Danielg342

Would it actually be safe, with the fires burning around you, to stick your head out of the water from time to time?

Another addendum: Perhaps any of our resident firefighters can clarify this for me, but ChatGPT told me that it is, in fact, legal for firefighters to break a car's window to fit a fire hose to a hydrant or make any other modifications to a car if there's an emergency and the car is obstructing the fire hydrant. Evidently, too, Cal Fire and the state are exempt from liability in this case. Stealing the car's gas...that might be harder to defend, though perhaps Gabs could argue (or should have argued to Jake) that her stealing gas allowed someone else to evacuate.

I'm not sure it's exactly the same comparison because De'Vondre Campbell had been on the bench and refused an order to go out and play whereas Gabriella was already out on the field, let her emotions get the better of her and walked away, but I'd agree it's equally as unprofessional. If Gabs isn't dead to start the second half of the season she should be reprimanded severely by Cal Fire for what she did.

Beyonce says she met Jay-Z- who is 12 years older than her- when she was 18, which was in 2000. Beyonce says, further, they didn't start dating until she was 19, in 2001. These allegations stem from the 2000 MTV Awards, which aired on September 7, 2000. So, according to the timeline, Jay-Z was not attached to Beyonce at that time. Make of that what you will. If Jay-Z actually committed the act, I wouldn't say he cheated on Beyonce (though I'm not sure that's really relevant given the grievous nature of the act in question).

Oh no! There's a hit on someone from 20-Squad! Who will it be? Tune in...next time! In January, when the series comes back! Uh...um... Different Bat time! (Friday, 10PM) ...but... Same Bat Channel! *sigh* Has S.W.A.T. passed into the threshold from "bad S.W.A.T. television" to simply "bad television"? I mean, I'm not sure this episode plunges to the depths of Season Four's "Crusade" or the ridiculousness of the first six episodes of Season Five...but those episodes failed more in their execution than in their crafting. This episode...while also failing to execute (obviously), failed in its crafting. Lazy writing abounded almost everywhere, and this was about as uninspiring a performance as you'll see anywhere on TV, especially by Hollywood standards. I mean, I'm not sure it's really worth it to get into the nuts and bolts of this episode because I believe this episode exposes the show's gashing wound, the kind of fatal wound that dooms all TV series eventually. When you get to the point, as you do here, where the show relies on cheap antics to generate drama, rests on contrivances, doesn't develop anything and talks more than it shows, then you have a show that's really just going through the motions. ...and when the writers get so lazy that they feel they can just rely on some kind of "formula" and put in little work to give their episodes any kind of depth at all, that's when you know the show is in trouble. People like to talk about when shows "jump the shark". I think, after reviewing so many TV shows over the years, it's better to talk about the moments it became clear the shows' writers and producers stopped trying. Just like the "jumping the shark" moment, the moment "the writers stopped caring" is also difficult to pin down. Calling it "in the moment" is even more difficult because, as long as the show is still airing, there's always a chance it can bounce back. However, I do feel pretty confident that, when I look back at S.W.A.T. as a whole, once it's all said and done, I'll look at S8 and think, "this is the moment it all started to really go downhill without any chance of turning back". There may still be some moments of brilliance later, but I think it's (almost) safe to say the halcyon days of this show are over.

