S03.E09: Plan B

[formerlyfreedom]

Big Jim and Julia devise plans to end Christine’s control over the town by initiating a life-or-death plot involving Barbie and Eva, while Joe and Norrie conduct research to better understand the Dome’s ultimate agenda. Meanwhile, Hunter finds more information about the true head of Aktaion, the nefarious private corporation that wants to harness the Dome’s energy.

 

 

[ottoDbusdriver]

Big Jim and Julia devise plans to end Christine’s control over the town by initiating a life-or-death plot involving Barbie and Eva

 

Since Barbie, Big Jim and Julia are lead characters, anything involving a risk of "life-or-death" is probably going to be Eva or a redshirt/Drone.

 

Joe and Norrie conduct research to better understand the Dome’s ultimate agenda

 

How exactly ?  Are they going to go to Library -- since the Internet isn't working ?  Are they going to call the Toyota version of On-Star from the Prius ?  And how will they be able to discern the Dome's ultimate agenda from the Dome's hidden agenda (because you just know it has one) ?

 

Hunter finds more information about the true head of Aktaion, the nefarious private corporation that wants to harness the Dome’s energy.

 

Who cares about the head of Aktaion ?  It doesn't matter what Hunter finds, it's all going to be retcon made-up bullshit that won't matter anyway. 

[Free]

Since Barbie, Big Jim and Julia are lead characters, anything involving a risk of "life-or-death" is probably going to be Eva or a redshirt/Drone.

 

Exactly, there's no tension and we all know who's safe.

 

Who cares about the head of Aktaion ?  It doesn't matter what Hunter finds, it's all going to be retcon made-up bullshit that won't matter anyway.

 

It'll just get retconned again next season, which is what this season did with the last 2 seasons.

 

How exactly ?  Are they going to go to Library -- since the Internet isn't working ?  Are they going to call the Toyota version of On-Star from the Prius ?  And how will they be able to discern the Dome's ultimate agenda from the Dome's hidden agenda (because you just know it has one) ?

 

And they were so sure of the dome 'protecting' them in the previous seasons, seems like no one knows wtf is going on at all, most of all the writers in the 'season of answers'.

[laschifosavita]

For a few seconds, I was expecting the dog to pick up the gun.  I have no idea what I thought would happen next, but it seemed like a totally reasonable new plot development.

 

I don't know why it was so hard for Julia to shoot Barbie.  All she had to do was aim for somewhere not immediately lethal, and he could just rub a bit of dirt in it and be fine in a few hours.

[xaxat]

Dean Norris is bringing it for these last episodes!

 

Julia abandoned Indy after he saved her life? I was indifferent to her fate before, but now I want her to DIE. (Although that was a nice Hail Mary on her part.)

 

BTW, how long was she running from Barbie? It was day, then it was night. Did she just run around in circles?

[ottoDbusdriver]

I didn't think it was possible for this show to get stupider, but I was wrong.

 

Julia's twu wuv for Barbie broke the Kinship that was holding him.  Awwwww. </sarcasm>

 

And apparently Eva's gestation period is going to be about two days, but she's not even showing yet -- and she has mad super-ninja skills now too.

 

BTW, how long was she running from Barbie? It was day, then it was night. Did she just run around in circles?

 

Yeah, what the hell was with that ?

Edited August 14, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[Free]

I didn't think it was possible for this show to get stupider, but I was wrong.

 

I'm still baffled by how low it can still sink.

 

Julia's twu wuv for Barbie broke the Kinship that was holding him.  Awwwww. </sarcasm>

 

Before I could actually tolerate them, but this season ratched up their melodrama and I'm beyond sick of their bs especially dragging it out for at least most of the season.

 

I don't know why it was so hard for Julia to shoot Barbie.  All she had to do was aim for somewhere not immediately lethal, and he could just rub a bit of dirt in it and be fine in a few hours.

 

She was dumb enough to leave him alone when she knows full well that Barbie has escaped time and time again on this show.

[zibnchy]

You guys! Barbie kicked the dog! He's dead to me now. And Julia ran off and left Indy behind after Indy saved her. She's dead to me now. and are they kidding me? Julia and Barbie's True Love is what brought him back from the kinship? They both need to die in a fire right now.

 

If I had infinite free time I'd like to rewatch the season just to see if I could spot the moment when Dean Norris realized the show really is just a steaming pile of shit and decided to just cash the checks and chew up all the scenery. Because he's managed to make me forget he's a psychopathic murderer and actually root for him. I really just want Jim and Indy to survive at this point.

