S01.E12: Partners

[chitowngirl]

The FBI joins the investigation into the murder of a controversial tech magnate, forcing Karadec to reunite with his former partner; Ludo becomes overwhelmed with his increasing childcare duties.
 

Airdate February 4, 2025 on ABC, next day Hulu

[AnimeMania]

FRANK KRUEGER

ANDY MARTINEZ JR.,   JOE ALVAREZ,   MARSHALL COOK

MATT LINTON

JOCKO SIMS

BRIANA VENSKUS-VAZQUEZ

[Annber03]

Aw, what a nice ending.

Man, way to give me a brief freakout with Ludo there, show. Glad he was okay - I liked how he and Morgan talked out everything with him taking on so much at home.

Also really loved the conversation between Morgan and Elliott (also, his thing about dizziness possibly being a sign of heart problems had me thinking about the stuff I read to do paperwork at my job, so thanks for that, kid :p). I can very much sympathize with his worrying constantly and his mind going to worst case scenarios. But I loved how Morgan was able to help him feel a little better, and how they connected over their shared struggles with their particular way of thinking. 

The case was an interesting one, and I liked the whole storyline with the tension between Karadec and Ronnie. I'm glad they were able to ultimately resolve their issues, 'cause they really do have a good dynamic. I hope we get to see Ronnie show up again sometime, be neat to see how else he could help the team out when needed. 

Also really loved Oz sticking up for Daphne. That was good. As was Morgan diffiusing the tension with her story about giving birth :p. 

[agathapenny]

Loved another episode.

Ronnie was a total dick at first, glad he mellowed out by the end. He had no reason to treat Karadec and the other officers with such disdain, especially when we find out later that Karadec cleared his name, though I certainly don't blame him for leaving for greener pastures from what sounds like a fairly toxic environment.

Awww. Karadec admits Morgan is his partner now. In the same vein, I loved Daphne calling Ronnie out and Oz standing up for Daphne, and the chief not backing down. That's the team I love.

I called the rough sex explanation for the victim's bruises early on, long before the reveal, but to be fair, there was a lot going on for the detectives to follow up on and the two hour meeting kept getting pushed aside for more immediate leads.

Ludo is adorable — the actor is fantastic. Loved family night at the end.

 

[kathyk2]

4 minutes ago, agathapenny said:

Loved another episode.

Ronnie was a total dick at first, glad he mellowed out by the end. He had no reason to treat Karadec and the other officers with such disdain, especially when we find out later that Karadec cleared his name, though I certainly don't blame him for leaving for greener pastures from what sounds like a fairly toxic environment.

Awww. Karadec admits Morgan is his partner now. In the same vein, I loved Daphne calling Ronnie out and Oz standing up for Daphne, and the chief not backing down. That's the team I love.

I called the rough sex explanation for the victim's bruises early on, long before the reveal, but to be fair, there was a lot going on for the detectives to follow up on and the two hour meeting kept getting pushed aside for more immediate leads.

Ludo is adorable — the actor is fantastic. Loved family night at the end.

 

Great episode It was nice to see Karadec and Morgan get equal focus. I want Morgan and Ludo to get back together it's obvious they still care for each other and it will stop the shipping between Morgan and Karadec.

[ams1001]

You don't just put a random flash drive in your computer! WTF is wrong with you?! (Though, would something really download fast enough to take down the whole system in a matter of seconds?)

 

[possibilities]

I thought maybe they had been personal partners, not work partners, with the way they were acting like jilted lovers.

Ronnie could have thanked Adam for clearing his name, though. He didn't have to be so belligerent. Seems like he's a looking out for number 1 kind of glory-seeker. Adam is right not to go back to being partners with that kind of person.

Now I do want to know why Ludo and Morgan split up. I stayed friend with an ex after a break up, so I think it's genuinely possible to care about and even enjoy someone but not want to be married to them or lovers with them. But it does make a story I want to hear, more than just the usual exes who hate each other and only are civil due to shared kids. 

