S07.E10: Inku-baited

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Maggie debuts a new art show at an unconventional venue; Clare helps Kelsey at work, as their dating lives become intertwined; Liza convinces Charles to come to her literary salon where a major talent reads.

Original air date: 5/27/21

[Aulty]

I really don't understand the legal status of Inkubator with regards to Liza and Kelsey's contracts with Empirical. I would assume that for someone at their level all book related work is exclusive to Empirical and - especially with Millenial ditched - they can't just start a little side shop, privately pay for an author's advance, comission an app or allow articles in Vulture that make Inkubator look like an Empirical endeavor.
And I am with Kelsey on all her suspicions re Charles' motives.

What I do understand though, as a computer scientist myself, is that game-developer Claire throwing together an app in a day without a detailed brief on design or functionality is not very realistic. Would Google allow her to have a side hustle (she did it for free, but they hinted at her working for other clients)?
I loved Lauren calling Claire a STEM angel.

Maggie got her Cindarella moment - didn't come as a surprise. With the dean showing up to apologise in person (and sending the art critic to her show) they at least capped that uncomfortable story off well.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Aulty

[MissLucas]

2 hours ago, Aulty said:

I really don't understand the legal status of Inkubator with regards to Liza and Kelsey's contracts with Empirical. I would assume that for someone at their level all book related work is exclusive to Empirical and - especially with Millenial ditched - they can't just start a little side shop, privately pay for an author's advance, comission an app or allow articles in Vulture that make Inkubator look like an Empirical endeavor.

Yes, this makes no sense unless Charles or rather the legal team at Empirical are complete idiots. At least we got now confirmation that Dylan received an advance - even if it was coming from Kelsey's private purse. Which makes me think Dylan really needs an agent. But at this point we have to accept that Liza and Kelsey are the magical godmothers of publishing. Whatever they touch turns to gold. Inkubator soars within weeks - first a unicorn author shows up then a blocked genius author sails in. 

I'm also confused about the app - even ignoring the technical aspects of development - on which platform are they offering the app? And will it be for only one book? Or are they planning on releasing more books by authors who will surely surely show up on a weekly basis on Inkubator? Or will they publish Empirical authors on the app? Looks to me like a lot more work for the non-existing legal team.

The Kelsey-Clare drama was so painfully set up and so stupid. Seven seasons in Kelsey is still not able to behave like an adult. It was really not that hard to see that she needs to talk to Clare. Ideally before hooking up with Padalecki lookalike (sorry Steven Good) or at least immediately after Monopoly night. At least this plot line gave us the episode's best moment with Maggie and Liza getting into old married couple mode.

Oh, and it looks like Maggie and the Dean will become an item *eyeroll* And more of the same for Liza and Charles.

[Yeah No]

I just wanted to say how touched I was that they filmed that restaurant scene at the Gotham Bar and Grill.  I was crushed when I heard it closed in March of 2020 just as Covid was starting as it was one of those NYC institutions I always loved.  Since then there have been reports that it will reopen later this year after a reimagining.  I know they lost their long time chef Alfred Portale in 2019 and that was probably one reason they weren't succeeding anymore.  It was funny, I recognized the interior of the place instinctively and thought "could it be?", but then they showed a clip of Liza and Charles walking out together and you can see the door sign behind them.

BTW, Charles is acting like an idiot.  He is totally unaware of his own feelings and I don't blame Liza for not trusting him at this point.  I can't imagine there being any great epiphany on his part strong enough to make her trust him again in only a few episodes, but I guess I'm strapped in until the inevitable conclusion.

And Janeane Garofalo's character really needs to go online and issue Maggie a public apology.

[dmc]

2 hours ago, Aulty said:

I really don't understand the legal status of Inkubator with regards to Liza and Kelsey's contracts with Empirical. I would assume that for someone at their level all book related work is exclusive to Empirical and - especially with Millenial ditched - they can't just start a little side shop, privately pay for an author's advance, comission an app or allow articles in Vulture that make Inkubator look like an Empirical endeavor.
And I am with Kelsey on all her suspicions re Charles' motives.

What I do understand though, as a computer scientist myself, is that game-developer Claire throwing together an app in a day without a detailed brief on design or functionality is not very realistic. Would Google allow her to have a side hustle (she did it for free, but they hinted at her working for other clients)?
I loved Lauren calling Claire a STEM angel.

Maggie got her Cindarella moment - didn't come as a surprise. With the dean showing up to apologise in person (and sending the art critic to her show) they at least capped that uncomfortable story off well.

I love how you are fully looking after the operational needs of Empirical and Google. I manage operations and do this so yes these are both nos.  Google has a non compete.  Empirical would too. 
 

