S06.E06: Deepfake

[thewhiteowl]

When a fabricated video makes it appear that Liz and Henry are making fun of a foreign dignitary, they struggle to convince him not to pull out of an important international agreement. Stevie says goodbye to a person important to her.

[Dowel Jones]

I hope the producers aren't mad because The Blacklist got their deepfake episode out first.

[Athena5217]

I liked the Korean First Lady/K-Pop Star/economics savant. She certainly shocked Henry. He was quoting her to Bess almost like she was his beloved a Thomas Aquinas.

Why isn’t the guy who assaulted Mike B in jail being held without bail? He is clearly a danger to society.

[NUguy514]

I neither need nor want to see Henry so involved with policy wheeling and dealing; it's discomfiting that the show is portraying the husband of a female president as involved in governmental business as he is.  Conrad's wife certainly wasn't.

I neither need nor want to see Wentworth Miller play such a one-note supervillain.  He did it much more interestingly in the DC TV universe, and we all know he's going to fail with his vendetta to impeach Elizabeth here.

I neither need nor want to see Stevie and Dmitri's relationship shit; I never cared about their relationship to begin with, and they have almost no chemistry.  Was anyone clamoring for this pairing to flare up again, much less become such a large part of this final season?

With each passing episode, I'm sadder and sadder that the show didn't end last season.

[bros402]

Honestly, I found Henry's involvement in this episode to be better than in the past  I can buy the First Spouses of two countries figuring out something to save a deal.

[kwnyc]

Bess is sort of setting herself up as the "anti free speech" president. However...as anyone who frequents the internets knows, they are a hive of scum and villainy. There are MANY bad actors, toxic personalities and much misinformation.

IT does have an effect on the way we live, and how we perceive the world...though Bess's exposition about closed algorithms was a bit too lectury for me...even if it IS true.

Mike B and Blake are gold. "It's overproduced." "Your HAIR is overproduced."

And Mike B having a weakness for K-Pop is sweet. Like Russell and his pandas.

If only Senator Prison Break had a mustache...then he could twirl it. Though I like that Morejon was up front about being offered the presidency. He's still an asshole, but he can't be bought, because he's HER asshole. The Morejon/VP arc is one of the more interesting ones in this final season. And I guess that means she's okay with him running for Prez if she makes 2 terms.

And it was subtly underscored that Henry kind of thought it was beneath him to be paired with the Korean First Lady, and she blew him away with her knowledge and insight.

[HurricaneVal]

4 hours ago, kwnyc said:

The Morejon/VP arc is one of the more interesting ones in this final season. 

Agreed!  I'm glad they're using it to full.advantage.

4 hours ago, kwnyc said:

And it was subtly underscored that Henry kind of thought it was beneath him to be paired with the Korean First Lady, and she blew him away with her knowledge and insight.

I actually came here to post something close to this thought.  But you said it first, and probably better than I could. 

This was a good way to use Henry.  May we have more state visits where he entertains the spouses of other nation's leaders.  Extra points of they can make it a running gag, like Murphy Brown's revolving door of secretaries.

[NeenerNeener]

1 hour ago, HurricaneVal said:

This was a good way to use Henry.  May we have more state visits where he entertains the spouses of other nation's leaders.  Extra points of they can make it a running gag, like Murphy Brown's revolving door of secretaries.

Hee! I really like this idea.

It was pretty obvious that Stevie was going to dump Mr. Nice-but-Bland Guy for Dimitri, since Dimitri is in the cast list up through episode 10 and the other guy is not. That doesn't mean they won't kill him off in episode 10, though.

[Grrarrggh]

15 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

I neither need nor want to see Wentworth Miller play such a one-note supervillain.  He did it much more interestingly in the DC TV universe, and we all know he's going to fail with his vendetta to impeach Elizabeth here.

I think his character comes off as incredibly realistic. 

[bros402]

One other comment - how does Senator Prison Break plan on impeaching Elizabeth? The senate can't impeach. The House has the power to impeach, then the Senate holds a trial and either impeaches or acquits.

[kwnyc]

6 hours ago, bros402 said:

One other comment - how does Senator Prison Break plan on impeaching Elizabeth? The senate can't impeach. The House has the power to impeach, then the Senate holds a trial and either impeaches or acquits.

Yep, as we are reminded daily...and is the House the same party as the senator? (Bess ran as an independent, right?) 

[Dowel Jones]

9 hours ago, bros402 said:

One other comment - how does Senator Prison Break plan on impeaching Elizabeth?

He probably thinks that he wields far more power than he does, and the he will bribe/browbeat/cajole members of the House to vote for an impeachment.

[momo]

Can anyone tell me what's going on with POTUS fashion?  The tie under the blouse? And they don't have to make her work hair THAT old ladyish, do they?

[MerBearHou]

On 11/11/2019 at 8:48 AM, kwnyc said:

Mike B and Blake are gold. "It's overproduced." "Your HAIR is overproduced."

And Mike B having a weakness for K-Pop is sweet. Like Russell and his pandas.

