UnREAL in the Media: News, Ratings, and Previews

[Chris Burgess]

25 minutes ago, Christina said:

Wishing I hadn't read that Cosmopolitan article. I'm not caring for this season much as it is, and dislike SGS more every time I read something new about her. There was a YouTube video where she was answering fan questions that made me realize she wouldn't be someone I would want to hang out with, and each new article confirms it. Including the one that broke down her story and detailed the facts that didn't quite match up. 

What is the link to that youtube video where SGS is answering fan's questions?

[RCharter]

48 minutes ago, Christina said:

Wishing I hadn't read that Cosmopolitan article. I'm not caring for this season much as it is, and dislike SGS more every time I read something new about her. There was a YouTube video where she was answering fan questions that made me realize she wouldn't be someone I would want to hang out with, and each new article confirms it. Including the one that broke down her story and detailed the facts that didn't quite match up. 

I agree, the cosmo article is the first one I've read, and SGS just seems like a mean girl.  And I think maybe this season Rachel is getting more like who SGS really is.

I think from here on out, I'll just get the second hand information from all of you, and I won't read any more articles.  

[earlbny]

I've heard SGS speak in person and she just rubs me the wrong way. I've gotten this vibe like she thinks she's better then me. Girls rule boys drool. I think season 1 went to her head and she think she can do no wrong. I read an article that she did. It was a Q&A. I'll find the link and post it. In the comments 2 people called her out for being a liar. These 2 people said they worked as producers. One of them worked for 20 in the business. It was an interesting read. I also feel like she's forcing her personal agenda down my throat.

 

ETA: Here's the link I was talking about above.

http://deadline.com/2016/04/unreal-origin-story-sarah-gertrude-shapiro-emmys-lifetime-1201735056/

Edited July 2, 2016 by earlbny

[Zuleikha]

Doesn't the Cosmo article just confirm the anecdote that SGS has already told about herself? Her whole story has always been that she was a horrible person when she was a producer on the Bachelor.

I didn't think the commenters in that Deadline article had any smoking guns against SGS's story. It's not unusual for stories to have minor discrepancies when reported by different writers (because everyone frames and simplifies differently), and just because two random producers think what happened with SGS's contract was weird doesn't mean that it's a flat out lie. One of them acknowledged that they had heard of Telepictures having odd deals with contracts.

[BingeyKohan]

earlbny and Zuleikha I think you are both correct: a close read of The New Yorker article shows that the magazine's fact-checkers (who are rigorous; certainly more so than Cosmo's) must have had trouble verifying some of SGS's claims, hence the writerly distance DT Max created in a few spots (along the lines of 'that's her story, anyway,' when he wanted to suggest he wasn't sure whether to quite believe her.) But then I personally wasn't sure whether to always believe him: For example, when describing the pilot's opening scene he referred to Rachel being passed out in a limo - the beautiful shot of Shiri seen through the moonroof. I interpreted that as her merely laying down so she wouldn't be caught by the Everlasting cameras that were also in the car. Or that it had double meaning - she was also exhausted by what she was getting back into. But not passed out.

 

But: the larger point I want to make is whether we pay undue attention to the likability, stability, and even credibility of SGS as a person. If you read profiles of Jill Soloway (Transparent), she doesn't sound very likable or stable either (to me, not that my personal opinion of her matters). Very unsympathetic people have made great art. I am tempted to say that focus is because she's a woman, but then many people speculated that True Detective got bad in season 2 because Cary Fukunaga wasn't involved and the male creator (also unlikable in interviews) was left to run it alone, same as we're now saying about Marti Noxon's missing influence. It's possible SGS said all she had to say about her Bachelor experience in one 20 minute art film and 10 hour long episodes and anything beyond that is stretching the concept too far.

Edited July 3, 2016 by BingeyKohan
Typo

[CalamityBoPeep]

4 hours ago, BingeyKohan said:

But: the larger point I want to make is whether we pay undue attention to the likability, stability, and even credibility of SGS as a person. If you read profiles of Jill Soloway (Transparent), she doesn't sound very likable or stable either (to me, not that my personal opinion of her matters). Very unsympathetic people have made great art. I am tempted to say that focus is because she's a woman, but then many people speculated that True Detective got bad in season 2 because Cary Fukunaga wasn't involved and the male creator (also unlikable in interviews) was left to run it alone, same as we're now saying about Marti Noxon's missing influence. It's possible SGS said all she had to say about her Bachelor experience in one 20 minute art film and 10 hour long episodes and anything beyond that is stretching the concept too far.