 

Is there enough bleach to get the image of post coital Junior out of my brain?

[Free]

You guys! Barbie kicked the dog! He's dead to me now. And Julia ran off and left Indy behind after Indy saved her. She's dead to me now. and are they kidding me? Julia and Barbie's True Love is what brought him back from the kinship? They both need to die in a fire right now.

 

So much time was wasted on their dumb melodrama, this could've been over near the start of the season instead of dragging it out this long.

 

Because he's managed to make me forget he's a psychopathic murderer and actually root for him. I really just want Jim and Indy to survive at this point.

 

It helps that everyone is complete garbage at this point and that's already a low bar to begin with.

 

Is there enough bleach to get the image of post coital Junior out of my brain?

 

Speaking of being sick of awful relationships, we get yet another disgusting round of Junior/Cougar.  This season especially likes to hammer awful relationships into this show.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Free

[Accidental Martyr]

Why did Barbie and his boys burn down the house?

Did Sam call the townspeople "Millers"?

I'm growing weary of even making fun of this show.

[DrScottie]

Julia sounded like Luke Skywalker on the Death Star convinced she could see the good in him (Darth Vader), the one who still loves her and is a better person because of her. In a clear case of the truth hurts, Dale made a very accurate statement of their love. What was supposed to happen to them after the dome came down? She did fall in love with her husband's killer and are two completely different types of people that bonded because of the dome and her husband. In Barbie's defense, he thought she was dead and had moved on with Eva. He's known Julia three weeks now and she comes across as a bitter ex.

 

So, Barbie is free from the Kinship because of True Love's kiss (inconceivable!), but how do they even move forward after all that was said between them? 

 

Besides, Barbie is a father now. 

[marieYOTZ]

Big Jim's head sticking out of the cent shaft was my laugh out loud moment of the season. Is that how vents work? Are they big enough for people to stand in and peep out of?

I'm totally stoked that The Great Love of Our Time saved Barbie. I'm always rooting for those crazy kids!

Dumbest move of the episode is a tie between Julia leaving Barbie alone (duh, he'll escape) and Norrie and Jie assuming Sam is on the up and up. These people just can't see one move ahead.

I hope the rapid growing alien human baby in this show meets up with the rapid growing alien human baby on Extant, and they make a double alien hybrid human super baby together. You can never have enough rapid growing alien human babies!!

I still look forward to this mess every week.

Edited August 14, 2015 by marieYOTZ

[ottoDbusdriver]

And Julia ran off and left Indy behind after Indy saved her.

 

I still don't understand why Julia ran away from Barbie -- Julia was the only one with a gun -- yet she was running away like Barbie was the one with the gun.

 

Why did Barbie and his boys burn down the house?

 

I guess to remove it as a base of operations for the rebels, but there is still Agatha's house on Bird Island (the first house that Kinship Team Six invaded).   And once again we get some of the shittiest fire CGI on record of that house burning -- it was even worse than the fire CGI when Junior burned down his house.

 

Is there enough bleach to get the image of post coital Junior out of my brain?

 

Apparently not.  But now we have Junior picking out his harem because Christine told him he gets whoever he wants -- is Junior going to lock them all in the fallout shelter too ?

 

And that scene with the sorority of the rapid growing alien human baby in the barn was pretty stupid -- have we seen any of those women previous to this episode ?  That would be no.

[Free]

So, Barbie is free from the Kinship because of True Love's kiss (inconceivable!), but how do they even move forward after all that was said between them?

 

By brushing everything off, it didn't take Julia long to not care about her dead husband anymore.

 

Dumbest move of the episode is a tie between Julia leaving Barbie alone (duh, he'll escape) and Norrie and Jie assuming Sam is on the up and up. These people just can't see one move ahead.

 

They can't see even when it's glaringly obvious what'll happen.

 

I hope the rapid growing alien human baby in this show meets up with the rapid growing alien human baby on Extant, and they make a double alien hybrid human super baby together. You can never have enough rapid growing alien human babies!!

 

How many rapid growing alien babies is CBS going to have?

 

As many Steven Spielberg produced shows, probably.

 

This season does feel like rejected Extant ideas, that show had a reboot so any of their old ideas was probably scrapped and since the writers of this show ran out of bs drug induced material to make up, they used it for this kinship nonsense.

