bourbon

What *the characters* do, and what *the writers/producers* do are two different things. The writers can still have the *characters* act and speak in ways that are period appropriate and still make a stand about something. While there isn't a lot that the nurses could have done to save Deka or sway Mrs. Farah about the wrongness of her surgery, the *writers* could certainly have made much more of a point that the surgery was awful and to feel worse about Deka than a throwaway Vanessa Redgrave line and a shot of Deka waving cheerily from the deck of the ship. Instead, there was this weird half-commitment. Yes, the surgery is awful, but it was her choice. Yes, she was botched, but we need to respect her rights to want it. What. Wait? On top of that, we get that ridiculous speech from Mrs. Farah about how liberated Somali women were because they don't use their husband's names. And no, I don't think we were meant to accept that speech ironically. I think there was meant to be a certain amount of head-hanging on the viewers' part that the West isn't somehow as enlightened. Not to mention Nurse Crane's line about how cliterectomies were performed on Western women for "mental health" reasons. Yes, it was done. In the past. To a small, tragic minority. As opposed to the 92% of Egyptian women, or something equally horrifying, that are still being mutilated. I'm not sure what the point of all that was, except to remove some of the accountability from the cultures that do it because, gee, we used to do it, too. It's fairly standard in this show that makes such an effort to be so hyper-inclusive of all viewpoints, all cultures, so nobody is right or wrong about anything. They had an opportunity to unequivocally condemn something, and I don't think they did for some fear of offending someone.

What the actual hell was that? I'm so confused. Are we actually supposed to even remotely think it's OK what happened to the Somali woman because it was done to her by a woman? That it's OK because Somali society is matriarchal? Because no no no no no no. And the fact that this show wasn't willing to take an even stronger stand against the genital mutilation of children (by women for the benefit of MEN) is and wrong and irresponsible. Gah, I know this show bends over backwards to be non-judgey and PC, but even framing the society that practices female circumcision as even remotely pro-woman because the woman is allowed to keep her maiden name is gross. More worried about offending someone than taking a stand, I guess. Blech.

Do you think so? I love this show, but subtlety is not its strong point. Tons of yes. She said she wanted to give up the child; she had every reason to believe this was the best decision. Honor that. Were we supposed to think the Andrew staying with his mum was a happy ending? Because maybe not. I hated this, and making Dot and husband shallow and materialistic middle-classers was lazy. I find this show does this quite a lot. What bugged me that Tom was so against Marni giving up her baby, but then he heartily recommended to Dot's husband that he go try and adopt another kid. So...why is it not OK for Marni to give up her baby, but perfectly OK for some other woman to? Because you're entitled to substitute your judgment for a parishioner? Ick. I hated this whole storyline and hated Tom and the midwives' involvement in it.

YEEEESSS! I also hate it in things like "Give it to John or myself." Gaah! There are only a couple of times "myself" is appropriate in grammar, and that's not one of them. (Cringe away!) Still loving this. I love a show that tears my sympathies. What a terrific character Madeline is. One minute, I am absolutely in her corner re: Bonnie or Renate, the next minute she has me shaking my head. Pulling her daughter from Amabella's party is one things, organizing a DIsney on Ice party to conflict with the party is a whole 'nother level of vindictive.

I was questioning Bonnie's objection to Avenue Q, too, but I figured when she was confronted with the petition, the outrage was framed more in terms of it being non-PC (the Asian character comes to mind) rather than foul language or sexual content. But perhaps we'll see.

Did she? I couldn't actually see anything and thought it was Renata overreacting. I am so far in. The writing is amazing. In just one or two lines, we completely get every character. In Renata's "Can't believe I actually agreed to be on the Paypal board!" we get *everything* we need to know about this woman in one line. Every character had something like that...a line, a gesture. Terrific writing. Whether or not I can relate to any of these people, I *know* them and *understand* their motivations in the space of an episode. I'm way, way in. This might be my new favorite thing. Can't wait to see how this goes.

I look an unconventional challenge, but I don't care if we never see another "avant garde" challenge. Inevitably, there is a very pretty dress that the judges love but its not avant garde (I'm looking at you, Rik), and they try to justify with "Well...avant garde doesn't have to mean *crazy* and *not wearable*, does it?" (I'm looking at you, Heidi.) No, but it does mean something more than just clever. Rik's dress was clever. But it wasn't avant garde. Unconventional material challenge is kind of avant garde by definition. To be in the top, it seems like you must do something more than just hot glue tiles and dog tags on a very simple shift. But it was pretty, so of course.

