[Small Talk: Coffee at Luke's]

THIS IS DEVASTATING TO ME........................

 

Shondaland Stars Liza Weil and Paul Adelstein File for Divorce

 

I was really shocked to see this after having only found out they were married after her GG interview. I'd always wondered if Paul was similar to the d-bags (IMO) he often plays, but when I heard her describing how they met and their relationship, I was glad to hear that he sounded like a decent partner and guy. Liza came across as very protective and invested in their marriage, so I can't help thinking her filing so soon after the interview means it's likely she was given a really good reason and did not see it coming. I hope to see more of Liza and wish her well.

[S07.E18: Unmanned]

Ugh show, I get it, Stella got her tired, bony groove back... and it's the least sexy thing I've ever seen. Thanks for ruining the law and sex.

 

I adored Peter slapping that mug out of Jason's stupid hand. We finally have a candidate able to wipe the smirk off of his face. I'd probably have been equally satisfied if Grace had come in and done the same thing, but since Alicia has raised her to be an invisible, submissive female, I doubt she'd have the inclination.

 

I also cheered when Cary said "No" to offering Alicia the promotion. I fear my estimate of Alicia's character went subterranean when she found her way into Cary's office to ask him to help out Lucca. Had she not been lying to him, gaslighting him and conspiring against his job securtiy on a daily basis it might have been understandable, but the complete lack of awareness and shame on her part was just deplorable.

 

I'm not sure if we're supposed to see Cary as a smart guy who decided he wanted to practice law instead of reliving the first day of high school over and over again on an infinite loop, or if he's to be viewed as someone without the chops to keep up with his peers. There was (and has been) something defeatist written into his character this season, so I'm not convinced that we were supposed to be happy and proud to see someone walk out of that dummy factory. But, regardless of what the writers had in mind, I was happy for him in the moment, and then frustrated to see that another competing top character has essentially been given their walking papers so that we can be reminded for the 8000th time that the world revolves around Alicia, and even more screen time can be given to ridiculous pauses and the entering and exiting of her apartment. Does that part of the set have a SAG card yet? If not, that's just criminal! Cary deserved/es something more, but I don't trust this ship of fools to deliver anything. Too bad the show has "burned one down" with Archie and so many characters & story lines, because Cary flying off to join her in a different life would have put this final season on the map for the right reasons.

 

Provocative pause before cut to black, 3 weeks 'til the next episode -- they're trying way too hard to create drama.

 

Are they now sponsored by NyQuil or some drug that makes forgetting and/or slipping into unconsciousness a desired outcome? it's difficult enough to remain interested, and then they throw amnesia water on the fire they smothered 2 seasons ago; what gives? And I didn't appreciate the lazy and rushed conference room retcon scene where all of the characters were given a chance to explain their rapid-cycling opinions on Alicia's place at the firm (a.k.a. the sheer writing foolery we've been subjected to), almost as though someone over at TGW has been reading the boards...

 

Side note: I got quite a surprise tonight in a conversation with someone about Elementary and that it now follows TGW, and heard, "I haven't watched that show since the whiny actress got the really talented one kicked off." The lack of names provided told me that the decline in this show has reached people who had no investment in anyone's perceived drama or personal life, just that the change was for the worse and they were done. Quite a legacy, CBS.

[S05.E22: Check-Up With Dr. Drew - Part Two]

Maci is probably having trouble with keeping her lies straight at this point.

Or she's just full of shit.  That's far more likely.  3 "accidents" before the age of 25.  That's special.

 

I feel like she's been tripping up in her sub-par lie game for years. Her mad skillz mostly consist of being naturally very thin and not looking obviously pregnant. I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but the year (last?) when she vocalized concern over getting the paid speeches done before she was obviously showing made me realize that this was not just a dumdum who lies. Instead, she's a manipulative loser who lies to kids and teens, Ryyyyan's parents, whomever she's fucking, and the entire viewing audience of TM. What kind of an asshole sits there, quite pregnant, and mumbles shit about birth control? Oh, I know, the kind who manages 3 miracle babies before the age of 25 even though she has a serious case of PCOS! She would have been a lot wiser to fake an empire of books, blogs, etc. about conceiving with PCOS than buying a truckload of t-shirts. Part of me thinks Panda must have known and it got my hate for him ignited, but then again, how many TM girls show up with a new pair of lips or breasts? It's got to be at least half.

 

Did Drew actually ask the audience to give Butch a "slow clap" and does he know what that means?

 

That was the highlight of both episodes for me! I was in the other room listening to Butch's skype session or whatever was happening and rolling my eyes, and then heard "slow clap" and went, "aaahwhaaat?!" It was genuine perfection born of the moment instead of the rehearsed, restrained, agreed-upon garbage that makes up 98% of the Panda/TM shows. The only way it could have been better is if maybe Gary had asked for a slow clap from the audience, for Matt, after he said that garbage about his kids having homes even though he abandoned them or how he was definitely in it for the long haul with Leah, despite the 5-8 others still unclaimed.