[Desperately Random]

I still don't understand why Julia ran away from Barbie -- Julia was the only one with a gun -- yet she was running away like Barbie was the one with the gun.

I think it was because she didn't want to have to shoot Barbie. If she had stayed that would have been the only way she could get him under control. So she ran.

 

And that scene with the sorority of the rapid growing alien human baby in the barn was pretty stupid -- have we seen any of those women previous to this episode ?  That would be no.

I think out of all the stupid and lame scenes this show has had that may very well have been the worst. It was so like a bad 70's horror film that I laughed and rolled my eyes at the same time. Who writes this crap? It's bad enough we have the fast growing alien baby (UGH) but we just have to have her give birth in a barn (is there a manger there too?) filled with candles and with a group of attendees to help/watch the miracle baby's birth. After I stopped laughing, the only thing I could think about that scene was to wonder where UtD did they find so many identical dresses and where did all these young women come from. Because they sure haven't been milling around (pun intended) town before now.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Desperately Random

[ottoDbusdriver]

The Dome "calcifying" looks more like it has mold growing on it.

 

And if the calcification was causing animals to die (those two dead deer by the Dome wall) by blocking oxygen from getting through, so why weren't Christine and Junior affected ?  And after Christine collapsed from her not-quite-healed stab injury, James carried her all the way back to Town Hall.

 

Marg Helgenberger's acting in that scene in her office when she "collapsed" was just terrible.  And why did Christine just happen to be holding the egg piece/alien baby detector in her hand at the time ?

 

Why were those Kinship dudes just hanging out in the library at Town Hall -- were they waiting for the rebels to show up there on the off chance they needed some study materials ?  Better yet, how did Joe and Fivehead get into the library in the first place completely unnoticed ?  The Kinship is on a war footing against the Rebel Alliance -- they should be on the lookout for the rebels.   And where has Sam been all this time since he got out of the fallout shelter -- and why did he conveniently show up in the hallway outside the Library at that exact moment ?

 

I'm just surprised that all the books were still in the library considering that they are basically out of any fuel supplies (they could have burned the books and shelves) and then cleared out the library for dorms (it is a pretty big room) and then they wouldn't have had to go the route of knocking down walls.  WTF ?  And why weren't they using the funeral home for housing ?

 

I didn't realize that Christine's injury was spreading out, and some sexual healing from Junior seems to have cleared it up -- so why didn't they just have sex out by the Dome wall instead of having Junior carry her back to Town Hall.

 

Product placement Prius gets a good extended scene during Sam, Joe and Fivehead's getaway.  Only problem is that none of the Kinship drones noticed that a Prius (apparently the only working car left) drove up, parked and two of the rebels got out and walked into Town Hall.

 

The makeup on Barbie after Big Jim hit him in the face with the butt of his rifle -- was just terrible.

 

Big Jim's murder count goes up by +2.  Big Jim gets slashed with by a knife by Eva, but no worries it will completely healed by next episode -- but will his shirt self-repair ?

 

When Big Jim throws Eva against the wall, it is so obviously a stunt double with a shaved head that definitely didn't have Big Jim's gut.

 

Meanwhile, Hunter finds more information about the true head of Aktaion, the nefarious private corporation that wants to harness the Dome’s energy.

 

Seriously, this was a 30 second scene and all Hunter found was the name and Glamourshot of the CEO of Aktaion.  And then nothing.  No followup with Lily from last week, no further info about what Aktaion's ultimate plan.  So why was this scene even in the show ?  Because no one cares.

 

ETA: Is it really a good idea to have all those candles in a barn full of straw ?  Where exactly was this barn located -- is it the same barn where the Scooby Doo gang took the mini-egg and it projected all those stars on the walls ?  Because that barn was destroyed when the Dome was magnetized along with Joe's house.

 

When Julia hugged Barbie with the needle in her left hand, it would have been pressed against Barbie's back -- how would he not feel that ?  But when the scene changed, it was now her right hand on his back and she revealed the needle with her left and stabbed him.  Why was there a high-pitched noise when she injected him ?

Edited August 14, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[Free]

Marg Helgenberger's acting in that scene in her office when she "collapsed" was just terrible.  And why did Christine just happen to be holding the egg piece/alien baby detector in her hand at the time ?

 

Trying to outsuck Pauline's 'visions'?

 

Seriously, this was a 30 second scene and all Hunter found was the name and Glamourshot of the CEO of Aktaion.  And then nothing.  No followup with Lily from last week, no further info about what Aktaion's ultimate plan.  So why was this scene even in the show ?  Because no one cares.

