S04.E07: Sad Farnsby

[shura]

6 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Exactly! It's Mark who can't afford/doesn't want to replace the pipes, not Jay.  Perhaps if Mark had to do it, he wouldn't have the money to pay his workers.  But I assume that the "wrong" pipe could be resold or used in a different job where it is the appropriate diameter.

Do I remember it right that Mark, being Jay’s partner, is not charging Jay for the construction but rather is paying his costs himself?  That is Mark’s investment, right?  He still needs to charge his subcontractor to redo the job, the one who screwed it up, of course.  I guess they didn’t want the delay, but you are right, there is no reason to trust that Farnsby is not going to come back and use it.

4 hours ago, PaulE said:

I had the same thought about Nigel saying "It's a free country--thanks to you"--funny but it didn't make much sense.  The colonists complained about British tyranny but that was primarily about taxation without representation.  Other than that, I think colonial society was pretty much like Britain's, which was freer than most of those on the Continent at that time, and in most aspects of daily life in America, the Brits didn't interfere nearly as much as they did in, say, India.  In fact, I could imagine Nigel saying, "It's a free country--thanks to us."  But maybe he meant "free" in the sense of "independent," which does make sense.

Ahh, maybe.  Switching the meaning in midsentence from “where you are allowed to do what you want” to “independent from us” to make an unusual sort of a double entendre and express two thoughts at once?  Yes, that’s not bad, I like it.

I have a question, maybe someone has a friend who would know?  Are swingers really different in that it really matters to them that their spouse remember that kind of anniversary?  Or are they more like monogamous couples who happen to have a strong shared interest in, I don’t know, gardening or something, and it’s not really a big deal that one spouse doesn’t remember when exactly they took it up?  Or maybe that’s a big deal for non-swinging couples too and the world is full of unwatered chrysanthemums?  Or is that chrysantema?

[Annber03]

8 hours ago, PaulE said:

I agree that Nigel probably had a  WTF?!? moment when he found out the bed was a wedding gift. In fact, when we saw the bed in the shed, Nigel seemed to be standing there awkwardly, as if to say, "So now we're stuck with this monstrosity cluttering up our living space?"  It's perhaps telling that his reaction was not that it was ugly or bizarre.  He just said, "It's a stupid bed!"  Yeah, kinda.  

"I thought this was made FOR children, not by children!" XD. 

5 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Loved the call back to Isaac's new hairstyle, which obviously everyone loved. 

"Because that person you were both attracted and related to was sad?" 

I wonder if we'll ever get a scene where Nigel gets to see Isaac with his hair down. There's that running thing in the show where that Thompson Twins song is always playing whenever one of the ghosts is attracted to someone else (Alberta seeing Pete remove his arrow, Stephanie seeing Ralph without his glasses, Sasappis seeing the woman in the play a couple episodes back), so maybe they'll do something like that with Isaac and Nigel, whenever the moment comes when they become a couple again. 

And yeah, Trevor being attracted to his cousin. That was an...interesting tidbit for him to just throw out there :p. 

[ams1001]

Somehow I knew the anniversary was not going to be their wedding...

 

12 hours ago, Gregg247 said:

I think Jay's contractor is responsible for replacing the pipes in the restaurant.  The plans called for 1" pipe and he installed 3/4" pipe.  His mistake, his cost to make it right!  Also, you never finish the walls before the inspector has signed off on the plumbing.  Jay, find a better contractor; this guy is costing you an arm and a leg! lol

I was wondering about that, too. Whose fault was the mistake; they should be responsible for any cost ensuing from it. (But I forgot that Mark and Jay were partners in this; was the mistake Mark's or the plumber who installed the pipes?) And yeah, how do you close up the wall without having the work inspected first?

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Whose fault was the mistake; they should be responsible for any cost ensuing from it. (But I forgot that Mark and Jay were partners in this; was the mistake Mark's or the plumber who installed the pipes?) And yeah, how do you close up the wall without having the work inspected first?

I must've dozed off or had a TV glitch during the advent of the Mark & Jay partnership. 
Regardless, don't licensed contractors have insurance for such situations? 

[DrSpaceman73]

I bought the sweater Jay was wearing in the episode. 

Happy orgie-versary!  Wouldn't have guessed it from those two. 

[ams1001]

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I must've dozed off or had a TV glitch during the advent of the Mark & Jay partnership. 

It was at the end of season two. I forgot about it, too, until someone mentioned it above.

[iMonrey]

22 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I just looked up dinosaur bed in Amazon, and whew! 
Not there.

No, but the dinosaur light is!

I don't mind the Amazon mentions. Amazon has become just an everyday staple of life, it's like saying you're going to Google something. It doesn't even strike me as product placement or advertising, but rather an everyday part of everyone's lives. 

