Episode Discussion: TFGH

[fishcakes]

I would go back and rewatch it to better articulate what I mean, but I deleted the episode as soon as it was over. Maybe it's just her voice, but it makes the lines sound extremely stilted and not natural. I appreciate that she's a vet, and my god looks better than almost anyone on that show but her words are grating to my ears. *shrug*

 

I think it's her voice and also that she enunciates every word with nearly equal emphasis. She always sounds like she's talking to a class of preschoolers.

[ulkis]

Her voice is annoying (sorry) but I don't think that has to do with her bad line readings. She's always been a bad actress (imo) and now she's gotten worse, the BJ heart storyline notwithstanding. And honestly I've only seen the big moments from there so I don't know how she played day-to-day.

Oh my dear lord. I have to say, you have a knack for finding these kinds of things. Kudos.

 

Someone linked to it once and I've never forgotten. I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN[/Michelle Stafford]

[Francie]

 Someone linked to it once and I've never forgotten. I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN[/Michelle Stafford]

 

Ulkis, would you mind if I imagined you crawling over an ottoman to stick your finger in our collective faces while you repeat "I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN?"

 

If not, too late.

[ulkis]

 

Ulkis, would you mind if I imagined you crawling over an ottoman to stick your finger in our collective faces while you repeat "I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN?"

 

If not, too late.

 

I guess it's a more flattering image than me making a Bryan Craig shrine in my closet.

[TeeVee329]

GO MONICA!  She dragged Franco like a fucking river today!

 

Edited April 25, 2016 by TeeVee329

[IWantCandy71]

Of course Monica would. This is the same Monica who says Jason is a good man, who also said Jason killed for good reasons.

Dragging one murderer and lifting another one up, just cancels each other out.

[TeeVee329]

She didn't even get into his SERIAL KILLING, just kidnapping Liz's baby (but yes, show, let's pair them romantically!), faking Sam's rape, and getting Michael raped for real, all the while he whined that he totally arranged protection for Michael.

[backhometome]

Monica was the best part. Her dragging freako Franco was everything. 

 

Thank god NuJake looks less psychotic than the last one. 

[ciarra]

Wasn't the forgotten baby toy on the floor done before on this show?  Perhaps when Aiden was kidnapped? 

[tvgoddess]

Sickening. Too much Franco, too much love for Franco and his poor little puppy. Too much Nina and I don't care what you say, Show, yes Julian you should hate her. Even Nina realizes that. Enough with these shitty characters. And Ric back to only prop Sonny? Fuck off with that crap. The only saving grace of this episode was Monica rightfully calling Franco an idiot and then calling him out for his crimes and the shitty person that he is. The rest of the show can burn in hell.

 

Yikes, even I wasn't a fan of Molly today. I thought NLG did a good job though with those scenes.

 

Sabrina is the new I NEVER CARED. Because I just don't.

[Fellaway]

Oh, Molly, shaddup.  The hypocrisy, it burns.

[IWantCandy71]

She didn't even get into his SERIAL KILLING, just kidnapping Liz's baby (but yes, show, let's pair them romantically!), faking Sam's rape, and getting Michael raped for real, all the while he whined that he totally arranged protection for Michael.

 

Of course she didn't get into his killing, because even Monica knows what a hypocrite she would be if she did.

[Bill C.]

Franco was just a few hairs too smug with Jason today, which seems to fly in the face of his ongoing redemption-by-mandate.  For that alone, Monica getting to drag him was nice.  (As said elsewhere: however Leslie Charleson managed to wrangle herself so much recent airtime, thank you.)  Unfortunately, New Jake isn't as cute with the puppy.

 

Similarly, Molly was just a little too bitchy with Alexis--even though her point of view was probably audience-analogue level--and then NLG turned around and stole the entire episode with only a knife.

 

Nina confiding in Julian wasn't necessarily bad (albeit once again it happened: if not for MS inhaling large chunks of the sets...) if a bit random.  Ditto Ric urging Sonny to clue him in on his plans for the increasingly skittish Carlos.  Tia Inocencia indeed not being so inocente about Sabrina's whereabouts was a nice swerve, however.

