Irrational Season 1 Eps 1-6

[Trini]

My word -- the exposition on this show is excruciating. And I do NOT care about any side plot scenes that don't have Alec/JLM in them.

I'm giving this ONE more episode, and ONLY because of Jesse.

[bros402]

23 minutes ago, Trini said:

My word -- the exposition on this show is excruciating. And I do NOT care about any side plot scenes that don't have Alec/JLM in them.

I'm giving this ONE more episode, and ONLY because of Jesse.

Yeah, the exposition on this show is just PAINFUL. The case of the week grabbed my attention a bit? But ooof were the side plots bad, along with the acting in the end scene with the ex at the jail.

[Driad]

The title "The Irrational" is interesting. For many shows ("The Equalizer," "The Good Doctor," etc.), the title describes the main character. In this show, Alec is not (supposed to be) irrational, but he studies irrational thinking and behavior.

[LakeGal]

I tried but I am done.  I try to watch but I get distracted and wander off.  I don't care to rewatch what I have missed.  It is not holding my interest.  

[chessiegal]

For all the hype NBC gave this show, it is such a bust.

[statsgirl]

I should have commented on last week's episode  because I liked that one.

This week's kidnapping was okay, except for the part where the FBI wear matching blue jackets with big FBI lettered on them so that the guy with the drone can easily identify who they are.

Someone must have heard the complaints about Alec's scar because it was very prominent here.

But it's the bad psychology that is going to rive me away. "He has zero sum bias."  No one talks like that unless they're analyzing some research. It' s the worst kind of ingroup jargon talk. And Alec just skipping teaching the class and giving it to his new research assistant to teach. Research assistants don't teach, teaching assistants do and a class of 200 would have 2 or 3 teaching assistants. Giving it to the junior research assistant on a moment's notice was bad enough (were there notes that Alec left? or was he just supposed to wing it? A friend of mine has taught psychology at a university for 25 years and it takes her 20 hours to write a lecture from scratch, 10 if she's revising last year's lecture.) And then having him teach again when he bungled the first lecture so badly, this is completely unfair to the students who paid a lot of money for that course.

This show doesn't hit the 'terrible' category but it's content to slide by with a 'D'  on Martin's charm alone..

[MarylandGirl]

Seems I'm alone in this forum for enjoying last night's episode! I found the kidnapping plot to be engaging, though I could have done without the side plot of the failed lecture. And it did seem like the kidnapper got talked down a little too easily--like when Olivia Benson jumps in and talks down someone holding a hostage. And I don't really care about the sister's career. OK, maybe I didn't like it as much as I thought! I prefer it to Found so far, though.

[kaygeeret]

There is something that keeps bringing me back in addition to JLM.

But the writing keeps trying to push me away.

I am now invested in what the sis is planning on doing with her 'time'.  Got a feeling she will become his computer expert and partner. Looking forward to more of her and less wife - sadly exie works at the FBI so not sure how we reduce her time.

The entire teaching thing made me want to leap thru the screen screaming...I am an ex teacher and NOONE with any version of sense, brain power, humanity and compassion would drop an unprepared newbie into a LECTURE HALL of college kids.   Absolutely nuts for a side plot.

Still, I will keep watching......hoping against hope that the writing/plotting improves drastically.

[12catcrazy]

This is the show that I turn to when I don't want the deepness (or depression)  of British detective shows or the total idiocy of Portofino Hotel.   It's not as well done as say, NCIS, and the actors range from really good (Jesse Martin, and the actress who plays his sister) to really bad (some of the weekly episode actors).   The stories could be tighter and the running thing about the ex is already getting old (she's dating but I think starting to reconsider, and he is still wearing his wedding ring).   And so much about the show screams Cheapie Production.  If it was a CBS show it would be dumped after one season; my guess is that it will be a one and done on NBC, but I've been wrong before and may be wrong again.  

