on a camping trip? He's way too sloppy for me. He looks grubby. I do not want to watch a grubby guy prepare food. I could go to my corner sub shop for that. I think Monterey is the holder of the "dark horse" "showed the most growth" edit. I'm kind of warming to Joy. I thought she and Jennard were cute together.

Dear little baby Jesus this is going to be a trainwreck of the first water. Brenda is adorable and I love her. Travis looks grubby, like he doesn't see why you have to shower absolutely EVERY day. I see her as a go getter with ambition and energy, and him? Not so much. Emma and Joey, oy. What on earth do they talk about? they both seem kind of dim. The Mormons, eh. Marrying young is supported by their church, and the whole community will greet Halie with open arms, her transition shouldn't be too terrible.

Oh, no question she loves the "drama" (really? this is drama? What a sad, drab wretched life this woman must lead!) with Melba. When she was nattering on about getting her "revenge" I damn near dropped my teeth. Honey, you are not Lady Macbeth. Chill.

Taylor's mother is loving every second of being on teevee, isn't she? She thinks she is so adorably sassy!

Vicky and Ben are doomed. He is self involved and controlling and Vicky seems to derive no joy at all from her choice to embrace Orthodox Judaism--she looks like a hostage. Her poor mother, she wants to be supportive but she wants to protect her daughter from the heartache that will inevitably follow this clusterfuck. And really Ben? You have no idea what kind of business you'd like to have? No ideas about your future? Gah. I can not with these people. Melba and Taylor--another episode of Tacky Theater. Who can behave worse? Mouthy, trashy Taylor? Or affected, simpering Melba? And a side note, what was happening with the dining table at Melba's house? It practically came up to their chins! I was so distracted by it I could barely concentrate on their conversation. I had to fast forward through Mayur and Meneka's segments. It seems to me that they are both acting (badly). Mayur has the douche bro turned up to 11 and Meneka is really overdoing it with the "fragile flower" schtick. The first dance kerfuffle was ridiculous. They are supremely boring even with the manufactured drama, which is of course the greatest unforgivable sin of reality TV!