Pestilentia

At this point I turned on closed captioning and rewound :) I figure if I watch it with CC the first time around then I can enjoy the second viewing without it- and God knows there is always a second (and third, and...) viewing.

Still, I'd just about guarantee that there exist people who came away from this episode (or the first two even) asking "so what year does this take place?" People don't pay attention anymore. They watch TV while web surfing, reading, putting kids to bed, talking, etc. Not everyone hangs on every word and expression like we do!! So the shows have to beat us to death with relevant facts. I just shake my head to myself and move on. Especially as Mr. Pestilentia will likely ask me the same thing when he gets his viewing later tonight. As he has not read the books I tend to try and view it through his eyes to try and see what JQP sees, and I can tell you they miss a lot.

I'm thinking that Colum's CGI legs were exaggerated so that non-bookies would see the full extent of his disability. Anvilicious to be sure but I understand why they did it.

While I completely understand what you mean, maybe it's like life in that things simply aren't that clear. I know that in my own life such full circle moments have occurred but not until decades after the initiating event. Hindsight becomes much more clear after very long lengths of time have passed- it's only after the true destination is reached that one can really see where the forks in the road occurred and how actions taken many years ago finally played out. I fully expect that when I read the final page of the final book I will say "Oh- so that's what it all meant." It may well be the final conversation held during the final dinner that wraps things up in the manner you expect. In other words you can't figure out "the climax of the story" because it isn't over yet. It's not time.

So I was searching around to see who, if anyone, had been cast as Master Raymond? I can find nothing. He was one of my very favorite characters and I will be sad if he is not included at some point. He first showed up in Dragonfly? So that would put him is season two? Hope I am rembering correctly! Also wondering if there is any news on his books being written? I remember reading at some point that he was to have his own series as he is a true time traveler many times over? He's simply a fascinating character.

LOl, WatchrTina you've given me yet another reason to watch it again!

IIRC Sam Heughan was cast first? They probably knew that he was not physically as massive as BookJamie so thought that a tad smaller Claire would equal out in their scenes together. I know I had reservations about him being too small when I first googled his photos but upon viewing him in action I feel like he will do quite nicely. Understatement! I am thrilled that this was filmed in Scotland- it adds so much. Being a native of Appalachia I remember being simply unable to get into the Hatfield/McCoy miniseries because the hills and flora were so utterly wrong. One would think that incorrect species of weeds would not make all that much difference in a viewer's experience but one would be wrong :) The correct location simply enhances everything- what would be merely serviceable becomes the star of the show, and I do feel as if Scotland will be the breakout star on this one. I hope tourism is ready. I thought the dancing Druids were beautiful- breathtakingly so. I don't know if it was historically correct or not but they sure captured the spirit of the moment. I desperately want to binge watch the entire season at one go NOW. I have considered waiting until that is a possibility but having watched this episode I know full well that you could not keep me away from the television for each airing as I am quite happy with the casting and how well it all was done. Bravo Starz!!

What annoys me about this show is the exteriors of the homes that the buyers are shown. They almost always look terrible- at least equally as terrible as the interiors and just horrobly run down and neglected. Then once the interiors are rennovated the bvuyers are still pulling ino the driveway of a terrible looking home. I can't speak for anyone else but when I pull into my driveway I want to feel good. I'm all for great interiors but the exterior matters to me as well. In fact when I sold my last home it sold entirely on curb appeal- had to have been what did it because the interior was dated. And the first things I did to my new home involved the exterior as well. Maybe I am unusual, but I can live with almost anything inside but the outside must be perfect- probably because I am a serious gardener. I just care more. Aside from that this is one of the only HGTV shows that doesn't regularly make me livid. It's not so much that I like J&D, just that for some reason they don't annoy me. I have also read that more rennovations take place than what are shown- I think it may have been in an interview with Jonathan. Anyone have any inside scoop on what's behind the curtain?

