S01.E01: Pilot

[palmaire]

1 hour ago, cardigirl said:

Also, loved the house they live in. 

Yes, but did it strike anyone else as a bit too nice? We don't yet know if it's Jo's house, her dad's, what her ex husband does for a living, if there's family money, etc. But it seemed a little fancy for a small town police chief, not to mention someone in the family also owning a large beach house. It's a very minor point but the HGTV staging/West Elm-ness of it all prompted a mild eye roll. 

[Anela]

13 minutes ago, palmaire said:

Yes, but did it strike anyone else as a bit too nice? We don't yet know if it's Jo's house, her dad's, what her ex husband does for a living, if there's family money, etc. But it seemed a little fancy for a small town police chief, not to mention someone in the family also owning a large beach house. It's a very minor point but the HGTV staging/West Elm-ness of it all prompted a mild eye roll. 

I didn't even think about the beach house, but I assume it's family property, passed down to someone. 

I didn't really pay attention to the house. I thought it looked cozy. 

[cardigirl]

51 minutes ago, palmaire said:

Yes, but did it strike anyone else as a bit too nice? We don't yet know if it's Jo's house, her dad's, what her ex husband does for a living, if there's family money, etc. But it seemed a little fancy for a small town police chief, not to mention someone in the family also owning a large beach house. It's a very minor point but the HGTV staging/West Elm-ness of it all prompted a mild eye roll. 

The entire town looked extra nice.  🙂 

[topanga]

On 9/25/2019 at 10:31 AM, ottoDbusdriver said:

This show just got measurably better with the presence of Clancy Brown.

Heh. Everything's a little better with the presence of Clancy Brown. 

16 hours ago, chaifan said:

I'm liking Donald Faison in a non-comedic role. 

Same here. I didn't see any Turk at all.

I will say, after watching Donald Faison and Omar Epps (who was on the This Is Us premiere), those actors have not missed many meals. Still love them, though. 

[KaveDweller]

18 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Hey, that made me suppose that Jo's mom left/vanished because she was abducted by aliens and Piper is Jo's alien sister come back to earth.

Well, it worked (sort of) for The X Files.

Yeah, I definitely think something supernatural was involved in her mother leaving. If the show lasts long enough, they could have a season-ender where Jo comes face to face with her mother just when she thinks she has uncovered the bad guys.

[rlc]

I’ll give it a few more weeks for the cast alone. Clancy Brown!!! I’ve adored him since Carnivale.

[hh15]

I wanted so badly to love this, but I didn't. I found it boring, and too much like other Sci Fi shows that I was so excited for but ended up not liking, like Manifest and The Crossing. I'll give it one more episode.

[sharifa70]

This show had me at Clancy Brown: my first thought was “he’d better live through the pilot this time” and <gasp> he did! More to come! Thank you, Clancy Brown’s Agent! 

[Mikita]

On 9/26/2019 at 11:49 AM, palmaire said:

Yes, but did it strike anyone else as a bit too nice? We don't yet know if it's Jo's house, her dad's, what her ex husband does for a living, if there's family money, etc. But it seemed a little fancy for a small town police chief, not to mention someone in the family also owning a large beach house. It's a very minor point but the HGTV staging/West Elm-ness of it all prompted a mild eye roll. 

Well, when the ex left her house it was in the Mercedes-Benz parked in her driveway. So whatever he does for a living, he's well paid.

I'll be back. I liked the lead and her family.

[Neurochick]

On 9/26/2019 at 11:49 AM, palmaire said:

Yes, but did it strike anyone else as a bit too nice? We don't yet know if it's Jo's house, her dad's, what her ex husband does for a living, if there's family money, etc. But it seemed a little fancy for a small town police chief, not to mention someone in the family also owning a large beach house. It's a very minor point but the HGTV staging/West Elm-ness of it all prompted a mild eye roll. 

I didn't notice the house, I was too busy enjoying the show and wondering what comes next.

[peachmangosteen]

On 9/25/2019 at 2:29 PM, TOWTooMuchTV said:

This also led me to thinking about how Piper looks a lot like a younger version of Jo to me, maybe a stretch but I was wondering if that could be of any significance.