[S07.E16: Hearing]

Wow, I never thought I would say this, but fuck Diane.  The only reason there's a firm to try to take over is because Cary had the idea and the plan to start one in S5, which Diane then joined when her own firm imploded.  And fuck Alicia for her weak-ass defense of him, after he JUST rescued her from her legal/financial ruin like two weeks ago.

At this point, the only way I will be happy with the series finale is if Cary ousts both of them to take complete control of the firm.  Or he leaves corporate law behind to go back to the Innocence Project (and becomes the center of a spinoff).

Alicia and Jason have less than zero chemistry. They're cringeworthy. I've been watching old episodes, and it's striking compared to JM's chemistry with Chris Noth and Josh Charles.

 

1000 likes to this! You've now set my new bar for "only satisfactory ending" to include Cary sending them on their way. Would either Diane or Alicia be a partner anywhere without him towing the line of continuity through their series of unending dramas? As far as I can tell, he's the named lawyer working actual cases consistently and keeping firm business handled while the others have limitless amounts of time to play imaginary firm chess and always have irons in the fire for judgeships, SA, random Democratic appointments, and head of current-or-next firm. 

 

Clearly I'm immune to the supposed charms of JDM so I can't objectively judge, but you're quite right about the old Will-and-Alicia chemistry. I've watched a few reruns in the past couple of months and been floored at how much chemistry existed between multiple people in the firm, but you could take all of the "romantic" entanglements of the past few years and barely fill a thimble with convincing chemistry.

 

Whether it was the character of Will, or what the actor Josh Charles exudes, it's clear to me that, from the start, anything remotely sympathetic, interesting or likable about Alicia was a virtual organ donation from Will/Josh. Jason and Alicia are nothing more than two basic sociopathic sticks using each other to try to create a spark. The only good thing I can say about them is that is they've removed each other from the dating pool. Even Lucca (who supposedly has no interest in people, friendships or relationships -- with the exception of the magical Alicia) and Rowby had more heat, nuance and believability. 

 

I am only still watching because I've invested too much of my time not to see the end. I don't even like the dog, and I LOVE dogs.

 

This is the biggest laugh I've had all day, so thank you for that. I don't know much of anything about Chihuahuas in particular, but I'm worried about its poor little spine every time it's on screen. These smaller breeds are often treated like accessories, but don't they require standard walking and moving around time (and not to be held paws-up defying gravity day after day) to not develop a doggie herniated disc or something?  

[S07.E16: Hearing]

It is to Dallas Roberts' credit that I only expected him to come in and menace people for about a minute or so. He plays creepy so horribly well that I was worried that I could never see him as Owen again. I really hope the end of TGW isn't the end of his career. He's a much better actor than he seems at first blush.

 

He really is. I swear I've seen him everywhere in the past few years. He was even on The Walking Dead while he was also on TGW for a while, which was utterly bizarre given that both were airing a few hours apart on Sundays. It seems like he pops up in movies as much as television, and some pretty high-profile stuff. He's one of the few actors I can think of who really gets a variety of roles instead of just playing the same guy over and over again which is refreshing.

 

Dug Matthew Morrison's beard. I hardly recognized him.

 

He looks extremely different these days; is it just the beard? I've wondered if it's even something more drastic. Speaking of actors on 2 shows simultaneously, he just guest starred on Sutton Foster's show Younger, but given that his story was that he had a special relationship with a sheep, it's fair to say his TGW role is better stuff.

 

I was actually happy that they included the very disturbing movie Roar as foreplay, because it means that maybe they will revisit the idea that Jason is a sociopath. I still think that could be interesting.

 

I'm still wondering why they ever introduced the idea since there hasn't been much followup, and there isn't much time left. If not for that random call with Alicia specifically warning her and recommending "The Sociopath Next Door," it could just be another eccentric character trait like all of the judges have. I've also wondered if it's a sloppy shoutout to Sherlock Holmes/Elementary. We can only hope the show decides to finish that thread.  

[S07.E16: Hearing]

Are we in countdown mode yet? How many are left?

 

I didn't see a preview at the end, which leads me to believe there will be no new episode next week, which has become the exhausting pattern. It's probably less about how many are left than how CBS is going to cling to them like they're afraid they'll never see an Emmy again, and it will just be months of this... (FWIW though, I count 6 remaining with the last ep to be aired May 8th). It's like reverse binge watching where you can forgive a lot due to being engrossed, and every stupid plot point will linger for 2 wks until a new ep is released.

[S07.E16: Hearing]

So did I understand correctly that they seem to be going with the Locke kid's being Peter's illegitimate son?  Quelle soap!

 

What does it mean that I completely missed this? Nothing good I imagine. Maybe I'm just suffering from Peter-Scandal-itis and can't take the foolery anymore...

