S02.E02: It’s The Work I Signed Up For

[DanaK]

Quote

TUESDAY, FEB. 27 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST 

Will confronts James at the prison, unraveling inmate secrets, while Faith makes her own discoveries. Meanwhile, Ormewood works on his familial relationships, and Angie faces a pivotal moment that brings back memories from her past.

 

[Snazzy Daisy]

 

 

[Acmeproducts]

I like that pic of Angie. 

[AnimeMania]

I don't like the direction the show is going, it looks like Will and Angie are going to end up running an orphanage. The least the show could do is get some tiny, cute, young kids, instead of these old ones.

[Chaos Theory]

I want Will Trent learning Spanish have a payout by season’s end. Like some big bad guy speaking  Spanish and giving some big clue or location and Will pretending not to understand but does.  

[possibilities]

I don't care about or find interesting Oremwood's marriage and I don't understand why they think we should. It's boring. it's a total cliche. And he hasn't earned the sympathy he seems to want or the character development the show seems to think this passes for.

[AnimeMania]

What parent would build their High School kid a functional rifle and have them bring it to school?

[marceline]

Where are they getting the fashions they're putting on Betty? Because that sweater is adorable.

[DearEvette]

That sweater is adorable.  I know they don't do clothing,  but that pattern looks very Mackenzie-Childs. 

[roughing it]

I sure had a hard time following this story, and who was what.  Some of it was the loud background music that drowned out their voices.  And I really don't care about Ormewood and his home life.

[possibilities]

I checked WornOnTv.net, but apparently they don't cover this show. I thought they did, but it's not in the index and the search function there gets no hits.

We should request that they do it. Send them glam shots of Betty and see if they can resist!

[Chaos Theory]

I am actually enjoying Ormwoods story.   What we have here is deeply flawed people.  Ormwood cheated on his wife and is just now realizing what that might cost him.   He is not a bad dude just one who like he told his son (paraphrasing) ignored responsibility too long and is now trying to make it right.    And yeah making a gun for your kid to take to school might seem like a cool project and it was a cool thing for them to do but it will probably get the kid in trouble.

[Sarah 103]

15 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I want Will Trent learning Spanish have a payout by season’s end. Like some big bad guy speaking  Spanish and giving some big clue or location and Will pretending not to understand but does.  

I like this idea. There are many ways to do something interesting with it. 

2 hours ago, marceline said:

Where are they getting the fashions they're putting on Betty? Because that sweater is adorable.

I have no idea, but in universe, you know Nicco is the one buying those outfits. 

Overall, I liked the episode. The Angie and Amanda storyline was fun. I had no idea the special kind of awesome Amanda was until this episode.

I stand by my theory that Will's biological father was not the one who was orchestrating the extortion, but he wants in on it and will try to take it over. 

[tennisgurl]

Betty's sweater could not be cuter, what a stylish girl. Pretty solid follow up to the premier, even if the prison plot is still rather confusing. I still don't think that Will's maybe dad is behind the whole scheme but he is certainly going to take advantage of it to manipulate Will. I am really interested in meeting some of Will's biological family, hopefully it goes well and doesn't just end in more sadness. Will really needs a win.

I liked the B plot with Angie and Amanda doing some bonding, they have as fun chemistry and I like that it showed a slightly more responsible side to Angie. Sure she's still basically playing cop when she's supposed to be on leave, but she does at least seem to be a caring sponsor. 

Ormwoods domestic drama is not the best part of the show, but it is helping him to grow a bit as a person I think, it seems like its finally hitting him how badly he's screwed things up. He's at least trying to be better and managed to not violate his wife's privacy this time so that's something. Although, maybe getting your son to build a gun to take to school wasn't the best idea...

[Snazzy Daisy]

Faith Mitchell is a badass. Enuf said. 💪🏼🔥

Will’s personal arc is getting more convoluted this season. Now he has an uncle with a different family name? With all the childhood flashbacks, I think it’s getting darker too.

Am not interested in the personal (redemption) arc of Angie and Michael. Just show them investigating cases, that’ll be fine. Why are we getting too deep into their personal lives but not Faith’s?