I did. The first time I saw my house was when we pulled into the driveway after having driven 1500 miles. It is perfect. I knew the area and had family tour it for me and take 100's of photos, but I never saw it in person.

All 90% of these families need to do is purge their junk. The first walk through shows each house full to the gills with old toys, piles of laundry, 20 pairs of shoes at the entry, every cosmetic they own on the bathroom sink counter, and just a general lack of housekeeping. One assumes that all this is gone through and packed away for the renno- why can't they do that themselves beforehand to try learn how to manage their home? Then as they tour new homes clearly staged for showings, all they can do is ohh and ahh at the cleared counters, pristine laundry rooms, and bedrooms with no piles of laundry or years worth of toys laying every damn where. It's maddening! I know it is hard- I struggle almost daily with what to keep, what to add, and what to recycle/toss/donate. But I put my all of my crap away in the bathroom every morning, I fold and put away my laundry, and the garage gets a thorough cleaning out at least once a year. Kids toys are regularly sorted- if new ones come in old ones must go out. Clothing is gone through and donated. You just have to- otherwise it grows and grows and you look up one day and find yourself living in a pigstye. I love this show, I do. But I hate homeowners who think a renno or a new house is needed when all they really need to do is man up and learn how to run a house. I'd wager that nine times out of ten they get themselves into the same mess a year after the show no matter which option they choose. It's infuriating!

Understatement of the season. I had no idea that he possessed this amount of talent- he's been a revelation. I confess that I am kinda sorta rooting for Lester, fancy new hairdo and all.

I apologize if I worded my comment poorly- I meant no disparagement toward anyone. You explained it far better than I did anyway :)

This. I am nearly certain I heard Nigel address this in some past season interview. He is not homophobic and has no issues with gay men dancing on his show but he does expect them to be able to effectively portray the masculine role. He wants the boys to dance like boys and the girls to dance like girls. I'm not a Nigel apologist, I swear, but hate to see homophobic charges leveled at a show that for me has always embraced all factions of our human spectrum. As far as his perviness- he is 100% guilty as charged. Sometimes I doubt Nigel is even human- it's as if he has somewhat learned to imitate humans but his reptilian origins always seem to show through. His smile is more of a grimace- as if an alien was told to contract muscles a, c, e, and f while relaxing muscles b, d, g, and h in order to show humor. He comes off so insincere sometimes. Mary is just Mary. Hate all the backstories but damn if I don't love all the dancers. That this is such an incredibly good show in spite of pervy Uncle Nigel and (a seemingly liquored up) crazy Aunt Mary as well as the manipulations and contrived sob stories makes me sad for the show it could be were all these issues addressed. I love it anyway. Glad to have it back. Vive la dance!

I cried like a baby.

Seriously. Does Gokey ever shut up?

While you may think it is funny (and it is to me, although more in a train wreck manner where I will now enjoy watching him go down in flames) it will not get him anywhere in this business. The days when people got to be rockstars by behaving like assholes are over. You have to be a rockstar first, and Caleb is no rockstar- he's a dime a dozen bar singer. He needs to start looking at this show as an audition for a job and understand that everything stupid that he says or does will be remembered forever. Understanding the concept of "a time and a place" is not being fake- it is being smart. And he is not. He's too ensconced in a bubble of his own construction and falling for his own hype. It's gonna bite him in the ass big time.

I don't think that anyone is upset because they think he was being mean. In fact his thinking "old ladies would cry at his song because it's a ballad" is equally offensive. People are upset that he felt the need to use the word "old." Saying "Make the ladies cry" would have communicated exactly the same sentiment without pissing off any viewers. It's his choice of qualifiers that has me in a snit.

Sam needs to knock back a couple of shots before he goes onstage- I think it would do wonders for him. That deer in the headlights thing is getting old. I'd like to see him loosey goosey and NGAFing his way through a song.

I love her. More correctly, I love Judy Parffit, but it's transferring nicely. She makes all the sense in the world as long as you are able to decipher the way her brain works. Aside from the dememtia, that is. And what's a little dementia between friends?