Drop Dead Diva - General Discussion

[oceanblue]

New Grayson is already more interesting than the old one.

[Lone Wolf]

Re:  most recent (6/8/14) ep,

In court, when Ian/Grayson said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. French" to Owen, did anyone else think of Sabastian Cabot from Family Affair?  No, just me? Allllrighty....

[Guest]

Jane deals with the death of Grayson. Grayson meets Jane's old guardian angel Fred in Heaven, and pleads for his help to get him back to Jane.

 

[Guest]

Jane attempts to prove the innocence of a man on death row; Kim represents a small dance company after their routines are stolen by a pop star; Owen has wedding anxiety.

 

[indeed]

It was nice to see Fred again. Is this going to be his only appearance?

[Badger]

Maybe he and Stacy will name the twins "Buffy and Jody."

[MsTree]

Does anyone know if the actor who used to play Grayson was fired or "quit to pursue other options"??  Or was his exit just storyline driven?

[txhorns79]

Does anyone know if the actor who used to play Grayson was fired or "quit to pursue other options"??  Or was his exit just storyline driven?

 

Given he appeared in the episode and I think the series only has two episodes left before its series finale, I would doubt he was fired this late in the game.  It seems the switch is entirely for storyline purposes. 

[Lone Wolf]

Maybe he and Stacy will name the twins "Buffy and Jody".

 

 

 

Excellent.

Edited June 12, 2014 by Lone Wolf

[Guest]

Given he appeared in the episode and I think the series only has two episodes left before its series finale, I would doubt he was fired this late in the game.  It seems the switch is entirely for storyline purposes. 

Which makes it even dumber/more irritating to me.  I think it's such a dumb plot. Jane switching was necessary for the whole plot of the show, but it doesn't have to be a revolving theme. With 2 episodes left, I'd rather they just focus on wrapping up all the plots (stupid as they may be). Let's see Owen and Stacy's wedding, maybe have Parker come back, etc.  Not another far fetched body switching plot.

[Rhetorica]

I just hope we see a musical number! Haven't had one in, what, two years? Brooke Elliot can sing!

[Badger]

But it's never been a revolving theme.  The only two people who have also pushed the button are the original owner of Jane's body and Grayson who is/was Jane/Deb's fiance and the love of her life/soulmate.

 

Does anyone remember a movie from the 1980's called "Made in Heaven?"  

[oceanblue]

Do you mean "Heaven Can Wait"?

[Badger]

No, "Made in Heaven."  It was about a guy (Timothy Hutton) who drowns while saving a mother and her children and goes to Heaven. In this version of Heaven, people still have their human emotions and can fall in love which he does with his guide who is played by Kelly McGillis.  Then they learn that because she is a "new soul" who has never been born, she has to go to earth to be born as a human.  In this version of Heaven, they do a kind of reverse reincarnation where what you do there informs on what will happen to you on Earth.  Anyway, he convinces TPTB to let him be reborn in the same country and the same time as her and they agree.  However, neither one will remember the other and they only have 30 years to meet and fall in love again.  I saw the movie once in a theater so I'm fuzzy on the details so I had to check Wikipedia and IMDB but I remembered it was quite similar to DDD.  

[txhorns79]

However, neither one will remember the other and they only have 30 years to meet and fall in love again.  I saw the movie once in a theater so I'm fuzzy on the details so I had to check Wikipedia and IMDB but I remembered it was quite similar to DDD.

 

I don't know if they are all that similar, except for the general concept of people "returning" from heaven.  In that movie, they were "reborn," as babies and had to grow up to find each other, as opposed to here where Deb and Grayson jumped into the bodies of people who happened to die at the exact moment they pushed the return button.  You might be thinking of "Chances Are" with Robert Downey Jr., and Cybill Shepperd.  In that movie, the guy dies, but desperately wants to return to his old life.  It turns out that you get a "shot" in heaven before you are reborn so you don't remember your past life, but he doesn't get his.  By coincidence, his "new self" meets his old wife and friend, and he suddenly remembers everything, and he starts up a romance with his former wife.

