S01.E21: Dancing At Los Angeles

[WendyCR72]

To air on May 4, 2020. Oddly, the summary was posted, but the episode title was not; usually, it is the other way around! This episode seems very timely. ETA: I have added the expanded description as the database has done the same; much seems the same as the prior description [which I am keeping up as a comparison below the updated version] with some more details:

Quote

With Los Angeles under a mandatory shelter-in-place order and trials piling up, Judge Benner authorizes Judge Carmichael to preside over a virtual bench trial, a case regarding a dispute between brothers over a car. While Emily represents the defendant, Kurt Beto (Mo McRae), Mark represents the prosecution, marking the first time he tries a case in Lola's "court". Also, Mark and Quinn (Lindsey Gort) explore how to continue their romantic relationship while quarantined in separate homes; Judge Benner oversees court from afar and learns to cook; Sara finds temporary work as a food delivery driver; Luke and Emily's relationship is taxed by separation; and germaphobe and type-A Sherri contends with the new world (dis)order. Throughout it all, unknown dance party DJ Tailwind (Dorian Missick) offers a comforting, irreverent voice for all Angelenos in lockdown by sharing his music and thoughts via his laptop at home.

Quote

After debating the merits of continuing their work during this time, Judge Benner authorizes Lola to preside over a virtual trial that involves a dispute between brothers and a stolen car. Emily represents the defendant, a graffiti artist, and Mark prosecutes for the D.A.’s office, marking the first time he tries a case in Lola’s “court.” Elsewhere, Mark and Quinn continue to explore their romantic (and sexual) relationship while quarantined in separate homes; Judge Benner oversees court from afar and struggles to learn how to cook; and Sara (Lindsay Mendez) has to balance her day job with a new side hustle as a food delivery driver. Also, Luke and Emily’s relationship is taxed by separation, and germaphobe and type-A Sherri contends with the new world (dis)order.

[incandescent]

This sounds brilliant. Even if I end up hating the episode, I love them for trying!

[SuzieQ]

So.................I kind of hated it in the begining, but then I don't know what happened, but I liked it a lot by the end.  The final scene was fabulous!

Whenever they are able to start filming again, I hope EVERY show doesn not feel like they have to do a pandemic episode.  By the time they air, we will be so sick of hearing about it after we had to go through it.

[Gbb]

Not gonna lie, I got teary-eyed at the end. Maybe it’s because the characters/actors have such great chemistry but I thought the whole thing worked. 

[driver18]

Other than still not liking Sara (I just really, really can't stand her), and now finding myself actively rooting against Mark/Quinn, I loved the episode itself overall. Really gusty move to do this and I think it paid off in spades. 

My favorite part was that they managed to use this situation to finally, believably get Mark in Lola's court. HAH! And, of course, he burst out, "LOLA!" It was fantastic and the reactions were perfect. Loved it.

And on a completely shallow note: Simone Missick is so unbelievably beautiful.

Edited May 5, 2020 by driver18

[Empress1]

32 minutes ago, Gbb said:

Not gonna lie, I got teary-eyed at the end. Maybe it’s because the characters/actors have such great chemistry but I thought the whole thing worked. 

I totally cried. I am having a hard time with loneliness during this pandemic and this has been a particularly emotional few days, and when Lola read the letter from Roxy, that was it. I was in tears until the end. Loved Emily and Luke’s virtual date, and loved the gang dancing at the end. “As” is one of my favorite songs.

There’s an episode of The Cosby Show where Cliff faces off against his track rival, “Tailwind” Turner. Wonder if that was the inspiration for the DJ name.

14 minutes ago, driver18 said:

And on a completely shallow note: Simone Missick is so unbelievably beautiful.

I think she’s stunning. Her hair and makeup in the last scene were gorgeous.

[tennisgurl]

With the exception of the Parks and Rec one off special, this is the first show I’ve seen that worked the pandemic into the plot, and I think it worked out really well! Whether or not people liked the concept, it was really cool to see them do this, and I got rather emotional at the end, with both the letter and the dance party. This was a real gamble, and I think it paid off. 

