meisje

Glad I came here to see the update, I only wish the pastor's wife had been arrested too. Even if he was the brawn, she was definitely the "brain" of most of it. Please tell me they don't have custody of the child any longer... When I was reading about the arrest, I found this as well, and this quote is interesting: I'm not sure if it's a statement in defense of not having soiled a potential jury, or confirmation of the viewer's sense that the biggest hurdles can be the ASAs or SAs? I tend to think the latter. The pastor's lawyer sounds like a complete baby complaining about the show's effect on the public while also arguing that there's no body. Hint to the lawyer: you should have stuck with the "no body" defense instead of reminding everyone of the huge circumstantial case that's out there for anyone to see!

Ugh, I hate the spring cha-ching crap! It's way shittier than the Live with Kelly & Michael game since Wendy's picks are lucky to get $1-2k, and they have to memorize every second of the show to have a chance. It just seems like a pain in the ass. Why is Wendy encouraging Suzanne to shake her head like a maniac while spinning the wheel? It looks painful. Suzanne might end up with a worker's comp vacation if she doesn't chill down. I can't remember which season of Talking Dead it was, one of the past 2 I think, where Suzanne and her husband (rabid fans of TWD, not sure if that's come up on this show?) were selected to ask a question by video chat. I was really shocked because she was totally different, super normal and low key and it only clicked that she was that Suzanne when I recognized her hair. Not sure if anyone else caught that appearance, but I'm not sold she's a total nutjob outside of this show. She looked a little Florida-retiree in the WW outfit. At first I liked Wendy's dress since it read like a vintage 70s maxi-dress to me, but once she showed the stretch I was not a fan. And it really lost me when she took her seat and one of the wrap sides showed the wrong side and it's some cheap white fabric. I'm sure the QVC collections are all like that, but it's too bad since some of the ideas are okay.

She's definitely obsessed with telling singers to put a cork in it! She's not wrong that many of the artists (some a lot more than others) are facing steep odds in trying to make money from record sales, but she's missing the point too. Not everyone feels fulfilled painting "Blimpy" (or whatever/whomever that weird NJ icon is named that she shows her painting of often) and being kind of stationary creatively. People have to evolve creatively or else it's usually a huge failure, even if it's a different kind of let down to their longtime fans. Haven't most of the women she declares should be working Vegas already been involved in some kind of product hawking (perfume, cosmetics, clothes, blah blah blah) anyway? It's true Ciara is gorgeous and maybe should be more well known, but maybe she's lacking the famewhore gene or something? I've only seen her being interviewed a few times so I'm not sure, but generally it's not too difficult for a gorgeous singer to be seen and get a lot of attention, so I have to wonder if she's just not interested. Today's jumpsuit was way better than the one from last week, that's for sure. It was super flattering until they showed the weird overhead shot on the way to commercial where her chest stuck out from her body like an infant walking around with the upper part of their highchair still attached. I know she loves a jumpsuit, and rightly so, but the sleeveless, too-short, too-tight version was not flattering. The one thing a jumpsuit can do is create a balance of upper/lower body volume too, so I'm glad she got it right today. I thought the line about (little) Kevin saying she had cheated or shortcut her way to her body was an interesting glimpse into their family and made them seem a little more likable actually.

