JenE4

She might have agreed to participate in experiments without knowing they were going to fake her death and hold her for years.

I forgot to click the + while reading, but in response to whether Gemma was kidnapped by Lumen… I think she willingly signed up for it. She was obviously targeted by Lumen because of her tragic loss of at least one pregnancy and/or failed IVF (“third time’s a charm”). Lumen sent her the little puzzles in the mail that she thought were fun, testing whether she would be a good candidate for the experiment. Seems to me they convinced her what if we could take away the pain you feel over not being able to have a child by doing these fun little puzzles? Before trying to escape, she asked the doctor, “And then I’ll see Mark?” Granted, it seems like they perhaps kept her prisoner afterwards but she also didn’t seem too distraught and was compliant up until that point (“How many rooms today?”). She might have been saying goodbye to Mark for a little bit, not necessarily knowing this experiment would take 5 years! Though, it’s obviously a success by any measure, and the doctor is just holding onto her as long as he can because he’s fallen in love with her, putting himself in the role of the husband in the dystopian Christmas scene. Interesting that Gemma has several innies. Cold Harbor is a new door to her, and yet it’s the file that Mark has been working on. It’s the project that all on the Severed floor are watching. They brought back Mark’s coworkers so Mark would finish Cold Harbor. And it also seems to be the final experiment for Gemma that once she enters the Cold Harbor room and completes her cycle there, the doctor will have to let her go. Since the Cold Harbor room is almost ready AND Mark is 96% done with the Cold Harbor file, it seems pretty likely that refining the data is creating these experiential rooms. Gemma has made it through nonstop dental work, thank you notes from hell, and even a plane crash without remembering. What’s the absolute worst thing she could experience? Losing another child. Who’s the one person who knows exactly what Gemma’s emotions would be in that moment? Mark. I think Mark is basically reconstructing the experience of Gemma losing their child. They’ll put her through it, and if that doesn’t spark a memory or reintegration within the innie, well, then that’s some damn good quality control and there’s nothing that’s going to break it out in the real world.

Granted, I kept dozing off, so I know I missed parts of the show. But I wonder whether Shauna goaded the group into voting guilty because Misty had a pretty compelling reason why she might be guilty. Better to get them all decided on Coach’s guilt before they start thinking too much about how Shauna was the one who detected the fire and woke them all up and played the hero. Now, I tend to think that Coach Ben was guilty because they had a scene of him standing on the porch next to the door holding an axe staring at the cabin, right before the next scene of the fire. Yet, Shauna’s actions could be read as someone trying to cast blame to save themselves. Or…she just realized they would be voting all night unless someone tried to sway people into changing their votes. Yet, it was odd that the votes were in reaction to her, rather than evaluating the evidence. But maybe this is just another ploy to be the leader if she can get 2/3 of the girls to follow her directives. Since I dozed off, did we see Van and Tai kill that man, or are we to assume they followed him to his apartment *bad things happened* and then they had a celebratory pretzel and carriage ride? I think it’s bonkers that the adults are suddenly killing for The Wilderness. But I think this is more evidence that it’s psychological—or really, religious—not mystical. We’re watching a religion being created in real time. It’s no different from early peoples fighting against the elements and sacrificing to their gods for rains to come. To support their superstition/religion, they’re reading meaning into everything—even today. I liked how they even showed Shauna’s husband on a smaller scale buying into the karma—do good things for good things to happen vs the girls killing to stay alive. It was a nice parallel to show how it’s not necessarily an uncommon way of thinking and it typically has the best of intentions—but it can go waaaaay off the rails once you start hunting down humans to take a life to keep your life. Meanwhile Shauna is taking a shortcut swapping out a cat. I think that’s similar to Ben—doesn’t really matter whether it’s the same cat or Ben actually started the fire, as long as we have a stand-in to take on the karma, whether it’s meant for them or not. This was different from Van and Tai making sure they followed the card; It decides, not them. ETA: I think we’re never going to get a clear answer on “the spiritual mysteries” in terms of science vs supernatural because it’s really about religion. So there’s always going to be that speculation of blind faith vs lack of proof. There might be a scientific explanation such as the gasses but also the other side of the coin with the shared vision. Are you a true believer like Lottie or a skeptic? These girls are just clinging to whatever they can to survive. It’s interesting that they all moved away from these beliefs once they returned home, but suddenly they’re going back to the rituals—the Wilderness, their god, has followed them back home. Now, for an atheist/agnostic like me, I view this as all in their heads, a religion and set of rituals of their own making, born out of a way to survive. But for someone who is religious in their own life, I’m curious whether this is more proof of the mystical because if your god is everywhere, of course their god is. Or, am I the only one viewing it this way?

The police actually call themselves “the jump out boys”?!? I thought Lisa just got that from “the streets.”

Yes, Stan did have a cat. His toupee also looked like a dead cat on his head. And a sex dungeon, wherein he liked to get his prostate milked. And, I’m sorry. If I am stuck with these details in my brain, so are you, lol.

It’s not the worst wig we’ve seen. At least it’s not lemon-lime colored.