 

Speaking of Peter, where is he? Will they just roll him by on a dolly one of these days for 45 seconds? The lack of Chris Noth reminds me of the years of The Closer's reviews always mentioning the "criminally underutilized" Jon Tenney. I realize he's not a primary character, and hasn't been in a while, but his story line is 99% innuendo with a 1% chance that he'll actually be seen or heard. 

 

It's just strange timing that I was reading a review/summary of House of Cards s4 and this made me think of TGW right away: "House of Cards has always been far more interested in the Underwood marriage than it really needed to be. The connection between Frank and Claire isn't as mysterious as the show imagines it is, and it mostly just boils down to 'they both like power, and realize the other can help them attain it.'" Alicia spelled this out in this ep (though I'm not sure what kind of detective would need that spelled out *side-eyeing Jason*), but I find the sentiment apt for TGW considering the entire premise of the show really is the Kings and writers mistakenly think we believe that Alicia is terribly mysterious - with politicians, murderers, and any man (or woman) within a 10-ft radius becoming so enchanted by this brunette enigma that they all want to be a part of her world. I've never felt they've shown us why we should believe this, but they get an "A" for insistence I guess.  

 

Alicia has been back at Stern Lockhart Gardner Bond Canning Agos Lee for all of two episodes and they're already pushing for another change in the partners? Good lord.

 

One question: Are the writers actually required to write in reverse at this point in an attempt to make the story lines work? I lost all patience when Diane reasoned pushing Cary out; it's the newest shark jump in the saga. No, I suppose he is no Will Gardner, especially given that he's only been at partner level for about a year. About half of the time he was co-running a firm, he was stuck in jail, with no one bothering to make his bail though his life was in danger, and which occurred as a result of protecting their only real bankable client. Why would anyone draw the Will comparison at this point? If he was actually at LAL for a decade, with Diane supporting him as a partner, it's plausible he'd have Will-like powers. The reasoning was just so profoundly lacking, and I can only hope the new all-female firm would spend its days hearing "I like the idea of your firm, but you have changed your partners so frequently that I'm not sure what to expect 6 months, a year or 5 years down the line, so no thank you...". Alicia is lousy with scandal, and always with more on the way, it just doesn't check out.

 

I'm with Eli - I don't want to touch anything in a public bathroom.

 

I had a House flashback during the that sequence, it was reminiscent of Three Stories with the real-time heard and imagined characters sharing scenes. 

 

Oh, and show, don't make me dislike you more by suggesting that Chicago's Only Investigator Jason, has time for petty cases and then freelance work on top of being the only investigator working for the entire firm. I would have loved to see him hired when Kalinda was still there if only to watch her run to the courthouse, a client's place, a school, the morgue, tail someone, etc. all while Jason managed a phone call and a coffee run. Hey Diane and Alicia, quit worrying about who's running the place and remember to actually work your cases with competent help! 

[Season 7 Promos, Previews, Speculation, and Spoilers]

I hate the writers, too.

 

What in the douche has happened to them?! How long since we've seen Owen anyway? And I can't even recall if he left because Alicia was pissed at him a la Zach, Peter, (most everyone) etc., or if he was written away for some other reason... so why is he showing up with bagels!? I can't recall where they left off with her mom either, except I thought she was getting married again or something and David Lee was involved with that, but who knows...? I realize part of season 7's premise is that the world congregates at her apartment door, but did they forget the only way a family member could get her to pick up the phone would be by using a burner?

 

It's so preposterous to have them back as wallpaper for some tepid "sexy" shenanigans between The Tatted Investigator and She with the Bad Wig. Of all the randos they show falling all over Alicia, few felt believable at all, and this investigator with the least-est (per the breakdown of his skills in the last episode thread) is one of the worst. They should have gone back for the actor who plays Alex on Bates Motel, and just had Robyn continue on as the investigator. Their introduction and chemistry felt believable and somewhat intriguing. 

[Actors in other roles]

Of course she's wearing another wig!!:)

 

I honestly would have thought it was a One Direction guy or random high school kid under that wig if not for the game title "That's not Sia, it's Julianna Margulies..." That level of thin makes Rooney Mara look like she's letting herself go. Credit to Renée for wearing a wig for almost 3 hrs of dancing and singing 6 days a week, that has got to be rough.

 

Julianna is going to be 1 of the guests on this week's Finding Your Roots with Azar Nafisi and Lidia Bastianich. 

[The Wendy Williams Show - General Discussion]

The story, she did about Keisha pissed me off big time.

Ww is always on the side of the men victimizers.

I am sick of her bullshit at this point.

Why would Keisha and/or her mother tape the alleged abuse?

1. Not everyone is as paranoid as Wendy.

2. Not everyone is stupid as big Kevin not to realize that he is being taped.

 

The Kesha story goes well as a side dish to her favorite entree, "poor Chris Brown, he's really changed... Why won't people stop pushing him down over 1 DV incident with 1 woman?!" Never a mention of the broken window, the fights since, the threats that never end. She sure had his back over the last woman's complaint and smeared her all over television for daring to press charges.