[The Wild Sow]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

There’s an episode of The Cosby Show where Cliff faces off against his track rival, “Tailwind” Turner. Wonder if that was the inspiration for the DJ name.

I think we'd have to ask Dorian Missick if that's where he got his DJ monicker! 

Yeah, Missick as in Simone's real-life husband.  Who is a real-life DJ as well as an actor & producer.

[hula-la]

I at or may not have joined in on the dancing. 

[meatball77]

I read about this one.  The producers had to stop filming and didn't think the last episode ended well so they wrote this one. 

They really did a great job with the writing and giving us a plot and not just having it be everyone catching up.

[buckboard]

LOVED this episode.  It was a very creative way to produce the show during the stay-in-place situation and they pulled it off so well.  I wouldn't expect -- or want -- this to be the way every episode is presented, but I think it fit in very well at this time.  

The link below gives background on the filming:

https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/all-rise-cbs-coronavirus-episode.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Vulture - May 4%2C 2020&utm_term=Subscription List - Vulture (1 Year)

[possibilities]

I hate Mark's insolent behavior in the courtroom.

Other than that, decent episode and kudos for pulling it off.

[Irlandesa]

12 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I hate Mark's insolent behavior in the courtroom.

That felt a little weird to me.  In fact, some of the writing felt more like earlier episodes as opposed to the later (improved) episodes but the achievement of this made up for some of the writing.

I really got into it after the first few minutes.  I think the show really wanted to kick things off which is why they had all these phone calls interrupting other phone calls but that felt too distracting to me.  I'm glad they cut back on them.

I can't believe a woman who was so protective over her space would want to quarantine with Mark.  Another thing I found a bit unbelievable was Emily being surprised Mark was in his bedroom. People have taken Zoom calls in many locations.  I'm not sure why she'd jump to there being a salacious reason he's taking a call there.

So am I to assume that the actors who played the prisoner and his girlfriend are actually a real life couple?

[HurricaneVal]

I have to say, that was really amazing, and thank you for the link on how they pulled that off.  I think it was successful and really well done--this was not just a throwaway gimmick episode, it was a real episode with a gimmick.  And it worked.

I loved the details.  I loved that the Mark and Lola scene at the end had both of them sitting on stairs, video chatting with each other, just like they would be in the courthouse.  I loved all the drinking, and the other judges' personal details.  I loved all the technology flubs, and the finger/hand close-ups as they reached for the menus and controls on the screen.   That was real.  But I'm glad they left out the "Yo, you're on mute!"...<garbled talking>  <pause>  "Oh.  You go..."  " No, you go... "  <garbled talking>  <pause>   "No, no, you go... "  "No...you..."  < interminable pause>  <garbled talking> ... <random sounds of heavy breathing, odd camera views> ... <dogs barking> ... <children screaming>  "What?  Was that for me?  Could you repeat the question, I was distracted... "

They missed an opportunity to show a spouse walking naked or otherwise inappropriately dressed through the background.  Hmmm...  Other than Lola, and Benner, nobody is married and cohabiting.  Wait, they could have put a green screen behind the actress playing Lola's mom and put her dad wandering through totally but tastefully nude in the background during post-production.

I think that sort of technique works for this show where there is a lot of talking within a routine structure for the characters.  You couldn't do NCIS, or Young Sheldon or CSI with this technique.during

I'll call it a win.

[The Wild Sow]

4 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

 

So am I to assume that the actors who played the prisoner and his girlfriend are actually a real life couple?

Mo McRae & Lex Scott Davis.

[Madding crowd]

I didn’t think I would like this but I ended up crying at the end! Loved the dancing.

[illdoc]

At the beginning "yoga class", I was wondering "Why is Sara waving at Emily? Aren't they roommates?", but later they cleared that up by Emily saying she was "at her brother's" (did we know she had a brother (and his family) before now?).