What I find off is that people just walk right into the house without knocking or ringing the doorbell. Like the authenticator last week. At the end of season 1, when Jay and Sam fell through the floor, their very first guests rang the doorbell.

I don't see any kind of sign out front indicating the house is a B&B so I don't know why people seem to feel free to walk right in without knocking.

Edited December 14 by iMonrey

[DrSpaceman73]

I thought it looked more like a shark bed than a dinosaur

[possibilities]

1 hour ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

I thought it looked more like a shark bed than a dinosaur

I think that's true, actually, now that you mention it.

Regarding people just walking in without knocking or ringing the bell:

I think that people know it's a B&B. The authenticator knew it. Amazon probably knows it because they get a lot of deliveries.

In small towns and rural places (where I live, where Sam and Jay live) everybody knows what's a business and what's a solely private residence, even if the architecture looks the same.

It would have been huge gossip when Sam's aunt died, and when the two of them took it over, and when it turned into a B&B. And Jay building a restaurant? Would have been lots of gossip about that, too, as well as permitting, and zoning conversations. Seriously-- something like that is HUGE news. If any of it happened in my town, it would be a gigantic controversy. You would not believe the kerfuffle when someone turned a former residence into a small museum and art gallery, or the amount of resistance someone else got for another business they wanted to start on their property. People notice traffic, noise, or really any kind of activity in a place more used to the silence of trees and the total lack of strangers.

There is probably also a sign on front of the Sam and Jay B&B entry gates-- have we ever seen that? I can't even remember if they gave the B&B a business name, but they must have, for listing it in whatever forums they're advertising.

And people on the way to weddings or movie shoots or memorials or historical tree assessments would have been big news, they'd be getting lost and asking for directions, it would bring more traffic to the area, which people would be talking about. 

The place is local famous, everybody knows it's a public accommodation.

I'm laughing at my extensive explanation because even though I live in a place like this, and I know what it's like, I still find it a little jarring whenever anybody just walks in without ringing the bell. And I think it's because the show does, most episodes, mostly focus on Sam, Jay, and the ghosts, and their privte family life together. So we forget it's a public place-- just like Sam does when she's blabbing openly about ghost business in front of strangers.

Edited December 14 by possibilities

[shura]

8 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I must've dozed off or had a TV glitch during the advent of the Mark & Jay partnership. 
Regardless, don't licensed contractors have insurance for such situations? 

From what I understand, the insurance will pay only after you sue the contractor and the court decides in your favor.  If you are like Jay and Mark and want to finish  the project soon so this thing finally starts making money, you have to pay out of pocket to fix the mistake and then receive the insurance money later.

Yes, the partnership was set up pretty much in one line of dialogue and was probably easy to miss.  When they were discussing opening the restaurant, Jay said he cannot afford the renovations and Mark replied with something like “you can if your business partner is a contractor”.  I think it was Sam’s idea and she had talked to Mark before they came to Jay.  It probably has been mentioned since then a couple of times, but I cannot remember specific examples.

19 hours ago, Annber03 said:

On 12/13/2024 at 11:36 AM, PaulE said:

I agree that Nigel probably had a  WTF?!? moment when he found out the bed was a wedding gift. In fact, when we saw the bed in the shed, Nigel seemed to be standing there awkwardly, as if to say, "So now we're stuck with this monstrosity cluttering up our living space?"  It's perhaps telling that his reaction was not that it was ugly or bizarre.  He just said, "It's a stupid bed!"  Yeah, kinda.  

"I thought this was made FOR children, not by children!" XD. 

Ha (I mean, 😪), it may very well be both!  Ironically, for a long time there were more products made by children than for them.  Nigel died probably a bit before the Industrial Revolution provided children with these wonderful employment opportunities, but Hetty knows all about it.

Can ghosts pass through furniture horizontally like they do through walls?  If so, there is no such thing as cluttering up living space for them, right?

[PaulE]

56 minutes ago, shura said:

Can ghosts pass through furniture horizontally like they do through walls?  If so, there is no such thing as cluttering up living space for them, right?

That's a really interesting question.  Ordinarily you'd think the answer would be yes since the ghosts are immaterial spirits, but if they can sit and lay down on furniture, which we know they can, that would seem to indicate a no.  And could one ghost walk through the bed while another was laying on it?  Let the conjecture begin!  But even if they can walk through, I imagine they could still be bothered by the visual clutter, even if it didn't actually affect their movements.

[possibilities]

They're going to have to tear out at least some of the walls to pass the building inspection, at which time the inspector will see that they have the wrong pipes. I don't think IRL this secret deal would work.