I feel sad for the dog. 

[Annber03]

12 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I feel sad for the dog. 

Same! My heart broke for the poor thing when it started whimpering and went to sniff the guy as he fell to the ground. 

[kathyk2]

41 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I thought maybe they had been personal partners, not work partners, with the way they were acting like jilted lovers.

Ronnie could have thanked Adam for clearing his name, though. He didn't have to be so belligerent. Seems like he's a looking out for number 1 kind of glory-seeker. Adam is right not to go back to being partners with that kind of person.

Now I do want to know why Ludo and Morgan split up. I stayed friend with an ex after a break up, so I think it's genuinely possible to care about and even enjoy someone but not want to be married to them or lovers with them. But it does make a story I want to hear, more than just the usual exes who hate each other and only are civil due to shared kids. 

I feel sad for the dog. 

I think they broke up due to finances. Morgan said her ability made it difficult for her to keep a job. Ludo said it was easier to afford things with her new job.

[CeeBeeGee]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

You don't just put a random flash drive in your computer! WTF is wrong with you?! (Though, would something really download fast enough to take down the whole system in a matter of seconds?)

I was stunned when I saw that. How could you be so blithely unaware of the risk?

 

48 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Now I do want to know why Ludo and Morgan split up. I stayed friend with an ex after a break up, so I think it's genuinely possible to care about and even enjoy someone but not want to be married to them or lovers with them. But it does make a story I want to hear, more than just the usual exes who hate each other and only are civil due to shared kids. 

I have stayed on good terms with nearly all my exes (child of a nasty divorce, I didn't want to repeat that pattern) so yes, it's possible. A couple of them were kind of toxic though so I didn't bother pursuing a friendship afterward. Ludo and Morgan seem to have great chemistry--and more importantly, respect for each other.

[AnimeMania]

4 hours ago, ams1001 said:

You don't just put a random flash drive in your computer! WTF is wrong with you?! (Though, would something really download fast enough to take down the whole system in a matter of seconds?)

That was the first thing I thought, is that computer air-gapped? At least consult with a tech person first, since you are dealing with angry tech people.

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

I feel sad for the dog. 

But the dog is a murderer! Why isn't the dog dead? They had almost zero evidence to deduce that the guy and the suicide girl were lovers, I only knew by the way the camera panned to his keychain as he was leaving the police station he was guilty.

[shura]

Way too much posturing and attitude projected in all directions. That profiler lady was just off putting.

4 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

They had almost zero evidence to deduce that the guy and the suicide girl were lovers, I only knew by the way the camera panned to his keychain as he was leaving the police station he was guilty.

It was a stretch, as per usual.  The guy is wearing a flint on his keychain, so he may (or may not) be connected to a Louisa May Alcott fan whose father produced the poison that killed the tech guy.  I guess they both confirmed that they were guilty when they started running upon seeing the police coming for them.

What has no explanation at all is - how could the bodyguard know when and where to ambush the coroner transporting the body from the police morgue to the FBI?  Who and why even came up with the plan to blow up the body like that?  Also, the bodyguard runs to the airport because he wants to use Anson’s plane that is still parked there.  Umm, why is the pilot still sitting in that plane?

7 hours ago, CeeBeeGee said:

9 hours ago, ams1001 said:

You don't just put a random flash drive in your computer! WTF is wrong with you?! (Though, would something really download fast enough to take down the whole system in a matter of seconds?)

I was stunned when I saw that. How could you be so blithely unaware of the risk?

The funniest part was that it was Daphne the tech expert who stuck that drive in there.  In her defense, she did act surprised and mentioned that the malware breached their firewall, so maybe she just overestimated how protected their systems were.

Favorite line of the night - “What’s more upsetting to you, his life ending or your career?”  Well, if my career is what feeds my family, then I’d have to go with the career.  You can take your disdain and sue me.

