formerlyfreedom October 2, 2015 Share October 2, 2015 Alex enlists a friend to investigate Ginny's murder even further, but Mr. Johnson intervenes. Meanwhile, Kane and Cassandra head to the city of angels to stop a sniper from executing a drug cartel's plan for revenge. Detective Brown assists the FBI in an investigation regarding missing ex-special ops in Vegas. Link to comment
Actionmage October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 (edited) How was Alex able to push through the crowd with a weapon out? There were miffed 'hey!'s for the shoving, but no one shouted " Gun!" or acted alarmed when Alex was obviously weapon out. There is a sports talk host by the name of Bob Sturm in my area. I missed the name of the episode's writer, but if it who I am thinking of, he also used the station's crew for Justified scripts! *g* Added: I am still enjoying this show. McDowell, the hacker/tech guy of Kane's, if fun, but I don't want Mr. Johnson to threaten him like that again. Or have him lie to Alex again, either. Either you are badass enough as The Pit Boss that you can handle an ...agitated Player or you can't. Mr. Johnson seems capable, so why the seemingly endless lies? I wonder if Cassandra was as helpful/ active with previous Players? She seems to genuinely like Kane, despite the huge secret she's keeping. Cassandra also seems willing to get into the field, a level of trust that seems like it should still be getting earned on his end of things. Don't get me wrong; Charity in her blackout suit and her steadfastness as spotter were awesome, but it is Episode 3. Maybe Cassandra is driving this iteration of the House more than anyone knows? Bless Damon Gupta for the thankless job of best pal/ normal/ cop in an action show! Stay strong and know folks are rooting for you to get better dialogue! ( His story seemed to pick up a bit tonight. Here's hoping!) Mr. Johnson meeting with the drug lord was... ::shrugs:: If someone doesn't get your reference point, the rejoinder "Exactly" will not deliver what you want to deliver. It doesn't paint them as dumb, they aren't from the US and shouldn't be expected to understand the entire history of US organized crime, as colorful as periods were. Most Americans today probably wouldn't get the Lucky Luciano name-drop. I know that the point was that everything fades away with time, but a drug cartel head from a different country doesn't give a damn how fancy your metaphor is if he's upset or doesn't get it. I hope Alex can figure out that McDowell was acting squirrelly and that the lack of info from what had to be on that card is a red flag. Hopefully, Alex will also be smart enough to leave McDowell out of the more dangerous digging he plans. Alex seems to genuinely like the guy, so maybe he'll just use him as an addition to Cass. Maybe the other guys Ms. FBI is looking into could be cited for "domestic terrorism", as from how Johnson talks , that could very well be how previous Players chose to handle bets ( #NotAllPlayers). This isn't Pre-Crime, so looking into Alex, by this woman, is out of line. I hope Kane's buddy gives him a heads up. Just not in a whispery, accusatory tone. So over that. Still liking how video-game the score is! Keep it up, Show. This is very much in the extended family of the A-Team. ( I forgot how lethal shoulder shots are!) Edited October 9, 2015 by Actionmage 1 Link to comment
Netfoot October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 Six months in the SAS? Doubtful. Again, 14 Intelligence or similar would be more plausible, because they actually did actively encourage females to join. The thing about Barrett's rifles is you can't pick one up at PriceSmart. If you attempt to buy one from Barrett, you immediately trigger a full investigation into your background by the FBI. I don't understand why alex is so wide-eyed and trusting of Mr. Johnson. The man is an obvious scumbag in a smooth suit. I've known from E1 that the day would come when Alex would have to beat him bloody. Why can't Alex see that for himself? 1 Link to comment
FinnishViewer October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 I don't think the sniper rifle Cassandra used to shoot Suarez was a Barrett. At least not the .50BMG caliber Barrett. Link to comment
marketdoctor October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 At the climax, when they each had someone the other wanted, I loved the "then you shoot him." line. It was a nicely efficient and completely cold-blooded reaction. I wanted to see Alex say "Let me think about that; he did steal..." just to see the kid's reaction. I also liked the 'i hope you're hearing this" double meaning. Perhaps Alex doesn't exactly trust Mr. Johnson, but he wants Mr. Johnson to think he's trusted (and they're useful for each other, and Alex doesn't see Mr. Johnson's scummier activities.) it's the right mix of cheesy fun and serious twists that I'm in for a while longer. Also, Cassandra is awesome and the actress should be given high-paying movie deals. I don't think she would argue that. 2 Link to comment