Count me in as satisfied to find someone (bless you madam or sir!) making it public that the watchers are indeed not a bunch of fruit loops scarring their DVRs looking for a reason to question the show's integrity! Something that struck me today after thinking about this mess (that I hadn't considered before) is the ungenerous spirit and narcissism of an actor whom herself managed to get gain breakout status on a hit network ensemble show, creating an environment where that type of opportunity is completely stamped out for another actor. That's just the lowest of lows, really. Yes, we're all lucky that The Fall has been available to US watchers, but if not for Netflix, this might be the only series in which the US audience would get the chance to see Archie Punjabi's work. Man, I really wish some of the named actors had shoved Julianna off of ER before she ever became the great force in acting that she is today (cough... but seriously), and then Helen Hunt would have had the role as originally proposed (or many other actresses), and a great ensemble show could have left a great legacy. I'm so over JM's "let them eat cake" mentality that I can safely say I will FF through every Alicia scene next year if I find that I tune in. I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater given all of the talent still on the show, but that bathwater is rank and needs to go! At least I won't be sad when the show ends, though it feels like it has already. Thanks for posting this, it was a great group to listen to speak about their roles/shows. And wow, yeah Julianna, it really does suck when someone's personal feelings get in the way of the vision of the show, totally. Every other person who addressed that question had some notion of where the showrunner and audience meet except for Bitchy McComplainy-pants. Her response about how a woman would never end up the friend of another woman whom she knew slept with her husband is another example of how the problem the fans have with the show keeps getting bastardized by Julianna or the Kings: the issue was not about whether the two characters were besties, the issue was that one major character was systematically shut out of all ongoing plots and the show was altered for the worse and it went on for years. Jesus, if none of the actors in that room could make any headway, I can't imagine who's important enough to explain to her that she got it wrong? It was funny as well when she made the comment about what type of people had the time to give opinions on the show and the roles/characters: maybe types just like the husband who called in favors for you to sit in on cases Julianna, people whose jobs and lives overlap parts of the show (hence why it's compelling at all to an audience) and wanted to hail it when it did right and call it on its bullshit. Based on her career outside of TGW and ER, it's pretty safe to say her viewpoint won't be relevant for much longer. It would have been great if anyone else at that talk had asked her about how it felt when her other law drama got canned so quickly!

Oh, I remember that wig! She did look so good in that and I can only hope they donated it to someone who needs a wig since I'm sure it was worth well over the standard $5k. That's a good example of her taste level though; even if something else looks really good, she only wants what she wants. I noticed her eyes during the driving scene in the Nightline piece (apparently the entire thing is stamped on my memory forever...!). I'm guessing studio lighting is a really powerful thing, and then when she was not sitting down or in her studio, her eyes looked really prominent. To me it looks like classic Graves' disease, which several famous people have (like George Bush I and his wife Barbara), but thyroid illness is a mess so Wendy could be hypo- or hyper- thyroid (or a combo). It's probably only noticeable though if you've dealt with thyroid illness. Jason Hoppy & Bethenny... Wendy: read all the way down the cards given to you, no more skimming! This news has been out for days and all of the stuff she was judgy about and the things that had her all riled up weren't accurate. What's the point of having Suzanne, the two guys to the side and the lawyer there if no one will say anything? I'm pretty sure her crack staff got it wrong that they're officially divorced, it's only the custody that's been settled. From what I've read, Jason is still working as a rep and making the same income, so I don't know why she's shaming him for having legal bills equivalent to a year's salary? It irks me that Wendy keeps going on about being a man, walking away with nothing, being a deadbeat for staying in the apartment, etc. because there is a kid involved so he can't just walk away with his pride. If he hadn't have stayed in the apartment, he would have lost custody of his daughter and he would have been lucky to get twice-a-month weekend visits, not to mention that Bethenny would have dragged stuff out just like she's done for 2+ years and he would have spent those years being outspent in court and not seeing his kid. Why Wendy omits all of that info and completely ignores the whole kid issue is breaking my brain! And how is Sherri Shepard's situation similar?!?!

I don't think you missed any links, I was just extrapolating based on the Nightline video of the entryway, some room with a ton of books, her woman cave, and then that "room" in the Huff Post link. Even wherever she was standing with the interviewer looked like a teenager and a toddler were left alone for 3 wks in it. Probably like most people, I would love to have the money to really optimize my space and storage, and there are endless possibilities for those with unlimited funds. So, I find myself utterly confused at whatever she's crafted over there in NJ. As much as I want to give her props for not hiring people to tell her what to do down to the tiles, she needs some kind of a decorating intervention. And I doubt her situation has much to do with taking pride in her "design," it's just more of the control-freak/won't let anyone in/can't handle a different opinion, Wendy. I wish I'd caught Andy talking about Wendy, that could have been entertaining. She really is very thin herself! It's quite stunning when she's standing with the audience or walking back and forth, her breasts are the only things taking up space essentially. Lately I've really been wishing she'd wear skirts with more volume, especially when she's wearing her tiny vintage-style sweaters and tops. She looks to have very narrow hips to say the least, but things go to just.not.right. when she's sporting tiny pencil skirts and tight tops. Her wigs and breasts must make up about 30% of her weight. I feel for her on the thyroid disease front and I can see she's probably dealing facial issues due to that, but I wish she'd be a little easier on her body -- though I prefer it to Oprah's 100 declarations of her new great real self revealed!!!!!!!!!

