babyrambo

Not bad. The dialogue was a bit rough, but pilots are always exposition heavy and the premise is promising. I guessed there would be a twist, because there always is these days, but even though they mentioned the mountain town, I didn’t expect it to pop up so soon. Could be interesting, if things don’t get too convoluted. Sterling K Brown is a strong lead—that monologue at the end gave me major Randall vibes and now that I know it’s the same creator as This is Us, some of the writing quirks are obvious, though Paradise is less mawkishly emotional so far. I like the rest of the cast too. Interested to see what Sarah Shahi’s character does. She was great in Person of Interest but I haven’t been able to get into her other work so I hope she has a substantial role here.

It’s only the pilot, but this was still pretty routine. Even the reveal at the end felt predictable. The case was fine but none of the doctors stands out as particularly interesting, not even Watson himself. And the ex wife, who was a better actress in this than anything else I’ve ever seen her in, is definitely a thankless role. The House comparisons are inevitable with any show that has a doctor working with a team (like Brilliant Minds from last year, which had a similar premise and was also very tame plot wise) but that’s pretty much where the similarities end for me, because so far, Watson has none of the bite of House. It’s not bad, just bland.

I wanted more casual/physical intimacy between Dhan and Ethan through healthy communication, not this petty, jealous foolishness. At this point, I’m holding out hope for divorce because I cannot stand Ethan. Dude is extremely irritating. He lost me last season after the therapist reveal, because that’s such a violation of ethics and boundaries, but all his pettiness this season has been unbearable. It’s one thing to ask Dhan to take a step back from being Gabi’s attack dog and care for himself, but even that rings hollow since he and Dhan are weirdly codependent themselves. Last season Ethan left for a week and Dhan came apart. And what they’ve shown of his ‘care’ comes off as possessive and condescending and I’m not entirely sure the writers realize that. He also isn’t a good psychiatrist if he can’t grasp the obvious issues in his own relationship. Plus that all the advice he’s given Margaret has been platitudes and deep breathing 101. Shit anyone can get off a quick Google search. But that’s also just the show. More and more, it feels like the moments of clear eyed, direction & compassion are a fluke. I’m glad there’s been some movement on the arrest front though. I still don’t think Gabi is actually going to spend a a second in jail, or even get arrested, but Trent’s surprise at Mallory actually wanting to go after Gabby was so silly. What did he think was going to happen? At least he admitted that his motivation was hurt feelings and not professionalism. Because it was obvious. He’s been flip flopping since S1 and Gabi’s even called him on it. Their above the law entitlement is a bit much, but I don’t fault the team for not knowing where Trent stands from one day to another , when he doesn’t even seem to know. Another bit of bad writing. I also didn’t care for the M&A’s continued pouting. Obviously what Gabi was extreme & illegal (not that the law is entirely neutral itself) but other than Dhan, none of them ever really tried to understand how she got there. Rather than see that this was a sad form of self harm and desperation, they acted like she did something to them, on purpose. Lacey I get, the rest? They’re grown and have issues themselves yet there’s not a lick of compassion. I liked Gina speaking up for Gabi but I wonder if any of them would’ve fully come around had she not. Right? I’d say it’s getting silly but it’s been silly from day one. They act like he’s the boogeyman and it’s ridiculous. I’m also over the flashbacks. The first few fleshed out the story. They’re redundant and excessive now.

This felt like a super dated season one episode, with all the caricature and little nuance. I was waiting for Shambala Green and a Nation of Islam representative to pop up lol Because all that black community talk was corny and undercooked and came off extremely forced. I’ve noticed that the writers love to bring up the ‘black community’ in cases like this, when what they actually mean is black men. And there’s almost always a black woman defending them with little thought for themselves. In cases like this, where they’re the defendants, I get it to some degree but the female ‘catalyst’ (& there’s often a female catalyst like that guy who’s wife died in childbirth) of their violent actions are almost never given full consideration. But maybe that’s how it is for most cases and I’ve only noticed with these. I did like the Washburn though, wild naïveté and all. I don’t buy that she got be a whole detective without grasping just how racist, contradictory, and underhanded the NYPD can be though. The mogul was vile and deserved what he got, I agreed with her there, but for her to be a cop, and proudly say this Riley & Shaw? Inane. Just zero slickness or self preservation. With how she was talking she was clearly over it and needed to quit asap. I’m surprised she hasn’t gotten herself into hot water before this even. But the actress sold the silly lines she was given, even though almost everything that came out of her mouth was over the top to the point of parody. I liked her back and forth with Shaw, and wouldn’t mind them professionally investing in that dynamic, but I’m really over the ever crusading black female character who goes to bat for black men with little regard for herself. In this show and others. Any maybe it’s because there were so many known faces but I kept expecting Sherri Saum (dead guy’s wife) to have done it—especially when she went to Baxter to shut down the trial—and would’ve preferred they gone that route; so the race angle doubly fell flat. I did like Nolan though, he came alive in court in a way he rarely does.

