Bastet

I am loving him for being so stupid, because the Rams were going to lose with Green Bay only needing a FG to win and two minutes on the clock, but even I feel a twinge of sympathy for him - that's going to be a long flight home.

The hawk is just wild in the neighborhood as I understand it, not being kept by anyone. I see one perched on my utility lines from time to time, and once in my orange tree; any others, I just see flying/circling overhead. (Okay, so it may not be the same one coming down each time, but it's rare enough I just say, "Hello, Hawk" as if is a repeat visitor.)

Way to go, Giants -- finally find the end zone with :17 left to play in the game. And it's not like Washington had a great game, so the Giants just truly suck. Transition years can be painful, but this is ugly. Go Rams! They have to lose at some point, but a co-worker (here in Los Angeles) is a Packers fan, so we'll never heard the end of it if it's today.

I liked this, and as much as I liked the "final" Laurie vs. Michael ending in H20 (even though the film as a whole was just okay), this one is even better, with three generations of Strode women, and all the planning Laurie put into it, and - while the box office means a sequel is pretty much inevitable - I'd love for this to be the end of the franchise. I liked all the nods to the original and part II (even though I don't much like part II), but I only caught a few from later sequels. I'm sure there will be a list compiled somewhere.

That's another thing I always tell myself, to try not to hate Kit quite as much as I do -- Lori Petty was almost 30, but Kit is - based on the average age at marriage then and the fact she's the younger sister - much younger. This league is the first professional experience she's ever had (she's been a teammate, yes, but for fun, not for stakes). She's never had a job outside her parents' farm. It will never not be annoying that she melts down into prolonged sobs in the fucking dugout, or even more tiresome that she can't accept the simple fact that, for almost all of us, there is someone out there better than we are at any given skill. But she was smart enough to want the hell out of the life she was born into, and to want to do something for herself before settling down - she doesn't just stay in the league, she stays in Racine during the off-season to get a job and hang out/probably live with some of her teammates rather than heading back where "I'm nothing here." She bugs throughout the movie for being so immature, whiny, insecure, and just all-around fucking exasperating, but she does have time to grow the hell up and we leave her in a time/place where we can see that's possible. I cannot believe I just wrote an entire post sympathetic to Kit.

Friday night: Surf & Turf - crab cakes and bacon-wrapped filet mignon, with roasted asparagus and an arugula salad Last night: Popcorn. Movie theater popcorn. A lot of it. With "butter." Tonight: Poached chicken breast (with leeks and topped with an herb & jalapeño salsa verde) and steamed broccoli. (Because, dude - a tub of movie theater popcorn! Good thing I eat it approximately once every five years.)

He says this every episode! He's the new Eldin - he'll never leave! (Works for me; I like him as much as I did Eldin, and find the scenes of him with Murphy at home as important to the series as those with Eldin and Murphy were.)

I'm not going to be home tonight, or I could see if this works again -- apparently the key to a Dodgers victory is for me to get in bed. In game four against the Brewers, as soon as I said, "Okay, I have to give up and watch the rest of this from bed (which risks me falling asleep before it ends)," my head had barely hit the pillow when the Dodgers won to tie the series. Same thing last night - just tucked in and they finally won. If they go really, really late into extra innings tonight and the game is still going when I get home, I'll hop into bed to make them 2-2 in this series, too.

The archive hasn't been updated since Tuesday's game (boo, hiss), but I looked up the FJ clues for the three games I missed. For Bloemfontein, my answer was something along the lines of "What is one of the capitals of South Africa, the city where [a friend] was born, the one whose name means flower or something like that?" I could not come up with the name. Similarly, Friday's answer was, "What is that stone I saw in Edinburgh Castle?" I didn't expect to get Thursday's, when I saw the "State Birds" category, because I don't know many bird species, and state birds, mottoes, flowers, etc. is one of those things I'd have to study if I ever went on this show. But, somehow, "two-word" did it for me and Baltimore Oriole immediately popped into my head, and it certainly made sense that a bird with a city in its name would be adopted as a state bird, so I was solid on that guess.

John Hostetter played John, the stage manager. The cameraman who was infatuated with Murphy was Carl (his portrayer, Ritch Brinkley, is also dead).

