Flesh And Bone - General Discussion

[Pestilentia]

 

I guess I am supposed to be glad that he didn't have sex with her after she puked, but no, I still hate this guy.

Did he stop? I may have blinked but was left thinking the end of that scene was fairly ambiguous.

 

 

One thing I loved was how Claire reminded Daphne to pull up without saying a word and Daphne knew exactly what she was talking about. That non-verbal communication is actual dancer stuff right there so I like that they are including realistic details.

That was my favorite moment of the whole episode.

And I think Claire (or rather the actress) has very lovely hand/arms/extension.

I noticed her arms during her ep1 adagio performance and still think them her best quality as far as dance.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Did he stop? I may have blinked but was left thinking the end of that scene was fairly ambiguous.

As soon as he saw she had puked, he walked over to the nightstand, called the front desk, and told them to bring his car around. I guess he still could have made it a quickie but my impression was that he left without having sex with her.

[WaltersHair]

I'll give this a watch as long as Starz promises not to keep showing the promo screaming guy. Grates my freaking nerves.

 

on topic. Love the premise

[Pestilentia]

 

As soon as he saw she had puked, he walked over to the nightstand, called the front desk, and told them to bring his car around.

Yeah, I blinked. Or had the volume down too low. Thanks.

[LittleIggy]

Paul is a disgusting, baby bird killing pimp! Ugh! I wanted Claire to air violin when he was telling her his story. Speaking of Claire, I know she is an incest victim, but I am tired of her deer in the headlights, on the verge of tears affect. The dancer playing her can dance, but I have yet to see her really act.

That "stripping trance" scene was risible. Just saying.

Edited November 12, 2015 by LittleIggy

[Megan]

I feel kinda meh overall. I was more hoping for a dark behind the scenes at a ballet company. Not incest babies and weird homeless guy. I don't really understand why he killed Bryan other than his delusions. It was too much Black Swan.

Who was Jasper? A Julian Schnabel type? Random arty drug dealer?

Was Jasper Kiira's Romeo?

Also, why did every one have the worst ringtone?

Edited November 12, 2015 by Megan

[WatchrTina]

Well, that was interesting.

 

I'm very glad Claire told her brother to GTFO but her attitude swing from the night before was a bit abrupt.  Last episode she was all "run away, run away" and then she was  making him a sandwich and making up the couch in silence like some battered wife, but suddenly in the morning she grows a pair?  I don't get it.  Bad writing.

 

I'm sorry Claire's roommate was abused in that way but yeah, at least now she'll know not to open the door to that psycho.

 

Can I just say I LOVED the scene with the Artistic Director on the massage table?  He usually annoys the crap out of me by being an unrealistic drama queen.  This scene I totally bought.  And yeah, I rather appreciate the equal opportunity male nudity.  He could almost be speaking directly to the censors ("It's just a dick.")

 

Best line of the night belonged to the prima ballerina:  "If you drop me they'll never find the body."

 

So . . . I must have missed something but HOW did creepy brother know where to  go to look for Claire?  One minute he's buying a bus ticket and the next thing you know he's found the specific strip club where she is working.  Not only does he find the right place but somehow magically he knows she's there at that moment, in a back room.  How did he know where to find her?  Was there something in that wad of cash she gave him that contained the address?  I thought he gave that back to her.

 

I have to say the fight in the alley was well done.  Both the bouncers' reluctance and creepy brother's hand-to-hand skills rang true.  And so did the outcome (because only in a John Wick movie would one regular-sized guy be able to best two extra-large professional bouncers, especially guys who are probably Russian-mob-connected.)

 

I thought the exchange between Daphne and the administrator was excellent:  "You know I would have been promoted next season anyway."  "Well, now, we'll never know."  Rekt.

 

 

I didn't feel too bad for Ross when Paul was trying to cop a feel during rehearsal since Ross did the same thing to Claire, but then I felt bad for Ross when Paul pulled him from partnering Kiira and was clearly so gleeful about it. I know this sounds hypocritical but the sexual harassment was one thing and taking away a part is another.

I'm all for the equal opportunity sexual harassment being depicted but what Paul did was MUCH worse than what Ross did.  Ross engaged in inappropriate touching of a work colleague but Paul groped a subordinate.  Even if he hadn't followed up with retribution for Ross's refusal, his actions would have been worse because he is in a position of power in the relationship. 

Edited November 13, 2015 by WatchrTina

[ElectricBoogaloo]

So . . . I must have missed something but HOW did creepy brother know where to go to look for Claire? One minute he's buying a bus ticket and the next thing you know he's found the specific strip club where she is working. No only does he find the right place but somehow magically he knows she's there at that moment, in a back room. How did he know where to find her? Was there something in that wad of cash she gave him that contained the address? I thought he gave that back to her.