Mike B. asking for a signed photo for his son "Michael...actually Mike...Mike B"  Loved this.  Blake's reactions when Mike was dancing oh, so slightly to K-Pop.

And I cannot stand Dmitri.  I hate that Stevie chose him over that wonderful guy.  But wonderful guy aside, I still wouldn't root for Stevie and Dmitri -- I just don't see it.

[zoey1996]

1 hour ago, momo said:

Can anyone tell me what's going on with POTUS fashion?  The tie under the blouse? And they don't have to make her work hair THAT old ladyish, do they?

I'm not sure about the clothes, but I love her new hairstyles.  

[leighdear]

Hate the weird floppy tie under the blouse. 

At least they seem to have gotten rid of the 3/4 sleeve blazers over the long sleeve blouses.  I never understood, and hated, that look.  

It was NOT fetch, and they did NOT make it a thing.   I like her hair too.  But I'll always prefer the shoulder-length flip/bob.  

[txhorns79]

2 hours ago, momo said:

The tie under the blouse?

She's done variations of that during this season and in other seasons, I believe.  It looked almost like an ascot in this episode.  It's not a flattering look, and I don't know who in the wardrobe department has convinced her that she looks great. 

6 hours ago, kwnyc said:

Yep, as we are reminded daily...and is the House the same party as the senator? (Bess ran as an independent, right?) 

I remain very confused by the politics of this show.  I think the only opponent they mentioned for Bess was the Republican who had the affair with his staffer?  I don't recall the flashbacks mentioning a Democrat. 

[KaveDweller]

5 hours ago, momo said:

Can anyone tell me what's going on with POTUS fashion?  The tie under the blouse? And they don't have to make her work hair THAT old ladyish, do they?

They need to get Alison back to dress her mom.

Granted, I thought Ali made some weird choices in the past, but she is at least supposed to be fashion-minded.

[shapeshifter]

First the good:

• Lots of good one-liners, "You have over-produced hair."
• I loved Stevie's "ruffled botanical" blouse even though it would be hypocritical for her to wear a $265 top, and also loved Elizabeth's irridescent tan slacks at the 18:30 mark (https://www.cbs.com/shows/madam-secretary/)
• Heh, I don't know if Mike B. has a son, but I doubt it's his son who is into K-Pop.

The rest:

• I liked that the President and First Lady of S. Korea were a happy couple, but it bugged me that Henry and the S Korean prez didn't get to enjoy their illuminated manuscripts together because the show wanted to make some obscure point about gender.
• Mike B. shouldn't rely on a baseball bat for protection if he's not going to use it. 
• They don't have to kill off Dimitri; Blake's prediction is already coming true: Dimitri likes to watch violent comedy videos on YouTube and he doesn't like health food. 
• Since Stevie's other bf is as bland as cold unflavored oatmeal, I'm guessing Blake will break up with his bf and then Blake and Stevie will be endgame.
• Will Supervillain Senator Prison Break wind up doing something evil and get caught?

[MerBearHou]

I’ve never watched Wentworth Miller in anything before.  Is his acting always this bad?  He is, to me anyway, a villain straight out of a cartoon with his dramatic manner of speaking and stupid pauses for effect.  It’s almost laughable.  

[NUguy514]

59 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

I’ve never watched Wentworth Miller in anything before.  Is his acting always this bad?  He is, to me anyway, a villain straight out of a cartoon with his dramatic manner of speaking and stupid pauses for effect.  It’s almost laughable.  

Yes, he always delivers his lines in that affected way.  It occasionally works (DC TV Universe) but is often very annoying, I agree.

[cameron]

How did Ally get an internship in a fashion house in Milan?  Didn't think she ever got her degree.

[cameron]

On 11/12/2019 at 7:14 PM, KaveDweller said:

They need to get Alison back to dress her mom.

Granted, I thought Ali made some weird choices in the past, but she is at least supposed to be fashion-minded.

Would have loved to see a full photo of the gown that she wore to the state dinner.  It actually looked nice for a change.

[kwnyc]

2 hours ago, cameron said:

How did Ally get an internship in a fashion house in Milan?  Didn't think she ever got her degree.

Could be her junior year abroad. Also, being the President's daughter.

[Netfoot]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

How did Ally get an internship in a fashion house in Milan?

Liz threatened to withhold a billion dollars in aid back when she was VP SoS?

Edited November 14, 2019 by Netfoot

[Dowel Jones]

Someone call Senator Prison Break!

[meatball77]

Senator Prison Break's hairline drives me batty.  What is that thing that sticks down? 

[secnarf]

3 hours ago, meatball77 said:

Senator Prison Break's hairline drives me batty.  What is that thing that sticks down? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widow's_peak

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, secnarf said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widow's_peak

Around 1980 my friend’s husband shaved his widows’ peak. I now occasionally wonder if he went bald. 
Anyway, I thought Senator Prison Break just has a bad haircut because he’d be too good looking otherwise. 

[TVForever]

On 11/14/2019 at 7:48 AM, cameron said:

How did Ally get an internship in a fashion house in Milan?  Didn't think she ever got her degree.

A year at home, some therapy, some talent, and a mother whose now POTUS can get you further than a degree.