Small Talk: 7th Floor Nurses Station

[ulkis]

When I said secondary couple, I meant that for most dramas or even comedies where the show likes to promote their one big couple and then the rest are just kind of in the background. I like the secondary couples better. So for this instance Buffy/Angel at the time were not really that big a deal to me.

 

Ah, gotchya. Yeah, I grew to like them too, although I admit I was sad at first because a part of my always shipped Xander/Willow from the beginning. But I guess they avoided a cliche by not having them ever hook up, except briefly to break-up Xander/Cordy. But Xander/Cordy ended (eventually) on a great note, at least. I was actually really intrigued by Xander/Anya in season 3 but then they turned Anya into the most cliche fish-out-of-water person (and they did the weirdest things with poor Emma Caulfield's hair) and I lost interest.

[ulkis]

I made some book recommendations here:

 

http://forums.previously.tv/topic/2023-small-talk-chewing-the-haggis/?p=2027287

 

I figured since I wrote it might as well link to it here just in case anyone might be looking for something to read. 

[LeftPhalange]

I just discovered this and it's my new favorite thing.

 

https://twitter.com/josholzz/status/699432086965366784

[peachmangosteen]

Ah yes! My sisters showed me that a few weeks ago and we say "Damn Daniel, back at it again with the white vans," like 10 times a day lol.

[Chairperson Meow]

You guys! #goals!

I made VIB at Sephora this weekend. I used to always cash them in, but I decided to rack them up. I am a Very Important Beauty Insider now.

It's like winning Scrabble against Kiki.

[SlovakPrincess]

Can we talk about the fact that it's suddenly winter again in the northeast?

Mikkos has cranked up the weather machine, I guess ...

[ulkis]

It's crazy. One day it's warm, next cold. warm cold warm cold 50x.

[SlovakPrincess]

Shitty skiing weather all winter ... but now that I'm ready for spring it's snowy and cold. Ughhhh.

[KerleyQ]

This seemed like the best place to put this:  If you aren't watching B&B, they have been doing a story that is basically another version of the Liz/Jason/Sam amnesia shit.  Except, in this case, Quinn (Rena Sofer, who is excellent at playing the crazy) has been keeping Liam (Scott Clifton) in some remote cabin during his amnesia, after texting his loved ones from his phone that he needs some time away to himself.  She started out doing it because she wanted her son, Wyatt, Liam's half brother, to get Steffy, who was with Liam.  But, she fell for Liam along the way (yep, Lois and Dillon had sex, people!).  Anyway, it all came to a head this week (yesterday and today) when Wyatt came to the cabin and walked in on Quinn and Liam about to have sex.  And the fallout so far has been awesome.  Wyatt is disgusted and pissed.  Liam is getting flashes of memory now that he's heard his name and met his brother.  It's just so much better than the lameass "OK, welp, we'll all just go home now, laters!" fallout we got from Jake finding out he was Jason.  Wyatt's horrified "my mother's in love with my brother????" face alone was better than anything we got in the fallout on this show.  I mean, if you just have to write a woman having a relationship with an amnesiac while lying about who he is, then write that shit.  Don't just build it all up and go "eh, it's done now."  

 

And, hold onto your hats, Liam actually spent time trying to figure out who he was, asking Quinn a ton of questions about their past (she told him they were a married couple named Adam and Eve), trying to find things online, etc.  Who knew an amnesiac could take an interest in his past?  

 

Side note:  this story also involved the supposed death of Deacon (Sean Kanan) when Quinn shoved him off a cliff to keep him from busting her secret.  Another thing B&B will likely get right that GH got wrong - I don't think Deacon is actually dead.  So they likely didn't make the "bring back SK's character and off him" move that GH proudly made.  

[dubbel zout]

Liam actually spent time trying to figure out who he was

Wait, what? Why would he do something like that? It's so much easier to amble around town and let other people decide stuff for you.

[HeatLifer]

Wyatt's FACE and dialogue was better than anything GH did in the Jason reveal. "It didn't look like he had that smitten look on his face!" *iz ded*

[BestestAuntEver]

KerleyQ, I whole heartedly agree. There was more fallout at the end of yesterday and today's episode than all of the Jakeson bs.