 

 

Jane switching was necessary for the whole plot of the show, but it doesn't have to be a revolving theme. With 2 episodes left, I'd rather they just focus on wrapping up all the plots (stupid as they may be).

 

I agree.  The only positive is that the new Grayson appears to be a better actor.  I'd almost say the writers simply ran out of ideas, but I think that happened two or three seasons ago.

[Rhetorica]

Still continuing this thread cause I'm not gonna try to start a new one.

I wondered how they could cite a federal law, a US state by name, and a Senator from that state. So I looked it up. Sure enough, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch fought against regulation of dietary supplements. Below is just one of many things that came up in a Google search. I wonder if the cases shown throughout the series were true. 

http://www.politicususa.com/2013/11/10/safe-congress-senator-orrin-hatch-politics-vitamins.html

[Guest]

Kim and Owen are unsupportive about Jane's new romance; Kim is rescued from a mugging by a masked superhero; Jane represents a mother whose son died at a football camp.

[Beden]

I like new Grayson/Ian much better than the old one. Better actor, better looking.

 

Just saying.

[Rhetorica]

I like new Grayson/Ian much better than the old one. Better actor, better looking.

Just saying.

I agree. And he has old Grayson's mannerisms down too.

[barbarylane]

I've always liked the actor who plays Grayson, and I find him very attractive!!  That said, Ian SMOLDERS!!!

 

I would think, though, that both Jane and Ian would have been smart enough to not have him dress up in Grayson's clothes and wear his class ring!  Even the most casual observers, and especially Kim and Owen, would be shocked that Jane would share those things with anyone new in her life. 

[BookThief]

Even the most casual observers, and especially Kim and Owen, would be shocked that Jane would share those things with anyone new in her life.

Yeah.  I really don't know what the writers wanted us to feel there.  Dislike Kim and Owen for caring?  If it means so much to Jane to live her life in the open then maybe she should try to tell them what's going on.  When people don't know the facts they often jump to conclusions.  In this case it doesn't make them asses!  They aren't aware that people come back from the afterlife (although...I have a feeling that when Jane tells them the truth (it has to be coming, right?) that they'll both be weirded out at first and then both admit they have somehow had signs in their lives to suggest it's true).  Maybe they'll believe her when Ian knows stuff about them that only Grayson could.  I'm not gonna be mad at her coworker and friend for looking out for her.  In fact, it's actually nice to see Kim give a crap.  But instead, Grayson was kind of a dick when Kim showed she cared about Jane and Jane is all "why won't they let me live free!"  Ugh. 

[Amelie06]

I don't understand this show. We have to sit through years of Jane yearning for Grayson while he dated a series of skinny (mostly blonde) women. Right when they know the show is ending..they kill Grayson? I know his soul is in this new guy, but it's a totally different actor. They really thought it was good to end the show with Jane up in the mix with some dude who has only been on the show for three episodes? I wasn't even that in to Jane's quest to get boring Grayson to love her, but I kind of feel cheated all the same. This show has always been shaky, but this is just a weird choice. I mean the story of Grayson and Deb is ridiculously sad. Two young people who had violent and painful deaths. Fun. At least they got to body hop.

[seacliffsal]

Although I like Ian/Greyson more than the previous actor, I really dislike the storyline.  Owen and Kim are being friends to Jane and Jane just cuts them off.  Ian/Greyson never wore his class ring when he was Greyson, why the sudden need to do so as Ian?  I am just kind of starting to hate Jane and that is disappointing as I have liked her until just recently.  It just seems like this last season is just so....wrong.

[Limelight]

I hope that if I'm ever violently killed and press the return button to make my way back to earth, my new body would be smart enough to never watch this show!

 

I don't even know where to start, DDD used to be fun and even though it was way too silly at times, there were still interesting plots and relatable characters.  I liked watching Deb's journey to becoming Jane and valuing her brains and everything she had accomplished while making Jane kinder, especially in her relationship with her mother but keeping the love of fashion and silliness that was part of Deb.  I thought together they made a great person and I enjoyed the Deb/Jane character of that first year especially.  