[chessiegal]

5 hours ago, 12catcrazy said:

It's not as well done as say, NCIS

That's a high standard to aspire to, at least the first 10 seasons.

[mrsbagnet]

On 10/17/2023 at 8:12 PM, MarylandGirl said:

And I don't really care about the sister's career.

 

On 10/17/2023 at 8:24 PM, kaygeeret said:

I am now invested in what the sis is planning on doing with her 'time'.  Got a feeling she will become his computer expert and partner. Looking forward to more of her and less wife - sadly exie works at the FBI so not sure how we reduce her time.

I'm just glad they gave the sister something to do other than snark. She was beginning to be a one-note character. I hope they flesh her out and give her some sort of life outside of being "the little sister."

Edited October 20, 2023 by mrsbagnet

[AnimeMania]

S01.E05: Lucky Charms

Alec and the team head to Las Vegas to help Camille, a former colleague turned expert poker player who's been lured into danger. They must take some risks to solve a gambling mystery before Camille gets hurt. Marisa makes a significant discovery.

Premiere Date: Monday, October 23, 2023     NBC       10pm

Jocelyn Hudon as Camille Lawson
Stew McLean as Hank Riddle
Debbie Podowski as Linda Fields
Peter Bryant as Dominic
Curtis Lum as Ethan Steele
John Murphy as Steven Smith
Rick Dobran as Sylvio Reed
Joanna Gaskell as Agent #1
Haley Victoria Hunt as Bride to Be
Patrick Sparling as Jack

[Trini]

Thought this one was better than most; might have been perfect without the assistants tagging along. Seriously; I need Alec and his sister transported to a better show.

They're still doing too much explaining of those psychological concepts, etc., but it was slightly better?

I might have missed the reason about why the poker games were being rigged

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

I might have missed the reason about why the poker games were being rigged

The only thing that they mentioned was that the rigger got 80% of the winnings and the poker cheat got 20%. It might be a tax-free money type of thing.

[shapeshifter]

The bad-guys/lone-sharks morphed from leg breakers to comic relief at the end, which smacked of writers thinking the show was not going anywhere.
Like:
How many viewers would still be spending time watching NBC's The Irrational if CBS's Matlock reboot with Kathy Bates and CBS's Elsbeth were not postponed due to the strikes?

 

 

On 10/24/2023 at 2:01 AM, Trini said:

I might have missed the reason about why the poker games were being rigged

On 10/24/2023 at 3:26 AM, AnimeMania said:

The only thing that they mentioned was that the rigger got 80% of the winnings and the poker cheat got 20%. It might be a tax-free money type of thing.

Also, she was introduced in the opening scene as "the head of the Royal Flush Rumble Tournament," which is the most basic of whodunnit reveal mechanisms, but it fit with the level of mystery on this show. 

Sorry, Jesse L. Martin.

Edited October 25, 2023 by shapeshifter

[statsgirl]

I could figure out why the woman was rigging her own game either. That says to me that the the mysteries are just the B or c plots and it's all about the psychology gobbledygook. The mob guys were just ridiculous.

I ship Marisa with her co-worker. I get the feeling that I'm supposed to be rooting for her and Alec.

Someone needs to give the psychology on this show a failing grade. Walking around dressed up and talking to people does not an experiment make (actually it's the opposite). Nor do you switch types of experiments every episode (lego last week, knock off bags this one). And no one I know throws around social psychology terms like codes words to the in crowd.

In contrast, the episode of Found that played the next day day did a  better job of putting in psychological concepts naturally. "What made you suspect the guard?" "He was guarding his food. You only do that in prison or [something I missed]. "

[jabRI]

On 10/9/2023 at 2:20 PM, AnimeMania said:

After a passenger plane crashes into the Potomac River, suspicions focus immediately on the pilot. Prof. Mercer and the team are asked to investigate the pilot’s personal motivations and piece together clues in the hopes of revealing the truth.

