Bastet

I still listen to my Cranberries CDs with some regularity, so O'Riordan is sort of frozen in time to me and thus seems like even younger than she was.

Yes, like Becky, Darlene got a GED. They talk about it at the time, and confirm it when David graduates high school - he's the first of their "kids" to do so. I don't mind Roseanne's initial reaction; Darlene was young, she'd already had one kid run off, etc. And she came around, which gave us that beautiful, "I love you, Darlene, and I want you to get the hell out" scene.

I don't do social media, either, so I don't know how he's doing in real time, but on the show he's doing well. He was on this latest episode, showing the new parolee the ropes and chatting with him.

No excuse for the lack of a tackle there. What the fuck was that?

Amen!

Come on, New Orleans. Yes, if the Pats wind up representing the AFC in the Super Bowl yet again, I will hope mightily the NFC team wins, even if it's the Vikings or - gulp - the Eagles. But it would be nice to actually be rooting for a team, and the Saints are my last chance at that. So, of course, they're playing like utter shit.

Oh, bummer - I didn't hear that (I tuned in over five minutes late, and I think I was late coming back from commercial once, too). Did he complete his work-release program and then just not stay on as a parolee once he was out of prison, or did he quit the program early?

Hero was good - I'm in favor of anything that puts Carl Lumbly on my screen, and Saul starting to come back to himself was nice - but I kind of wish they'd found a way to work it in earlier in the series, when they first got the idea; this was a long time for Adama have been thinking his actions sparked the attacks, without there having been any hint of that in his behavior. (I know it was Bulldog's return that made him confront those memories, but I find it impossible to believe he hadn't thought of them.) At least it happened when Laura is close enough to him to say, look, knucklehead, no one thing spurred the cylons to act, and just get out there so I can pin a frakking medal on you. I'd have liked someone - by which I mean a character; Moore said it in his commentary - to point out the timing clearly reveals the cylons had their plan in motion well before the black ops mission to poke their noses over the armistice line. I guess the fact we the audience know the specifics of Caprica Six using Baltar to get access to the defense mainframe, but the characters merely know that cylons were able to infiltrate it, and Laura knows she saw Baltar with a Six the day of the attacks, means there isn't anyone who'd say it that clearly. Laura wryly suggesting they hang the portrait of Baltar over the toilet cracked me up. (If I may also get completely shallow for a moment, she looked fantastic in that casual shirt and clipped back hair in that cleaning out the office scene.) So, Unfinished Business. Love it. The Bill and Laura scenes in the extended cut are my new favorite thing in the world. (Moore said in his commentary he could watch just their scenes and love the episode, and I agree; in fact, I promptly went back and watched it just that way). And not just once they get stoned; the "it's good to see you" scene when he's playing in the alluvial deposits is just as great as the star-gazing conversation and the morning after. The interaction between them at the "dance" was great, too; I love the way he looks at her so full of affection after remembering that day on New Caprica, and the way she gives him boxing tips when he's losing to Tyrol. And then there's the reversion to "Madame President/Admiral" when she helps him down after his speech. Moore said a novel could be made out of what happened between them during the missing year, and the editor who was joining him on the commentary said it could be a spin-off, and now I'm sad that doesn't exist. The commentary was illustrative of why network execs and their notes have such a bad reputation - SciFi objected to Bill and Laura being stoned. Okay, but people are passed out drunk all over the place, and that doesn't bother them. They also objected to the final stargazing scene with them, because it felt "too post-coital." Two people fully dressed is bothersome, because it feels sexually intimate, but Kara actually frakking Sam, and then Lee, no problem. (To be clear, I don't think they should have been bothered by the drinking or the frakking, just that it's particularly ridiculous they were bothered by the other things in light of not objecting to those counterparts.) Anyway, it was nice to go back and see what things were like in the beginning of settlement, when people thought maybe they could make a life for themselves there. And it's good for the Kara/Lee tension to have come to head; there are so many layers to their relationship - they put their lives on the line next to each other for a living, but have such different styles as members of the fleet, they have a bit of sibling vibe to their relationship owing to Zach, and to Bill regarding her as a daughter, and then there's the sexual/romantic attraction. It's a complicated love, and while I'm not as invested in how it will wind up as I think the show wants me to be, I do like peeling back those layers. The way Tigh laughed when Kara tells him she slept with Lee was my favorite thing other than Bill/Laura. The Passage was a good hour of tension, although not a masterpiece like 33. This one felt a little rushed by joining the crisis in progress, rather than having had the contamination of the food supply play out in front of us, but they did a good job making me feel the hunger and desperation. It was a solid, I know they'll make it but how much will they lose along the way? struggle. I liked Tigh and Adama's punch-drunk laughter over people not being able to eat paper, because there's a paper shortage, too. I'm bummed they killed Kat, because the tension between her and Kara was interesting to me. I like that their final moment together was true to their characters and relationship, rather than going overly soft. And I love Adama making sure she dies as CAG, and stopping her from telling him about herself (and that she tries to do so, including telling him Starbuck knows), by asking her if what she has to tell him changes anything about what made her a good CAG. And then he just sits there with her. Nice. The Hybrid on the cylon basestar continues to be ever too weird for me, and I can't fully get into what the D'Anna who's involved with Baltar and Caprica Six is trying to accomplish by dying over and over again and then trying to remember the experience between one body and the next, but it's okay, and Baltar kind of fearing he's a cylon and kind of hoping he is because then instead of being a traitor to one group of people he'd be a hero to another is interesting.