 

Other shows already struggle with evil corporation types and this is no exception.  They already have this alwful kinship/alien nonsense, they did not need to throw this in here.

[Julie23]

Not enough bleach, alcohol or needles in the eye to erase the image of Jr and Christine. Ewww, ewww, ewww, ewww, Ewww!!

Second worst moment, when Barbie realized Julia was his "true love" and supposedly overcame the alien kinship. Still not sure that is for real, I would have shot him.

I did not think the writing could get worse, but the whole alien baby thing is just awful. I was really hoping Big Jim would kill Eva, the dome would come down, everyone is saved, show is over hooray! But, sadly that was not the case. 

[happy turtles]

Evil Aktaion dude was Eriq LaSalle, right? Because I noticed his name in the credits as episode director (I think).

When did he jump on this bandwagon?

[ottoDbusdriver]

Evil Aktaion dude was Eriq LaSalle, right? Because I noticed his name in the credits as episode director (I think).

When did he jump on this bandwagon?

 

Eriq LaSalle was in the first episode of Season 3 -- that's the first time we saw him on screen, when he was talking with Barbie's dad about bringing the egg back into the Dome.

[Desperately Random]

Not enough bleach, alcohol or needles in the eye to erase the image of Jr and Christine. Ewww, ewww, ewww, ewww, Ewww!!

Second worst moment, when Barbie realized Julia was his "true love" and supposedly overcame the alien kinship. Still not sure that is for real, I would have shot him.

IKR? How many more times are we going to be subjected to seeing Christine and Jr. after they have finished with the oxytocin mambo.

I have to give Alexander Koch (Jr.) some credit for doing his best with some truly awful scenes. Out of all the dumb and illogical storylines that are going on UtD, I think his are the worst. The whole sex in the caves with Christine spreading goo all over his lips was so cringe worthy and awful and it hasn't gotten any better for his character since that episode. AK really gives it his best though and I think the fact he can keep a straight face during his scenes is enough to earn him his paycheck.

 

As for Julia's love saving Barbie? I don't think they could have picked a lamer, more insipid way for Barbie to be saved from the kinship. Are the writers teen-aged girls? Because that is the only explanation I can imaging for how that made it into the script.

[izabella]

And that scene with the sorority of the rapid growing alien human baby in the barn was pretty stupid -- have we seen any of those women previous to this episode ?  That would be no.

 

OMG, this!  Where the hell did those women come from??  Not to mention all those candles I would have expected to be long gone by now.  Does Christine have a candle-making business on the side?

[happy turtles]

Eriq LaSalle was in the first episode of Season 3 -- that's the first time we saw him on screen, when he was talking with Barbie's dad about bringing the egg back into the Dome.

Wow, show's how well I've been paying attention. Thanks.

[Primetimer]

While Julia keeps hammering away at Barbie to remind him that he loves her, Eva starts annoying your commentator...for two.

Read the story

[dirtydi]

The actors have to know this show is shit, right?

[Free]

Wow, show's how well I've been paying attention. Thanks.

It's fine, he's forgettable.

 

The actors have to know this show is shit, right?

 

They do, it's just collecting paychecks, many of them have already checked out a long time ago.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Free

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Shut up, Julia.

[xaxat]

The actors have to know this show is shit, right?

 

Dean Norris definitely knows.

[Free]

Dean Norris definitely knows.

 

Why else do you think Indy is the only one he seems to care about.  XD.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

From the recap:

At the very least, a public library probably wouldn't have books about the physics of sound anywhere near Art Mag. Next time, don't get the illiterate PA to dress the library set.

To be fair, most of the books didn't have catalog stickers, so it was going to look wrong anyway and wasn't worth the PA's time to sort it out. The prop department needs to beef up their book collection or make up some stickers to slap on when necessary.

[mtlchick]

Barbie's line about "falling in love with the man who killed your husband who you just met 3 weeks ago" was a laugh out loud moment.  Then it made me sad because all this crap happened over THREE WEEKS.  I'm willing to suspend some disbelief if it was 3 months but...oy.  I must be that bored if this is the only thing I watch on Thursdays.

[Gudzilla]

I thought Junior was about to throw a tantrum when Christine used his choice of mate for the ritual.

 

I liked Big Jim's "Good work Dexter."

 

Has anyone noticed if Indy has a Defiant Pupil ?