I don't usually focus personally on the creators of shows, whether they're likable or unlikable, but in this case it becomes a factor for me specifically because the show-runner is bleeding through the characterizations so obviously. It's like when Goffman made Sleepy Hollow a homage to StruggleWitch. Viewers were wondering what the hell was wrong with him... as a person... that he'd be so blind to the mess he was making of the characters. 

If Unreal's characters this season had depth and were fully fleshed out, then I'd trust that SGS understood what made the characters so appealing to start with, and wasn't forcing so much. She's trying too hard to hit her marks. Nothing is getting to breathe and live.

It's just that I feel like specific elements of her psyche are the primary reasons for the existence of all the characters this season, and that she can't separate her own feelings from what she's making the characters do. It becomes cookie cutter characterization. She is making statements, and nothing but statements. And it turns out that her statements can be a little dull. 

So, then it becomes a question of "why can't she see how boring it is to use the characters only to make a statement?" In that case, I start examining the type of person she seems to be. Mainly because I have nothing better to examine in-show, because... boring characterization.

Edited July 3, 2016 by CalamityBoPeep
Subject-verb agreement matters.

[BingeyKohan]

47 minutes ago, CalamityBoPeep said:

It's just that I feel like specific elements of her psyche are the primary reasons for the existence of all the characters this season, and that she can't separate her own feelings from what she's making the characters do. It becomes cookie cutter characterization. She is making statements, and nothing but statements. And it turns out that her statements can be a little dull. 

So, then it becomes a question of "why can't she see how boring it is to use the characters only to make a statement?" In that case, I start examining the type of person she seems to be. Mainly because I have nothing better to examine in-show, because... boring characterization.

Definitely hear you. I guess what I was trying to say was that it can feel like the effort to prove how ironclad her Bachelor contract was or wasn't is just a disguised attempt to punish her for letting us down creatively this season. I do agree she's under her own spell, thinking she has the magical ability to transform every complicated feeling she has about her employers into art. I've mentioned elsewhere I think Coleman is a Noxon proxy, an unwanted, network-mandated minder.

[CalamityBoPeep]

5 minutes ago, BingeyKohan said:

Definitely hear you. I guess what I was trying to say was that it can feel like the effort to prove how ironclad her Bachelor contract was or wasn't is just a disguised attempt to punish her for letting us down creatively this season. I do agree she's under her own spell, thinking she has the magical ability to transform every complicated feeling she has about her employers into art. I've mentioned elsewhere I think Coleman is a Noxon proxy, an unwanted, network-mandated minder.

That makes sense, though I think the efforts to understand this or that specific item, (such as her Bachelor contract and how closely her story is cleaving to the "truth" of the matter) are more about viewers trying to collate disparate pieces of information to come up with the whole picture of who they believe this woman might be, as a person. 

For me, if she is as unlikable as she's coming across in the various articles, and seems to have no redeeming self-awareness, or even a recognition that her "truth" might be skewed by her perception... then I'm a lot less likely to trust that she'll actually have the insight that would be required to fix the show. And that's the crux of the matter, for me. Is it worth my time to stick this out? Will she turn the show around?

If I find myself not trusting her to "get it" then I'm not going to stick around while she flails about. I did that for Sleepy Hollow and learned a very painful lesson about the narcissist show-runners in television. (I knew a lot of them are narcissists for the most part, but I hadn't really twigged onto just how determined some of them can be about keeping their own blinders in place.)

I'm just not going to waste years giving a crap about a show that's obviously in deluded hands anymore. I'm too old for that, and I have a huge stack of books in my "to be read" pile.

[RCharter]

2 hours ago, CalamityBoPeep said:

That makes sense, though I think the efforts to understand this or that specific item, (such as her Bachelor contract and how closely her story is cleaving to the "truth" of the matter) are more about viewers trying to collate disparate pieces of information to come up with the whole picture of who they believe this woman might be, as a person. 