I'm running low on chicken stock, so a fresh batch is simmering away on the stove, and I'm going to make noodle nests so I can make Deborah Madison's Chard and Cilantro Soup With Noodle Nests for lunches next week (I only eat soup for lunch; it's a rule <g>). I'd been flipping through her Local Flavors cookbook, looking for ideas for cool weather greens, and realized I hadn't made this soup in eons. You make nests by mixing fine egg noodles (e.g. capellini), with egg yolks, whipped egg whites, Monterey Jack cheese, and chopped cilantro, to form what look like bird nests. Float them in oil until golden and drain, then drop one into each bowl of a soup made with scallions, cilantro, chard, and celery. Yum! Right now, I'm watching football and snacking on a toasted baguette topped with cooked endive, (Italian) Fontina cheese, and thin-sliced prosciutto.

I'm excited by that. The last one did make me a bit sad, comparing it to the original and realizing how dumbed down we assume society's baseline of and capacity for scientific knowledge is now versus then, but I enjoyed it. And I'm for anything that puts Neil deGrasse Tyson on my screen.

I don't often, as I don't much care for cooked tomatoes or sauces based on cooked tomatoes. I don't particularly like spaghetti, either (I like thicker noodles), so the few times I eat it I prepare it al olio. When I do make marinara, whether I use fresh or canned tomatoes just depends on the time of year - if it's tomato season, when my and everyone's garden is overflowing with them and I need to use them every which way, I use fresh, but otherwise, I just use canned San Marzanos. Garlic, onion, basil (or oregano, but I like the sweetness of basil), a little red chile - very basic.

I want the Jaguars to win, because I hate Big Rapist, even though that will mean I'll have to hear more about the "Jagwires." At least they're not playing Cincinnati; the only thing worse would be hearing about the "Jagwires versus the Bangles."

Good point re. Padma's remark, which, unlike Blais's stupid question about heat level, I didn't react to. While being featured in a Buzz Feed video was announced as one of the rewards for winning (along with immunity), "make a 30-minute version of the dish a home cook learning it via your video can replicate and serve" wasn't part of the challenge, was it? It was simply to make a 30-minute version of their restaurant dish, I believe. So while I still think Blais's question was stupid, on top of irrelevant, because even if home cooks' ability to replicate/enjoy the dish was part of the challenge, asking if someone at that skill level can pull off a paella in 30 minutes is a fairer question than asking whether home cooks and those who eat their cooking will pull a Christopher Kimball and run screaming into the night at the first sign of heat, I now have to regard Padma's as irrelevant.

Completely unnecessary, and completely consistent with 15 seasons worth of insensitive treatment of obese patients.

Because this show hates fat people.

Ha! You should post in the Mondegreens (Misheard Lyrics) thread; pretty much everyone has made a similarly-embarrassing mistake.

A $575k budget in Burbank? These HHs are, um, adorable? Or, you know, dumb. I'm rather sad I'm heading out for the night, because this could be entertaining.

"A tornado is raw, wild, untamed -- what's the word I'm looking for?" "George Bush?" But, generally, yes, those who've said specific political figures of the time have not been named, just their policies consistently explored (and sometimes local political figures made up to represent them), are correct. These are unprecedented times in life, though - it's precisely why families in which members have voted differently for many elections have rolled with that in the past yet are now irrevocably altered and sometimes even fractured by the "Wait, you did what?" implications - and thus must also be so on a show that is so dedicated to reflecting real life and how politics affects that life. I can see some Conners having voted for him, but I believe Roseanne Conner would have had some rather choice thoughts on his appeals to the working class (among other things, but specific to that line of reasoning for why the character voted for him, I don't buy it, because I think she'd have regarded him as a Manhattan gasbag pandering to people he, just like the usual politicians she was so tired of, knew nothing about) that would not have led to her voting for him. I'm in for the discussion, especially given the enduring myth working class voters put Trump in office, but I hope Roseanne Barr being the ultimate word doesn't mean the discussion makes for skewed characterization. And Roseanne vs. Jackie as the primary Trump vs. Clinton conversation doesn't bode well for that. But I will absolutely tune in to see; this show has meant far too much to me to not give it a chance.