[ottoDbusdriver]

Has anyone noticed if Indy has a Defiant Pupil ?

 

Nice one @Gudzilla.  I think that Indy is just biding his time until enough of the Domites kill each other off, and then he's going to kill the rest and rule the Dome.

[marieYOTZ]

The baby has to be rapid growing because if it wasn't, it wouldn't be born until season 39.

[Texasmom1970]

Please kill Christine off soon I can't watch her and Junior getting their freak on anymore. Tired off this seasons body snatchers/ alien/Rosemary's baby crapfest, how many more episodes?

I feel myself getting dumber with each episode, yet I keep on watching. Indy better be okay, he is a better actor than anyone else on the show.

[Lindsey]

Is anyone else starting to wonder if this whole show is some kind of experiment to see how much punishment a viewing audience will willingly subject themselves to?  I DVRed this one and watched it in about 25 minutes this morning while checking my email and eating my breakfast by fast forwarding through anything that didn't seem important.  After reading the recap, I know for sure that I didn't miss anything by skipping at least 15 minutes of the show and only half-way paying attention.

 

To be fair, most of the books didn't have catalog stickers, so it was going to look wrong anyway and wasn't worth the PA's time to sort it out. The prop department needs to beef up their book collection or make up some stickers to slap on when necessary.

 

And one of the only books with visible library labels is shelved upside down, proving that every resident of this town right down to the library aid is incompetent at life.

[thuganomics85]

Fucking hell, Under the Dome.  How can you be so bad, but not even be entertaining at it?  I mean, lets be real: you never were good. You will never be good (unless, for reasons against nature, a good producer like Vince Gilligan or David Simon, suddenly decided to takeover).  But, there was a time I at least found you entertaining.  I laughed.  I poked fun at you. And... I kind of enjoyed.  But this season?  Is just bad.  So, so bad.  And it's not so funny anymore.  It's just sad now.

 

Seriously, the stuff involving Barbie and Julia, sucked so hard.  It was just so, so, incredibly boring.  Julia kept doing shit that was stupid even by her standards.  Neither Mike Vogel or Rachelle Lefevre seem to have any idea how to play these scenes, and I really can't blame them.  Was it campy?  Serious?  Are they suppose to be conflicted?  Who cares?!  Because the writers don't. Either way, it just drug on and on, until finally Barbie snapped out of the Kinship funk, and it's back to twu love!!  And then came the kiss, which just highlights the problem.  This show has no self-awareness.  Because they way it was shot, I could tell that the writers truly thought that this was an epic romantic moment, and that the viewing audience would be in tears over these two finally getting back together.  Instead, I was just wondering if Indy was OK, and hoping Jim kicks Barbie's ass, once he finds out.

 

Of course, Jim is currently in a tight spot, thanks to Joe and Norrie.  Those two fall for the oldest trick in the book, by taking Sam to their hideout after he "saves" them, leaving him unsupervised, and letting him in on the plan.  So, he kidnaps Joe, and now the Kindship has Jim, Norrie, and Hunter trapped.  Nice going, idiots.  Oh, and the whole big where Hunter is talking about wanting to "dance" with that girl from last week, means he's totally going to die next week, right?  I wouldn't be surprised.

 

The Dome is at least fucking up Christine, but she is getting by thanks to all that sex with Junior.  But now Eva is pregnant with a magical baby (ripping off Extant, are we?), and Christine is getting ready for the next step, which might include the sacrifice of twelve hot extras, who suddenly showed up (seriously, I don't think I've ever seen any of them before.  And they all happen to look like fashion models...)

 

And to think we still have four episodes left this season.  I want to say that it can't get any worse, but we all know that is bullshit. This show will somehow pull it off.  And if it still manages to eek out another renewal, I can only imagine what they'd cook up next...

[Blue Plastic]

I really don't think I could take another season of this.  I'm still hanging in just to see Christine get destroyed, which better happen.

 

Well, I figured Sam was untrustworthy again after that brief bout of usefulness a couple of episodes ago.  Can't someone just drop him off the edge of that cliff under the school or something?  Joe could do the honors.

 

So I suppose now Barbie will fix everything, no matter how dire it all looks, since he's back on Team Julia.  The moment when True Love's Kiss finally brought Barbie back (he sure is a stubborn mofo when he's possessed by aliens) was underwhelming.  Like - that was it?  They made me sit through all that electrocution, bloody teeth and professions of love for Barbie that seemed to go on for hours and then they resolve it with basically a quick hug and a kiss?  Couldn't they have just cut to the chase right at the end and done something more interesting for the first 52 minutes, like show Big Jim brushing Indy's fur?