[TwistedandBored]

God, I hate Franco but I hate smug Franco ever more. Just go eat cement and die! 

 

The only good thing was that Monica at least got to drag him what he did to her grandsons and Sam. 

[ch1]

At least Monica got to tell off one person who hurt her family. It seems Sonny and fat dead AJ don't deserve the same consideration.

[P3pp3rb1rd]

Franco was deliberately taunting Jake and Monica today, walking the danger line for losing his art therapy job as well as getting severely beaten up. He's acting like he has a death wish, stirring up trouble for himself heedlessly. The dysfunctional relationship of Neener and Franco is causing waves of trouble and pain for innocent bystanders (little Jake, Jason, Monica, Julian, and eventually Liz). I find it annoying to watch, but have to give the Show props for demonstrating how dysfunctional people can cause havoc in society by disturbing the peace around them. Franco is a firestarter, setting brush fires that others must stamp out.

Edited April 25, 2016 by P3pp3rb1rd

[LeftPhalange]

The only part of this episode that was acceptable to me was Monica calling Freako out for the diseased rancid piece of worthless filth that he is. Jason shoving him up against the wall was nice but he should have snapped his neck while he was at it. 

[ulkis]

I cringed at Ric whining the decade plus old whine about Sonny not wanting to be his BFF after being off-screen since, what, September?

 

I have no use for Julian but I would still like Carly to tell Molly all about panic room, even if she knows already. There was a time (maybe) when Alexis would refuse to defend a Carlos, but it was waaaaaaaaay before Molly was born.

 

Maybe RH is growing out his hair for sorta-kinda-evil Franco.

Edited April 25, 2016 by ulkis

[Perkie]

 

Oh, Molly, shaddup.  The hypocrisy, it burns.

I was on Molly's side when she brought up TJ, I'm totally there for that anger.  But when she gets all upset that poor Kristina's father was shot (you know, because he's A MOBSTER), that's where she lost me.  Also the waypeople mention Duke, it's like he was Gandhi and not A MOBSTER.  

 

So, Tia Inocencia was in fact hiding Carlos Junior.  What are the odds that the baby wouldn't have made a sound the entire time that Michael and Felix were there.  It's not like he was three stories away, he's right on the other side of the wall in the room next door.  

[tvgoddess]

So it looks like we have confirmation it's a boy, right? Stop with the stupid mystery, and just come out with it. These writers are terrible.

[dubbel zout]

Jason shoving him up against the wall

 

That's about as threatening as Sonny waving a gun. Zzzz.

[ulkis]

I was on Molly's side when she brought up TJ, I'm totally there for that anger.  But when she gets all upset that poor Kristina's father was shot (you know, because he's A MOBSTER), that's where she lost me.

 

I allow her one "Uncle Sonny" but after she says it more than once it's too much. 

 

I did forget that Carlos held TJ hostage that 2 years ago. That was the first time we heard his magical laugh, how could I forget.

Edited April 25, 2016 by ulkis

[Chairperson Meow]

I allow her one "Uncle Sonny" but after she says it more than once it's too much. 

 

I did forget that Carlos held TJ hostage that 2 years ago. That was the first time we heard his magical laugh, how could I forget.

That was awesome though. Carlos blatantly explained to TJ what Shawn did in his Sonny Work .... and it resonated with him. That was leading into Michael learning Sonny killed AJ so we were allowed to hate Sonny. Carlos actually outsmarted Sonny too around then. Lol. I love Carlos.

[ulkis]

That was awesome though. Carlos blatantly explained to TJ what Shawn did in his Sonny Work .... and it resonated with him. That was leading into Michael learning Sonny killed AJ so we were allowed to hate Sonny. Carlos actually outsmarted Sonny too around then. Lol. I love Carlos.

 

It was before Sonny killed AJ. I'm talking about the stand-off in December of 2013 with Julian/Morgan v Sonny/Max.