 

Back to Kesha though, Wendy's reasoning was beyond sick. Kesha would have been 17 or 18 at the time of the alleged incidents, and it takes the mind of a mature (and wildly paranoid) woman, to think of setting up a sting operation. I've found that often people who go to great lengths to record and are always suspect in interactions are exactly the type of people they say they're protecting themselves from. When you don't hurt people and lie just because you can, you don't expect that of other people. Obviously, there are exceptions to good people having an eye out and taping things when appropriate, but it's ridiculous that a teenager (10 years ago) would be thinking that way.

 

When news broke about her blaming Kesha and promoting the idea that "everyone" would try to break a contract by mounting fake abuse accusations, there was backlash to the point where I wondered if she was risking her new contract, but I guess not. She's teflon. 

[Actors in other roles]

Neither of these are probably breaking news, but they're new to me! Julianna is on an episode of Billy on the Street scheduled for late Friday night. Nope, it's not new, but here's the bit.

 

 

But the more unexpected discovery was that Geneva Pine (Renée Elise Goldsberry) is in Hamilton!

 

[The Good Wife in the Media]

Thanks for posting those, ElectricBoogaloo! Fascinating and impressive for certain, and yet overwhelming when I wonder about the actual financial value of that warehouse(?) as we see rack after rack after rack and the lists of designers. The guy cracked me up when he name-checked H&M and Zara as though he were admitting to having passed off chocolate Easter coins as gold krugerrands. Good to get confirmation that Alicia's red suit from the party was in fact neoprene, and is it odd that I find only 30 or so jackets for Kalinda to be surprisingly few? 

 

The whole thing gives me a massive amount of appreciation for the costumes needed for every single person on screen, all of the extras in a courthouse or any given scene; it's just astonishing. And also for how odd it must be to have to essentially remain physically consistent in weight and fitness for long durations and perhaps 6 months to 1 year ahead of time!

[The Wendy Williams Show - General Discussion]

I can't believe she told the caller today that she was crabby. Just because the woman wasn't acting like an over excited idiot because the great Wendy called doesn't mean she's crabby.

I LOVED when Wendy did the stupid how you doin' crap and the caller replied "I'm fine, how are you?".

Took the air out of Wendy's sails.

 

That was almost painful to watch. Glad someone stood their ground despite the pressure of Wendy practically threatening to hang up and call someone more grateful. 

 

Hated the garbage about Ciara again today... I mean, how dare she bring her son around her significant other who is, by all accounts, an upstanding and present guy for her son, instead of sitting him in front of his bio dad's twitter feed. It's an asshole move to assert that neither Ciara nor her son are allowed to be in group photos of their lives and their experiences/memories. Why do they need to minimize their exposure for the cheating, shit-talking ex-fiance's sake?! Does it upset Future to see it? Who gives a shit! Did he assume she would join a nunnery until the kid turned 18? Come on... Are his 4 other baby's mothers all relationship-free or not allowed to document their lives so that Future doesn't start railing them on social media? 

 

Wendy made her choice to stay with her husband, and if she's happy, then great, but I am sick to death of hearing her berate a woman who chose not to and who has made a real effort to try to find someone who will treat her and her son like they are special and not disposable. 

[S05.E19: Taking Chances / S05.E20: Walk Away]

I hate the name of the shirt business. TTM. Things that matter? What matters? Pockets?

 

And, right there, you gave more (hilarious) critical analysis than Maci's given to her entire life since the age of 16.  

 

I see Farrah is proudly sporting the Kardashian approved loaded diaper look. Blech.

 

Is that monstrosity what's been hiding underneath 2 seasons of flowing dresses? Good God Man! If Debra had half a brain, she would have saved herself the "My daughter doesn't need an old house..." shit and just had Farrah put her disgusting ass out of the limo window at each stop she didn't think was worthy of her. The driver looked extremely pleased to hear Sofia dress Debra down for shitting on the peons.

 

And Matt calling Amber's family his, is disgustingly creepy. What about your own menagerie of kids, you creepy fuck.

 

Amber's still running the script in her head where she found a recovered addict who's in some way superior to Gary, and she has not missed a beat with the revelation that their mutual criticism of Gary no longer carries any weight whatsoever due to the guy next to her being a shell of a fucking human/degenerate "father." And that tacky bitch pointed out with pride that she'd gotten a new and "expensive!" ring for Matt being in the "doghouse" (i.e. her house while his kids may not have houses) instead of making sure the money went for, I don't know..., raising 8 kids!

 

And lol maci. I pay for this life. Doesn't Bentley technically do that? Maybe you should clean your own shit up and set an example for the kid.

 

Taylor is such a useless, slow haircut of a human being and Maci deserves every moment she's spent, and will spend, paying for his pointless ass. Every year it seems she can't possibly make a decision with less consideration than the year before, but then she manages to buy and run a fucking t-shirt business for a guy who won't even put her name on the documents. Sets a great precedent for the prenup Taylor will insist on NOT having down the line. And will someone slap the plugs out of her lobes for attacking her kid's attempt at escaping another depressing dinner where all that would have happened is the two of them arguing and bitching at each other as they do whenever they're in the same room? How dare she punish Bentley for daring to bring the levity!  

