S01.E06: Fly

[scruffy73]

It took me a minute to decide if I was going to post about this episode because it was painful for me to watch. I have bipolar disorder and have lots of opinions about Mary and how this show treated her illness.

Honestly they did a good job based on my experience and research. (Yeah, after 20 years I still research and read lots of articles.) it is very possible for her to respond so quickly to missing her meds. For me, as I age, I am getting more responsive to missing meds. After about 2 days I'm "off". With liquor I could probably go off like Mary. So, yeah, I saw that as realistic. Her aggression during her mania, realistic. Mania is not only all happy and delusional like she showed with the "he is taking me to the UK" discussion. I get extremely aggressive when I'm manic. I rarely get the "happy" (damnit). Her going back and forth in the same day, also realistic. She could have been rapid cycling. Or she might've just been realizing what Anna was doing and bitched at her for encroaching on her date, like any one of them would have done. Mary's suicide on the same day as her being manic all day, also realistic. Her husband pushed her over the edge, almost literally.

ALLLLLLLLLLL of this is Shia's fault and I hope she is found out. I don't know how she will be but if the shoe loves us at all she will be. There has to be a resolution to this storyline. (Please).

[cooksdelight]

(((((Scruffy73)))))))

I hope the zillions of cameras at that place picked up Shia in Mary's bathroom, since she left the door open when she switched the meds. We can hope.

[Pepper Mostly]

I think the "last 30 seconds" thing was a spoof during the spoof. How often do we see things like that on "real" reality shows? Am I giving them too much credit?

 

I also thought that we would discover that Mary was actually the one who broke her daughter's arm, and that was why the hubby hit her (not that it makes it right) and why he reminded her she said, "I'm sorry." Definitely wrong there, I guess.

That's pretty clever! I like the notion that it was a meta joke! I'll cling to that.

 

I don't think Mary broke Lilybelle's arm. And I think its pretty common for abused women to apologize for "making" their abuser hurt them. I think Mary's story was pretty straightforward. She was abused, traumatized, and suffered from mental illness. She made a terrible decision to go on reality TV. A perfect storm.

[cooksdelight]

Regarding the "last 30 seconds" I didn't get any of that when my DVR recorded the second airing of the show. I had my DVR busy that night and had to record it late.

[fastiller]

(((((Scruffy73)))))))

Ditto.

[rubyred]

My guess is that dumbass Shia will try to go back and replace Mary's meds and that's how she'll be found out. At least I hope that's what happens because that seriously made my blood boil. Of all the bad decisions that led up to this clusterfuck that was the worst and most potentially damaging. Everything else could have happened, but on her meds Mary's ex would not have been able to get into her head like that, she would have been more vigilant about the drinking, etc.. But it'll be interesting to see how they spin this, however dark it gets. I will be popping all the popcorn.

[lucindabelle]

It took me a minute to decide if I was going to post about this episode because it was painful for me to watch. I have bipolar disorder and have lots of opinions about Mary and how this show treated her illness.

Honestly they did a good job based on my experience and research.

ALLLLLLLLLLL of this is Shia's fault and I hope she is found out. I don't know how she will be but if the shoe loves us at all she will be. There has to be a resolution to this storyline. (Please).

Hugs and thanks so much for the inputl. I felt instinctively that it was the missing meds not the emotional stress that did her in.

I have ra and it can alter brain chemistry and make me depressed. Inwas well into my late 20s before I figured that out be ause it was so easy to justify my emotions when in reality they weren't even really my emotions. Seems like something similar happened here and sadly mary didn't figure it out in time.

[Happytobehere]

If this show ends without all of the behind the scenes people either going down in horrible career and possibly life ending flames and/or in jail, then what is the point of this show. To label these people subhuman is being kind. I actually hate them all, and not the love to hate way. As Anna said before she officially became one of the pathetic, scheming, hoard, every last one of them should burn in hell.

I'll check in for comments, but I think I'm done. I can't invest any more of my life and. Time on a show where everyone is vile and bile inducing. Just not a hate watcher.

[formerlyfreedom]

It took me a minute to decide if I was going to post about this episode because it was painful for me to watch. I have bipolar disorder and have lots of opinions about Mary and how this show treated her illness.

 

I'm glad you did share, @scruffy73, thank you! And I agree, I really really want Shia's role in this exposed, I hope that's the plan.