I thought she was going to have a bigger role, but it was nice to see her guest in this. I really liked her in the short lived Pivoting, which was better than expected. She’s great at playing cool & high strung even if it is typecasting. Her and Morgan’s little back and forth as Morgan connected the dots was fun. Would be nice to see her back as a mom friend or something. Also really liked the kids bonding at the end. Ava’s actress is solid but she’s older so that’s expected. The kid who plays Elliott surprised me because he’s so natural for being so young. His dynamic with Morgan is super sweet, I love that they don’t go overboard with his being a mini adult/savant and show realistic moments of his childishness. The case was okay. I figured it was a nanny halfway through and hoped they’d get Judy Reyes in there doing something about it somehow. Still feels like she’s a figurehead who only pops up to give Morgan updates. Now that the show has been renewed, I hope she gets a bit more to do in s2. And Morgan’s sweater at the end was super cute. I tend to like her extra little outfits (& nails, the cow print from a few weeks ago were amazing) impractical as they are, but this was one of the few that I would actually wear. Daphne’s outfits are the most fitting and aesthetically appealing to me, I also took note of her black & white outfit, and will be copying it. Javicia Leslie is costumed so well on this show.

^ From the linked interview. This adds a point to the ‘she’s Sir’s sister’ theory imo. There are also parts about Heather falling for Trent despite herself which is less interesting but I don’t mind it as much since it doesn’t sound like she’s there to solely be a love interest.

I want to like this a lot more than I do, but right now it’s missing something, I don’t know what. Hopefully it settles as it goes on. Currently, Larsen’s relationship with her best friend is still the only one I really buy. Maybe it’s because they have the most personal scenes together, but their friendship comes off as really genuine. Especially when Larsen lashed out. Felt like the kind of back and forth you’d have with someone who knows you well enough to both call you on your BS and stick around. Right now there’s a lot of focus on Gina supporting Larsen, which makes sense, but I want to see some reciprocity down the line. That second marriage line was interesting and I thought they were going to discuss it, but right now the show seems focused on revealing memories about Larsen & her family and even then, only when it suits the plot. I know that’s a typical TV thing but because of the sometimes heavy handed writing, it feels a lot more obvious here. I do like that they’re keeping some of Larsen’s prickliness though. She’s a lot more patient this time around, but still rough around the edges. In the pilot Gina says that his heart gave out on a school trip because his arrhythmia was a lot more serious than diagnosed. Given how much Larsen changed after her son’s death, it seems she was blinded by grief and anger, and in an effort to cope, neglected the child that was still alive in favour of becoming a cold and sometimes cruel workaholic. Her husband said that the grief tore them apart and she ended things. Romantic relationships differ from friendships but I’m assuming the only reason her close friendship seems to have lasted because is Gina put in the effort. Because Larsen doesn’t seem like one to go out of her way and has little to no personal life outside of Gina and the boyfriend. I wonder how they even got together since she was work focused and had little regard for others back then.

Seriously. I foresee a lot of relationship, melodrama and I’m already over it. I think I would prefer it if she’d been Sir’s sister like most people theorized.

Reminded me of a mix of early New Amsterdam andThe Resident, with all the same doctorly shuffling as ER. I rewatched it a while back and it really was one of the few medical shows that starts off with a heavy focus on the medicine, like this one. The shows aren’t clones but all the reviews stating there are absolutely no similarities are a bit disingenuous IMO. But it’s a solid start. They’ve planted some seeds of melodrama but so far that’s all taking a backseat to the patients. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and currently I only really buy Carter Robby, Collins, and McKay as doctors, but I really liked the charge nurse and the added touch of Filipina nurses as well, because that reflects real life. And other than St Denis, which is sitcom, I don’t think I’ve seen any other show touch on that. I know some action shows have done the ‘every season is a day’ thing but I haven’t seen it with a medical drama yet. So far, it seems interesting.

I remember hearing about an ER reboot in the works and then that faded & news aboutThe Pitt dropped this year with constant claims that it was absolutely, 100%, not ER in any way shape or form. According to TVLine: “[Wells] thought about it, and we talked about it, and then we ended up bringing in a couple of the old ER writers,” including Gemmill and David Zabel. “We came up with a concept, and it really never got out of the starting gate,” Wyle conceded on a June episode of the Still Here Hollywood podcast, explaining that they “had some issues” with the Crichton estate, “and the negotiations became a non-starter.” Seems to me like the bones of this were that ER reboot idea and once it didn’t work out they had to quickly pivot and deny. But once it airs audiences can judge for themselves. I think it’ll probably end up with some similarities to ER & other medical shows because there are only so many patient stories to tell. Even that silly ABC show that put its doctors on a boat seems to have a few of the usual cases. Originality in a well tread and over saturated area is hard to come by.

