formerlyfreedom March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 Carter's sister shows up to support him, but can't hide her disapproval of his way of life or his involvement with Aubry. Meanwhile, Alonzo gets an update on Tony's case, but begins to question his parenting skills. Link to comment
Soobs March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 Us, them, them, us. We get it, show! Glad Tony isn't being charged. Other than that, this episode was boring. 2 Link to comment
Prevailing Wind March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 I don't care about any of these people. Life's too short to watch unlikeable people (I bailed early on "House," too.) 3 Link to comment
Prevailing Wind March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 (edited) never mind. Edited March 20, 2015 by Prevailing Wind Link to comment
Morbs March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 I don't find any of the characters or situations very compelling. And my god, now the mom wants the crime to be labeled a hate crime when she was already asking how soon the suspect could be executed. It's a bit much with this character. 6 Link to comment
leisawoo March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 As MrLeisaWoo said, I just wish they would show the relevance or importance of the female junkie. We got our hands in the air and we just don't care when she's on, lol. 10 Link to comment
Kenz March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 I'm glad I'm not alone in disliking this show. I had high hopes for it, but the fancy, unnecessary camera work, the hit you over the head race relations, and the characters who are miserable and constantly butt heads have made me abandon it. 5 Link to comment
Boundary March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 The camera work is doing my head in, imagine after 11 episodes of this editing style. Barb is a caricature, the teenage drama in the detention place doesn't interest me, the criminals being "productive" makes me eye roll, and in general I don't like addiction stories. Having said all that, there's a sliver of hope. I'm quite interested in how the interracial junkie couple cope with everyone trying to tear them apart, I'd like to see Barb taken down a few notches (in fact, all the way down) and the Gutierrez family drama might inadvertently become the most engaging part of this story. All in all I'm still neutral. I might have liked it more if it was nuanced, less ambitious, less artsy, if had less regard of itself and simply just picked one story and focussed on telling it well. 6 Link to comment
Constantinople March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 I don't care about any of these people. Life's too short to watch unlikeable people. He may not have been the best father or the best husband, or even the best petty thief, but damn it! When the chips are down at the gardening center and the sprinklers are nowhere to be found, Russ Skokie is the man for the job! Or was it watering cans? I forget. I don't find any of the characters or situations very compelling. And my god, now the mom wants the crime to be labeled a hate crime when she was already asking how soon the suspect could be executed. It's a bit much with this character. To be fair, Barb was having a really, really, really Bad Hair Day. As MrLeisaWoo said, I just wish they would show the relevance or importance of the female junkie. 1. Illegal drugs are the road to racial integration, reconciliation and healing; and 2. The criminal justice system is racist: the nothing case against her was essentially tossed at the start of Episode 2; the noting case against Tony wasn't tossed until the end of this episode. 7 Link to comment
Prevailing Wind March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 (edited) Sprinkler heads. That's the one thing that I thought was a bit uplifting - after that horrible job interview, he still got the job. (Not commenting on the uplifting hair of Barb's. LOL) Edited March 20, 2015 by Prevailing Wind 4 Link to comment
briochetwist March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 Damn, Barb, you make it so hard to empathize with you. Is there a more unlikeable woman on tv? 7 Link to comment
leisawoo March 20, 2015 Share March 20, 2015 He may not have been the best father or the best husband, or even the best petty thief, but damn it!When the chips are down at the gardening center and the sprinklers are nowhere to be found, Russ Skokie is the man for the job!Or was it watering cans? I forget. To be fair, Barb was having a really, really, really Bad Hair Day. 1. Illegal drugs are the road to racial integration, reconciliation and healing; and2. The criminal justice system is racist: the nothing case against her was essentially tossed at the start of Episode 2; the noting case against Tony wasn't tossed until the end of this episode. I do understand that and thank you for taking the time. I just meant after seeing how she treated her father. You are right about the relevance. I just don't care about her backstory though I find this show compelling in many ways. Link to comment
AuntiePam March 21, 2015 Share March 21, 2015 This reminds me of Crash, the worst movie ever to win the Oscar. It's better than that (anything would be), but it's so Dick and Jane. I'll keep watching for Timothy Hutton and W. Earl Brown, who I didn't recognize at first. I kept saying "Where's Dan Dority?" Three episodes in, we have enough back story. Now let's see if the writers can give us some depth. 1 Link to comment