What an embarrassment of riches CBS must have that they have the staff and shooting time to monkey that shit together taking a scene that would have been relatively sweet and short and practically turning it into Michael Jackson at the BIllboard awards! Everything was out of sync and the lighting was off throughout, not to mention the hilarious bits where they're simultaneously drinking shots and their elbows miss each other by no more than an eighth of an inch. I did enjoy Archie acting and smiling through the scene while old, poor, downtrodden, one-of-the-masses, eternal-victim-of-being-white-and-wealthy Alicia looked like a person put in the dryer and then left on a hanger overnight. Practically every show ever aired has had cast members who either don't like each other or who flat out hate each other, but I can't recall it ever driving a show's direction for years on end and where it's overshadowed everything. Christ, how many millions does Julianna have to make for her to be required to show up and simply work? As much as I detest Shonda R's one-trick-pony storytelling, I do wish TGW would trade showrunners for a week and let Shonda clear the asshole from the set, permanently. I'm sick as death right now and can barely get my ire up, but I did ask someone who's worked behind the scenes with Nathan Lane and a bunch of other Broadway actors if he had any insight into Julianna, but he didn't even know who she was. I don't recall her having the live acting credits of most other people on staff at TGW or the many guest stars. I feel so happy for Gary Cole every week now when I see him working with a cast of professionals, and a very talented and powerful actress, where everyone shares the great scripts, scenes and respect. He must cringe when CBS throws money at him to guest on TGW again. The Kings really don't seem to get that they are making some TV history, the type where you go from being a smart, multi-talented, sleeper of a hit to your devoted audience wishing someone would have dragged the show off with a hook after season 5. eta: word Black Knight, I was writing while you were posting but I sure hope this is the beautiful start of JM being dragged on twitter!

Thanks for the links guys! The old Seinfeld "Yama Hama, it's fright night!" jumps to mind re Wendy's house. I'm speechless... mostly. There's something so freaking weird about all that's wrong with her decorating sense, like it's beyond texture, pattern, color, materials and taste, and actually also a problem with considering 3 dimensions. She has all of this furniture, art and stuff lined up in a row and everything was the same height for the most part; it was really strange, like a finger paint camouflage or something. I'd like to give her credit for doing her own thing, but sometimes you need to know your own strengths and I swear I couldn't even locate the furniture in several of the rooms shown! And black walls are not a neutral. There are even many black paints you can create that are bold but they must have an underlying color of some sort. Her paint job was the equivalent of someone painting with bleach, just in black. I have no words for the "tree"/coat rack?/sculpture? thing wedged in there, how utterly bizarre to stick it against the wall and right next to and partially in front of the invisible couch and 2 bold paintings. I'm thinking now that maybe she keeps giving Teresa G screen time because she's a bit jealous of her taste level (AHHHHHH!). It would have been nice to see her kitchen, although now I wonder if it's even a functional kitchen or just black walls with some outdated cabinetry and a crock pot on a small table next to a wall? I'm officially giving this too much thought. It's rare for an interior to provoke such strong feelings in me. Well, hopefully she'll have something funny to say tomorrow that will wash away that house tour. Whichever network shows Nightline should have saved that for a late October airing!

I never thought my brain would form the sentence, "damn, I missed Nightline," but there it is. The clip where she was tearing up over the people she imagined she was connecting with through the show was awkward. At first I thought she was being sincere, and then when the interviewer offered her the handkerchief, she seemed so overwhelmed at a man being thoughtful in her house that she forgot to keep the crying going. I don't know which is worse, if she was fake crying or if her classic gender role marriage doesn't include her husband noticing she needed a tissue once in (??) years? I'd love to know what her house looks like! I cringed so hard when she mentioned the piece before it aired and said her artwork would be featured (and little Kev's too I think). I'm all for having a creative outlet, but she must stop showing her painting of that cartoon dude/mascot guy every time she discusses someone in hot topics who has lips and a nose! That painting gives me the sads. Didn't she show a drawing by lil' Kev this year, a rendering of an album cover or something? Apparently the Williams' family is really into copying other artwork, but I recall Kevin's work showing a little more promise. Again, I need to know what the inside of that house looks like! eta: (Found the interview) Oh Sweet Fancy Moses, that house! That is a messy mess of tack-eh-lation Wendy. I'm sure the Buddha head is busy praying for a new, more peaceful environment. And, oh Wendy, of course in your house you only get a small women's cave... I mean, I'm glad she's no Bethenny Frankelstein shoving Jason and his TV into a closet while building "their" apartment, but she could at least give herself a wing or something. I'm starting to think she doesn't have people over because she lives with two out-of-control chauvinists (or 1 and another in training), and they won't play well with others. The deli scene was good though, she seemed very genuine with the public and people really seem to love her. Was she in reverse for most of that driving scene?!