[S07.E15: Targets]

Matt Czuchry won't get anythting else from this show. He proved he can handle a big storyline and that his acting skills are good enough to get critics attention. And once he did he signed for his character's death sentence in that show. I'll just wait for Gilmore Girls me too.

 

The only trouble with GG is that MC's character, no matter how well it's written this time, can only cover about 5% of what Cary has in terms of complexity and range. But, it will be good to see him anywhere, and likely having a bit of fun. I didn't care much for MC, and only knew him from GG, so it was TGW that brought me around and turned me into a diehard fan. I'm very curious about what his next full-time project will be.

 

But I've seen every episode and I don't recall Diane saying anything about a woman-only firm. Google isn't helping, so when did this happen? Why would anyone want to turn their third-largest-in-Chicago firm into a woman only firm? Is that a thing? What does that even mean? Just women partners? Women clients? Do they dump Dippold? It seems stupid.

 

The concept is a bit stupid considering we're talking about a law firm, and that there is no real value that I can see of a firm run exclusively by women. I'm not sure if the show just hodge-podged together a facsimile of a 'feminist' firm, falling prey to yet another misconception that feminism is about exclusion and an either/or paradigm. Or, it's possible at that time during the show's run, they were looking for ways and reasons for Alicia and Diane to interact since she had left the firm. I'm not sure the show had a clear arc that you can find, but I do recall episodes that included Jill Hennessy's character interviewing (and I believe trying to possibly hire Diane, Alicia and some other candidates, maybe even Elsbeth?) during episodes which happened prior to Will's death. It may have been the season he died because there was the back drop of a conference where Alicia and Will met at a diner accidentally, and I remember it being one of their last interactions, and she was notably awful to Will. There was also a dinner/bar meet-up thing between Diane and Alicia, during the same event, that (if memory serves) was sort of their first real get together after Alicia departed the firm, and it set some groundwork up for the later pairing of these two when they momentarily were partners at Alicia and Cary's firm. It's a bit like the episode where Kalinda and Alicia spend time together during the deposition that took place out near a ranch, where it appeared the air had been cleared and the relationship was re-established. Whether that was the intent or not is anyone's guess, but they did a similar thing with Alicia and Diane during the Women's-firm arc.

[S07.E15: Targets]

Who do I have to kill to get a decent story for Matt Czuchry? I guess I'll just wait for Gilmore Girls.

 

Well said photo fox, and I concur!! I can only hope CBS is lining his pockets with cash for these past 2 seasons of being either their whipping boy or just absent (and now the character assassination). I miss those years with so many shared scenes with Alicia, and then later at the SA's office, etc. He used to be everywhere, and he was so damn good. 

[S07.E15: Targets]

Meh. Did Jason not know she was married to the governor BEFORE they had sex? It just feels inorganic to me.

 

I guess The Great Smirker doesn't sweat the details until after he seals the deal, Silicone-Valley style. I believe that entire thing was filmed in the dark partially so that the audience didn't have to dry heave through whatever Jason's Smirk-face would be doing during the great seduction.

 

Speaking of those stupid smirks, I wanted to shout "Stranger Danger!" for Diane when she called Jason into her office and was subjected to an entire conversation's worth of smirking and posing; I was hoping she'd fire the smirk right off of his face! If Kalinda or Robyn had insisted on leaning against furniture, hips out, with shiftless-grifter grins in every scene, I would have been wishing for a swift end to them both.

 

And so many pukes to Alicia finding her bff Alcohol had a broken & stuck cork because I immediately said, "cue The Smirk..." and he appeared. I really want his departure to be getting arrested for Smirking too close to Elementary school playgrounds or something. 

 

The military legal proceedings were interesting, but I find it hard to believe Alicia would have been selected. I've had to apply for security clearance for work, as well as process other colleagues' applications. It is a tedious lengthy process and there's enough red flags in Alicia's life that she would not have met clearance requirements.

 

It's always sort of borrowing from common sense to keep plugging Alicia in as the chosen female/civilian participant in all of these extraordinarily classified cases, even though they are always very interesting ground to cover in terms of plot. This time though, with the FBI having an active investigation into Peter or both of the Florricks (maybe it will turn out to be something Zach & his Mac did that's got the government so hot and bothered, who knows...?), it goes beyond all credibility that she would get clearance by all agencies and interested parties to attend. It would have been more realistic if she had walked into a giant rubber band that snapped her right out of that office. Diane would have been a believable choice, but I guess that would be the show allowing focus on other characters...

