S01.E07: Episode Seven

[formerlyfreedom]

Tony's arrested again and sent back to juvenile detention after an incriminating video surfaces. Meanwhile, Aubry is asked to testify against Carter, who's in solitary confinement, in order to stay out of jail; Mark's fiancée, Richelle, has an awkward first meeting with Barb; and Aliyah plans a peaceful demonstration to support her brother when the prosecution isn't interested in new evidence that could help him.

[briochetwist]

So this week in Dante's Seven Circles of Hell, Russ gets fired from his job, Barb heads even further down the disgusting racist road, juvie has turned Tony into an unrepentant thug, Aubrey was more than likely sexually abused by her brother and his friends, and Carter has just given up.  And so have I.

 

I'm out, if I keep watching I'm going to need therapy.

Edited April 17, 2015 by briochetwist

[Madding crowd]

Again, the show is way too heavy handed and everyone is horrible. So, Barb's son (who I can't stand either) decides his fiancé should go and meet his racist mother by herself. Racist mother and fiancé have a conversation that would never happen in real life and is read off the 'what a racist would say' cue card. 

 

Tony and his sister continue to be mean to caring dad. White cops beat up Carter. Gwen's pious father tells Russ he deserves to be fired because his son is a drug addict (and the guys daughter is apparently a sex addict but that's ok).

 

None of this is getting to the bottom of what happened and I still refuse to blame the Skokie parents for things their son did. All of the people on here who are doing bad things are making their own choices.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Madding crowd

[Constantinople]

I wonder if the trial will have started by the end of the season.

...juvie has turned Tony into an unrepentant thug

I like to say that Juvie doesn't build character, Juvie reveals character. At least that seems to be the case with Tony.

[FairyPrincess]

This show is heavy but I'm going to hang on for the season. I still like Russ and my heart went out to him this episode. I felt a tiny heart tug for Carter too when he was telling his story to Aliyah. I can't deal with Aubrey. I just don't know what to make of her and her story. Did she admit it was a lie when her brother got taken out of the room?

[Sparger Springs]

This show has too much going on. They just pile on more and more ridiculousness. I really want to quit watching, but I guess I just want to see who actually killed the drug dealer and beat his wife. I'm guessing the truth will be one of his fake patriot buddies his wife was screwing. 

Edited April 18, 2015 by Sparger Springs

[GaiusB]

I like the dedication of this show to make everyone absolutely unlikeable. I am patiently waiting on the reveal that Barb´s son and his fiance are war criminals from Iraq and on the moment when Tony´s sister will sleep with her uncle.

[Chaos Theory]

I don't think I've commented on this show.  Mainly because I haven't watched it live but also because I wasn't sure what to say except that I liked it enough.  I actually like the fact that no one is particularly likable.  I know a lot of people need someone to "root for" but personally I respect a show that is willing to write all the characters with the same level of....I am not sure what the word is but the only one I can come up with is reality to it.  We are all assholes and I like a show that understands that and writes us as assholes.   I also kinda like that this show is just going with the heavy handed and not pretending it is anything else.  Yes we are telling a heavy handed story.....lets just go with it and not pretend we aren't telling a story about racism, drugs, and crime in America .  Also I really like Barb and the fact that if the show is making her a racist they aren't going half ass about it.  I think she might be my favorite character.   I'm weird that way.  I like the assholes.  

Edited April 18, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[AmandaPanda]

I was so excited for this show when it first premiered, but I've been so disappointed by it. I didn't even finish episode six because my Internet went out and I forgot to go back to it later. At this point, I'm just finishing it because I'm a completist and I know it's not coming back for a second season, anyway. With its cast and writing pedigree, this show should have been a lot better than it has been.

[paperplate]

I loved Aubrey's lie - it was completely unpredictable but yet completely characteristic of a drug addict who is in a hand basket to hell.

I also loved how Barb pointed out to the fiancé that he might be marrying based in her skin color.

I love everything about this show - its grittiness, the wonderful acting portraying people who have no light at the end of the tunnel, no shiny happy person in sight; everything. That said, it will probably be cancelled. I'm surprised they put a show this depressing on ABC.

I also love every scene with the prosecution and the criminal lawyers. It shows how great yet how Imperfect our justice system is.

