S01.E02: Missed Connections

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Dex is hired by a wealthy man to search for a woman whom he recently met, but she quickly learns that the task is not as simple as it seems. Meanwhile, Dex and Grey’s history unfolds.

Airing Wednesday, October 2, 2019.

 

 

[Danielg342]

Excited for Donal Logue's debut in this series. If there's anyone who can keep up with Cobie's snarkiness and charisma, it's Logue, who is very much the "badass grandpa" at this stage.

Only issue is that this episode conflicts with the Season 3 premiere of S.W.A.T....decisions, decisions...

[janeta]

Is it just me or are there a ridiculous number of commercials in this?

[stealinghome]

Thought this episode was okay but dragged a bit--it definitely wasn't as good as the premiere. Too many flashbacks to Dex and Grey's ONS and the day after, and too sledgehammer-y about the "right person at the wrong time!" stuff. We get it, there's a Dex-Grey-Hoffman love triangle coming.  Dex and Grey have the history and friendship, Dex and Hoffman more sizzle and the excitement of something new.

Like that Camryn Mannheim got to show a little more of the LT's personality and that she is starting to grudgingly respect Dex.

Cobie Smulders was affecting in that last scene where she talks about how everything she touches gets ruined. Her charisma continues to really power the show.

That's it though, that's all I've got.

oh, question: are the stylized comics panel transition shots actually taken from the graphic novel, or are they created just for the show? It would be cool if at least right now they were using actual images from the source material....

Edited October 3, 2019 by stealinghome

[Mars477]

Man the changes to Grey are so good.  Cut out the UST by having it been resolved in the far past.  Introduce his ex-con past with its own plot arc that will need to be tackled down the road.  Grey in the comics was a sad sap hopelessly in love with Dex who she consciously strings along for favors and Ansel-care.  This dynamic where Dex and Grey hooked up back when they first met, but then made the conscious decision to roll back into a friendship because Dex is shit at relationships is so much better, especially since it doesn’t make her an asshole if she doesn’t notice that Grey might be blurring the line into romantic attraction on his end.

I also really like that this is the kind of cop/crime procedural that allows for some degree of ambiguity instead of an unambiguous happy ending.  Is Katrina really in love or is she still conning her mark?  That coin is still up in the air.

[Amethyst]

Even if it was $1000, the whole plan with tracking down Katrina was skeevy.   The whole plot felt ham-fisted.  And Katrina still could’ve been duping Allen in the end.  

I also got tired of the constant flashbacks.  Especially since they were all happening in the same day.   

I was surprised that Feeney ended up dead.  Figured he would have more sinister plans for Gray.

[Mars477]

1 minute ago, Amethyst said:

Even if it was $1000, the whole plan with tracking down Katrina was skeevy.   The whole plot felt ham-fisted.  And Katrina still could’ve been duping Allen in the end.  

That's why the A plot was so good, though.  How many procedurals allow that much ambiguity into their case of the week?  Is this a happily ever after or is Katrina just going to milk Allen for all he's worth and disappear into the wind?  That we don't have a concrete answer is a good thing IMO.

[Amethyst]

18 minutes ago, Mars477 said:

That's why the A plot was so good, though.  How many procedurals allow that much ambiguity into their case of the week?  Is this a happily ever after or is Katrina just going to milk Allen for all he's worth and disappear into the wind?  That we don't have a concrete answer is a good thing IMO.

I get that they were being ambiguous about the end, but that didn’t make the whole thing any less creepy.  The woman being tracked down, the fake out with her getting “beaten up” at her apartment, then it turns out she’s a scammer...it just left a bad taste in my mouth.

[phalange]

I was wondering how Dex and Grey met, so I definitely appreciated the backstory here. I love that he was there when she got her crappy car. "Vomit is not a color." It says a lot that Dex trusted Grey to meet Ansel and later told him they story of her Benny after knowing him for a day. And Dex is aware that she self-sabotages relationships because she still blames herself for what happened to Benny. 