I really thought this episode had a lot of potential...but man, did it become a dumpster uncontained wildfire in a hurry. We know Bode will live. Gabriella, being a main cast member, has a chance too. So that leaves Audrey James, who's just a recurring character. Which would be a crying shame, because Levin Rambin has more than earned her place to stay on this show or have a show on her own. ...and, honestly...though I hate to trash actors, I have to call out their performances when they're not up to par and, well... Let's be honest...pouty, whiny, childish and ridiculous Gabriella has more than run her course on this show. Rambin's Audrey James would be a significant upgrade over Gabriella. ...but... What do I know about running a TV show? Perhaps the only good part about this show was seeing an older Jackie Chiles Elroy Edwards (played by Phil Morris) tear Eve a new one after Eve and Vince could not save his ranch. It looks like a situation where the character is just there for a one-off appearance, though part of me hopes- if only for meta reasons- to have Elroy in a courtroom suing California and Cal Fire for the loss of his home. Oh, and the joke about "the stubborn old man" and Vince realizing it was him was absolute gold. Other than that...well, the show used the well-worn trope of the characters getting into trouble by simply being idiots. I mean, did Gabs owe that woman and her daughter anything? Yeah, Gabs is a dumpster fire herself right now, but an experienced firefighter knows not to get in too deep with strangers, especially on a call when things could go sideways. (...and Gabs is an experienced firefighter. She's been one for two and a half years now) Further to the point...can Cal Fire really break your car if you're parked in front of a fire hydrant? I figure there are less destructive methods to get a car out of the way. Still, Gabriella stealing gas, whining about it, whining about "why no one understands me" and then walking into the fire was...well, stupid. Of course, in true FC fashion, she's not the dumbest one on the show, surprisingly enough. Because there was Bode...oh, Bode, Bode, Bode. It's a broken record at this stage, Bode being heroic stupid. Maybe Audrey stands a chance because the writers won't want Bode's actions to have too serious of consequences. Then again, Bode facing real consequences for his actions would be the only meaningful narrative that he has, and I might enjoy watching Bode get knocked down a peg from his pedestal. I just wish he wouldn't take one of my favourite characters down with him.

Via Paramount Press Express:

Via Paramount Press Express:

Make of it what you will, but according to this timeline by ELLE magazine, Beyonce didn't start dating Jay-Z until 2001 and they didn't marry until 2008. The accusations against Jay-Z date to before they were a couple.

I completely understand and agree that sexual violence is a serious and widespread issue that demands urgent attention and resources. It’s heartbreaking that someone experiences it every 68 seconds—that statistic alone shows how much work we have to do to address the problem. At the same time, I think it's important to recognize that ensuring fairness and due process in how cases are handled doesn't take away from supporting survivors. In fact, a justice system that is consistent, impartial, and fair strengthens everyone’s trust in it. False accusations may be rare, but they do happen, and acknowledging that doesn’t mean minimizing the epidemic of sexual violence—it just means holding space for fairness for all parties in every individual case. Which is another part of the broken system that needs fixing. Wealth and power should be meaningless in a truly fair and impartial justice system.

First, I think all of our perspectives will be coloured by our own experiences. Someone who was attacked and didn't receive justice for it will feel stronger about that than someone else whose life was ruined by a false accusation and vice versa. More importantly, this ought to not be a competition. An injustice is an injustice, period. I feel just as strongly for survivors who didn't receive justice- for any reason- as I do for those, like me, who have had their lives ruined by a false accusation. Both of those incidents are wrong and shouldn't happen in a fair and just society. Honestly, from a policy perspective, the numbers don't mean anything. There could be 300 false accusations of rape compared to one rape victim who didn't get justice, and that one victim who didn't receive justice should be taken just as seriously as the 300 people who were falsely accused. One false accusation, just like one rape, is one too many. I think the real problem with harassment and assault discussions is that it's too polarized and few really see the other side. It does not nor should it be that way. False accusations are wrong. So are having survivors who do not receive adequate justice. No one side is a "greater" problem- in fact, to ensure a fair and equitable justice system, they both ought to be treated as problems of great concern. We can have an equilibrium where we can get justice for harassment and assault survivors and deal with the problem of false accusations. This doesn't have to be an either/or dichotomy, and reducing it to one prevents solving the problem- on both sides of the ledger.

I acknowledged that the justice system is not fair. My point is that all the problems we have with the system- the witch hunts, the suppression tactics, people using their wealth and power to make things "go away", etc.- are due to the fact the system is not fair. Me wanting a fair system where every case is evaluated on its merits does not create these problems, the absence of a fair system does.

As someone whose life has been ruined by false accusations (no, I won't get into it), I would have to respectfully disagree that false accusations are not a problem. I don't care how many there really are- just like one rape is one too many so too is one false accusation. All the problems you describe are not byproducts of "everyone has to have their day". They're byproducts of other parts of a broken system that- like many other parts of the justice system- are designed to protect those in power. Further, all the problems you describe are because the justice system does not really "give everyone their day", because it's a system that has been corrupted by those in power. A fair justice system does not have to hurt anyone, and one that is truly fair where everyone "gets their day" should not hurt anyone.