[DrSpaceman73]

I knew the dog was involved.  I thought he would have smelled the flowers got it on him and them transferred it

Seems risky that no one else would be poisoned by the dog though. 

9 hours ago, kathyk2 said:

I think they broke up due to finances. Morgan said her ability made it difficult for her to keep a job. Ludo said it was easier to afford things with her new job.

Yeah I've never been clear on their relationship.  It's all odd. 

Not that important but odd. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

I am going to have to look up more details about the organizational system referenced in the show.

In addition to the stupidity of our heroes putting a flash drive into your computer network without knowing anything about its origins, I'm not sure why Hacker would have thought Anson would just be like, "What's this? A random flash drive? It's got malware on it? I guess I'll hire whoever slipped it in my pocket without me noticing."

I guess it could happen that the FBI would be like, "So, Ronnie, you've cleared a lot of cases but it looks like you stole a bunch of money on one of them. Long hair, don't care! Welcome to the FBI!"

I'm glad for the Gillory family time. I am more interested in getting the backstory on them. It seems odd that there's like a 10-year gap between Elliott and Chloe.

I found it interesting that Karadec's Black partner brought out (IMO) some code-switching and Black behavior out of Karadec. 

It was almost comical that an old-ass man with a limp outran Karadec and Morgan the way he did.

It is a super-stretch that Security Guard would a) know about the transfer of Anson's body to the FBI's facility b) be able to get enough intel to intercept it c) be willing to go to the lengths he did to cover up the body. Even assuming there's something in there that would point to Toxicologist, wouldn't it make infinitely more sense to be on the run with him than to commit a new crime that could lead the police to you?

I wish Pilot would have called Security Guy's bluff: how are you going to fly the plane if you shoot me, genius? And how do you think you're going to get away with shooting me if I don't do what you say? 

The hacking the airplane, enough said. 

I kept waiting for Anson's deepfake software to have played a role in the murderer's plan.  Like them using it to make an alibi or erase that they were where they were. 

Edited February 5 by Chicago Redshirt

[EtheltoTillie]

What everyone else said. Dumbest thing of the night was obviously the flash drive. No large government network allows strange flash drives to be inserted willy nilly. Also the detectives spooking the suspect into running.  This show usually doesn’t do that as much as the FBI shows do. 
I still like the show and the family dynamic. 

Edited February 5 by EtheltoTillie

[chaifan]

31 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It is a super-stretch that Security Guard would a) know about the transfer of Anson's body to the FBI's facility

With the plane being ready, I just assumed they had arranged for the transport of the body to the plane to take it back to wherever tech guy came from to be buried.  Of course, then the body would have been put in a casket, and not still on a gurney, but that was where my mind was going.  So was the body being transferred from city morgue to FBI morgue?  Now I'm not sure what was happening.  But even with that, I could see the security team being informed as a proxy for next of kin.  It's plausible.

I'm about the least techy person out there, and even I know to not put a random thumb drive into a networked system.  

I didn't really care for the murder mystery this episode, but I liked it overall because of the character development.  Both with Karadec and Morgan, and Morgan and Ludo.  

[EtheltoTillie]

Next week seems like multiple Bride of Chucky dolls!  

[AnimeMania]

When did they steal my living room and put it in their interrogation room?

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

With the plane being ready, I just assumed they had arranged for the transport of the body to the plane to take it back to wherever tech guy came from to be buried.  Of course, then the body would have been put in a casket, and not still on a gurney, but that was where my mind was going.  So was the body being transferred from city morgue to FBI morgue?  Now I'm not sure what was happening.  But even with that, I could see the security team being informed as a proxy for next of kin.  It's plausible.

Security Guy plausibly called pilot and asked him to be ready and waiting for him. At that point, Anson was already blown up, so I don't think ferrying his remains anywhere was a concern. It also seems like Mom is in the greater L.A./Orange County area, so there would be no need to put the remains on a private plane. 