For me, if she is as unlikable as she's coming across in the various articles, and seems to have no redeeming self-awareness, or even a recognition that her "truth" might be skewed by her perception... then I'm a lot less likely to trust that she'll actually have the insight that would be required to fix the show. And that's the crux of the matter, for me. Is it worth my time to stick this out? Will she turn the show around?

If I find myself not trusting her to "get it" then I'm not going to stick around while she flails about. I did that for Sleepy Hollow and learned a very painful lesson about the narcissist show-runners in television. (I knew a lot of them are narcissists for the most part, but I hadn't really twigged onto just how determined some of them can be about keeping their own blinders in place.)

I'm just not going to waste years giving a crap about a show that's obviously in deluded hands anymore. I'm too old for that, and I have a huge stack of books in my "to be read" pile.

I agree-- I wouldn't really care about SGS as a person, except that she is clearly writing Rachel as herself.  And if SGS is this horrible mean girl that I can't root for than I think it will drag the show down.  Because ultimately, that is who she is going to make Rachel.  And perhaps S1 Rachel was "humanized" by Marti Noxon.

This show is still fun for me -- but I don't want Rachel to just become a snotty mean girl with a superiority complex.  And thats where this show is going, and thats where Rachel is going.  And I suspect that is who SGS really is.

[Zuleikha]

I've mentioned elsewhere I think Coleman is a Noxon proxy, an unwanted, network-mandated minder.

My impression from that one long interview making the rounds a few weeks ago was that SGS was grateful to how Noxon helped focus the show creatively, but thought Noxon cared a lot more about Girlfriend's Guide. IIRC, SGS flat out accused Noxon of scooping crew for Girlfriend's Guide.

[Chris Burgess]

33 minutes ago, Zuleikha said:

My impression from that one long interview making the rounds a few weeks ago was that SGS was grateful to how Noxon helped focus the show creatively, but thought Noxon cared a lot more about Girlfriend's Guide. IIRC, SGS flat out accused Noxon of scooping crew for Girlfriend's Guide.

FYI, the writer of the last episode of "UnREAL" was Janine Nabers, who was a writer on GG2D according to her IMDB page.

[Drapers4thWife]

I hate that Sarah is running this show into the ground because I'd hate to see networks be skittish about giving an out lesbian a chance to get a show off the ground based on what's happened with UnREAL.

 

Shapiro is not a lesbian, she's bisexual and currently (per the New Yorker article) in a relationship with a man.

[maraleia]

1 hour ago, Drapers4thWife said:

 

 

Shapiro is not a lesbian, she's bisexual and currently (per the New Yorker article) in a relationship with a man.

I stand corrected but my assertion is still the same. I should've said queer instead of lesbian.

[earlbny]

This was a great review. Basically sums up everything I am feeling about this season 2 and episode 6.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/07/11/arts/television/unreal-season-2-episode-6-breakdown.html?referer=https://www.google.com/

Here's another great review which asks the question can season 2 be saved? They go into detail about season 2. 

http://www.vox.com/2016/7/12/12153500/unreal-episode-6-casualty-recap-lifetime-rachel

 

I know it would never happen but I would love to see a response from SGS. Especially about the 2nd link.

http://pop-break.com/2016/07/12/unreal-review-watch-ladies-shiri-appleby-coming-emmy/

Edited July 13, 2016 by earlbny

[Princess Sparkle]

Emmy nominations are in and Constance Zimmer snagged a Best Supporting Actress nomination.  As far as I can tell, she's the only one in the cast that got a major nomination.

ETA - Didn't notice this initially, but SGS and Marni Noxon also got a writing nomination for the pilot episode.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Princess Sparkle

[earlbny]

Thanks for the info. In my opinion Shiri got robbed. When I think of the 1st episode of season 1 Return the 1st thing that comes to mind is Rachel lying on the floor of the limo with that shirt on. Rachel and Quinn are a team. You can't have one without the other.