She's absolutely killing me with the Nick Loeb/Sofia Vergara stuff and she's not letting it go! When she first addressed it a couple of weeks ago, she had the reaction about how "if it can be a girl, it's really a child!" stuff and I just wrote it off as Wendy doing her "I'm a girl, I'm all pink, I don't understand gametes or zygotes!!!" crap, but she's still going with that line about the embryos being girls. Call me an eternal optimist that I figured someone on the staff would let her know that no, you really can't see the sex of the little embryo goobers or whatever -- you know because they were made in the lab to be female. Maybe even the crap doc Oz could have been brought on to break it down for her, I'm sure he needs gigs these days. And then she brings it up again today and Loeb's op-ed piece but never mentions that two of their embryos were previously implanted and neither ended up being viable. His past of hookers and blow is well known, and that was during the relationship with Sofia, so how is it one 40-something ex-fiancee's responsibility? I can tolerate Wendy's insanity 95% of the time, especially if it's a one off, but she's had weeks for someone to clue her preschool-level understanding of this mess. I know, I know, don't come to Wendy for the hard-hitting science news, but still... Re: her schedule, I thought she took Fridays off so she could have shorter summer breaks and be on the air for more overall months basically? Besides keeping the audience engaged with the show and not losing them to some new host/show, it always sounds like she's in her 1950s self-made jail with no one to talk to but the two Kev's whenever she's off from work. I do think her personal life would implode if she lost the show.

Is this the right spot? I think so.. Julianna Margulies is on the newest Charlie Rose. My DVR picked it up at 3am, but my PBS station is straight-up nuts with their air times, so my best guess is it's Wednesday's show. I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but she is the third/last guest I believe. The intro showed her saying something about how the Kings had written the election story so that she would never win for blah blah blah reasons, so I'm looking forward to hearing about their "reasoning" and "planning." I got a hearty laugh seeing the clip because she is dressed, coiffed and made up as though she is attending an awards show. It's so Julianna to do The-Golden-Globes-go-to-Charlie-Rose look," because, you know, IMAGE! A bit mind-boggling to see on CR. And, I just found more "news" about how absurdly-handsome her "real-life Ken Doll" husband is (with galleries of picture proof) when checking the spelling of her last name. Is it voting season for something?

The show is doing such a poor job in bringing up these real -- or imagined -- indiscretions. There really was nothing wrong with Ramona, other than that she was working with/for Peter. She wasn't for hire, in her 20s, stupid, etc. It appeared like they had an actual relationship that started well after Alicia had decided that she was completely done with Peter and the "...but I won't divorce you" stuff, which is a peculiar position for anyone to be in year after year, where there is barely civility but no chance at beginning a new life either. I mean, Manipulator Heal Thyself already. The initial plot about betrayal was interesting and sympathetic, but since then, all we get is Alicia playing "come here..., smack!/you can't be near my children/I'll never speak to you again/you're dead to me!..." over and over again, whether it was Cary or Diane as competition way back, or Peter, Jackie, Eli, Kalinda, or Will. Peter has been written as a dog in many respects, but he also appears to have a deep desire to be connected to his kids, a partner, and a job. Alicia is supposed to fiercely love her children and it was implied Will was the great love, but she only had interest in controlling Will and requiring that he need and love her. And, other than threatening to cut Grace's teacher and occasionally crying at Grace before or after she takes her to task over whether she believes in God or not that week (has Grace ever been allowed to have another trait??), the show has given me nothing as far as Alicia ever putting anyone in her life ahead of her, even for a moment in a time of real need. There never was some big love for Will that was halted due to her marriage; Alicia herself said she was never in love with Will, and it has always been Alicia who has led the major decisions in her life and it was clearly her choice to never divorce, out of self interest. What is so weirdly obvious now to me is that Will was the loving, generous, concerned "half" to Alicia's character. I'm not sure she became more insufferable as a character at all, there was just always this big Will/someone-with-a-heart presence on TGW that made her tolerable and not completely oppressive. I can't believe it didn't even occur to me that this might have been a wave to Christie's "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" bs.

