S05.E11: Outside Looking In

[possibilities]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Would I come on to a guy in a bar who worked at a place where I had applied to work? I think not. But then I haven't dated in over 30 years.
Maybe someone with recent experience can speak to this scenario.

I wouldn't. But I think we're meant to think she didn't know she was being transferred to the same house.

As for all the hook ups on Sta 19, all of them involved characters who are also shown to be competent firefighters and there were as many males as females involved in them. I don't think it's sexism on that show. It's just a hotbed of hook ups in the context of a crew that's also shown to have many other purposes wrt the story. There's no one there who's only there to serve someone else's story, or who's only there as a love interest or whose story is primarily about their sex life. If anything, I'd say Jack is the one with the most sex-based characterization, and with him they've gone to a lot of trouble to show how it hurts him, is dysfunctional, and where it comes from, including a detailed multi-season backstory that makes him sympathetic (plus he's grown a lot, much like Buck). You can hate the show for having a workplace full of hook ups, but I don't think you can say they only introduce female characters for the purpose of inappropriate sexual behavior, or that it's one sided and sexist in the way they do it.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Would I come on to a guy in a bar who worked at a place where I had applied to work? I think not. But then I haven't dated in over 30 years.
Maybe someone with recent experience can speak to this scenario.

4 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I wouldn't. But I think we're meant to think she didn't know she was being transferred to the same house.

So do they not apply to specific houses when they apply for a transfer? 
And, if they do not apply to houses, don't they know it will be one of several in a geographic area?
Specifically, wouldn't Lucy know that Buck's house was likely one that she might be transferred to?
I probably shouldn't be so irritated that they chose to write that story, since all of the crazy rescues are ripped from the headlines and then repackaged on steroids. (Like snow-pocalypse in Texas)

[possibilities]

The show has a bad record on introducing women to be love interests only, so I'm not saying they won't do anything stupid. I'm just wishing they wouldn't, and trying to give them the benefit of the doubt on the possibility of a pivot.

I was more bothered by Buck this episode, than by Lucy. He's the one shown to be unglued by the kiss, and to be having trouble dealing with it.

In my "please don't go there" head, I'm trying to write a script that subverts the tropes, and Lucy turns out to not be interested in pursuing it, won't get involved with anyone who has a monogamous significant other or who works in the same house, and then goes on to be a good addition to the team.

It bothers me that Buck is being out of character and now questioning his commitment to Taylor whilst inviting her to move in with him. That is so many wrongs already, that I don't know how they write themselves into a story I will feel okay about watching.

I wanted the show to have more women on the team, so I want Lucy to be good. But I understand why people are worried about it, because the kiss is an inauspicious start.

[WinJet0819]

55 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I wanted the show to have more women on the team, so I want Lucy to be good. But I understand why people are worried about it, because the kiss is an inauspicious start.

My sentiments exactly. I would love if the show focused more on the Lucy that we saw when she rescued the family. Let's see her make more daring rescues, and find a home in the house. She could be a good fit. Not to mention, I always did think that the truck needed more than just 3 firefighters. But the kiss was just ugh.

And I, too, am very disappointed in Buck for first allowing the kiss to happen, and then compounding his mistake by not being truthful to Taylor and asking her to move in. Buck is supposed to be growing, which is good character development. But it seems he's taking a step backwards with this move.

[WinJet0819]

2 hours ago, CoyoteBlue said:

Did he actually kill them though? The apartment building was a fire code death trap with non-functioning sprinklers. Anyone could have knocked over a candle or left a space heater on and had the same results.

He did. Not intentionally, but it he who was under the influence of drugs and left the space heater on. Frankly, it's hard to believe how he's still a firefighter after that. I can understand him maybe being cleared of criminal charges. He was trying to make up for all those he killed with each save that he put in his book at church.

[WinJet0819]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

I wouldn't. But I think we're meant to think she didn't know she was being transferred to the same house.

As for all the hook ups on Sta 19, all of them involved characters who are also shown to be competent firefighters and there were as many males as females involved in them. I don't think it's sexism on that show. It's just a hotbed of hook ups in the context of a crew that's also shown to have many other purposes wrt the story. There's no one there who's only there to serve someone else's story, or who's only there as a love interest or whose story is primarily about their sex life. If anything, I'd say Jack is the one with the most sex-based characterization, and with him they've gone to a lot of trouble to show how it hurts him, is dysfunctional, and where it comes from, including a detailed multi-season backstory that makes him sympathetic (plus he's grown a lot, much like Buck). You can hate the show for having a workplace full of hook ups, but I don't think you can say they only introduce female characters for the purpose of inappropriate sexual behavior, or that it's one sided and sexist in the way they do it.

And I should rephrase that I hate when the female characters become reduced to just solely existing for the sake of a relationship. Considering Station 19 is part of the Grey's universe, where they constantly push relationships between capable people, that wouldn't really fit into it.