[Empress1]

One small but funny moment: when Emily’s little bad-ass nephew threw a ball (off screen) and it bonked her in the head.

[ECM1231]

18 hours ago, driver18 said:

Other than still not liking Sara (I just really, really can't stand her),

Interesting. Any specific reason why?  I felt so bad that she had to supplement her income as an Instacart (or one of those other) shopper.  

18 hours ago, Empress1 said:

I totally cried. I am having a hard time with loneliness during this pandemic and this has been a particularly emotional few days, and when Lola read the letter from Roxy, that was it. I was in tears until the end. Loved Emily and Luke’s virtual date, and loved the gang dancing at the end. “As” is one of my favorite songs.

Yes!  Loved Lola and Roxy's interaction and I got teary, too.  My most favorite part of the show. 

[WendyCR72]

Per the ratings site, this was the season finale.

[driver18]

46 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

Interesting. Any specific reason why?  I felt so bad that she had to supplement her income as an Instacart (or one of those other) shopper. 

This particular storyline I didn't have an issue with in particular, it's just the character of Sara I don't like.

I haven't liked her from the first episode on. It's a combination of the character and the actress that rubs me the wrong way. The character I find nosy and unprofessional and she comes off as rude and annoying to me. And I've tried to like her because I love every other character, but she just irks me so much.  And, unfortunately, the actress' style seems to exacerbate the qualities in the character that I don't like.

A perfect example of why Sara annoys me was the end scene. She forced her way into Luke and Emily's date night, just jumped right over what Emily was saying. That was a special, lovely set-up for them and she just didn't care, just ran roughshod right over it. Sure, the end result was lovely and warm and fabulous, but how Sara interrupted them and ignored Emily is so typical of the character. Ugh! I can't stand her at all. 

4 hours ago, illdoc said:

At the beginning "yoga class", I was wondering "Why is Sara waving at Emily? Aren't they roommates?", but later they cleared that up by Emily saying she was "at her brother's" (did we know she had a brother (and his family) before now?).

Yes, we do. Earlier in the season, she was living with them and they were hell on her then too. She had to check her shoes and stuff before leaving for work because they would leave "presents" for her, or write not so nice things on her work stuff. That's part of why she and Sara moved in together.

Edited May 5, 2020 by driver18

[possibilities]

I like Sara usually, but I hated her interrupting the date. I took it, though, as being the kind of thing where people who are going through this alone are really having a different experience than those who have family at home during quarantine, or partners they are in daily distant-but-intimate contact with.

Sara is not only without her roommate (since Emily is with her brother's family), but apparently her hot boyfriend disappeared? Benner warned her, I guess. But we didn't get even a single line acknowledging it.

Still-- I saw her all episode as being really stressed and a little desperate, while her friends were not there for her and she kept kind of telling them how bad it was and they kept not hearing it because of their own distractions.

She was not only lonely, but she was also having to do a dangerous and under-appreciated job to supplement her income, while everyone else was able to continue to collect their usual paycheck, from home, safely. It was stressful, and they had to adjust, but they also had other things going on that nourished them, and they weren't in physical danger.

I thought it was worthwhile to use Sara to show the difference in those kinds of privilege/experience. It's not easy for anyone, but there is still a major difference in how it is for people in various situations. The court case also highlighted this, a little.

 

[KaveDweller]

50 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Sara is not only without her roommate (since Emily is with her brother's family), but apparently her hot boyfriend disappeared? Benner warned her, I guess. But we didn't get even a single line acknowledging it.

I thought that was odd too, and I thought it was odd that Emily and Luke wouldn't be co-quarantining. But then I realized the actors have to be apart in real life so they had to write it that way. They could have had a throwaway line that he was also self-isolating and when/if things go back to normal have him back again.

I didn't think I would like it, but I thought it worked really well. And I am glad they acknowledged that Mark should never be in Lola's court again.

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

Still-- I saw her all episode as being really stressed and a little desperate, while her friends were not there for her and she kept kind of telling them how bad it was and they kept not hearing it because of their own distractions.