When Darlene was still a kid, and Becky a young teen, Roseanne understood Becky more than Darlene -- Becky was into boys and hanging out at the mall with her friends, and Roseanne had been the same, so she related. Darlene had Roseanne's smart mouth and dry humor, but she was into playing sports and hanging out with Dan. In those days, Roseanne spent more time with Becky. But as Darlene got into the teen years, and started becoming the person she was going to be, she found her creative side, and that was something Roseanne understood - along with Darlene's desire to always have the last word, heh (I love that exchange of "right"s at Karen's store as Roseanne is leaving). When Darlene checked out of sports, she spent a lot more time at home - usually hiding in her room or vegetating on the couch, but then when she started working on the comic book with David, she came alive. Add in Becky moving to Minneapolis, and Roseanne spent more time with Darlene than she ever had. As Darlene got closer to adult than child, the similarities between the two of them - including the conflicts that created - became prominent.

That's a good point that I never truly registered, either (but, yes, still can't stand the big baby). I mean, I always liked that scene, that Dottie and Kit wouldn't go without Marla, not because she's a friend or even someone they know, but because she's a woman who is being treated unfairly. But I never thought about that being an even greater move from Kit, who saw this opportunity as her one chance to get off her parents' farm and who was only taken because Dottie agreed to come too, and that Kit doesn't follow her sister's lead in doing so, they both do it at the same time; for both, the sisterhood is their natural instinct. And for Kit, it's an instinct even stronger than self-preservation. She's a whiny twit, but props for that! And props to you for pointing that out, as now I'll enjoy the scene even more.

I missed last week's episode introducing Tammy, so she was just this bizarre interloper to me, which was distracting to say the least. But I still greatly enjoyed Marjorie's story -- and Adam in the track suit. I've always found Wendy the weakest character, and it's hard to judge whether that's solely because they don't develop her any, or whether they don't give her any more than they do because she's weak, so more focus on her would fall flat. So I like when they use her in just the right way during her little bit of time, such as when Christy was in the hospital (I love that they'd all forgotten she was a nurse and were taken aback when she knew what she was doing; that was pitch perfect), and in this episode when she was the one to articulate that Marjorie wasn't acting the way they thought she should because even though the death is fresh, Marjorie is actually far into the grieving process because she had to say good-bye well before he died. (And, yes, perfect that it turned out she'd said that already but they just talked over her and didn't register it.)

If that had happened with my best friend, I'd have never even considered keeping the bonds; I'd have given them back to her. If she'd offered me half, I'd have felt a little weird about it, and said no, they're yours - you never intended to sell them and I never intended to get anything remotely like that out of my $50 box of junk - but if it seemed that it would make her feel awkward about the situation if I didn't take it, I'd take the half. So I cannot relate to their argument at all, and don't really have a side.

I agree; there's no retcon. Becky was treated like a third adult in the family when she was at home, having to do way more housework and taking care of D.J. than Darlene did, even once Darlene was the same age Becky had been and even when Becky was gone. Roseanne told Becky she was the second woman in command, the heiress to her throne ("Okay; I'll go fold the royal underwear"), but it was in that context - the one who had to help take care of things. Darlene was the one positioned as the chip off the old block in terms of attitude and personality; there were several comments over the years about Darlene being just like Roseanne (including when Roseanne tells her not to worry about those comments, she's no more like Roseanne than Roseanne is like her own mother, and Darlene wails, "Oh, no!"). Thus Bitch-Fest '93 - "oh, what a time we had."

Quoting myself to say this being on again tonight reminded me of the thing I knew I wanted to include in that post but couldn't remember -- in addition to the Marla/Mr. Capadino familiarities I listed as constituting my objection to their modern-day relationship, there's another one: the fact they walk in together - past the cut ribbon to the newly-opened exhibit - holding hands. She says her line, walks away, and we get the cigar shot. She's not hanging with him. Add that to her earlier conversation with Dottie about how's Nelson (the enthusiastic, "He's good; our son runs the business now"), and there's no ambiguous craziness about Marla now being with the asshole, and there are easy explanations as to why Nelson is not with her as she walks in, or even there at all; the Marla/Mr. Capadino relationship is one of friendship, but I return to WTF? of it reaching the point of her walking into the exhibit hand in hand with Mr. Capadino, calling him Honey, and kissing him on the cheek, based on their origin, the limited contact they'd have had while the league existed, and the fact he was almost certainly a fucking asshole that whole time. While I'm kvetching about something I otherwise love, I hate the "... and that darn ending" aspect of this thread title, because the end of the World Series (which is the source of the "did she drop the ball on purpose?" debate [she didn't] that to this day overshadows the film in some circles) isn't the end of the movie -- the film ends with the unambiguously (except what the hell Marla sees in Mr. Capadino, heh) wonderful reunion at the Hall of Fame and the baseball game played by real-life League members rather than actors.