 

The less said about Junior and Christine, the better.  Hey, maybe they could drop him off the cliff too.

 

Whatever is going to happen in the barn looks like it's going to be unpleasant.  It makes me wonder if it might make Eva snap out of it.

[ottoDbusdriver]

This show has no self-awareness.  Because they way it was shot, I could tell that the writers truly thought that this was an epic romantic moment, and that the viewing audience would be in tears over these two finally getting back together.  Instead, I was just wondering if Indy was OK, and hoping Jim kicks Barbie's ass, once he finds out.

 

They made me sit through all that electrocution, bloody teeth and professions of love for Barbie that seemed to go on for hours and then they resolve it with basically a quick hug and a kiss?  Couldn't they have just cut to the chase right at the end and done something more interesting for the first 52 minutes, like show Big Jim brushing Indy's fur?

 

When Big Jim finds out Barbie kicked Indy, Barbie is going to be wishing that all he gets is more electrocution.  Because Big Jim is gonna be pissed, going on yet another murderous rampage level pissed.

[MakeMeLaugh]

I swear that in the scene where Big Jim is walkin' 'round swiggin' whiskey and takin' names that the cap is on the whiskey bottle the whole time, because the level stays the same and even better, you can see it (see photo in the official recap of this episode--eta, okay, maybe it is off but it looks like it's capped the whole time). Regardless, he and Indie are the only reasons to watch anymore, but Jim is so entertaining that he totally overshadows how stupid this show is. Agree with above about him poking his head out of the cold air return under the stairs and his expression being a stellar moment on this series.

Looking forward to Eva having Rosemary's Baby. Extremely impressed that she turned into a wildcat but also that Jim had no trouble tossing her around the room and into the wall.

Totally called out ahead of time to Mr MML that Barbie's fight with Julia would turn into humping. Barbie's affect never changed when he was in the kinship, so it's hard for me to believe he was under its spell. Norrie's bonus mom had zombie-ish qualities while she was under its influence.

Neither Fivehead nor Joe are candidates for valedictorian, are they? Sure, Sam, who never was trustworthy, come on back to our secret hiding place!

Edited August 15, 2015 by MakeMeLaugh

[Free]

When Big Jim finds out Barbie kicked Indy, Barbie is going to be wishing that all he gets is more electrocution.  Because Big Jim is gonna be pissed, going on yet another murderous rampage level pissed.

 

Nice one @Gudzilla.  I think that Indy is just biding his time until enough of the Domites kill each other off, and then he's going to kill the rest and rule the Dome.

 

As it should at this point.

 

Neither Fivehead nor Joe are candidates for valedictorian, are they? Sure, Sam, who never was trustworthy, come on back to our secret hiding place!

 

These morons never even questioned where he was, something that should've been obviously suspicious to begin with.

 

And to think we still have four episodes left this season.  I want to say that it can't get any worse, but we all know that is bullshit. This show will somehow pull it off.  And if it still manages to eek out another renewal, I can only imagine what they'd cook up next...

 

It already has been throughout the series, It's a bottomless pit of suck.

 

Well, I figured Sam was untrustworthy again after that brief bout of usefulness a couple of episodes ago.  Can't someone just drop him off the edge of that cliff under the school or something?  Joe could do the honors.

 

He's a S2 leftover that has nothing to do anymore since they dropped those plot points for this nonsense storyline.

 

So I suppose now Barbie will fix everything, no matter how dire it all looks, since he's back on Team Julia.  The moment when True Love's Kiss finally brought Barbie back (he sure is a stubborn mofo when he's possessed by aliens) was underwhelming.  Like - that was it?  They made me sit through all that electrocution, bloody teeth and professions of love for Barbie that seemed to go on for hours and then they resolve it with basically a quick hug and a kiss?  Couldn't they have just cut to the chase right at the end and done something more interesting for the first 52 minutes, like show Big Jim brushing Indy's fur?

 

"True Love" shouldn't have taken 9 episodes to do.  What a complete waste of screen time.

 

Fucking hell, Under the Dome.  How can you be so bad, but not even be entertaining at it?  I mean, lets be real: you never were good. You will never be good (unless, for reasons against nature, a good producer like Vince Gilligan or David Simon, suddenly decided to takeover).  But, there was a time I at least found you entertaining.  I laughed.  I poked fun at you. And... I kind of enjoyed.  But this season?  Is just bad.  So, so bad.  And it's not so funny anymore.  It's just sad now.