And there will be much more vs "Helena or reasons". Bill and Steffi will get to react as well as many others. I bet Quinn's emotions will come to play as well as Deacon showing up for his pound of flesh.

Yet my soap limps along, with no consequences for horrible actions and no one being aloud to react.

[HeatLifer]

No! It should've been Shawn and Topanga!

http://youtu.be/9BrLse9TqmY

Edited April 21, 2016 by HeatLifer

[tvgoddess]

I managed to dislocate my pinkie toe over the weekend. I never thought such a small appendage could cause so much pain. Really hoping this heals up soon. I'm only on Day 5 and it could take up to six weeks. UGH.

[ulkis]

38 minutes ago, tvgoddess said:

I managed to dislocate my pinkie toe over the weekend. I never thought such a small appendage could cause so much pain. Really hoping this heals up soon. I'm only on Day 5 and it could take up to six weeks. UGH.

Aw, sorry. And yeah, the toes do cause a lot of damn pain. If I stub my toes against surface it hurts like hell for a minute or two.

[Asp Burger]

I have an occasional weakness for McDonald's (don't judge!), and the new young manager guy at the one nearest me looks so much like Spinelli on GH that it's creepy. The eyes, the hair, the chin, everything. If I didn't live a long way away from California, I'd have thought Bradford had fallen on hard times. Different voice, though. And thank God, no  apparent similarities in personality. He didn't say, "The Jackal will immediately bring you the very freshest of French fries!" 

[Chairperson Meow]

I, too, have GH sneaking up in my real life.   I have crohns disease,  which is flaring up etc so I have to get tested to go on this new medication.  They're sending me to an infectious disease specialist.  If I go in and this person has a service lizard, I'm taking pictures.   And you will all have to see them.  

[Vella]

I like it here. I don't have to pay and people aren't constantly having somewhat disturbing rage-a-thons at particular actors.

[rur]

I guess this is the right spot for this question . . .

Does anyone else think of Bryan Craig whenever the "grilled dog"  Burger King commercial airs? 

It's been making me crazy for the last week or so. 

[Chairperson Meow]

You guys!!!  I found out last week that I've been accepted into the nursing program at my college.  It's pretty competitive and hard to get into, but yay!  My stuff from when I studied psych transferred over, so I'm a sophomore.  Hopefully, my teachers aren't former terrorists nor do any amnesiacs wander in hoping I'll take them home.  And I'm staying away from the arts department.  

[rur]

Congrats, CM! I'm toasting you w/ virtual champagne. Good luck in your studies.

[tvgoddess]

Fantastic, Chairperson Meow! That's really wonderful news, you should feel proud of yourself.

Without trying to get too personal, does anyone have any experience or know anyone who has had ECT? Long story short, my best friend's sister has been battling severe anxiety and depression, and actually tried to hurt herself. She was in a facility for a little while, and has been on medication and therapy, but none of it was working. She got approved for ECT, and she started it last week. I was really nervous when I first heard about it, because I was still thinking it was like the old days, and then really my only exposure to it was on OLTL with Jessica and then on GH with Robin, so yeah. Yikes.

I've been trying to do my research but was also just wondering if anyone had any positive things to say about it. The side effects are memory loss and confusion, but I guess so far so good. It's really taken a toll on my best friend because both of their parents are gone, and she is extremely close to her sister. I've been helping babysit for her 7 year old nephew while her sister's been in the facility.

This kind of helps just to get this out, so even if no one has anything to say, thanks.

[dubbel zout]

Read Carrie Fisher's Shockaholic, a memoir that discusses her decision to undergo ECT. She's brutally honest about the pros and cons as they relate to her.

Edited August 11, 2016 by dubbel zout

[LeftPhalange]

Quote

OBJECTIVES:

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a very effective treatment of major depressive disorder. However, its use has been declining over the years in the United Kingdom, where it is now reserved for cases where all other treatment options have failed. We wanted to assess whether ECT is still highly effective in such a severely treatment-resistant population.

METHODS:

We report results from an ongoing, prospectively conducted, naturalistic study examining the effectiveness of ECT at a general psychiatric hospital in Cardiff, United Kingdom. We present results on every patient who received ECT between March 2004 and August 2006 for major depressive episodes, had a baseline 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD24) score of greater than or equal to 18 and consented for participation.