Netfoot October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 I don't think the sniper rifle Cassandra used to shoot Suarez was a Barrett. At least not the .50BMG caliber Barrett. No, but the rifle Suarez used up by the Hollywood sign sure looked like one. Link to comment
Shades of Red October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 I also liked the 'i hope you're hearing this" double meaning. Perhaps Alex doesn't exactly trust Mr. Johnson, but he wants Mr. Johnson to think he's trusted (and they're useful for each other, and Alex doesn't see Mr. Johnson's scummier activities.) it's the right mix of cheesy fun and serious twists that I'm in for a while longer. I too liked the double meaning for that and when he says "take the shot" and the guy looks at him with a stunned look on his face. Mr. Johnson is beginning to irritate me. The all powerful, all knowing thing has always bugged me so it's not surprising it irks me now. He was cruel to the poor tech guy and honestly I was surprised he let tech man see his face. I was hoping that buddy would figure out a way to let Alex know what happened and thought he had when Alex swiped everything onto the floor, but I was wrong. I want to know how Alex and Cassandra got back to the top of the building after hanging off the side. That took me out of the moment. One minute they are dangling from the side and the next they are back in position to take out the sniper. The editing was odd for that. I hand wave a lot of stuff, but that was weird. I'm in for the long run right now. The cast looks like they are having fun and don't take themselves too seriously. Wish the same thing would happen over at Blindspot with Sully. I don't think the magic of Strike Back will be duplicated, but Philip has more chemistry with his fellow actors (and not in a romantic way) than poor Sully does on his show. Just want to add it's nice to see a strong female character who can hold her own and has skills. 2 Link to comment
Free October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 I don't understand why alex is so wide-eyed and trusting of Mr. Johnson. The man is an obvious scumbag in a smooth suit. I've known from E1 that the day would come when Alex would have to beat him bloody. Why can't Alex see that for himself? Probably saving it for a plot twist later on, that and to keep the show going by being the player. Link to comment
portfino October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 The Alex/Cassandra chemistry is the best thing going about the show, but it also undermines the wife mystery. I'm a little disappointed that they went out of Vegas so quickly. I prefer it when shows really do something with their setting. Also, I think this has been discussed before, but as Alex is more successful won't the odds go down and people get bored? It's weird to think that if Alex is too good at his job we could have a world war. Link to comment
Free October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 I'm a little disappointed that they went out of Vegas so quickly. I prefer it when shows really do something with their setting. Agreed, but I guess they want Alex to travel around to different locations for the games. Link to comment
ChelseaNH October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 Either you are badass enough as The Pit Boss that you can handle an ...agitated Player or you can't. This is how he handles an agitated Player. but as Alex is more successful won't the odds go down and people get bored? They just adjust the terms of the bet. For example, in this bet, it wasn't just catching the sniper, it was stopping him before he killed again. Link to comment
thuganomics85 October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 I'm glad we got the scene of Johnson making the counter-offer to the Cartel head, because I was wondering what was going to prevent the Cartel from just sending more people. Still, I think we can all agree that it is probably wise not to take money from the Cartel. Even if it looks like there is no way it can be traced back to you, just assume that it's possible. So, Johnson seemed to be lying last week, and is trying to sabotage Alex, by forcing his hacker buddy to hide info from him. I'm sure we'll find out eventually what secrets Jenny had or whatever. And I still think it's likely she is alive after-all. Did like seeing Cassie more physically involved in the case, and showing she can do way more then just hack and talk over the phone. I like how they are slowly revealing more and more about her each episode. But I still really want to know what's going on with her and Jenny in that one picture. The action stuff is still fun and well-done, and probably the show's strongest point. So, Detective Brown's storyline seems to be that he is recruited by this Kadee Strickland character, to looking Alex and his antics, because she has noticed a pattern with the past "players." The fact that she said it is "off the books", totally is a red flag that there will be more to this. She's no mere agent, I suspect. 1 Link to comment