 

It used to be a fun to snark at trainwreck, now it's barely even watchable anymore.  It's so dull.

 

Seriously, the stuff involving Barbie and Julia, sucked so hard.  It was just so, so, incredibly boring.  Julia kept doing shit that was stupid even by her standards.  Neither Mike Vogel or Rachelle Lefevre seem to have any idea how to play these scenes, and I really can't blame them.  Was it campy?  Serious?  Are they suppose to be conflicted?  Who cares?!  Because the writers don't. Either way, it just drug on and on, until finally Barbie snapped out of the Kinship funk, and it's back to twu love!!  And then came the kiss, which just highlights the problem.  This show has no self-awareness.  Because they way it was shot, I could tell that the writers truly thought that this was an epic romantic moment, and that the viewing audience would be in tears over these two finally getting back together.  Instead, I was just wondering if Indy was OK, and hoping Jim kicks Barbie's ass, once he finds out.

 

The worst part is that they tried to amplify the awful relationships this season.  The acting has definitely gotten worse, especially with Barbie trying to be evil.

 

Hunter is talking about wanting to "dance" with that girl from last week, means he's totally going to die next week, right?  I wouldn't be surprised.

 

Would it even matter at this point?

[needschocolate]

Whew, we finally got the got the answer to the question that has been on every viewer's mind - Hunter still works "down there." 

 

So, the key to snapping someone out of the Kinship is to have them be in enough pain that they can let their emotions through?  All because a big rock was on top of Other-mom when she became human again?  Because the intense emotion from knowing she will die and thinking that her daughter will de too wasn't enough?  Sure, Hunter was in pain when he snapped out of it too, so I can see how they could jump to the pain will help conclusion, except pain had nothing to do with keeping Joe human. And what about Norrie?  Had she just stubbed her toe right before getting upset that Sam didn't show up for his meeting with Joe, because that was the emotional turmoil she was going through that got her out of the Kinship.

 

So much time was wasted on their dumb melodrama, this could've been over near the start of the season instead of dragging it out this long.

 

Barbie and Julia is the writers' attempt at re-creating Ross and Rachel.  Every time Ava's name comes up, Julia will give Barbie "the look" and Barbie will yell "We were on a break!"  Barbie and Julia will break up and get back together a few more times and on the final episode one of them will be yelling "Don't get out of the dome."  Until the other one walks in, saying "I didn't get out of the dome"

 

Besides, Barbie is a father now. 

 

And now Julia will have to spend every other weekend being stepmom to the Queen of the Kinship.  Could be awkward.

 

Seriously, this was a 30 second scene and all Hunter found was the name and Glamourshot of the CEO of Aktaion.  And then nothing.  No followup with Lily from last week, no further info about what Aktaion's ultimate plan.  So why was this scene even in the show ?  Because no one cares.

 

Why? So people watching at home could have this conversation - "Hey, that's the guy from ER!" "Hey, Junior not-dead mom was on ER too!" "Oh yeah, she was the one that painted like a preschooler."  And the writers were hoping that viewers would get so sidetracked by the resulting ER discussion "Remember the time Carter got stabbed...or was it shot?" that they wouldn't notice how ridiculous UtD is.   

 

Speaking of Junior's not-dead-now-dead-again mom  --- More proof that there is no long term plan for this show and they are just doing everything off the cuff - if what has happened was the plan from the start, there would have been a large "painting" in the art studio of the "Schematics" drawing that Norrie and Joe found.  Of course, with not-dead mom's artistic talent, it would have looked more like a purple octopus with swollen tentacles. 

[Julie23]

At this point I'm only watching so I can snark about it with everyone else here. If there is another season (PLEASE, JUST NO) I'd rather be attacked by French bears than watch another season of this crap.

[Hobo.PassingThru]

 

I swear that in the scene where Big Jim is walkin' 'round swiggin' whiskey and takin' names that the cap is on the whiskey bottle the whole time, because the level stays the same and even better, you can see it (see photo in the official recap of this episode--eta, okay, maybe it is off but it looks like it's capped the whole time).

I was laughing my ass off at that. From the moment he picked it up and took a swig I realized something was off. And, I just thought I missed where he unscrewed the cap. But, he started walking around with the bottle and kept taking slugs and I finally saw where he turns the top of the bottle to the camera and the cap is still on there. It isn't just some black label or wax or whatever else could result in a black ring around the neck of a bottle; it is the damn cap!

