S01.E04: See No Evil

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Haley begins to shape the narrative of the case. Franklin uses his resources to help his family.

Airing Sunday, November 15, 2020.

[surfer]

Episode MVP: Noma Dumezweni. I am both terrified of Haley "I am not funny" Fitzgerald and want to be her best friend.

Can't believe Fernando let Jonathan into the apartment let alone hold/feed the baby. That was such a weird scene.

And I am officially on the Sylvia and Jonathan had an affair train.

Edited November 16, 2020 by surfer

[LoveLeigh]

They are sure dragging this out with each episode ending on some frustrating cliffhanger.

The list of suspects is not that large: Jonathan, Grace, Franklin, Sylvia, Fernando, Miguel, or Henry. It's a crapshoot. 

I don't think Grace did it. She's a red herring. I believe Jonathan did not do it.  I don't think Fernando did it. I am leaning to one of those two kids... possibly Miguel since he went to his mother's studio the next morning, sort of like revisiting the scene of the crime? They are making both kids look a bit... off. 

Maybe Miguel had a fight with his mother and snapped? 

Edited November 16, 2020 by DakotaLavender

[ECM1231]

Our cable provider flashed a tornado warning message for the next county just as Grace collapsed at the playground. Next she was playing chess with her father. I missed about 3 minutes. Can someone fill me in?

[LilaFowler]

The Show pointedly didn't tell us who Jonathan cheated with in his moment of devastation. It has to be Lily Rabe, right?

10 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

Our cable provider flashed a tornado warning message for the next county just as Grace collapsed at the playground. Next she was playing chess with her father. I missed about 3 minutes. Can someone fill me in?

A hospital scene. Donald Sutherland and Henry were with Grace in the hospital (she was in a hospital gown, tucked under the covers and everything). Jonathan came rushing into the room very dramatically, "examined" Grace, and they had a moment. Sutherland looked on in disgust.

[Miss Slay]

So Grace married a guy who turned out to be just like her father?

They should re-title this episode "Lemonade."

[Norma Desmond]

20 minutes ago, surfer said:

And I am officially on the Sylvia and Jonathan had an affair train.

They totally did.

 

 

[Candymaczz]

Confused: has anyone else noticed that they have said that he discovered the body and panicked, and also that she must have been killed after he left....

 So which one is it? How did the writers miss this contradiction? 

[ECM1231]

18 minutes ago, LilaFowler said:

The Show pointedly didn't tell us who Jonathan cheated with in his moment of devastation. It has to be Lily Rabe, right?

A hospital scene. Donald Sutherland and Henry were with Grace in the hospital (she was in a hospital gown, tucked under the covers and everything). Jonathan came rushing into the room very dramatically, "examined" Grace, and they had a moment. Sutherland looked on in disgust.

Thanks so much,, LilaFowler.

[Kiss my mutt]

The look on Grace’s face when Jonathan says he lost someone he loved and he is grieving during the interview was  my favorite moment and I was not expecting him to go there. I love Sutherland’s “cocksucker” moment with the headmaster and his “I will kill you with my bare hands” come to Jesus moment with Johnathan. He’s definitely terrifying so who knows what he is capable of. 

Grace just seems even more and more out of it and I almost expected her to find out she was pregnant in hospital but I think it’s her “undoing” from either things she’s disassociating from or the realization that her whole life has been based on false beliefs about her father, her husband, herself.  

Jonathan is so narcissistic he thinks as long as he can talk to someone, explain his side, people will find him a sympathetic character. Just like, he can walk right into Mr.Alvez’s apartment like that, say a few things, act concerned and approach Miguel like nothing has changed. I am starting to wonder about him because he doesn’t say anything, just glares and seethes, so possibly he did it. I don’t think Henry would even know where Elena’s studio would be.
She was a talented artist and I found her mesmerizing in every scene, but her actions were off the wall so I’ll be interested in learning more about her backstory. I can’t believe there are only two more episodes. 

[Ashforth]

35 minutes ago, LilaFowler said:

The Show pointedly didn't tell us who Jonathan cheated with in his moment of devastation. It has to be Lily Rabe, right?

A hospital scene. Donald Sutherland and Henry were with Grace in the hospital (she was in a hospital gown, tucked under the covers and everything). Jonathan came rushing into the room very dramatically, "examined" Grace, and they had a moment. Sutherland looked on in disgust.