RESULTS:

We analyzed the results of 38 patients who had at least 6 ECT sessions or achieved remission earlier. They had spent on average 14.6 months in their current episodes and 6.2 years of their lifetime in depression. They had failed to respond to an average of 5.4 different pharmacological treatments. Twenty-five patients (65.8%) responded (improvement in HDRS24 of >or=50%) and 21 (53.3%) achieved remission (end point HDRS24 score <or=10 and improvement in HDRS24 of >or=60%). There was no correlation between the number of unsuccessful antidepressant trials and improvement (r = -0.04, P = 0.8).

CONCLUSIONS:

The ECT is still highly effective in severely treatment-resistant patients with major depressive disorder, with more than half of such patients achieving remission.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18580559

Quote

Although ECT has been used since the 1940s and 1950s, it remains misunderstood by the general public. Many of the procedure's risks and side effects are related to the misuse of equipment, incorrect administration, or improperly trained staff. It is also a misconception that ECT is used as a "quick fix" in place of long-term therapy or hospitalization. Nor is it correct to believe that the patient is painfully "shocked" out of the depression. Unfavorable news reports and media coverage have contributed to the controversy surrounding this treatment.

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/electroconvulsive-therapy

 

I've read a little bit about ECT before and from what I understand it's considered relatively safe. There is some debate over how effective it is, though. There have been studies that say it's effective in about 50% of patients with severe depression that's resistant to other treatments, and then there's this guy, a professor of psychiatry and co-director of the Mood Disorders Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who says it's effective 75-80% of the time.

[tvgoddess]

Thanks, guys. I'm definitely going to check out that book and recommend it to my friend. From what I've understood so far, it seems like it has had some success, but also some people relapse.  I definitely think it's much safer today. I appreciate the responses.

[Chairperson Meow]

I've only read about ECT.   There are a number of books on it though.  It used to be way more mainstream and popular than it is now.  From what I've read, the soaps had everything wrong.  Oddly enough, Greys Anatomy is pretty on point with medical stuff as per doctor friends I have 

[sacrebleu]

Quote

Without trying to get too personal, does anyone have any experience or know anyone who has had ECT? 

My sister had it, for the same reasons your friend's sister did, treatment resistant depression and anxiety. The ECT helped a lot. She had been living with me for nearly 6 months, trying different meds, before agreeing to hospitalization and the ECT. (she had left her husband, who was emotionally abusive). She had some memory issues at first, but they faded. She's doing well now-- two years later.  Occasionally, I wonder if she's having memory issues, she called me just last Friday, and left a message-- but when I returned her call she didn't remember calling-- little things like that. But six weeks at an in treatment hospital with  I think 5 ECT treatments (and other therapies)  did more for her than six months on various meds.

 

(sorry, late to respond-- I took a break from GH for a few months)

Edited August 24, 2016 by sacrebleu

[tvgoddess]

(No problem, I took a break as well.)

Thanks for your feedback. She hasn't been seeing much improvement until very recently, and only after they started the bilateral. Going to be a long and difficult process. Glad your sister has had success with it and is doing well.

[UYI]

We just lost Agnes Nixon--creator of OLTL, AMC, Loving, and HW of many other soaps, like AW. RIP. :'( 

[HeatLifer]

I miss AMC. Just came across this clip with four of my faves: Leo, Greens, David, and Anna.

[WendyCR72]

Didn't see this here, but the day after AMC creator Agnes Nixon died, it was announced via Walt Willey's Facebook page that his AMC TV brother, Larkin Malloy (Travis), also died from complications from a heart attack at only 62.

[Valmarmar]

Oh no.  I am sorry to hear about Larkin Malloy.  

[LeftPhalange]

Does anyone here watch The Walking Dead? I finally watched the season premiere and now I'm upset. Stupid Rick and his stupid son are still alive but

Spoiler

Glen

is dead. I hate this show. 

[ulkis]

I can't even bring myself to be remotely snarky about GH today.

[SlovakPrincess]

So real life is horrible, and also there is nothing on TV this season that appeals to me.  So escapism seems off the table at this point, too.

Any recommendations?  For those of us who aren't into the tragedy porn of Grey's Anatomy, or the torture porn of Walking Dead or Game of Thrones?  I feel old, and would like some TV that is challenging but isn't packed full of and celebrates shitbag characters and suffering (obviously, current-day GH is out of the question, heh heh).