Loving this so far. Agree about Michelle Dockery as a revelation. I was never a fan of Lady Mary, and I thought her performance was fairly one-note. But she's terrific here. There are wonderfully talented English or Aussie actresses -- Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, and Keira Knightley come to mind -- that I never really buy as American. The accent, the bearing -- it's all wrong. I totally buy MD. As believable as she was as early 20th c. British aristocracy, she is equally as believable as 21st c. white trash And the chemistry between the leads is bananas.

I really liked it. Any show that can warm my cold dead heart gets props. I actually teared up. The giveaway to me was when the babies were all in the nursery. By the time my kids were born a few years later, hospitals had done away with nurseries in favor of "rooming in." Which is horrible and should be banned as torture by the Geneva Convention. J/K. Sort of. I'm slightly hard of hearing and need to watch with the captions on. During the soccer game when Randall is watching his older daughter, his lips and the captions say, "That's my bull dyke," but it had been dubbed with "That's my badass." I don't know if that was the censors or the writers realizing that no dad should ever call his adolescent daughter a "bull dyke." Ew.

The difference to me was that in breaking the rules, Halstead substituted his own judgment and wishes for the patients. When Goodwin and April did it, they were doing what the patient wanted. Halstead has become almost irredeemable as a character for me. It becomes very hard to root for a character or a romance with Natalie when he is so smug.

Very interesting to hear from some teachers. I taught special ed for a couple of years about a decade ago, and I found that most parents fell into two groups: the group that could not accept that their child was not going to go to college and hold a 9 to 5 job and would complain to the administration if there were any suggestion otherwise. And the group that had no interest in setting goals for their child, treated school like a free babysitting service, and did absolutely no work with their children at home. I had a conference with one mom where we (the teachers) expressed concern about the lack of progress in developmental things like getting dressed, fork skills, recognizing boundaries, etc., and the mom said we were the "experts" and that was our job to teach all those things. (The kids were awesome. The parents were the reason I changed careers.) The parents on this show seem an interesting mix. If you take Sean's parents, they're obviously encouraging him to go out on his own to some degree, but on the other hand, they're not doing him any favors infantalizing him by encouraging the "ladies' man" persona. It's cute when it's a 6 year old, because 6 year olds are sexually non-threatening with the "hey babes" and eyebrow waggling. Sean's a grown man with a man's body and man's desires -- he just isn't equipped with the skills to handle those things. I can't decide about Megan's mom. They seem very close and loving, but it borders on unhealthy to me. It was interesting how she approached the topic of not having kids with Megan. When she was talking to Beatriz, she was saying how she didn't think Megan should have kids because she was not mature enough to handle it and the mom didn't want to end up raising the child. That is all understandable and reasonable, but when she spoke with Megan about it, she phrased it in terms of Megan being too busy with her career to have a child. It might seem gentler and less painful for Megan to hear it on that level, but it doesn't seem to be helpful to Megan to talk in terms of giving up one dream in favor of a dream that is probably equally unreasonable.

I entered this excited and optimistic that I was watching something fun and soapy like Fame or something gritty about the cutthroat world of ballet like Turning Point. Instead it was some psychodrama like Black Swan. Except it was not creatively weird enough to be Black Swan and not fun enough to be Fame. It existed in some odd netherworld of misbegotten shows. I don't feel like the creators ever really decided what it was going to be and what Claire was going to be. It had so much potential, even with the tropes and cliches, and the dancing was gorgeous.

I think this is how I would probably behave if I were a client in the "real woman" challenge, but at the same time...it's part of the challenge to dress for a woman who isn't a size 0 and has major body insecurities and doesn't really know what she wants, she just knows it isn't what the designer has made for her. Otherwise, the challenge would be "Make an Outfit. Go." The brief was to make a look for a client that satisfied her while still showing the designer's voice. Some of them luck out with average size woman who don't care what you make, and some end up with opinionated women who hate their ankles. You can argue that the challenge was rigged so the designer they want auffed gets the "difficult" chick, but as a challenge, it seems as fair as any.