It has to be Sylvia (played by Lily Rabe), yes. 

RE: Grace in the hospital, please Show, just try. She would have had an IV for fluids, even if she was in the ER and not admitted. Or they would have examined her in the ER and sent her home.

I thought it was odd that Fernando let Jonathan into the apartment, but very real and touching when he admitted that he has tried but doesn't love baby Teresa. It actually made sense to me that he asked Jonathan if he wanted to feed her. I thought it was to evaluate whether he might trust Jonathan with her. I kind of wanted him to agree to allow Jonathan to take her, if even as a test period.

I'm going to have to watch this episode again. I missed a bit of it and aside from that, there was a lot to unpack.

I'm now leaning toward Sylvia as the killer. Henry is suspicious as well.

11 minutes ago, Kiss my mutt said:

I don’t think Henry would even know where Elena’s studio would be.

All he would have to do is follow his father, his mother, or his grandfather. 

[Milburn Stone]

I know Grace only went back to the Columbo lawyer because she hates Haley so much, but I hope he becomes the lawyer again. I think he's going to be better for this case than she will be.

If Jonathan is supposed to be so charming that he can charm the pants off anyone (even a jury), how come I find him charmless?

Edited November 16, 2020 by Milburn Stone

[susannot]

Donald Sutherland went all Pres. Snow on the Reardon School headmaster and I loved it.  He is still such a handsome man and has found a renaissance playing elderly, billionaire villains.

Nicole's face is so frozen and plastic looking that she is unable to show emotion even in emotional scenes.  The most that she can do is move her eyes back and forth.  It is really inhibiting her acting ability.  She will not be nominated for an Emmy this time.  I said earlier that Nicole was beautiful and Hugh looked old.  Mea culpa.  I have totally changed my opinion.  Hugh Grant is doing the best acting I have ever seen from him.

IMHO, both Grace and Jonathan were having sex with Elena.  Have no idea who killed her.

I love the character of Haley.  I am a retired lawyer so I love a badass female lawyer.

 

[Melina22]

1 hour ago, DakotaLavender said:

I am leaning to one of those two kids... possibly Miguel since he went to his mother's studio the next morning, sort of like revisiting the scene of the crime? They are making both kids look a bit... off. 

Maybe I'm saying this because I really like both boys but I don't think they did it. I don't find them off, just sensitive. But mainly, I think they're too small to bludgeon an adult to death. It doesn't seem like a child's crime. 

14 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

If Jonathan is supposed to be so charming that he can charm the pants off anyone (even a jury), how come I find him charmless?

I hate to say this, but I would have bought the charm argument from younger Hugh Grant. To me, he's just too haggard and miserable looking in these scenes to be bowling everyone over with his charm. Younger Hugh was both good looking and boyish/adorable. This version, not so much. 

14 minutes ago, susannot said:

Nicole's face is so frozen and plastic looking that she is unable to show emotion even in emotional scenes.  The most that she can do is move her eyes back and forth.  It is really inhibiting her acting ability. 

Tonight I totally felt this! Especially in the scene with Hugh on the boardwalk. He was showing so many microemotions on his furrowed, aging face. (Sorry Hugh) Nicole's face looked bizarrely smooth and blank. She could squint and frown a bit but not much more. It all felt so phony. 

Speaking of faces, I've always been fascinated by Donald Sutherland's face. No one else looks like him. Tonight he looked so evil. I never see him in anything without remembering his final chilling scene in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. 

 

[VagueDisclaimer]

21 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

If Jonathan is supposed to be so charming that he can charm the pants off anyone (even a jury), how come I find him charmless?

The show keeps telling us this and how he’s a dick but not a murderous one and the more they show how he charms and manipulates and that talk show dramatic emotional pause that Jonathan really tried to sell, the more I think this is all going to be a bunch of red herrings that will end in, “Yep, Jonathan was the murderer after all! Isn’t he just such a scoundrel?”

Because the story is Grace’s, her “undoing”, learning the truth from her father, her best friend(oh yeah, she totally slept with Jonathan), her husband, and, ultimately, herself, the wise therapist who helped others but never learned to help herself until she was forced to. 

