CherithCutestory

It's not self-sacrifice. It's not devoting yourself to others 24/7. It's doing things for other people. And if you don't act on being a good person you aren't a good person. Because her being there is benefiting HIM. She didn't come down there to be part of a research project for Chidi to achieve a coveted career goal. But that's what he turned it into. And if you don't care that your friend who is there doing a program that will help you achieve your life long goal has no money to support continuing to do that you suck as a human being. It just makes him a terrible person to be that callous. Anyone should be concerned for a friend who is close to being homeless. Never mind when they are benefiting you by staying. And LOTS of university research programs give subjects money. He could have inquired about that. If that's his reasoning (that it's not his responsibility) then I straight up hate Chidi at this point. What a jerk. He thinks he has no responsibility to a human being whom he is profiting off of? If he really thinks he has no reason to help her out as you say then fuck Chidi. Because she was doing it for herself. That was explained quite clearly in the first season finale. She did it to be praised not to actually help anyone. Those people did it for themselves like Tahani not to help people. I think the overall meaning is that the existing system for Good Place/Bad Place at it is is wrong. I really doubt Mike Schur is going to spout some Ayn Randesque philosophy about only owing anything to yourself. Nobody who has watched this show for two seasons expects a straight-forward narrative. The only expectation is that it be good. And not just redo the same scenes over and over under the excuse that the characters were rebooted. Having characters who don't grow or learn for any significant length of time is a trademark of a typical mediocre sitcom. That the writers hide it under a clever concept of having memories wiped doesn't change that that's what's happened so far this season. I understand arguments that the characters have retained some growth from rebooting but it doesn't change the fact that they've used this as an excuse to have scenes where once again Eleanor learns she acts out in fear of rejection or Tahani realizes she puts status above people or Chidi realizes he needs to act through out the season. It's using a high concept to excuse the typical sitcom dictate of "never grow, never change."

This is up there with some of the biggest disappointments I've had in a show. And, honestly, although I love him I don't have full faith in Michael Schur since, in my opinion, Parks and Rec completely went off the rails in the final two seasons. And because of some of the self-indulgence evident here. I am not remotely writing off the show or giving up though. Before when I haven't liked episodes I at least felt they were still better than other shows. This was not. This was a mediocre episode of television. Wow, Eleanor had a realization that she acts out when she's upset or feeling feelings. Just like has happened multiple times already. But they erased all character growth so we have to watch the same plot points over and over and over. And every other time they've done that scene has been much more subtle than just having Simone tell us/her. I like the actress. But having a character dictate a plot point like that is not good television. (The cupcake scene was much better. Albeit forced since we've already seen Eleanor do group things with this group.) One of my biggest annoyances is why are these people sitting around in a room learning philosophy all day? That made sense in the afterlife. But they are on an Earth filled with suffering. Go out and help someone! For real not for your own self-worth. It doesn't have to be one or the other. They can still learn from Chidi. But also actually do good things. Eleanor at least tried and backslid. These other jerks never even thought about doing more for others as crucial to being better human beings. Tahani's trip was all about inner peace away from the world not helping others. For Jason, I'll grant that not doing crime helped people but saving them from yourself isn't quite the same. And I'm full on in my belief that Chidi is the most selfish of them now. Eleanor came to him for help. He has never advised her that action is required to be a good person not just pure thoughts. And THEN turned the whole thing to his own gain by using it to finish his thesis. And THEN when his friend and subject told him about her money issues he didn't do one single thing to help her out. She's there helping him on something that will make or break her career. He didn't move a muscle to help her be able to afford to do that.

But Victoria very much hated being pregnant and was very clear about that. She also disliked babies at that frog stage. So, it's not at all unlikely that she contemplated stopping even if she was too into Albert to go through with it. It's not like this is being made up out of nowhere. I'd guess they didn't because of Victoria's journal. But it was very common to have sex with your betrothed before marriage at the time. The contract for marriage was much the same thing as marriage itself. It isn't remotely comparable to sex with an "actress" you have no intention of marrying, as was the case with Bertie. He wasn't horrified at sex before marriage but at sex with a woman of ill repute who would never be a marriage prospect.

I'd bet nothing because they can't find anyone else who would ever want to do that job. He is there for billions of years. I don't think celestial beings go to Earth very often so the doorman lacks any social connections. I really liked her last season. I thought she was a good mixture of all-knowing but somewhat innocent and also very bored. But it felt very forced this past episode. Although she was 100% in the right in regards to Michael. He went way out of bounds. Messed up the entire timeline. And, frankly, did more to hurt the Four's chance of redemption than help by throwing their ability to do it themselves all in doubt. And abused her generosity.