The plan was that the L.A. County Medical Examiner could only do so much to analyze the body and that it needed to be transferred to the feds to do a more thorough analysis of the toxin used. 

So Security Guy had to a) get wind of the transfer, b) be worried that the more detailed exam could lead to either Toxicologist or him, c) decide the best way to avoid this would be to hijack the transfer and blow up the body d) get all the equipment he needed together to blow up the body real good e) either get intel about when and how the transfer was happening or stake out the precinct so he could follow the van when it arrived and f) execute the plan, hoping that he could in fact blow the body up real good and get away with it, despite the crime being carried out in broad daylight.

Disbelief can only be suspended so far.

[Raja]

4 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Security Guy plausibly called pilot and asked him to be ready and waiting for him. At that point, Anson was already blown up, so I don't think ferrying his remains anywhere was a concern. It also seems like Mom is in the greater L.A./Orange County area, so there would be no need to put the remains on a private plane. 

The plan was that the L.A. County Medical Examiner could only do so much to analyze the body and that it needed to be transferred to the feds to do a more thorough analysis of the toxin used. 

So Security Guy had to a) get wind of the transfer, b) be worried that the more detailed exam could lead to either Toxicologist or him, c) decide the best way to avoid this would be to hijack the transfer and blow up the body d) get all the equipment he needed together to blow up the body real good e) either get intel about when and how the transfer was happening or stake out the precinct so he could follow the van when it arrived and f) execute the plan, hoping that he could in fact blow the body up real good and get away with it, despite the crime being carried out in broad daylight.

Disbelief can only be suspended so far.

I was half expecting another estranged friend from the Sheriff's Department to come in to run the case of the attack on the County Coroners van.

How about a relief pilot not knowing about the murder comes in to man his shift for a private client who kept his plane on immediate take off alert. 

3 hours ago, shura said:

Way too much posturing and attitude projected in all directions. That profiler lady was just off putting.

The profiling industry needed some push back. We knew the public face of the victim and a suspected cause of death and from there we get the lead briefer. Perhaps she knew she was a provider of bunk and an unknown "consultant" willing to look through her freaked her out 

[Percysowner]

I liked the episode, but boy did I have to turn off my "find the holes" brain.

I'll just add to the chorus of "never put an unknown flash drive into a computer attached to a network". Jeeze I'm a 70 year old retired librarian and even I know that much.

Using the dog collar to poison the guy was just criminally negligent. Anyone else could have touched it and then died. Plus, who took the dog away after the victim was dead? I'm hoping it was the murderer because he would have avoided touching the collar, but if someone else caught him they would have been poisoned. I also spent some time wondering who is taking care of the dog, because I really did wonder.

I have no clue how Security Guy knew they were moving the body, but I guess since he was no longer employed he could have just been keeping an eye on the morgue, just in case. If he had been questioned by both the police and the FBI, he could have sussed out that the body would be moved, maybe.

Why did Kenneth have more than one dog collar and why did he keep the other one? Would the poison go bad after X hours and he wanted a backup?

Why is Ludo SO overwhelmed and why aren't they (Ludo and Madison) doing something about it? The 2 oldest kids are in school, so that means he only has to watch 1 during the day, if it's not summer vacation. Madison negotiated child care into her contract so if Ludo IS so overwhelmed she can look for part time daycare for Chloe and summer day care for the other kids. Ludo and she can still co-parent and do it well while having their kids in daycare. Many, many parents manage it.

Yes, I was waiting to find out that Karadec's partner was also his PARTNER, because that made a lot of sense and would make the Karadec and Madison must hook up vibes less. I mean he could be bi, but that isn't how most shows roll right now. There is not a lot of B in LGBT main stream media presence.

I still liked the episode and like the show, but the details in this were messy.

[agathapenny]

I thought it was interesting that they had another sympathetic killer.