Claire and Kelsey barely know each other.  This is not girl code.   Ironically I did think she should speak to Josh.

Edited May 27, 2021 by dmc

[Aulty]

34 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

I'm also confused about the app - even ignoring the technical aspects of development - on which platform are they offering the app?

There are frameworks that allow you to simultaneously develop for multiple platforms, the code is then compiled into platform specific packages. Its handy for quick and simple apps, but limited in what you can do with platform specific functionality.
Between Claire working for Google, the show's obvious product placement deal with Apple and the show having so far failed to explain the bigger picture and concept of Inkubator and its authors, it is highly confusing.

[MissLucas]

Confusing is the right word. I still don't understand how the app's supposed to work. Do you buy Dylan's book by buying the app? Or does the app work like the Kindle or Nook app - you install it for free and then buy a book? In which case how's the distribution organized? Who's the publisher? Not Empirical but is Inkubator a publishing house? Who is signing on Dylan? Who's funding the launch? The Marketing? (You can't sell a book just by Vulture). And if Empirical is agreeing to sign her will they also add the rest of their catalog to the app? Will the authors be okay? And how will Amazon, B&N etc. like the idea of a publishing house creating its own app? Or is that already a thing in the US market?

Am I overthinking this?

[tennisgurl]

Inkubator book nights do look fun, even if the show is trying a bit too hard to tell us how cool it is, but I continue to be confused by all of the legalities with Emperical and what the actual plan is for Kelsey and Liza. They are still being funded by them right? They cant just randomly do their own thing and use their funds but without expecting them to be involved at all right? Its the same questions I have about them handing out pages of the book they want to publish to Vulture to try and get Emperical to publish the book, I just don't get how they are running their own tiny pop up out of this major publisher and what this actually means for them and the authors they are trying to work with. If they find an author they like at their reading nights, will they even sign then? Because if they do, it would still be under Emperical. 

Charles just needs to choose a lane, its like every episode they are writing him in a totally different way. I guess this means that he and Liza will get together during the last episode, it seems pretty inevitable. They also seem to be laying down some groundwork for Maggie to get with the Dean, although I hope that the Dean gives a much larger public apology. And breaks things off with her cheating weirdo of a wife. 

STEM Angel is a cute nickname, it sounds like Claire's Twitter Handle. Were Claire and Kelsey's fling that serious? Kelsey should have definitely told her the truth earlier, especially when they started working together, but its not like they were married or that Claire and Kelsey were ever besties. They had brunch, not a commitment ceremony.  

[MissLucas]

I don't think Clare and Kelsey were on their way to become BFFs but Kelsey shares an apartment with the father of Clare's kid. That alone should be reason enough to clear the air before Clare runs into Not-Padalecki by chance. And yeah, Josh might have liked a heads-up too. But even if they agreed to never meet at her place, the moment Lauren brought in Clare to work on the App had been the moment Kelsey should have spilled the beans. 

Also Kelsey had got a bit of a warning that Clare was not over her ex in last week's episode when Clare was  freaked out by that giant foam gizmo. 

[BingeyKohan]

I’ll just say it: Maggie’s art looked like a bad ad campaign.

please don’t tell me they are setting up a finale where both Liza and Maggie end up with people who very recently treated them like sh*t.

[bilgistic]

5 hours ago, BingeyKohan said:

I’ll just say it: Maggie’s art looked like a bad ad campaign.

It appeared to be Debi Mazar's own old pictures with random letters "cut from magazines" pasted over them and other stuff drawn on the pictures. Like, this is art?

[Yeah No]

15 hours ago, bilgistic said:

It appeared to be Debi Mazar's own old pictures with random letters "cut from magazines" pasted over them and other stuff drawn on the pictures. Like, this is art?

I agree but it looked like a very familiar style, although one that has kind of been around a while, but I couldn't place it.  It was kind of analogous to someone copying the Andy Warhol style.  Everyone recognizes it.  I'm wondering if it's a similar thing but we're just not getting the reference.

[bilgistic]

Are there only two episodes left?!?

[Aulty]

28 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

Are there only two episodes left?!?

jep.

[LuvMyShows]

2 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Are there only two episodes left?!?

Good grief, there's a lot to wrap up and the preview for next week doesn't look particularly wrap up-ish!

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, LuvMyShows said:

Good grief, there's a lot to wrap up and the preview for next week doesn't look particularly wrap up-ish!

I knew this was going to happen.  I posted a few weeks ago that it would likely end with every loose end being hastily and awkwardly wrapped up in the final episode to no one's satisfaction.  It seems to be the predominant way series are being ended these days. I know of quite a few that have done the same thing.  It's maddening!