I'm especially disappointed in the Stacy,Deb/Jane friendship.  I liked that Stacy was the first person Deb told about her new body and how Stacy and Jane formed a really great friendship, less shallow than the Stacy/Deb one.  Stacy and Jane trusted each other, were best friends and now...Stacy's carrying Jane's ex-fiance's babies. What?  That was when the show went completely downhill for me, when Stacy couldn't find anyone else in the world to father her baby other than her best friend's ex-fiance that Jane still loved.  It was ridiculous and a huge betrayal of friendship!

Now we have Stacy and Owen together (whatever) and they put Jane with Greyson which was expected from the beginning (although I enjoyed the Owen detour myself) and after all these years on the show, they switch actors at the end?  I know that the Greyson actor had as much energy as I do before my morning coffee but still why switch bodies now? Why not a couple years ago when a new actor might have energized the show a bit?

 

I'm going to continue to watch until the end because I've invested this much time in it why stop now! Also, I love Brooke Eliott and I'm hoping for a big musical number to end the show on a good note for me but I'm still disappointed on the wasted potential of this show.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Limelight

[Rhetorica]

I hope that if I'm ever violently killed and press the return button to make my way back to earth, my new body would be smart enough to never watch this show!

I don't even know where to start, DDD used to be fun and even though it was way too silly at times, there were still interesting plots and relatable characters. I liked watching Deb's journey to becoming Jane and valuing her brains and everything she had accomplished while making Jane kinder, especially in her relationship with her mother but keeping the love of fashion and silliness that was part of Deb. I thought together they made a great person and I enjoyed the Deb/Jane character of that first year especially.

I'm especially disappointed in the Stacy,Deb/Jane friendship. I liked that Stacy was the first person Deb told about her new body and how Stacy and Jane formed a really great friendship, less shallow than the Stacy/Deb one. Stacy and Jane trusted each other, were best friends and now...Stacy's carrying Jane's ex-fiance's babies. What? That was when the show went completely downhill for me, when Stacy couldn't find anyone else in the world to father her baby other than her best friend's ex-fiance that Jane still loved. It was ridiculous and a huge betrayal of friendship!

Now we have Stacy and Owen together (whatever) and they put Jane with Greyson which was expected from the beginning (although I enjoyed the Owen detour myself) and after all these years on the show, they switch actors at the end? I know that the Greyson actor had as much energy as I do before my morning coffee but still why switch bodies now? Why not a couple years ago when a new actor might have energized the show a bit?

I'm going to continue to watch until the end because I've invested this much time in it why stop now! Also, I love Brooke Eliott and I'm hoping for a big musical number to end the show on a good note for me but I'm still disappointed on the wasted potential of this show.

I've been waiting for a musical number for two years! I loved the whimsy this show used to be.

[Guest]

Season 6 ends with Owen and Kim trying to talk some sense into Jane about her relationship with Ian. Meanwhile, Teri realizes that Ian is her former classmate, who is responsible for ruining her chances at stardom; and Kim represents her former temp when he is fired by his agency.

[Badger]

It's a series finale.

[Ms Lark]

The end. Finally. I was hoping when Ian started singing Jane would sing with him. What a freakin' waste of potential all the way down the line.

[Rhetorica]

The end. Finally. I was hoping when Ian started singing Jane would sing with him. What a freakin' waste of potential all the way down the line.

I was hoping the same. But I liked the low key way it ended. I thought the last two minutes made up for this season.

[Amelie06]

Well that kind of sucked, but was totally in line with the terrible trajectory of this show. The only good thing I can say is that after a good start, this series became so forgettable that in a few months it will be like it was never on tv.

[LindaT]

Worst. Finale. Ever.

[rocketgirl96]

I really thought that when Stacy was on the pain meds she would spill the beans about Jane and Ian and that Owen would find out. No such excitement. *sigh*

[BookThief]

What the fuck was that?  If I'm remembering correctly, they knew they'd have these last few episodes to tie everything up.  They had time to do SOMETHING that wasn't this.  I guess I'm irritated that everyone will continue to think Jane is a little crazy for moving on from Grayson so quickly.  I feel like their secrets should have come out at some point to more than just Stacy.  Just saying "But it's not your business why I moved on.  Accept it." was annoying.  Maybe it's true, technically, but if this were real life, I'd continue to watch my friend who appeared to have move on in 1 week to make sure he/she was really OK.  At least it's all over.  I really enjoyed the show in the first season but it changed too much over time.  I was hoping this last batch of episodes would bring some of that spark back.  But no.