These deep fake tech tools that these guys make their billions off of should never exist on this planet. All they do is (utterly predictably) victimize innocent people and make their lives miserable and lead to heartbreak. And these tech bros don't give a crap because they're just soooo smart and now so selfishly rich. And usually they refuse to take any responsibility for the terrible results of what they've created. The "we could, so we did" philosophy of life, no matter who gets hurt. They're loathsome.

This show seems to give us these sympathetic killers more often than not. It's an interesting choice.

[shura]

9 minutes ago, Raja said:

How about a relief pilot not knowing about the murder comes in to man his shift for a private client who kept his plane on immediate take off alert. 

Wasn't that plane a crime scene and shouldn't it have been taped and sealed? 

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I wish Pilot would have called Security Guy's bluff: how are you going to fly the plane if you shoot me, genius? And how do you think you're going to get away with shooting me if I don't do what you say?

The problem is, calling his bluff does not guarantee that he is not going to shoot you.  I would try to avoid aggravating someone pointing a gun at me, no matter how rational my arguments might be.

[iMonrey]

8 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

They had almost zero evidence to deduce that the guy and the suicide girl were lovers, I only knew by the way the camera panned to his keychain as he was leaving the police station he was guilty.

Thanks, even that little bit of info went right over my head.

2 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Seems risky that no one else would be poisoned by the dog though. 

The dog was a major loose end. Assuming the perp was the one who took the dog and disposed of the collar so no one else would touch it and die. 

I thought this case was an improvement over last week's fiasco, but that's not saying much. I also like it better when Morgan's family is featured and the show isn't entirely focused on the case of the week. But the writing is still very paint by numbers and far fetched.

[possibilities]

All shows like this are full of absurdities and plot holes. I think the only way to watch is for the character beats and vibes.

[chaifan]

1 hour ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Security Guy plausibly called pilot and asked him to be ready and waiting for him. At that point, Anson was already blown up, so I don't think ferrying his remains anywhere was a concern.

I think you're right on that timeline.  Good breakdown of it.  But, you left out one absurdity...  

The fact that the coroner's van was driving in downtown LA in the middle of the day, yet was stopped at a traffic light long enough for this all to happen, and there wasn't another single car on the entire street or in the intersection!!!  😆

[Raja]

5 minutes ago, chaifan said:

I think you're right on that timeline.  Good breakdown of it.  But, you left out one absurdity...  

The fact that the coroner's van was driving in downtown LA in the middle of the day, yet was stopped at a traffic light long enough for this all to happen, and there wasn't another single car on the entire street or in the intersection!!!  😆

Well the real deal would start around County USC Hospital in East LA. I have no ideal where the FBI would have their facility. 

In any case there's still a lot of traffic.

[ams1001]

Okay, I was distracted last night and I'm realizing I missed a lot. How exactly did they poison him (and what happened to the dog in the end)?

[shapeshifter]

14 hours ago, ams1001 said:

You don't just put a random flash drive in your computer! WTF is wrong with you?! (Though, would something really download fast enough to take down the whole system in a matter of seconds?)

4 hours ago, shura said:

it was Daphne the tech expert who stuck that drive in there.  In her defense, she did act surprised and mentioned that the malware breached their firewall,

Thanks, @shura, I guess I (and most of the audience) were so flummoxed at her putting the sketchy drive into the computer that we didn't hear her say the LAPD computers had firewalls. I mean. Would they???

Plus, I had *just* watched the new FBI episode where they took the malware infested flash drive into a lead walled room with an airlocked computer to open its files.

 

4 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It seems odd that there's like a 10-year gap between Elliott and Chloe.