[possibilities]

 

Also: This won't work if your contractor is your business partner, but the way you get the job fixed is that you don't pay the person until they do it right and pass the inspection. Then, if they want to get paid, they either fix it or they sue you and in court you show they are at fault and then they still have to fix it.

But of course, none of that is pleasant, or quick, or cheap. 

And in a small town, you probably don't want to alienate any of the tradespeople, because then NOBODY will work for you anymore.

So, yes, Jay is screwed. As is his business partner.

 

I think sometimes people think building codes are stupid and more based on bureaucratic whim than actually important criteria. That leads to some cheating, and since I personally do not know whether 3/4 vs 1 inch pipes are stupid or a legit disaster waiting to happen, I can't opine on whether trying to get around it is idiocy or just a little civil disobedience.

[ams1001]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

I can't even remember if they gave the B&B a business name, but they must have, for listing it in whatever forums they're advertising.

It's just the Woodstone B&B.

4 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I think sometimes people think building codes are stupid and more based on bureaucratic whim than actually important criteria. That leads to some cheating, and since I personally do not know whether 3/4 vs 1 inch pipes are stupid or a legit disaster waiting to happen, I can't opine on whether trying to get around it is idiocy or just a little civil disobedience.

According to google's AI overview: 

Yes, a significant difference exists between 3/4 inch and 1 inch pipes, as the larger 1 inch pipe can carry a considerably higher volume of water, meaning you'll experience better flow and less pressure drop when multiple fixtures are used simultaneously, even though the static water pressure itself will remain the same; this is particularly noticeable in larger homes with multiple bathrooms or when using high-flow appliances. 

I don't know how much difference it would make in a fairly small restaurant building, but if the bathrooms and kitchen sinks are in use frequently enough, it might affect the water pressure quite a bit. (Would they have any kind of laundry facilities on site for linens and whatnot? Or would they hire a service or just do them up at the house...?)

[Skooma]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I don't see any kind of sign out front indicating the house is a B&B so I don't know why people seem to feel free to walk right in without knocking.

It says Woodstone Manor right at the front gates and they kept that as their B&B name so yeah the downstairs with the check-in desk has been a public lobby for a long time.

1 hour ago, shura said:

Can ghosts pass through furniture horizontally like they do through walls?  If so, there is no such thing as cluttering up living space for them, right?

Nope.  They cannot or they would fall through the couch when they are leaning against the back of it etc etc.  Ghost rules have no logic so I wouldn't worry about it.

Edited December 14 by Skooma

[possibilities]

2 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

It's just the Woodstone B&B.

Oh wow, then ALL the mail and packages and whatnot are probably addressed to "Woodstone B&B" and they probably also do have a sign, so in that case, everybody definitely knows.

It's kind of creepy, actually, that there doesn't seem to be any kind of security. Where I live, not everyone locks their doors, but I sure do. And if your place is known to be not only unlocked but also unguarded and also full of antiques... I dunno. I think it's a problem. 

I don't even think the bedrooms have locks. 

Are all B&Bs so lax?

[DrSpaceman73]

Just doing the math a 3/4 inch vs 1 inch pipe by area of the pipe and therefore volume of water it could carry its 1.6 x as much.  So it does seem like a lot. 

 

.478 sq inches vs .785 square inches of cross sectional area. 

[ams1001]

29 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Are all B&Bs so lax?

I've never stayed at a B&B...my parents used to stay at one near my college when they visited sometimes; I went there once with them to see barn kittens. :)

I have no idea how open the main entrance was in general but I'm sure their bedroom at least had a lock...

[Orcinus orca]

Something the size of the Woodstone would conceivably be run like a small boutique hotel.  It has a reception desk so it is unlikely the door would be locked, people would walk right in as they do in a hotel.  Quite different than an  boarding house or something like that.

[possibilities]

But they often have no one on reception, and definitely not at night. 

I realize I'm thinking too hard about this. It just struck me as kind of crazy when I thought about it. Total strangers sleeping in the house, no security at all, even in the bedrooms, valuable stuff all over the place, nobody monitoring the lobby even in the day most of the time. I dunno. 

Maybe they should put a ghost on watch. But of course, the ghosts are as unreliable as hcildren.

[shapeshifter]

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

Regarding people just walking in without knocking or ringing the bell:

There have been lots of discussions online for decades now about how on TV shows people just walk in without knocking or ringing. Mostly it's just not to waste screen time, but as described by others here, it makes sense at this point in the Woodstone B&B's life, where they have an online presence driving customers to the place.

 

8 hours ago, possibilities said:

I personally do not know whether 3/4 vs 1 inch pipes are stupid or a legit disaster waiting to happen, I can't opine on whether trying to get around it is idiocy or just a little civil disobedience.