PepperMonkey March 21, 2015 Share March 21, 2015 I keep wanting to like this show but OMFG I hate all of these people. I don't relate to any of them and I am far far FAR from saintly. I may give it one more episode but yeow it's going to be painful... 3 Link to comment
Cosmocrush March 21, 2015 Share March 21, 2015 (edited) Despite the star power, I'm out. Three episodes in and the story hasn't moved from the first episode, with maybe the exception of the girl junkie. And somehow the commercials seem double of any other show; like almost half the hour is commercials. Nice try ABC but what's the point of great acting without great writing? Edited March 21, 2015 by Cosmocrush 3 Link to comment
Turtle March 21, 2015 Share March 21, 2015 I was kind of getting into this show the first two episodes, but this one ruined it for me. The Guiterrez family (mostly the daughter) story is the only one I'm at all interested in, and even that's not really compelling. And all the characters are dislike able! And not in a love to hate them kind of way; they're one-dimensional and kind of boring. They're trying to tell me how much drama and emotion they're all suffering, but the characters aren't really showing it. I get that the show is trying to copy the styles of shows like True Detective, but it's just not working. 6 Link to comment
Yeldarbe March 21, 2015 Share March 21, 2015 There is a lot of silence in this show. I understand the dramtic effect of it but in this case it goes on. Way. Too. Long. Combine that with the excessive commercials and you barely have anything happening three episodes in. I'm still going to watch it, though. 4 Link to comment
ElTVaddict March 22, 2015 Share March 22, 2015 I find it interesting that no one commented on Gwen's mother knowledge of the inner workings of their marriage, that she hasn't shared with anyone. I found that to be an OMG moment! This information could help Barb accept the police evidence and help her move on. She is looking for others to blame for her innocent son's death and he may be the cause of his own demise. 1 Link to comment
Yeldarbe March 22, 2015 Share March 22, 2015 yeah, I get a daughter coming to a m9ther in confidence but once she is nearly killed and may or may not even survive, I would say it's time to tell the truth! 3 Link to comment
Turtle March 23, 2015 Share March 23, 2015 I find it interesting that no one commented on Gwen's mother knowledge of the inner workings of their marriage, that she hasn't shared with anyone. I found that to be an OMG moment! This information could help Barb accept the police evidence and help her move on. She is looking for others to blame for her innocent son's death and he may be the cause of his own demise. This made sense to me, because if Gwen and her mother were close, it wouldn't be that unusual for Gwen to share some of that with her mom - it didn't sound like she gave down and dirty details but instead shared the troubles she was having, including affairs. And given Gwen's condition and the stress and heartbreak and pressure of it all, I can understand why the mom wouldn't have sharing that info as a top priority, or even be thinking about it, at least until her husband pushed her to spill. And she did promise to keep it keep it confidential, and so probably struggled with sharing it all, especially with Barb who is being mostly terrible about everything. Your point about it maybe helping Barb is very interesting, and I think it's possible that it may help Barb to stop with the frantic blaming (especially race-blaming), but I get the sense that it's pretty hard to get through to Barb in any way. And just about this, but about everything. 2 Link to comment
Boundary March 23, 2015 Share March 23, 2015 Nah, Barb will just add one more name to the list of people trying to smear her innocent son. 8 Link to comment
tomatoflyer March 23, 2015 Share March 23, 2015 There is no subtlety in this show. Literally nothing has happened. I don't get why this show is getting critical accoaim. As a black woman, I had hoped for something enlightening, but I hate all these people. 2 Link to comment
WearyTraveler March 23, 2015 Share March 23, 2015 I liked TH's character telling Barb she used to scare him, but that she doesn't anymore. That felt like a subtle turning point for the character. Still not interested in the little princess whose life is so hard, boo-hoo. /end sarcasm. After tonight's revelations, she might actually be the character I dislike the most. Barb is awful, but I sort of see how she became that way. Russ was a drunk, he went to prison, they lost their house and she had to raise her children on her own. That could not have been easy. Then she loses her youngest to a horrific murder. She's a racist and a horrible person, but I can see how she became that way. Not that it is an excuse, but I see the progression of her life into what she is now. Not to mention she is grieving in a very unhealthy way, keeping it all inside, very controlled. Russ is an alcoholic, he started as a man completely defeated, but he is on an upward arc right now. He is working on staying sober, grieved his son, and even though he started as a beaten down, kind of gutless man, facing Barb in this episode felt like a turning point. Matt's wife parents are not too bad. They are obviously in pain and their actions seem driven by that. The mom wants to focus on her daughter and forget everything else, the dad feels useless and wants to understand. Both are very common coping mechanisms when faced with such