Wasn't there a BULL episode wiht almost that exact same premise? But the pilot lived.

[AnimeMania]

Ratings Report: Which Shows Are Having the Strongest Fall So Far?

The Irrational (NBC) — 6.33 million viewers within the first 7 days and +2.42 million viewers after 7 days 

Found (NBC) — 5.54 million viewers within the first 7 days and +2 million viewers after 7 days 

[MarylandGirl]

The Vegas episode was just OK to me. Seemed a little too light and airy, like I know the former employee was in danger if she couldn't replay the loan. But I think because the loan sharks were just so goofy that it was hard to take it seriously. I think the show is still trying to figure out what it wants to be.

It's funny, I liked this one better than Found in the beginning, and I'm quickly liking this less and Found much more. I'll give it a few more eps due to Jesse L. Martin and liking the overall premise.

[AnimeMania]

S01.E06: Point and Shoot

Alec agrees to testify as an expert witness in a wrongful death trial for a friend of Kylie's. As he faces an old nemesis, he discovers competing emotions around an accidental shooting. Marisa reaches a decision about the bombing investigation.

Premiere Date: Monday, October 30, 2023     NBC       10pm

Garry Chalk as Bob Clovis
Emidio Lopes as (Bryan/Mason?) Hill-Jones
Rhys Williams as Denver Hill-Jones
Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dustin Atwood
Karyn Mott as Hannah Styles
Joy-Ann Reid as Joy Reid
Grace Chin as Judge Yuen
Michael Querin as Judge Haynes
Theresa Wong as Leanne Nance
Donald Sales as Nathaniel Wingo
Howie Lai as Officer Wiggins
Dolores Drake as Pamela Shelby
Don McLeod as Sgt. Lawrence Powell
Regan Ross as Bailiff

[Trini]

5 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

S01.E06: Point and Shoot

 

Okay, now see? I think this is the one; this is what the show should be. The best use of Alec and his skills yet. There was still exposition of the behavioral concepts, but it made sense in the context of the story. The focus was on Alec and his Sister (still have to learn her name) with a case that had some personal significance. It also didn't hurt that there were good guest actors.  Minimal use of the (unnecessary) research assistants. I think the church bombing mystery is also unnecessary, but at least that plot is progressing?

It was nice to see Malcolm-Jamal Warner here as a rival for Alec; but it's interesting how Jesse seems older in general when both actors are only about a year-and-a half apart in age. (I looked it up!)

If this gets another season and TPTB decide to retool the show, basing it on this episode would be a good start, I think.

[sweetandsour]

Agreed, this episode flowed much better.  Was it clunk-free?  No.  But it was better.

JLM as Alec is always cool as a cucumber, but I really appreciated seeing it in the courtroom  That setting really highlighted how professional he is.  He was steady steady steady when most people would be very aggravated.

Psychology in a court/legal setting is something we see portrayed a lot, so that was also less clunky.  Although the more organic feeling was also definitely due to the fact that the assistants were not shoehorned in.  Even when they were (being on hold with the investment company for 2 hours), it was quick in passing and nothing labored.

Clearly this show was made low-budget in Canada, and although it's doing "well" now with no competition, I have to imagine that NBC isn't banking on it faring just as well in a normal broadcast season.  If they renew for season 2, I hope they make better use of the budget by writing out the ex-wife and one (or both) or the assistants.  Find 1-2 more characters that work and are actually interesting.  Sara Canning as the DA in the pilot, perhaps? ...

MJW's character irritated me at first, but he came around.  Crossover power of "The Raptor" (from when he was on The Resident) will do that.

