S01.E11: Tell All

[formerlyfreedom]

A high-profile athlete’s estranged wife is terrorized as her scandalous memoir is about to be published, and the TAU must investigate a long list of potential suspects to find the real perpetrator. Also, Beth finally reveals the painful details of her past

 

 

[anstar]

Janice is awesome!  That is all.

[Dowel Jones]

They could have shown the kid playing Grand Theft Auto, at least. 

 

Has Beth's backstory run its course now?  Because that was all that was holding the show together, the rest being so formulaic and all.

[Kromm]

It was interesting to finally see a Stalker who killed someone, but then it got ridiculous again when it was revealed he hadn't killed any of the others.

Has Beth's backstory run its course now?  Because that was all that was holding the show together, the rest being so formulaic and all.

If Perry has money, I'm sure they'll play this as him getting off by making entrapment charges.  Plus, there's always getting out on bail, running, and popping up in her life when it does the most damage.

[shrewd.buddha]

Another solid episode (for this type show). This really made me like Janice more -- enough, in fact, to actually remember the character's name. 

After having sex with her brand new co-worker, I really had not expected that Janice would have more layers (this being a CBS procedural and all), but maybe -- maybe -- these characters are going to be mostly good at their jobs but also with some messy personal issues. 

(I still get irritated that mostly everyone on TV is a workaholic and super, super great at their designated profession.)

 

I don't see Beth's stalker-boy problem going away any time soon. It just feels that things are going to new level. That's okay with me, as long as there's movement to the plot and they don't rehash the same scenario over and over. 

 

The stalker case of the week was, as usual, over the top. One thing that made it appealing to me was how they revealed the 'victim' as being mostly a lying fame seeker, despite all her claims to the contrary. The glances Beth and DM were giving each other during their interviews were fun to watch. 

Edited December 12, 2014 by shrewd.buddha

[fabinpink]

I love Janice. She is my favorite! That scene with Perry was awesome.

 

The twist at the end was nice. I really didn't think the ex husband had anything to  do with it.

 

I really like this show. The Jack/son storyline doesn't even bother me.

 

 

 

 

 

[TaraS1]

I like the show, but didn't love this episode.  Great to see Jason Wiles, though! (Less than great to see Chandra West - she was embarrassingly terrible during her stint on NYPD Blue years back.)

 

I definitely enjoyed Janice's badassery with Perry, but it felt like he broke way too soon re: her taunting about his mother.  Still, nice work by both actors.

[CooperTV]

Wow, great episode! I liked how the victim was not very bright but somehow very perceptive what everyone around her were being up to. And everyone lies was great premise as well. It was obvious it was the ex-husband but the sneaky writers were trying to convince us it isn't so the whole time.

 

Janice was awesome! And Beth was badass again! Poor awkward Jack was adorably awkward with the mini-me.

[thuganomics85]

While I'm glad Perry has been captured (by Janice no less), I agree it's far from over.  My guess is all this talk about his father and his shady past, is going to come into play.  Maybe he's going to be like Perry, only ten times worse.  Hey, maybe he can be played by Xander Berkley and we can get Nikita vs. Perry: Round 2!

 

The case of the week was alright, but the victim annoyed me, since she seemed to be one of those folks that kept keeping things from the cops, that could have been a big help.  Telling them about the ghost writer earlier, could have been helpful, lady.  

 

If you are going to show Jack bond with his son over video games, maybe don't play a haunting, creepy cover song over it, please. Kind of makes it feel like something sinister is going down, which I'm guessing isn't the case.

[Kromm]

I don't see Beth's stalk-boy problem going away any time soon. It just feels that things are going to new level. That's okay with me, as long as there's movement to the plot and they don't rehash the same scenario over and over.

It's occurred to me since my last post that the logical escalation to the situation is for Beth's ORIGINAL Stalker to get involved now. It was very suspicious (and all too Hollywood writer convenient) that it was revealed that Orig-Stalker's family "had money" and consequently he was in some kind of voluntary commitment. I mean it strains credibility, because I don't care how much money you have--a multiple murderer on a voluntary commitment? Now THAT'S nuts. But plotwise this contrivance seems designed to have him get checked out and back in the Stalking Business by the Season End. Either with the assistance of New Stalker Boy (who as I said before, probably can easily get off with some kind of entrapment accusation), or not.