adversities. I think the easier characters to understand are the Mexican American family. The dad wants to be American and doesn't want to be "lumped in" with the Mexican population that makes the news (illegal, gang members, etc.). He doesn't want his children to be discriminated and is a bit overzealous and protective. His children are typical teens: fragile, rebellious, proud, and risk averse. The junkies are another matter. According to the information in today's episode, they are not a product of their environment. The girl might have had it rough before she was fostered or adopted (they didn't specify which) by the rich family, but she is apparently loved by them, even though she takes extreme pains reminding her foster/adopted father that they are not her parents. She had everything and threw it away. Unless they give me a compelling reason for her being such a screw up, I can't sympathize with her character. Not even a little bit. Also, the way she vehemently affirmed that the boyfriend had nothing to do with the murder makes me suspect that she was the one that did it. If so, the fact that she's out on parole, and was basically just given a pat on the wrist might be the show's way to portray the inherent white bias in the American justice system. The boyfriend had a job and a stable life, and he also left all of that for drugs and a piece of tail. Talk about stupid. If he's also knowingly taking the rap for the girlfriend, well, he deserves everything he gets for being such a moron. I get not being happy with your life and making a change, but changing for the worse? Can't sympathize with that either. I find the psychological motivations of the characters interesting. And, yes, it's a bit dark and depressing, but I think sometimes life is that way for many, many people. I can deal with a dark show since there are other, much lighter, programs out there to balance it all out. 2 Link to comment
BigBlueMastiff March 23, 2015 Share March 23, 2015 I find it interesting that no one commented on Gwen's mother knowledge of the inner workings of their marriage, that she hasn't shared with anyone. I found that to be an OMG moment! This information could help Barb accept the police evidence and help her move on. She is looking for others to blame for her innocent son's death and he may be the cause of his own demise. This, does she not realize this information may assist in the investigation. ANd why did the police just take the Mexican guy's word for who was involved in the crime. Is there any evidence that Carter was even there? The junkies are another matter. According to the information in today's episode, they are not a product of their environment. The girl might have had it rough before she was fostered or adopted (they didn't specify which) by the rich family, but she is apparently loved by them, even though she takes extreme pains reminding her foster/adopted father that they are not her parents. She had everything and threw it away. Unless they give me a compelling reason for her being such a screw up, I can't sympathize with her character. Not even a little bit. Also, the way she vehemently affirmed that the boyfriend had nothing to do with the murder makes me suspect that she was the one that did it. If so, the fact that she's out on parole, and was basically just given a pat on the wrist might be the show's way to portray the inherent white bias in the American justice system. The boyfriend had a job and a stable life, and he also left all of that for drugs and a piece of tail. Talk about stupid. If he's also knowingly taking the rap for the girlfriend, well, he deserves everything he gets for being such a moron. I get not being happy with your life and making a change, but changing for the worse? Can't sympathize with that either. I find the psychological motivations of the characters interesting. And, yes, it's a bit dark and depressing, but I think sometimes life is that way for many, many people. I can deal with a dark show since there are other, much lighter, programs out there to balance it all out. Agreed, Weary Traveler, I have zero sympathy for poor, little rich kids, they are the worst. She's been given everything, time for her family to shower her with tough love. And Carter, man, WTF, how did he even get involved with her? What made start using in the first place to the ppoint that he walked away from his fiance and job? This show is hard to watch, and I want to punch Barb in the face every time she opens her mouth. Loved when TH left her on the side of the road. What a bitter, hateful, waste of a human being. I am in no way sympathizing with what her husband did, but to hold on to that much anger and resentment for so long has clearly destroyed her. I hate when white people say how hard it is for them to have live in public housing, as if 1) it's so easy for everyone else there, and 2) they are some how above it and the non-white residents. I liked Carter's reaction to his sister, that would be my reaction to her holier than thou speech, probably because proselytizing drives me nuts. Def interested to see their relationship develop. Link to comment
tennisgurl March 26, 2015 Share March 26, 2015 Even in the the trailers, I knew I would loath Barb, and I was totally right. I get why she is the way she is, but dear god. What a deeply unpleasant woman. So the junkie couple kind of just got into drugs...because? Its too bad, because I think that how people end up in situations where they are substance dependent are hard to watch, but compelling, but this is just lame. Its what I though. Televised Crash, but without the hot Hispanic lock smith and his cute family to root for. Link to comment