I don't necessarily disagree that most accusations are not actually false. It takes a lot of courage to come forward with an accusation, and most will not expend that energy on something they know is false. However, I also think that while it's important not to jump to conclusions that an allegation is false, it's also important not to jump to conclusions that an allegation is true. No matter how rare false accusations may be, everyone deserves their day in court, and every case has to be debated solely on its own individual merits.

Obviously I'll let the courts play things out, but given Jay-Z's rather strong statement and perhaps an attempt to sue the woman for defamation (which, I'm guessing, is why he wants to know her name, but who knows- this allegation comes from the woman's lawyer himself and Tony Buzbee is a showboat), I'd believe that Jay-Z doesn't have anything to do with the actual assault. Diddy, though, put out another boilerplate denial. Though he likely did it for legal reasons, seeing that and the weight of all his other allegations makes me think he probably is culpable on some level at least. The only thing I do know is that I'm sure everyone who has been to one of Diddy's parties is likely thinking back to what happened at them and if anything bad might have happened at them. They're also likely steeling themselves for some intense moments, as I suspect the next few months (or maybe even years) could get ugly for a lot of Diddy's partygoers.

Yeah. It's completely plausible that a 13-year-old could sneak out of the house and make her way to the VMAs or an afterparty. Teens are creative. It's also highly likely that this woman looked older than she did when she was 13. She could have easily lied to the party hosts that she was 18 and they let her in. Or, because a party is unregulated, the party hosts could have simply not cared that she wasn't 18 and just let her in anyway. None of this would excuse any assault that may have happened. However, I also think it's fair to ask questions about how her parents never figured out she was out all night. Parents might get hoodwinked by their teens all the time but it would be a massive oversight if they didn't notice that she wasn't home by midnight or something.

I think we need to keep Diddy and his outsized influence in hip hop in perspective. Just about anyone who is somebody- within and outside rap- probably dealt with Diddy in some capacity and Diddy's parties were always known for their high profile guests. Make of that what you will, but it's highly likely that Snoop, Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem and any other famous hip-hop artist you care to name has been to a Diddy party at least once. Doesn't mean they necessarily did anything wrong.

Something the Variety article doesn't mention but the Associated Press does is that, in settling the lawsuit, the three women at the centre of the lawsuit against Rose admit that Rose had "no ill intent" with regards to his conduct. Make that of what you will, but I find that part interesting.

I mean, take it for what it is...but that's a rather forceful, blunt and direct statement from Jay-Z. I'd say he sounds pretty honest. Part of me wonders what a 13 year old girl was doing wandering around at night trying to get into the MTV Music Video Awards, but it's also a completely plausible scenario. She may even look older than she was, for what that is worth. This is the first time that Sean Combs has been- concretely- accused of impropriety with a minor, right?

For "dull". I mean, I actually fell asleep watching this, so, if I get some details wrong, I'll just blame it on that. The only reason this gets a "D"- other than I can't find a great word for "boring" that starts with "F"- is that the show resisted doing something stupid and graduated Bode, as well as finally pairing him up (I think) with Audrey. Who really was wearing a nice dress...anyway... I suppose the ending scenes with the two dates were supposed to be a study in contrasts to how their lives were going. Bode and Audrey have a nice, relaxed, formal, pleasant and structured evening over wine and steak to signify that both of their lives are coming into order and finally getting some stability. While Jake and Gabriella are both seeing their lives falling apart so they have a drunken, chaotic but hot mess of a date because both of them right now are hot messes. OK then. Not sure if I'm really excited about "Jakella" getting back together but "Bodrey" could be fun. I realize this is still likely a pipe dream because this show loves "Bodiella" too much, but...if the writers are slowly learning to let their characters breathe and not do stupid things with the plot, maybe there's hope after all. I also suppose this is it for Camden (Jared Padalecki) too. So long and good riddance. Padalecki looked like he had a lot of fun playing the character but, my word, was that character all over the place. He starts by encouraging Bode's recklessness and maverickness, but then gets all bent out of shape when said maverickness goes against what he wants. What's the saying again? Live by the sword... As for the episode itself, we had the most boring hostage crisis ever pulled by a Harry Potter wannabe. Yawn. I'll give the episode props that Harry's actions seemed to make sense but...it was a terribly insipid story. Harry (OK, I know the character's name is likely not Harry Potter but the actor looked so much like the younger Daniel Radcliffe with about a tenth of Radcliffe's actual talent) didn't make me feel for his story and the portrayal was absolutely abysmal. Plus the show did a far better hostage crisis episode in the first season when Bode and Vince were held hostage in the field by the drug lord. This episode felt like a far lesser version of that episode. Other things...don't know what to make of Vince's advice to Jake. Jake was right to be upset but Vince was right too. If Jake isn't going to fight for Genevieve then he's going to lose her. As for Sharon and Gabriella...well, Gabs, if you had answered the door maybe Sharon wouldn't have gone inside and snooped around...and Sharon, why didn't you say, "you didn't answer the door so I got concerned". If that line ended on the cutting room floor, I gotta question the editors. Oh well. Congrats to Bode and Audrey and hopefully we can move on to better things.