The small-diameter pipe issue was a flashback for me: The added-on duplex where I lived from 2016-2021 had a serious plumbing problem because the pipes were that small, but I cannot recall whether it was drainage or water pressure — I think both at different times? There were a lot of issues in that rental; I fixed the shower and toilet myself because it was faster than the guys my landlady hired. But at least they were all harmless, LOL. And the place had enough good qualities. 
Anyway, I can imagine many ways the narrow pipes will become a source for plot developments in future episodes. 

 

[chaifan]

Ghosts & furniture...  I'm not 100% sure on this, but pretty sure... I think there was at least one scene, somewhat early on, where the ghosts all walked into or through a room to convince Sam that they were ghosts, and they walked through walls and furniture.  Of course, it could have been the UK Ghosts.  Or any other show with ghosts.  But I'm pretty sure it was this one.  

Don't ask me to explain how that works.  That's just ghost logic for you.  

Also, escarghost was on the table while Trevor was chatting with it and didn't fall through.  

[shapeshifter]

22 minutes ago, chaifan said:

Also, escarghost was on the table while Trevor was chatting with it and didn't fall through.  

I'm happy to handwave mutable Laws of Ghost Physics,
but I also f'love theories, so:
Perhaps Escarghost being able to pass through some furniture or other solid object which our regular ghosts cannot would indicate that the mass of the ghost when it was a living would have some bearing on their being able to pass through an object or substance or not.

[iMonrey]

22 hours ago, possibilities said:

There is probably also a sign on front of the Sam and Jay B&B entry gates-- have we ever seen that?

They often zoom out to the front gate when the episode ends, while we hear the last line or two of dialogue. The "Woodstone Manor" plaque has remained unchanged.

Sometimes people do ring the bell. Henry did in this episode when he showed up. I guess some of the guests just think they can walk right in. But as a practical matter, the front door should remain locked and the guests given keys. Otherwise anyone can walk right in in the middle of the night and take whatever they want out of the living room, kitchen, etc. 

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

Ghosts & furniture...  I'm not 100% sure on this, but pretty sure... I think there was at least one scene, somewhat early on, where the ghosts all walked into or through a room to convince Sam that they were ghosts, and they walked through walls and furniture. 

That sounds like the pilot episode where all the ghosts walked into Sam and Jay's bedroom, right after he had it painted yellow. But no furniture was present.

The show has been consistent in showing the ghosts walk through walls, doors and dirt, but never furniture. 

[possibilities]

My excuse for what ghosts can and can't walk through is that they can choose. So if they want to sit on the couch, they sit on it. If they want to walk through the couch, they can do it-- but they don't bother. They enjoy some conventions, such as pretending they live by living physics-- until it's convenient to do otherwise. Notice that they don't walk through walls all the time. They mostly use the doors. They only use their wall-piercing powers when there's a good reason, like to prove theiy can, or to see something that's hidden and there's no door to use.

I recall someone-- I think Pete-- sticking his head inside a purse, to see what was inside it. If they can do that, then they can probably stick their hand inside a couch cushion or walk through a chair. But why bother? Maybe it tires them out to do that all the time, like when a living walks through them. 

Most of them only use their powers selectively. 

All we have been told for sure, I think, is that they can't go through lead, and they can't go up (hence Flower stuck in the well).

[Bastet]

Didn't they specifically mention furniture one time when talking about the lack of (known) logic in their ghost abilities/restrictions?  I know they noted how they pass through walls, but don't fall through floors, but I thought they also mentioned sitting on furniture rather than passing through it.  Is that when Flower experimented to see if she tried to sit on the wall like she sits on a chair?

Assuming furniture was mentioned at some point in that context, if they could pass through furniture horizontally, even though they don't fall through it vertically, that would have been the time to note that.  Plus, they can't choose whether to lean against a wall or pass through it; they go into any wall they touch (like when Flower tried not to), so, since they lean on furniture without going into it, I don't see any reason to think they could do the latter instead if they wanted to.

[ofmd]

I agree that they've somehow regressed Isaac's character. I chalk it up to flanderization. And he's gone from my absolute favorite character to... pretty low on the list, for me.

I did like that he apologized to Nigel, plus Nigel's body count, but... wasn't he (N.) shown as rather shy during most of their relationship? It took a very long time until he sort of asked for more.

Now, I could fanwank this as "his sexual experiences were merely physical, so in his first serious relationship he could be shy" but I think the writers simply don't put much thought into his character, so I won't either.

That said, I enjoyed the episode. Orgyversary!

Edited December 16 by ofmd

[shapeshifter]

Of course, the real determinant as to whether or not a ghost can pass through a solid object is the special effects budget, right? 
Even with advances in AI programming, there's still someone to be paid to set it up. 
But likely in a year or two it will be just a choice to switch on or switch off a special effect. 
Buckle up, buttercups. The ghost physics changes are a-comin'!