Edited April 18, 2015 by paperplate

[Soobs]

Again, the show is way too heavy handed and everyone is horrible. So, Barb's son (who I can't stand either) decides his fiancé should go and meet his racist mother by herself. Racist mother and fiancé have a conversation that would never happen in real life and is read off the 'what a racist would say' cue card. 

Totally. It escalated a bit quickly. Usually people start out with how was your trip or cute shoes or uh, anything besides "where are your people from?". 

[vibeology]

Totally. It escalated a bit quickly. Usually people start out with how was your trip or cute shoes or uh, anything besides "where are your people from?". 

 

The thing that's great about that question is that Barb can just write it off in her mind as wanting to get to know more about the fiancee. Barb is masterful at creating scenarios where she can excuse her own behaviour while still judging others. There is no excuse for asking where the family is from originally but to Barb she'll say it was about curiosity and not racism.

 

Also, I don't think the situation would have escalated quite so quickly except for the fact that Mark set both women up to be on edge. We saw him tell Barb about being engaged. If you know your mother is a gross racist with a mean streak, its probably a bad idea to say that you weren't even sure you wanted her to know about it. Barb was defensive and ready to lash out before Richelle even walked into the restaurant. Richelle also went in there primed for a fight because Mark had her expecting one. He thinks he's better than his family and their drama but he can play right into it. 

 

I think Aubry was telling the truth at the end about her brother. I've gotten a very strange vibe from her about him since he was first mentioned by the dad. 

[elzin]

I don't believe Aubrey at all. I don't like disbelieving rape victims, but this is fiction so I can be ok with that.

 

Anyway, she sat there telling lie after lie, so I thought that was the hint that this too was a lie.

 

Plus even if it is true, it doesn't make her sympathetic enough to forgive her crimes.

[MajorMarket]

...We are all assholes and I like a show that understands that and writes us as assholes...

 

I focused on this part of this quote because I do NOT agree with the blanket statement.  Yes, there are multiple degrees of gray among the population but I would NOT characterize most people as "all a-holes" (sorry, I'm not writing out the vulgarity).  I'm no Pollyanna but TV shouldn't be this negative (it is another reason why I no longer watch TV news - I filter out the negativity by reading the news online).

 

I gave up on the show with Episode Six and haven't watched this episode.  Rather, I just come to read the recap and comments here since (1) I don't have to lose a full hour of my life with the oppressiveness of the actual show and (2) I'll find out who the real troopers are in the Previously TV galaxy since they'll post the reveal of the murderer - if the show isn't canceled first.  My money is that cancellation happens first.  Ha ha!

[Wings]

I am going to hang in there until its conclusion since it is only one season.  I don't really like it all that much but some curious fascination is pulling me back.  I am interested to see how Gwen fits into the plot and there is going to be more with Russ (I hope).  I am braced for a very dark and unsatisfying end.  

[Boundary]

This is a terrible show, but it's better than a boring show. I was supposed to bail out 3 episodes ago but now I want to know who the killer is. As everyone is saying, it's only 1 season after all.

[millennium]

This show is a hate-watcher's banquet.

 

Timothy Hutton deserves far better than this.

[mrsbagnet]

I was really excited to see Gwendoline Yeo as Richelle.

 

Totally. It escalated a bit quickly. Usually people start out with how was your trip or cute shoes or uh, anything besides "where are your people from?". 

 

 

The thing that's great about that question is that Barb can just write it off in her mind as wanting to get to know more about the fiancee. Barb is masterful at creating scenarios where she can excuse her own behaviour while still judging others. There is no excuse for asking where the family is from originally but to Barb she'll say it was about curiosity and not racism.

 

Also, I don't think the situation would have escalated quite so quickly except for the fact that Mark set both women up to be on edge.

 

I thought the scene played out very realistically. That's something that happens to Asian-Americans all the time, which is why Richelle was ready for it. Someone like Barb would ask that question first - she'd probably been wondering about it ever since she learned about the fiancée. I just read an advice column in which a woman who is an office manager said that she asks this question of all new hires, for the same reason that vibeology said, just to get to know more about them. One new employee reacted negatively to the question, and she couldn't fathom why it might be considered rude. Some people are racist; some are just clueless.