[xqueenfrostine]

I think the "last 30 seconds" thing was a spoof during the spoof. How often do we see things like that on "real" reality shows? Am I giving them too much credit?

  

Definitely think you're giving them too much credit, as shows (and movies!) don't craft their own trailers and promos and frequently have no input at all into how those turn out. It's all done by either contracted or in-house PR teams attached to the production studio, and frequently the people doing that sort of work have never even seen the show or movie they're crafting the promo for.

I don't think Mary broke Lilybelle's arm. And I think its pretty common for abused women to apologize for "making" their abuser hurt them. I think Mary's story was pretty straightforward. She was abused, traumatized, and suffered from mental illness. She made a terrible decision to go on reality TV. A perfect storm.

I agree. My dad has bipolar disorder, and before his doctor got him on the right medicine regimen he had manic episodes which frequently turned violent. I can't count the number of times I heard my mom apologize for things when he was in a rage. She didn't do it because she had done anything wrong, but because in that moment she would have said anything to make him calm down. When someone's irrationally and violently angry at you, and you're terrified and unable to get away, apologizing is a natural response. It's an act of submission, not of contrition. Also, it's not uncommon for abusive partners to gaslight their victims into believing they're at fault for the other person's violence. It's part of how they get them to stay.

I've seen a disappointing number of people (though thankfully not here) put too much credence in Mary's ex assertions that she made him hit her (as if that's really a thing someone can do!) and that his loving demeanor toward his daughter made Mary's claims seem suspicious. It makes me wonder what people expect spouse and child abusers to look and act like on a day to day basis. If they all acted like cartoon villains who seemed incapable of wanting to reconcile with a spouse or loving their children, they'd be easier to avoid to getting involved with in the first place or easier to shed once you've entered a relationship with one. They're real people with good traits to go along with the bad, and many of whom are people no one would guess physically hurt the people closest to them if they've never seen it happen.

[KaveDweller]

If this show ends without all of the behind the scenes people either going down in horrible career and possibly life ending flames and/or in jail, then what is the point of this show. To label these people subhuman is being kind. 

 

I think it just got renewed for a second season, so I don't think everyone can go down in flames without getting a completely new cast.

 

What Rachel and Quinn did was pretty horrible, especially with the little girl there.  But i think Shia is about ten times worse and laughed at her trying to act better than Rachel.

[Scootman]

A few observations:

 

Quinn and Rachel were vile, as was Chet as usual, but Shia broke the law. She has to go down for this, and I assume she'll panic.

 

Quinn know owns 40% of a show which could be sued into oblivion. But I think they get out of it. There are cameras everywhere on the set. Want to bet there was one in the husband's holding trailer, and thus caught him taunting Mary about her daughter being better off without her?

 

There goes his law suit.

[ketose]

While commenting in another thread, I was thinking of something. Rachel had her freak out in the previous season for some reason. We also see that Rachel's kind of off this week. I'm thinking that her lack of sense in bringing on Mary's ex is related to her getting rejected by Jeremy. I wonder if Jeremy set her off in the previous season as well. Rachel seems to be good at faking feeling and empathy but she may not be prepared for actually experiencing emotions like the strong ones she had for Jeremy.

[topanga]

 

Rachel seems to be good at faking feeling and empathy but she may not be prepared for actually experiencing emotions like the strong ones she had for Jeremy.

This could be true, but UnReal would have to show me that, not just tell me. Yes, Rachel has done some things in this episode and in other episodes that suggest she might still having feelings for him--watching Jeremy as he comes out of the trailer buckling his belt and teasing him about his fiancee being jealous that he protected her, but to me it comes across as nostalgia more than lingering feelings. I don't see the chemistry between them that she has with Adam. Jeremy doesn't even make her smile anymore--he doesn't smile much, for that matter. Maybe that's why.

 

Anyway, even with Rachel getting off while watching their romantic video or their near-tryst in the barn last week, I'm not buying that Jeremy is Rachel's One Twu Wuv.

[editorgrrl]

Rachel had her freakout in the previous season for some reason. We also see that Rachel's kind of off this week. I'm thinking that her lack of sense in bringing on Mary's ex is related to her getting rejected by Jeremy. I wonder if Jeremy set her off in the previous season as well.