So happy Australia has their own version of The Outback in the US. Trevor would not have been able to keep up his good guy bit for much longer. He was already slipping. Eleanor would have called him out in an extra day. It was a little rushed but this felt much more like The Good Place than last week's. Chidi was already not buying what Michael was selling this time. So, I wonder how that will work out. I liked the emphasis on the Chidi/Eleanor connection (not necessarily sexual or romantic) but Chidi didn't need prompting to help her in the afterlife. I would like if they explored Chidi's selfishness a little more. The others' flaws have been pretty well explored. But Chidi is passed off as just indecisive. When really although he is wonderful he is also quite selfish. (Not more so than any of the others. But it's less explored with him.)

I read a theory on reddit (so definitely not mine) that Simone is Gen. I don't know but that really works for me. Simone is delightful but in a very very similar way to Gen. And, realistically, someone doing their own academic research wouldn't bend to the whim of a (very cute) dude they just met. She also liked Eleanor immediately and Eleanor is awesome but someone who grows on you more than someone you love from the outset. I really don't care about Eleanor and Chidi romantically. I think they are soulmates regardless but soulmate doesn't have to be romantic. What matters is Eleanor does as much for him as he does for her. And I have no investment in them as a romantic pairing. Or tell it to gifts.

Well, if you want to go on a grammar basis then why would a acronym sing a word with a hard g be pronounced like a preexisting peanut butter? The creator was an idiot. (I kid. He obviously wasn't.)

I really liked moments of it but I didn't love it either. Rebooting them so often is just BS at this point. The characters are funniest when they are "bad" (or in Chidi's case indecisive to an extreme) but the point of the show is they outgrow their bad habits. But they need to keep them funny. So, we just keep getting constant reboots. And I am So Sick of the reboots. I don't need to see their journey to be better people for the THIRD TIME. And Trevor is just another retread of obstacles being thrown in their way on that path. I also hated how much of the beginning was a retread of the finale. What a waste of time. What is Michael even trying to prove at this point? There is something fundamentally wrong if these four people can only "deserve" the Good Place if they are together. Not wrong with them but wrong. (The whole concept is flawed and I think intentionally so. But for now it is what it is. And if they can't get the points as individuals they aren't ever going to advance.) Why would the judge be convinced after so much meddling? Michael is doing them more damage than Trevor will. Simone was awesome, though. But even with Simone (whom I did love) it's like "what if Real Eleanor wasn't faking it?" Except for the few moments that could only be written by The Good Place writers (I Crumb From a Land Down Under) it just felt like Good Place fanfic. That's not really how language works though. Words aren't inventions that are molded by their creator. They are adapted for use by the people who use them.

But when have serial killers ever been logical and rational thinking? Several have used "sinners" as an excuse to kill and all of them have been hypocrites. Hal could never take on a Serpent or a Ghoulie. They would be likely to be armed. He also couldn't take on the Sheriff, who would also likely be armed, and the mayor would likely have body guards. Hermione seemed to live in a secure apartment building. And his attacking Alice when she said FP was a real man pretty much showed his real motive. He was just a sexually frustrated dude. He stopped when he was getting some action. And started up again shortly after that stopped. He was jealous of Fred, of Archie with Ms. Grundy (so he took out Grundy and tried to have him buried alive), of kids making out in the woods. He was jealous of anyone who took Betty's attention away. He was a coward going after mostly easy marks who he evoked jealousy in him in some way. It obviously wasn't the mystery of the year. Although I don't think it was meant to be a big who done it type thing. And, clearly, they didn't know who would be the BH at the start (the eye thing makes no sense.) But for Riverdale I think his motives made sense. And it works well in hindsight even if they didn't set it up that way from the start. (His being laughed at by Alice as not man enough to murder last season, breaking into the Sheriff's, Betty suspecting him, the Betty focus.) Also, I like that Betty figured it out logically. Rather than being treated as some out of nowhere twist. Whatever else one might dislike about her she isn't stupid. It would be out of character for her not to suspect. She already thought he was capable of murder last season. Cheryl's "Thank God I was able to get to my archery kit and my hunting cape." was the best line in the entire show. And they aren't the best at character consistency but they have definitely set-up Cheryl as the type of person who thinks she needs a hunting cape to shoot someone. Madchen Amick is too damn good for this show. I mean several actors are but damn she is good. And she doesn't half-ass it because it's Riverdale and she's just there for the paycheck.

