S04.E08: Control Freaks

[jewel21]

Quote

The 126 must rescue a father/son involved in a driver's ed lesson gone haywire, then encounter a self-help guru who has lost his self-control. Meanwhile, Owen turns into a "Dadzilla" in helping plan T.K. and Carlos' wedding, and Marjan is suspicious when she meets a couple on her road trip.

Airdate: 03/14/2023

[Lady Calypso]

So, dare I say it, but this is the first good episode of the season for me, by a large margin. There have been so much to criticize about every episode this season and even though this episode wasn't perfect, it was still way more enjoyable than the first seven episodes.

So, they really went for a Gabby Petito storyline, huh? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, although at this one had a happier ending. And what a surprise! Marjan gets her VERY OWN solo storyline! That's new for this show to allow one of their tertiary main characters to have a storyline that doesn't involved one of the Main Characters. I was convinced that Marjan's next appearance would be her returning to the 126. 

But it was a good storyline. It was still sad to see how things played out with the abusive boyfriend, but am glad it worked out. Now, Marjan DID lose her motorcycle in the process, so hopefully someone can give her a ride back to that gas station.

The wedding stuff was also a lot of fun. Seeing Owen turn Carlos' mother Andrea to his side was hilarious. And good on TK for finally letting loose and telling them off. And I liked Owen's explanation as to why he was being super controlling. It was a good episode for Owen. And I liked hearing Andrea's perspective on Carlos' coming out and how she failed him.

Overall, a MUCH better episode that I actively enjoyed.

[preeya]

A ripped-from-the-headlines episode totally mirroring this:

"Social media star was killed while on a road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie, who was later found dead in Florida after a weeks-long manhunt"

Owen is a massive control freak. Glad to see TK stand up to his OTT antics.

 

[Jillybean]

12 hours ago, LtKelley said:

I don't understand how the car ended up the pole. Can someone explain it?

I will be surprised if anyone can. It made no sense.

Just when I thought we were safe from the Gabby Petitto inspired story becoming a two-parter, the previews proved otherwise. 

[dshgr]

12 hours ago, LtKelley said:

I don't understand how the car ended up the pole. Can someone explain it?

As soon as the front tires left the pavement, the car would have stopped.  They weren't traveling that fast.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I don't understand how the car ended up the pole. Can someone explain it?

I didn't get this either. It's not as if the car could have driven up the power lines. Not even if they were parallel to the tires - which they were not. WTF.

I thought the whole "Bride-zilla" thing with Owen was dumb. I started to think maybe he was just putting on an act because he wanted TK to stand up for himself . . . or something. But nope. He really was being that obsessive and weird.

TK and Carlos both looked like a million bucks in their matching tuxes. But I have to say, Ronen Rubinstein and Rafael Silva cannot act. I'm sorry, they just can't. So, so pretty to look at but so, so bad at acting.

I did like the story with Marjan, and look! It's Dot-Marie Jones, from Glee. I'm not sure how Marjan managed to get into the back of the RV and hide though.

[Lady Calypso]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

. I'm not sure how Marjan managed to get into the back of the RV and hide though.

She got in when the couple stopped at the gas station. 

And yes, the car rescue made ZERO sense. This season has had some REALLY ridiculous rescues. Like, between the random frog rain and the car somehow flying up the pole, they've decided that realistic rescues isn't in their vocabulary anymore.

[eel21788]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I'm not sure how Marjan managed to get into the back of the RV and hide though.

Maybe lock picking is included in firefighter training? 

[crowsworks]

I know it's wrong but I cussed at the weak sister staying behind. Doesn't she watch Dateline. It's how you become one with the landfill.

[mojoween]

Abused girl says that Marjan’s purpose is to save people.  Um, didn’t she already have a job doing that?

[marceline]

I feel like the show missed an easy opportunity by not having Owen explain that he was being such a smothering, clueless dick because he was trying to make up for the fact that TK's mother couldn't be there. When he was talking to Carlos' mother I really thought we'd get a mention of Gwen.

Owen works my reserve nerves but I kept hoping that this particular bit of clownery was because he was because he was trying to be both father and mother. Instead the show chose to make him a self-absorbed idiot again.

Edited March 17, 2023 by marceline

[shapeshifter]

On 3/14/2023 at 9:53 PM, Lady Calypso said:

Seeing Owen turn Carlos' mother Andrea to his side was hilarious.

Yes, but I was sure Carlos' mother was using her foody and decorating superpowers to steer Owen into the wedding Carlos and T.K. wanted, or something more like that. 
I didn't think she was going to turn into a Mother-zilla.

 

[possibilities]

I have actually done quite a bit of vegan baking and I have never -- NEVER-- used turnips in a cake. I flatly DO NOT BELIEVE it tastes anything like a traditional wedding cake. 

[LaylaGirl]

On 3/15/2023 at 8:33 AM, Jillybean said:

I don't understand how the car ended up the pole. Can someone explain it?

Amazingly enough, it happens more often than one would think. A car traveling at a high rate of speed will hit the 2 guy wires that support the pole and actually travel up them and then stop at the top. This was unrealistic because there is no way the car had enough distance to get up to a speed where this could actually happen. My husband is a lineman and has dealt with this a couple of times over his career.