Stella Kidd in Chicago Fire fits more into that mold of what I meant to indicate. And it's also happened on Chicago PD, where the Upstead relationship has enveloped the whole show and neither character can seem to exist without the other. That's what I hope the 9-1-1 franchise avoids devolving into.

[tennisgurl]

What a weird way to come back to the show. Half the cast is still gone or has a major case of the asshole, neither of the newbies made much of an impression, and Athena still refuses to call for backup when she goes into a possibly dangerous situation. I found so many scenes to be so unpleasant and off, especially Buck kissing this random new firefighter. Buck has a long history of making dumb choices, but I can never see him as a cheater, especially when his relationship with Taylor seems to be going well. One of his most defining traits is his loyalty, to the point of which it can cause him real problems, suing his department to be with his friends again and mooning over Abbey after she ghosted him for months, I just cannot ever see Buck doing this. 

I also find Hen's shitty attitude towards the new guy to be really off-putting. I get that she's upset about Chim still being gone (same) but its not this guys fault, and I would think that she would remember how it feels to be treated like crap by your new partner at the station after her terrible time starting. 

Eddie is really becoming the equivalent of TK from Lone Star, there is always some new drama and some new trauma or near death experience that it makes him less of a character and more of a walking plot mover. I cant even enjoy him and Eddie as much as I used to, everything with him has been so off. I guess with Maddie gone and Buck being a moron, the Buckleys are getting a break from being the shows whipping boy/girl and someone else had to take a turn. 

I am glad that this show is back, even if I wish that it had come back stronger. The opener was fun, especially the mariachi band playing the firefighters out, the speed chase was exciting, and at least Bobby and Athena still seem like themselves. And while Athena DID run into another dangerous situation on her own, at least she did call for backup and she wasn't really there expecting something dramatic, but she is at least moving in the right direction.  

[Empress1]

35 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

has a major case of the asshole,

Hee hee hee!

[Kel Varnsen]

On 3/24/2022 at 6:35 PM, possibilities said:

really like Athena, and while I agree it's crazy that she keeps going in without back up, I can't think of a show with a male who does that and it's not thought to make him brave and heroic, rather than crazy. 

What was annoying this time is there doesn't seem to have been any reason not to wait. There were two other cops there so just secure the exits and the guy probably isn't going anywhere. Plus I'm no lawyer but it seems like a pretty big stretch for a cop to go from, "your neighbor is a weirdo hoarder who doesn't like you" to "your neighbor must be the person who tried to kill your whole family in a ridiculously complicated way, we better kick in his door and arrest him right now".

[possibilities]

He had explosives, though, didn't he? That was why she wanted to get him in custody ASAP.

 

[gonzosgirrl]

7 hours ago, possibilities said:

He had explosives, though, didn't he? That was why she wanted to get him in custody ASAP.

 

Did they know that, or was it just magically deduced by Athena after talking to the Speed neighbor?

[possibilities]

I thought one of the things the guy had in his yard was what tipped her off. 

[gonzosgirrl]

4 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I thought one of the things the guy had in his yard was what tipped her off. 

It may well have been. I confess, I don't always pay 100% attention while watching this show, lol.

[Kel Varnsen]

54 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I thought one of the things the guy had in his yard was what tipped her off. 

There was a line about how some of the trash in his hoard had diodes in it or some other electronic component. That seemed like a tip off for the viewer. But even that plus the the conversation with the lady from the truck seems no where near enough information to just bust in his door. Put some cops in front of his door while you investigate his life sure, but there wasn't enough time left for that.

[CoderLady]

I thought it was the combination of the guy acting squirrelly, having all that iffy stuff in his yard, being an asshole to his next-door neighbors and as the icing on the Mad Bomber cake, living right across the street from the family who almost got blown up in their car. And when he scurried off back into his lair when he saw the cops that must have made their spidey senses start tingling.

Edited March 28, 2022 by CoderLady

[PrincessTT]

Athena also heard him say “I’m watching you” to the neighbours he was arguing with when she got there - and then the woman from the car told her that the bomber said the exact same thing on the phone to them.

[CoderLady]

1 hour ago, PrincessTT said:

Athena also heard him say “I’m watching you” to the neighbours he was arguing with when she got there - and then the woman from the car told her that the bomber said the exact same thing on the phone to them.

Ooh yes! The vital clue. I'd forgotten that!

[Maverick]

 The mother told Athena that they had just filed a complaint with the city to have the guy clean up his yard and now that they were moving they dropped the compliant.   That's when she realized he had motive for placing the bomb (to kill them and stop the complaint from going through).  

[methodwriter85]

All I got with this episode was, "Damn, that blond paramedic is cute as hell." Ryan Murphy has such a good eye for good-looking men.

I'm sure Blondie's going to die, though.

Edited April 14, 2022 by methodwriter85

[possibilities]

8 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

All I got with this episode was, "Damn, that blond paramedic is cute as hell." Ryan Murphy has such a good eye for good-looking men.

I'm sure Blondie's going to die, though.

Your comment made me realize that both the newbies are blondes.