Last episode, Dr. Exposition told Rachel that "giving in to him, in particular, kind of destabilized you last time. Mexico?" But I'm not sure if it was Jeremy who threw Rachel off her game when producing Mary—or overconfidence after her success with Faith.

Edited July 9, 2015 by editorgrrl

[scruffy73]

Thank you all for receiving what I had to say so well. It is sometimes hard to share in new spaces so I really appreciate you.

Instead of having Mary kill herself I wish she would've attacked someone. Not with a weapon or anything but a good mollywhop. And in front of her sister so the sister could really SEE how off the rails she was and do some serious investigation of why she was acting so off. Maybe even go off on Mary for drinking and tellingly her how she is impacting her daughter. Something to really draw attention to her behavior vs how she "should" be behaving. Have folks giving Shia the side eye, questioning what she was doing to Mary. I don't know. I just think the suicide was too much and not enough. If that makes sense.

[KaveDweller]

Thank you all for receiving what I had to say so well. It is sometimes hard to share in new spaces so I really appreciate you.

Instead of having Mary kill herself I wish she would've attacked someone. Not with a weapon or anything but a good mollywhop. And in front of her sister so the sister could really SEE how off the rails she was and do some serious investigation of why she was acting so off. Maybe even go off on Mary for drinking and tellingly her how she is impacting her daughter. Something to really draw attention to her behavior vs how she "should" be behaving. Have folks giving Shia the side eye, questioning what she was doing to Mary. I don't know. I just think the suicide was too much and not enough. If that makes sense.

I was actually expecting the "shocking end" to be her attacking Anna, when she saw her meeting up with Adam.

[copshop]

Ugh, screw Shia and her bad hair. She was so sanctimonious about Rachel's actions, which are always morally questionable but never blatantly like Shia's. She better admit or get busted for tampering with those meds!

[portfino]

I agree with the people who say that a better ending would have been a non-lethal attack shanking of the ex or maybe Anna. It wouldn't have put Everlasting in outright jeopardy, but it would still have gotten Mary eliminated, the network watching more closely, accusations amongst the producers, bad publicity, etc.

[topanga]

Instead of having Mary kill herself I wish she would've attacked someone. Not with a weapon or anything but a good mollywhop. And in front of her sister so the sister could really SEE how off the rails she was and do some serious investigation of why she was acting so off. Maybe even go off on Mary for drinking and tellingly her how she is impacting her daughter. Something to really draw attention to her behavior vs how she "should" be behaving.

I thought she was going to be more aggressive with Anna in the bunny scene. Mary's outburst wasn't very convincing, but that could have been the writing. But if she'd tried to physically attack Anna, that might have lessened the impact of her ex-husband's attack.

 

Yeah, that makes sense. Mary'd been slowly losing it during the episode, but going from erratic behavior to a suicide attempt was quite the leap (pun intended).

[Mabinogia]

Mary's outburst wasn't very convincing, but that could have been the writing.

 

I kind of think it was the acting. I think she was one of the weakest actors on the show honestly.

 

I think Mary was  the victim of a perfect storm situation. 1) her med were messed with 2) she started drinking again, 3) she's in a heightened situation, 4) her ex shows up and blindsides her 5) the one person she thought was a "friend" is the one who blindsided her, 6) her husband basically tells her she's going to destroy their daughters life. I can see how all of that at once could lead her to the roof. That's a lot for one person who is living under constant pressure (being on the show, taped and prodded all the time) to take.

[b2H]

So in the shock of all that happened with Mary, is it possible that Shia would not have the presence of mind to go and clean up the mess she made of Mary's meds?  Does Mary's room now become a possible crime scene, that no one could enter.  

[VartanFan]

I'm confused about why they added the scene with Adam agreeing to meet Anna that night.  I don't know what the purpose is. 

 

I think they could make Jeremy more interesting  if they delve into this self-sabotage of his current relationship.  Maybe he's free to be his sort of wilder, sexual self with Rachel but knows he should love Lizzy.  I thought the look between jeremy and Rachel was more concerning than the actual act of saving her from the ex husband.  Maybe it's because I find the actor who plays Jeremy yummy...but I do think they could make the R-J interactions more interesting. 

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

UnREAL's Family Date Doesn't Exactly Have A Fairy Tale Ending / Everyone at Everlasting learns the hard way how not to treat a contestant with mental health issues.