I'll give the episode this much- Khalistan is a great topic for exploration and is often not discussed much on these shores, plus the show using the Khalistan movement is a nice break from the usual gamut of Mexican drug cartels and other random militias the team deals with each week. Plus, I actually felt something for this story and the characters. Further, they didn't treat the Indians as stuck up caricatures where the parents refuse to see how much in love their kid and their significant other are in. So, well done show. I could start the negatives by saying the show is erroneous in its characterization that "India" is some kind of homogenous entity when it isn't- the Republic of India is home to one billion people with 27 different languages spoken across the nation, with an ethnographic profile similar to that of Europe- but it's a minor quibble. I think the real problem with this episode was that the criminals themselves were kind of lifeless and one dimensional. The show tried to make things a bit more personal for one of the criminals by having his mother die in the 1985 Air India bombing but I don't think it went far enough to make the criminals all that rounded. I also felt the girlfriend, her relationship and her family could have been better developed than what the show did. As for the other stories...well, family was a big theme in this episode, and for good reason. At least Nichelle stood up to Saint Hondo, though the drama there fell flat. Nice to see Devin Gamble's twin brother, and Tan's "heartbroken" line was funny. I also appreciated there was more nuance in that narrative than what was originally apparent. I'm just not convinced that Hicks would get too bent out of shape that a training car on a training course suffered some scratches. Shouldn't some dings be expected when conducting training exercises? Speaking of Hicks...well, I'm not sure I agree with him that there's never a time to give someone space, even if it is family. I agree that, with family, you've always got to fight for it especially if you want to make things right, which is what Powell wanted to do, and I'd further agree there's nothing at all easy about parenting. ...but... As a guy with my own family issues, I say there's a time to push and a time to fall back. It's an art that is hard to master and many never do, and sometimes the fight is fruitless. Glad that Powell resolved her issues quickly, but so many other families are not that lucky, and I wish the show would recognize that.

Via Paramount Press Express

Via Paramount Press Express

Welp.

You make a good point. It seems like the writers just don't trust the characters that they have to make good drama on their own, so they create cheap characters for cheap drama to compensate. We've had the fake firefighter, Collin. We've had Sleeper. We've had Liam (the one Vince got into a drunken brawl with). We could probably throw in Diego too, even though he wasn't villain-like, because we knew he was just there to be a rival for Bode for Gabriella and thus had a shelf life on this show. Now Camden (Jared Padalecki's character) is filling that role. We'll see how it ends up but given this show's history, it might not bode well for Camden. It didn't need to be this way. One of the things that struck me about the early episodes was the idea of Bode having let everyone down by going to jail and having to repair his reputation in front of everyone. I was also struck by the dynamic of Vince between his real son and his "adopted" son (Jake). I thought when Vince poured his heart out and admitted that he has to accept that his kids can fail and that they're not failures for doing so was one of the series' better moments. All this really points to drama that works- when we care about the characters, the drama works. We don't necessarily have to have the main characters always at each other's throats, but the writers shouldn't be afraid to let them conflict every once in a while and delve into their personal struggles a bit more.