Due to her success and popularity in Will Trent season 1, Bluebell has obviously upgraded her wardrobes. Betty looks effortlessly chic. 😍💙

[fastiller]

Random thoughts:

1. Please, show, no arch-nemesis for Will.  If we don't see Greg Germann/James Ulster (IMDb's spelling) again, I'll be fine.
2. Just wait, Betty & Nico (or Betty & Will, if he's deciding what she wears) are gonna show up in matching outfits.  @possibilities, I'm surprised wornonv.net isn't covering this; Amanda & Faith are always wearing fantastic clothes; and, I mean, Will is known for flippin' three-piece suits! 
3. Ormewood is just the kind of parent who would make a functioning gun for a kid's science project.  The same short-sightedness of his affairs applies here (kind of like what you were saying, @Chaos Theory).
4. I love Faith.  Badass indeed, @Snazzy Daisy.
5.  Each episode I watch for how/where they're going to place the "WILL TRENT" show title.  Really liked seeing it in the security monitors.

[dramachick]

I'm already bored with the predictable Ulster-in-prison story line, and I hate the "is he or is he not Will's father?" I consider this really mediocre writing for a fantastic ensemble of actors, but maybe this is supposed to be a middle-of-the-road kind of show.

I wish they would have had Will delving into his mother's background and finding family members on his own rather than Ulster just handing it to him. This show is pretending that there's no 23andMe or forensic genetic genealogy that is regularly used by law enforcement to find people. Le sigh.

Having said that, I look forward to him finding the "family you don't ask for" and all the drama that will ensue because there's a reason his mother was a working girl on the street. But hopefully, he might find a family member that's worth holding on to. 

And once again, Amanda showed why . . .

The snake ID and then the take-down of that rich pervert was excellent! 

Felt bad for Amanda waiting 10 years for a man who turned out to be gay. Even though that kind of situation still happens today, it's so much better now that more people are able to be their authentic selves.

[Chaos Theory]

I was thinking that it really is a sad world we live in that a father/son activity that was actually pretty cool and educational would be second….and third guessed.  Because Ormwood using what he knows to show his son how cool science and math could be should be applauded….but the world we live in.

Edited February 28 by Chaos Theory

[possibilities]

Someone should check my work because I really REALLY thought WornOnTv covered this show, despite that I couldn't find it on their site.

[peeayebee]

I don't know if it was this ep or my mood, but I was not into this one. 

I am bored with Angie stories and Jake stories. Just not interested. And Jake making a gun for his son's science project? What the? I really hope the school has a problem with that, but I doubt the show will go there.

I'm also bored with the James Ulster stuff and his teasing out info for Will. 

And then it took until almost the end for Betty to appear! That was terrible! I needs my Betty fix.

Maybe one issue is that I like having a case-of-the-week. I guess the serial killer trying to escape was supposed to be that, but it wasn't enough.

Oh, and since C. Thomas Howell played the warden, I kept expecting him to be a baddie. 

[Sarah 103]

2 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I was thinking that it really is a sad world we live in that a father/son activity that was actually pretty cool and educational would be second….and third guessed.  Because Ormwood using what he knows to show his son how cool science and math could be should be applauded….but the world we live in.

I think if it was just a father/son fun weekend project people would not have had that big of an issue with it. I think the problem most people have with it is that this is a school project, as in something that is going to be brought into school. With the world we live in and zero tolerance policies, I can understand why people would think this is a questionable science fair project. 

[mrsbagnet]

5 hours ago, fastiller said:

5.  Each episode I watch for how/where they're going to place the "WILL TRENT" show title.  Really liked seeing it in the security monitors.

I always look forward to the these, too. Using the monitors was very clever.

It's incredibly sad that the girl Angie tried to help last season has ended up in such a crappy situation. She's all alone in the world now?

Edited February 29 by mrsbagnet

[Linderhill]

On 2/28/2024 at 11:28 AM, DearEvette said:

That sweater is adorable.  I know they don't do clothing,  but that pattern looks very Mackenzie-Childs. 

wow, reading "Mackenzie-Childs" brought back memories!  I remember visiting their home base way back in the '90's and that was one eclectic place -- especially the restrooms.

I had trouble getting into this episode too, too much that was predictable.  Of course they, Will and Faith, have to go to the prison to talk to Greg Germann/Ullster, of course there is another evil plot that happens and ...DUN DUN DUN!!!! there's a prison "uprising, riot, escape attempt" and the totally recognizable warden (C. Thomas Howell, I will always recognize Pony Boy, no matter how gray and mustached you are) will have some involvement in said plot/is a total hardass/gets killed/fill in your own prison trope.