Grey has a darker past than I thought. He did time and then got himself together, but now everything is coming back to haunt him. With his former partner in crime dead, I'm assuming that whoever did it (the guy named Frank?) is going to be coming back to cause problems, so that sets up some future storylines. 

[tennisgurl]

The flashbacks were a bit confusing, I had some trouble at times figuring out if we were in the past or in the current time, but I did like the backstory between Dex and Grey. I thought at first that he might have been the guy who tried to rob her for a second, but it didnt really sound like him. I appreciate that they were honest with each other about his past as an ex con, where their relationship was going, and even her past with Benny. I was surprised to see Grey's old criminal buddy dead already, I thought for sure he would come back to start more trouble! His past is a bit darker than I expected, and this other guy who probably killed the other guy is certainly going to come back to haunt him. 

The case of the week was interesting, and I like that they left things a bit ambiguous if the con woman really did fall in love with Allen and give up her life of crime, or if this is just a long con and she is planning to take him for everything he has. Interesting that the first two episodes involved people falling for someone who wanted to use them. Also, for someone who professes to be so cynical and world weary, she gets pretty invested in these cases and wanting to make sure the people she is being paid to help are alright. 

More Camryn Mannheim this week, which is always a good thing. 

I am still liking the show quite a lot. Cases of the week are holding my interest and keep me guessing, there are some good fight scenes, and the actors are all really engaging, 

[kazza]

Two weeks in a row I haven't really meant to watch it but ended up ... watching it because:

• As others have said, Cobie Smulders is carrying the show with her charisma. She adds layers and complexity to what could have been yet another tough woman with a heart of gold. 
• Grey is my new tv crush. Is it just me? Jake Johnson is easy on the eyes as is, but as a character with a sketchy past yet still so loyal to Dex - sign me up. 
• That car's cassette player. Asia's Heat of the Moment - are you kidding me?! They need to sell this mixtape as part of this show's marketing or at minimum get a playlist. 

When I'm less interested in the case of the week than the development of the characters, it's a good show. I just wish it wasn't on so late on Wednesdays.

[shapeshifter]

I missed this episode, but might try to catch it online just for:

1 hour ago, kazza said:

• That car's cassette player.…They need to sell this mixtape as part of this show'smarketing or at minimum get a playlist

What notable songs did they include in this episode?

[AnimeMania]

I guess the plot kinda made sense but left me with these questions:

Did Dex get back the money the robber took from the store when she stopped the heist?

Why did the $1000 check bounce? Seemed like a lame plot device to get this whole ball of wax rolling.

Did Dex remember to get back Ansel's phone and return it to him?

[kazza]

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I missed this episode, but might try to catch it online just for:

What notable songs did they include in this episode?

Asia, Heat of the Moment, and at least one other than I can't remember at the moment. 

[Guest]

31 minutes ago, kazza said:

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I missed this episode, but might try to catch it online just for:

What notable songs did they include in this episode?

Asia, Heat of the Moment, and at least one other than I can't remember at the moment. 

Donna Summer’s Last Dance, The Pretenders’ Brass in Pocket, Captain and Tennille’s Love Will Keep Us Together and Hall and Oates’ Private Eyes. There were at least two others that I didn’t recognize which weren’t part of the mixtape. 

Edited October 3, 2019 by Guest

[Lady Calypso]

I really enjoyed this second episode. It was definitely a stronger episode to watch. I liked seeing how Dex and Grey came to be best friends. I like that they got the whole 'Will They/Won't They' out of the way during their first meeting. It's not to say they won't hook up again later on, but at least they have that established background with them both actively and mutually choosing to stay friends. 

Plus, it gave Grey a whole lot of interesting backstory. Better than what they've given Pretty Eyes Miles, who....had some small thing with that random girl that I missed. Hopefully he gets more development, as does Camryn Manheim's character.

I didn't think Grey's friend would end up dead so quickly...but I was also not surprised in the slightest when it was revealed at the end of the episode. In hindsight, it was super obvious that it would end up being a bad day for him. Grey is a very interesting character on his own and I do wonder how things will turn out. 

The music is still on point. It's even reminding me of songs I haven't heard in years.