[MissLucas]

40 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

It seems to be the predominant way series are being ended these days. I know of quite a few that have done the same thing.  It's maddening!

That's because as soon as a series garners the right numbers it gets extended way beyond it's creative due date and then every plot gets squeezed like a lemon until all coherence, continuity and the last traces of verisimilitude are gone for good. This show should have ended after 3 seasons, 5 tops.

[Yeah No]

9 hours ago, MissLucas said:

That's because as soon as a series garners the right numbers it gets extended way beyond it's creative due date and then every plot gets squeezed like a lemon until all coherence, continuity and the last traces of verisimilitude are gone for good. This show should have ended after 3 seasons, 5 tops.

You'd think they'd have planned the final season better, after all this show knew it was ending a while ago.  I can actually forgive a show like "God Friended Me" that had to squeeze a wrap-up of several plot threads into one episode because of the lateness of its cancelation date, but that's not the case with this show.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Seriously? Kelsey ditched Maggie's opening to go hook up with the guy she claims she doesn't want to hook up with? That couldn't have waited, I don't know, an hour?

I think Charles was going to be an ass about Inkubator no matter how Liza and Kelsey presented it. If they had left Empirical's name out of it, he would have been mad and said it was inappropriate for them to be doing something literary without giving credit to Empirical. He probably would have accused them of being sneaky or dishonest.

I thought it was weird that he told them to focus on their actual paying jobs. It's not like they left the office in the middle of the day for four hours to do this. They did it on their own time after hours and used no company resources whatsoever to hold the event.

I really don't see what the big deal is anyway. It's basically an open mic night. If that's what Liza and Kelsey want to do in the evenings at Liza's ex-boyfriend's shop, what's the big deal? It's not like they've been raffling off 5 book deals or anything even close to questionable.

They weren't advertising it as an Empirical event, signing authors, or doing anything but providing a space for people to read their work. The only reason that Empirical came up was when they got interviewed about Dylan. For me, things only got sticky when Kelsey decided that they were going to sell an app to allow people to finish reading Dylan's work but I barely have a problem with that since Charles made it clear that he had no interest in signing Dylan which means that there isn't really a conflict of interest if Kelsey wants to pay someone to develop an app that lets people read the work of unsigned authors.

I get Clare not being happy that Kelsey is dating Rob, but were Clare and Kelsey ever really friends? I'm pretty sure that brunch was the first time they voluntarily hung out (and they haven't hung out since then as far as I can remember). I wouldn't feel that bad about hooking up with my coworker's ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. I would bet that Kelsey probably doesn't even know Clare's last name or her favorite meal so I'd call them acquaintances, not friends.

On a shallow note, I loved the red skirt Lauren was wearing at Maggie's art thing.

I felt for the poor server when Charles and Liza couldn't decide whether to get dessert and started talking about how much they missed talking with each other. I wish I had been there to snap my fingers in front of their eyes and say, "HELLO! Just say yes or no to a dessert menu and let this poor woman leave your table!"

[LuvMyShows]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I wouldn't feel that bad about hooking up with my coworker's ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. 

Hahaha...my brain almost exploded trying to follow that!

[Ucross]

So Claire dumped Rob and apparently he isn't allowed to ever date anyone again? How does that work? If she doesn't want him, what does she care?

On 5/27/2021 at 5:59 AM, Yeah No said:

 

I just wanted to say how touched I was that they filmed that restaurant scene at the Gotham Bar and Grill.

 

I'm an author with a major publishing house, and all my book meetings were at Gotham. It was  where everyone in publishing went.

[Ucross]

On 5/27/2021 at 5:58 AM, MissLucas said:

Seven seasons in Kelsey is still not able to behave like an adult. It was really not that hard to see that she needs to talk to Clare.

Why? Clare didn't want him. Why would she care?

[Yeah No]

9 hours ago, Ucross said:

Why? Clare didn't want him. Why would she care?

Often breakups are complicated.  It might be a case of "I don't want him but nobody else should have him either", which is also not uncommon.

But truthfully, her reaction was over the top.  It was almost as if he dumped her, not the other way around.  I'm not even sure who broke up with who in that situation.  My fault, I've tuned out somewhat on this show already.

[bilgistic]

Yeah, breakups are often messy. Kelsey really should've given Clare the heads up that she was dating Rob since they're all in the same orbit. She had several chances to do so. But Clare acting like she owned Rob forever was seriously over the top, but then, welcome to this show.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Inkubator

Bloopers

After show