The Brink - General Discussion

[DrSpaceman]

Its a fun and enjoyable show.  Moves at a fast pace. 

 

It requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, however. 

 

A minor state department employee placed in charge of negotiations with a new ruthless dictator with no one there to help him or listen on from the government, just him.  Carrying around $80 million in cash in a crowded 3rd world country.  For starters. 

 

I am wondering if there is a reason Tim Robbin's wife wanted him to be told about her new appointment first thing when he woke up and if that will come back to haunt the assistant for not saying anything. 

[Flexipexi]

I'm an easy mark, but the continued use of "Shakira!  Shakira!", instead of "Shukran" made me LOL.  Jack Black commits to the line reading in a great way.

 

Actually, it's "shukria" in Urdu.  I laughed uproariously at the him shouting that too.  This show is turning out to be quite funny,

 

I think Haroun Raja is my favorite character. Although, you can tell the actor is not from the subcontinent.  His attempt at Urdu was way off and they aren't giving him too many lines in it.  He just nods, etc.

[scrb]

What is it suppose to mean?

[Flexipexi]

What is it suppose to mean?

If you are referring to "shukria," it means "thank you."

[scrb]

Thanks.

[Morrigan2575]

Actually, it's "shukria" in Urdu. I laughed uproariously at the him shouting that too. This show is turning out to be quite funny,

I think Haroun Raja is my favorite charact5er. Although, you can tell the actor is not from the subcontinent. His attempt at Urdu was way off and they aren't giving him too many lines in it. He just nods, etc.

I had to look the character up (i don't think i know any of their names) according to IMDb, the actor is from Sri Lanka. Edited July 19, 2015 by Morrigan2575

[paigow]

Zeke and Glenn narrowly escape two armed men in a tribal region; Alex and Rafiq go to Fareeda's school; Walter pays an unscheduled visit to the Israeli foreign minister.

[thuganomics85]

Hey, Michelle Gomez a.k.a. The Mistress from Doctor Who, was the snooty British thief!  That was cool.  Seems like Zeke and Jammer just can't catch a break.  I have a feeling despite all the awesome food, those two British folks are going to a major pain for them.

 

Alex and Rafiq's story was fun.  A lot of solid banter and the sight gag of everyone in the car was amusing.  Also like how annoyed all the schoolgirls were over how condescending Alex was to them.  And I loved the reveal that bring them to the Embassy means that John Larroquette's character thinks the Apocalypse is getting ready to happen now.

 

Walter's plot was mainly just a lot of wheeling and dealing, until Pierce shows up to pull the rug from under him.  I guess he's going to have to find a way to bounce back.

[LuciaMia]

Stumbled on this show and i really want to like it. Fan of both Aasif Mandvi and Jack Black. But Black feels like hes trying to channel Bill Murray from Ghostbusters and its really not working.

[gwhh]

I wonder what the 7 girls in the American embarrass in Pakistani means to a Jesus Freak?  Anyone, know that answer? 

[iMonrey]

I was going to ask the same question gwhh. I also don't get what the deal is with the British couple that found Zeke and Glenn. Are they art dealers/forgers/thieves? Why do they live in the middle of nowhere and have no phone? Surely they must have some way of communicating to move their merchandise. Are they planning to sell Zeke and Glenn on the black market too? Is that it?

[ChaseMCP]

Again, I'm really enjoying the supporting characters as well as the main ones. The fact that the girls were over Alex's condescending tone immediately and that Rafiq's family were so used to coups that they wanted to get good snacks in preparation were fun. As was the scene with the female Israeli government official (can't remember what her role was) and her banter with Walter. The British couple were a bit odd and I'm not quite sure where all of that is leading but I'll wait and see.

[Morrigan2575]

Zeke and Jammer (moreso Jammer) annoy the crap out of me. I really, really want them to die a stupid death.

The wheeling/dealing Walter storyline is still my favorite. His interaction with the Israeli Ambassador/Secretary of State (?) was so fun.