Yea, during all the promos for this show I was like, "Is that her as a child travelling to the future?" But then I realized you'd know what you looked like as a child lol. After the story about the mom, I'm with the others that Piper might be Jo's sister.

I'm apparently alone in this, but I am not a fan of the lead actress. Her manner just annoys. But I liked her well enough in this so far. She only annoyed me a few times! 

I loved it but as others have said, I'm basically just waiting for it to turn to shit. The only sci-fi show I can remember truly loving the whole way through is (massive UO alert!) Lost. They all just end up going off the rails for me.

[preeya]

On 9/25/2019 at 4:51 PM, KaveDweller said:

There was one where people washed up from the beach mysteriously, and there was a kid by herself, shady government people, and good hearted cops. It did not last long.

That show was The Crossing,  with Natalie Martinez and Steven Zahn.

Edited September 28, 2019 by preeya

[Melina22]

On 9/25/2019 at 3:29 PM, TOWTooMuchTV said:

This also led me to thinking about how Piper looks a lot like a younger version of Jo to me, maybe a stretch but I was wondering if that could be of any significance.

This was the very first thing I noticed. For a second I wondered if the little girl was Allison T's real daughter. That can't be a coincidence. 

I love Allison in the role. She's an excellent actress, and what a relief to see a lead actress who's attractive, and yet normal looking, not a "Sheriff" who coincidentally has the body of a Cirque de Soleil gymnast and the hair and makeup of a professional model. 

I especially like Piper. Nothing ruins a show for me faster than a bad child actor. Piper (or rather the actress playing her) is wonderful. I enjoyed the bizarre juxtaposition of her angelic face with the horror of the utility knife scene. The scene was creepy, but she wasn't. 

[Enigma X]

I really enjoyed this show. Too tired to go into details, but I am onboard.

[possibilities]

On 9/24/2019 at 11:42 PM, Bulldog said:

Was I the only one who thought that Piper was going to use the box cutter to peel back her face and reveal some alien life form?    

That's for sure what I expected.

On 9/25/2019 at 9:03 PM, chaifan said:

My first thought was I hope at some point the cast Donna Champlin (Paula from Crazy Ex- Girlfriend) as Jo's sister.  They really do have a strong resemblance. 

What a great observation! I'd love to see Donna C show up, now that you mention it!

Happy to see Faison. The recently divorced couple seems awfully friendly, though. If it's only been 2 months, I'd think there'd still be way more tension.

[Whimsy]

On 9/27/2019 at 10:32 PM, Neurochick said:

I didn't notice the house, I was too busy enjoying the show and wondering what comes next.

I always notice houses on TV because it's pretty rare that a person's house on TV reflects what they would be able to afford IRL. 

[Neurochick]

3 minutes ago, Whimsy said:

I always notice houses on TV because it's pretty rare that a person's house on TV reflects what they would be able to afford IRL. 

And that's exactly why I don't notice it; the homes never reflect what a person would be able to afford, so it doesn't bother me.

[Anela]

2 hours ago, Whimsy said:

I always notice houses on TV because it's pretty rare that a person's house on TV reflects what they would be able to afford IRL. 

I used to, as well. Single mothers in a five-bedroom house, with living rooms as big as my entire first floor. The bedrooms, too. Fancy kitchens, etc. 

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, Whimsy said:

I always notice houses on TV because it's pretty rare that a person's house on TV reflects what they would be able to afford IRL. 

I have zero interest/knowledge about how good an actor a person is or care who they are going to date on a show. I care mainly about the plot and does it make sense, that tends to include what is going on superficially around them like all the things in the background. I enjoy pointing out things that seem out of place or unusual, it tends to lead to some interesting conversations including explanations for things I may have missed.

[palmaire]

There are entire set decoration and props departments that work with showrunners to provide the audience with a visible shorthand to understand the characters' lives. Are we not supposed to take away anything from the way they live and the objects they choose to surround themselves with?

Edited September 29, 2019 by palmaire

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Anela said:

Single mothers in a five-bedroom house, with living rooms as big as my entire first floor. The bedrooms, too. Fancy kitchens, etc. 

2 hours ago, palmaire said:

There are entire set decoration and props departments that work with showrunners to provide the audience with a visible shorthand to understand the characters' lives. Are we not supposed to take away anything from the way they live and the objects they choose to surround themselves with?