[fabinpink]

When Perry was being arrested, what did he say to Janice? I keep watching it, but can't make it out.

 

I'm thinking Perry will start stalking Janice now and back off of Beth a bit.

[CooperTV]

When Perry was being arrested, what did he say to Janice? I keep watching it, but can't make it out.

 

"You made a huge mistake. You have no idea!"

[shrewd.buddha]

One problem Beth has to contend with is that stalker-boy knows all her secrets. Since she is playing ice queen to her co-workers, this gives him a lot of blackmail leverage. 

 

You'd think Beth would realize that full disclosure -- to the people she supposedly trusts in life-or-death situations -- would be the most logical option. 

Edited December 12, 2014 by shrewd.buddha

[CooperTV]

One problem Beth has to contend with is that stalker-boy knows all her secrets. Since she is playing ice queen to her co-workers, this gives him a lot of blackmail leverage. 

 

You'd think Beth would realize that full disclosure -- to the people she supposedly trusts in life-or-death situations -- would be the most logical option. 

She already told Janice, and her boss had known from the start.

[Texasmom1970]

Noooo not "Depeche Mode" murder all the people you want on the show but for love if Pete stop killing a song I love at the end of each episode!

[Jillybean]

Great to see Jason Wiles, though! 

 

Although he's too old to play an active pro hockey player.  Only a few of the exceptional ones play past age 40.

Edited December 12, 2014 by Jillybean

[alexvillage]

If something happens to Janice I will definitely stop watching the show. I am hanging in there because I like the idea of it, but the episodes have been disappointing. But I really like Janice, she is the best thing in the show, and if they decide she needs to die, that's it 

Of course, there is a chance the show will be cancelled

[Kromm]

Of course, there is a chance the show will be cancelled

I don't think much of one, given the reasonably good ratings.

She already told Janice, and her boss had known from the start.

Exactly.  The idea of the information coming out makes her uncomfortable, but there's nothing leveragable about it by a blackmailer.  At worst, it inconveniences her and perhaps wounds her career slightly, because she'd probably get media attention.  But she's covered her ass (unless that superior had to do something underhanded to get Beth admitted to the police academy or something like that, and it didn't seem like that was the case).

[Whimsy]

I love Janice. She is my favorite! That scene with Perry was awesome.

The twist at the end was nice. I really didn't think the ex husband had anything to do with it.

I really like this show. The Jack/son storyline doesn't even bother me.

Janice has definitely grown on me. I love her now, too.

As soon as it was halfway through the episode and I realized Jason Wiles only had that small scene, I knew it would be him. Not that he's a HUGE actor, but he's still too big of a name for a tiny scene in the beginning and nothing else.

I like this show a lot more now that they've toned down creepy, stalker Jack. I read an article that said he was never meant to be creepy. Well, they failed at that!! Glad they realized it and made him more normal. Still don't get the extreme level of bitterness/hatred from the mother (I can't even remember her name). To me, that hasn't been really explained sufficiently.

[william0102]

Although he's too old to play an active pro hockey player.  Only a few of the exceptional ones play past age 40.

That was one thing I laughed about when they finally said he was a hockey player- really? He was getting blitzed drunk whenever he had a bad game and was beating on his wife... do they understand a player's schedule at all? They're out of town for about half the season, and usually have three games a week, October to April and that's if they don't make the playoffs (then it can go to almost June), and I don't see his wife following him around. And if he really did drink every time he had a bad game, how was he even still on the team, because he's an L.A. player, and that guy wouldn't even been on the farm team. 

[methodwriter85]

I don't see Beth's stalker-boy problem going away any time soon. It just feels that things are going to new level. That's okay with me, as long as there's movement to the plot and they don't rehash the same scenario over and over.

 

 

My guess is that Perry's stalking of Beth causes her original stalker to break out of the psych hospital and stalk her again in time for the season finale.