Not much of a Jack Black fan but, I like his story too. However, I like it mostly because of Rafiq and his family.

[iMonrey]

Good point - I wonder how much less tolerable I might find Jack Black if he weren't paired with Aasif Mandvi in most of his scenes.

[thuganomics85]

Renewed for a second season.

[Morrigan2575]

Cool

[paigow]

Walter encounters Joanne in Tel Aviv; Zeke and Glenn are held hostage by Martin and Vanessa; Alex meets with Kittredge.

[walnutqueen]

Renewed for a second season.

 

YESSSSS!

[thuganomics85]

That stuff with Zeke and Glenn managed to get even crazier.  I'm not sure if it fully worked or not, but it certainly left an impression. Hearing Michelle Gomez describe all those sex acts is certainly going to make me look at The Mistress differently, once Doctor Who comes back on.  What I would give for an R-rated episode with her and Peter Capaldi cussing each other out.

 

Poor Uncle Creepy.  Alex tries to be nice and let the girls access the embassy's Wifi, only for them to post on social media, and Zanman is now using it to the claim they are hostages.  And, of course, Talbot/John Larroquette is just thrilled, since he thinks this more proof of the end of days.  How are you going to get out of this, Alex?!

 

I usually don't care for overprotective siblings and everything, but considering who Alex is, I can't fully blame Rafiq for freaking out over the possibility his sister could actually fall for his "charms."

 

Still loving the Larsen interactions.  Tim Robbins and Carla Gugino just crack me up together.  I am getting a bit annoyed that his assistant seems to be in the background more often then not.

[ShannaB]

Yes to a 2nd Season!!  I think this series is wonderful and I'm glad I checked it out.  Tim Robbins is a revelation and I appreciate that Jack Black has been 'tamed' quite a bit.  I didn't realize that I missed John Larroquette so much.

[SoothingDave]

I like the show, but I do hope they have an end in mind.  The stuff with Z-Pac is seeming to be wack-for-wackiness sake at this point.

 

Larson's got to be out of his mind if he thinks he can get someone who's escaped Pakistan with a large bag of money to go back.

[Traveller519]

Never leave us, Carla! Your ability to play these dry characters so well is fantastic.

[iMonrey]

So apparently there will be four more episodes this season, and they have already been renewed for a second season. My understanding is that there will be an entirely different crisis next season so whatever's going on right now will be tied up by season's end. I hope so anyway, because I don't really see how they can drag this thing out much longer. You can't be on "the brink" of some some kind of global disaster indefinitely. 

 

Also agree the story with Z-Pak and Taylor has taken a rather bizarre turn and seems disconnected from the rest of the show.

 

I'm still enjoying it overall though. I hope we get to see Walter's sister-in-law at some point, she must be a real piece of work.

[crookedjackson44]

Whatever one might say about the show, its closing music has been great!  Last night's Maggie's Farm couldn't be much better!

[paigow]

You can't be on "the brink" of some some kind of global disaster indefinitely. 

That's why Jack Bauer is the best problem solver in TV history.

[AllAboutMBTV]

I"m sorry, but I laugh every time someone, anyone, calls Jack Black "Uncle Creepy." Because, yeah...

 

Speaking of uncles, I was delighted to see "Gavin and Stacey"'s Uncle Bryn (Rob Brydon) show up as Martin. Give him more to do, please! His wife Vanessa is getting all the good lines (and she's killing it).

[paigow]

Zeke is challenged to a fight; while en route to Washington, Walter fakes a medical emergency to force an unscheduled landing; Alex plots an escape.

[thuganomics85]

Hey, Aasif Mandvi wrote this episode.  That's pretty cool.

 

Zeke and Glenn's story continued to be insane, but it looks like that finally might be over.  But now it sounds like Gail Sweet and his ex have realized that Zeke was trying to play both of them.  Oh, boy.  Have you seen Thor, Zeke?  You do not want to piss Jaimie Alexander off!