[TomGirl]

16 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

Speaking of faces, I've always been fascinated by Donald Sutherland's face. No one else looks like him

I agree, and I think he’s the best actor on the show.  But those eyebrows!  In every scene, I’m just itching to grab a scissors and give him a trim.

[Armchair Critic]

Nicole Kidman reminds me of “The Red Woman” in Game of Thrones. She is lovely but I picture her when she goes home at night taking off the wig and makeup and looking old.

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, Ashforth said:

I'm now leaning toward Sylvia as the killer.

What would be her motive? Jealousy?  If she was the woman Jonathan had had an affair with, it was some time ago.

[LoveLeigh]

1 hour ago, susannot said:

IMHO, both Grace and Jonathan were having sex with Elena.  Have no idea who killed her.

Maybe Elena and Sylvia were both having sex with Jonathan and Sylvia was jealous and killed Elena?

[Aqua]

2 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Our cable provider flashed a tornado warning message for the next county just as Grace collapsed at the playground. Next she was playing chess with her father. I missed about 3 minutes. Can someone fill me in?

The next scene is in the hospital. Henry and her dad show up and then Jonathan. She says she passed out from shock and is being discharged. Jonathan takes out his penlight and checks her vision and some other things and says she's fine and they hold hands meaningfully. Dad looks annoyed. The next scene is the chess game.

[Aqua]

2 hours ago, LilaFowler said:

The Show pointedly didn't tell us who Jonathan cheated with in his moment of devastation. It has to be Lily Rabe, right?

 

Haley asked but we didn't hear his answer. And it's possible Haley and Sylvia are acquainted in legal circles.

[tennisgurl]

Both of these families are pretty weird, just they are weird in really different ways. Jonathan and Grace are superficially charming but obviously are on the verg of a breakdown (and Graces fathers has probably had people killed) while Elena and Fernando are the most intense people you will ever meet with really ambiguous motives, especially Elena. I had previously thought it might be one of the sons, but I don't think so anymore, they both just seem to be really sensitive in a really messed up situation with so much duplicity around them. Plus, bludgeoning someone to death would be really hard for a little kid. Not impossible I guess, especially if she was knocked down on the floor, but hard. 

Donald Sutherland really let out his inner President Snow this week, no wonder the principle looked like he was about to run away in terror, I was freaked out just watching his evil smile on my screen, let alone seeing it in person, directed at me! 

I definitely suspect that the person Jonathan cheated with "in desperation" was Sylvia, and that she has a lot more to do with this than just being Grace's supportive best friend. I am still looking at her as a possible killer, but really I am still not sure, except that I am pretty sure its not Jonathan. 

I like Hayley the lawyer, who is not funny at all and is going to try and win despite how ridiculous her clients insist on acting. 

Jonathan coming to talk to Fernando was really weird, but so is Fernando stalking Grace, so its par for the course with all of these people. I do have to say, when Grace's eyes about exploded when Jonathan said he loved Elena on TV, I could totally buy her beating someone to death in a rage. 

[Aqua]

Why do characters on this show purposely make themselves look guilty when it's not necessary? Instead of responding with "I never posed for that picture," Grace looks ashamed and flees. Then when Henry is questioned by the headmaster, instead of just saying plainly that he accidentally bumped into Miguel and apologized, he looks down and away and makes a weird comment that makes it look like something more sinister occurred. Did he have a fugue state as well?

There was a weird moment in Haley's office where it looked like she was about to kiss Jonathan. What was that about?

It makes no sense to me that Fernando would open the door without checking to see who it was. But based on his candidness about trying to love the baby, and by offering to let Jonathan hold her, I think he can be officially ruled out as a suspect.

How many people has Donald Sutherland's character (Franklin?) threatened in this show?

[kay1864]

2 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:

The look on Grace’s face when Jonathan says he lost someone he loved and he is grieving during the interview

Yes, did he have to actually say that on television? Couldn’t he have said “someone I cared for”? This will turn the jury against him, since it implies he doesn’t love his wife.

[Melina22]

5 minutes ago, ReviewX said:

There was a weird moment in Haley's office where it looked like she was about to kiss Jonathan. What was that about?

Yes! It was some kind of test, but I totally didn't understand what was happening. She was trying to see if he'd come on to her? And if he did, how did this make him guilty? 