[teddysmom]

9 hours ago, kazza said:

• Grey is my new tv crush. Is it just me? Jake Johnson is easy on the eyes as is, but as a character with a sketchy past yet still so loyal to Dex - sign me up. 
• That car's cassette player. Asia's Heat of the Moment - are you kidding me?! They need to sell this mixtape as part of this show's marketing or at minimum get a playlist. 

ITA on both. At first I was like "Michael Ealy, hell yeah", but then last night I was like "Jake Johnson, yummy".

I didn't even notice til half way thru the beat down in the bodega the background music was Donna Summers.  Do I have to go thru that web site to find all the music and make my own mix tape? 

[joanne3482]

9 hours ago, phalange said:

With his former partner in crime dead, I'm assuming that whoever did it (the guy named Frank?) is going to be coming back to cause problems, so that sets up some future storylines. 

Somehow I missed that the guy was killed. I thought he killed himself. This means Gray is probably on the hook for the full million?

[Mars477]

34 minutes ago, joanne3482 said:

Somehow I missed that the guy was killed. I thought he killed himself. This means Gray is probably on the hook for the full million?

I don’t think people typically kill themselves under freeways.  Anyways it’s not explicitly stated, but given that his last words were that he was fleeing a dangerous criminal with his portion of the million bucks stolen from said criminal and then he ends up dead the implication is clear.

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Better than what they've given Pretty Eyes Miles, who....had some small thing with that random girl that I missed.

He said that she was his dead partner's wife.

[saber5055]

I guess I need to pay better attention to this show, but it just doesn't hold me in and I keep doing other things. I can't tell the bartender apart from the guy she slept with, I thought they were the same.

I didn't have a clue who the dead person was at the end.

Dex spent 90 percent of this episode beating people up, yet never a bruise or scar. I want to know how she does that. Maybe being a comic character helps.

The car being back with its funky tape player is a plus. It's my favorite character.

Since I was mostly listening instead of watching, I was pretty shocked when Dex told someone to "take care of Asshole."

Axel isn't an easy word to pronounce, I guess.

[Mars477]

23 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I guess I need to pay better attention to this show, but it just doesn't hold me in and I keep doing other things. I can't tell the bartender apart from the guy she slept with, I thought they were the same.

I didn't have a clue who the dead person was at the end.

Dex spent 90 percent of this episode beating people up, yet never a bruise or scar. I want to know how she does that. Maybe being a comic character helps.

The car being back with its funky tape player is a plus. It's my favorite character.

Since I was mostly listening instead of watching, I was pretty shocked when Dex told someone to "take care of Asshole."

Axel isn't an easy word to pronounce, I guess.

Welp.

Ansel's name is Ansel.  It's pronounced like it's spelled.

50 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

He said that she was his dead partner's wife.

Seems like it was intended to fake the audience (and Dex) out because I was expecting her to be an ex-girlfriend or something.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Mars477

[AnimeMania]

9 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I guess I need to pay better attention to this show, but it just doesn't hold me in and I keep doing other things. I can't tell the bartender apart from the guy she slept with, I thought they were the same.

I didn't have a clue who the dead person was at the end.

That was because they were the same the same person, half of the episode was set 6 years ago and the rest was in the present. Except adding a yellow tint to all the past scenes they jumped back and forth excessively and if you were not paying attention it would be hard to follow the story.

The dead guy and the the bartender stole half a million dollars several years ago and split it 2 ways and now the person they stole it from is looking for them.

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, Mars477 said:

Ansel's name is Ansel.  It's pronounced like it's spelled.

I know what I heard. Maybe it's spelled Ansel, but I can't help it that I heard Asshole. Ann-zole ... Asshole ... Ansel. All pretty close. I might have picked a different name for the brother if I were the show's writer.

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

That was because they were the same the same person, half of the episode was set 6 years ago and the rest was in the present.

Oh my gosh, I really do need to pay better attention! Thanks for clearing that up. Next week I promise to do better! I thought it was weird they cast actors who looked so much alike. I do like the bartender though!

