ToxicUnicorn

For those of us who can't see the Forbes article because we won't turn off our ad-blockers, would someone please explain what 30 under 30 means?

This episode was the weakest one for me, by far. I didn't find any of it compelling. Still a fan of the show - it certainly commits to a premise.

I, too, liked the creepy eyes. Younger me definitely would have obsessed over everything. Well, maybe not everything. I'd have been able to let the frayed carpet go. But, yes, I can imagine the slow demise of humankind as everyone forgets to care about anything but their narcissistic concerns and finally reach a point where they are unable to move on. The result: the opposite of reaching enlightenment/nirvana. Maybe evolution slowly reverses itself for humans? Although I don't know what to do with the idea, (I am not good at philosophy or science fiction), I think the episode also raises the essential question about what makes us human versus, say, a machine, with pre-determined inputs. Our world is fraught with conflict yet very interesting because people have different perspectives. There is always the hope that the clash will resolve itself in a more sophisticated way. But, in this world, people can browbeat each other to examine the evidence until they agree or someone just pretends to agree. Where's the interest in that? It sounds intolerable to me. First of all, meetings generally suck. Second, most consensus opinions are ... I am sure you can fill in the blank. Finally, on the most simple level, that was the most excruciating portrayal of a betrayal I have ever seen. Like the two previous episodes, it magnified peoples' natural tendencies to a really gross extreme. The only time I've felt that disturbed by a dramatization of a plausible couple is when teenage me saw the Elizabeth Taylor - Richard Burton version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. This episode could have been its great-grand-baby.

I thought this was another brilliant, perverted take on the world, and I agree with Red Fields that it was "visually stunning". I also thought Bing was perfectly cast. I found the episode slow going and uneven at first. The divisions between the gray people and the yellow people didn't seem to go anywhere, I was interested in what would happen to the young violinist, and I very much wanted the crude cycling guy next to Bing to get some kind of comeuppance. However, once Bing's story really got going, I appreciated the beginning more. Once Bing had a goal, the change in him was so dramatic because he had evolved from such a hopeless state. I loved everything from the end of the singer's audition to the end of his own and the twist of "Hope" offering him his own show caught me by surprise. I thought all along that his plan was to get recruited by Wraith to join (or kill) the girl. Unlike some of the posters upthread, I found National Anthem far more horrifying horrifying than this one. This one felt like a much more plausible extension of the world. In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, there already has been an awful, awful competition show (or maybe it was all dramatized?) where "contestants" were kept in isolation boxes and given random horrible challenges by a disembodied computer voice. The one who made it the longest, won. Oh dear, I've found it: the show was called Solitary, it seems. (Sometimes, Google is too effective.) I guess I'll have to think more about the ending for Bing. I can sort of rationalize that the Wraith Babes are medicated, which is why they go along with their roles. That's disturbing in itself, but it's a familiar issue. For Bing to hold his end of the deal, though, he can't be medicated, so I wonder if he has accepted the trade he made in the sense that he has decided that living with real orange juice is preferable to any alternative, or if he meant every word of what he said, which is the only thing holding him back from killing himself was the fear it would not end quickly. Either one is possible, I think - and because I think the show intends for us to conclude that Bing is miserable at the end, I'm hard pressed to figure out which scenario makes him more miserable. As with the pilot, I would be completely happy to explore this situation more: who made the rules of this world? As frustrating as it is to be left wanting more, I have to congratulate the show for having the good taste to do that. What a great follow up to National Anthem. I am loving this show.

I'm skeptical this will pay off as well. Also, I never understood the appeal of the Sayid character on Lost, so I wasn't excited at all to see the actor show up here. Hope he surprises me.

Just saw this pilot, and my tiny brain is in smithereens. I was confused at first: was this going to be a tense show, like 24? Was it farce? Was it cringe tv? Somehow, it transcended all of it. Quite a hat trick. I was fascinated by how many digs it got in without stating any of them overtly. The actor who played the PM was great, but my favorite parts were the reaction shots. (I wonder what they were really given to watch.) Without having seen more episodes, I really, really wish this was the pilot of an ongoing storyline. I'd be interested in watching the fall out from this event happen in many dimensions.

I'm glad you posted, mightyalrighty, because it reminded me of about the time I thought Fringe got interesting. I wasn't a fan of the mystery of the week format and got lost in the first season between the boyfriend's role and the German prisoner's dropped story. I also didn't care about the Walter character until we found out his secret about kidnapping the other Peter. It was the alternate universes that got and kept my interest. I think that's when the stories became a little more coherent for me, and I enjoyed the threatening possibilities from their collisions. (Although I still think the German prisoner's story turned out to be a dud.)

I just remembered Cole Vosbury's Movin' On Up, which certainly was audacious and amused me greatly.