Thought this was a bit bland for a series premiere, especially given the premise, but pilots tend to be hit or miss and I did like most of it. Especially Larsen. The ‘jerk genuis’ trope can be grating but I like the idea of a female character in this role and hope they don’t completely take away her prickliness. She can work on her bedside manner and still have a bit of an edge. Also liked Amirah Vahn’s Gina, who I hope isn’t reduced to the ever patient best friend, because she’s got a lot of range. I also thought she had the best chemistry with Larsen, definitely more than her boyfriend (who reminds me of a short Matt Bomer) and her husband, even in the happy flashbacks. Not really sold on either romance yet. And I’m with everyone about not liking all the secrets and lies, but I think dropping everything on her in this episode would’ve been a lot. Hopefully they get things out of the way in the next episode or two because watching everyone tiptoe around the truth is going to get old fast.

I guess the fairytale apocalypse is over. And even though I saw it coming I still hate that they used sexual violence against a teenage girl to hammer home the fact that that guy was a predator, because it felt lazy. But they’ve embraced all the other tv clichés so I’m not surprised they went there. I did like how Ish delivered justice though because with the way their society is set up, the idea of a prison is a dream. I also liked the virus retuning, because it ups the stakes a bit. But despite things picking up, the show has been pretty mediocre. Maybe a one time drop would’ve made it flow better. Had it been more than 6 episodes, I think I would’ve dropped it.

I don’t get why Ish is the only one with any self preservation and suspicion in his group. Sure, they haven’t seen strangers in years, but all the adults lived in the pre-apocalyptic world and know how dangerous even that was, so their general lack of caution—allowing their kids going off on their own to explore?? Emma downplaying a grown man ogoliing a teen right in front of her, what woman just brush that off??—and lack of self preservation comes off as willful stupidity. Just because the strangers they’ve met so far have been good doesn’t mean everyone else is. It’s like they’re playing dumb. Especially since the new guy was giving villain 101 like the naivety is hard to buy and a bit annoying to watch.