 

But he kept taking his swigs and acting ornery!

 

That was the first full episode I've watched in weeks. (fingers crossed that expanding the season from 10-13 means they are ending it!) The show is bad and the actors know it is bad.

 

Instant pregnancy! Super pregnancy powers! Julia and Barbie back together!  Junior needing to replace Christine with 12 different young women! It's only been THREE FRIGGIN WEEKS!

WTF!

WTF!

Edited August 15, 2015 by Hobo.PassingThru

[ottoDbusdriver]

I was laughing my ass off at that. From the moment he picked it up and took a swig I realized something was off. And, I just thought I missed where he unscrewed the cap. But, he started walking around with the bottle and kept taking slugs and I finally saw where he turns the top of the bottle to the camera and the cap is still on there. It isn't just some black label or wax or whatever else could result in a black ring around the neck of a bottle; it is the damn cap!

 

I went back and took a look -- the bottle had both a dark green stopper and a green band around the mouth of the bottle.  However, when big Jim first picks up the bottle he takes the stopper out and takes a swig with the bottle in his left hand and the stopper in the right hand.  But when he talks to Hunter about "pulling his weight" the stopper is suddenly back in the bottle and the bottle is in his right hand.

 

As BIg Jim walks away, the bottle is back in his left hand and he pulls the stopper out and takes another swig.  But as he walks from the kitchen area to the funeral home office, the bottle switches from his left hand back to his right hand, there's no stopper in the bottle and there is no stopper in his right hand.  Then as he's talking to Julia, Big Jim has both hands clasped around the bottle with the stopper in the bottle, and then offers a swig to Julia with the stopper still in the bottle.  After the scene switches to Julia and back to a closeup of Big Jim, the stopper is no longer in the bottle and he takes an actual swig.  The scene ends with Big Jim saying "I'll drink to that" with the stopper out of the bottle but not in his left hand either. The stopper is just gone.

[Free]

Speaking of Junior's not-dead-now-dead-again mom  --- More proof that there is no long term plan for this show and they are just doing everything off the cuff - if what has happened was the plan from the start, there would have been a large "painting" in the art studio of the "Schematics" drawing that Norrie and Joe found.  Of course, with not-dead mom's artistic talent, it would have looked more like a purple octopus with swollen tentacles.

They've been throwing out plot points left and right.  It's why they've been struggling to give leftover characters like Sam and Hunter something to do because they threw out the Barbie's dad and original 4 Hands subplots out from last season or why they got rid of remaining minor characters like Ben in the premiere or Norrie's other mom in the cave in.  Not having a plan/outline and making things up is backfiring on them.

[Hobo.PassingThru]

 

I went back and took a look -- the bottle had both a dark green stopper and a green band around the mouth of the bottle.

Thanks for looking and documenting those scenes. I know inconsistencies can happen but once the idea got stuck in my head that the cap was always on, I couldn't take what he was doing seriously.

[xaxat]

I went back and took a look -- the bottle had both a dark green stopper and a green band around the mouth of the bottle.  However, when big Jim first picks up the bottle he takes the stopper out and takes a swig with the bottle in his left hand and the stopper in the right hand.  But when he talks to Hunter about "pulling his weight" the stopper is suddenly back in the bottle and the bottle is in his right hand.

 

As BIg Jim walks away, the bottle is back in his left hand and he pulls the stopper out and takes another swig.  But as he walks from the kitchen area to the funeral home office, the bottle switches from his left hand back to his right hand, there's no stopper in the bottle and there is no stopper in his right hand.  Then as he's talking to Julia, Big Jim has both hands clasped around the bottle with the stopper in the bottle, and then offers a swig to Julia with the stopper still in the bottle.  After the scene switches to Julia and back to a closeup of Big Jim, the stopper is no longer in the bottle and he takes an actual swig.  The scene ends with Big Jim saying "I'll drink to that" with the stopper out of the bottle but not in his left hand either. The stopper is just gone.

 

There's a Chuck Norris style Big Jim joke buried in that chain of events, but I'm not witty enough to figure one out.

[jay741982]

They said every episode was a day under the dome so that's a month and a half by the end of season 3. Every season has had 13 episodes

[Hobo.PassingThru]

I thought the first two seasons were 10 episodes each. Not that it makes a huge difference. It still feels like years off of my life.