The worst when was in Cait's talking head segment where she said, completely without irony, "I thought my happiness would be their happiness." Really? As if all she had to do would be announce she was transitioning and everyone in her family would be thrilled for her? Naive at best, unbelievably self-centered and narcissistic at worst. And I *loathe* the entire Kardashian Klan, but this was awful. If nothing else, this show has made me feel sorry for Kris. Thanks, Cait? Y'know, this just made me feel sad and shake my head. I think the poor woman just doesn't know how to live if it isn't in social media. I think she was genuinely upset and let down by Cait's behavior, and the selfie was just her weird act of self-affirmation and comfort. If I'm putting it up on Twitter for all my followers to see how we're getting along, then my life can't really be all that bad, can it?

Well, yeah, it is probably damning with faint praise... And not just because I prefer a slow burn and for things to sort of develop organically, but because it seemed so out of character for this ass-kickin' Navy SEAL to dissolve into the big, strong, manly FBI guy's arms and for the FBI guy not to get totally weirded out by the strange but hot tattooed ass-kickin' Navy SEAL dissolving in his arms. But I did like it, and they're both easy on the eye, and had nice chemistry and if the FBI maybe wants to take his shirt off that'd be OK with me. Didn't quite ring try that she would have a Navy SEAL tattoo. Yeah, it made it easier for them to start to ID her, but black operatives aren't allowed to have tattoos for this very reason.

Interesting reactions...I totally bought the male lead and didn't find him stiff at all. Like AT ALL. I was watching the whole time thinking how much better he was than Diego Klattenhoff on "Blacklist" or Adam Rayner on "Tyrant," the two young(er) male leads on other shows I watch. And I thought the chemistry between Jane and Weller was crackling. It's derivative of about 10 different things...from Prison Break to the Long Kiss Goodnight, but I loved the premise and the execution and the casting. Loved it. Definitely in.

Misty Blue? That usually ends up on people's Top 10 lists, but it's not one of my faves. I really prefer his group numbers. Velocity, Sand, Architect of the Mind are my faves. I think he does really well with more lyrical stuff. I actually think he'd be a great contempo choreographer if he had the background and vocabulary.

Yes, someone had to be picked last, but this early in the competition when someone who has won or co-won 2 challenges is picked last, they can only be left to think that it wasn't because of their abilities but because of who they are as people. That's a pretty tough pill to swallow for *anyone* let alone a young woman who has probably seen her share of bullying. Ashley does need to toughen up, though, if she wants to make a living in an industry that at best ignores women her size and at worst demonizes them.

Thing is...I don't WANT Ryan and Jess to end up together. They might (?) be lovely people on their own and thrive in different relationships, but they are extremely unhealthy together. The "experts" seem hell bent on keeping these folks together, when maybe the healthier, more humane thing to do would be to recommend they go their separate ways. When we're actively rooting *against* the couples? Doesn't say much good about the set-up of this show. They keep framing it as an experiment, but if we're *that* invested in a "positive" outcome (i.e., staying together), then it really isn't an experiment, is it? Sean is so creepy and off-putting. He spends so much of his time with Davina talking about "the experiment" that there isn't time to just LIVE the experiment. It's all "Here we are in the experiment! We're doing a puzzle! It's awesome! We're getting along, aren't we?" There's just something so off about him. He's like the blandly handsome baddie in a Lifetime movie starring Tori Spelling.

Once again, the "experts" give worthless advice. Dr. Logan's* advice to Ryan D and Jessica might have been helpful for a couple that were into each other, but one partner was not naturally cuddly and had to be reminded to give affection to other, more cuddly partner. But Ryan D is clearly not into her. He seems to have utter contempt for her, and I suppose I have to give him some credit for not just banging her and dumping her when the experiment is over and they part ways. I actually agreed with what Ryan was saying about not wanting to feel forced to give affection to someone he didn't feel affection for. Why wasn't that part of the conversation? Why wasn't Ryan asked the obvious question about whether he even *liked* Jessica much less had stronger, romantic feelings? Because all the hand-holding and snuggling between now and the end of the experiment isn't going to fix what's wrong with their relationship. Why would Jessica even *want* affection from a man who has treated her like crap and clearly has no respect for her? They might be OK with other people, but together they are toxic. Sean is creepy and weird. It's funny to read from Dr. Joseph* how he and the production team loved Sean and thought the audience would love him. All the over-analysis and navel-gazing is really off-putting. He's another one that clearly does not even *like* his wife. Hand-holding and toe-sucking won't fix that. He seems to always be making cutting "funny" remarks about her, too. He seems like the kind of guy that would say terrible things about you on Facebook and then add "j/k" or "LOL." I just don't know why the docs are encouraging these terribly mismatched couples to be physically intimate. Intimacy, whether it is sex or touching, springs from an emotional bond that already exists. It is not usually the *cause* of the bond. Maybe the best advice would be to tell the couples to just be polite to each other and run the clock out on the experiment. *I have a hard time respecting a doc that wants to be referred to by their first name unless they're my kids' pediatrician.