[shapeshifter]

On 10/31/2023 at 1:14 AM, Trini said:

Okay, now see? I think this is the one; this is what the show should be. The best use of Alec and his skills yet. There was still exposition of the behavioral concepts, but it made sense in the context of the story. The focus was on Alec and his Sister (still have to learn her name) with a case that had some personal significance. It also didn't hurt that there were good guest actors.  Minimal use of the (unnecessary) research assistants. I think the church bombing mystery is also unnecessary, but at least that plot is progressing?…

On 10/31/2023 at 2:48 AM, sweetandsour said:

Agreed, this episode flowed much better.  Was it clunk-free?  No.  But it was better.…

I'm glad to see others also thought this episode, "Point and Shoot," was as good as I thought it was. 
The disclaimer at the beginning, "The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person, entity or event," and the similar one at the end are true, but the story is a compilation of similar such events reported in recent years using no-knock warrants.
Even more chilling (and based on even more real-life incidents) was when Alec and his sister were pulled over in a targeted harassment by the local police.

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by shapeshifter
“any” not “and”; missing "of" (the older I get, the more typos I make)

[cfinboston]

There is too much suspension of disbelief.

Could the casting directors not find any black actors to appear in the protest scenes? It's Washington DC at a trial where a black man was shot by the police; all the protestors are white.

The first witness claims the warrant contained a "typo" but the clerk then said it was handwritten. How did she not at some point say that she wrote the correct address?

Alec gets on the stand and explains how biased the expert witness is. He immediately then admits he makes up to $100K/day??? Even if he's not being paid by this particular defendant, wouldn't the jury be suspicious? If he makes that kind of coin he can obviously occasionally work pro-bono.

The judge meets the other psychologist and five minutes later is scribbling his offshore bank account number? Without even checking with the man's supposed golf buddy? Then Alec is conducting the sting rather than any actual police?

Lastly, as it turned out the shooting actually wasn't related to race at all. He was just targeted because he found out about the payoffs.

Oh and obviously it's TV but how do these people afford the houses? Alec's sister is literally never shown working but she can afford that showplace? 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by cfinboston

[cfinboston]

Additionally, the scene where Alec and Kylie get pulled over was just over the top. There's no way the police would be dumb enough to participate in witness intimidation, especially when Alec is just an expert witness and not really connected to the lawsuit. There was no reason for Kylie to be so upset especially with Alec being married to an FBI agent and closely connected with law enforcement.

It was also somewhat pointless for them to talk about the two tiered justice system if Alec really can earn $100K per day as an expert witness. That puts him squarely in the rich column. 

[MarylandGirl]

11 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm glad to see others also thought this episode, "Point and Shoot," was as good as I thought it was. 
The disclaimer at the beginning, "The following story is fictional and does not depict and actual person, entity or event," and the similar one at the end are true, but the story is a compilation similar such events reported in recent years using no-knock warrants.
Even more chilling (and based on even more real-life incidents) was when Alec and his sister were pulled over in a targeted harassment by the local police.

 

I also thought this one was really good. Though I wish they'd saved the other church-bombing stuff for a different ep because it seemed to take away from the flow. I don't know if it's intentional, like trying to show the shift in environments, but it feels like a different show when they go to the FBI office. The lighting seems darker or more blue maybe?

I felt really tense during the scene where they were pulled over, too. I know the DWI field tests are designed for people to fail, so I figured they'd come up with an excuse to take her in (had she been drinking at all? I can't recall whether they were coming right from the courthouse or had been to dinner).

I admit that I partly know this because I got a DWI many years ago. One thing I failed on the field test was they gave all the instructions for how to walk the line, but I started walking before they officially said to start (that was written in the report). And I don't think they told the sister (I also don't know her name!) to start walking, so was expecting them to call her on that and use it as probable cause to take her in. It's good the other officer slipped and let on that he knew who they were.

[Trini]

Short interview with the showrunner at TV Line; has a tease about the church bombing storyline:

Quote

We are going to wrap up that story at the end of the season. We’re building toward a couple of episodes that are going to see that storyline front and center. I think there will be a satisfying, interesting resolution then.