[mommalib]

I'm not looking forward to this love triangle because as usual I think the black guy is gonna get the short end of the stick. It looks like they are already setting Gray up as her true love and I get the feeling that Ealy's character is gonna be underdeveloped and repressed. And that's pretty much par for the course for a lot of black male characters.

[Anela]

3 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I know what I heard. Maybe it's spelled Ansel, but I can't help it that I heard Asshole. Ann-zole ... Asshole ... Ansel. All pretty close. I might have picked a different name for the brother if I were the show's writer.

Oh my gosh, I really do need to pay better attention! Thanks for clearing that up. Next week I promise to do better! I thought it was weird they cast actors who looked so much alike. I do like the bartender though!

You aren't the only one. I didn't realize they were the same guy, at first. I'm glad that I'm not alone. 

[KaveDweller]

6 hours ago, saber5055 said:

I know what I heard. Maybe it's spelled Ansel, but I can't help it that I heard Asshole. Ann-zole ... Asshole ... Ansel. All pretty close. I might have picked a different name for the brother if I were the show's writer.

I really thought they said Asshole too.  

[Mecca]

Dex apparently is a better person than me.  When the guy was asking her to look for the girl who gave him a fake number, I was screaming at my TV for her not to say anything and just take the guys money! 

I agree with what others have said about the songs on the radio. They have to keep that in somehow for every episode.   If this show starts to tank in the ratings, they can make her car sentient as a last ditch effort a la Knight Rider.

I wasn't really feeling the first episode, but this one seemed to work better for me.  Although, for some reason, the cop character just isn't clicking for me yet.  I think they could have worked him into Dex's life a little better.  It doesn't make sense to me why he cares so much.  I don't really have an affinity for these actors because I missed seeing their other big roles.  I didn't watch How I Met Your Mother and the only thing I saw the bartender guy in was Spiderman.   Having not seen much of her before I think CS is doing a pretty good job bringing the snark.  She has to make a generally unlikeable character likeable and so far I think she's straddling the line pretty well.

On a side note, I usually don't pay attention to these things, but I happen to have the same blue jacket with the sun on the back that Dex wore in this episode just in a different color and that thing costs $150!  It kept taking me out of the moment when she was driving that janky car, desperate for money all the while wearing a pretty expensive jacket.

[2727]

I may be alone in disliking the damned 8 track music and sound track in general. Ugh. Been watching on mute with closed captions.

[Guest]

53 minutes ago, Mecca said:

On a side note, I usually don't pay attention to these things, but I happen to have the same blue jacket with the sun on the back that Dex wore in this episode just in a different color and that thing costs $150!  It kept taking me out of the moment when she was driving that janky car, desperate for money all the while wearing a pretty expensive jacket.

Maybe she got it at Goodwill. 

[MisterGlass]

I thought this was a good second episode.  It was still a bit stuffed with the background flashbacks, and the reveals about Gray's partner in the present.  However, I'm glad to see he has his own story.  Hopefully we will get more on Hoffman soon.

I think it was a good idea to focus in on a subset of the main characters so that we could start to get to know them.

It's a bit reassuring that Dex has so far investigated a kidnapping and a scam, and none of her clients have died.  So many procedurals resort to the murder of the week.  It's a bit more inventive this way.

[rove4]

I was able to watch this last night and I'm still enjoying the show.  I personally really liked the flashbacks and getting to see how Dex and Grey met and became friends.  I really hate love triangles but if this one goes that way I'm already leaning hard towards Team Grey.  C'mon, he remembered that she doesn't like water chesnuts!  The detective guy is okay too but so far that just seems like lust.  Plus both Dex and Grey seemed wistful for a second there at the end when they talked about dodging a bullet.

I'm glad that Dex is already getting his own plotline. I wonder how long it'll take for him to tell Dex about his potentially impending trouble, aka Frank.  He told her about his felonious past the day he met her so I'd think he'd be able to share this news with her now that they have six years of friendship under their belts.

I was expecting to meet Donal Logue's character this week so disappointed that didn't happen.  Oh well, next week it is.

Still loving the soundtrack!