 

I mean, I feel like that's got to be where they're going with this- Beth needs to confront her monster one final time and reclaim being Michelle.

Edited December 20, 2014 by methodwriter85

[Maverick]

 I think they'll go for an even bigger cliche than that.  Her original stalker will break out, but he will stalk Perry for going after the object of his fixation.  Perry will either be killed or require the team's protection because he's being stalked (or both) and then Beth's original stalker will still be on the loose to go after her again.  Two cliches for the price of one.

[webruce]

I suspected the husband Tom Wade stalking, then they kind of drew you away so I figured it wasn't him. Her (Stella),tell all book kinda brought ex friends out of the woodwork. Cynthia Walker is one,that slept with Stella's ex. Richard and Dr. Roger Chase were 3 on the list that were grabbed by Tom. Doc was on oxy. Tom was to forth coming with info. when asked. Oliver Granzinger was the publisher who sent pre release copies to all on her naughty list. Cameron Robbins was her ghost writer. He wasn't to lucky. Tom thought he could get her back and these others were in the way.

I liked how Beth Davis told Janice Lawrence more about the killings and why she moved and changed her name. I think Jack and Ben Caldwell should be clued in too on it. Perry acted to cool when Janice came after him. Seems Perry got upset awful easy over his mom and got arrested. Maybe he got arrested on purpose, and then he can get off and haunt them, or he will be closer to Beth? Janice and the PD took him down nice. I think Perry Whitley's family has money. Tracy Wright maybe on Perry's list now too. Maybe Ron(I think that is the original killer/stalkers name) will comeback and try to stop Beth? His name has been mentioned a couple times.

Ethan stopped Jack Larsen who was jogging to talk. Then Amanda figuring out that he over heard her and bf Trent Wilkes discussing Jack. Trent thought Ethan should know, and Jack should be able to see him. I liked Jack visiting his son, Ethan. His ex Amanda Taylor, seems to have given him a chance and given up on the dark secret that she tried to use to send him away.

Edited December 28, 2014 by webruce

[needschocolate]

I had recorded all the episodes of this show, but, since I wasn't real thrilled with the first 2-3 episodes, I saved them to watch when we ran out of shows we liked.  Well, we ran out of episodes of shows we liked, and I have now caught up with Stalker.  The show has grown on me.  I may even try to find time to watch it weekly.  

 

There is more, and better, profiling here than on Criminal Minds and no magic computers.  

 

Exactly.  The idea of the information coming out makes her uncomfortable, but there's nothing leveragable about it by a blackmailer.  At worst, it inconveniences her and perhaps wounds her career slightly, because she'd probably get media attention.  But she's covered her ass (unless that superior had to do something underhanded to get Beth admitted to the police academy or something like that, and it didn't seem like that was the case).

 

I think the reason she doesn't want everyone to know is that she doesn't want her original stalker to be able to find her if he gets out.

 

I like this show a lot more now that they've toned down creepy, stalker Jack. I read an article that said he was never meant to be creepy. Well, they failed at that!! Glad they realized it and made him more normal. Still don't get the extreme level of bitterness/hatred from the mother (I can't even remember her name). To me, that hasn't been really explained sufficiently.

 

I think the Jack as a stalker thing didn't turn out the way they thought it would, so they tried to drop it as quickly as possible.  But they may have dropped it too quickly.

 

I don't get the extreme bitterness either.  The big, bad secret - Jack slept with a witness - doesn't seem big enough or bad enough.  Sleeping with a witness is very bad professionally, but how did this keep him from seeing his son?  If it were just the mom not allowing it, he could go to court, sleeping with a witness wouldn't stop a judge from allowing him to see the kid.  there has to be more to the story.

 

Also, I can see why he wouldn't want the big bad secret known, but he got this job because someone made it happen - why would someone help Jack out after he did something that is supposed to be so terrible?  So the scenario is "You did this horrible thing, so I will help you relocate and get a job ahead of a bunch of other people" - huh?  