Yes!! Nothing like reminding us of what made the show a must watch (while attempting to chloroform us with more drawn-out, idiotic campaign/election garbage). I heart Diane so much and she really can pull this show out of the ditch when given the opportunity. That was a bit painful to watch, especially when I thought we were just getting a shot of Prady stuck in (Peter's) traffic jam, realizing the heinous nature of these two and that he couldn't compete with their corruption. Prady for Governor! is the only election I'm interested in seeing on TGW again. Oh, and I guess the purported slip up that Julianna made at some awards show about how Peter would have a hard time working with Alicia turned out to be a true spoil. Well, "Alicia" does tend to spoil things... I was somewhat jolted by the ridiculousness of this new, docile, excommunicated Kalinda who didn't even get to make a call to Alicia this week. Instead we got the Kings' meta-ing the situation to death having Lemond get off of the phone with Alicia to inform Kalinda she would now be a go between. Did I have a 5-year fever dream in which this character never had a contract, never ate shit from anyone (except Alicia), and, above all, knew her worth and was an assertive, intelligent woman? In "love" news, I spent part of the weekend watching Steven Pasquale's chemistry with Linda Cardellini in Bloodline, so this was, um, unconvincing to say the least. I like Marissa, but if they want her around more often, they need to stop her writing her as though she's a joke writer for an award show or something. Her dialogue can be painfully try-hard. I did like the donut scene though, and I had my first "yay Alicia!" moment in a long time when she chose the donut I wanted! But it didn't last too long as there was some nonsense about Alicia letting go and indulging in sugar, 'cause I've got zero patience with people who drink small bowls of wine every night and claim to have a low-sugar or no-sweets diet. Grace is officially without parents now; guess she'll have to keep raising herself. Poor kid though, no Zach around, and two narcissistic messes for guardians. She'll be the one who ends up on the street with a unibrow if something doesn't change! Where did Jackie disappear to anyway? Is she Lemond's overnight nanny now?

I thought Alberta and the other parts of BC I'd seen (wherever the railway takes you and Vancouver Island) were some of the most exceptional places I'd seen, but that is beyond description. I guess they group any place that technically surrounds Vancouver as Vancouver, much like they say anything in WA, especially the Olympic Peninsula, is Seattle. As Tina Fey would say, "I want to go to there." It actually makes the French landscape look a bit dowdy, which I thought was impossible :)

It's supposed to be a fictitious town, Caldwell, WA, though it's filmed in Vancouver, as per A&E's info. Pretty much everything you see in TV/movies that is set in WA is filmed in BC, though I've seen bits of footage from the town I live in in The Ring and Enough and shows like The Killing always get a certain amount of shots of Seattle to sprinkle in. I always kind of wonder if the X-Files started that trend, and then the tax breaks followed and the rest is history... My impression during the first episode was that Lena & Camille's dad owned the bar, and no one questioned the boss' daughter's habits. I'm not clear though, especially after watching the French version, if the dad character is supposed to be the owner at all, or if he was just kind of squatting there with the psychic seductress? My guess is it's just that the US version is the French series scene-by-scene basically, where Lena was old enough to drink, and they just followed what was already written.

Now that I've been crammed every non-sleeping overnight minute watching Les Revenants,

The French twins are far better cast IMO. Ahh, I hope I don't notice an eye color discrepancy, it will totally yank me out of the story. French Victor is the creepiest little creepier who ever creeped. I don't know if there's an international Emmy category for that, but there ought to be. If that version was a US production, I would swear they superimposed an unsettling, age-progressed photo of the same kid as old man, and added some corpse-y features. I have an idea about why Simon didn't say anything, but it's based on info from Maybe the US version will write it differently?