 

Once again, Walter practically manages to move mountains and get things done, only for everyone to screw it up.  Or, in this case, blow it all to hell.

 

Alex finds a way to get the girls out, but then turns on them after Walter tell him to do so.  I'm sure this will not only squander the goodwill he gained with Fareeda, but I think it could even hurt his relationship with Rafiq as well.

[LuciaMia]

So, looks like that weird couple are only smugglers. I thought this story line was going to deteriorate into some kind of "The Most Dangerous Game."

[Constantinople]

I don't understand why they play Can't Find My Way Home by Blind Faith at the end of this episode and I think other episodes as well.

 

The mood and tone of the song doesn't really fit that of the show.

[thuganomics85]

 

Alex makes amends; Zeke is forced to face the women in his life; Walter urges caution in the Situation Room.

 

 

 

So, after they bomb the wrong brother and Zaman tries (and fails) to launch a nuke, the President as more or less decided to go to war with them, and is making them abandon the embassy.  Kitteredge takes Fareeda and the girls on their helicopter, but Alex redeems himself from last week, by paying off the pilots to land them at Rafiq's family cabin or something, and make an excuse for Kitteredge to have to leave them behind.  Bad new for him though is that he and Rafiq were left behind at the embassy and now Zaman's soldiers got them.

 

As usual, Walter tries to get through to the President, but fails.  Kendra tries to talk him into figuring something out, so that leads to the only reasonable option: beating the shit out of Pierce in front of everyone.  The Pres expects Walter to resign now, so Walt's going to be hiding in the bathroom and try to save this clusterfuck.

 

Surprisingly, Zeke handles being confront by Gail and his ex-wife better then expected, by just being truthful, and saying he doesn't love Gail, but wants to work things out with his ex.  Ex says they will talk, after he sales all the drugs.  Just one small problem.  Their leader forced them to give all their drugs away for free.  But Glenn then reveals that he has that weird penis statue, so there is hope yet!  I do wonder if this is it for Gail, which would be kind of weird, since it was kind of a small role for Jaimie Alexander.

[khyber]

I"m enjoying this show a lot despite the fact that Jack Black is not high on my list of actors I care for.

[crookedjackson44]

I can't quite understand why this program is not being followed more.  Tim Robbins is great, the plot is intriguing and fun and its just interesting.  It's a far better show than True Detective, which gets pages of responses.

[iMonrey]

I think it's doing well; for me, it's so good I simply don't have a lot to criticize. And I tend to respond more to shows I want to bitch about. I guess my biggest complaint here is that the President is such an idiot but that's political parody for you. The older general who was literally drooling over the thought of war cracked me up.

[Muffyn]

Walter tries to strike a deal with Zaman's highest-ranking general; Zeke and Glenn find a way to pass the time after they are grounded; Alex tries to figure out when he should initiate Walter's "Plan B".  

 

 

[thuganomics85]

Translation humor has been done a lot, but I enjoyed watching Rafiq explaining all the crazy stuff that was going on to Alex, during the entire coup attempt.  Jack Black and Aasif Mandvi really do work well together, and hopefully we'll get plenty more of it next season.

 

Oh, Walter.  He finally gets a plan that works, has proof of it, and even gets respect from The President and Pierce.  But, sure enough, it turns out Zaman managed to task a fighter to do a suicide run to Israel, with a nuclear missile.  And since all the other planes are off getting ready for the aborted strike, the only two who can stop it?  Zeke and Glenn.  Who've just spent the entire episode getting hammered on Blue Curacao and mouthwash.  What could possibly go wrong?!

 

Little bummed that Johanna seems to feel like her and Walter's relationship is on the fritz, because I like the idea of them having a successful open relationship.  Maybe it will end up being less about that and more about her being annoyed that he keeps trying to use her position at work, to get what he wants.  I just hope she remain relevant to the show, because Cara Gugino is awesome.