For this to work. Jessica would need to change her communication style. Ryan D would need to change his entire personality. His comment about not being able to thing of ONE SINGLE nice thing to say to his wife was mean and hurtful, intentionally so. Why on earth would someone want to live with a spouse that is intentionally hurtful and cruel? That, right there, is the definition of abuse. Red flags wouldn't just be going up, they would be waving around with fireworks and sirens. These experts are worthless. This thing is a powder keg, and they need to step in before it turns violent. Why the experts are worthless Part 2...why on earth would they choose someone for an experiment who has such strong emotional obligations for his family (Ryan R) that they can't fully commit to a spouse? It is one thing to make the decision to cut the apron strings for a wife he has known for some time and has strong feelings for, but another to ask him to cut the ties for someone he doesn't know. I'm sympathetic, but I don't know is his attachment, while commendable, is entirely healthy. And where are Ryan's other sibs? Can't they pick up some of the slack with mom and niece? This show used to be delicious, but now it is just sad.

Considering how many times the "experts" have answered the criticism that applicants can simply lie on their tests with the firm statement that these tests are designed to weed that sort of thing out, I would expect them to be able to predict this sort of thing to some extent. No matter how many times Jessica said in her tests or interviews that she wanted a take-charge kind of man, if she clearly has issues in her past relationships with being walked on, then it would seem fairly obvious that she doesn't *really* want or need a take-charge kind of guy. So, I do kind of think it is the experts' fault. And don't get me started on the fact that the experts thought it was a good idea to match a couple, in part, based on the fact that they could bond over being bullied as kids. You can bond over the fact that you both like to ski. You can bond over the fact that you both are military brats or from Minnesota or play the oboe. Not over the fact you were bullied. Not to mention that if Sean is so closed off and held back by being bullied, he needs therapy, not a spouse to bond with over it.

I particularly disliked Michelle this episode. She seemed visibly uncomfortable during the judging panel segment. For someone who spends most of her professional life reading other people, she seems remarkably thin-skinned. I especially disagreed with her comment (and loved Ross' comeback) about Max changing it up. The mark of creativity is not so much being able to change your look each time, but to make your style work in the context of any given challenge. Max does that -- she takes her old Hollywood glamour vibe and makes it work in any challenge. Anyone can slap a different colored wig on, but NOT doing that takes a smart queen who knows her brand. I am fascinated with Pearl, and not in a good way. I'm often struck by how some of the most mannish and even homely men make the most beautiful queens on this show. With Pearl, it's the opposite. She's a beautiful man -- and a terrible looking woman. I don't know if it's her awful makeup or awful affect or what.

Ditto. I kept think while watching how much more interesting it might have been if January had been the first woman he ran into and married, and she turned out to be shrill and annoying. Then he met the "non-hot" Carol, who turned out to be sweet and quirky and perfect for him. Instead, we get the tired TV trope that the "ugly" one is psychotic and the "hot" one is pretty much perfect.

These "experts" continue to be laughable. They think Sean and Davina are compatible because they were both bullied as kids? If that's the case, I'm compatible with half the high school marching band. That said, I do like them. Davina seems like someone I'd like to hang out with, and Sean seems nice if overly-earnest. The "keyhole" metaphor was a little inartful, but at least he didn't say that SHE was the keyhole and HE was the key. I like them best, but I'm 50-50 on their chances. She seems like she doesn't suffer fools, and I think his earnestness could get on her nerves very quickly. If I'm being shallow and judgey, I think Jaclyn is not attractive at all. She looks almost a decade older than she is, and she looks like she will NOT age well. Which would all be fine if it weren't for the fact that she seems repulsed by the average-to-good looking Ryan R. I did have to laugh about the accent. The whole time they were introducing him I was thinking how the Long Island tawk would drive me crazy inside a hot minute. What's with all the drag queen brows? Why are everyone's brows so over-groomed?