 

Not for a minute do I buy that Cary is suddenly a whiny, insecure misogynist, and terrified of Alicia and Diane taking the firm away from the men, when only a few weeks have passed since he personally asked Alicia to return, and spent time convincing Diane that it was a good idea previous to that. The "all-female" firm concept was floated around before quite publicly, and the desire to get more top female clients and groups has never been a secret. I don't care at all for this re-write. Every partner featured at LAL/LG/etc. has been given various quirks and weaknesses and strengths, but David Lee and Cary are not sexist messes who can't continue their work day without having a crisis of confidence over whatever the-barely-cordial Diane and Alicia are up to. It's similar to the junk last week which someone on the board rightly called out as believable for Howard, but not for anyone else at the firm. The story lines just don't add up without Howard at least in the building. I worry it's nothing more than a lazy way to grind up some unbelievable drama that would explain the show ending with a Lockhart & Florrick firm. They are playing fast and loose these days trying to cook up some obstacle for Alicia to overcome.

 

 

[S07.E14: Monday]

For a giggle, watch a British detective show on acorn if you have it, in an episode of "Vera" with Brenda blethyn in literally every scene with adults someone was drinking.

 

Same goes for the BBC's Scott & Bailey, with a heavy side of endless chain smoking to boot. Speaking of Vera though, which is currently on our PBS station, the 2nd season replacement for one of the detectives was none other than Cush Jumbo! I hadn't realized that TGW had found another British woman of color from a famous British detective series, but it kind of cracked me up. Her American accent is utterly flawless.

[S07.E14: Monday]

Thanks photo fox and Sara2009! That's good to hear because it means there's likely a flurry of activity surrounding the final episodes, and thus, there's time to add and subtract.

 

I wasn't talking about any particular actress. Just what happens when the pretty girl of any particular show gets pregnant but they don't write it into the script.

 

Yes, it's happening right now on Brooklyn 99 with Any, the lead female character, I believe.

 

Interesting... I just found myself wondering if she could be pregnant when I watching last night. The show is pretty hijinky already, so I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary.

[The Wendy Williams Show - General Discussion]

After today's performance by Norman, I'd rather listen to the 2 Normans cover hot topics, instead of having to whisper lines to Wendy McDumDums who can't be bothered to read her cards or get on a conference call (or, god forbid, read or google) on her car ride to the studio. His performance was excellent though.

 

Yea, she did shame Suzanne with the kitten heels, said people on Facebook were commenting on how out of style they were. Asshole. I can't believe she said that to Suzanne on camera. If you notice, Wendy walks on stage in her heels, sits down in her Hot Topics chair with them on, and once that's over she goes straight to flats for the rest of the show. So once again, STFU Wendy!

 

And today she lashed out at Suzanne's hair again, ugh. If Wendy berates (or has Kevin enforce) Suzanne into wearing real heels around the studio while she's having to do stupid clown-at-a-kid's-party shit and wildly spinning that wheel, she's going to end up with no producer and no one to do her bidding. The show would fall apart at the seams if that happened. Knowing Wendy though, she'd have Suzanne doing her job in a cast or wheelchair and berating her for being slow.

 

I've noticed every day for the past couple of weeks that the first segment of the show has some specific woman she calls out, shames, and shits on for not being a shell of a human. It's gotten to the point where I wince at whatever today's misogynistic, anti-female hate speech will be. 

[S07.E14: Monday]

I'm pretty sure TGW has had people drinking in the office in the past. Maybe Will and Diane? I don't think it's just a cliche either. It used to be commonplace in some workplaces and probably is still around in certain settings.

I don't mind the wigs. People in real life get bad haircuts or unattractive (to me) hair styles all the time. Then again, maybe the wigs don't bother me because I don't hate the show, Alicia Florrick, or Julianna Margilies.

 

I too remember Diane & Will having a drink after Will was initially cleared of the charges the SA's office brought against him, and at that time (right before he found out about the next charges), I think an Xmas party was happening throughout the firm that evening. I sort of remember Diane & Will drinking together after getting Derrick Bond booted, maybe after Jonas died as well. 

 

Personally, I just hate a bad wig because it takes me out of the story. There are probably at least 20 wigs that make up the 1 wig we comment on as at least 2 per year would be made at about $10k each, with some extras for changes to styles or special show occasions. Before I knew anything about wigs (I met a guy where I live who used to work in NYC as a wigmaster), I'm not sure what I would have thought, but once you know anything about wigs, bad wigs grab your attention like a random person walking through a scene. And once you're aware of the amount of work and $$$$$ that goes into each one, and how crazy-realistic looking they can be, a series of bad wigs can get under your skin. But, until you've had some experience with them, they mostly go unnoticed unless it's something quasi-tragic like John Travolta's pieces. Personally, I detest the trend of the widow's peak hairline for everyone, as it's the fastest/sloppiest giveaway. The first several year's of Alicia's wigs were quite excellent IMO.

 

If I can accept that a beautiful, vain woman gains thirty pounds in her belly, starts carrying giant purses all the time and holding them in front of her stomach and no one on her life says anything, then takes a vacation for two months, I can accept a wig.

 

Which actress are you referring to? Just curious!