I guess Chloe was a "change of life baby"? I'm old, but this turn of phrase used to apply to either 1) getting pregnant after having stopped menstruating for enough months that it was presumed protection wasn't needed to prevent pregnancy and then deciding to carry to term, or 2) getting close to menopause and wanting to have one more baby. But it could also be just a failed condom. 
Or maybe we will learn that Morgan had miscarriages in between Elliot and Chloe, but since they didn't show the dog dying in this episode, I don't think they'll go there.

 

9 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

But the dog is a murderer! Why isn't the dog dead?

I think you meant "the dog is the murder weapon" not "murderer," but, still, yeah, why isn't Old Yeller dead? Are dogs impervious to the poison used to kill the tech genius? 
BTW, if he was really a tech genius, it seemed like killing him was a waste, even for thugs.

[AnimeMania]

26 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I think you meant "the dog is the murder weapon" not "murderer," but, still, yeah, why isn't Old Yeller dead?

No, the dog looked sketchy, like he was from the wrong side of the tracks.

[shura]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Plus, I had *just* watched the new FBI episode where they took the malware infested flash drive into a lead walled room with an airlocked computer to open its files.

One more proof that Ronnie was right all along and they should have let the FBI handle the whole thing, right?

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

Okay, I was distracted last night and I'm realizing I missed a lot. How exactly did they poison him (and what happened to the dog in the end)?

The toxicologist guy put the poison in a dog collar and brought it in a bouquet of flowers to his daughter’s grave (wearing the least inconspicuous black gloves ever). The bodyguard then picked the collar up at the cemetery, put it on the dog somewhere (on the plane?) and let the dog do its pet thing and get that collar next to the tech guy’s face.  And from what I’m reading here, after the guy died, the dog just limped his way into the sunset because he was the Keyser Soze of the whole thing.

[LisaM]

Same comment regarding the airlocked computer on the latest "FBI" episode. 

I liked the glimpse of Morgan's home life and seeing Ludo with the kids. 

The FBI profiler was a bit much. 

I suspend all thoughts and intellect while watching this show. I just go with the flow and enjoy it. 

[ams1001]

2 hours ago, shura said:

The toxicologist guy put the poison in a dog collar and brought it in a bouquet of flowers to his daughter’s grave (wearing the least inconspicuous black gloves ever). The bodyguard then picked the collar up at the cemetery, put it on the dog somewhere (on the plane?) and let the dog do its pet thing and get that collar next to the tech guy’s face.  And from what I’m reading here, after the guy died, the dog just limped his way into the sunset because he was the Keyser Soze of the whole thing.

Thank you!

[Chicago Redshirt]

2 hours ago, shura said:

And from what I’m reading here, after the guy died, the dog just limped his way into the sunset because he was the Keyser Soze of the whole thing.

"THAT'S the last time Anson will break a treat in two and try to pass it off as two treats."

[Annber03]

6 hours ago, possibilities said:

All shows like this are full of absurdities and plot holes. I think the only way to watch is for the character beats and vibes.

That's the main reason I'm watching thsi show :). I do find the cases interesting, but mainly more in regards to how the team reacts to and is affected by whatever happens during said case. 

(This is also the way I watch "Criminal MInds". Give me characters to care abuut and get invested in and I'll roll with any plot, no matter how absurd :p.) 

[Sarah 103]

@shapeshifter In terms of the age difference between the siblings, Morgan could have thought she was past needing birth control so she stopped taking precautions and then once she pregnant decided to have the baby. It's also possible that there were pregnancies in between the two children that did not result in a baby. 

What happened with Ludo/did we find out? Since at first, he didn't think he could stay, I wondered if it was somehow connected to his medical/health issue. 

[shura]

3 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

"THAT'S the last time Anson will break a treat in two and try to pass it off as two treats."

Could have been the time change, too.  Someone was telling me once how her dogs hate the time change in the fall because it means they don’t get fed at the time they are used to.  They don’t mind being fed an hour early in the spring, but having to wait an extra hour in the fall?  That’s a problem.