I think Cheryl is in because she saved the life of two Serpents by showing up with her archery equipment and hunting cape when she did, which seems fair to me. I wouldn't say I'm super invested in what happens to Archie since obviously he'll get off eventually. But he actually does seem pretty screwed. He is known to be the head of a vigilante justice group. He put out (at Hiram's urging) a video with his face uncovered threatening the Black Hood. There is a report on record with the Sheriff of him threatening someone with a gun. Nick St. Clair will likely gladly testify at Hiram's urging (it hurts Veronica and Archie who he has more of a feud with than Hiram) that Archie beat him senseless while he was completely defenseless. I don't think anyone would have trouble believing the violent kid who has been threatening more violence for months might be violent. Also, he witnessed the murder he is accused of committing and didn't report it. The person who did do it is dead. If I were on the jury (without witnessing the death) I'd convict. I'd say this is the only well thought out plot-line. Hiram's been painting him as a violent vigilante for months. Or making him paint himself that way. Well thought out but still dull. I'm disappointed that Sierra McCoy is now just a lawyer for teenage clients. And her "representing" Veronica and getting back funds that were acquired completely illegally was absurd. Like what were they going to do? Go to court and say "I earned this money through kidnapping and ransom without paying any income taxes and daddy STOLE IT." ??? But I like seeing her any way I can get her. And I'm sure she'll represent Archie. I liked Betty confronting Hal but I really hope we don't get a ton of dark Betty worrying she's a serial killer next season or any other season. Serial killer tendencies are not genetic. Very few children of serial killers have grown up to be serial killers, themselves. I like the idea of Hal not noticing that Betty's "darkness" is really being exactly like her mother (need to be perfect mixed with occasional poor impulse control and need to lash out.) But it was Polly, whom he dismissed as a sinner, that actually is more like him. But I like the idea of them dropping it and not acting like some undetermined "darkness" is genetic even more. This made NO SENSE. It's really the only thing that was just completely illogical in the finale. It was clear that the Wyrm was the only thing in Hiram's way for complete domination of the Southside. Owning that was important in stopping him. Pop's was an impulse buy of his and not part of the Southside development plans. Trading it for Pop's was handing him everything he wanted. And I'm sure the Wyrm is worth more than Pop's so it didn't even make fiscal sense. This stuff doesn't usually bother me on teen shows like this. Because usually teens look and act like they are in their late 20s. But I think it's because both Betty and Jughead genuinely seem so young that sex stuff with them can seem really icky to me too. I know the actors are in their 20s but they just come off like genuine teenagers. I like them as a couple. I wouldn't say I ship anyone but they are cute and I like that they genuinely like each other and share interests, which is rare on soapy shows. But they both seem like kids to me.

I've been binging the show and this isn't true at all. Betty went so out of her way to make him feel welcome that she got him a computer to webcam and started webcaming to and talking about it with him as a connection. How much more welcoming can you be than inviting someone into your home and giving them a computer to make up for losing your's to continue with your webcam business? She didn't start questioning him until after he MURDERED someone in her home and then was absolutely no help in cleaning it up. So, that she had to do all that work. And she got his DNA after he adamently refused to do a test despite money being at stake. Pretty good reason to question whether he was who he said he was. And Polly and Jughead were both telling her he was creepy af. Starting to feel uncomfortable with a murderer in your home is the normal response. That part I didn't get at all. She seems to have fully embraced her gangsters daughter status. She seems perfectly content other than trying to keep Archie out of trouble. She didn't even seem all that torn up about lying to her friends until she got called out for it. The show needs to stop telling me how sad Veronica supposedly is and try showing it because of all the kids she seems to have the least family issues. Exactly. Veronica seems thrilled with her life after some initial tension. She loves being in on it with her parents. She loves the money and the attention. To suddenly make it seem like she has it so tough is more than a little absurd. And comparing her lying to everyone's face about things that directly impacted them to Betty trying to save Veronica's life by alienating her because she thought the BH might kill her is just ridiculous. I mostly hated the musical aspect. But Alice Cooper barging in on it was ridiculous in a good way.