She was not only lonely, but she was also having to do a dangerous and under-appreciated job to supplement her income, while everyone else was able to continue to collect their usual paycheck, from home, safely. It was stressful, and they had to adjust, but they also had other things going on that nourished them, and they weren't in physical danger.

I thought it was worthwhile to use Sara to show the difference in those kinds of privilege/experience. It's not easy for anyone, but there is still a major difference in how it is for people in various situations. The court case also highlighted this, a little.

YES! THIS! Perfectly expressed!  As I said, I felt bad for her. I have a NYC friend who is single and without any romantic partner. She's very outgoing and social and is having an awful time with the social isolation. I'm out here on Long Island, where the Coronavirus has hit us very hard but I am married and my adult son also is still at home. I commented to my husband last night that I feel so fortunate that we have each other and are not going through this alone. 

[TVForever]

13 hours ago, The Wild Sow said:

Mo McRae & Lex Scott Davis.

Aww, they were adorable! And apparently having  baby in real life! Good for them!

7 hours ago, illdoc said:

At the beginning "yoga class", I was wondering "Why is Sara waving at Emily? Aren't they roommates?", but later they cleared that up by Emily saying she was "at her brother's" (did we know she had a brother (and his family) before now?).

I couldn't remember a brother mentioned either. It felt so out of left field.

2 hours ago, driver18 said:

 

Yes, we do. Earlier in the season, she was living with them and they were hell on her then too. She had to check her shoes and stuff before leaving for work because they would leave "presents" for her, or write not so nice things on her work stuff. That's part of why she and Sara moved in together.

Thanks. I couldn't remember why Emily moved in with Sara.

This might have been my favorite episode of the season. The show did a great job of showing the characters living in quarantine like the rest of us (indeed, as the actors themselves were), as well as opening my eyes to a problem I hadn't considered-- how to administer justice when the court system is shut down. I wonder if any actual court systems are considering this solution. I doubt it, but it was interesting to watch.

Do we know whether the show has been renewed yet? I would really love another season!

[shapeshifter]

On 5/4/2020 at 9:47 PM, Empress1 said:

On 5/4/2020 at 9:06 PM, Gbb said:

Not gonna lie, I got teary-eyed at the end. Maybe it’s because the characters/actors have such great chemistry but I thought the whole thing worked. 

I totally cried. I am having a hard time with loneliness during this pandemic and this has been a particularly emotional few days, and when Lola read the letter from Roxy, that was it. I was in tears until the end.

I only watched the first few episodes of this show but then tuned into this one to see what they would do with the Zooming. 
IMO it was excellent story-telling, making the best possible use of the Zoom-like video medium and the current zeitgeist. 
Kudos for including a lot of key concerns of the pandemic in an organic way, such as the extreme risk to the incarcerated. 

The only thing that ruined it for me was having the recently released brother immediately living with his pregnant partner because he had a fast test. Not cool, Show. I'm okay with the show inventing a fast test and magically making it available to the least of us, but in the jail environment he was likely exposed on a daily basis and would have contracted it; the negative test just indicates he is not yet contagious. 
She wasn't due for 5 more weeks. They should have had him living in his mom's basement or something similar, planning to stay there for at least 2 weeks, and longer if he gets sick. I think the seriousness of that honesty would be more worthwhile than uplifting the audience, but, that's just me, and I can understand why they wanted to tie it up with a bow. 

Edited May 6, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, TVForever said:

Do we know whether the show has been renewed yet? I would really love another season!

Not yet.

Updated:  The upfronts for CBS are on the 18th/19th but usually this leaks earlier.

Edited May 6, 2020 by Irlandesa

[WendyCR72]

I'm not sure any networks are having official upfronts this year, for obvious reasons.

[Irlandesa]

39 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

I'm not sure any networks are having official upfronts this year, for obvious reasons.