Matthew Schuler's Cough Syrup is my favorite, as well. The kid who sang Pumped Up Kicks stands out in my memory, too, for some reason.

No. Not at all. Not even a little bit. I see a similarity between Barrett and Beaker the Muppet. Which baffles me, because I LOVE Beaker the Muppet.

I think that would have been nice, too. Because Jordan has chosen so many inspirational songs over the season, I would have enjoyed hearing him sing one without a message - just for a change of pace. I hadn't heard Mary Do You Know until Pentatonix released their version last year, and now it is the definitive version for me. Jordan didn't even come close. Pentatonix : Mary Did You Know (official video) When it was announced, I thought it was Adam Levine's way of imitating Simon Cowell, when he gave Katherine McPhee his judge's choice song of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Only --- Simon pulled it off and Adam failed hard. Now that I've recovered a bit, I did enjoy Adam's genuine pleasure at being a fan of Jordan. I think Adam's delight in Jordan's singing looked like Adam's most genuine, most guileless emotional reactions we've ever seen from Adam. It was quite endearing, really. I only enjoyed the duets on this episode. Leather and Lace with Jeffrey and Gwen was the most entertained I have ever been from either of them. Jordan and Adam kind of amused me because they looked like they could be brothers in some universe - with Jordan as the more mature one. I really liked the way Blake and Emily Ann sounded together on Islands in the Stream --- much more than the original. (I have never liked Kenny Rogers, for some reason.) I really loved Blake on both of his duets, actually. Not only did he sound great and do I enjoy watching him sing, like the generous pro that he is, next to his contestants, but I thought he was suddenly smoking hot sexy. Thousands of times sexier than I've ever thought of him before. Maybe he finally looks like someone that a person my age could - um - appreciate. The less said about the other songs, the better.

Please, kill me now. Or, to paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield, "Take my tv, please". Listen up, The Voice. If your finale episode makes me think about starting my post with a Rodney Dangerfied quote, you're doing it wrong. Climb Every Mountain ... I am at a loss for words. Wait, this is close to how I feel. If a giraffe drank alphabet soup and then, 5 days later, managed to vomit it all back up in a mess of activated charcoal and stomach acid, it would still taste better to me than that mess Jordan delivered. I could not believe what my aural sensors were convey to my central processing unit. Or something. Sanjaya ... William Hung ... I haven't gone full circle, I've spiraled downward. I have no syllables. And then Blue Christmas? What was wrong with these people? Were the vocal coaches fired in a particularly graphic way? Were they barbequed? Were the contestants bribed to throw the show by the richest Alien in the History of the Universe? Who possibly comes out a winner in this scenario? And, not to put too fine a point on it, but did the stylists make the judges' pants too tight? I could swear they'd been neutered. I generally try to be pretty diplomatic, but I'm going to wake up tomorrow morning and not take back a word of this post.

He deserves it. This role is a perfect match for him, or he for it. I'm enjoying the heck out of this show - and am very happy to find tv finally funny again. (Between this and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.)

The idea of Blake and Gwen dating makes so little sense inside my head, I can barely believe seeing a photo of them together. My brain rejects it for some reason.

Gwen has a nice energy, but she wins the prize for giving the most useless judge's comments after a performance.

Thanks, Muffyn, for taking a shot at explaining who or why someone is voting for Barrett. At least it gives us a good hypothetical! However, I have a hard time believing anyone is voting for Barrett because of his backstory with the plane, or because he's a teacher, or because he's a family man or even because he's generically reasonable looking. So, the only reason I found satisfying was: which made me laugh pretty hard. I wish the show morphed into a format that rewarded the weird re-imaginings of songs, a la Amy and Madi and Jeffery. The results may not be to everyone's liking, but those are pretty much the only performances I find interesting any more. I really don't want to hear any more people singing Queen. Speaking of Jordan, I agree he will probably win and fade into oblivion, which would be disappointing. I can't really think of much to say about his style that is unique. For some reason, I keep comparing him in my head to Chris Mann, who also had a good voice but also never moved me. I think I prefer Emily Ann the most of the 4 of them, but I may hope Jeffrey wins, just so it's not Blake or Adam, again. I would appreciate never hearing "I want to be the first female coach to win this" again.

You had me at Cindy-Lou Who. The only two I have enjoyed consistently have been Amy and Madi. I don't know if either of them are really cut out for this business, but they have been refreshingly different. This is coming from someone who didn't like Sarah (the one who fortunately did not outlast Amber), Melanie, Dia, or any number of other indie-ish women. I typically roll my eyes at 9 to 5, but I am very glad it was not Jolene. I hate that song, and besides, it has been used before on this show. Not that that stopped Jordan. I wonder if Adam is a chronic repeater of songs.