Archie is a completely worthless character and just a POS, at this point, who will betray anyone (including family and best friend) if it serves his interests at the moment. Maybe if they had a stronger actor playing him his motivations would make more sense. And I'm not sure I've ever seen a less compelling couple than Veronica and Archie. What do these two have going for them at all? He interacts with her father way more than her. They've barely ever had a conversation where they seem to share interests. Veronica's continued SHOCK that people dare call out her parents is making her unbearable. And Betty ratted out Kevin when he was behaving in a way that was seriously a danger to himself. The BH was active and going after people who were "sinners" in his mind. Kevin gave someone living in her house whom she was genuinely afraid of ammunition against her. She tried to make him safer. He put her in more danger. I like Kevin but what he did was absolutely wrong and not remotely comparable to her having genuine concerns for his safety.

After she walked in on them flirting her mother said they had "talked about this" and that she cares about him. So, she was told off camera before the mayor resigned. The best part of the episode was Veronica being disappointed when Betty and Jughead seemed fine about the Betty/Archie kiss and then excited when she thought their weirdness (over Jughead's snooping) was residual kiss tension. Because she wanted her and Archie to be more OK and healthy over it. Violent crime is more prevalent among these four teens than all of NYC in the 70s. I hate how stupid Archie is. But I also hate when he plays stupid. He knows full well Hiram has nefarious motives. I don't ship much but I (friend)ship Josie and Kevin. I also think Josie's mom is the only good mother on the show. Veronica throwing Betty's roleplaying in her face was really shitty. But Betty not getting why she said it like it was a bad thing was pretty funny.

Watching this episode right now. Betty's reaction to Polly's baby names was the only laugh out loud moment I've ever had with this show. OMG. Wanting to get rid of gang emblems is totally acceptable. Jughead is a tool. Archie is a moron.

Her parents shipped her sister off by explaining she was crazy and not letting her see her? Her mother is borderline psychotic who throws bricks through windows in front of her, threatens to destroy predator teachers (which Grundy deserved it but WTF do you care about her and Archie call the cops and move on with your life), has demonized even the hint of sexuality in Betty? Her father showing he was willing to abandon his children if they were bad or inconvenient (as he refused to let Polly live with them) and jumping to things like burglary of law enforcement? This is how she's been taught to behave. Always be perfect on the outside. And save your intense sometimes violent freakouts for private. Why not shift those freakouts to a different persona? Her darkness seems much more natural than Jughead's, who was distant from his father and was not exposed to much gang stuff. Her parents both have a lot of rage and lash out unexpectedly while otherwise insisting on maintaining the facade.

Oh, brother... I think my eyes may have permanent damage from the rolling. He's playing a cringeworthy collection of teen loner cliches. He's going a bit overboard in describing his Method.

This drove me insane. They really can't decide if zombies are literally dead or just suffering from a virus. The latter can be cured. The former can not. But if they are just suffering from a virus their bodies shouldn't decompose at all.

So? That was absolutely her choice not his. She would have done it to save another person. A person who she had a responsibility to. Who she owed and who was her subordinate. In fact, I think Liv had an obligation to give herself up. And he would NEVER have been OK with her kidnapping him and essentially drugging him with a couple brain if he wanted to sacrifice himself for one of his kids. Major has tried to sacrifice himself on more than one occasion. But that's heroic. And then he took that choice away from Liv. I find Major irredeemable, at this point. I'd say a pack of zombies advocating mass human slaughter are in the "not like you" category. But last season that was for a specific reason.

There was never once any credible evidence that Annie had ever even heard of Jesus. Never mind knowing the ins and outs of the Old Testament.

Kemper's first victims were spontaneous and one was a man, his grandfather. And he was very fond of his grandfather. So, he's certainly capable of killing in the moment and not for any sexual gratification. But, more importantly, the whole profiling thing Holden is so proud of is at least 40% bullshit and on some level he knows it. Now 60% not bullshit makes it a worthwhile endeavor and valuable. But sometimes he's wrong. With the dog killings he initially had the police bringing in teenagers before changing his mind and thinking it had to be someone a little older. I only bring that up to show that profiling isn't an exact science, at all. He could think he knows Kemper better than Kemper does but he doesn't really. He wouldn't stake his life on his profile being accurate. Nor should he. And as was mentioned above it had the nice quality of putting Holden in the shoes of the victims. He's spent too much time thinking like the killers. It's thrown off his empathy. He's perfectly capable of being empathetic but as the series wore on it was empathy for the wrong people. I agree it's complete BS. Whether guilty or not Holden is way over-confident and he's used to interacting with far more sophisticated and/or hardened guys. His over-bearing ways would break anyone who is weaker and less accustomed to law enforcement. And false confessions do happen. Yeah, I felt like the show was a bit too dismissive of that. She has really good reasons for wanting better quality data. And, frankly, some of Ford's behavior could easily taint the results. It's been raised but also kind of dismissed but some of these guys are telling him what he clearly wants to hear. And his questions/statements are far too leading. He has a narrative in his head and that is what he solicits. I don't love the character (but I'm sure she'll be back) but there is really no evidence she cheated. They were standing close in a dark room. I think the show intended it to be ambiguous. It's only purpose was to fuel Holden's need to assert his control via the principal. And Holden was completely wrong in the shoe scene. That was his issue and he turned it on her. "This isn't you" is acting as though the problem is her putting on a show and he disapproves of that. He made her feel shitty over his own issue.