And Miles told her the head of HR hates her, which ties back to the original series' line, "Someone in Personnel hates me." I am disappointed they haven't made gold out of the revolving door of assistants the way I thought they would -- with just 13 episodes, I figured we'd have 13 great guest shot appearances in that role. And they came out of the gate stronger than I could have ever imagined with Secretary (hee) Clinton in the first episode (hillary@youcouldhavehadme.com still makes me laugh when I think about it). But since then it hasn't just been a lack of heavy hitters, we've only had the one additional interview with a "regular" actor/character. "I'm Murphy Brown and you must be my new secretary" was such an iconic aspect of the original series each week, I'm sad to see it only half-heartedly continued. Add in the "we don't want to build a Murphy's Office set" cost cutting meaning we don't see the return of Murphy's dart board, and there are some small but beloved things I'm missing. I'm still a happy viewer, though. This hasn't lived up to my high expectations, and I'd love for the final stretch, when they're doing quick turn-arounds, to really knock it out of the park, but I'm happy with what we've been given, and if there's never a better episode than what we've seen so far, I'll still be unequivocally grateful this came back at this time.

What the ass was Murphy wearing the first day? That jacket is horrible! I hate for that to be my first remark, but damn. Frank not being able to wipe the I Got Some smile off his face wasn’t as funny as that time Jim got the giggles on air. And, Christ, if they’d bothered to build an office set for Murphy, they could have had their private conversation there. But then VAL couldn’t have overheard and we wouldn't have a plot. Patel never wears socks; it annoys me. I like the black nail polish, though. “It wasn’t Avery or I.” Et tu, Murphy? Now that I’m through being petty: I love VAL updating itself by the second on the number of Trump lies (“Apologies, he is currently at a rally”). I laughed out loud. Phyllis’s reaction to the MAGA ass - “I’ll deport your ass right out that door” – was fun, but I liked her smile/laugh when the busboy was telling him off even more; pure delight on her face. “Was Ann Coulter busy shedding her skin last night?” I don’t care how low hanging the fruit, mocking her never gets old. Same with: “I ran into her at a conference on the environment.” “What was she doing there, clubbing seals?” And the Wolf Network getting a 60% discount at the Trump hotel. I still prioritize the sharper humor employed by this show the first time around, but in this unprecedented era, I also take comfort in the more obvious. It speaks to how Avery grew up part of the FYI family that Miles didn’t even think about the fact a correspondent for a competing network was sitting there when he blurted out about the interview. And I love Murphy sending him on a wild goose chase for the tape. “Well, I’ve been lying to him since he was born, I know what I’m doing.” And I like the talk between Frank and Murphy about how easy it would be for Avery to find something at home. And then Murphy, despite her reflexive anger, later asking Avery about it, and her pride when he said if he came across that kind of info, he’d use it himself. I love the Barney story. He went out for a walk and never came back! Avery and Murphy for the win.

Yeah, that's a reason to stay with someone whose traumatized reaction to his brother's death was to be utter shit as a husband and father to your kids. Loving each other is the easy part, and knowing each other, sexually, so well you're guaranteed a good time in bed is great. Being right for each other involves a lot more than love and sex, though, and it sounds like (I still haven't watched it) the Roseanne revival episode when he showed up and they slept together again and this episode established they lost that long ago. The time it would take for him to re-establish himself as someone she should be with is longer than this show will be on the air, so I'd rather it be a story of two people making the painful but necessary peace with the fact they had a great run, but it ended, and they need to let go. Much more realistic - which this franchise was about - than TeenLove4EVA. We already had that with Dan and Roseanne; it was nice seeing a couple beat the odds and it being a good thing, not something they sadly stuck with just because when they'd have been better off going their separate ways and finding themselves apart from each other long ago. Mark and Becky probably would have divorced at some point, but he died so that relationship is sort of preserved in amber and she's been stuck in place by the memory of it and fantasies of how it would have progressed. Darlene and David is the perfect chance to tell the far more likely trajectory, and do it well. I hope Galecki's main show ending doesn't tempt them into setting up some interminable tale just because they could have him more in future episodes should this continue.