[Annber03]

1 minute ago, ofmd said:

I agree that they've somehow regressed Isaac's character. I chalk it up to flanderization. And he's gone from my absolute favorite character to... pretty low on the list, for me.

I did like that he apologized to Isaac, plus Isaac's body count, but... wasn't he shown as rather shy during most of their relationship? It took a very long time until he sort of asked for more.

Now, I could fanwank this as "his sexual experiences were merely physical, so in his first serious relationship he could be shy" but I think the writers simply don't put much thought into his character, so I won't either.

That said, I enjoyed the episode. Orgyversary!

Nigel's the one with the higher body count, not Isaac. Isaac was the one who apologized to Nigel, and who doesn't have the same kind of experience Nigel does. We don't know how intimate Isaac and Beatrice ever got with each other, but they did sleep in separate rooms, so... Doesn't mean they didn't give phyical intimacy a try, but Isaac's comments about his marriage seem to imply that it wasn't common/very difficult for him. Hence one of the reasons he feels guilty about not being the husband he felt Beatrice desrved. 

And as far as we know, he's never had the opportunity to act on his attraction to any man before Nigel came along. He's been so used to just admiring and desiring from afar, both when he was alive and as a ghost (look at the men he's expressed attraction to who came in and out of the house over the centureis. And there was his crush on Jay early on in the show's run, too But of course, they were/are all living people, so again, no chance for him to actually act on those feelings).

And then here's NIgel, whom he actually does have a chance to act on his feelings for, and he's struggling, because he doesn't have the experience to back it up and is still learning to be more comfortable with that part of himself. And the fact Nigel does have experience and is more comfortable with himself probably just adds to Isaac's insecurities in that regard. I think just as he feels he let down Beatrice, he's afraid he'll do the same to Nigel, just in slightly different ways. Hence why he's held back and behaved as he did in his relationship with Nigel. 

I kind of feel like his silliness is tying into all of this stuff with Nigel. He was so used to living a life that he felt he was supposed to live for so long, and only just within the last couple years came out and started to be ore open about that part of himself. And up to the day of his planned wedding, his relationship with Nigel had been playing out in the very orderly sort way he was used to doing with Beatrice when alive (courting, then engagement, then moving in together, then marriage).

Now that he isnt having to deal with all those expectations and all that order and structure, now that he's not putting so much pressure on himself to marry before he's ready, stuff like that, he's overcompensating by just indulging in these silly activities and  topics that interest him. The fact the dinosaur interest started the closer he got to hsi wedding, and even wound up playing a role in his bachelor party besides, seems to tie into that. 

*Shrugs*  Obviously I don't even know if that's what the show's intending with this particular interest for Isaac - this is a sitcom, after all, so, you know, rule of funny with a Revolutionary War ghost getting super into dinosaurs, and all that :p. But that's my little "deeper theory" take on it all. 

[iMonrey]

Update on this season's opening title sequence. We now know why there's snail on the desk and the playbill on the shelf is probably a reference to the play Sam was in ("A Star is Dead"). But we've yet to learn the significance of whatever that rock or crystal is under the glass dome, the slice of pie, the french fries (Jay's love of Sonic?), or the shamrock pillow. Also, in front of the snail is what looks to be fake vampire teeth. Was that a reference to the Halloween episode? I don't remember anything about vampire teeth.

RE: this episode, has nobody told Hetty that cocaine is illegal now? Why does she keep suggesting it like it should be a thing? Or does she just think the fact that it's illegal is stupid and Sam should get some anyway? 

I also love the continuity of Alberta constantly suggesting offing people gangster-style. She really is a product of her era. "You've got a cement truck and lake, the story writes itself!" "He's right here in the house, you don't even have to snatch him!"

[kathyk2]

3 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Update on this season's opening title sequence. We now know why there's snail on the desk and the playbill on the shelf is probably a reference to the play Sam was in ("A Star is Dead"). But we've yet to learn the significance of whatever that rock or crystal is under the glass dome, the slice of pie, the french fries (Jay's love of Sonic?), or the shamrock pillow. Also, in front of the snail is what looks to be fake vampire teeth. Was that a reference to the Halloween episode? I don't remember anything about vampire teeth.

RE: this episode, has nobody told Hetty that cocaine is illegal now? Why does she keep suggesting it like it should be a thing? Or does she just think the fact that it's illegal is stupid and Sam should get some anyway? 

I also love the continuity of Alberta constantly suggesting offing people gangster-style. She really is a product of her era. "You've got a cement truck and lake, the story writes itself!" "He's right here in the house, you don't even have to snatch him!"