Yeah the article I found said it'd be a virtual upfront.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/viacomcbs-schedules-two-day-remote-upfront-1293438

[Court]

4 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

YES! THIS! Perfectly expressed!  As I said, I felt bad for her. I have a NYC friend who is single and without any romantic partner. She's very outgoing and social and is having an awful time with the social isolation. I'm out here on Long Island, where the Coronavirus has hit us very hard but I am married and my adult son also is still at home. I commented to my husband last night that I feel so fortunate that we have each other and are not going through this alone. 

I agree. I'm a single parent doing this alone with 3 kids. One kid has special needs and we had just gotten on a really great path with his mental health. Plus he suffers from depression and we've dealt with suicidal ideation. This has been hell on me. I've had people in stores and online tell me I'm endangering my kids. Well, would you have me leave my 5 year old alone at home? I can't leave the oldest mentioned above alone or to supervise an 8 and 5 year old. 

I was irritated everyone kept ignoring Sara where it was clear she was really struggling. 

[Dowel Jones]

4 hours ago, TVForever said:

I wonder if any actual court systems are considering this solution. I doubt it, but it was interesting to watch.

I did a quick search and found no real mention of online trials.  Some courts are hearing pre-trial motions and such, but the logistics of an actual trial would almost certainly guarantee an appeal.  In the show's trial, it was obvious that the defendant couldn't confer privately with his attorney due to the linkups, and it was equally obvious that the judge didn't have a very good means to control the attorneys.  Granted, they were all relatively civil, but I can see a disaster if you got two antagonistic attorneys in there.  And don't even think about interviewing the pool and empaneling a jury with 12 separate video links.

 

[Darian]

I want to bake cookies and send them contactless delivery to everyone involved with this episode (really, the whole series). It was so well done, and I teared up, too. 

Convenient that Simone Missick and Wilson Bethel had staircases wherever they're sheltering. What a nice touch. 

I bought Mark's "Lola" outburst, because he's at work, but not at work. Hearing the stories of friends who are working from home, seeing my own husband on the days he doesn't have to go in but gets to work from home. It's weird and disorienting. 

I loved all the guest stars. This show has a stellar casting team. 

After reading the article about how they put this together (thank you, buckboard) I feel less shallow for noticing in the first scene how great Simone Missick's make-up was and marveling at how great she looked and how beautiful she is every time she was on screen. I think months of seeing people on TV without hair and makeup professionals got me used to seeing them look a bit different. She looked as perfectly coiffed and made up as usual. I love Lola. I almost skipped this series, but it's one of my favorites. Dry, overwashed fingers crossed for renewal. 

[Irlandesa]

32 minutes ago, Darian said:

Convenient that Simone Missick and Wilson Bethel had staircases wherever they're sheltering. What a nice touch. 

I was wondering if they both had staircases or if the show used the zoom background feature for one or both of them. 

[illdoc]

16 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Not yet.

Updated:  The upfronts for CBS are on the 18th/19th but usually this leaks earlier.

Yes renewed. See "in the media" thread.

[Jillybean]

I had no idea they had done such an episode and I thought it was brave and brilliant! It took me a couple of minutes to catch on that the entire episode was shot from each actor's home. It was so very well-done from start to finish. I loved the DJ as somewhat of a Greek Chorus...the exterior shots of a shuttered L.A. (ouch)...the range of feelings expressed by various characters from anxiety to helplessness...the realistic touch of Sara picking up work as an Instacart shopper and Sherri organizing her pantry...the conversation with Lola and Roxy reminding us all that we can be emotionally connected even when we are physically separated. So original and well-executed!

I thought there was a missed opportunity to comment on the clear air in L.A. (or did I miss it?). I also would have loved to see Amy have a vulnerable moment so the audience might like her a little...rather than just her doing yoga 3x a day and Face Time sex. I was very surprised she and Mark decided to shelter in place together (especially at his place) considering he drove her bonkers when he was making himself home at her place. But these are minor nitpicks on what was a great episode. So glad to see this show get renewed today!