[fishcakes]

I will always be on the side of whoever calls out Alexis on her hypocrisy. And her reacting to Molly's rightly setting her on fire for it by basically pulling out the dagger and being all, "stop picking on me! My mother was murdered!" is classic always-the-victim-even-when-she's-killing-people Alexis. I did like her a little bit when she was sarcastically sympathetic with Carlos over Sonny trying to kill him though. "Oh I heard! That must have been so stressful for you!"

 

New Jake has Cousin Oliver hair. This bodes ill.

[FilmTVGeek80]

 

I was on Molly's side when she brought up TJ, I'm totally there for that anger.  But when she gets all upset that poor Kristina's father was shot (you know, because he's A MOBSTER), that's where she lost me.  Also the waypeople mention Duke, it's like he was Gandhi and not A MOBSTER.

 

Just once I wish Alexis was allowed to truly defend herself against her daughter's bitchy rants without devolving into a weepy mess and/or shouldering all the blame. Alexis should have left it at telling Molly who she chooses as a client is her business and if she doesn't like it, there's the door. And since she's already getting dragged for being a hypocrite, just once I'd love her to tell Molly "Hey, you know that Uncle Sonny you keep whining about. Why don't you talk to the loved ones of one of his many victims and then ask him how he sleeps at night." And her whining about Duke of all people. Duke tried to kill TJ's mother. So if Carlos is pure evil what does that make Duke or Uncle Sonny?

 

Seriously what was the point of even bringing Ric back if all he was going to do was whine about Sonny not wanting to be besties with him. 

 

 

And her reacting to Molly's rightly setting her on fire for it by basically pulling out the dagger and being all, "stop picking on me! My mother was murdered!" is classic always-the-victim-even-when-she's-killing-people Alexis.

 

What business of it of Molly to "set her on fire" for who she chooses to represent. It's none of Molly's business. And considering Molly's own hypocrisy on the subject she can take two thousand seats.I was even more pissed off watching Molly act like she was this grown woman who knew all the answers to the world and then walk out with a pink 12 year old girl's backpack.

 

For someone who always plays the victim Alexis certainly does do a lot of apologizing to people who don't deserve it, especially her nitwit daughters.

Edited April 25, 2016 by FilmTVGeek80

[Bishop]

Franco was just a few hairs too smug with Jason today, 

Franco owned Jakeson's ass today which just reinforces the fact that Jakeson is about as intimidating as a toddler.

[HeatLifer]

I never thought I'd see the day, but there is actually a character that is more important than Jason to TPTB: Franco. I completely see where this story is going and it's absolutely hilariously rage-inducing.

[Sake614]

Once again the puppy stole the show lol!

I seriously wanted Alexis to smack Molly today. News flash, your mother is a defense attorney. So is your father. Chances are, each of them has and will represent actual criminals. It's how you got that fine education and live in that lovely house. And your sainted Uncle Sonny is also a murderer. And Duke ordered the murder of your boyfriend's mother. But Alexis is a horrible person because she's defending Carlos???

At lease Alexis got to stand up for herself for a minute. It's about time she told Molly to watch her tone. That kid has gotten away with berating her mother more times than I can count. I wouldn't be sitting here typing this right now if I'd ever spoken To my mother that way.

Hey Sonny? STFU okay?

[Chairperson Meow]

It was before Sonny killed AJ. I'm talking about the stand-off in December of 2013 with Julian/Morgan v Sonny/Max.

Oh yeah. Didn't he make Carlos dig his own grave? Sonny is such a nice guy. He's a peach who totally deserves to raise all of the children. Seriously, if Sabrina's giant baby is Carlos Jr, I'm sure this will not end well.

I never thought I'd see the day, but there is actually a character that is more important than Jason to TPTB: Franco. I completely see where this story is going and it's absolutely hilariously rage-inducing.

Guza just threw barware. Steve Burton did nothing because he stopped caring decades ago.

[Lillybee]

What dirty deed did Sonny have Max do for him?

[Perkie]

 

What dirty deed did Sonny have Max do for him?