 

I think the point is Alicia and Diane are not in fact peers right now.  Alicia is not completely powerless but she is in an inferior position relative to Diane. 

Also since Alicia and Kalinda didn't share scenes in ages, did "Alicia grimacing at Kalinda" scenes ever exist?  Maybe conflating fiction with the JM/AP speculation?

 

Alicia is definitely the newbie at the firm again, but she and Diane have shared so many cases and been partners at the prior incarnation and again at the Cary, Alicia, Diane firm that existed for a quick minute as well, so it seemed more they took the normal upheaval of starting a "new" job but tried to portray it as personal animus, which didn't resonate for me. I agree, Tetraneutron, that the real problems are the indecision and retconning about their relationship.

 

At some point, there were definitely some death grimaces across the desk or the conference table (there were many episodes with Will and Diane asking each other, and Alicia and Kalinda, what was going on/wrong), and I kind of remember similar grimaces after Kalinda found Grace that time and brought her home, though you're right, a lot of it could have been in phone scenes. Alicia gives a lot of death stares though, many at her front door, but they're sprinkled pretty liberally throughout the series.

 

Although I do wonder how the show is going to introduce and resolve a plot line about Alicia being an alcoholic in the 7 episodes they have left.

 

Conceivably, the whole season is in the can, right? I've been thinking about this since the big announcement because, in all reality, whatever was filmed for s7 is done and over with unless production starts up again and they reshoot parts or even a new episode or 2. I'm sure there might still be some post work done closer to real time, but filming would have been completed before the decision was ever made.

[Maci]

Bullshit that she didn't know. I know she has PCOS and irregular periods, but she didn't get worried when she didn't have a cycle for over FIVE MONTHS? I guess she was lucky enough not to have mood swings, changes in her skin/acne, weird hair growth, bleeding gums, first trimester fatigue, food aversions, nausea, sore breasts, itchy nipples, itchy skin on her stomach as it stretches, etc. There's a lot of weird shit that can happen during pregnancy and I can't see how someone who has been pregnant before wouldn't recognize some of them, unless Maci has NONE of these (in which case she's incredibly lucky).

 

It's quite the case of PCOS she has where, without trying, she managed to easily conceive 3 children before the age of 24. And whose case was so dire, according to her, but she somehow managed to elude the #1 treatment for it: hormonal birth control. 

 

Given the sharp business skills and grand plans of these two potatoes, how has Maci managed to avoid all of the daytime doctor's tv shows that love to invite women with PCOS overcoming infertility (though usually in their 30s or later)? I mean, the appearances and books to follow would be all about #makingmoremonies. 

 

God, my boiling hatred of this bitch's horseshit maneuvers when she was tacking on all of the paid abstinence speeches she could before she would be showing with baby #2 has been rekindled. Lucky Bentley, now he has a mother who's already busy passing off her kid and newish baby, a dad who generally does a great impression of Buster Bluth's mad Milford Academy skills, the all-important t-shit company, and now another baby Maci has to find a way to casually bring (with diaper bag in hand) to Jen's while she wonders aloud how she'll make it to the latest beer-and-brawl with all these extra infants! 

[S07.E14: Monday]

One quirky judge is amusing.  All of them being nutcases is not.

Does Ruth know something Eli doesn't?  Or was her warning to Alicia just a general one?

Why do Alicia and Diane keep ending up at the same law firm expecting different results?

 

The judge made a major impression on me from eons ago with his freaky performance on L&O: CI, so I was happy to see him, but the ant shenanigans were forced. I'm not totally buying the Diane/Alicia animus, it felt like a precedent sandwiched in so that Alicia could be the powerless one, which I don't find believable at this point for numerous reasons. They've had their ups and downs but this was Alicia-grimacing-at-Kalinda-with-a-patronizing-death-stare nonsense that she always reserves for someone 'below' her, and she and Diane are peers, even if things are tense on the first day.

 

So basically Ruth is telling Alicia to ditch the husband - after six long years....finally!  Hopefully she does before she takes up with the greasy private detective right there in her new office.

So, they kept trying to pair up the two women of color associates - because they were women of color?  If that was what that was all about - they did it horribly as a joke or whatever it is they were going for with it.

 

Feels like they're going for a shock/drama/turn! that Peter has actually been up to all kinds of things and now Alicia has to stop being his devoted (????), faithful (????) and loving (????) wife in order to save herself (the ever-underdog). It does seem probable that Peter will be heading back behind bars to tie a neat circle around the run of the show, or this is a fake out of sorts that it's really Alicia who's about to be pulled apart, but then Ruth's warning makes no sense...

 

I hated the too-lame-for-Cary (even as a partner) ridiculousness wherein he continually walked Lucca back to the room where Monica was working, as though Lucca was a house cat who kept slipping through an open door. It makes sense that it's written so as to offend, but they lose me when they make Cary or Diane the mastermind of such stupidity. 