[Carolina Girl]

Worst. Finale. Ever.

 

That is precisely what I thought.  Right down to the punctuation.

[Go to Helen Hunt]

I was disappointed with the finale, but I knew I would be. Why, with two friggin' episodes left, they decided to kill Grayson is just mind numbing to me. I was never a Jayson shipper but it was obvious they were going to be together in the end. Couldn't they just leave mediocre enough alone? Dumb.

 

Also, I would normally tell folks to shut it when it comes to other people's love lives, but I totally understood Owen and Kim's horror about Jane dating Ian. Your fiance died 5 minutes ago and you're shacking up with a freed death row inmate. I would be worried about my friend too, if that were the case. Jane had to realize how this appeared to those around her. Dumb, dumb.

 

I'm borrowing a phrase from LeftPhalange- I reject this finale.

[Beden]

I got the impression that A) the entire season was rushed since it seems like they didn't get green lighted for another season until the last minute and B) the producers and PTB may have been hoping for a second cancellation reprieve and be renewed for yet another season. Hence the rushed and not so great finale.

 

Or so it seems to me.

[StaceyNotStacie]

I didn't hate the episode, but it seemed like they could have used an extra hour for the finale because too much time was focused on the legal cases.  

 

There was a huge difference in the actors who played Grayson and Ian.  The actor who played Ian just had a bit more personality.  I never disliked Grayson, but when watching the last scene with the flashbacks, it was almost like "oh yeah, there was another actor who played Grayson".  He was just completely forgettable compared to Ian (out of sight, out of mind).

 

I was half expecting Stacy to see Deb's face in that last scene with Jane where she said that her eyes were blurry and she was going to close her eyes for a while, especially when Owen said that Stacy was acting a bit strange due to the medication.

[firebookie]

Ian has no memory of his former self, but can play the piano. 

#fail!

[HandBasket]

Ian has no memory of his former self, but can play the piano.

#fail!

That seems to be the way it works. Deb got all of Jane's legal knowledge but nothing about her life.

I agree with everyone that the finale was a disappointment. I'd like to know what Grayson is going to do now that he can't practice law.

Edited June 23, 2014 by HandBasket

[oceanblue]

I think they wanted to give him something - like Jane has no memory of being Jane but she can practice law.

 

Edited to say oops!  I hadn't seen the above response before I replied.

Edited June 23, 2014 by oceanblue

[Krissy]

I knew this was the last season, but had no idea this was the finale till I came here. I totally agree, worst finale ever!! It's like things were wrapped up, but not? Why didn't we even get to see the babies? Oh well. Never have to watch this tripe again lol.

[Rhetorica]

I think the ending was, " And they lived happily ever after..." and left the rest to the viewers imagination. Much like two of my other favorite cancelled shows, Eureka and Warehouse 13.

[seacliffsal]

So that's that.  I was watching to the end only because I had, at one time, loved this show and wanted to see it all the way through.  It makes sense that for the writers Jane and Greyson/Ian were the end game, but what happened in the mean time is that Jane had SO much fun and chemistry with the lawyer guy and Owen.  It always seemed like she wanted Greyson because that's who she should want and that she was denying just how much her personality had changed (she had depth and compassion) while Greyson didn't change.  And, it was either the previous episode or this one, when Ian/Greyson said "I've never loved anybody else" and my mind went immediately to HIS interrupted wedding.  So, he just kind of liked that fiance.  Also, I could never buy Greyson going outside of his physical type.  If they had just shown one time when he went out with someone who wasn't the 'model' type, it may have made sense.

 

Actually, the most satisfying relationship on this show for me (other than Teri and anyone) was Kim and her new love.  I really liked them together.

 

So, farewell Drop Dead Diva, you were once so fun and promising and ended up just....settling.