On 9/27/2019 at 7:14 PM, Mikita said:

Well, when the ex left her house it was in the Mercedes-Benz parked in her driveway. So whatever he does for a living, he's well paid.

I didn't notice the nice house, but everything was so dark on my little tv across the room. 
But after reading more than usual (to me) posts here about the posh digs of the Police Chief, I wondered about the locale, since I know housing costs can vary tremendously by geographic location. So I Googled/Wikipediaed, and (as many of you may also know), it is Long I$land, so, yeah, y'all're right about a house like that being worth a lot.

However, as @Mikita said above, "when the ex left her house it was in the Mercedes-Benz parked in her driveway. So whatever he does for a living, he's well paid." Plus, she is Chief in that locale, so, it's all good. What looks like upper-class digs to many of us, is just middle-class on Long Island --or so my nearly-homeless, Manhattan-dwelling, middle child tells me.

Edited September 29, 2019 by shapeshifter
"by" not "be"

[Anela]

29 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I didn't notice the nice house, but everything was so dark on my little tv across the room. 
But after reading more than usual (to me) posts here about the posh digs of the Police Chief, I wondered about the locale, since I know housing costs can vary tremendously be geographic location. So I Googled/Wikipediaed, and (as many of you may also know), it is Long I$land, so, yeah, y'all're right about a house like that being worth a lot.

However, as @Mikita said above, "when the ex left her house it was in the Mercedes-Benz parked in her driveway. So whatever he does for a living, he's well paid." Plus, she is Chief in that locale, so, it's all good. What looks like upper-class digs to many of us, is just middle-class on Long Island --or so my nearly-homeless, Manhattan-dwelling, middle child tells me.

I need to watch again, because I didn't pay attention to the house in this show, except for the living room/dining room area, which I liked, and thought were cozy. 

I miss my wireless headphones. They broke about a month ago, so I'm focusing more on what they're saying, I think. The sound isn't as good without the headphones. I've been trying to decide whether I should buy more specifically made for the TV, or upgrade to the bluetooth + adaptor the TV, so that I can just use the headphones with a newer TV, should this one finally break, and I need to get a new one. 

[Melina22]

The one thing that threw me off at the beginning is that I assumed the man in the house was her husband. It was quite far into the show when she calls him Dad. I was like, "Wait, Dad? What?"   Sure, he looked a bit older but that's not weird. Oh, and thinking he was her husband I was trying to decide if the daughter was adopted or from a previous marriage because her "husband" was obviously white. 

Here I made up a whole backstory for her family which I had to discard the second she said "Dad". 😁

[Anela]

1 hour ago, Melina22 said:

The one thing that threw me off at the beginning is that I assumed the man in the house was her husband. It was quite far into the show when she calls him Dad. I was like, "Wait, Dad? What?"   Sure, he looked a bit older but that's not weird. Oh, and thinking he was her husband I was trying to decide if the daughter was adopted or from a previous marriage because her "husband" was obviously white. 

Here I made up a whole backstory for her family which I had to discard the second she said "Dad". 😁

So did I, and I was relieved when she called him "dad". I've seen another show thread, where an actress was said to look too old, like someone's mother, when it came to a guy she hooked up with, but the older man is considered to be totally normal. 

[Jennabelle88]

I enjoyed this show and will be back. I am enjoying seeing Donald Faison again because it's been too long since I've seen him in anything really. I like the lead. She's been on Good Girls, so it's nice to see another side to her. This show didn't really creep me out until Piper cut that tracker out of her neck. I was cringing something awful! Can't wait for the next episode! 

[atlantaloves]

Oh I am in, for at least a while too, I love the lead actress, she was in the first Fargo I think and another series that got cancelled that I adored called Downward Dog. This looks good!

[Lunula]

On 9/26/2019 at 11:49 AM, palmaire said:

Yes, but did it strike anyone else as a bit too nice? We don't yet know if it's Jo's house, her dad's, what her ex husband does for a living, if there's family money, etc. But it seemed a little fancy for a small town police chief, not to mention someone in the family also owning a large beach house. It's a very minor point but the HGTV staging/West Elm-ness of it all prompted a mild eye roll. 