ETA:  Regarding the music, I found this site, Tunefind,  that lists songs used on tv shows. 

Edited October 4, 2019 by rove4

[martha21]

Thank goodness for this forum. I thought the dead guy at the end was the rich guy and that the conwoman ended up killing him and leaving town. Thanks everyone for clarifying that it was Grey's old friend. I really enjoyed this episode and am loving the show. I also wonder whether Ansel got his phone back. I liked the comic-style images they used this week and hope they keep it up.

[gibasi]

23 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Since I was mostly listening instead of watching, I was pretty shocked when Dex told someone to "take care of Asshole."

Axel isn't an easy word to pronounce, I guess.

Haha.  I thought the same thing! And I believed you when you said his name is Axel. Only to find out it is Ansel. 

[saber5055]

15 hours ago, Mecca said:

On a side note, I usually don't pay attention to these things, but I happen to have the same blue jacket with the sun on the back that Dex wore in this episode just in a different color and that thing costs $150! 

While I admit I wasn't watching closely, I thought Dex was wearing a safety vest she swiped from some sanitary street worker to go undercover.

Apologies to your jacket!

[palmaire]

1 hour ago, martha21 said:

I thought the dead guy at the end was the rich guy and that the conwoman ended up killing him and leaving town.

I watch TV on my laptop (high def screen, max brightness), and usually attribute the murkiness of so many scenes to the limitations of my display. I kind of assume most people are seeing things with a lot more definition and clarity, but yeah. I couldn't see who the corpse was, either.

[Guest]

Hey! They made Dex bi after all! Sweet.

I enjoyed that Grey isn't a pining Nice Guy and just decided they'd be better friends after Dex's self-pitying monologue of emotionally unavailable bullshit. Also, making him an ex-car thief is a pretty sexy detail. Nick Miller After Dark!

I also really enjoyed the tiny detail of Ansel immediately picking up on Grey's con friend being shady, instead of predictably getting duped into leading him to the valuables. You go Ansel!

Michael Ealy is as pretty as he is bland.

Eternally delighted by the obnoxiously loud, cheesy 80s/90s music that drowns out every implausibly choreographed combat scene. 

[Mars477]

2 hours ago, martha21 said:

Thank goodness for this forum. I thought the dead guy at the end was the rich guy and that the conwoman ended up killing him and leaving town. Thanks everyone for clarifying that it was Grey's old friend. I really enjoyed this episode and am loving the show. I also wonder whether Ansel got his phone back. I liked the comic-style images they used this week and hope they keep it up.

They take care to show the guy’s gold tooth so it’s pretty clear that it’s Grey’s partner in crime and not the rich guy (who looks nothing like him).

[rove4]

1 hour ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

Michael Ealy is as pretty as he is bland.

Unfortunately, in this role he is.  The character is so flat that his name hasn't even registered with me. 

[martha21]

1 hour ago, Mars477 said:

They take care to show the guy’s gold tooth so it’s pretty clear that it’s Grey’s partner in crime and not the rich guy (who looks nothing like him).

I have very poor facial recognition. No excuse for not recognizing the gold tooth. In any case, one of the things I appreciate about this forum is finding out these details after the fact. Whenever there's a facial reveal on TV I have a hard time, especially in mysteries. The payoff never happens for me because I'm sitting there thinking 'who is that?'. I wish they'd always include names, but realize I'm in the minority with this issue.

[MissLucas]

3 hours ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

Eternally delighted by the obnoxiously loud, cheesy 80s/90s music that drowns out every implausibly choreographed combat scene. 

I'm not an expert but I thought the fight scenes so far to be quite good. No kung fu shenanigans and so far (IIRC) not a single coffee table was destroyed - just a lot of dirty fighting and working with whatever is at hand to give you an advantage. I loved Dex throwing bags of what looked like potato chips at the guy who tried to rob the liquor store.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Grey and Dex have already hooked up - so he's not eternally pining away for her in a cloud of UST. Even if we get a love triangle it seems at least one with some variations from the standard model. And Camryn Manheim got a bit more to do - also good.