When he was pleading his case to Connie Chung and was admitting he loved Elena, he made some weird faces. Were we supposed to think he was faking for sympathy? I couldn't tell. 

[formerlyfreedom]

13 minutes ago, ReviewX said:

How many people has Donald Sutherland's character (Franklin?) threatened in this show?

It may be easier to count who he hasn't threatened....

[hoodooznoodooz]

1 hour ago, ReviewX said:

The next scene is in the hospital. Henry and her dad show up and then Jonathan. She says she passed out from shock and is being discharged. Jonathan takes out his penlight and checks her vision and some other things and says she's fine and they hold hands meaningfully. Dad looks annoyed. The next scene is the chess game.

After the scene in the hospital there is a scene with Sylvia helping her daughter. She’s talking to Grace on her cell. Grace tells her the doctor thinks she collapsed due to anxiety. Sylvia jokes, “What have you got to be anxious about? Is there something going on in your life you’re not telling me about?” Then she says Grace should come over some night for a boozy sleepover. I think the chess scene follows that.

[Aqua]

7 minutes ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

After the scene in the hospital there is a scene with Sylvia helping her daughter. She’s talking to Grace on her cell. Grace tells her the doctor thinks she collapsed due to anxiety. Sylvia jokes, “What have you got to be anxious about? Is there something going on in your life you’re not telling me about?” Then she says Grace should come over some night for a boozy sleepover. I think the chess scene follows that.

Right, forgot about that.

[Kiss my mutt]

I’m always surprised how these parents talk about things on the phone in front of their kids like they’re not there. 

[hoodooznoodooz]

36 minutes ago, Kiss my mutt said:

I’m always surprised how these parents talk about things on the phone in front of their kids like they’re not there. 

Honestly! And so far, we’ve seen Sylvia on her cell with Grace, gesturing wildly to her daughter to position her arms differently at a ballet recital and to hurry up, it’s taking too long to gather and pack up her things. 

[Razzberry]

Jonathan still has some explaining to do.  Like the motive for the fake Cleveland conference that was planned in advance of Elena's death.  Why hasn't Grace questioned him about that, or did I miss something?

Grace's coats are getting spattered in muck, and Mr. Alves is half-buried in it already. 

[aghst]

Grace had to ask daddy to bail cheating hubby out.

But that apartment has to be worth $7-8 million at least, with that terrace with that view.

Unless it’s a studio and only has like 800 square feet or something.

I know Jon said they couldn’t use it but why not?  Couldn’t it be used as collateral and they borrow against it?

He lost his job a few months ago but a top oncologist in Manhattan won’t find another job?

But daddy won’t refuse Grace and he’s presumably going to leave a lot of money to her and the kid, so maybe an advance on the inheritance.

[LilaFowler]

Jonathan admitting on tv that he was the reason Elena died was stupid. Does that not leave him wide open to face a wrongful death (civil) lawsuit? Fernando needs to go after him in a couple of different ways at this point, if only for Miguel's benefit. That poor boy -- I think he was rendered mute after he found his mother and should be in therapy.

[LakeGal]

I was waiting for Jonathon to ask Grace to move her face in the hospital.  She moved her finger back and forth.  But she could not move her face.  Her closeups take me out of her scenes.  It is especially jarring when she is talking with Jonathon who has a face that is very aged. Watching the scenes with Hugh Grant or Donald Sutherland have so much more emotion.  

[Robert Lynch]

Nicole Kidman's blank expressions take me out of the show. I wish she never had done the plastic surgery because it reminded of that Simpson scene where Homer sucks on a lemon and goes I don't know. 

Edited November 16, 2020 by Robert Lynch

[Mackey]

I’m a grumpy viewer until the fake, planned before the murder, Cleveland trip is explained. 

[Milburn Stone]

4 minutes ago, Mackey said:

I’m a grumpy viewer until the fake, planned before the murder, Cleveland trip is explained. 

Maybe it was to cover four days of wild sex with Sylvia in her apartment.

[BingeyKohan]

Another episode, another murky (to me) timeline. (Or mucky, I suppose, to use the lawyer's term.)