There were so many Kurt scenes where he had LG/Diane out to his lab to view all sorts of variables over and over again through the progression of a case, so it was odd that he never considered more possible effects of environment on plastics. Kalinda is really very good at catching small things in videos (the case with the guy whose backpack pin had been mistaken as an "aggressive protester" sticker comes to mind). Oh Kalinda... working alone in a conference room with only her phone for <1 minute; has anyone in TGW history ever been given so little to work with ? I think she's been downgraded to a magic phone :( I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a courtroom scene on a show. After 5+ seasons, it actually seemed a novel concept! And damn, the case was a good one. I actually know of a gun lover in the fairly-small city I live in who could no longer get a carry permit and recall that he had told several people he owns two 3-D printers, so major yikes... Another example of how the internet-related content is so far behind the law. I'm kind of with Marissa wrt Johnny, "handsome men [are] so weak." Yeah, he changed his mind before the speech, but I get no testosterone buzz from the actor/character. I was mid-yawn when their thrilling (will they-will they) kiss began as the credits rolled. Why don't I feel sure Diane and Kurt are okay? I'm worried poor Kurt is going to end up with another TGW-aren't-we-ironic/clever story-line where he ends up shot on their hunting trip. Oh, I hope that's paranoia on my part. It was odd that Finn, who's shown an understandable amount of ptsd symptoms surrounding guns and loud, unexpected sounds, showed no hesitation or caution at Kurt's lab to me.

I just had to dip my toes into the French Simon episode to have a look for myself, and je suis totalement d'accord! (any French speaker is free to correct my errors as it's been 20 years since I sat in a French class.) Adèle (Rowan) looks to be a 40-something androgynous woman (at the start) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead somehow makes the character more compelling and more believably pained for me. I wonder why French Simon Man, the reviews about the US version being a scene-by-scene remake are not far off at all

Very early on when TGW started receiving a lot of critical acclaim and the viewers got on board as well, I think there was some misconception about what it was about the show they loved. For me, it was always about the ensemble and JM/AF was a good cog in that wheel, but I never would have gotten into the show or continued watching if it had become all about the AF character in the first or second season. Sometimes -- often actually -- showrunners, network execs, and stars all get a bit off track about why something is a success. CBS was taking a lot of hits about airing broad crap back in the early TGW days and they wanted to trot out their artsy, critical darling once they realized people wanted more. I think they just got very confused about what the "more" was that people wanted. The division between what the press picks up as the rave/success and what people actually love about a project are so rarely the same. I get a bit confused trying to think of what work Julianna has done that makes her the obvious star (other than classic execs' tunnel vision). Yes, I recall her in ER, but much of her fame from that roll had to do with her being the love interest for George Clooney and leaving the show early when he was essentially gone for good and her character was quickly losing ground without George around. It also had a lot to do with ER being a new type of drama, and an ensemble above all. When did JM carry a show or movie? I honestly just can't recall a time. I'm sure she's raking Chase money in with a tractor, but it's not exactly Emmy worthy. Last year, when interviewed after Josh left the show, Julianna made a remark about how Josh's contract was shorter than the standard contract and how she wanted his agent and his deal, and she was really emphatic about that as though she was being held back in some way. I started to really wonder about the cracks in the show then, given that sort of delusion. I mean, okay, let her have a shorter contract so she can go make another Ghost Ship or whatever she did before TGW; there really wasn't a degree of fame or offers to make her the de facto lead here. And personally, I have zero preference about whether a man or woman gets the accolades or takes heat for being a dick to work with, so I have no horse in that race. My horse was in TGW being unique and an enjoyable, intelligent and ensemble show. I'm sorry to say I'd be happy as a clam for Matt to go, though I would end up all pretzel-y from crossing all of my fingers, toes, arms and legs that he could get another good role, because he's going to be the final reason I tune in if I manage to make it through this season. I love many of the actors, though not many have appeared in this season or for more than a few minutes, but I'm confident Christine B and Alan C and many more will land more roles and it would be a delight just to see them get the lines/screen time they did a season ago. I mean, these are people who have true star power and the careers to back it up, and whose personalities are never the story (hurrah!). If some balance can't be restored for a season 7, then screw it. I don't own stock in Chase or JM, so get it to-fucking-gether writers...