 

It also got me that after the mom decides not to tell on Jack,  we never see Jack watching the kid from afar again.  I assume we are supposed to believe he still did, but they didn't show it.  But it was like he didn't care anymore - that maybe he never really cared about the kid, he was getting off on the stalking and living dangerously. 

[webruce]

@Needschocolate that is an interesting theory on Jack stopping his stalking. Maybe the chase was better then the catch? But my thinking is that they established Jack as watching his ex Amanda and Ethan. So I believe he is still watching but has not been caught as he was by Amanda who sent Trent looking for him. But maybe with Trent seemingly on his side jack has backed off on his stalking. And Amanda's threats have slowed down. She would not know that he talked to Beth on it. But he seemed quite happy whjen he could be with Ethan and play games.

Maybe Jack was doing Stalker research. Seeing how the other half lives?

Edited December 30, 2014 by webruce

[Happytobehere]

.

 

I don't get the extreme bitterness either.  The big, bad secret - Jack slept with a witness - doesn't seem big enough or bad enough.  Sleeping with a witness is very bad professionally, but how did this keep him from seeing his son?  If it were just the mom not allowing it, he could go to court, sleeping with a witness wouldn't stop a judge from allowing him to see the kid.  there has to be more to the story.

The witness thing wasn't why Rhombot didn't want Jack to see the kid. Mir was just the thing that could destroy his career, Rhombot didn't want Jack involved because when Ethan was younger, Jack was in and out of his life and denied paternity when it suited him. Rhombot decided that Ethan would be better off with no father than a father who rejected him on whims and made him feel like crap.

[needschocolate]

The witness thing wasn't why Rhombot didn't want Jack to see the kid. Mir was just the thing that could destroy his career, Rhombot didn't want Jack involved because when Ethan was younger, Jack was in and out of his life and denied paternity when it suited him. Rhombot decided that Ethan would be better off with no father than a father who rejected him on whims and made him feel like crap.

 

Well, she was probably right to feel that way, based on prior behavior, but I don't know if the courts would agree. My point, which I didn't make very well, is that we haven't been given a reason why Jack couldn't have visitation rights legally.When she kept threatening to tattle on him, I assumed his big, dark, secret would involve some reason why he would not have been allowed to be with the boy, but it didn't.

 

Jack now wants to be with the son so much that he moves across the country  I would think that he would try to get visitation, rather than stalking them (maybe the writers wanted us to think that stalking was a sign of love?). One could argue that he didn't try to get visitation out of respect for her wishes, but the stalking pretty much ruins that argument. 

 

I think the real problem is that the writers started Jack out in one direction - he was quite an unlikeable tool in the beginning - and they have now decided that he shouldn't be so bad.  So they are stuck with re-creating his back story.  

[Happytobehere]

 

I think the real problem is that the writers started Jack out in one direction - he was quite an unlikeable tool in the beginning - and they have now decided that he shouldn't be so bad.  So they are stuck with re-creating his back story.

I agree. I think the writers were going for some sort of irony or mystery and got uber creep, especially when they had Jack so successfully getting into the heads and mindsets of the stalkers. I personally think the more interesting story would have been Jack being a stalker or stalker-lite and the implications for his job -- was he good at his job because he is a stalker and if so, how does that play out once the truth is revealed; or did his years on the job help to finely tune stalkerish characteristics and the lines between job and private lives are now blurring. However, I tend to think the problem was that DM, much like Rhombot isn't ery skilled at his craft, and just couldn't pull off the subtlety required to not make everyone think he was a creepy stalker, so the story basically got scrapped.

[methodwriter85]

 I think they'll go for an even bigger cliche than that.  Her original stalker will break out, but he will stalk Perry for going after the object of his fixation.  Perry will either be killed or require the team's protection because he's being stalked (or both) and then Beth's original stalker will still be on the loose to go after her again.  Two cliches for the price of one.

 

    Either way there's no way in hell Beth's original stalker isn't coming back. If they didn't want that opportunity, they would have said he was dead.

 

    I'd nominate Matt Barr, but he's busy. Maybe they could get Ryan Devlin? He did a pretty good job with Mercer. And he looks the part of the preppy rich boy, but older than Perry.