portfino October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 This is how he handles an agitated Player. They just adjust the terms of the bet. For example, in this bet, it wasn't just catching the sniper, it was stopping him before he killed again. I'm pretty sure the goal last time was to prevent the thieves from stealing again. Even if not, what would be next? Invent a time machine and stop him before he kills someone? Link to comment
ChelseaNH October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 The easiest thing is to set a time limit -- not just "before he kills again" but "in the next 12/8/6/4/2 hours." 1 Link to comment
ribboninthesky1 October 9, 2015 Share October 9, 2015 Why did Suarez have to be so hot? I was kind of conflicted about him being a bad guy. Show, if you want me to root for Kane, please no more hot bad guys. So, Detective Brown's storyline seems to be that he is recruited by this Kadee Strickland character, to looking Alex and his antics, because she has noticed a pattern with the past "players." The fact that she said it is "off the books", totally is a red flag that there will be more to this. She's no mere agent, I suspect. I was surprised that Brown actually did what she said and met her, but I think he's operating as a friend rather than cop since it's Alex. Maybe Strickland's "FBI agent" is a Pit Boss of another house. Surely, there can't be just one house to get all the games. Or perhaps it's just wishful thinking on my part. Just want to add it's nice to see a strong female character who can hold her own and has skills. YES. A strong female character who is undeniably adult. There's yet to be a whiny or infantile bone in her body, and I'm so grateful. She's focused, yet has a sense of humor. I want to know how Alex and Cassandra got back to the top of the building after hanging off the side. That took me out of the moment. One minute they are dangling from the side and the next they are back in position to take out the sniper. The editing was odd for that. I hand wave a lot of stuff, but that was weird. It's the same with the plane from the last episode that presumably landed or crashed without incident. To me, these moments needlessly undermine the show. The Alex/Cassandra chemistry is the best thing going about the show, but it also undermines the wife mystery. I'm a little disappointed that they went out of Vegas so quickly. I prefer it when shows really do something with their setting. Yes, it does. The actress wasn't around long enough to establish much chemistry as Ginny with Kane, whereas Cassandra gets to bond with him. That's a significant misstep from a writing perspective, and makes me wonder if there were different plans for the Ginny character in the pilot vs the later episodes. It's not enough that Alex cares in this context. Ginny being the conduit to Kane's humanity is a thin thread. 4 Link to comment
tomatoflyer October 10, 2015 Share October 10, 2015 While nothing spectacular, this show continues to be nice fluff, and sometimes that's all a show needs to be. 3 Link to comment
paigow October 10, 2015 Share October 10, 2015 I'm a little disappointed that they went out of Vegas so quickly. I prefer it when shows really do something with their setting. CSI caught 95% of all the criminals in LV, so the local options are scarce.... 4 Link to comment
FinnishViewer October 13, 2015 Share October 13, 2015 No, but the rifle Suarez used up by the Hollywood sign sure looked like one. Yes, and I don't think it's unrealistic for a cartel assassin to be able to acquire a Barrett sniper rifle. 1 Link to comment
Melissa56789 October 13, 2015 Share October 13, 2015 Just want to add it's nice to see a strong female character who can hold her own and has skills. YES. A strong female character who is undeniably adult. There's yet to be a whiny or infantile bone in her body, and I'm so grateful. She's focused, yet has a sense of humor. I agree. Very Refreshing. At what point did females in TV and movies become infantiilized? Remember when the original Charlie's Angels were women? (vs the CA movies when they became "girls") 2 Link to comment
giovannif7 October 14, 2015 Share October 14, 2015 Remember when the original Charlie's Angels were women? (vs the CA movies when they became "girls") I'm not sure you're remembering the original CA opening intro correctly - not only were they called "girls," Charlie referred to them as "little girls..." Link to comment