[fastiller]

It took me a minute to decide if I was going to post about this episode because it was painful for me to watch. I have bipolar disorder and have lots of opinions about Mary and how this show treated her illness.

 

I'm so glad you did decide to share.  I'm glad also to see that the program was somewhat accurate  I've also been hesitant to post this, but shored on by your decision to do so, I decided I would.

During the last episode, Rachel answered Jeremy's question about why she didn't call him with "because depressed people don't call."  I've been going through my own depression.  (By way of background: in 2013 I was <a> hospitalized twice for anemia, <b> had surgery, & <c> my husband passed away suddenly.) It's so true: depressed people don't call.  We *want* to engage (at least I do), but just don't have the energy to do so.  We do get out of the house, if we need to, but sometimes not even then,  We don't look or act 'depressed', so -- unless you're close to us & know us well -- you won't know that we are.

Shiri Appleby sold the demeanor so well, too.  Her delivery -- if memory serves -- was almost a throwaway line, as if she didn't want him to actually hear her.  This fits with my experiences too; we don't always want to let people know that we're depressed, so we'd cover it up.  I've never seen Appleby in anything before; she's quite the actress (at least as Rachel she is).

[topanga]

 

I'm so glad you did decide to share.  I'm glad also to see that the program was somewhat accurate  I've also been hesitant to post this, but shored on by your decision to do so, I decided I would.

I'm sure it wasn't easy to share, fastiller, and I for one appreciate your transparency. I think the show did a great job last week of letting us learn more about Rachel and her background with Jeremy.

 

And while this week's episode showed the really, really dark side of mental illness and wasn't always easy to watch, I hope that people who might not know would learn that there are plenty of "normal" people will mental illness who make it through the day only with the help of medication, therapy, and/or supportive friends and family.

[dubbel zout]

And while this week's episode showed the really, really dark side of mental illness and wasn't always easy to watch, I hope that people who might not know would learn that there are plenty of "normal" people will mental illness who make it through the day only with the help of medication, therapy, and/or supportive friends and family.

 

I think it's really clear that Mary was very responsible about taking her meds, and it was the perfect storm of Shia messing with them, drinking, and the appearance of her ex that pushed her to suicide. There was a definite cause and effect at work here.

[scruffy73]

(((((Fastiller)))))

Thank you for sharing. I completely understand your reaction to your depression. I try to hide it too and man is it tiring. Stay encouraged!!!

[Empress1]

I'm so glad you did decide to share.  I'm glad also to see that the program was somewhat accurate  I've also been hesitant to post this, but shored on by your decision to do so, I decided I would.

During the last episode, Rachel answered Jeremy's question about why she didn't call him with "because depressed people don't call."  I've been going through my own depression.  (By way of background: in 2013 I was <a> hospitalized twice for anemia, <b> had surgery, & <c> my husband passed away suddenly.) It's so true: depressed people don't call.  We *want* to engage (at least I do), but just don't have the energy to do so.  We do get out of the house, if we need to, but sometimes not even then,  We don't look or act 'depressed', so -- unless you're close to us & know us well -- you won't know that we are.

Shiri Appleby sold the demeanor so well, too.  Her delivery -- if memory serves -- was almost a throwaway line, as if she didn't want him to actually hear her.  This fits with my experiences too; we don't always want to let people know that we're depressed, so we'd cover it up.  I've never seen Appleby in anything before; she's quite the actress (at least as Rachel she is).

 

In April and May of this year I was laid off, my grandfather died (last living grandparent), and I was dumped. The last two things happened a week apart. Bad things happen in threes, apparently. And I am struggling. I spend a lot of time alone now and I want to reach out but I feel like less of a person so I hesitate. My friends who know me well are good about reaching out to me (just had lunch with one today) because “how could you not be depressed?” And it helps, but I still feel down most days.

 

Rachel's depression makes a ton of sense to me, and so do her bursts of ... not happiness, exactly, but "feeling better." But when she feels better it's because she's done something good at work, which usually means she's done something terrible from a morality standpoint. And she plays that conflict very well. She knows she shouldn't feel good about it, but she does. And she's also back in the environment where she had her breakdown, and sometimes I can see her nervousness about that.

[Zuleikha]

But I'm not sure if it was Jeremy who threw Rachel off her game when producing Mary—or overconfidence after her success with Faith.