Here's the catagories they were nominated in. I am not sure what the last nomanation is. UnREAL The Auditions. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series - 2016

Constance Zimmer 


Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series - 2016
UnREAL "Return" Lifetime
Written by Marti Noxon, Written by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, 

Outstanding Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series - 2016

UnREAL The Auditions
Lifetime 

Edited July 14, 2016 by earlbny

[Princess Sparkle]

Based on the other nominations in that category, I'm guessing "UnREAL: The Auditions" was some kind of web short or online exclusive that happened during the first season.  I caught up on the first season on Hulu, so I wasn't watching in real-time, but if I had to guess, I bet Lifetime had audition tapes for each of the major contestants.  I tried googling "UnREAL the auditions", but unfortunately, all the top hits were porn....

[earlbny]

I am going to have to see if those are included on the S1 DVD. I've watched all the videos on Lifetimes website but don't remember those. While searching for UnREAL auditions I found one from someone who didn't get the part. They also uploaded videos for season 2 of fake audition tapes that Rachel and Quinn made commentary on. Those have been takin down. I tried playing one and it not play. 

Edited July 14, 2016 by earlbny

[earlbny]

I found 2 of the fake audition tapes that work.

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4d8mr6_unreal-jameson-s-everlasting-audition-tape-lifetime_fun

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4d9wcq_unreal-jen-s-everlasting-audition-tape-lifetime_fun

[jhlipton]

39 minutes ago, earlbny said:

I found 2 of the fake audition tapes that work.

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4d8mr6_unreal-jameson-s-everlasting-audition-tape-lifetime_fun

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4d9wcq_unreal-jen-s-everlasting-audition-tape-lifetime_fun

Jen's audition is so very Jen!

[basically]

Congrats to Unreal for their 2 big Emmy nods! Constance was their best shot and I thought she might pull through for the show but a writing nomination was more than I thought we'd get! 

Marti Noxon on Her First Emmy Nomination for UnREAL and How She Stopped Watching the Show

I for one hope Marti Noxon is way more involved next season - I think her guidance, balance and touch on the show is what's missing this season and is what helped make the first season so great.

Edited July 14, 2016 by basically

[earlbny]

I think the best supporting actress catorgry was easier for Constance then the lead actress catorgry for Shiri. Personally I think they were a team. You can't have one without the other. Shiri got snubbed.

Thanks for the link. I hope so as well. Marti was the glue that held the show together. I am just going to say that season 2 was a sophmore slump and hopefully they bounce back.

[BingeyKohan]

The Marti Noxon interview hints at a fascinating dynamic between the two of them. (And regardless of work product I have to say my sympathies are automatically with someone who, faced with a world of options for restaurant recipes to duplicate at home, chooses the Chili's chocolate chip skillet cookie.) And I think we can all agree: Noxon's flirty way of saying who knows, she might be more involved next season = LIFETIME HAS BEGGED AND CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED HER TO BE INVOLVED NEXT SEASON.

[earlbny]

32 minutes ago, BingeyKohan said:

The Marti Noxon interview hints at a fascinating dynamic between the two of them. (And regardless of work product I have to say my sympathies are automatically with someone who, faced with a world of options for restaurant recipes to duplicate at home, chooses the Chili's chocolate chip skillet cookie.) And I think we can all agree: Noxon's flirty way of saying who knows, she might be more involved next season = LIFETIME HAS BEGGED AND CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED HER TO BE INVOLVED NEXT SEASON.

I am not getting any Emmy nomination anytime soon. However if I did my celebration would be just as boring. My sympathies are with Marti as well. She's worked in the business a long time and is finally getting recognized. The new EP they brought in for S2 Carol Barbee is from the south. She's come up with a lot of different ideas that did not work. I heard her talk about them in person during the UnREAL S2 press tour. ITA about Noxon's flirty ways. I hope Lifetime gives her whatever she wants. Feel free to give Sarah a lot of money to go away. LOL

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/unreal-carol-barbee-exec-producer-season-2-1201586292/

Edited July 15, 2016 by earlbny

[jhlipton]

1 hour ago, earlbny said:

I am not getting any Emmy nomination anytime soon. However if I did my celebration would be just as boring. My sympathies are with Marti as well. She's worked in the business a long time and is finally getting recognized. The new EP they brought in for S2 Carol Barbee is from the south. She's come up with a lot of different ideas that did not work. I heard her talk about them in person during the UnREAL S2 press tour. ITA about Noxon's flirty ways. I hope Lifetime gives her whatever she wants. Feel free to give Sarah a lot of money to go away. LOL

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/unreal-carol-barbee-exec-producer-season-2-1201586292/

When I'm glad I heard about Noxon's involvement after the fact.  I've heard her ideas fro what would happen on BtVS if there were a Season 8 or 7 (wisely, Joss decided to end the show with Season 5 [and I wont be convinced otherwise!]) -- "magic is crack" and "Spike has a sooooooooooooooul now!" sound ghastly!  But I think she's definitely needed to pull Season 3 back on track.