Barrett, really? He's been my last choice for weeks. Emily Ann, on the other hand, won me over with her 9=to-5 performance. I don't even like that song, but she was great. She's come a long way, and I think she's ready. I like her better than nearly every other country singer who has been on this show (except maybe Kristin). Jordan, of course. Jeffrey? I wish it had been Amy or Madi. Although doing Cher was a pretty gutsy move. I cannot withhold respect for that. I am rooting for anyone and everyone who is not named Barrett. Uck!

This was the first episode that intrigued me. David Robert Jones seemed deadly serious and interesting, whereas the characters up till then seemed kind of cartoon-ish. I'm reading the All Episodes thread now, and found this from Kromm, which got me re-interested in checking in on the re-watch ...

An unexpected mention in an article about the ending of America's Next Top Model (don't ask why I was reading it): From the New York Times December 4, 2015

I agree it was a cliche set up, although I thought the playing with the toys part was new. All in all, the pilot is pretty weak compared to most of the rest of the season - hope it pays off for you!

Agreed. And I was just about to post that her stylist should get a raise: she looked great in the Charlie Brown video, and I loved watching how loose and happy she looked performing there. Kevin, also, has been doing better in the wardrobe department, for the most part. I liked Avi much better in his leather jacket/hoodie phase than I do in his latest incarnations.

I enjoyed Korin's performance. Carson seemed especially nice to Korin, as if he knows she is terrified. I like Carson. I think only Jordan is a lock for the final. Unfortunately, it also looks like he is headed for a pretty definitive win. (I suppose I won't mind too much if he wins, but it will be pretty boring if he does.)

I liked Adam's performance with those two other guys. Wikipedia says they were R City and the song was Locked Away. I generally like the songs that Adam chooses to perform when he is not singing with his team. Sia - I am not really familiar with her. That bow was pretty funny. Is her thing not to show her face? It certainly was a gimmick that got my attention. So, the earlier part was kind of good, but I thought she sounded more and more like an alley cat as she went on. When Carson lavished praise at the end, "That was a master class." I realized that sometimes, I have absolutely no idea what is going on. I would have preferred to continue to hear Korin, but it doesn't matter at this stage. I like her voice but she sure did look miserable.

Gwen was stunning - I adored her look in that little black dress. However, her performance was atrocious, and I felt second hand embarrassment. I do not understand why she is a star, even though she seems like a perfectly nice person. I guess the upside is I now have a little more respect for Shakira as a singer. Thanks to all for listing the I-tune rankings... #2 Jordan - Hallelujah - did nothing for me, although I concede that little run was impressive. #3 Barrett Baber - I’d Just Love To Lay You Down - all I could think of was, please, Barrett, go get a room. Followed by, "poor Barrett's wife". Also, I cannot watch him sing and I cannot shake the feeling that he would crash and burn if he tried to be commercial. I guess I-tunes is saying something else. I don't get it. #4 Madi Davis - Girls Just Want To Have Fun - this version was weird and I liked it for that reason. I probably gave it extra points because I never liked Lauper's version. #5 Emily Ann Roberts - She’s Got You - First of all, I love Patsy Cline and Emily Ann is no Patsy Cline. Emily Ann's approach was so different, I ended up thinking and if you didn't know the original, it probably was ok. I kept waiting for her to mess up, but her voice was surprisingly strong and unwavering, and she delivered what I thought she was going for. She needs to take a lesson on dynamics, but I think she has improved a lot. Bottom line : I think Emily Ann has a lot of raw talent, could eventually be something someday, and is punching far above her current weight right now. But, good for her, she and Blake are putting a good face on it. #7 Jeffery Austin - Jealous - Sigh. Jeffery is to The Voice what Elliott was to American Idol.(in the McPhee season?) I suppose his voice is fantastic - people seem to say so. He doesn't move me at all. #9 Amy Vachal - Bye Bye Bye - This was my favorite of the night. I got a real kick out of how different this was and thought Amy was much more confident. Honestly, Amy and Madi are the only ones I consistently enjoy this season. #10 Shelby Brown - Go Rest High On That Mountain - She did a good job but I'm partial to that song. Objectively, I don't think she's remarkable. In this field, however, she deserves to stay. #20 Zach Seabaugh - Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Pretty mediocre for me. Zach has a winning personality, and I enjoy him, but he is filling the role of generic young guy with charisma this season. I still miss Viktor, who I thought could sing rings around Zach and Braiden. #29 Korin Bukowski - Same Old Love - I like Korin and I liked her delivery of this song. However, I don't know the song or Selena Gomez well enough to remember the song too well. She did well, and I would rather have her stay than Barrett, Jeffery, and Zach, but I don't think that was strong enough. (Braiden did not even make the Top 100) - Braiden is making the most of his time, which I respect. He's getting a lot better. For that reason alone, it's sort of nice to watch him, but I still don't think he should be where he is, so it's hard for me to support him.