[Percysowner]

9 minutes ago, shura said:

Could have been the time change, too.  Someone was telling me once how her dogs hate the time change in the fall because it means they don’t get fed at the time they are used to.  They don’t mind being fed an hour early in the spring, but having to wait an extra hour in the fall?  That’s a problem.

Cats are worse. When they think it's time to be fed they let you know. Loudly most of the time, but I have known of cats who jump up on the bed and slap you in the face, claws sheathed, to remind you that it's time for food NOW. Dogs just look sad.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

 In terms of the age difference between the siblings, Morgan could have thought she was past needing birth control so she stopped taking precautions and then once she pregnant decided to have the baby. It's also possible that there were pregnancies in between the two children that did not result in a baby. 

Yes. That was what I was trying to convey, but I probably should have edited for clarity. 

[twoods]

I have missed seeing Jocko Sims on my screen- very good looking man. Wonder if he will be a recurring character because I liked his vibe with Karadek.

Good case, but I was bothered by Morgan scoffing at the airport police officer like she was looking down at his job. Took me out of the scene because she’s usually better than that. Likes the family being integrated in the storyline seamlessly.

The season finale looks absolutely creepy. Guessing there will be a cliffhanger on the ex, unless he’s the freaky mask guy.

[Chicago Redshirt]

29 minutes ago, twoods said:

Good case, but I was bothered by Morgan scoffing at the airport police officer like she was looking down at his job. Took me out of the scene because she’s usually better than that.

I don't think she was scoffing at the airport police officer because he's "only" airport police. She was scoffing because they were not letting her through and disbelieving her that she was allowed to be there.

Which, in fairness, if she wanted to be waved through, she should have a) brought her LAPD lanyard and b) dressed like a professional adult. 

[iMonrey]

23 hours ago, possibilities said:

All shows like this are full of absurdities and plot holes. I think the only way to watch is for the character beats and vibes.

But then you are just accepting the show is badly written. 

There aren't a ton of shows "like this" but "So Help Me Todd" had a similar vibe (and I'm still very salty about its cancellation). It was much better written, had a much tighter plot, had much funnier character beats, and had far fewer plot holes. So it's possible to do this format much better. The scripts for this show just feel very lazy. And frankly, beyond "Morgan wears inappropriate work attire" there aren't a lot of strong "character beats" either. Karadec is still something of an enigma, we know next to nothing about his personal life, and even less about Soto. 

Every episode is pretty formulaic. Karadec is sent out to investigate a new case, Morgan tags along, they chase after a few red herrings, then Morgan has an epiphany about some obscure piece of evidence and mansplains to everyone else how she unwound the mystery while they all stand around and listen.

It feels very much like the sort of network procedural pablum you can find anywhere else and doesn't aspire to be anything more. Maybe the show will improve next season but I don't have a lot of faith in the team behind it. It feels like they're just phoning it in. 

Edited February 6 by iMonrey

[shapeshifter]

Just in case I'm not the only one who was wondering:
Here's where Morgan got the Butterfly Style of Organizing ("Butterflies like to have everything out in the open so there's quick and easy access to everything") from: clutterbug.me/what-clutterbug-are-you-test/butterfly
— the website of influencer Cassandra Aarssen, who has deals with The Container Store and HGTV.
So not as scientifically based as a lot of Morgan's usual insights? 
IDK. [Looking at my stacks of finance, medical, and other papers] it seems valid.
I just cannot find a single scholarly article on the topic at the moment.
 

[chitowngirl]

Morgan’s insights do come from everywhere! I can see her being interested in various organizing styles from an HGTV person.

I took the quiz, and took the results and discussion to Small Talk…

Edited February 6 by chitowngirl

[possibilities]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

But then you are just accepting the show is badly written. 

 

Yup. I surrender.

Not saying I won't nitpick. Not saying anyone else shouldn't. Just saying, basically, if it's a cup half full vs half empty (in my mind), I'm thinking it's better than most, and I surrender.