I typically don’t watch reality tv because all the manufactured drama gives me secondhand embarrassment but I was sick and bored and thought seniors would have less overblown drama. And in some ways they did but, but this also reminded me that despite saying they want change, a lot of people are stuck in their ways and like it that way. Because some of these dates were rough. Especially for Anise. I felt like the show was trying to use her for a cheap comedy/drama because why were her first two dates a rude loser (I would’ve been out of there so fast the cameras would’ve shown smoke the second he talked about those honey buns like what! this isn’t the biggest loser and I’ll be damned if a bad build geezer tells me what to eat!) and a guy with a racial fetish? Yuck lol. I hated that for her and watching Logan try to save face by claiming Anise wasn’t being open was wild. As if Logan herself would be open to Idiot 1 & Idiot 2! She tried it. Anise was gorgeous, body banging, and looked incredible for her age. I’m glad her daughter eventually picked someone who at least saw that she was the full package. Because I was really starting to get annoyed at her lacklustre dates. And while I like her final match, Big Willie is a bit…lemme just say the elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor lol. I know he was nervous but this cracked me up! Especially with that ‘smooth’ voice he kept putting on. He’s a nice looking man and I love how smitten he is with her and she with him—they were carrying on like a couple of high school cornballs, it was pretty cute—but overall, he didn’t seem to be on her level. Same with Lori and those dullards they set her up with. Another fetishist—I don’t date men so maybe they’re common and I’m missing something—and a meek deacon of all things. What about her said she wanted a bore! I hated the way Logan tried to downplay the men’s faults and instead frame it as Lori not being open (she was definitely controlling and needed to let up with her kids that one’s true) when those men were very clearly not on her level. For all her degrees and behavioural studies accomplishments, I thought Logan was missing the cultural specificity and also indulging in a bit of feigned ignorance when it came to Anise and Lori, because she kept acting like she didn’t get why they didn’t want to make do with those duds she set them up with. But what black woman or woman in general wants to grow up a man? Especially in their golden years ?? She needed to be for real. But Lori did too because it was clear that Fedora guy wasn’t into her and I hated watching her eagerly take his crumbs. At least he finally told her he wasn’t feeling it and released her. She’s fun and knows what she wants but is also easily taken in by appearances & didn’t seem quite ready for an experience like this tbh. LOL too true. My mom, her bestie and half her book club have those glasses and the they’re all black woman around Lori’s age. It’s like these glasses and a low cut/finger waves are the fun black mom uniform, ha. I liked her, but I missed her age and until reading this board I thought she was a nice looking 77. She really does seem older but she’s still gorgeous. I really liked how was firm she was about not wanting to be a ‘nurse or a purse’. It’s smart to be aware of the liars & users at all ages but especially as a senior. I don’t really like the guy she went with in the end because he came off a bit smarmy, but they did have a lot of chemistry. Unlike Pam & her dates. But she was a bit stuck in the past and off in her own world anyway. She seemed very lonely to me and like she was looking for people, period, not necessarily love. Glad she found an outlet in the end. I thought the men were superficial and their scenes were my least favourite part. Especially that one guy who wasn’t trying to hear it when Logan reminded him that age/life meant people wouldn’t always look perfect. Skipped all his scenes because he annoyed me so much. Just shallow. Kinda like Nate, who I found to be a major lame. Same. I said where did your strict list go sir lol. Sure, he didn’t full on state his preferences (except for the ‘long flowing hair’ comment which made me laugh because it was clearly a lacefront lol) but it was obvious he liked them lightskinned and complaint. He knew how to act the part with all his dates but I could tell he wasn’t feeling Anise from the jump and I knew Michelle’s liveliness (calling a grown woman feisty is so silly and very junior high) would eventually bother him. They dodged a bullet though, because he is overly rigid and unfun. Yeah I thought it was obvious that they had a very brother sister dynamic, and that he wasn’t into her physically at all. Even how he described their relationship was very blasé. She seems cool though, I’d say she should cut the cord and find someone who appreciates her, but she seems fine with their relationship. I’d be chewing at the bit to escape from boredom in her place though. A nice, light watch. Only thing that gave me pause was just how into traditional gender roles everyone was. There was a lot of talk of ‘letting men be men’ and submissive female behaviour and it threw me. Maybe it’s the generational divide, because most of these people could be my grandparents, but I thought it was interesting that most of the women were so accomplished in life but were also willing submit to a man and let him make the moves/plan the dates. To me it’s one thing to want to be able to let your guard down around a significant another but a whole other to want a man to take charge. That’s a bit much. But I know things are different when they were young. I did like that they loosened up a bit in the end listened to their daughters/granddaughters about how it wasn’t ‘desperate’ to make the first move though. The scenes with their kids were my favourite part. Lori seemed to have a good relationship with her kids, despite being a bit overbearing, Savannah and her daughter were sweet, & Pam and her grandchild have a lot of fun together. But my fave was Anise & her daughter. They were so funny and genuine, I just loved watching their interactions. And they both gave me long lost Braxton sisters, very Towanda-esque. Lori also looked like a celeb to me and it wasn’t until I finished the show that I figured it out—Tamara Tunie, (Law & Order SVU) especially in her younger pictures. edit: having read/watched interviews, it seems none of the couples lasted which I kind of expected, but it seemed to be a positive experience for all of them, which is great.

I only started reading that board a year or two ago, but from what I can gather, it seems that some of the audience thinks that the show has become too much about Olivia Benson (many comments say she’s written as too perfect, inserted in plots and scenes where her presence is unnecessary, and find the fact that she tends to be the one that solves the cases unrealistic? That’s where the nickname comes from I think?) and that there’s a direct correlation between her screen-time and the show’s decline in writing/quality. But as someone who started watching the show in s15 and worked backwards to the early years, I think that while it was initially banked as a ensemble show, there’s was always an emphasis on Olivia Benson; one that got more pronounced after Stabler left, sure, but imo those two always felt like co-leads, so the shift to focusing a little more on her after his departure made sense. And maybe I’m biased (I’m always going to root for a complex female lead putting baddies away) but I never minded it. I do agree that the show has become a bit stale and melodramatic, but after 26 years, 20+ episodes, and countless spin-offs, that’s inevitable. Plus most shows that go on for multiple seasons ideally end up focusing more on the leads as they tend to be the mainstays/longest running cast members. Although, sometimes they and the rest of the cast turn into caricatures of their pasts selves, and I think sometimes happens with SVU. And while I get that she isn’t everyone’s favourite, the vitriol towards her definitely surprised me at first, and I can only guess at why (age, gender, rank of her character?) Benson doing this annoys people so much. These are just my thoughts as an infrequent poster/reader of that board though, maybe someone else can better explain. Anyway, to keep this on topic, I thought some of the meta bits for this week’s Elsbeth were fun—the shipping stuff definitely rang true, some people can get super intense about their tv couples—but I enjoyed last week’s episode a lot more.