If UnREAL were Everlasting, Marti would be Chet to Farah's Quinn: Sarah "invented" the show, but Marti took over.  Next season, Chet was out and Quinn was in control (at least for a while). In this situation, John Booth can tell Quinn to bring Chet back, but he can't make Quinn go away.

[earlbny]

53 minutes ago, nosleepforme said:

  I'm kind of disappointed that Shiri didn't get a nomination. She has the meatier part in my opinion and lives up to the challenge. Constance is more or less playing what she always played: the tough badass and while good at it, she has become a lot less interesting this season.

ITA 110% As great as Constance is as Quinn she always plays the same character. I've been a Shiri Appleby fan since her days on Roswell. This is easily the best thing she's done in her 30+ year career. She's never played a character like this. I think that Shiri/Rachel is thre heart and soul of UnREAL. She has more layers. More emotion and complexly. She's not one dimensional.  I know they typically don't give out award based on longevity. However Shiri has worked in the business for over 30+ years and payed her dues. In all my years of watching her act I've never been more blown away then I  have been watching her on UnREAL. This was the role she was born to play. She's puts 110% into this role and it shows. I am so proud of her. She's already a winner in my book.

Edited July 15, 2016 by earlbny

[VartanFan]

FInally read the New Yorker article.  Oy...how very unlikeable SGS is.  Her whole schtick is how she felt so bad about the things she did on the Bachelor and this show is basically her savvy retort.  But it actually doesn't seem like she learned much from that.  She sounds entitled, poser-y, and so terribly insufferable.  Ouch.  It actually makes me like the show less because I root for Rachel to become the person she thinks she is on the inside.  Knowing Rachel was modeled after SGS...it now ruins the show a bit for me.  

 

I know I should relax and enjoy the show for what it is but I've rarely had such a visceral reaction to this kind of interview.  She just really seems to lack self awareness.  Yikes.  

[RCharter]

7 hours ago, VartanFan said:

FInally read the New Yorker article.  Oy...how very unlikeable SGS is.  Her whole schtick is how she felt so bad about the things she did on the Bachelor and this show is basically her savvy retort.  But it actually doesn't seem like she learned much from that.  She sounds entitled, poser-y, and so terribly insufferable.  Ouch.  It actually makes me like the show less because I root for Rachel to become the person she thinks she is on the inside.  Knowing Rachel was modeled after SGS...it now ruins the show a bit for me.  

 

I know I should relax and enjoy the show for what it is but I've rarely had such a visceral reaction to this kind of interview.  She just really seems to lack self awareness.  Yikes.  

It just makes me worry where they are going to take Rachel from here.  If SGS is going to basically turn her into the unlikable one dimensional mean girl that she appears to be, Rachel doesn't even work as a lovable anti hero.  If Noxon was the one that was responsible for making Rachel a little more likable, than I hope she takes a bigger role next season, because I don't really like Rachel right now.  The only time I like Rachel these days is because I hate someone even more...like Jeremy

[earlbny]

20 hours ago, VartanFan said:

FInally read the New Yorker article.  Oy...how very unlikeable SGS is.  Her whole schtick is how she felt so bad about the things she did on the Bachelor and this show is basically her savvy retort.  But it actually doesn't seem like she learned much from that.  She sounds entitled, poser-y, and so terribly insufferable.  Ouch.  It actually makes me like the show less because I root for Rachel to become the person she thinks she is on the inside.  Knowing Rachel was modeled after SGS...it now ruins the show a bit for me.  

 

I know I should relax and enjoy the show for what it is but I've rarely had such a visceral reaction to this kind of interview.  She just really seems to lack self awareness.  Yikes.  