lucindabelle March 26, 2015 Share March 26, 2015 Yeah while it's a surprise she's rich, I suspect most junkies don't have wealthy families, have had rotten childhoods, have no resources, little education. Etc. at least by the time you get to the place where she was, basically almost homeless. And ditto for her bf... That he had a stable job just feels wrong. And the drug to get spaced out on is heroin. Not meth. I'm interested in them the least. Link to comment
cassandle March 27, 2015 Share March 27, 2015 I finally got around to watching this episode just before the 4th one aired but I'm still on the fence about it. I liked TH's character telling Barb she used to scare him, but that she doesn't anymore. That felt like a subtle turning point for the character. This has been my favorite thing so far. And I can't remember if it was this one or episode 4 since I watched them together but I liked him telling Barb and Gwen's parents that, yes, he gambled, but that was in the past and has nothing to do with the here and now. He's trying hard to be there for his family--moving, getting a job--and I liked that he stood up for himself. I wish he'd cut his hair, but other than that, Russ is the only character I like. This show is hard to watch, and I want to punch Barb in the face every time she opens her mouth. Loved when TH left her on the side of the road. What a bitter, hateful, waste of a human being. I am in no way sympathizing with what her husband did, but to hold on to that much anger and resentment for so long has clearly destroyed her. I hate when white people say how hard it is for them to have live in public housing, as if 1) it's so easy for everyone else there, and 2) they are some how above it and the non-white residents. Ha! Yes, to punching her in the face! I have ZERO sympathy for this woman. I don't know if we're supposed to hate her so much or if we're supposed to feel bad because her circumstances made her this way but I just can't bring myself to care. Link to comment
BigBlueMastiff March 27, 2015 Share March 27, 2015 Ha! Yes, to punching her in the face! I have ZERO sympathy for this woman. I don't know if we're supposed to hate her so much or if we're supposed to feel bad because her circumstances made her this way but I just can't bring myself to care. Agreed, it's bad when I can't find anything redeeming in or an ounce of sympathy for a mother whose son's been murdered. 4 Link to comment
sinkwriter June 1, 2015 Share June 1, 2015 (edited) I saved these episodes on my DVR for a "rainy day" and finally started watching them this evening. I'm already so irritated with most of these characters that I'm not sure I should keep watching. On the one hand, I have no children and I can't say what I would think or want to do or how zealous I'd be if anything happened to one of my siblings or another member of my family, but Barb's complete inflexibility is driving me up a wall. Likewise, the other mother, who's holding back information that is important to the investigation. ARGHHH! I don't see much point to the junkie girlfriend yet, so she's annoying me. And I'd think the kid in juvie would be more than ready to have his dad help him in any way if it means getting the hell out of that place, so his refusing to even let his father visit and his idiot comments about being glad to do stupid stuff to piss off his dad (and the show not having any sort of advocate there for the kid) just pisses me off. The dad (Alonzo?) is probably the only character I feel for. Here he's trying the best he can to take care of his kids, overprotective but still cares deeply, and everything's getting destroyed. Plus, his daughter, whom I had liked, ticked me off in this episode because she's mouthing off to the cops while her brother's still in juvie? I mean, how stupid can you get?? Don't make waves! If she had gotten arrested, I would have been furious with her for being so foolish and doing that to her father when he's got enough going on, dealing with her brother in trouble. And what if her getting in trouble made her brother look worse to the courts? It wouldn't look good for him if a prosecutor could take her arrest and say, "This whole family's messed up. Of course the kid's guilty." They paint a picture with stuff like that. ARGH. Everyone's just ticking me off! Without spoiling anything big, please tell me it gets better. Or that these characters somehow get a little more likable. Edited June 1, 2015 by sinkwriter 1 Link to comment
Jamescarter101 June 1, 2015 Share June 1, 2015 I do not care about any of these people. Life's too short to watch unlikeable people . Link to comment
editorgrrl June 1, 2015 Share June 1, 2015 Without spoiling anything big, please tell me it gets better. Or that these characters somehow get a little more likable. This 100% nonspoilery comment from the next episode says it better than I could: I said I'd give it 4 episodes and I'm still undecided, which is a bit unusual. There are bits I like and many others I loathe. But if they ditch the fancy editing style I might stay with it for the first season at least. The only cause that's eliciting any sympathy from me is the father trying to help his wayward son (to no avail I suspect) or the two lovers whose connection the world doesn't seem to want to understand. Everything else is just too preachy for my taste. Link to comment
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