[Mecca]

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

I loved Dex throwing bags of what looked like potato chips at the guy who tried to rob the liquor store.

My only quibble with that scene is those bags would have burst open with the way she was beating the guy over the head with them.  I've had chips fly all over the place just trying to open the package properly.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 10/3/2019 at 2:50 AM, AnimeMania said:

Why did the $1000 check bounce? Seemed like a lame plot device to get this whole ball of wax rolling.

The cheque bounced because it was from an account that the con women cleaned out.

So far I'm still liking this show although I am a little worried that Dex has already been knocked unconscious twice in two episodes. Not good for your memory and brain function in general.

[Gothish520]

On 10/3/2019 at 9:14 PM, Mecca said:

On a side note, I usually don't pay attention to these things, but I happen to have the same blue jacket with the sun on the back that Dex wore in this episode just in a different color and that thing costs $150!  It kept taking me out of the moment when she was driving that janky car, desperate for money all the while wearing a pretty expensive jacket.

OMG I LOVE that jacket! Just found it on Etsy, I must have it.

[Mecca]

8 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

OMG I LOVE that jacket! Just found it on Etsy, I must have it.

It's great! I love the 70's vibe.  The only thing is it's made out of a satin material so it snags like crazy.

[Gothish520]

4 hours ago, Mecca said:

It's great! I love the 70's vibe.  The only thing is it's made out of a satin material so it snags like crazy.

Saw that in the reviews too, hmm, I think I still need it lol!

[stonehaven]

I notice that the fight scenes tend not to have any gunplay(save for the store robbery)...which I find refreshing..and I love the music. I hope the producers got a clearance for the music for both broadcast and future streaming rights as that can be spendy.

I enjoyed it overall. Just something fun to watch...between this and 9-1-1, my old standby of NCID is fast fading into the past of shows to watch. 

[jiminycrispies]

Even though I liked the premiere, I enjoyed this episode a lot more. I liked the case and the flashbacks that showed Grey's relationship with Dex, and I got what I wanted which was some kind of overarching mystery. I'm assuming that Frank/Grey's past is going to be an issue throughout the season.

On 10/4/2019 at 1:47 PM, SnarkEnthusiast said:

Michael Ealy is as pretty as he is bland.

I loved him in Almost Human and Common Law and I'm hoping we get to see him fleshed out a little better in future episodes.

[mandigirl]

Enjoyed the episode. The case of the week reminded me of a Veronica Mars episode.

I've watched the lead actors in other shows/movies: HIMYM, watched every episode of New Girl and Almost Human. It's a testament to these actors that I'm able to enjoy them on this show and not associate them with their other characters at all. 

On 10/4/2019 at 6:55 AM, rove4 said:

I personally really liked the flashbacks and getting to see how Dex and Grey met and became friends.  I really hate love triangles but if this one goes that way I'm already leaning hard towards Team Grey.

I'm leaning Team Wyatt, but hope it doesn't come to that. They have actors and writers with the chops to pull off platonic Dex/Grey. I loved that the decision to be friends was mutual-- GREY wasn't in a good place either. It was poor timing for them both, not just the 'damaged' Dex. 

It's hilarious-- they REALLY sold me on the whole Dex/Grey friendship in the pilot, to the point where I see very little romantic chemistry between them now. I actually said ' Ewww!' during the morning after scene this episode! 

47 minutes ago, jiminycrispies said:

On 10/4/2019 at 10:47 AM, SnarkEnthusiast said:

Michael Ealy is as pretty as he is bland.

I loved him in Almost Human and Common Law and I'm hoping we get to see him fleshed out a little better in future episodes.

Michael Ealy isn't being used to his potential at all. He can definitely act, he hasn't been given anything to do. He and Colbie do have fantastic chemistry, but not sure how the Wyatt character is supposed to fit into this story. Ealy and Camryn Manheim are not bit players, so hoping to see them given more and better material. 

[possibilities]

So the bar was financed with money from Grey's past criminal life? That sounds like more than a little car theft. And if the scary Frank was supposedly not ever expected to get out of lock up, that also sounds like something much worse than stealing.