I went to the NY press tour events for S2 of UnREAL. SGS spoke at 2 of them. I got that same impression about her that you did from reading the article. She rubbed me the wrong way. I got the impression that she thinks she's gods gift. Hopefully S2's sophmore slump will bring her back down to earth. She likes to pretend that she worked on the Bachelor 100 years ago. Things are different now. I think SGS is more like Rachel then she cares to admit. 

 

14 hours ago, nosleepforme said:

 

What I love about Shiri's part is that I think it is a very nuanced portray of mental health issues. Rachel is clearly unstable, but she is not portrayed as "crazy" neither is her mental health used for comedic purposes like Suzanne on Orange is the new Black. Instead Rachel seems fairly functional, except for when she is not. I think it's nice to see a character like that, because mental health issues take many forms and it doesn't always mean people with mental health issues are generally unfit for society.

This is new territory for Shiri. She's never been givin the chance to play a role like this before. I would have thought she's a seasoned vet. I've never seen OITNB so I can't compare. I don't have any metal health issues. I also don't know anyone with any so I can only judge based on UnREAL. I like what they did on Shameless In regards to mental health. Maybe as a Shiri fan I am bias but I think she's believable as Rachel.

13 hours ago, RCharter said:

It just makes me worry where they are going to take Rachel from here.  If SGS is going to basically turn her into the unlikable one dimensional mean girl that she appears to be, Rachel doesn't even work as a lovable anti hero.  If Noxon was the one that was responsible for making Rachel a little more likable, than I hope she takes a bigger role next season, because I don't really like Rachel right now.  The only time I like Rachel these days is because I hate someone even more...like Jeremy

I want them to bring back S1 Rachel. I am all for growth but this could get over the top and unwatchable. I get that Quinn is supposed to be like. I am fine with that. Just give me one person to root for. Maybe if you make it to season 5 and Rach slowly got  there I would understand. Too much too fast. I would give Noxon whatever she needed to bring back our lovable anti hero. Jeremy is the worst. At least Chet kind of went back to S1 Chet. As long as Shiri's in this show I'll continue to watch.

 

Here's an interview with Shiri about UnREAL, Reality TV, High School, Dinner Parties and some other stuff. 

http://www.dinnerpartydownload.org/shiri-appleby/

Here's another link which gives Shiri an honorable mention for her performance.

http://tvline.com/2016/07/16/michaela-watkins-casual-season-2-performance/#comment-list-wrapper

Edited July 16, 2016 by earlbny

[Wings]

Chet Bierko is on Kelly Live right now.  He has gained some of his weight back, not all of it, but he is filling out! 

ETA.  He went to the Biggest Loser Camp for 6 weeks.  That is probably why he is gaining it back!  LOL!  

He has been friends with Shiri for many years and she was instrumental in him losing weight.  She is very direct and he loves that about her.  He noticed in a pic that he had gained weight and she told him he could probably take about 50 pounds off. 

Edited July 18, 2016 by wings707

[earlbny]

Shiri was in the Thirteenth Floor with Craig. Long before either of them were famous. I love that movie. Shiri was so cute in it.

Here's a tweet and a link to an interview SGS did about the police shooting. Everyone should leave comments. 

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/unreal-police-shooting-episode-interview-912140

Edited July 19, 2016 by earlbny

[jenrising]

Disgusting. The nerve of Shapiro to talk about being a white ally by centering the pain of the white woman who caused this violence makes me sick. 

[earlbny]

Here's a review of last nights episode. ITA with this review. It's pretty spot on. Props to hypable on picking up on the Yael undercover reporter thing.

http://www.hypable.com/unreal-season-2-sophomore-slump/

Here's a link to an interview with the writer of Episode 7 Ambush. 

http://www.avclub.com/article/unreal-writer-ariana-jackson-breaks-down-last-nigh-239769

Edited July 20, 2016 by earlbny

[Babalu]

On a lighter note, here's a Tweet linking to an article about dressing Shiri and Constance in real life (especially for you @earlbny because Shiri looks amazing):

[earlbny]

41 minutes ago, Babalu said:

On a lighter note, here's a Tweet linking to an article about dressing Shiri and Constance in real life (especially for you @earlbny because Shiri looks amazing):

Thanks for posting that. I just assumed Shiri woke up and managed to look that good. I was very lucky and got to see a bunch of the outfits mentioned in that article in person. IMO Shiri can pull off any look. She's definitely very confident in her skin. I love when she shows off her legs. For a shorty she's got a killer pair of legs. I can't believe she just had a baby back in December. 