I don't think it was either. I think it was the incomplete information of not knowing Mary was off her meds combined with the rapid speed everything happened. Rachel knew something was wrong with Mary, but she also believed Mary was on the very effective mood stabilizers. She didn't have time to clue in that Mary's meds weren't working, especially since Shia was actively deflecting. It's a shame the sister didn't go to Rachel because the two of them together could have put two and two together. I think that's also why they didn't call it in the pyschologist... Mary was still convincingly within the realm of okay until the one-on-one where she talked about Lily Bell in UK. 

 

Mary'd been slowly losing it during the episode, but going from erratic behavior to a suicide attempt was quite the leap (pun intended).

She cycled from mania to depression. You can see it in all of the post-husband-confrontation scenes. I'm not sure if it's realistic that his words would switch her the way the show portrayed it... my understanding is that untreated bipolar switches if/when the brain chemistry drives and that someone in a full-blown manic state like Mary at that point would just not even emotionally process whatever the husband said to her. I suspect the show took some dramatic license there, but I could be wrong about that since I'm no expert.

[seacliffsal]

I really appreciate and value everyone's sharing.  I think that this show made a strong point about producers using somebody's situation and/or illness for entertainment and that, unfortunately, ratings increase when somebody seems to go off the rails in a reality show.  I really think that some contestants are purposefully put on reality shows in the hope that they will be dramatic.  Many of these shows have free flowing alcohol, others put contestants into unnaturally high stress environments.  For example, on Survivor Jeff has had to intervene in situations that a contestant cannot endure (i.e. Brandon, Kathy, etc.).  On many other shows contestants/participants get close to a breaking point.  This show demonstrated that even when producers know about a person's situation, they may still try to exploit it.  Yes, I understand UNREAL is fiction, but fiction often has an undertone of truth to it.

[dubbel zout]

It's like an unintentional Stanford prison experiment.

[xqueenfrostine]

 

She cycled from mania to depression. You can see it in all of the post-husband-confrontation scenes. I'm not sure if it's realistic that his words would switch her the way the show portrayed it... my understanding is that untreated bipolar switches if/when the brain chemistry drives and that someone in a full-blown manic state like Mary at that point would just not even emotionally process whatever the husband said to her. I suspect the show took some dramatic license there, but I could be wrong about that since I'm no expert.

 

 

I don't think Mary was cycling between states, it's more likely that she was having what's called a "mixed episode."   For people with bipolar disorder, mania and depression aren't always mutually exclusive.  Mixed episodes are particularly dangerous as they blend the high energy, anxiety and impulsive behavior that we associate with mania with the feelings of despair, guilt and low self-esteem that you experience with depression.  It's a toxic combination,because while suicidal ideation is common with depression, depression can rob people of the energy to actually carry those ideas out.   A depressed person who commits suicide has generally gnawed on that idea for weeks or even months.  Mixed episodes are thought to put people at even higher risk of suicide than depression, as people in mixed episodes are more prone to rash behavior.  And that's more in line with what we see with Mary, who jumped off a roof maybe an hour after we see her making plans for the future.

[pasdetrois]

I heard a psychiatrist refer to a similar state as an "agitated depression."

 

I worked with someone who acted very erratically and disturbingly in his home, yet showed up to work and was totally stable and productive. Eventually his mental illness overwhelmed his life and he was hospitalized, but the crazy-at-home/fine-at-work state continued for months.

Edited July 11, 2015 by pasdetrois

[DeLurker]

Now I'm fascinated. Do you really have a double first name? And did you grow up with your aunt, which would explain why your friends knew her name for you?

No, first name is just DeLurker.  But my aunt would add Belle as a term of endearment.  My Uncle and Aunt lived about 2 blocks from us and they came over every Friday night for dinner and drinks and we went over to their house every Sunday for a bbq and drinks (well, my Uncle and Dad) plus holidays, picnics, parties, graduations, etc....  So frequently when my friends came by to pick me up, they were there and there was no edit function on either of them.

[dr pepper]

So-- the rest of the season will have the show in hiatus, while forensics combs the entire set, and detectives interview everyone one at a time. Also, all the investors and sponsors pull out, and the network issues an advisory that "contracts are being reviewed".

No? The show within a show will continue somehow? That would be the most unreal aspect yet.