 

[tennisgurl]

That was actually a shocking improvement on the rest of the seasons episodes, although that might be partially because the rest of the season has been so bad that just about anything without serial killers, terrorists, or bratty kids is an improvement. Even the stuff with Owen, while annoying, was more funny annoying than frustrating annoying. The talk he had with Andrea was actually really good, how she regrets how they handled Carlos coming out, and even when Owen admitted that hijacking his wedding  was just about his own stuff, it felt a million times more natural than the many "Owen saves the day" plots.

We actually got some actual rescues! I guess the show is still capable of doing those! 

As soon as the couple Marjan met talked about how they were traveling around with the RV full time I was like "oh boy, we're doing this, they're going there". This version had a much happier ending though and I was thrilled to see Marjan finally get a real story, all she had to do was quit her job over some ridiculous lawsuit. So is she finally going to turn around now and get back to work? 

[shapeshifter]

On 3/15/2023 at 8:34 PM, crowsworks said:

I know it's wrong but I cussed at the weak sister staying behind. Doesn't she watch Dateline. It's how you become one with the landfill.

I was a bit WTH?? too when they showed her staying behind, but then I also wondered if the gruff lady truck driver seemed scary to her too in a potential out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire kind of way (been there myself). 
IRL, most Good Samaritans would've likely thrown in the towel at that point, but Marjan didn't, which is probably why:

56 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

This version had a much happier ending though [than Gabby Petito's]

Marjan had a lot of experience rescuing folks who weren't sure about being rescued.

Of course, (also speaking from experience) the victim had tried to get help and been told it was "his word against yours" so I can't blame her for being suspicious of *everyone.*

So, yeah, I was initially mad at her for not taking the ride in the truck, but I get it too.

 

[izabella]

8 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

So, yeah, I was initially mad at her for not taking the ride in the truck, but I get it too.

My guess was she didn't have anywhere to go, nor any money once she got there.   I also wonder what happens to her now.  Does she have a home?  Did they say anything about her family? 

[possibilities]

There may be a battered women's shelter that would take her in and help her get back on her feet. I hope they show Marjan helping her figure all that out. It's the kind of info people need to know-- part of why so many people stay in bad situations is that it's really hard to leave, even when you want to, because of practical reasons.

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, izabella said:

My guess was she didn't have anywhere to go, nor any money once she got there.   I also wonder what happens to her now.  Does she have a home?  Did they say anything about her family? 

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

There may be a battered women's shelter that would take her in and help her get back on her feet. I hope they show Marjan helping her figure all that out. It's the kind of info people need to know-- part of why so many people stay in bad situations is that it's really hard to leave, even when you want to, because of practical reasons.

I immediately thought that since she stayed with the RV instead of going with the trucker, she might get ownership of the motor home, although not if her “control freak” partner deliberately had it in his name only.

In a variation of this script, they could have even had her self-inflict bruises to gain ownership of the motor home.
Those scripts do no favors to abused women IRL.

Interesting that the title of the episode, “Control Freaks” (plural) lets the term of “control freak” refer to Owen, the abusive partner, and also Carlos' mother. 
Googling definitions of control freak indicates all 3 characters do fit the definition.🤔

[bilgistic]

On 3/17/2023 at 3:18 PM, LtKelley said:

Not helped that the female trucker reminded me of Aileen Wuornos

My boyfriend said she was Large Marge. (We're old.)

[ninjakid]

On 3/18/2023 at 4:23 AM, shapeshifter said:

Interesting that the title of the episode, “Control Freaks” (plural) lets the term of “control freak” refer to Owen, the abusive partner, and also Carlos' mother. 
Googling definitions of control freak indicates all 3 characters do fit the definition.🤔

Also, Marjan.

[Bruinsfan]

Am I the only one who would be thrilled to get to ride in a truck driven by Dot-Marie Jones?

[possibilities]

2 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

Am I the only one who would be thrilled to get to ride in a truck driven by Dot-Marie Jones?

No you are not. 

[jabRI]

On 3/15/2023 at 1:01 PM, Lady Calypso said:

On 3/15/2023 at 11:39 AM, iMonrey said:

. I'm not sure how Marjan managed to get into the back of the RV and hide though.

She got in when the couple stopped at the gas station. 

I thought I saw her following them from the gas station, and assumed she got in and filmed when he pulled over? But I may be confused, there were lots of desert/night shots that kind of ran together for me.

[juliet73]

I agree with everyone else about Owen taking over the wedding planning!  So stupid!  Aside from Marjan rescuing the girl, was there an actual rescue after the car on the power line?  I'd much rather see some more firefighting/medical emergencies than Owen being Dadzilla!

I didn't care for the Gabby Pettito storyline.  Marjan putting herself in danger multiple times trying to help this girl who obviously wasn't ready to leave.  If this guy is capable of killing his girlfriend, what would stop him from murdering a stranger out in the middle of nowhere?  Even though the boyfriend got arrested and it had a happier ending the true story, I'm pretty sure this isn't the end of it.