Edited July 21, 2016 by earlbny

[Ms Blue Jay]

http://www.mtv.com/news/2908018/getting-unreal-about-race/

[earlbny]

Thanks for posting that link. That was a good read. They basically said everything we've been saying here. 

Edited July 22, 2016 by earlbny

[BingeyKohan]

One of the most strikingly out of touch responses SGS gave in that EW interview was when she acknowledged they were 'burning through a lot of story.' That phrase is usually a pejorative but she used it as a defense. I think it shows her inexperience and lack of discipline. Some of it was worth throwing on the fire: wtf was up with Chet's baby napping? Is that over? Was his MRA arc just to get him to the moment when he banished Jeremy? Weak payoff if so. This season is such a textbook example of running with your first impulses with no self-editing!

[earlbny]

14 hours ago, BingeyKohan said:

One of the most strikingly out of touch responses SGS gave in that EW interview was when she acknowledged they were 'burning through a lot of story.' That phrase is usually a pejorative but she used it as a defense. I think it shows her inexperience and lack of discipline. Some of it was worth throwing on the fire: wtf was up with Chet's baby napping? Is that over? Was his MRA arc just to get him to the moment when he banished Jeremy? Weak payoff if so. This season is such a textbook example of running with your first impulses with no self-editing!

This season has had a lot of weak pay offs. My favorite contestant might have been insert anyone they got rid of without developing. The contestants for the most part are just an after thought. I can totally see them not even bringing up Dariu's back issue or going back to Yeal and her undercover thing. Chet and the baby napping is probably over. Romeo was a wasted character that was only used for the shooting. This season might have worked out better if they had more episodes and less going on.

[BingeyKohan]

I've noticed on Instagram Constance Zimmer has been in France quite a while now - part of me thinks she was determined to be out of the country when the most offensive episodes started airing! Beyond giving interviews about her directing Shiri has been quiet lately too, hasn't she?

[earlbny]

7 hours ago, BingeyKohan said:

I've noticed on Instagram Constance Zimmer has been in France quite a while now - part of me thinks she was determined to be out of the country when the most offensive episodes started airing! Beyond giving interviews about her directing Shiri has been quiet lately too, hasn't she?

I've noticed that as well. I am not sure if it's a   Coincidence or they just wanted to take some time off. Constance did come out of hibernation to talke about her Emmy Nom. Shiri has said with her time off she plans on filming a movie called Lemon and staying at home being a mommy. Some of the cast members have been making the rounds. Megan Tandy? The contestant with the dead husband was on the after show buzz show this week talking about this weeks episode. Some of them have also been on the Entertainment Weekly Snapchap during the episodes. This week featured SGS and the writer. Last week featured Michael Rady.  Shiri and Constance have not been on snapchatduring the episode. Outside of SGS and the writer the cast have been pretty quite about this episode. Useally the UnREAL Twitter page is active during each episode. They post from the start of the episode till the end. They post quotes and pics and videos and all sort of stuff. This week they were not active. Not one word about the shooting. What's up with that? Last season the cast would periscope every single week. 

ETA: Shiri was on Snapchat yesterday. She posted a quick video where some dude counts while they are in a car. I am not sure if it's from the move she's filming or what it's about. No mention of UnREAL.

Edited July 23, 2016 by earlbny

[Chris Burgess]

UnReal: Why It Doesn't Matter Which Guy Rachel Ends Up With

[earlbny]

Thank's for the link.

This review had me LOL It contains some spoilers but says some funny things.

http://decider.com/2016/07/25/unreal-season-two-mess

 

ETA: Shiri and Constance will be guest in Late Night With Seth Meters on 8/1.