Pete told Hetty that cocaine is now illegal. I think the fries might be a reference to Jay's restaurant. I wonder if the cherry pie is a nod to Isaac and Hamiton?

[shura]

8 hours ago, possibilities said:

My excuse for what ghosts can and can't walk through is that they can choose. So if they want to sit on the couch, they sit on it. If they want to walk through the couch, they can do it-- but they don't bother. They enjoy some conventions, such as pretending they live by living physics-- until it's convenient to do otherwise. Notice that they don't walk through walls all the time. They mostly use the doors. They only use their wall-piercing powers when there's a good reason, like to prove theiy can, or to see something that's hidden and there's no door to use.

I recall someone-- I think Pete-- sticking his head inside a purse, to see what was inside it. If they can do that, then they can probably stick their hand inside a couch cushion or walk through a chair. But why bother? Maybe it tires them out to do that all the time, like when a living walks through them. 

Or, since we are talking about ghosts, we can push it into the metaphysical.  Maybe it’s not that they can actively choose, but that they believe these are the rules of their world, and this belief makes it reality.  You know this idea/joke that bumblebees should not be able to fly, but because they don’t know anything about physics, this limitation does not exist for them and they fly?  Same for the ghosts - they believe they can go through walls but not through chairs, so that is how they operate.  Actually, this can explain anything from ghost logic - it is so because they believe it.

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Even with advances in AI programming, there's still someone to be paid to set it up. 
But likely in a year or two it will be just a choice to switch on or switch off a special effect. 
Buckle up, buttercups. The ghost physics changes are a-comin'!

Wasn’t this one of the sticking points in the actors’ strike last year?  I think they agreed to not allow the use of AI in generating content with actors’ images.  For the duration of this contract, at least.  But eventually yes, they won’t even need any actors.

5 hours ago, Annber03 said:

He's been so used to just admiring and desiring from afar, both when he was alive and as a ghost (look at the men he's expressed attraction to who came in and out of the house over the centureis. And there was his crush on Jay early on in the show's run, too But of course, they were/are all living people, so again, no chance for him to actually act on those feelings).

I believe Trevor expressed a related idea when he said “I am going to go see if hot cousin Rachel is on Instagram. What? I’m dead, it’s still innocent!” 😄

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Also, in front of the snail is what looks to be fake vampire teeth. Was that a reference to the Halloween episode? I don't remember anything about vampire teeth.

The vampire teeth are tied to Isaac's book from a couple episodes back, which is now about a vampire named Isaac Higgintooth :D. 

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, shura said:

Wasn’t this one of the sticking points in the actors’ strike last year?  I think they agreed to not allow the use of AI in generating content with actors’ images.  For the duration of this contract, at least.  But eventually yes, they won’t even need any actors.

Right. But I don't think that would negate using AI to allow the actors bodies to go "through" furniture, would it? It's not like they'd be replacing the actors.

[shura]

Here you go - ChatGPT’s version of Isaac Higgintoot passing through a sofa (notice his right leg).  It took two minutes and then I ran out of free images for today.

[proserpina65]

On 12/13/2024 at 2:40 PM, PaulE said:

I imagine it would make intimacy a bit challenging for him and Carol.

Carol seems like she'd appreciate a challenge.  And probably has all kinds of experience, lol.

On 12/13/2024 at 3:54 PM, chaifan said:

I know this was discussed once before, and if I remember correctly, the two properties don't actually touch.  Another property is in between.  That's why they have to be on the upper floors, so they have a clear view/earshot.  

I did wonder about that.  As for sending messages via Pete, that would work for some things, but I think Thor and Bjorn would find it unsatisfactory, bonding-wise.

[proserpina65]

On 12/13/2024 at 4:17 PM, shura said:

I have a question, maybe someone has a friend who would know?  Are swingers really different in that it really matters to them that their spouse remember that kind of anniversary?  Or are they more like monogamous couples who happen to have a strong shared interest in, I don’t know, gardening or something, and it’s not really a big deal that one spouse doesn’t remember when exactly they took it up?  Or maybe that’s a big deal for non-swinging couples too and the world is full of unwatered chrysanthemums?  Or is that chrysantema?

Don't know any swingers personally, but judging from what I read in the comments on Slate, they vary as widely as non-swingers in how they might think about such things.

On 12/14/2024 at 12:36 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

I thought it looked more like a shark bed than a dinosaur

I think a shark bed's snout would be less rounded.  Definitely struck me as T-Rex inspired.  But, as Nigel pointed out, not particularly anatomically accurate.

On 12/13/2024 at 9:43 PM, ams1001 said:

And yeah, how do you close up the wall without having the work inspected first?