Since I have yet to spoil myself by watching Les Revenants (why did Netflix rename it, for christ??), I dipped into the episode descriptions online and I'm torn about how much longer I will be able to white knuckle it and not watch Les Rev's. And now I'm worried about what the US version is going to do differently when it (possibly) veers off its own cliff? I did see that a second series of Les Revenants is underway, with some of the plot already outlined. My impression was that the US version was going its own way because further source material was not available, but now I wonder if they're just going to crap it up because they can, sigh... I finally listened to the original score/soundtrack and it's fantastic (love Mogwai), so I have no clue why they did what they did with the US score at all. In fact, it was the oft-run musical-promo ads on A&E that had me avoiding it straight out of the gate. It was only because Bates Motel was a bit underwhelming and A&E smartly began The Returned early so it would be included in the recording, that I happened across it at all. But, the production value had me about 5 minutes in and now I'm all up in its grill.

Ha! It's true that in the US it would be suspect for there not to be an amber alert out for a child who was newly missing; the news would be everywhere. And given that he doesn't look unkempt or starving, it's unlikely he's been missing for a long time. It was pretty unbelievable that he wouldn't be recognized after only being gone for 4 years, especially in the bar where his band was either the house band or played frequently. If I'm gauging the size of the town sort of correctly, it makes no sense that that no one recognized him at the town's one(?) establishment. Especially when you consider that the dude hasn't aged a day. Even the girl finally realizing who he was didn't make sense given that she was supposed to be about 16 when she got the little drum lesson from him. Had she been a little kid when she met him, that totally makes sense, but for a 16 year old to not recognize the same face/person when she's 20 is silliness. All of this brings up an unanswered question I have which is (some of this is ep. 2 I'm pretty sure...): I don't know if I'll be able to control my need to binge this on Netflix, and all of the French details are just making it harder to not watch! I thought I'd be chill enough to stay away from it, but now I realize I've already seen next week's episode and I don't know if I'll make it two weeks to see more.

Count me in with this one; I liked the look, feel and the actors pretty much immediately. I haven't watched the French version yet, though I was sufficiently intrigued to the point where I wanted to pop over to my queue and begin a binge of the original, but decided to go for the 2nd ep, on demand, and got even more tied into the series. I worry a bit about the ratings on A&E, but I believe Netflix has already picked up this version to air within 24 hrs of showing on the network, thus insuring (hopefully) that it won't be yanked before the first season airs fully (or Netflix would show the rest if that does happen). Jeremy Sisto can do very little wrong, so I'm happy he's there, and the rest of the cast caused me to do several "where do I know him/her from?!"s. The psychic-hooker assault guy is the actor I loved from his stint on The Closer, so I'm pleased to see him again, despite the awful assault. I recognized Dr. Han from that disaster Hostages, but I"m working on trying to see her as someone totally different. I was pretty immediately drawn in by the Rowan character and her super hot dead/alive ex. Camille kept reading as Emily Kinney to me, but that might be intended. I was not psyched to see Michelle Forbes as my memory of her awfulness on True Blood will take a long time to forget. At least Kevin Alejandro's arc there was mercifully short, and it's great to see him again. The female police officer is very familiar but I can't place her just yet. ITA. All I can figure is that someone decided a US audience wouldn't be able to make the stopped-time connection without making one girl look like a kid and the other like she might be working as a truck-stop hooker. Whatever is going on here with some of "the returned" seeming perfectly pleasant but understandably confused -- and then others seeming to have received an ice pick to the frontal lobe -- is definitely confusing me for now. I agree that it has a Leftovers vibe, but I actually think the casting here is a bit better in that no one's star power is distracting or supposed to give the show (possibly-undeserved) merit, and there's no HBO bullshit "not-tv" hullabaloo that would cause the same problems. And, I'll take the subtle and not-subtle creepiness of people re-entering their old lives, relationships and the repercussions of loss over the supposed terror of monsters you're safe from if you have a bike or a deer fence handy, no question.