The wierd guy who showed up at the PCPD at the end who said he suddenly had new information on the Carlos/Duke thing, I'm guessing was paid to do that from Sonny.  

[fishcakes]

But Alexis is a horrible person because she's defending Carlos???

 

Alexis is only defending Carlos so that she can advise him not to take the plea deal that would make him implicate Julian in Duke's murder. So yes, she is a horrible person, as well as a grossly unethical attorney. When she told Molly that everyone is entitled to a defense, she left out the part where, as Carlos's defense attorney, she has the duty to act in Carlos's best interests, not her husband's. Even if Molly doesn't know why Alexis is defending Carlos, Alexis knows and she knows that in doing so, she's not only violating her own code of professional ethics in a way that could get her disbarred, a good DA (not Paul) (or Ric) (or Scott) (or Alexis) could also make a credible argument that she's an accessory after the fact in Duke's murder because she's actively covering up evidence of Julian's involvement. Julian admitted to her that he ordered the hit on Duke. She has no duty to turn him in and as long as she does nothing to help him, she's in the clear herself, legally. But now that she's trying to bury evidence, she could and should also be charged with Duke's murder. But she did no prison time for pushing Luis Alcazar off a balcony or running over Keifer with her car and leaving him to die, so I can't see much happening to her here either.

 

I'm not saying Duke or Sonny are great guys or anything, but Alexis is no better, so any time anyone wants to slag her off over being a hypocrite, I'm all for it.

Edited April 25, 2016 by fishcakes

[roomtorome]

How old was Nina when she fell into a coma (or however she got into a coma)?  Maybe she is emotionally stunted as she never developed naturally emotionally as one should/would if not in a coma for a million years.

 

Franco baiting everyone - seems to be leading somewhere and probably not a good somewhere.  Just don't care.

[LeftPhalange]

Even if Molly doesn't have all of the facts pretty much everything she said was true. While everyone is entitled to a defense, Alexis isn't a public defender and therefore isn't obligated to represent people she suspects or knows is guilty of the crimes they're accused of. Not only does she know that Carlos is guilty, she's disregarding her duty as his lawyer in order to look out for her own self interests. And this isn't the first or the second or the third time she's defended someone who she knew was guilty. How much of her money has come from representing Sonny or other known criminals. As much as she likes to deny it, she loves this world. She loves being surrounded by criminals. I don't even dislike Alexis but her self righteousness is ridiculous. 

[FilmTVGeek80]

 

Alexis is only defending Carlos so that she can advise him not to take the plea deal that would make him implicate Julian in Duke's murder. So yes, she is a horrible person, as well as a grossly unethical attorney. When she told Molly that everyone is entitled to a defense, she left out the part where, as Carlos's defense attorney, she has the duty to act in Carlos's best interests, not her husband's. Even if Molly doesn't know why Alexis is defending Carlos, Alexis knows and she knows that in doing so, she's not only violating her own code of professional ethics in a way that could get her disbarred, a good DA (not Paul) (or Ric) (or Scott) (or Alexis) could also make a credible argument that she's an accessory after the fact in Duke's murder because she's actively covering up evidence of Julian's involvement. Julian admitted to her that he ordered the hit on Duke. She has no duty to turn him in and as long as she does nothing to help him, she's in the clear herself, legally. But now that she's trying to bury evidence, she could and should also be charged with Duke's murder. But she did no prison time for pushing Luis Alcazar off a balcony or running over Keifer with her car and leaving him to die, so I can't see much happening to her here either.

 

She may be doing it to help Julian but she is helping Carlos as well. While the deal guarantees him not to do much jail time if he flips on Julian, right now she's in the process of potentially helping him walk free and clear. And it's not like Carlos doesn't know full well what Alexis' main agenda is here. He could have refused her help, but he isn't. [sarcasm]Yeah, she should totally be charged with Duke's murder.[/sarcasm] I'll root for that when Sonny et al. go to prison.