I tend to think the people on the outside are typically worse than the inmates, with rare exceptions, such as Chance.

He was dating the deaf woman.

Lisa’s hair still hasn’t grown back? Get this woman a biotin supplement.

I was one of the people who took offense to Sutton’s wallet comment, so here’s where I’m coming from. Foremost, just because Dorit has also said terrible things about people doesn’t necessarily negate a tit for tat. There’s room to acknowledge that they are all terrible people. If we’re ranking an insult continuum, I don’t necessarily think it’s that bad to call someone out on their bad behavior—ie, telling someone they’re acting like a bitch when their behavior could arguably be categorized as bitchy. That’s why Sutton calling Dorit a bitch in her own home was fine by me, because she was acting bitchy toward Sutton. However, the wallet comment suddenly became classist. It wasn’t a matter of calling someone out on their behavior or actions. Rather, it was implying I’m better than you simply because I have more money than you. It was icky. I think the women at the luncheon were all appropriately shocked, as well. Granted, I’m sure living in Beverly Hills, they all think it and are comparing the Haves and the Have Nots, but you’re not supposed to say it. It’s also highly condescending to basically say there’s a caste system at play, and standing on my wallet puts me above you. And, I don’t want to break any forum rules by talking about what’s happening in America right now. But let’s just leave it at there are too many billionaires on power trips because their money thinks they “know better” than the plebeians who don’t deserve what they’re getting. Maybe if Sutton said this a year ago, eh… It just hit a little too close to home right now…

Hope all goes well, and you have a smooth recovery! Camille and Thomas actually stayed together. Juan and Karla seem like they might actually stay friends. Madison and David had their big “coming out” as a couple in a group event after decision day.

Okay, foremost, apologies to last week’s poster regarding Karla showing off her breasts to the men. I still don’t think it was intentional, but Karla does seem to select these open tops with too much loose fabric or not enough fabric in the right places and nothing to fill it out and hold the fabric in place. Granted, I think this is about the same affect as a 10-year-old boy without a shirt on, so I don’t think anyone is losing their minds with lust…least of all her own husband. i really don’t have much else to say about the rest of them. The Lifetime app was being wonky, so there was no sound for Camille’s supposed fakeout to Thomas. But I’m imagining it was something like the old American Idol, Ryan Seacrest, “I’m so sorry… but… … You’re going to Holllyyywooooood!” But, okay, glad at least one couple is giving it a shot. His girlfriend who waited 9 years for a proposal must be pissed as hell. Can we get her on the After Party? Madison. Yikes! The whole passive aggressive “honey” and “babe” at Michelle was uncalled for! What did she do to you?!?! You got her man, regardless of whether or not she wanted him anyway. Sure, maybe Michelle was talking about you behind your back questioning your integrity but everything she was speculating about was true!!! There’s just no need to be acting like you’re the injured party here and Michelle is deserving of being put in her place. Damn. You can’t at least pretend to be a nice person or have some empathy or something?! David’s been getting a lot of attention for lying. But Madison just proved herself (to me) to be the bigger villain. It’s one thing to try to deflect, like David, but Madison is like actively attacking and kicking her “rival” while she’s down when she didn’t even do anything to you in the first place. Total mean girl behavior. Whelp, Madison and David deserve each other. I’ll leave it at that.

I was thinking the husband is the person who is responsible for his father’s death. It seems that Rick is out for vengeance or other bad intentions, not a happy family reunion.

Well, okay, both Jennifer and Sutton really shamed me for liking the little orange roe on sushi. Well, I wouldn’t want to ruin a nice twice-baked potato with any type of fish eggs anyway… I don’t know that you’re really proving you have a refined palate by admitting that you just get the most expensive one because that means it must be the best. But, I guess this is what Sutton means about not having the wallet to stand up to her level, settling for the “measly” $250 potato instead of the $1,000 potato. So, your ex-husband was successful and rich. How does that make you a better person? And Sutton also tells Jennifer she needs a billionaire. Like, okay??? You just order one of those up? Go stand on your big wallet and we haven’t seen anyone in any financial bracket coming by for a second date, even. I guess at least Dorit has it going for her that she might be more likely to snag a new rich man than Sutton because she still has a few years of potential trophy wife looks in her. Meanwhile, Sutton will be eating her $1,000 potato all alone in the corner, perched on her wallet. (I really don’t mean to insult Sutton’s looks or anything, she’s lovely. But the whole wallet/billionaire thing really rubbed me the wrong way—the superiority and entitlement, yikes!!)

I think the difference is in the end of the first one, the people were getting killed by monkeys and in the end of the second one, people were getting killed by sea monsters. The killing doesn’t happen throughout the whole intro—just at the end. The first episode begins with people being observed by monkeys and the second has the perspective from the sea, like you said. I’m curious whether the third show/intro will have yet another animal perspective, such as birds or something. I won’t repeat my whole spiel from episode 1 wherein I speculate that the characters each embody one of the seven deadly sins and they’ll increasingly lean into their animalistic tendencies, but I’m doubling down even more; the characters’ debaucherous actions will lead to their own downfalls.