Well, that ignores Marcy Carsey's role in the mess, presenting it to Matt Williams as his show with Roseanne Barr as his star, and to Barr as her show with Williams as her head writer. And downplays Williams's behavior. But, the bottom line regarding the development and that first year is that everyone played a role; no one person is ever responsible for a show's success - make some cast and writing changes and this show never gets off the ground despite Barr or Williams. Barr was the key person responsible from turning it from a family sitcom based on her stand-up act to something deeper and more important. And, important to The Conners, Barr was the single person responsible for getting herself fired from Roseanne, and thus the show canceled. So, speaking to the post upthread, nobody owed her anything in the aftermath of that. Zip-point-shit. She annihilated something they'd been thrilled to be doing and were getting ready to do more of. The cast had remained friends with her despite discomfort with the turn she'd taken in recent years, and continue to want to try to come to some sort of understanding of the disconnect between the decades-long love they feel for her in general and the disgust they feel for what she did this year. She's the one who was "don't talk to me" within days of the cancellation news (well before The Conners was conceived). They had contracts for another season of a show that she ruined because - despite warnings - she couldn't keep her fingers off her phone, and now they're earning their checks by giving the audience more of the family they were so happy to have back. It must be weird, and sad, for her to see the show universe carry on without her, given how it came out of her heart and soul, but she has no one but herself to blame. This could have been the wake-up call she needed, but she's just doubled down. She can feel whatever she wants about the show going on. But no one owes her an apology for it.

And when Darlene and David got married, their vows referred to the example set by their parents, Dan and Roseanne Conner. (And when David told Mark he was a little sad their mom and dad weren't coming to the wedding, Mark reminded him of how badly they treated both of them, and said the Conners are their family now.)

Mark is talking about who he's going to sit next to on the bus, not who he's going to make out with under the bleachers. "Whoever I sit next to, it means I like them" is so innocuous, innocent, and typical of crushes at that age that I cannot imagine there'd be a "sexualizing of children" outcry if he was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and asking Dan which of two girls he should sit by.

Well, it's Darlene. There's always a layer of snark included with any other sentiment. And I'm sure their relationship, rejecting stereotypical gender roles, continued to be a longstanding source of kidding among the whole family, just as it had been during the years we saw them. Mark was the only one truly putting David down when he did it. (With Dan, there was a little bit of something there, but it was really just about how he had trouble relating to him, whereas Mark he understood.) If Darlene thought David's stereotypically feminine characteristics were inappropriate/unappealing in a man - like Mark did - she wouldn't have fallen in love with, married, had kids with, stayed married to, and still care about him the way she does. She teases him. She has some real problems with his behavior these days. But the woman who married David and who's so accepting of Mark (the younger) is not in the "Eww, you're a girlie man" crowd.

The "daughter she always wanted" comment was deeply rooted in David and Roseanne's relationship, which began because he was dating Darlene, but developed into so much more once he moved in with them - which is why it continued even when David and Darlene split, because he was her family on his own, completely separate from his relationship to Darlene. David talked to Roseanne, confided in her, sought her counsel, a lot. That wasn't the relationship she had with her daughters; she had good ones with them, just different from the stereotypical mother/daughter, TV-perfect one Roseanne always jokingly wanted. So it's a perfect joke to classify David as the daughter she always wanted, and there's also a sweet truth in it, acknowledging that Roseanne died loving him, even if he's estranged from the family as a whole.

From that Deadline Hollywood article re. casting Rene Rosado: Well, this will be interesting - I absolutely hated Rosado's character on Major Crimes by the time it ended, so I wonder if when I watch him on this show I'll see Gus and reflexively start yelling at my TV, or be a rational person. Also, that character description sounds awful, but this is a show on which I'm very willing to see how it actually plays.