Edited May 6, 2020 by Jillybean

[auntiemel]

On 5/4/2020 at 7:53 PM, tennisgurl said:

With the exception of the Parks and Rec one off special, this is the first show I’ve seen that worked the pandemic into the plot, and I think it worked out really well! Whether or not people liked the concept, it was really cool to see them do this, and I got rather emotional at the end, with both the letter and the dance party. This was a real gamble, and I think it paid off. 

Yes, I was thinking that, as well! Both of them also reminded me of the Modern Family episode they did several years ago that was all via Facetime, etc.

Also, thanks for everyone that expressed empathy for people sheltering alone. It's not easy! I'm not a particularly social person, and I have a dog, and it was even tough on me.

Weirdly, I hadn't thought it would be. I've always lived alone, pretty much, and I've worked from home for almost a decade. But I SERIOUSLY underestimated how much just getting out of the house for a bit every day and being in the midst of bustling humanity at a restaurant, store, or coffee shop had been contributing to my mental health. It was, apparently, a big part of it! 😮

Luckily, my sister and her husband and I moved in together on April 10th. (It had already been set in motion before the shelter in place order. We'd both given notice on our old apartments and signed the lease on the new one, there was no rolling back the clock at that point!). The three of us get along really well, and it's a whole new quarantine experience, being in it together.

To me, I'd rate the possible scenarios, on a scale of 1 being the worst possible shitty situation and 10 being almost like normal, as -

• Being quarantined with someone you're afraid of or in danger from - 1
• Being quarantined with someone you hate...or who, at least, is working your last nerve - 3
• Being quarantine totally alone, with no pets - 4
• Being quarantined alone, but with the coolest dog evah 😛 - 5
• Being quarantined with your awesome dog and awesome family - 9

My heart really goes out to the people who are still alone!

I will also admit, I cried during the establishing shots of the empty city. I lived in LA for almost 20 years, and seeing like that...it was rough!

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Jillybean said:

thought there was a missed opportunity to comment on the clear air in L.A. (or did I miss it?)

Good point. It wasn’t, was it? They didn’t show coyotes wandering down streets either, did they?
 

 

[tennisgurl]

I felt almost like this was one of those "Tag Yourself" memes you see getting passed around online. I am both finally learning how to cook AND doing ridiculous amounts of yoga!

[mojito]

It would be funny if, after the "all rise" call, Mark didn't  stand up, and then Sherry noticed and he'd try hard not to explain that he wasn't wearing any pants. I liked when he made that "are you happy now?" face at Lola. And I liked Sherry "putting everyone in their place" because, well, that's what she does best.

Laski and the other  judge playing chess, Benner griping about cooking, Mark's boss boogieing, Benner rewarding Lola by allowing her to work at home, Lola having a nice moment with Mark and as soon as Robin calls, "You gotta go!", Laski with a drink in every scene. Fun stuff. Glad the show's returning.

 

[Lady Calypso]

So, I have been watching, but I fell a little behind in this. So I just got around to catching up and I'm glad that I did.

This was such a good finale episode. Yes, it was a risk for the show, and the network, to do, but I really think it paid off. Of course there are things we have to handwave (like the different couples not quarantining together, for example) but those are such minor things. 

The case that they had was definitely the best one for the circumstances that they're in. I liked both brothers and appreciate what they brought to the episode overall.  

On 5/5/2020 at 9:16 PM, shapeshifter said:

The only thing that ruined it for me was having the recently released brother immediately living with his pregnant partner because he had a fast test. Not cool, Show. I'm okay with the show inventing a fast test and magically making it available to the least of us, but in the jail environment he was likely exposed on a daily basis and would have contracted it; the negative test just indicates he is not yet contagious. 

I get this concern and I definitely side eyed that moment...but I also fully understand why the show did it. Since they can't get anyone else in the cast together for the episode, they likely wanted to take the chance to show two people in the same room together, and that's why they cast these two particular actors. I do agree with you, for sure, but I guess I feel more lenient with the show since I know what they were going for. 