 

I hope the resolution will be satisfying; but I'm not especially invested in that storyline anyway.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Trini
Gah! dropped the "not"

[jah1986]

I thought this was the best episode yet. Part of that, as has already been said, is the lack of interns.  The ex-wife is also a weak link but at least she was mostly focused on her job this week and not her love life.

Nice to see MJW again, and he wasn't just a mustache twirling villain.

This was the first episode where I didn't figure out who did it before the first commercial break, so that's progress. The scene where they were pulled over was very tense and realistic for some people.

I hope the show keeps improving.

[Dowel Jones]

Counting backwards from 1001 by threes?  I couldn't do that efficiently if I was tired but still sober, much less while walking a straight line.

[cinsays]

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Counting backwards from 1001 by threes?  I couldn't do that efficiently if I was tired but still sober, much less while walking a straight line.

yeah, definitely meant to trip you up to give an excuse for hauling you in. bad cops in action for sure.

[Johannah]

What about what Alec said to the 2nd cop made him tell the 1st cop to leave?  I didn't think it was anything profound and he must have used a Jedi mind-trick or something...  these are not the droids you want...

I also expected him to use it in the trial somehow.

So, the case changed from unwrongful shooting to murder?  Does that mean the husband doesn't get his $3million?  

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Counting backwards from 1001 by threes?  I couldn't do that efficiently if I was tired but still sober, much less while walking a straight line.

Exactly.

52 minutes ago, Johannah said:

What about what Alec said to the 2nd cop made him tell the 1st cop to leave? 

Alec said to the cop by his side of the car:

• "…We both know what this is about. She's got nothing to do with it. You can take me in if you want and deal with cleaning up that mess in the press, or let her go."

The line was confusing because it didn't include the option of "cleaning up that mess in the press" after having arresting the sister for not being able to count backwards by threes while walking a straight line with a cop having just taken the safety off of his gun — or maybe even after the cop shot and killed her for "resisting arrest."
Probably Prof. Alec Mercer would have deliberately *not* have included that option in order to psych out the cop. 
But it was confusing for the viewers.
🤷🏻‍♀️
 

52 minutes ago, Johannah said:

So, the case changed from unwrongful shooting to murder?  Does that mean the husband doesn't get his $3million?  

He's still entitled to at least $3mil for the cops murdering his husband, but it might require starting all over again with new charges and a new trial.
I don't know. There are a few legal eagles on this board, but I don't think they're watching this show.

Edited November 2, 2023 by shapeshifter

[AnimeMania]

51 minutes ago, Johannah said:

What about what Alec said to the 2nd cop made him tell the 1st cop to leave?  I didn't think it was anything profound and he must have used a Jedi mind-trick or something...  these are not the droids you want...

The 2nd cop mentioned she was Alec's sister, implying that they knew exactly who they were pulling over, which might be construed as witness intimidation.

[shapeshifter]

4 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

The 2nd cop mentioned she was Alec's sister, implying that they knew exactly who they were pulling over, which might be construed as witness intimidation.

Yes, but likely the cop would deny having made that remark, right?

If there was a L&O cross-over with this episode, the detectives would have found out who gave the order to do the intimidating, etc.

Edited November 2, 2023 by shapeshifter

[AnimeMania]

35 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes, but likely the cop would deny having made that remark, right?

If there was a L&O cross-over with this episode, the detectives would have found out who gave the order to do the intimidating, etc.

I guess it would depend on how they found out Kylie was Alec's sister. If they used police computers to look Kylie up and what car she was driving hours before they pulled the car over, that would look really suspicious.

[Johannah]

I thought of all that stuff, but didn't think it was enough for a cop following orders from their superiors and thinking they would be safe from reprimand.  It's not them that would face the press anyway.  I'll just chalk it up to the one cop having a sense of right and wrong, albeit a little late.

[chessiegal]

On 10/31/2023 at 7:41 PM, cfinboston said:

if Alec really can earn $100K per day as an expert witness

I spent over 23 years working in federal forensic laboratories.  Some folks became consultants when they retired, but I've never heard of anyone making that kind of money! I don't find that believable at all.