[TV Diva Queen]

I wanted Deb and Grayson to be sitting on the piano bench.  I wanted so much more.  I too came here to see if this was indeed the serier finale.  I would have watched with different eyes. 

[Badger]

But that's the thing about being soulmates; it's not about physical types.  If someone is your soulmate, you're going to find each other whether or not that person is your physical ideal or not.  All the women Grayson dated after Deb died were thin and pretty like her, but none of them were his soulmate so the relationships never lasted.  

 

I thought the ending was very sweet.  The show started off with Deb and Grayson together and it ended up with Deb and Grayson together only this time they were Jane and Ian.

[VLove]

I've been thinking about this for two days, now, and I can't seem to figure out exactly why I am so disappointed by this show.  It seemed so lazy - sometime after Parker left, maybe?  And like seacliffsal said, Deb/Jane did so much growing and in the end she seemed so much brighter than Grayson.  He seemed dull and (at times) unevolved.  It was as if Jane was loving him out of Deb's habit.  I think I technically like the idea of Grayson becoming Ian as maybe Ian would have given Grayson the layers that Jane deserved but it happened too late.

 

Maybe because everything had to happen in a span of two episodes, Grayson made a horrible Ian.  I hated how confrontational and obnoxious he was (i.e, when Ian was "caught" wearing "Grayson's" class ring).  The behavior seemed so out of character with Grayson, and not at all who Ian should be if he was going to make a successful run with Jane.  

 

Also, I never cared for Paul and was glad to see Fred again. AND, I thought the idea of Stacy and Owen becoming parents and, subsequently, engaged was LUNACY.

 

And even after all that, I would have been okay with it all if Jane had joined her voice to Ian's when he was singing at the piano.  Brooke Elliott has such a beautiful voice.

[txhorns79]

Farewell Drop Dead Diva, I will miss your lawsuits that apparently could be filed and tried the same day, along with Jane's often bizarre and totally unprofessional courtroom demeanor! 

 

I can't say I understand the choices the writers made this season.  I can only guess that Grayson was switched out and Teri went away for a good portion of the season due to budget issues.  I mean, I will say the actor playing Ian was much better than Grayson, but storywise it was dumb.  I agree with the idea that they were hoping for some kind of last minute reprieve.  It's the only way jamming conclusions for most of the characters into the final episode makes sense.     

[Lava VaVoom]

Seems to me I read somewhere months ago that the next season, not this one, would be the last.  I think they got the bad news at the last possible moment, and had to scramble to bring the series to a close without making it a satisfying close.  They spent six years developing the characters and the relationships, and then give us this crap?  And most of the episode devoted to cases?  Owen would not choose a Stacy as his life partner.  We didn't see their twins because there was no time.  Jane didn't sing at the end because developing a great musical number with her would have taken too much time and money, even if she just sang with Ian.  Will Kim live happily ever after?  I hope so.  Terry too.  I also hope Paul went back to wherever he came from, never to be heard from again.

 

The plug was pulled and took them by surprise, and it showed.  Way to give your loyal fans the finger, show.

 

(Just for kicks and giggles, hop over to the DDD page on FB and see how many others are as disappointed as we are.)

[ChicagoCita]

Finally watched this episode.  Like most of you, thought it was full of rush and mediocrity.  Sad that a show I loved so much fizzled so badly after the first season.  But I watched until the very end.

 

I'm not thin, by any means, but I have to say I was shocked to see the flashbacks at the end, and realizing that Brooke Elliott had gained so much weight since the beginning of the show.  Usually it goes the other way with actresses as the show progresses.

 

Coulda been so great, even if they'd spent a lot of time on this ONE episode.  I'd have loved to have seen the twins, I'd love for the last two minutes to be fifteen, I'd have loved a big musical number as the farewell.  But whoever's been writing the show since Season 3 just doesn't have that kind of creativity, I guess.

 

Farewell, DDD.

[Bruinsfan]

I like new Grayson/Ian much better than the old one. Better actor, better looking.

I think Jackson Hurst was by far the better looking of the two. Like a statue carved out of marble, or really pretty oak.

 

Still don't get why they'd shuffle him off five minutes away from the end of the series.