We see Grace taking one of her walkabouts at what appears to be dusk, or a little after, and Fernando appears to be kind of stalking her - though he's in some shots but not in others, seemingly with the same scenery around where he (was)? Grace hears footsteps but never manages to spot him? Then seemingly on the same walk the light has changed and it appears to be morning or mid-day and she has her episode and faints. So was she always walking in midday and the nighttime scenes with Fernando following her were imagined? That was so hard to follow. I've seen others here take some of that kind of trickery as gospel truth (Fernando spying on Jonathan and Elena as actually happening rather than the intent, which I believe was that Grace imagined it) -- but I don't think we've seen Grace's imagining track so closely to Grace's real-time reality - meaning her imagining one walk while on another. If that is what we were seeing.

[Ashforth]

10 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

I know Grace only went back to the Columbo lawyer because she hates Haley so much, but I hope he becomes the lawyer again. I think he's going to be better for this case than she will be.

I'm hoping that Grace hires him to represent her. 

9 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

Maybe Elena and Sylvia were both having sex with Jonathan and Sylvia was jealous and killed Elena?

I'm leaning toward this theory. If true, Elena bringing the baby and breastfeeding her with a lot more exposure than necessary would have been enraging to Sylvia. 

8 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I like Hayley the lawyer, who is not funny at all and is going to try and win despite how ridiculous her clients insist on acting. 

She seems to be representing both of them, which is a clear conflict of interest. The whole thing about the detectives ruling Grace out as a suspect because of the time stamp on the video is stupid. In that case, everyone is ruled out because they aren't on video near the crime scene at the time of the murder.

8 hours ago, ReviewX said:

There was a weird moment in Haley's office where it looked like she was about to kiss Jonathan. What was that about?

Apparently it was a test to see if he would kiss her. Bizarre.

6 hours ago, aghst said:

He lost his job a few months ago but a top oncologist in Manhattan won’t find another job?

This.

1 hour ago, LakeGal said:

I was waiting for Jonathon to ask Grace to move her face in the hospital.  She moved her finger back and forth.  But she could not move her face. 

I would pay good money to see that scene.

Edited November 16, 2020 by Ashforth

[Jodithgrace]

When Grace caught the snowflake in the playground, I immediately thought of the credit sequence with little Grace catching bubbles. As others have pointed out, there is something ominous in the sequence with what looks to be blood on a curtain, in a brief flash. I think Grace flashes back to that moment in her past, which she has obviously repressed, and that's why she faints. 

It's annoying me that i don't remember anything useful from the book, which I read 6 years ago. The only thing I remember, (not a spoiler) is that book Grace had written a book called You Should Have Known, which is about women who miss obvious clues in their husband's behavior, which is extremely ironic when she discovers her own husband's secret life. That's all I remember, and her book isn't even in the show! I will reread it when this is over. No point in spoiling myself now.  

Hugh Grant has always been one of my favorite actors. I am pleased that he is allowing himself to age normally. He jokes about himself looking rather grotty, or whatever British term he uses, but it is a bit sad. In his really early films, before he became famous, he could take your breath away. 

[Melina22]

1 hour ago, Robert Lynch said:

Nicole Kidman's blank expressions take me out of the show. I wish she never had done the plastic surgery

I think this is the reason we're all fixated on her plastic surgery. It looks unnatural and she can't express emotion properly so we're taken out of the show, which is upsetting when it's otherwise a really good show. It affects our ability to suspend disbelief. 

The thing is, I think a lot of bad plastic surgery we see on actors is like a tattoo - something a person does because it seems like a really good idea at the time, but later when they decide it was a mistake, they can never fully reverse it. Nicole has said she uses way less Botox etc than before, which is good, but some of the work she had done can never be undone.

You can't fault actors for wanting to look better in their closeups...I'm sure it's murder having your face under a microscope for the whole world to see and criticize. They're in a no-win situation. 

[Mellowyellow]

I saw some solid anger in Grace's eyes during that final scene where Jonathan said he loved Elena. Please let that anger drive her to do something sensible!!! 

I really want to know (and hope) whether Grace will do something sensible to pull her life together rather than continuing to be the vague hot mess that she is.

I may be in the minority but I think Nicole is doing a great job. I thought she was especially effective in her chess scene with Donald Sutherland as he told her the cold truth about her parents marriage. She was so forlorn but desperate to keep the illusion going.

She's so convincingly foolish I actually have to remind myself the actual Nicole is very sane and successful! Not a hot mess!