Yes, what an awful choice for Will as his nose is probably one of my favorite things about him and one of his most notable features! At least the show is being honest I suppose in that, if it's not Alicia/Julianna, an extra might as well stand in. And yeah show, what really needed to be settled was Alicia letting Will go as opposed to Alicia realizing she might not again ever treat someone who loved her with total disdain and take their existence for granted while managing to only think of herself for years at a time... Poor Nanny Kalinda. First we got that stupid visual of Kalinda's shadowy figure in a doorway when Alicia thought to call her, and then we were treated to a totally ridiculous premise about Kalinda and Peter having had some heated and ongoing affair. I call total lazy and self-indulgent, bullshit writing to try to make sense of demoting Kalinda to a character not even allowed to share the same scene as Alicia in ?? episodes now. Not only is the show's writing practically unrecognizable now, but apparently they want to re-write previous seasons. The realization that TGW writers were attempting a "Fly" episode struck me with genuine horror. Alicia is no Walt. Walt didn't labor under the constant delusion that he was something other than who he was. And BB never made the mistake of thinking that any character was less interesting, or less worthy of a full plot, story and dialogue, than Bryan Cranston. I would also bet that Bryan didn't insist on all of the money associated with becoming the central character in a successful show where large raises follow additions to titles like co-exec producer, therefore freeing up some budget to allow for other actors to also be featured on the show. I really wish this would happen. They could follow the lead of The Closer and write the lead off the show and let us get back to the ensemble and premise (no offense to Kyra Sedgewick, as Brenda at her worst couldn't hold a candle to Alicia -- it's just an example that it's been done). That is about the only season/series finale that would feel satisfying to me after this shit show known as season 6. And what was up with Zach's fever story? I really do miss that character and actor. How charming that she imagined her privileged son to be homeless after standing next to an actual homeless man on the street who was holding out a cup for change, where she stopped and looked at him, only to change songs and continue walking. Eli and Peter wouldn't be written as that insensitive. This show can't be cancelled quickly enough for me. eta: Apparently Josh Charles or a look-a-like made a minuscule appearance on last night's Girls. I couldn't confirm it was actually him, but it's unintentionally hilarious timing nonetheless!

But how has she managed not to stumble across that realization in the past 6 years? -- that's the real question! The SA election story line only highlights that Alicia has not progressed at all, and she only looks remotely 'good' when she's sitting next to someone like Colin Sweeney. She was the height of selfish about getting the LG job in the beginning, then still so with raise(s), then with partnership, with Cary, and with everything Will related. It was the same story with Kalinda to the point of distraction; seasons filled with Kalinda doing everything she could to help Alicia in all facets of her work and home life, never with any reciprocity. And on and on and on. I've been waiting for some gentle arc to nudge the character into being someone other than an entitled narcissist, but it's almost the end of S6 and I still can't find it. Even the crying scene left me feeling "oh here we go, now Alicia's lack of conscience is her teenage daughter's problem!" since she's run through everyone else in the state whom she had some connection with. Why doesn't she just marry a glass of wine and call it a day? I hadn't even thought about the power JM might wield in the past few seasons. I do find it bewildering that she gives interviews and is promoted as the draw of the show and almost the show itself when I'm hard pressed to think of a show with more talent in its large cast. It makes me wonder... And soon we'll be treated to Owen overhearing (perhaps by a smartphone video thanks to the bigot's daugter?) that Alicia was, yet again, willing to sell anyone she loves for the adoration she feels she deserves and a chunk of change and of course being upset. This will be followed by Alicia crying to Owen about how terrible it all is (for her), and then by Owen assuring Alicia that she only did something wrong because Will isn't around (for her to use) anymore and how awful life is for poooooor Alicia. Yech. Maybe Redmayne's daughter is going to use the video to make a play for his company? I'm assuming he's some type of a figurehead for a multi-million dollar corporation, and the daughter will decide to hire Alicia! (the only lawyer in IL) to help her prove her father is mentally incapacitated and that she needs his controlling interests. My hope, however, is that it's leaked at a debate or function where the public and donors get to see Alicia selling Frank out and Frank standing up for decency. Yesss -- everything about this storyline is filled with character inconsistencies, anvils and caricatures and it's awful to watch. The forced and stupid tales of Bishop, Cary and Kalinda have only served to beef up Alicia's story and character, and that is not a good thing for the show. I'm sure Alicia will cough up a tear for Kalinda when she leaves though -- after realizing it's unlikely she'll win a case again!