I just assumed the house belonged to mom & dad and she moved in with them after her divorce. I was; however, wondering about that awesome beach house!

I quite enjoyed the pilot - was a quick hour and am already looking forward to S2. 

[sharifa70]

41 minutes ago, Lunula said:

I just assumed the house belonged to mom & dad and she moved in with them after her divorce. I was; however, wondering about that awesome beach house!

I quite enjoyed the pilot - was a quick hour and am already looking forward to S2. 

I assumed that, too: didn't she tell Piper the room she was in was her own childhood room?

[Accidental Martyr]

I’ll watch anything that Alison Tolman is in. 

[Tachi Rocinante]

The lead sounds like Ellen DeGeneres and it got a bit cutesy, but since it's from Fazekas And Butters (I miss Reaper) I'll give it a few more weeks.

[Mrs Shibbles]

On 9/25/2019 at 9:43 PM, SoMuchTV said:

Huh.  Didn't really think of that until you pointed it out.  I was thinking Police Chief mom was going to suggest "Jessie" for her name.

Just gonna say, if that bugs you, don't watch the latest episode of The Goldbergs.  Or pretty much any ABC sitcom ever 🙂

Aside from the ABC/Disney connection, she seemed a little old for a Toy story shirt.

My mind connected Woody from Toy Story with Tom Hanks, whose son Colin Hanks played the eventual husband of the character she played on Fargo.  
 

[Clanstarling]

51 minutes ago, Mrs Shibbles said:

Aside from the ABC/Disney connection, she seemed a little old for a Toy story shirt.

My mind connected Woody from Toy Story with Tom Hanks, whose son Colin Hanks played the eventual husband of the character she played on Fargo.  
 

I love playing the mind connection game. Takes you to so many different places. I think it's the sign of a nimble mind. 😉

[bigmag]

 I have ALWAYS thought Alison Tolman sounds like Ellen DeGeneres.  Glad someone else thinks so too!

[Giuseppe]

On 9/25/2019 at 12:27 AM, saoirse said:

I watched Manifest for most of last season but it never scratched my sci fi itch the way this did in just an episode.

Same here. I think for me it's because the people on this show are suspicious and asking questions right off the bat and in general are acting like people would act in these circumstances, for the most part. On Manifest, everyone there for the first few episodes were just like "Oh, we've been gone five years? Cool...what's the new iPhone like?"

I enjoyed this and wasn't really expecting to. I was good and creeped out by the fake parents, and the someone's-in-the-beachhouse scene.

[Orbert]

On 9/30/2019 at 9:42 PM, Tachi Rocinante said:

The lead sounds like Ellen DeGeneres

Thank you!  I kept thinking that her voice reminded me of someone, but I couldn't figure out who.  The way she speaks, the tone of voice, everything was very similar.  Not exact, but close enough to bother me.

I like a good mystery, but if the entire season is literally one great mystery and we learn a little bit more each week, then wow... that's going to be pretty tough.  But I'm in for now.  The characters and premise are interesting.

[Scout Finch]

On 9/25/2019 at 5:48 PM, Lifesabeach said:

just started to watch but I am in because I am a fan of Allison.  I loved her in Downward Dog.  Still have all the episodes on my DVR.

Still on my DVR, too! It was also the first thing I've seen Allison in and I became a fan. It's like how I will watch any show that has Michael Emerson in it.

[Paloma]

On 9/26/2019 at 8:55 AM, Clanstarling said:

I was scrolling through IMDB to find the first show I noticed him in, and man does the man have a boat load of credits. Anyway, it was in a short lived series called "Earth2," which I liked and thought (back in 1994) that he was pretty hot.

You saved me from scrolling through IMDB! I've seen him in a lot of things also, but I'd forgotten that Earth2 was the first (for me). I really liked that show, and he was memorable in it.

[LisaM]

I usually don’t watch new shows because I’m sure they are going to be cancelled but I really like Alison Tolman so....this was very good! Very pleasantly surprised. I am in. 

[djsurrey]

On 9/30/2019 at 7:42 PM, Tachi Rocinante said:

The lead sounds like Ellen DeGeneres ...

That is what I thought.