***

Noma Dumezweni (Haley, muck lawyer) is soooo compelling to watch. She's extremely engaging. She even caught my husband's eye and he was like "What an interesting lady. She really makes you pay attention."

 

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by Mellowyellow

[BingeyKohan]

There has to be a reason they're keeping the other lawyer around (he's great btw in The Great, on Hulu!) I agree with others in that she will need a lawyer just for herself eventually. I felt like the ending scene was edited to imply Jonathan was looking AT Grace when he said he suspected who did it. Although Grace and Sylvia were together so he was sort of casting his eyes toward their weird little watch party. Spatially, anyway, I felt like the editor wanted us to imagine Fernando watching from the left and Grace (and Sylvia) watching from the right, and Jonathan cast his eyes to the right when he said that.

I think a lot will come out in the courtroom, which is why they have a heavy hitter actress (as I understand it) as the prosecutor. She's not around for nothing. Maybe Jonathan seems to 'bumblingly' (on purpose) cast suspicion on Grace in court thus she needs her own lawyer (public defender she's already warmed to).

[DoubleUTeeEff]

Annoying cliffhanger at the end there. I'll speculate that Jonathan is going to say that Elena had another lover and that's who might have killed her. If he actually suspects Grace, I don't think he'll throw her under the bus on national TV. I do wonder if he was punishing Grace somehow by saying that he loved Elena. If she hadn't been so adamant about Jonathan "not being her husband" any more, he might have played that interview differently.

I'm loving the defense attorney. She doesn't make jokes because she's not funny. She also was able to cut through Jonathan's act pretty quickly. I enjoyed the body language with Haley and Grace and with Haley and Jonathan. When Grace was in her office, Haley was sitting while Grace was standing. It came across as defensive if not combative. When Haley was meeting Jonathan in jail, she had her hands clasped together on top of the table and Jonathan mimicked that. That came across as to me Jonathan trying to ingratiate himself with Haley. He's like a slicker version of a salesman.

I liked Grace's father's line about Grace not liking Haley. "So what? You're not paying her to be your friend!" He seems to have the same opinion of Jonathan that Haley has. He told Grace that Jonathan "was just showing Grace what she wanted to see." His unburdening of himself with regards to Grace's mother was cruel but probably necessary.

Odd how the other attorney has a such a strong gut feeling that Jonathan is innocent. Did Jonathan also charm him in some way or is he right?

I feel terrible for all 3 kids involved in this mess.

[sacrebleu]

Quote

I love Sutherland’s “cocksucker” moment with the headmaster 

I would watch an entire limited series about Sutherland's character wreaking revenge on every member of that school's board. Sort of a Count of Monte Christo of the upper East side.

Quote

I’m a grumpy viewer until the fake, planned before the murder, Cleveland trip is explained. 

same.. That's really suspicious, especially since he left his phone (can't be reached or tracked). 

[khyber]

1 hour ago, Jodithgrace said:

Hugh Grant has always been one of my favorite actors. I am pleased that he is allowing himself to age normally. He jokes about himself looking rather grotty, or whatever British term he uses, but it is a bit sad. In his really early films, before he became famous, he could take your breath away. 

It's great to see an actor age normally. He looks "grotty" because he looks like a guy his age and we never see that on screen. 

[heatherchandler]

7 hours ago, aghst said:

Grace had to ask daddy to bail cheating hubby out.

But that apartment has to be worth $7-8 million at least, with that terrace with that view.

Unless it’s a studio and only has like 800 square feet or something.

I know Jon said they couldn’t use it but why not?  Couldn’t it be used as collateral and they borrow against it?

He lost his job a few months ago but a top oncologist in Manhattan won’t find another job?

But daddy won’t refuse Grace and he’s presumably going to leave a lot of money to her and the kid, so maybe an advance on the inheritance.

 

Grace and Jonathan's home was recently put up for sale in real life, and it is going for $25 million.  

 

52 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

 

Noma Dumezweni (Haley, muck lawyer) is soooo compelling to watch. She's extremely engaging. She even caught my husband's eye and he was like "What an interesting lady. She really makes you pay attention."

 

 

 

She is a really great actor.  She's the only one on this show who is able to overcome this terrible writing.  