 

LeftPhalange, I haven't watched Walking Dead in forever, but certainly won't be giving it another try after what I read about the season premiere!  Also, Jeffrey Dean Morgan annoys the shit out of me in everything.  Hated him on Grey's, hate him from the Walking Dead ads I've seen.  

Edited November 16, 2016 by SlovakPrincess

[ulkis]

48 minutes ago, SlovakPrincess said:

Any recommendations?  For those of us who aren't into the tragedy porn of Grey's Anatomy, or the torture porn of Walking Dead or Game of Thrones?  I feel old, and would like some TV that is challenging but isn't packed full of and celebrates shitbag characters and suffering (obviously, current-day GH is out of the question, heh heh).

What are tv shows you do like, so I can get some sort of idea?

[SlovakPrincess]

I liked Mad Men, I like The Americans  (although this is probably the most depressing show I am willing to watch), I liked Longmire except for the last season which went to crap, I liked the first season of Nashville.  The only sitcom I watch at this point is The Middle but I have to really be in the mood for it.  I liked Orphan Black's first season.

I would probably like Stranger Things - have heard good things about it - but would have to go find it at this point.

:)

[ulkis]

Maybe you'd like Jessica Jones? It's on netflix. It's kinda dark but it's not graphic. And the

villain gets defeated at the end of the season.

[SlovakPrincess]

Thanks!  Will check it out!

[LeftPhalange]

I like Mr. Robot. It's dark but I don't think it reaches torture porn levels, and it's not graphically violent. You might also want to check out Designated Survivor. The premise is depressing but it's a political thriller so I don't think it will be too bad. I haven't had time to watch it yet but I've heard good things. Oh, and there's Black Mirror, a science fiction anthology show. It might be too dark for you, though. Honestly, I think a lot of the current dramas are dark/depressing and/or violent, so if you want to avoid that you might have to focus on comedies. 

[ulkis]

4 hours ago, SlovakPrincess said:

Thanks!  Will check it out!

Slovakprincess, I can't believe I forgot to name this show - Slings and Arrows. It's about the ups and downs of a Shakespeare theater company. Funny and mature.

Edited November 16, 2016 by ulkis

[Oracle42]

Is that on Netflix?

[dubbel zout]

Jessica Jones is so good. You might also try Happy Valley, if British police procedurals are your jam. Great acting, and the seasons (there are two) are only six episodes.

[peachmangosteen]

Rectify. Everyone watch Rectify! It's in it's last season right now. I believe the other seasons are all on Netflix. And there's only 4 total seasons including the current one with each season having only 6, 8, or 10 eps, so you could get through it pretty quickly. 

[LeftPhalange]

Halt and Catch Fire. It's about a tech startup founded by two women and set in the 80s.

[ulkis]

5 hours ago, Oracle42 said:

Is that on Netflix?

Not sure, but I don't think so. It might be on Hulu or youtube. 

[sacrebleu]

I am getting into "Good Girls Revolt" on Amazon. It's about women in the late '60's early 70's fighting for equality in the workplace (which is a newsroom). 

As someone with a journalism background, its fascinating to see news coverage in that era (they cover the Vietnam War, the Black Panther movement). They mix in some real- life figures (Nora Ephron, Eleanor Holmes Norton).

Edited November 16, 2016 by sacrebleu

[isalicat]

I vote for "Westworld" which I am absolutely loving so far..."The Americans" has been one of the best things on TV the last few years so if you have never watched it, its a great binge watch before next year's new season...and "Mr. Robot" is pretty interesting too.

If you like your soap set in the past, try "Poldark" - its super soapy and quite purty.

[dubbel zout]

If you want escapism, "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" are great. They're set in Melbourne, Australia, in the 1920s. Phyrne Fisher is a lady detective with clothes to die for. Bonus points for Miriam Margolyes as her disapproving aunt. The mysteries are interesting, and the violence, such as it is, is not gory at all. 

[Melgaypet]

Oooh, mysteries are good! Grantchester is a British show set post-WWII, starring James Norton as Sidney, a hot, angsty country vicar who teams up with a snarky cop to solve crimes. It's charming and fun and sometimes quite touching. Also, James Norton is hot.