[ams1001]

I enjoy the show, but I often get distracted and even when I am paying attention I always feel like I missed something in how they got to the conclusion.

 

21 hours ago, Percysowner said:

Cats are worse. When they think it's time to be fed they let you know. Loudly most of the time, but I have known of cats who jump up on the bed and slap you in the face, claws sheathed, to remind you that it's time for food NOW. Dogs just look sad.

Our cats didn't do that (possibly because my mom blocked the end of the hallway to the bedrooms so they couldn't get in), but when it was treat time (around 10pm) they started hovering in the areas where they got their treats (boy got his first in the kitchen, and then girl got hers by the fireplace in the living room while boy was distracted so he wouldn't try to steal them from her). Their "treats" were mostly just a different type of dry cat food than what was in their bowl, they each got a little scoop in a different bowl.

[luna1122again]

On 2/6/2025 at 11:54 AM, iMonrey said:

 

There aren't a ton of shows "like this" but "So Help Me Todd" had a similar vibe (and I'm still very salty about its cancellation). It was much better written, had a much tighter plot, had much funnier character beats, and had far fewer plot holes. So it's possible to do this format much better. 

 

Yeah, I didn't think Todd was a great show or anything, but I enjoyed it, and with the success of this show and Elspeth and Matlock, all procedurals with quirky characters and a light tone, I'm still really surprised Todd was apparently not a hit. 

It kills me how they spend all night working (ie: Morgan stands and stares at things for hours, or something) and she's fresh as a daisy, without a hair out of place, still in her heels, her never comfy-looking, tight clothes apparently never bugging her for a minute, her makeup still on point, and her energy unflagging. She's definitely a manic pixie dream savant. 

I was very worried about the little dog. How he didn't wind up poisoned while wearing that collar baffles me. 

I'm def a butterfly. I used to just call it bohemian, or, you know, kind of a slob. 

[Sarah 103]

1 hour ago, luna1122again said:

I was very worried about the little dog. How he didn't wind up poisoned while wearing that collar baffles me. 

Is it possible dogs are somehow immune to the poison? 

Edited February 7 by Sarah 103

[tennisgurl]

My potential is clearly low, I hardly ever see the issues that everyone else see until I get here after an episode, other than the last few leaps being a bit out of the blue. I liked meeting Karadec's old partner, their backstory was interesting and I would be happy to see him again now that Ronnnie has stopped throwing his weight around. The ending was sweet, Karadec acknowledging Morgan as his partner, followed by the family movie night. I also loved Oz and Daphne sticking up for each other, I know that some people are into a possible Karadec and Morgan hook up, which I don't see, but I would be thrilled if Oz and Daphne got together, they would be really cute, even if it would require a visit to HR. I would like to know more about Morgan and Ludo's marriage and why they split, they are still really close and seem to still really care about each other, they pretty much act like they're still married. I hope that Ludo passing out really was just him doing too much and not the start of something else, he's such a sweet guy.

The case of the week was alright, a load of red herrings but I started wondering about one of the security guys about halfway through, just because we were running out of suspects. The dad trying to run made me laugh a bit, like, sir, where do you think your going? Your an elderly shut in, Morgan in her high heels could probably catch you. Poor doggie, the tech guy might not have been the best person but he did seem like a good dog owner, he lost his person and was an accessory to murder. Hopefully the tech guys mom took him in.

Her last outfit looked like something you would wear for Valentines Day, so much pink! 

Edited February 7 by tennisgurl

[Percysowner]

3 hours ago, luna1122again said:

I was very worried about the little dog. How he didn't wind up poisoned while wearing that collar baffles me.

I did wonder for a second, but I also know that dogs react differently than people to things. For example, if your dog happens to eat even one grape or a raisin you need to call your vet ASAP because they are so highly toxic to dogs. So I can see it working the other way as well, something that kills a human and does nothing to a dog.