Yep; I watched Animal Planet's programming instead, and now I'm watching an old episode of Major Crimes in syndication despite the conflicting emotions fans of the show will know that causes me in light of the show's recent, final arc. I check in during commercials, but, nope, of all the ways I could fire up my emotions tonight, watching the Pats advance was last on the list, since there would be nothing to counter-act the negative.

It's nice to have this show back; Pit Bulls & Parolees followed by this makes for my kind of Saturday night. I even skipped football while those were on, since it was the Patriots. If Dr. Jeff was on, too, I'd be in heaven. Yes, I am wild and crazy. Jetta the goat's face is so adorable. I'm glad she lucked into surviving, but I cannot with people who have a clear method of help available to them and decide, pah, science, I'll roll the dice on hoping for the best. The owner who figured out how to use her cell phone's camera in order to record her dog's seizure tickled me. Jasper looks a bit like my friend's cat of the same name, and it was funny that even sedated, the one thing he reacted negatively to was hydrotherapy. Cats and water, man (although I had one who loved warm water, and my parents have one who likes sitting out in the rain - so he can be thoroughly toweled and brushed afterward, I think). I took one look at the flesh on that leg, and the lack of circulation below it, and with my untrained eye figured he was going to lose the leg. But they do well as tripods in general, and at only a year old, he's strong and will probably adapt particularly well. Good for his sister alerting them to his predicament. Kyerra's return to work and recounting of all the offers of help she got from her work family was touching. It was good to see Austin Pets Alive! showcased; friends in the area speak highly of it in general, and particularly for its Harvey efforts, integral in moving animals already in Houston shelters to Austin and elsewhere, so the Houston shelters would have room for displaced pets without having to euthanize the animals who'd been there, waiting for adoption. The runt of the litter of puppies looked so pathetic, I loved the P.A. taking him - and joking about his discount on vet care. "There's, like, an aftertaste to the funk" as Dr. Blue processed the smell upon opening his brother's fridge was funny.

I remembered Cate; she had been through a hell of a lot, and I hoped she and Balloons would stay healthy together, doing breast checks, for years to come. I liked when she took her on an ambling walk at the meet and greet and Earl said, "This is her top speed," causing Cate to say, "Mine too." I didn't think the bond with Balloons was as immediate and obvious as with Bug when they first met, but it doesn't need to be, first of all, plus the way Balloons knew she was home and interacted with Cate there was beautiful. I took it hard when we learned Cate died. I'm glad she had Balloons with her for the final six months of her long battle, and am glad Balloons remains in the family. Richard has quite a way with dogs. I always like watching these guys so hardened by life turn into lighthearted goofs with the dogs.

Yeah, the alcoholics in recovery I know - three of whom live with drinkers, and thus have alcohol in their own home - stress the need for them to figure out how to function in the world, not how the world needs to adapt to their needs. Different strokes. But, relevantly, beyond any one person's best way of managing their disease, I stand firm in my opinion it is not unreasonable for a season-long cooking competition to include a challenge that involves alcohol, even though any given contestant still in play at that point may be an alcoholic, any more than it would be unreasonable for such a competition to include a challenge centered around an ingredient to which a contestant still in the running may be allergic; the contestant works around not being able to taste the ingredient and moves on, or not.

Carter in the Bizarro E.R. was fun. (And imagine how surprising it must have been to him to walk in and find out that clown Morris had actually turned into a good doctor who "set the tone.") Nice to see him again (and to be able to see his face, not that hideous beard). I didn't recognize little tiny Alex Dunphy yesterday, but looking at her today, having had her identified, I think, duh, of course that's Ariel Winter.

Don't worry about it, because it wasn't supposed to be behind spoiler tags anyway, since it had already "aired." Thank you and others for the recap! What an ass. He was a clear-cut choice for elimination in the German food challenge - seeing as he, you know, didn't actually make German food - so what he was all righteously indignant about to begin with, I do not know, and even well-founded emotions over losing shouldn't turn you into a petty twit towards someone who had nothing to do with that.

Thanks. I'm already halfway into season three, and that article recommends watching Razor between Captain's Hand and Downloaded in this season, rather than between seasons three and four (it's the first thing on the first season four disc), so I'm going to stick with the original airing order on that rather than going back now. It sounds like the main reason for recommending it be watched earlier is that it deals with details of the Pegasus story, which viewers had largely forgotten by the time it aired, but since I'm binge-watching rather than watching it in real time, that won't be an issue for me. I should have watched The Resistance, the season three webisodes, prior to starting season three, I agree (had I only seen this sooner!), or maybe immediately after Occupation; they're on the second disc of season three, as an extra, and I always watch the extras after watching the episodes on any given disc, in case something in an extra would spoil me, so I didn't even know they existed until I'd seen through episode seven. The Plan isn't included on the Blu-Ray set, so I'll have to see how much it is separately to decide if I want to spring for it. I don't think I'll buy the prequels (Caprica or Blood and Chrome), but now I know they exist. Thanks very much for the info!