But if you are out on FMLA you can't be doing work. And Chuck is working. He worked on both Sandpiper an Mesa Verse. Significant work on Mesa Verde. He is also being brought in for client meetings and strategy meetings. That is completely inappropriate. Especially given the nature of his illness. I think the insurance company has a great case that he is an increased risk. Yes! Kim was interested in hiring a paralegal and Jimmy can work as a paralegal while suspended. It's relatively common for people with law degrees who can't practice to work as paralegals.

My UO is that for all Roseanne's bluster and noise she was really pretty much a giant pushover. There was pretty much nothing her kids or Jackie could do that she wouldn't get over in one fight (which is why all politics aside her and Jackie not speaking was unrealistic for them to me.) Dan was the terrifying one you'd never want to cross. And I thought Darlene and David were more like Roseanne and Dan than Becky and Mark. Except Darlene was Dan with Roseanne's mouth and David was Roseanne with Dan's quietness. Like Dan Darlene could be genuinely terrifying and would cut you off if you crossed her. Like Roseanne David was ultimately a people pleaser and peacemaker. I don't have strong feelings about Mark and Becky. But they never just liked each other the way Roseanne and Dan did. Roseanne and Dan genuinely enjoyed each other's company and were always supportive. Supportive to a fault on occasion. (Roseanne would never be the wife to drag down her husband's dreams. Even when his dreams were unrealistic and doomed. And Dan enabled some of her worst impulses.) You never got the impression that Mark and Becky just really loved spending time with each other. Or that they made each other laugh the way Roseanne and Dan did.

Same. It's a part of a several Thai noodle dishes. And noodles are just pasta.

Is her father still alive in the books? If he is the heir he should have been granted the fortune. Not her. In the show, she has money even though he doesn't.

I really love Aunt Prudence. And I do think it's easy enough to fanwank that any money she gave for the children ended up being wasted by Phryne's father. And that any more direct attempt to take them in would be resisted by even a young Phryne as too much control from a meddlesome aunt. (And that Jane would follow whatever Phryne thought.) In the series at least, I do think she adds something. Other than being an enjoyable presence (and I do enjoy her.) Because underneath it all Phryne is essentially a law and order type. Her underlying values aren't too different from Jack's. In that, I think you can see Prudence's influence on her even if she'd never admit to that. She is much more open minded, of course, but in the end you see her and Prudence basically tend to feel the same way about major things. But I would say the Air Force former flame did feel like cheating a bit. And I don't mean I had an issue with it because it was cheating. (I didn't. It wasn't.) But, in story, it was definitely played as something she had to explain to Jack and felt sort of bad about. And she walked away from the Italian guy even if they had a brief hookup. Personally, I think that except for Lin (and Jack, which I don't love as a romance but definitely was slowly built up and not forced) all of her romances have been extremely forced and I'm happy to lose that aspect. But I definitely think it's a change in tone. What I will never understand is how Phryne has money. Her father is broke. And the family only came into money because he came into his inheritance. It's hard to believe he is forward thinking enough to set up a trust for her. I suppose the mother could but it's not her money either. She'd need his permission. I do get that compared to her father and even her Aunt Prudence she's actually quite frugal. Very nice house but on an upper middle class scale of nice not an estate. A small staff. An expensive car but just the one. Got a deal on the airplane. In the first episode, she haggles with Bert and Cec about the price of a ride. She gives a lot away but also holds fundraisers for others to give a lot, too. It's not just all out of pocket. So I totally get how she would be able to keep herself in wealth when the father couldn't. But I don't get how she has the underlying wealth at all.