I was more side eyeing Mark's behaviour in court with Lola. He didn't seem to really listen to her when she told him to not make her laugh and to act professionally! But I think they were trying to go for the angle that the work environment over Zoom isn't a typical one and it's easy to forget about professionalism, especially when people are yelling over each other and it's not as easy to interrupt. Thank goodness for Sherri being there, because she was really on the ball with making sure things went smoothly. 

It was nice to see a lot of the recurring characters show up as well, especially all of the judges. It was nice to see all of them hanging out in their homes outside of the work scenes, just doing different activities, whether it was playing chess or cooking in the kitchen or doing yoga.

Overall, they did very well with what they were given. 

[The Wild Sow]

3 hours ago, mojito said:

Laski and the other  judge playing chess,

Oh, yes!  But what were Judge Campbell's chess pieces?  I couldn't get a good enough look at them to identify them.

They looked like some kind of medieval cosplay characters.  Lord of the Rings?  Game of Thrones??  Anybody know?

[sarkygal]

I really enjoyed this show and I’m stoked for a second season. I actually found it realistic that even the couples were sheltering apart(at least within my circle of acquaintances). Knowing the actors filmed from their personal homes means they obviously had to create reasons for them to be apart. I would have loved Lola’s husband to be in LA with her, so we could get a better sense of their relationship. 

I wish Sara would have gotten a call from Ben Benner; the actress really shone in depicting someone whose having a hard time in isolation. I’m in lockdown alone and typically a bit of a hermit, but it really rang home for me how difficult this lockdown is for people who are alone. 

I teared up a bit at the virtual dance party at the end. Easily my favourite episode of a really good first season. 

Does anyone know if the trial brother & pregnant girlfriend are dating/married/related in real life? It just seemed random that 2 guest actors would be the only characters physically in the same scene. 

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I get this concern and I definitely side eyed that moment...but I also fully understand why the show did it. Since they can't get anyone else in the cast together for the episode, they likely wanted to take the chance to show two people in the same room together, and that's why they cast these two particular actors. I do agree with you, for sure, but I guess I feel more lenient with the show since I know what they were going for. 

It still bugs me because it lends credibility to scientifically reckless behavior, however, I will admit that it was so well done that it didn't even occur to me that the actors must be sheltering together.  Still, the convincing-ness of it makes it even worse to me. Like: All y'all that get out of jail can go home and sleep with your loved ones immediately --which is just not true, and in the case of a 7-8 month pregnant woman, could result in her catching the virus, getting sick enough to die, or delivering a premature baby needing extra time in the already risky and over-taxed hospital. 

1 hour ago, sarkygal said:

Does anyone know if the trial brother & pregnant girlfriend are dating/married/related in real life? It just seemed random that 2 guest actors would be the only characters physically in the same scene. 

Yes, Mo McRae (playing accused Kurt Beto) and Lex Scott Davis (playing Rosa) (imdb.com/title/tt12194450/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast) are married (wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_McRae#Personal_life).

 

Edited May 8, 2020 by shapeshifter
extraneous comma

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, The Wild Sow said:

They looked like some kind of medieval cosplay characters.  Lord of the Rings?  Game of Thrones??  Anybody know?

It does look LOTR-ish:

[Bramble]

1 hour ago, The Wild Sow said:

Oh, yes!  But what were Judge Campbell's chess pieces?  I couldn't get a good enough look at them to identify them.

They looked like some kind of medieval cosplay characters.  Lord of the Rings?  Game of Thrones??  Anybody know?

I think its this chess set (Celtic vs vikings).

https://www.chesshouse.com/products/celtic-vs-vikings-chess-pieces-sac-hand-decorated?sscid=51k4_7tt0t

I first thought lord of the rings, switched to thinking dwarves vs elves, and then finally searched for vikings based on all the yellow hair, and found this.  The celtic rook is pretty distinctive.