That happens in TV land all the time, but in real life, you gotta have the inspections if you're doing permitted work.  And if you're doing the work without pulling the permits first, that's a whole 'nother can of worms.  I'm willing to let it pass because it's minor in the grand scheme of things on a show with ghosts.  Be interesting to see if it comes back to bite them in the ass later, though.

On 12/14/2024 at 12:56 PM, possibilities said:

I think that people know it's a B&B. The authenticator knew it. Amazon probably knows it because they get a lot of deliveries.

Yeah, it's a place of business so people walking in to where the reception desk is located makes perfect sense to me.

On 12/14/2024 at 4:49 PM, possibilities said:

Are all B&Bs so lax?

I've stayed in a few.  The bedroom doors all had locks, but the front doors weren't generally locked during the day/until a specified time in the evening, allowing guests to come and go as they pleased.  That did vary a bit depending on how large the B&B was and where the owners' quarters were located vis-a-vis the guest areas.  In a place as large as Woodstone, I imagine the door to the public areas is only locked at night.   It actually strikes me as closer to a small boutique hotel than strictly a B&B.

On 12/15/2024 at 11:37 AM, iMonrey said:

But as a practical matter, the front door should remain locked and the guests given keys.

One of the B&Bs I stayed at did this, but at least one other, the key I was given was just for my room, not the front door.

18 hours ago, Annber03 said:

And as far as we know, he's never had the opportunity to act on his attraction to any man before Nigel came along.

Isaac has only just recently (relatively speaking) accepted that he's gay, so yeah, much less experienced than Nigel, who clearly knew that about himself in life.

[possibilities]

I honestly don't think Isaac's "lack of experience" is an adequate excuse for him backing out of the marriage. It's not like he's now going to be able to go out and play the field and get experience.

 

[PaulE]

15 hours ago, iMonrey said:

We now know why there's snail on the desk and the playbill on the shelf is probably a reference to the play Sam was in ("A Star is Dead").

Regarding the Playbill, I've also wondered whether it might possibly have to do with Isaac's love of musicals.  No Playbills back in the eighteenth century, of course, but the symbolism is still there.

[Johannah]

On 12/13/2024 at 1:48 AM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Yeah, I meant to mention that.  First Abbott Elementary, and now Ghosts.  Doesn't seem like people are unaware that Amazon sells stuff that it delivers, but I'm not a marketing expert.  And maybe it replaces more actual commercials.

 

That's why I don't mind them.  Fund the shows I like without interrupting with commercials as much as possible.  I also don't find it awkward.  We always say the Amazon box is here or the Chewy box is here.  Seems natural to me.  I find it more awkward to constantly try to hide brand names on things.  It's a can of Coke.  You don't have to create a red and white generic soda can.

 

I know it's only episode 7, but which things in the opening credits have been revealed?  I remember the vampire teeth from the Halloween ep (I think) and maybe the playbill was a very loose connection to Sam's part in the play.  Anything else?  I'll have to remember to look next ep, but I'm sure someone here has been paying attention.

 

[ofmd]

22 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Nigel's the one with the higher body count, not Isaac.t all. 

Oh yes, I meant to say Nigel, sorry. Will fix it.

[Bastet]

15 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

But I don't think that would negate using AI to allow the actors bodies to go "through" furniture, would it?

Using CGI in postproduction is entirely different than replacing actors using AI.  The characters passing through the walls is just CGI.

[shapeshifter]

On 12/15/2024 at 11:37 AM, iMonrey said:

But as a practical matter, the front door should remain locked and the guests given keys.

5 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

One of the B&Bs I stayed at did this, but at least one other, the key I was given was just for my room, not the front door.

My guess:
Only when someone (usually Sam) is at the check-in desk, is the front door is unlocked. 

I am now imagining a B plot in which Sam offers to "pay" a ghost to watch the desk and immediately alert her.
— maybe Trevor, since he could have a laptop at the desk set up so he only has to hit one key.
Hijinks ensue due to technology, distraction, etc.

I suppose there could just be a camera/sensor outside that alerts them to movement on the path to the door.
Even if the door is locked, they'd want to be there to meet potential customers. 

 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 12/15/2024 at 5:38 PM, Annber03 said:

And up to the day of his planned wedding, his relationship with Nigel had been playing out in the very orderly sort way he was used to doing with Beatrice when alive (courting, then engagement, then moving in together, then marriage).

I very much doubt he lived with Beatrice before marriage.

21 hours ago, iMonrey said:

RE: this episode, has nobody told Hetty that cocaine is illegal now? Why does she keep suggesting it like it should be a thing? Or does she just think the fact that it's illegal is stupid and Sam should get some anyway? 

They give her that line too often.

21 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I also love the continuity of Alberta constantly suggesting offing people gangster-style. She really is a product of her era. "You've got a cement truck and lake, the story writes itself!" "He's right here in the house, you don't even have to snatch him!"