[Amy Beth]

I finally realized why the "Shia messes with the meds" storyline felt off.

On reality TV, they don't let the participants self-dispense. They would have gotten a list of all the medications the contestants were taking, collected them and had the in-house doc or nurse give them out. Just like summer camp!

[lucindabelle]

It's like an unintentional Stanford prison experiment.

Although it seems that isn't what it is thought to be. One of the guards was consciously imitating he guard in "cool hand Luke" and has said so (it's why he starts sounding southern), zu bardo was in on the experiment, other guards have since said they were rather bored. See Jon ronsons new book "so you've been publicly shamed."

[ketose]

People are prone to some level of social compliance. Most of us do what we're told when there's an authority figure involved (like a boss) and we have no strong objection. When things get more stressful and isolated, the alphas and the betas start coming out. There are a lot of experiments where people allow bad things to happen because someone else told them. The kind of people who do object are usually alpha types themselves. That can be good or bad, because an alpha may also have trouble being managed.

[Zuleikha]

See Jon ronsons new book "so you've been publicly shamed."

Ronson misrepresents the information that was already available about the Stanford prison experiment and either misunderstands or deliberately misrepresents the significance of Eshelman's actions. More discussion is off topic for this thread, but feel free to PM me if you're curious and want more info. Unreal is fiction, so it's hard to demand too much real-life behavior from it, but the Anna's speech this episode about how she feels like she's being driven crazy, and the way everyone involved with the show production either has no moral bearings to lose (Shia!) or is losing them feels true to life to me.

[Neurochick]

If this show ends without all of the behind the scenes people either going down in horrible career and possibly life ending flames and/or in jail, then what is the point of this show. To label these people subhuman is being kind. I actually hate them all, and not the love to hate way. As Anna said before she officially became one of the pathetic, scheming, hoard, every last one of them should burn in hell.

I'll check in for comments, but I think I'm done. I can't invest any more of my life and. Time on a show where everyone is vile and bile inducing. Just not a hate watcher.

I like this show.  I like it because all of the people are gross.  Reality TV is gross when you think about it.  

 

Actual reality is boring, routine, hum drum.  No one wants to watch a show where there's actual reality.  Reality TV uses real people and manipulates them to create situations where there is maximum drama.   People don't go to jail for it because that's what folks want to watch.  During the height of Jerry Springer, there was a series of VHS tapes called "Too Hot For TV" which was nothing but the fights from his show; people bought that.  

 

I don't watch shows like Love and Hip Hop and The Bad Girls Club, but people watch that, even though the highlights, or lowlights of those shows are the fights.  

 

The show makes me uncomfortable because I know that in real life, shit like this could go down, it would get covered up, the show would air and the ratings would go through the roof.  

 

People will watch reality TV shows until they get sick of them.  

[aradia22]

This was a weaker episode for me. I think it lacked the drive from Rachel and Adam even though they did still have screen time. They wanted to do a lot with Mary and instead it came across as unfocused and rushed. Also, it really felt like no one was at the wheel except Shia who was even more ineffective than she usually is. Oh, I so hope she gets caught for the pills and goes to jail. She is the worst. Rachel also has to take some of the blame for bringing in the ex-husband and talking herself into believing that it would be for Mary's benefit. But the lion's share of the blame has to go to Shia who has been messing with her medication for who knows how long now. 

 

I do have to say that the last 30 seconds were not as exciting as Lifetime kept hyping. It was really a kind of boring episode across the board. Different director or writer?

[aradia22]

 

Damn. I liked plastic Mary. Too bad the helicopter for the date didn't arrive sooner, Adam could have grabbed her from the roof.

Oh my God, that would have MADE the episode. Now that would have been a great last 30 seconds.

 

Shia is the worst.

If UnReal ever sells merch, this better be on it. 

 

 

I got the feeling that Shia was criticizing Rachel so hard because she was spooked by her conversation with Mary's sister and was becoming increasingly alarmed by Mary's behavior. [...] But once she started to see the writing on the wall, she knew she needed to start covering her tracks.  You could just see the dread rolling off of her.

I agree but Shia is the worst for not even trying to fix things. Even if it was too late, no pang of conscience was strong enough for her to go return Mary's actual medication.