[cfinboston]

Another part I didn't understand was that cops apply for no-knock warrants. How did they not realize that the address had changed? None of them said "Hey we've done surveillance in 853 Main Street. Why does this warrant say 858?" 

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, cfinboston said:

Another part I didn't understand was that cops apply for no-knock warrants. How did they not realize that the address had changed? None of them said "Hey we've done surveillance in 853 Main Street. Why does this warrant say 858?" 

In the real life cases of no-knock warrants resulting in wrongful deaths (Google it) the shooters were kind of clueless.🤷🏻‍♀️

[yourdreamer]

I hope that, should there be a season 2, that MJW (don't remember his name on the show) is added to the core cast and that both psychologists work on the same team.  One does court cases while the other does real-world helping, and they alternate who does what.  MJW is now out of The Resident, so it's not completely out of the realm of possibility.  Add to that the possibilities of L&O crossovers since the same network, I can see a lot of possibilities for this show to evolve.

I do like the show just fine as it is, but I do see where some improvements can be made.

[buckboard]

It was asked: Does that mean the husband doesn't get his $3million? 

I don't think the widower cared about the money.  The VIPER squad was disbanded and the judge was arrested for changing the address.  

Also, I don't know why they couldn't have proved the victim was unarmed. 

[statsgirl]

After reading the comments here, I had high hopes for this episode. MJW and Jesse Martin were both fun.

But while the story was good, the social psychology is just as bad as it ever was. You don't just get an idea for an experiment and do it the next day, you have to get approval from the university ethics board and that's going to take a few months and substantial paperwork.

Supporting the police is not irrational if you have never been treated unfairly by them, we teach children that if they get into trouble, ask a cop.

Joy Reid seems to be making the rounds, a couple of weeks ago she was on Found and now she's here on The Irrational.

Are they aging up Kylie to match JLM? There was no way that the actress was in college 20 years ago.

On 11/2/2023 at 10:54 AM, Johannah said:

What about what Alec said to the 2nd cop made him tell the 1st cop to leave?  I didn't think it was anything profound and he must have used a Jedi mind-trick or something...  these are not the droids you want...

It was a highly publicized case, all over the press. If the cops arrested the sister of the expert witness going up against the cops, or even the witness himself, it would look bad for the cops.

[AnimeMania]

S01.E07: The Real Deal

Alec's first date with Rose turns into a 24-hour excursion when they find themselves taking on an investigation involving a forged masterpiece. Marisa and Kylie attempt to revive their friendship, which has faltered since Alec and Marisa's divorce.

Premiere Date: Monday, November 6, 2023     NBC       10pm

Karen David as Rose Dinshaw
K. Scott Malcolm as Auctioneer
Tiffany Dupont as Blair Dalton
Christopher Russell as Carson
Andrew Kavadas as Colm
Oliver Rice as Evan
Ronin as Officer Matsuda
Araz Yaghoubi as Gerard
Kwesi Ameyaw as Henry
Milo Shandel as Max
Tosca Baggoo as Mr. Z

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

S01.E07: The Real Deal
Alec's first date with Rose turns into a 24-hour excursion when they find themselves taking on an investigation involving a forged masterpiece. Marisa and Kylie attempt to revive their friendship, which has faltered since Alec and Marisa's divorce.

A convoluted plot, seemingly based in part on this forger and his story:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stein_(art_forger)
— but with a Murder Of the Week thrown in.

The relationships were equally convoluted.
I have no idea what's going on with Alec's sister and his ex at this point.

As someone who is divorced and also as someone who is skilled enough that I have joked about taking up forgery, I liked the psychology aspect of the plot of the woman who hired Alec's date (Rose) to solve (or was it resolve?) the forgery issue with her painting.
I liked the way it was quickly and neatly tied up in the end with Alec "helping" her understand that the painting she had loved was the forgery, and that was freeing so that she didn't need either the original or the forgery anymore, and especially how that mirrored her resolving her feelings of loss about her divorce.