Edited March 1 by Linderhill

[Chaser]

I enjoyed the Amanda/Angie (growth!) subplot the most this episode. They have a nice chemistry and play off each other well. 

I get it’s Ormwood’s time for some character development and I’m good with the father/son bonding but I just don’t like domestic drama. I hope they backburn it for awhile now that they established the storyline. I think the science project is a cool idea but the vessel of application made me raise an eyebrow. 

I love Faith and Trent. Climbing the ranks of my favorite cop duos. I hope after this episode we are back to case of the week episodes. I’m the weird one who prefers them.

 

[Badsamaritan]

I am so not here for Angie collecting children like some fucked up Pied Piper. If they were gonna bring back the girl that killed her mom's pedo boyfriend, then they should've have Angie being a sponsor to an actual grown up. But I don't think Angie is even ready to be a sponsor since her own sobriety is still so fragile. They should've shown her with her own sponsor, talking about what she's going through not being able to work. Isn't Franklin her sponsor? I'll take more of Kevin Daniels onscreen, please and thank you. 

I was afraid that teen girl would be back. And she's honestly not needed. If they're trying to explore Angie's damage, they could just have her dealing with the decision she made to take responsibility for killing him and leave the girl and her mom out of it. I want to see more Faith and Will+Faith and Will+Amanda. I'm tired of Angie's issues, just send her to a pyschiatrist already. She would surely have to be seeing one in order to get back on the force considering the trauma she went through by being abducted and beaten by a serial killer. I may have to stop watching this in real time so I can FF her storyline because I have no interest in Angie and these teenagers whatsoever. I'm side-eyeing the writers thinking the audience really cares that much about Angie having her own storylines. I know I don't. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[fastiller]

1 hour ago, Chaser said:

I love Faith and Trent. Climbing the ranks of my favorite cop duos. I hope after this episode we are back to case of the week episodes. I’m the weird one who prefers them.

 

Same!, to both comments.  

Faith & Will solidified their place in my heart with this: She's Gone (I don't think the clip gives the entire performance; apologies!).

And is there room on the weird bench? I too prefer the CotW format.  I don't mind some thru-arcs for each of the characters, but balanced w/ CotW.

[DearEvette]

I think this was a middling episode. 

Honestly, the Ormewood family stuffy should have been interesting but it wasn't.  It felt very much poured on.  He said to his wife 'You're the love of my life" and I feel like the show wants us and her to believe that.  Fine, but a serial cheater simply saying he loves his wife isn't a flex and doesn;t even deserve the metaphorical cookie.  As @possibilities has said, Ormewood have not earned any sympathy from the audience at this point.  It is the 2nd episode of the season, coming off a season where he has been shown to be a lazy, somewhat corrupt cop and an adulterer. He hasn't put in the work.  So his domestic woes aren't working.

I did like the Amanda/Angie team up and their takedown of that guy.  But it was Amanda that elevated it for me.  I wish it had just been the takedown of the guy and not because it dovetails into Angie being a crusader for abandoned teens.

And finally.  Will and Faith are a dream team.  Add me to the list of people who love their partnership!  Also add me to the list of people who doesn't think the show needs Will to be visiting Ullster for his mind games and not-sage advice.  I like the COTW format for this show.  Let's not make it all convoluted. Please.

[mrsbagnet]

3 hours ago, Badsamaritan said:

I was afraid that teen girl would be back. And she's honestly not needed. If they're trying to explore Angie's damage, they could just have her dealing with the decision she made to take responsibility for killing him and leave the girl and her mom out of it.

I wasn't 100 percent paying attention so maybe I missed it, but was there any resolution to Angie "killing" her abuser? She was supposed to have a hearing, but then she was kidnapped. Now, she's talking about taking the physical exam to come back to work. Did they mention anything about the outcome of the hearing or if she got therapy or anything? I imagine that any time off for the incident would coincide with her physical recovery, but until the girl popped up, I had forgotten about the whole thing.

Edited February 29 by mrsbagnet

[peeayebee]

Every time I see Ormewood, I think he's going to punch someone. It feels weird when he doesn't.

I feel kinda sorry for the writers having to come up with stories for the side characters. It's too bad some viewers (like me!) just aren't interested in them. If it isn't connected to Will, it's just filler. Sorry Erika and Jake!