 

When the little girl ran up to the ex-husband so warmly, I thought maybe there was more to the story than first thought, like maybe it was actually Mary that broke Lilly Belle's arm during one of her episodes. Then I thought that maybe Mary would discover Adam and Anna's secret tryst, thus shattering her delusions about her happily ever after with Adam. THEN it would lead to maybe an OD (mixing her meds with the alcohol like they kept hinting at). But nope. So the reveal was less impactful then the ads made it out to be.

Yes, I think that contributed to how weak the episode felt. You didn't know how it was going to play out. On the one hand the husband kept implying that there was more going on. But then he would say something horrendous and I think we were just supposed to buy him as a particularly manipulative abuser. 

 

I just realized the walking plot device/therapist was missing from this episode.

Yeah, that also contributed to the feeling that no one was at the wheel. Was Jay even on screen? I think the extent of his participation this week was getting a bunny.

 

The deal that Chet and Quinn made to promote the new show:  anyone think that deal will now crash with the revelation of what's happened with Mary on Everlasting?

It might be more interesting if it didn't fall through. Now Quinn finally has the recognition she wants just as the empire is about to come crashing down.

 

I thought that it was stupid that Jeremy's fiancee seemed jealous about him coming to Rachel's rescue.  What was he supposed to do, let her get attacked by Mary's crazy abusive ex?!

Jeremy's not all there. It would have been so easy for him to say that he would have defended anyone... not just Rachel. 

 

Oh and speaking of outing Faith, how weird is it that Adam's sex tape was never mentioned at all this week?   Apparently the idea of the tape was so juicy that it trumped the "hillbilly lezbo" story line from last week, yet it seems to have no impact.  You would have thought at least it would have come up at the pitch meeting with the network execs.  Even just a throw away line about Adam's shenanigans and the ratings would have better than nothing.

Somehow it's still better continuity than Glee, Nashville, or Empire. Yes, I have lowered my expectations a lot. 

[xqueenfrostine]

I agree but Shia is the worst for not even trying to fix things. Even if it was too late, no pang of conscience was strong enough for her to go return Mary's actual medication.

 

Not to defend Shia (because she's obviously indefensible), but I don't think there were any meds to return.  She didn't switch out fake pills with real ones, she pried open the capsules, dumped them, and refilled them with probiotic powder.  Even if she had saved the original contents of the pills (which seems unlikely), what could she do with the loose powder that wouldn't involve admitting to someone else what she had done?  It would not be safe for her to try to refill the pills with the real medication on her own.  She's not a pharmacist, she has neither the expertise or the equipment to portion the powder out in the right dosages. 

Edited July 13, 2015 by xqueenfrostine

[Knuckles]

Like the posters above, I too am thinking Law and Order...first, get the blood samples, then the cool lady in the lab will inform them that if the vic were indeed bipolar and on mood stabilizers, there were none to be found. Have the Loot send the detectives to toss Mary's room (sealed off, right, because it's a potential crime scene).

They find the pill dispenser, and check the fingerprints. Bingo, Shia is toast, but she rats out Rachel, as the one who suggested bringing the abusive ex-husband on board as a surprise for the victim. Find the onsite therapist, who confirms that victim is both bipolar and suffering from PSTD, which her producer knew. Round up Rachel...who rats out Quinn, as the boss who insisted on said surprise...who claims that she is just an employee under the thumb of Chet...since the paperwork of her 40% ownership is not yet signed (oral agreement only)...and girl in braids adds that Chet upped the ante with his rabbit stunt.

Forget jack McCoy...you want Abby Carmichael...she'd get the death penalty for all of them. Now that would be a show.

[earlbny]

That was a great post. Too bad this will never happen. We can dream. This show will probably go the typical boring been there done that many times before route.

[tennisgurl]

I really am curious to see where they go from here. Will they just pick up and move on? Because, year, in the real world, the show would be over at this point. But here? Who knows. 

 

I hope Shia gets a big heaping bile of karma. I know the rest of the gang probably deserve it too, but Shia...is the worst. 

[Milburn Stone]

I agree, Pepper and well said.   The guy who plays Chet is excellent.

 

Craig Bierko has cracked my shit up for years.

[IDreamofJoaquin]

Is Jeremy's fiance 12-year-old?  She looks way young.

One would think if a cast member dies while in production the show would not have any other seasons.   I blame both Rachel and Shia.  Bringing an abusive ex in was triggering as fuck.