Melissa56789 October 14, 2015 Share October 14, 2015 I'm not sure you're remembering the original CA opening intro correctly - not only were they called "girls," Charlie referred to them as "little girls..." To keep this on topic - Cassandra from The Player would easily fit into the original recipe Charlie's Angels..... In that Cassandra BEHAVES like a capable fully formed woman - which is consistent to original recipe CA. I don't care what "words" Charlie called his Angels. I care how the Angels actually behaved on the show....and to my recollection they behaved like adults. (unlike Cameron Diaz & Drew Barrymore - who behaved more like immature neurotic insecure creatures in the McG directed movie) Jaclyn Smith in her prime vs. Drew Barrymore - compare / contrast. But that's just my opinion - I could be wrong. 1 Link to comment
Free October 14, 2015 Share October 14, 2015 YES. A strong female character who is undeniably adult. There's yet to be a whiny or infantile bone in her body, and I'm so grateful. She's focused, yet has a sense of humor. Definitely, I can't wait to know more about her. 1 Link to comment
Margherita Erdman October 16, 2015 Share October 16, 2015 I'm in for the long run right now. The cast looks like they are having fun and don't take themselves too seriously. Wish the same thing would happen over at Blindspot with Sully. I don't think the magic of Strike Back will be duplicated, but Philip has more chemistry with his fellow actors (and not in a romantic way) than poor Sully does on his show. Just want to add it's nice to see a strong female character who can hold her own and has skills. I kinda hope that Blindspot gets canceled and Sully gets brought in to rebalance this show — which I agree is by far the more entertaining of the two — give The Player a partner who is unambiguously on his side, maybe. But mostly both these shows make me miss Strike Back, which had great bromance chemistry AND badass women characters. Cassandra reminds me of the Jodhi May character from Season 0 of Strike Back, come to think of it. 1 Link to comment
Actionmage October 20, 2015 Share October 20, 2015 Either you are badass enough as The Pit Boss that you can handle an ...agitated Player or you can't. This is how he handles an agitated Player. I wrote the first line. What I meant was that I don't understand the seemingly blatant lies to Alex's face. Johnson presents himself as slightly antagonistic boss/co-worker, then presents himself as a "secret" ally wanting to help Alex. Either you are badass enough to handle him without all the subterfuge, which will only make Alex angrier and not in a mood to "play", or you can level with Alex and get his cooperation/help that way. McDowell didn't want to see Johnson's face. McDowell did everything he could to comply and survive this terrifying experience ( being made to betray a good friend with the threat of bodily harm/death hanging over him). All so that Mr. Johnson can keep Alex in the dark? Just to make sure that whatever connection Ginny had with Cassandra isn't sussed out? As we saw, Alex knew that he'd had his intel stolen, that there should have been more, but there wasn't. Yes, a frustrated man can be distracted from his goal, but Alex reads like a James T. Kirk- the more you deny him his closure, he will burn your world down. Just because Mr. Johnson has been at The Game longer, that doesn't mean that Alex can't or won't surprise him. One of those surprises is bound to be unpleasant. And it didn't have to be this way. ( Yes, this is an action/drama show and tension= narrative momentum, but there was enough tension with Alex still not sure about his co-workers and the whole Game thing that Mr. Johnson didn't have to start to undermining Alex in episode 3, imo. Obviously, folks MMV.) If the big " Mr. Johnson doesn't trust Cassandra" stuff is not leading somewhere satisfying, I will be disappointed. Link to comment
alias1 October 20, 2015 Share October 20, 2015 This show is so much better than Blindspot. The only way I'd be happy to see the Blindspot guy on this show is if he shaves. I can't stand his beard. Link to comment
ChelseaNH October 20, 2015 Share October 20, 2015 then presents himself as a "secret" ally wanting to help Alex This way, he doesn't have to pretend that he doesn't know Alex is investigating, nor does he have to have an outright confrontation. Which is not to say that Johnson couldn't win a confrontation, but it's not the way he likes to approach matters. Just to make sure that whatever connection Ginny had with Cassandra isn't sussed out? How is it you're sure that this is the only thing at stake? Link to comment
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