 

[Chaos Theory]

Lily Rabe is too good an actress not to have a big moment some point in the show.  

[Maysie]

12 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Tonight I totally felt this! Especially in the scene with Hugh on the boardwalk. He was showing so many microemotions on his furrowed, aging face. (Sorry Hugh) Nicole's face looked bizarrely smooth and blank. She could squint and frown a bit but not much more. It all felt so phony. 

During that scene, I looked at my husband and said "boy, her acting sucks." I thought she was absolutely awful - no emotion in her voice, her face - just nothing. Nicole Kidman is supposed to be a Great Actress, and for that reason, I've given her a lot of leeway in this, thinking this is supposed to be some sort of character trait, but now I just think she sucks in this role. I don't know if it's her fault, the writing or the direction, but damn, she's the worst of the bunch, imo.

 

10 hours ago, Melina22 said:

When he was pleading his case to Connie Chung and was admitting he loved Elena, he made some weird faces. Were we supposed to think he was faking for sympathy? I couldn't tell. 

That was another wtf moment for us. I think Hugh Grant has been much better than I expected in this - I can see why he was cast because of his image of that charming scamp, with a little age on him, works well for this role. But that whole facial evolution thing confused me. Also, when he said "I've lost someone I love," I wondered if he was actually referring to Grace, since she told him the marriage was over at that point.

 

8 hours ago, aghst said:

Grace had to ask daddy to bail cheating hubby out.

But that apartment has to be worth $7-8 million at least, with that terrace with that view.

Unless it’s a studio and only has like 800 square feet or something.

I believe the terraced apartment is Grace's father's apartment. It's quite grand and I'll bet it's worth way more than 8 million. Grace and Jonathan have the townhouse, which is worth some bucks too. I'm guessing that Grace isn't so invested in Jonathan's innocence that she's willing to risk her home, but she's happy to risk some of her father's spare change for bail.

 

2 hours ago, Ashforth said:

She seems to be representing both of them, which is a clear conflict of interest. The whole thing about the detectives ruling Grace out as a suspect because of the time stamp on the video is stupid. In that case, everyone is ruled out because they aren't on video near the crime scene at the time of the murder.

This is one of several things that make me side eye much of this plotline. It seems awfully fast for Jonathan to be arrested, charged and out on bail, yet the detectives are still building their case. I understand that some detective work goes on after the fact - witnesses are found and interviewed, etc., but it seems to me that if they are still trying to figure out Grace's role in this, then perhaps Jonathan was arrested and charged a bit too soon?

My takeaways from the episode: we learn even more about Jonathan - this time, we see his entitlement (going to Fernando's and basically bullying his way in; the way he orders the attorney's staff around; the assumption that his marriage will be unaffected by all this). We also learn more (unsurprising) things about Donald Sutherland's character. On the other hand, I feel like I know even less about Grace. For instance, it's like she doesn't work at all now. She walks. And that's pretty much it. I don't really buy that Fernando was stalking Grace in the park in the wee hours of the morning, so that much I'm chalking up to more of Grace's "visions."

I don't think either of the kids had involvement in the murder; I think Sylvia, Grace, Franklin and Jonathan are the most likely perps at this point, but god knows what will be thrown at us next week.

At the end of the episode my husband kind of sighed and I said "don't worry; we only have two episodes left." I don't think they had that in mind when they put this thing together.

Edited November 16, 2020 by Maysie

[TVMovieBuff]

2 hours ago, Melina22 said:

I think this is the reason we're all fixated on her plastic surgery. It looks unnatural and she can't express emotion properly so we're taken out of the show, which is upsetting when it's otherwise a really good show. It affects our ability to suspend disbelief. 

The thing is, I think a lot of bad plastic surgery we see on actors is like a tattoo - something a person does because it seems like a really good idea at the time, but later when they decide it was a mistake, they can never fully reverse it. Nicole has said she uses way less Botox etc than before, which is good, but some of the work she had done can never be undone.

You can't fault actors for wanting to look better in their closeups...I'm sure it's murder having your face under a microscope for the whole world to see and criticize. They're in a no-win situation. 

Lorraine Bracco has the worst plastic surgery face I have ever seen. What used to be her "look" is gone. Her face is full of fillers, puffed-up skin and lips. I didn't recognize her until her name was said, on the Tamron Hall Show.