S01.E11: Perestroika

[Whimsy]

In the aftermath of Henry not reciprocating Eliza's romantic feelings, a cold war develops between the two- until Eliza's financial crisis and her need for Henry's advice bring hope of détente.

 

I just watched this one.  Not my favorite, but I was laughing at some of Eliza's antics in avoiding Henry.  I also thought her interaction with Julia was pretty funny- especially the "coltish" sniff that she did to make Julia run away. 

 

I was a little confused by the scene with Freddie, though.  It would've been kind of sweet if we didn't know she was still hung up on Henry.  Instead, it seems kind of cruel to Freddie to get his hopes up.

[xander874]

Yeah with only 2 episodes left I wonder if they will wrap things up. If so, then poor Freddie. But I guess that was always the endgame. Just now it'll be rushed. Of course I'm not expecting a neat ending due to the cancellation but I hope it doesn't end with Freddie and Eliza happy and Henry pining.

This episode was okay but did Henry call Charlie a "shit"? Maybe on hulu they don't have censors.

[mamey2422]

This was one of my favorite episodes, mainly because of the Eliza scenes: her exchange with Charmonique when she becomes homeless, her exchange with her neighbors, when she tries to sell her gently used gift cards and especially her hilarious Gone Girl reenactment and her habit of flushing objects down the toilet when she's drunk. I just really liked it all.

The only disappointing thing for me is that I feel they are setting up an ending where Eliza and Henry are just friends. I know the show was cancelled after the last episode was shot so I'm trying not to get hopes up for anything else.

[Eolivet]

I wouldn't mind Freddy and Eliza (it's from the musical after all -- and likely the play before that) if it wasn't very late in the second act and I thought the show was going to actually get to the My Fair Lady finale. But I agree with the previous poster -- I don't think it is.

 

I did like seeing blustery, bossy Henry again. He was more Henry Higgins than Henry Higgs in this episode.

 

One brief rant: Emily Kapnek had to know the show was a longshot for success. Heck, Ryan Murphy knew that about "Glee" -- and wrote an episode 13 that could stand as the series finale if the show was cancelled midway through the first season. I know it's all good to bet on yourself, but these episodes are being written like episode 13 was a halfway point. She had to have seen at least the premiere ratings by now -- she had to know the show wasn't a massive hit. And yet, she's still going for this slow build when she has to know she's on borrowed time.

 

Get us to the finale on time, Emily! You may think you have all night to dance around it, but you don't. As much as we've begged for more.

[Blakeston]

I actually think the finale will end with Eliza and Henry together. By the time they were writing episode 13, it had to be clear from the ratings that the series was extremely unlikely to continue.

 

And they've gotten very far into the Eliza/Henry attraction already. In episode 9, we saw Eliza conclude that she's in love with Henry, and proposition him by stripping naked. I don't think the writers would have gone there so quickly if they didn't have an inkling that things might be over soon. If anything, that feels like something that might happen at the end of season 1 if the series was a hit.

 

My guess is that they decided to end episode 13 with Eliza and Henry getting together, knowing that they could break them up (or at least slow them down) if they got a full season order.

[BooBear]

The only disappointing thing for me is that I feel they are setting up an ending where Eliza and Henry are just friends. I know the show was cancelled after the last episode was shot so I'm trying not to get hopes up for anything else.

Yes didn't like that but this show turns on a dime so quickly... I suppose my confusion / disappointment is that Henry broke up with Julia and still doesn't seem to want to be happy.  He still likes Eliza -- he went to the hotel and couldn't wait a minute to call her. One thing I don't love is that Henry sometimes is more like her dad than a lover. He seems only able to communicate with her when he is *taking care of her* and I don't like that...  even though Eliza is young... it is hard to believe she would have that much of an issue with money management. She is employed and a VIP.  I will write that off to exaggeration so Eliza wouldn't have a home. 

 

Not sure what is up with Freddy but maybe Eliza decided she should try.

[HotForBacon]

Will this be available for free next week?

[thuganomics85]

 

This episode was okay but did Henry call Charlie a "shit"? Maybe on hulu they don't have censors.

I heard it too, when I watched it On Demand.  I guess they had unedited versions planned for DVD releases or something, but since it's technically airing on ABC anymore, they could just keep that in. Still, I was totally thrown for a loop when it happened.

 

It was fun watching Henry get upset over getting a B on his performance review, but I automatically called it that it wouldn't be Eliza, but Charlie who caused it, so it was basically a "Wait until he figures it out" story-line.  The pay-off at the end though was great.

 

The Eliza stuff was better; glad they got around to addressing her financial issues.  I assumed she makes a decent living, but she does strike me as someone who would be horrible with her spending.  Glad Charmonqiue was used in this plot as well.  And, finally, back to Eliza/Henry.  Normally, I might argue that they forgave each other too easily, but since this show is dead, I'm glad they're back to speaking terms.  Of course, Eliza is still with Freddy (and he seems to be taking it seriously again), and Henry is still refusing to go there, so who knows if anything is going to actually happen with those two.