 

It was certainly nice to see sets other than Alicia's apartment, almost excitingly so! And the dynamics of things popping up at work with various players: quite a breath of fresh air! The scene with Jason and "We kissed, now what..." had me recalling what went on in my third grade coatroom. Their plot thins by the week.

 

Enjoyed Marissa's story line and glad she almost got out from under Alicia for a little bit -- it was fun to hear Eli remark on finally understanding why people have children, their scenes are generally quite fun. The firm seems to have grown quite a bit less attractive; did anyone else pick up on a much less polished, well-lit and upscale feel? The office was dark, art-less (mostly), and suddenly looks like a call center --  I guess they're really driving home the 'back to working for the man' schtick. The final scene with the chair actually felt like the episode, and Alicia, ending on a welcome and genuinely funny note. Nothing like characters getting together to practice some law to remind me of the show's merits (but Cary and David Lee were criminally absent).

 

ETA: re the judges all being crazy... Since Antonin Scalia died this weekend, I've been reminded that truth is so much stranger than fiction. Not that every judge is Supreme Court-level eccentric, but if you've never heard any of Scalia's oral arguments, take a listen and prepare to be wowed.

[The Good Wife Creators Haven't Ruled Out The Possibility Of Diane And Cary Headlining A Spinoff]

The Kings have put on a very good show for a long time. How many other broadcast network shows have been consistently good for as long as TGW has? How many acclaimed dramas have been on for as many episodes as TGW has? I would argue that the Kings didn't really have seven seasons worth of good storylines for this show, but otherwise they have been pretty good showrunners.

 

They really did, and yet I can't excuse the drop off in quality for a number of reasons. They've maintained that their vision for TGW has always been 7 seasons, so it leaves me wondering why the working elements have been missing for 2 of those now? It would almost be better to say, "Well, we envisioned 4 or 5 years, but were so successful that we had to go back to the drawing board to create more story," that would at least not put them in the position of basically getting what they hoped and planned for, but not having the focus or chops to do it.

 

Network shows really do have a lot of my sympathy in many respects, but TGW hasn't had to suffer the typical network pitfalls in that CBS has really been a haven for the show. CBS needed and wanted the critical acclaim and are well known for meeting the creative and financial demands of their stars & showrunners. They are the network, out of main 3 or 4, that rarely threatens to shut production when cast members band together for millions per episode; they aren't very quick to cancel shows that are on the bubble or just to make room for fresh meat; and they advertise the hell out of things. They have the ridiculous finances of a huge network, but they occasionally play by cable rules. The Kings, IMO, have received a great deal of support in a myriad of ways. I can find no explanation for why the writers just let the seams dissolve or why they can't build anything of substance with a new character, or stay with anything already substantive. If it was a matter of needing more writers, I have no doubt CBS would have given the go-ahead or that they haven't already had a lot of free reign in that area.

 

TGW is not the only show where I wince with frustration at the showrunners' apparent lack of interest in seeing their own creation through, it's certainly happened to me before, and it's always frustrating and bewildering to me. I realize that, when you're several years in on a project and you're still hot, it's a time when a lot of people start putting out feelers for the next project, but the projects that really go down in history as excellent are those in which the creators/showrunners stayed involved and present until filming was done. 

 

The idea that they would do a spinoff is kind of nuts given that they've been at least partially checked out for some time. They've had an amazing supporting cast to write for and that ball has been dropped like it's radioactive. 

[The Good Wife in the Media]

Ugh, I'm really starting to wince at the mere mention of Robert and Michelle King. Why can't they conduct an interview without digging themselves in any deeper? Stop reminding us of the inconsistencies, dropped characters and Kalinda-related tomfoolery! Jesus, change your narrative already!

 

3. Look for lots of old friends to return for these final episodes. “We’re trying to get a few, like Robyn [the investigator, played by Jess Weixler] to show where they ended up and landed,” said Robert King. “We want to check in with characters we haven’t seen.”

 

4. But that doesn’t include Kalinda. “That’s not our expectation,” said Michelle King. “That’s because she’s moved onto another series, which we can’t wait to see,” added Robert King.

 

Am I supposed to be curious about where Robyn ended up? I don't recall the show telling or showing me that she had actually gone anywhere! And of all of the characters they've disappeared, Robyn even makes the people-we-need-to-know-what-happened-to list? I enjoyed her character, especially in conjunction with Kalinda and Cary, but really...?

 

And just stop already with how rosy your relationship with AP is, good god, that body has been buried, dug up, burned, and tossed overboard. it's like they're hoping we all have acquired some type of transient TGW-induced amnesia. Isn't Archie's next project slated for fall 2016 at the earliest? Find a better way to address any mention of AP Kings, you've had years to come up with something, get the lead out.

 

I've failed to hold much against the Kings really in the muckity muck TGW has become, but every time they start talking about the show, they remove any doubt that they and their beloved producer, JM, are the real life Peter-and-Alicia/marriage of equally awful narcissistic jerks who will not get out of their own way. We really need a public break-up letter addressed to the Kings to the tune of, "It's not me, it's you..."