Edited July 25, 2016 by earlbny

[BingeyKohan]

The Vulture podcast takes on TV sophomore slumps, using Mr Robot and UnReal as object lessons. (There's 3-5 min of preamble and blather before the UnReal focus.) No new ground plowed we haven't already plowed ourselves but always nice to hear validation.

http://www.vulture.com/2016/07/season-two-slump-when-tv-shows-become-movies.html

[earlbny]

Thanks for the link. That was interesting even though it's nothing we don't already know.

Review: Unreal‘s Second Season Proves the Show Wasn’t Built to Last

http://time.com/4421028/unreal-season-2-review/

Edited July 27, 2016 by earlbny

[BingeyKohan]

9 hours ago, earlbny said:

Thanks for the link. That was interesting even though it's nothing we don't already know.

Review: Unreal‘s Second Season Proves the Show Wasn’t Built to Last

http://time.com/4421028/unreal-season-2-review/

Interesting. The chatter has definitely reached critical mass. Will be interesting to see how Lifetime publicly addresses it after the season has finished airing; I'm sure they will. They'll want to reassure fans (and the show's on-screen talent) they won't be put through this again for season 3.

[topanga]

10 minutes ago, BingeyKohan said:

Interesting. The chatter has definitely reached critical mass. Will be interesting to see how Lifetime publicly addresses it after the season has finished airing; I'm sure they will. They'll want to reassure fans (and the show's on-screen talent) they won't be put through this again for season 3.

Hmm. Didn't work for Sleepy Hollow. I'm not holding my breath for a good Season 3. 

[BingeyKohan]

1 minute ago, topanga said:

Hmm. Didn't work for Sleepy Hollow. I'm not holding my breath for a good Season 3. 

Sadly, I agree - the reassurances may be empty, but I think Lifetime will try it, or at the very least that writers from Entertainment Weekly, Vulture, and The Hollywood Reporter are as we speak angling/negotiating for a Lifetime exec to go on record admitting the failure of season 2 and what fix they propose for s3. 

Part of me agrees with the premise of the Time piece, that the show is no longer good because it's not a premise built for repeated variations - just like The Bachelor itself, a show that finds drama in the making of a show like The Bachelor is doomed to be repetitive and formulaic, or to avoid that will go to the opposite extreme of straying so far from its formula it's not the same show anymore. I can respect SGS for saying, 'ok, lifetime decrees that Rachel never falter in her commitment to Everlasting-what could legitimately keep a woman as smart as Rachel committed to working on such drivel?' Her answer was to have Rachel try and subvert the Everlasting premise as a way to confront race, not a bad workaround idea, but then SGS let that formula-tinkering get sabotaged in the writers' room. The lesson Lifetime will take is that we want original-recipe UnReal, with possibly the only tweak being a female suitor...which will inspire SGS (by then slightly demoted) to force a transgender twist, and we're right back where we are now! 

[earlbny]

ITA with all the points made above. Sometimes if it ain't broke don't fix it. However with UnREAL it's easy for the show to go in circles and keep repeating it's self. It can also easily go so far off into left field that we don't know what we are watching. Lifetime has not given up on this show. They may have struck out in Season 2 but they will get back up and keep trying till they hit a Home Run again. I hope they can bounce back before it's too late.

Season one was the most promoted show Shiri has ever been apart of in her 30+ year career. Season 2 has been promoted even more. It seems like the only people that like season 2 are the ones kissing up to Lifetime for whatever reason. Obviously if someone is interviewing a cast member they are going to say the show is good. 

Shiri and Constance will be guest on Seth Meyers this coming monday 8/1/16. Shiri will also be a guest on Larry King Now. You can ask Shiri a question at the following link. I wonder if anyone will ask Shiri about the Sophmore slump or the BLM plot. I thought about it but then chickened out. Here's the question I asked. 

Rachel is a very layered and complex character. She has lots of different emotional/mental issues. This week we found out she was raped when she was 12. Her evil mother has been giving her drugs to help brain wash her and protect her practice. How do you tap into those emotions? Do you have any experience with mental health issues? After every episode I want to give Rachel a hug.

http://www.ora.tv/larrykingnow/article/2016/7/26/what-would-you-ask-shiri-appleby

[earlbny]

I guess they're already starting to work on damage control/S3.

Edited July 28, 2016 by earlbny