So it's ok to murder other people...

21 hours ago, shura said:

I believe Trevor expressed a related idea when he said “I am going to go see if hot cousin Rachel is on Instagram. What? I’m dead, it’s still innocent!”

Wouldn't she be well into her 50's by now?  Glad to hear he's so open-minded. (Yeah, I know Hetty's around 50, but Trevor didn't have a lot of choices.)

 

[Annber03]

7 hours ago, possibilities said:

I honestly don't think Isaac's "lack of experience" is an adequate excuse for him backing out of the marriage. It's not like he's now going to be able to go out and play the field and get experience.

I don't think it's the reason he backed out of the marriage, no, or at least, not the main reason, but I do think it's one of the reasons he's been so hesitant in regards to physical intimacy with Nigel, and given he felt guilty about not being able to act the way he felt a husband should act, in every way, with Beatrice, I can see that being a similar concern for him where Nigel is concerned. Not just in terms of physical intimacy/experience but in terms of never having been in a relationship with a man before, period. 

10 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I very much doubt he lived with Beatrice before marriage.

 

Not saying he did, just giving an example of how there was a certain order to courtships that he might be used to, either because it was what he did or because it's what others of his time did. 

That said, he was willing to share a room with Nigel after they got engaged, so...

6 hours ago, PaulE said:

Regarding the Playbill, I've also wondered whether it might possibly have to do with Isaac's love of musicals.  No Playbills back in the eighteenth century, of course, but the symbolism is still there.

The Playbill was related to Sam's performance in that play. 

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, Johannah said:

I also don't find it awkward.  We always say the Amazon box is here or the Chewy box is here.  Seems natural to me. 

Sometimes they've been more natural about it, but in this one having the delivery guy walk in (and not just to the front desk, to a room) and say "I have an Amazon Prime delivery for you" had me rolling my eyes.  They basically hurl packages from the curb in the general direction of the front door and get back to their shitty schedule.  Walking it all the way in to find an occupied room and making a grand pronouncement with the full name, no.

[KarenX]

39 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Sometimes they've been more natural about it, but in this one having the delivery guy walk in (and not just to the front desk, to a room) and say "I have an Amazon Prime delivery for you" had me rolling my eyes.  They basically hurl packages from the curb in the general direction of the front door and get back to their shitty schedule.  Walking it all the way in to find an occupied room and making a grand pronouncement with the full name, no.

If Amazon is delivering to a business… I realize now my story about the UPS deliveries to my old office are not an Amazon story. Does Amazon have different delivery protocols for businesses and houses? Would an Amazon driver need a signature for delivering to a business?

Wandering the halls of a business is not realistic though.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

10 hours ago, Bastet said:

Sometimes they've been more natural about it, but in this one having the delivery guy walk in (and not just to the front desk, to a room) and say "I have an Amazon Prime delivery for you" had me rolling my eyes.  They basically hurl packages from the curb in the general direction of the front door and get back to their shitty schedule.  Walking it all the way in to find an occupied room and making a grand pronouncement with the full name, no.

My point exactly.

10 hours ago, KarenX said:

If Amazon is delivering to a business… I realize now my story about the UPS deliveries to my old office are not an Amazon story. Does Amazon have different delivery protocols for businesses and houses? Would an Amazon driver need a signature for delivering to a business?

Amazon doesn't have a mechanism for obtaining signatures.

10 hours ago, Annber03 said:

11 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I very much doubt he lived with Beatrice before marriage.

Not saying he did, just giving an example of how there was a certain order to courtships that he might be used to, either because it was what he did or because it's what others of his time did. 

Not to belabor my point, but what I meant was that in his time, people of their class didn't live together before marriage.  When they were ready to cohabit, they got married. Their peers would have disapproved had they done it in reverse order, and Beatrice would have gained a poor reputation.  (I also don't believe that long engagements were common back then.)

10 hours ago, Annber03 said:

That said, he was willing to share a room with Nigel after they got engaged, so...

No one in the B & B cares about cohabitation, so if it didn't bother Isaac, there was no "societal" reason not to.  Even Hetty is no longer shocked by non-marital sex.

[proserpina65]

19 hours ago, possibilities said:

I honestly don't think Isaac's "lack of experience" is an adequate excuse for him backing out of the marriage. It's not like he's now going to be able to go out and play the field and get experience.

 

It does explain why he wasn't really ready to get married, imo.  He needed more time to become comfortable with himself before rushing into marriage.  And he and Nigel did rush.

 

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Amazon doesn't have a mechanism for obtaining signatures.

I didn't notice, did the Amazon employee ask for a signature when delivering the dino bed?
I wonder if Amazon might be planning to offer a signature service for a fee…🤔