 

 

Even if Molly doesn't have all of the facts pretty much everything she said was true. While everyone is entitled to a defense, Alexis isn't a public defender and therefore isn't obligated to represent people she suspects or knows is guilty of the crimes they're accused of. Not only does she know that Carlos is guilty, she's disregarding her duty as his lawyer in order to look out for her own self interests. And this isn't the first or the second or the third time she's defended someone who she knew was guilty. How much of her money has come from representing Sonny or other known criminals. As much as she likes to deny it, she loves this world.

 

Yeah and Molly didn't have any problem with Alexis defending good old Uncle Sonny, but now that Alexis is defending someone that she deems is "pure evil" now she wants to get huffy about it. No, she and her Powerpuff girls backpack can shut it. And, correct me if I'm wrong here, but what Alexis said is exactly true. Everyone is entitled to a defense. Just because she's not a public defender, doesn't mean that everyone she represents is going to be squeaky clean and innocent. Alexis and Ric (and Diane) are defense attorneys. Their job is to defend people, innocent or guilty. And they don't deserve to be raked over the coals over it, especially by self-righteous twits who are benefiting from that career choice (I'm sure Molly isn't paying for school herself. If she's so morally turned off by her parents blood money, she should pay for her own schooling.)

[dubbel zout]

Is Christopher Whitesell a new writer? I didn't recognize his name in today's credits.

 

NuJake is a gigantic improvement over SerialKillerJake. The new actor at least seems to want to be there.

 

What a waste of Rick Hearst. He's recurring, so he has no minimums, but why was he on today? At least he gave Anna her due: "You work Anna Devane, legendary agent of law enforcement." 

 

Michael and Felix are boring me to tears.

 

Franco was just a few hairs too smug with Jason today,

I didn't mind. I'm so tired of everyone else acting as if Jason can do no wrong.

 

STFU, Molly. Defense lawyers represent scum. That's part of the job. Though her self-righteous anger fits in with being a college freshman. 

 

(I'm sure Molly isn't paying for school herself. If she's so morally turned off by her parents blood money, she should pay for her own schooling)

 

It's too bad Alexis hasn't ever made this point to either of her daughters.

[LeftPhalange]

And, correct me if I'm wrong here, but what Alexis said is exactly true. Everyone is entitled to a defense. Just because she's not a public defender, doesn't mean that everyone she represents is going to be squeaky clean and innocent. Alexis and Ric (and Diane) are defense attorneys. Their job is to defend people, innocent or guilty.

 

Defending someone who may be guilty is very different from defending someone you know is guilty. Alexis/Diane/Ric aren't obligated to represent anyone, they willingly choose to represent known criminals.

I don't even care about Alexis representing Carlos, Julian, or Sonny, I just need for her to stop acting like she's so above it all. 

[dubbel zout]

At Diane is in it only for the money and her ego. She doesn't care if Sonny is guilty or innocent as long as he pays his bills.

[WendyCR72]

Michael and Felix are boring me to tears.

 

Fitting, considering how sleep-inducing their person in common, Sabrina, is.

 

ETA: To address Alexis/Carlos, I'm not watching. But lawyers are still, as far as I know, obligated to defend a client even if guilty. I'm certain some clients have admitted guilt thanks to attorney/client privilege.

 

Sure, it seems unfair, but that's our justice system. The burden of proving that guilt is on the prosecution. With all that said, I don't care about any of it. And if Carlos AND Julian die tomorrow, terrific. To me, they have REALLY brought Alexis down.

[ulkis]

Is Christopher Whitesell a new writer? I didn't recognize his name in today's credits.

 

Yeah, but he's been here for a few months. He also wrote under Culliton a bit in 1997.

[dubbel zout]

I'm certain some clients have admitted guilt thanks to attorney/client privilege.

 

Actually, attorneys don't want to know so they don't possibly suborn perjury.

Edited April 26, 2016 by dubbel zout

[FilmTVGeek80]

 

Defending someone who may be guilty is very different from defending someone you know is guilty. Alexis/Diane/Ric aren't obligated to represent anyone, they willingly choose to represent known criminals.