[iMonrey]

I found it somewhat hard to believe nobody in that office noticed when Alex pulled out a gun especially since so many of the soldiers were armed and Alex looked like he was just about to aim and fire. But otherwise the scene was hilarious and I loved the selfies they sent to Walter.

[paigow]

Season Finale

 

Zeke and Glenn find themselves in a compromised state; Walter tries to defuse a tense situation via videoconference; Alex tries to connect with Zaman on a personal level.

[Muffyn]

Even though I knew the nukes could not go off, I really enjoyed the ride.  Between the video conferences, Jack Black being the sociopath trying to talk down another sociopath, the pilots with their usual ability to somehow screw up so much that they somehow succeed and the buddies on the road, I laughed through the whole episode.  Cannot wait for next season.   They just have to find a way to keep Aasif Mandvi in the mix. 

Edited August 24, 2015 by Muffyn

[paigow]

Those idiots will end up trading "boner dude" for a canteen of water.

[thuganomics85]

Walter dealing with the video conference cracked me up.  I hope next season finds other foreign leaders for him to get into shouting matches with. And then the times they kept busting in on him and Joanne getting it on (and wasn't that the President's chair?  Ha!)  I'm glad that they seem to be working out again, because I get a kick out of them, and hope this means Carla Gugino might pop back in again next season.

 

Alex trying to talk down Zaman because they're both "sociopaths", according to Rafiq's uncle, ended as well as could be expected. Despite his back-tracking at the end, I sure hope the show finds a way to have Rafiq stick with Alex, no matter where he ends up next. I think Jack Black and Aasif Mandvi have great chemistry, and it would be foolish to loose it.

 

Of course, Zeke and Glenn would somehow save the day, despite their idiocy.  Although, I loved when they were trying to count up all the damage they've done in just these past few episodes.  But now these two knuckleheads are in Africa.  And so is a nuclear warhead.  Oh, I'm sure crazy shit will no doubt happen again.

 

The Pres and Pierce are back to being useless dicks.  I can't wait to see how they fuck things up next season!

[iMonrey]

That was pretty awesome. The shot of the fighter jet crashing into the cargo plane was fantastic. I guess Glenn and Z-Pack are just so used to being drunk/stoned/high they can still perform at peak level no matter how wasted they are. 

[paigow]

Isn't there supposed to be an anti piracy SEAL team off the Somali coast? Wouldn't they have been airlifted to secure a nuclear warhead crash site in Eritrea before a NEST squad arrives?

[Arynm]

What a fun, fun show! Makes me wonder if out Secretary of State talks like that to foreign powers? Of course not, but I can dream that the world can be just as irreverent as this show. Can't wait for the next season, I would like for the entire cast to come back, they were all so good!

[gwhh]

Are the dress uniforms of the Pakistians military general, actually copies of the type they really wear in real life? 

Edited August 25, 2015 by gwhh

[walnutqueen]

I fucking LOVE this show!  I cannot wait for it's inglorious return.

[Hanahope]

I've been catching up on this show and find it absolutely hilarious (though another part of me wonders if there's some grain of truth about the Bush presidency here).

[Hanahope]

Great ending to a fun show and can't wait to see it next season.

[represent]

This show is hilarious, good to see Tim Robbins again and Jack Black is an idiot, he's perfect. I also love Aasif Mandvi. 

I like the woman who is playing the Israeli official, don't know her title, but I remember the actress on Curb Your Enthusiasm, OMG  it was hilarious. She got this ridiculous boob job.  She's a good actress.  I  like Robbin's character's relationship with his wife. It wouldn't be for me, but they seem to love and respect each other and have an open marriage. Look forward to next season.

[Morrigan2575]

This episode was hilarious. I loved the video conferencing, all the dignitaries acting like petty school children was perfect. The Israeli dignitaries were my favorite throughout the season.

Looking forward to Season 2