Were these psychological plot resolutions an original plot by the writers? 
Or has it been done before?
Or was it too based on either the forgery story I linked above or another?

Edited November 7, 2023 by shapeshifter

[Trini]

... And we're back to the 'nobody talks like that' academic textbook exposition.

I did like the slight change of format with the case coming from Alec's date's job. Although, like most procedurals, it was ridiculous how everything was tied up neatly in two days. The "Mr Z." thing was nonsensical, and an hour later I don't even remember what that had to with the rest of the plot. (well, besides just giving Alec + date info unprompted for free)

The assistants continue to prove how unnecessary they are. I fastforwarded through their scenes, and I don't think I missed a thing.

Even with her own subplot, Marisa (finally learned her name!) continues to not have any personality traits outside of "used to be married to Alec".

[cfinboston]

G-d I wanted to like this show, but how much artistic license, suspension of disbelief and all around terrible writing should viewers accept?

There was a ridiculous use of police procedural tropes including Rose incredibly being able to look at an office building and decipher that there's a hidden room because the internal and external measurements don't align. Then she easily opens the secret room used as part of a multi million dollar forgery ring. Did they not bother locking the door or making it otherwise inaccessible?

Then they go to the forger's studio and effortlessly pick the lock? 

This show also has the inexplicable and unrealistic plotlines where individuals who aren't law enforcement are just wandering around and walking into crime scenes and conducting investigations. Stupidest of all, Alec tells the forger he has authorization from the FBI to destroy the painting, yet there are no FBI agents there. Do they just randomly allow him to represent the Bureau as they did in "Point and Shoot" when he arrests the judge?

DAE think the sister and ex wife were going to hook up? 

 

[AnimeMania]

I thought it was kind of weird that the payment for the job was never mentioned or if Alec got himself a cut. Alec's only compensation appears to be a "fake" painting he was loaned for a few days. Maybe they should give the painting to the guy who committed the murder.

[cfinboston]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

I thought it was kind of weird that the payment for the job was never mentioned or if Alec got himself a cut. Alec's only compensation appears to be a "fake" painting he was loaned for a few days. Maybe they should give the painting to the guy who committed the murder.

I know this is a weird thought, but do you think that shows like this and "Found" are going to have civilians thinking they can act as para-professional law enforcement? There's no way that anyone would get away with traipsing around crime scenes, picking locks, and touching evidence the way these guys do. When they encounter the police officer he seems totally ok with "oh hi we're a college professor and a crisis management professional. We were staking out the gallery while investigating forgery." 

[seacliffsal]

This episode (art forgery) really hit home for me how irritating the angst over will Alex's ex take him back is-he had such better chemistry and interactions with Rose.  I think the ex and the two assistants are really weak actors and characters that usually grind any kind of action in the story to a halt.

I do like some of the psychological explanations but totally agree about the absurdity of the 'experiments.'  Someone above mentioned completing the Institutional Review process, but there is also the element of getting permission forms from those (willingly) participating in the research/experiments.  There have not been examples of any participants being informed.  Especially not in Vegas, and even the sentimental guitar buyer in this episode. 

[statsgirl]

My takeaways from this episode:

• The ash in the paintings from the eruption of Krakatoa even as far away as France was fascinating.
• Dan Arieli, who Alec is based on, is a cognitive psychologist and professor of behavioural economics. He is not a clinical psychologist. And given what Alec was telling the divorced woman about her feelings re her ex, Alec should never be allowed to talk therapy to anyone in trouble.
• As others have said, Marisa and Alec yearning over her is a dead weight on the show. So are the two research assistants who are very unfunny comic relief.

6 hours ago, cfinboston said:

DAE think the sister and ex wife were going to hook up? 

I did. That's how bad those plots are.