 

Barb was out of line, but I think the real bad guy in that scenario was the son. He should never have sent his fiancée into the lion's den alone. I kind of think she should dump him after that. She's only known him for a year, and at the first sign of real trouble, he bails on her. Not exactly husband material. Barb might even be right about his motives for dating her.

[Soobs]

I thought the scene played out very realistically. That's something that happens to Asian-Americans all the time, which is why Richelle was ready for it. Someone like Barb would ask that question first

 

Barb was out of line, but I think the real bad guy in that scenario was the son. He should never have sent his fiancée into the lion's den alone. I kind of think she should dump him after that. She's only known him for a year, and at the first sign of real trouble, he bails on her. Not exactly husband material. Barb might even be right about his motives for dating her.

Of course that's something that happens all the time. It's actually happened to me many times (I look nothing like my picture). It's the sort of question people ask when they are figuring out how they should treat you. Listening to the dialogue, it just rang false that she would jump in with a person who obviously is going to be important to her and who she's never met. The writing on this show is really one dimensional. Barb is depicted as a charmless bigot who is totally socially stunted and tone deaf. I guess those people do exist but I find it to be lazy writing and not nuanced enough for me.

 

I totally do agree with you that Richelle should dump him quickly. That guy has more baggage than a freight train and he seems more interested in brooding with a drink in his hand than he does in facing and overcoming it. Not husband material at all. You're too good for this show Richelle!

[millennium]

Of course that's something that happens all the time. It's actually happened to me many times (I look nothing like my picture). It's the sort of question people ask when they are figuring out how they should treat you. Listening to the dialogue, it just rang false that she would jump in with a person who obviously is going to be important to her and who she's never met. The writing on this show is really one dimensional. Barb is depicted as a charmless bigot who is totally socially stunted and tone deaf. I guess those people do exist but I find it to be lazy writing and not nuanced enough for me.

 

I totally do agree with you that Richelle should dump him quickly. That guy has more baggage than a freight train and he seems more interested in brooding with a drink in his hand than he does in facing and overcoming it. Not husband material at all. You're too good for this show Richelle!

 

To be fair, Richelle went into that meeting ready for a fight.

 

Generally speaking, when you meet the parents of your beloved, you do what you can to make a good impression and keep the peace, because no matter how "above it all" your partner may appear to be, it's still his/her parents and that bond runs deeper than all denial.

 

Richelle went straight into George Costanza "opposite" mode, saying everything you wish you could say to ignorant, domineering and self-absorbed parents but which everybody knows you don't say if you value the relationship.

 

It surprised me that someone with a military background would suddenly drop all appearance of respect and resort to arguing.   Sure, Barb was wrong.   But she was still Richelle's elder and the mother of her fiance.   Those two facts alone merited her respect.    I also thought Asian culture accorded more respect to elders.

 

The whole encounter reeked of some writer's fantasy, just like the rest of this contrived, race-baiting morality play.

 

I feel bad for the Benito Martinez character.  His kids are a couple of brooding, unappreciative shits.   He should wash his hands of both of them.

[ToukieSmith]

 

To be fair, Richelle went into that meeting ready for a fight.

 

Generally speaking, when you meet the parents of your beloved, you do what you can to make a good impression and keep the peace, because no matter how "above it all" your partner may appear to be, it's still his/her parents and that bond runs deeper than all denial.

 

Richelle went straight into George Costanza "opposite" mode, saying everything you wish you could say to ignorant, domineering and self-absorbed parents but which everybody knows you don't say if you value the relationship.

 

It surprised me that someone with a military background would suddenly drop all appearance of respect and resort to arguing.   Sure, Barb was wrong.   But she was still Richelle's elder and the mother of her fiance.   Those two facts alone merited her respect.    I also thought Asian culture accorded more respect to elders.

 

The whole encounter reeked of some writer's fantasy, just like the rest of this contrived, race-baiting morality play.

 

I feel bad for the Benito Martinez character.  His kids are a couple of brooding, unappreciative shits.   He should wash his hands of both of them.

 

I think Richelle got caught up in carrying on Mark's feud.  I thought her approach to Barb was more about defending and supporting Mark and his choices.  As others have said, Mark is the one who caused this confrontation.  He primed the fight then did not have the guts to show up himself.