 

That's basically the only difference between being a public defender and a defense attorney - you can pick and choose your clients. But it's still part of the job description to defend people regardless of guilt or innocence. I don't know any defense attorneys personally, so all I know is from Law & Order and movies, but from those it seems some don't want to know if their client is guilty and for some it doesn't matter. The only reason some don't want to know is because they can't willingly let someone on the stand they know is going to lie. But either way, that's still part of the job. It's not pretty, but it's a basic American right and I don't necessarily believe defense attorneys are the scum of the Earth because of it or need to get lectured by someone who doesn't know much about life (Molly.)

[Sake614]

Forgot to mention that nuJake is channeling little Ricky Segall with that hair!

[fishcakes]

She may be doing it to help Julian but she is helping Carlos as well. While the deal guarantees him not to do much jail time if he flips on Julian, right now she's in the process of potentially helping him walk free and clear.

 

Or potentially getting him life without parole if she's unsuccessful. The point is that she's not looking at the case objectively and advising Carlos based on his best interests. She's advising him based on what will cover up her husband's part in Duke's murder.

 

I was a criminal defense attorney for a few years. Just based on the evidence made available to me, I would estimate about 70% of my clients were actually guilty. I never asked if they were guilty, and most told me they weren't, but a few were like, "yeah! it was my crack! Can I get it back?" or something along those lines, and I didn't clutch my pearls about it. Whether they admitted it to me or not didn't make a huge difference in how I proceeded because I could get usually get a good sense of actual guilt or innocence based on the evidence and my interviews with them.

 

My problem with Alexis isn't that she's representing someone she knows is guilty -- that's what the job is the majority of the time; my problem is that she's an unethical dirtbag in the process of obstructing justice in order to protect her husband, and believing her mobster husband's freedom is worth more than the freedom of the mobster who followed his orders and worth more than the life of the mobster they killed, when in actuality, none of them are worth shit. (Although I do enjoy Carlos, probably because of the hair.) And she self-righteously justifies it by saying, "everyone is entitled to a defense," as if she's doing it solely out of her love for the Constitution and Due Process rights, when in reality, she's usurping both.

 

And it's not like Carlos doesn't know full well what Alexis' main agenda is here. He could have refused her help, but he isn't.

 

This, I agree with. Carlos is an idiot.

Edited April 26, 2016 by fishcakes

[Fellaway]

The thing about Molly, for me, isn't what she said to Alexis.  It's what she's not saying to her beloved dad.  Or Uncle Sonny.  Or her sister's peachy keen husband, Jason.  And, yes, as others said, if she finds her mom's work so objectionable, pay for your own college, little girl.

[nilyank]

 

Tia Inocencia indeed not being so inocente about Sabrina's whereabouts was a nice swerve, however.

 

I actually was waiting for that to happen. At least, we know baby Carlos is a boy or it's a girl whose parents don't care about traditional gender colors for babies.

 

I was on Molly's side because ultimately she knows that Alexis is defending Carlos to save Julian's bacon. Molly wished that Julian was actually honest about being out of the mob after he tried to kill her father, got her boyfriend nearly killed and whose business dealings ended up destroying her family home. Molly was trying for her mother's sake. Just because she is trying to accept to Julian, doesn't mean she needs to accept what Carlos did.

 

And it is all going to blow in Alexis' face, when she finds out that Julian went back to the mob.

[lencidoll]

So, I guess Aunt I's friend was returning Sabrina's baby at the end? I'm still surprised Felix or Michael didn't look around the corner and see the crib. And, that baby is too white to be the offspring of Carlos and Sabrina.  Michael most likely is the daddy, by whatever convoluted explanation they make up now.

[movingtargetgal]

NunotdeadJake is a cross between Ricky Segall and cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch.

 

Oh, because it can not be said enough, SHUT UP AND TAKE A SEAT MOLLY.

[ciarra]

NuJake looks a lot like one of the young Lucas Joneses.  The one that had a pony at his birthday party.  I can't find a picture of him, but he had the similar bowl haircut.