[shapeshifter]

On 5/7/2020 at 8:19 PM, Bramble said:

I think its this chess set (Celtic vs vikings).

https://www.chesshouse.com/products/celtic-vs-vikings-chess-pieces-sac-hand-decorated?sscid=51k4_7tt0t

I first thought lord of the rings, switched to thinking dwarves vs elves, and then finally searched for vikings based on all the yellow hair, and found this.  The celtic rook is pretty distinctive.

The red-haired pawns are the same. I'd high-5 you, @Bramble, if it wouldn't violate my personal rules on social distancing. 😉

 

[theredhead77]

On 5/7/2020 at 8:06 PM, sarkygal said:

I wish Sara would have gotten a call from Ben Benner; the actress really shone in depicting someone whose having a hard time in isolation. I’m in lockdown alone and typically a bit of a hermit, but it really rang home for me how difficult this lockdown is for people who are alone. 

Same but I think Sara and Ben had only gone out a few times. She met his mother by happenstance, and seemed to have forced the 'tell her' discussion. It would have been nice if he called but we don't know what Judge Benner warned her about (do we?).

I loved seeing all the shots of LA. I'm from there and live in hell (GA). So homesick that it both helped and made me more homesick.

I do love Sara and Emily's friendship but I don't think all the blame of lack of boundaries should be placed on Sara. Emily hasn't done much to deter Sara or put Luke first, yet and it would be cruel to start doing that now.

Really loved seeing everyone at home and the snippets of the characters (and actors) lives. I hope they incorporate some of those 'real life' things into the show (the chess set).

[tvfanatic13]

Just watched and I really liked this episode! Great job and see you next season!

[Emma9]

Agreed with most that it was clever and well-done, and just the right show to do this kind of an episode if anyone was going to.

 

On May 6, 2020 at 1:40 AM, Dowel Jones said:

In the show's trial, it was obvious that the defendant couldn't confer privately with his attorney due to the linkups, and it was equally obvious that the judge didn't have a very good means to control the attorneys.

Yeah, I was wondering both of those things. Wouldn't it be possible for the defendant and his attorney to have a private line of communication (separate devices where they could exchange texts or just talk when they're both muted on the group chat)? And I haven't been using any of the various software in real life, but I'm surprised there's not a feature to appoint a moderator (Lola in this case, of course) who can designate one person to talk at a time, with the lawyers perhaps having a pre-arranged hand-signal for when they want to object. Defendants and witnesses piping up mid-arguments wouldn't have been put up with during a live trial, presumably, the judge would be yelling at counsel to muzzle them.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing this plotline extend for a few episodes into the next season, just to explore the logistics and ramifications of it all. Obviously we all hope that restrictions can be safely lifted someday soon, but there were very fair points made here about perfect being the enemy of good, and in a hypothetical situation where in-person trials can't be resumed in a timespan where it would be remotely ethical to the people involved to continue delaying them, some alternative would need to be found. It would be much more interesting to watch that scenario play out here than in our world with real lives at stake.

Edited May 10, 2020 by Emma9

[KaveDweller]

On 5/10/2020 at 5:37 AM, Emma9 said:

Yeah, I was wondering both of those things. Wouldn't it be possible for the defendant and his attorney to have a private line of communication (separate devices where they could exchange texts or just talk when they're both muted on the group chat)? And I haven't been using any of the various software in real life, but I'm surprised there's not a feature to appoint a moderator (Lola in this case, of course) who can designate one person to talk at a time, with the lawyers perhaps having a pre-arranged hand-signal for when they want to object. Defendants and witnesses piping up mid-arguments wouldn't have been put up with during a live trial, presumably, the judge would be yelling at counsel to muzzle them.

I have been using video conferencing software for work for ages, and it is definitely possible for two people to have a private text chat during a call, and it is possible for a moderating to mute everyone and only let one person at a time talk. They were not using the technology as well as they could have been, but I can get that it would have been new to them. Plus, it was more entertaining/dramatic.

I would think if anyone was really doing online trials they would mute everyone and the lawyers would have an option to buzz in visually when they want to object. 

Edited May 12, 2020 by KaveDweller