[possibilities]

I found two sites that track the clothes on the show, but neither of them seem to track Betty's outfits. 

https://www.spotern.com/en/media/54004/will-trent

https://www.shopyourtv.com/will-trent/

I wonder if it's a custom knit sweater. 

[peeayebee]

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought I read in one of the articles about Bluebell that she wears her own clothes.

[DEL901]

41 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I thought I read in one of the articles about Bluebell that she wears her own clothes.

Typical diva behaviour!   And I love he4 for it.  

[Natalie68]

17 hours ago, Linderhill said:

wow, reading "Mackenzie-Childs" brought back memories!  I remember visiting their home base way back in the '90's and that was one eclectic place -- especially the restrooms.

I had trouble getting into this episode too, too much that was predictable.  Of course they, Will and Faith, have to go to the prison to talk to Greg Germann/Ullster, of course there is another evil plot that happens and ...DUN DUN DUN!!!! there's a prison "uprising, riot, escape attempt" and the totally recognizable warden (C. Thomas Howell, I will always recognize Pony Boy, not matter how gray and mustached you are) will have some involvement in said plot/is a total hardass/gets killed/fill in your own prison trope.

He looks decades older than he is!  This show might be makeup but in other things, he has not aged well.  Maybe it was being with Kyle Richards as a youth.  I JOKE!  Combining my two shows.

I am so happy to have this show (and my crush Will) back!  Really missed it.

[Driad]

Betty is seriously cute, but for "best dressed TV animal" she has not yet displaced Clyde the tortoise on Elementary, IMO.

[dramachick]

8 hours ago, DearEvette said:

He said to his wife 'You're the love of my life" and I feel like the show wants us and her to believe that.  Fine, but a serial cheater simply saying he loves his wife isn't a flex and doesn;t even deserve the metaphorical cookie.  As @possibilities has said, Ormewood have not earned any sympathy from the audience at this point.  It is the 2nd episode of the season, coming off a season where he has been shown to be a lazy, somewhat corrupt cop and an adulterer. He hasn't put in the work.  So his domestic woes aren't working.

He said that line so casually 🙄. It was like, "Don't forget to pick up some milk." And her reaction was just as blasé. That's not how real people talk about cheating on each other. It was wasted screen time. If Ormewood is a principal character, show me what it is about him that makes him a good, bad or indifferent cop and why he should or shouldn't be trusted in Will Trent's world. The home life can come later.  

[pasdetrois]

On 2/28/2024 at 12:20 PM, roughing it said:

I sure had a hard time following this story, and who was what.  Some of it was the loud background music that drowned out their voices. 

Yeah, the writing is a bit sloppy and all over the place. Too many characters and storylines.

[Chaser]

I don’t mind Ormwood. I think he can be an asshole but I’ve found him amusing and don’t think he’s the worst. It’s a plot line designed to garner sympathy. He’s facing the consequences of his actions. I’m good with that. I just don’t particularly care to watch it because I have no investment in this relationship. I would have saved this development for the end of the season and started the season with Ormwood coming to an independent conclusion to be a better husband. After they get to a better place and we see it, something throws a nuke in it. 

[kaygeeret]

Will, Faith and Amanda are the heart and soul of the show.

And Nico and Betty are the faithful sidekicks.  And much needed joy.

That said, let us not forget Angie's horrific history.  I think the true tragedy here is that she is resisting help for herself and doesn't seem to have anyone who is in her corner.  Yes Will is, but he is so much healthier that she.  He is able to look out for others and really seems to yearn for a healthy connection for himself.  She is ignoring everything and should not be on the force to begin with.  

Sometimes I feel that he is on an island watching others be happy and has no idea how he can get there as well.

Angie and Will don't belong together and I am hoping the showrunners don't go there.

Yikes, I just had a flashback to the book The Heart Is the Lonely Hunter, a beautiful but devasting read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Atlanta]

I'm distracted by Amanda wearing a Valentino belt. Does the GBI pay that well?

Betty needs her own show. She can be the crime solving doggie. And I don't even like Chihuahuas. 

Edited March 2 by Atlanta
Betty

[chediavolo]

On 3/1/2024 at 8:46 PM, kaygeeret said:

Will, Faith and Amanda are the heart and soul of the show.

And Nico and Betty are the faithful sidekicks.  And much needed joy.