 

Eliza trying to pull a Gone Girl was the best.  Followed by another Eliza vs. Julia snark-off.

 

Only two episodes left, right?  Sigh...

[Monx]

 

One thing I don't love is that Henry sometimes is more like her dad than a lover.

This is why I loved that little exchange of Eliza putting herself down and Henry reassuring her that she's just in her twenties. Also the: ‘what am I going to do with you’? Squee! Ehm…sorry. Thank god they finally mentioned Eliza’s awesome blackboard walls. I've been freeze framing like crazy trying to catch everything. The best one this episode ‘remember to look people in the eyes’. Poor Freddy this is like the fifth time Eliza has mentioned Henry, surely he’s not that clueless. My bet some sort of confrontation will happen.

 

Dammit. I really shouldn't be so invested in a show I know is cancelled. This is like Freaks and Geeks all over again...

[Geeni]

I believe I read that Kapnek said that Episode 13 could act as a series finale if need be, so there's that?

 

I never saw My Fair Lady so I'm not clear on the Freddy/Eliza story, but in regards to this show I was always surprised that he was willing to extend their relationship to being more than FWB. At first, he seemed to me to be the type who would see it as no more than an occasional booty call with a hot girl, but obviously not. I do like him, even though I would much rather see Henry get his act together and tell Eliza how he obviously feels.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Geeni

[shapeshifter]

...did Henry call Charlie a "shit"? Maybe on hulu they don't have censors.

I heard it too, when I watched it On Demand.  I guess they had unedited versions planned for DVD releases or something, but since it's technically airing on ABC anymore, they could just keep that in. Still, I was totally thrown for a loop when it happened....

I snorted.

[Eolivet]

I believe I read that Kapnek said that Episode 13 could act as a series finale if need be, so there's that?

 

I never saw My Fair Lady so I'm not clear on the Freddy/Eliza story, but in regards to this show I was always surprised that he was willing to extend their relationship to being more than FWB. At first, he seemed to me to be the type who would see it as no more than an occasional booty call with a hot girl, but obviously not. I do like him, even though I would much rather see Henry get his act together and tell Eliza how he obviously feels.

 

Freddy Einsford Hill in the musical (and the play perhaps, I think) becomes enamored with Eliza. He's openly adoring in contrast to Henry's quiet blustering. Freddy sings one of the cheesiest songs in the history of musical theater (and that's saying a lot, given musical theater) about how much he loooooooves Eliza and will wait for her as long as it takes. It's a different relationship, though, because at this point in the musical, Henry and Eliza are still pretty antagonistic towards each other. You could see how someone like Freddy might be attractive to her -- but she still pretty much keeps him at arm's length (controlling that relationship the way Henry controls their relationship, if I recall correctly). But he's like this worshipful puppy dog, so they seemed to keep some of that in the show -- especially now.

 

Freddy's feelings are a direct contrast (almost foil) to Henry's attitude in the musical, so it's an interesting choice they got him back together with Eliza in the show after Henry rejects Eliza.

[AnnaRose]

I'm kind of torn.  I actually really like Eliza with Freddy and wouldn't mind if they end up together... especially with the series finale coming up so soon.  I think someone mentioned in another thread that it's like Loralie Gilmore and Luke - two people with a strong connection that in real life would work better as great friends than in a romantic relationship... especially over the long term.  I kind of feel like like Henry and Eliza are too far apart and way too different to be compatible long term.  On the other hand, I could see Eliza and Freddy maturing and growing together to build something lasting.  Unpopular opinion I'm sure.

[BooBear]

  I kind of feel like like Henry and Eliza are too far apart and way too different to be compatible long term.  On the other hand, I could see Eliza and Freddy maturing and growing together to build something lasting.  Unpopular opinion I'm sure.

No... John Cho and Karen Gilligan have amazing chemistry, but I don't know if Henry and Eliza should be together. I mentioned Henry's habit of only coming alive when he teaches Eliza something and Eliza's tendency to be really grateful to Henry for helping her out.  I wonder if the show is throwing us those hints. The way John Cho said to her in the last episode "your only in your 20s" made me cringe. The entire dynamic bothered me.  What happens when Eliza has learned all she has to learn and Henry has nothing useful to show her. I am sure Henry and Eliza have legitimate strong friendship feelings but I don't know if they are right for each other.

[Mockingbird]

This episode really benefited from a rewatch for me. Eliza's money problems felt like something that would have popped up earlier in their friendship, assuming that they've known each other for more than a couple weeks. And there should have been more fall-out after last week's heartbreak, but they get a pass since the cancelation mandates they move the story along.

However, when I watched it a second time, it was hilarious. Not sure what it was about Karen's delivery of the elevator "snub", but that was so great, as was Eliza's concern she needed Steve Harvey's help, Henry and Eliza's adorable phone conversation, Henry's realization that Charlie gave him the F (what is he? Hufflepuff?!), and all of Eliza's short jokes at the end. Oh, Selfie. I wish you had done better and weren't saddled with that title and pilot episode.