That said, let us not forget Angie's horrific history.  I think the true tragedy here is that she is resisting help for herself and doesn't seem to have anyone who is in her corner.  Yes Will is, but he is so much healthier that she.  He is able to look out for others and really seems to yearn for a healthy connection for himself.  She is ignoring everything and should not be on the force to begin with.  

Sometimes I feel that he is on an island watching others be happy and has no idea how he can get there as well.

Angie and Will don't belong together and I am hoping the showrunners don't go there.

Yikes, I just had a flashback to the book The Heart Is the Lonely Hunter, a beautiful but devasting read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you. She should not be on the force. She has serious mental/emotional/ptsd issues and needs to be in therapy. How did she ever pass the psychological test?

[DEL901]

39 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

Thank you. She should not be on the force. She has serious mental/emotional/ptsd issues and needs to be in therapy. How did she ever pass the psychological test?

She grew up in the system and between that and her job as a cop, she knows exactly what to say to pass.  

[chediavolo]

1 hour ago, DEL901 said:

She grew up in the system and between that and her job as a cop, she knows exactly what to say to pass.  

Well, all they had to do was talk to people that knew her to know that she is a liability. Whoever was conducting the background check did not do their job .

[Orbert]

A thorough check with associates would have yielded red flags from every one of them, but shows like this always walk the line between realism and asking viewers to suspend disbelief.  I think it's crazy that Angie is back on duty so soon when we all know she's not ready, but there was that line to Will about how she'd start using again if she doesn't keep busy, so I guess what we get (for now?)  They have to get back to the show's formula, and that means Angie and Ormewood with their B-stories.

Has there been any definitive timeline regarding her return?  Maybe more time has passed than we realize?  Or maybe they're setting up some kind of catastrophic thing that happens later when it turns out that she wasn't ready after all.

[DEL901]

2 hours ago, Orbert said:

A thorough check with associates would have yielded red flags from every one of them, but shows like this always walk the line between realism and asking viewers to suspend disbelief.  I think it's crazy that Angie is back on duty so soon when we all know she's not ready, but there was that line to Will about how she'd start using again if she doesn't keep busy, so I guess what we get (for now?)  They have to get back to the show's formula, and that means Angie and Ormewood with their B-stories.

Has there been any definitive timeline regarding her return?  Maybe more time has passed than we realize?  Or maybe they're setting up some kind of catastrophic thing that happens later when it turns out that she wasn't ready after all.

I thought in the first episode they talked about months passing…six I think?

[Orbert]

I must have missed that.  If it's been six months, then it's not unreasonable for Angie to be back on the job.

[snarktini]

On 3/12/2024 at 5:56 PM, Orbert said:

I must have missed that.  If it's been six months, then it's not unreasonable for Angie to be back on the job.

Yes they said 6 months in the first episode, though the doctor noted that the first 2 she was in bed as part of his reasoning for why he wouldn't sign off on it. (That, and nerve pain in her arm.)

In this episode, she was not actually back on duty. Amanda called that out, and it's why she went with.  But now Amanda agreed to support her returning to duty.

Y'all have more faith in the screening of cops for mental stability than I do.

[LuvMyShows]

Finally, someone with what sounded like a legit southern accent!  It was the switchboard operator, or whatever you call that woman who was handling the calls from the various GBI personnel. I don't know if it was her real accent or not, or even if it was specifically "Georgia" or not, but it was definitely southern, and at this point, I'll take it!

[LuvMyShows]

On 2/29/2024 at 1:40 PM, DearEvette said:

Honestly, the Ormewood family stuffy should have been interesting but it wasn't.  It felt very much poured on.  He said to his wife 'You're the love of my life" and I feel like the show wants us and her to believe that.  Fine, but a serial cheater simply saying he loves his wife isn't a flex and doesn;t even deserve the metaphorical cookie.  As @possibilities has said, Ormewood have not earned any sympathy from the audience at this point.  It is the 2nd episode of the season, coming off a season where he has been shown to be a lazy, somewhat corrupt cop and an adulterer. He hasn't put in the work.  So his domestic woes aren't working.

Preach!

[Simba122504]

Amanda and Angie were good together. I need Will to get that DNA test. 

[Anela]

I can understand the one cop’s wife having her own affair, but running off to see her affair partner, after her son almost got blown up, was a bit much for me.