No, he kept the $800 she gave him. When he unfolded the wad of money, there was a flyer for the club inside. He didn't know for sure where she was but he walked around the club and didn't see her onstage so he walked into the back where the private rooms were. As for the time of day, I assumed he deduced that since she was at ballet all day, the only time she could be working at the club was at night.

I'm all for the equal opportunity sexual harassment being depicted but what Paul did was MUCH worse than what Ross did. Ross engaged in inappropriate touching of a work colleague but Paul groped a subordinate. Even if he hadn't followed up with retribution for Ross's refusal, his actions would have been worse because he is in a position of power in the relationship.

What Paul did was much worse because (1) his touching was more explicit (bathing suit area vs Ross caressing Claire's leg) and (2) Paul is in charge of casting and contracts. But Ross is not just Claire's work colleague. She is a corps member which is the lowest rung in the company. Ross is a principal dancer which is the highest position in a ballet company. A principal has a lot of say in who they dance with. If Kiira had said at any point that she did or didn't want to dance with another dancer, Paul would have to at least consider it.

[GaT]

One thing I loved was how Claire reminded Daphne to pull up without saying a word and Daphne knew exactly what she was talking about. That non-verbal communication is actual dancer stuff right there so I like that they are including realistic details. I hope we get to see their friendship develop more.

 

Yes, that & the scene where the dancers watched the pregnant woman eat a burger were my favorite scenes. Other than that, there wasn't enough dancing. I hope this series isn't going to be the Claire-abuser-of-the-week show, but I am not interested at all in something like that.

[GaT]

The homeless guy is going to kill pedo brother.

[WatchrTina]

 

No, he kept the $800 she gave him. When he unfolded the wad of money, there was a flyer for the club inside.

Thanks.  That'll learn me to glance away from the screen to scan my Twitter feed. Damn double-tasking.

[Primetimer]

Or, to put it another way, for a second it's almost good.

Read the story

[LittleIggy]

The homeless guy is going to kill pedo brother.

I hope so! Dewey Crowe...I mean Romeo needs to protect his darling Clementine!

[RedHackle]

Ai yai yai.  I'm absolutely willing to suspend my disbelief for a show I like - up to a point. But there was just too much wrong about this episode.  I guess you should stop reading now if you like this show and don't want to read a negative opinion of it.  I'm like that with shows I enjoy.

 

1. The OTT-ness of Paul throwing the bird's nest out - just no.  And while we're on the subject of Paul, does it not occur to him for a moment that telling a dancer in no uncertain terms that she has to fuck this guy and then screaming at her when she doesn't might just be grounds for a nice juicy law suit? And his entire life's work is entirely dependent on how well a dancer he barely knows beds his benefactor?  Sounds like a seriously flawed business plan to me.  But then this is the same guy that decided to make her a soloist after watching a single routine, so for sure he's got some judgment issues.

 

2. Hated that the Administrative Assistant/Secretary gave out Claire's info.  I don't care how good the cover story he gave her, no AA I know would fall for that.  The default is always "give me your number and I'll have her call you."  All the info he had was all stuff a stalker might know anyhow.  And that trite "I'm going to surprise her" routine -  major red flag.

 

3. They have got to stop with this "Russian gangster who owns a titty-bar is a kind, understanding gentleman". Oh yeah, he's a ballet fan so the nice mobster gives these dancers a pass.  Riiiiiight.  And there just happens to be a good looking rich guy in the audience who is entranced with her Rufie Dance.  Of course there is.

 

4. She comes home to see her psycho stalker/rapist brother's pack and coat are there.  Does she quietly gather her up stuff and get the hell out of there? No, she opens her roommate's closed door.  I wouldn't do that even if there wasn't psycho in the house.  She had a chance to escape undetected, why announce her presence to her abuser?  Oh, and Romeo watching from the window managed to make the whole thing even creepier.  So the one stalker is going to save her from the other stalker?  Oy.

 

Last one is just a question - can you really dig your own nails into your palms deep enough to draw blood?  I have pretty sharp nails but no matter how hard I dig them into my palms, I can't penetrate the tough flesh of my hands.  Speaking of nails - as much as some people are squicked out by the sight of her nail-less toe, I'm that grossed out by all the shots of her filthy fingernails.  Nasty!

 

-A couple of things I thought were pretty good about the episode;  like others here, I loved that those tough New York moms know a perv when they see one.  I have no doubt that, soldier's training or not, he'd have gotten his ass handed to him by these moms.  That was a nice touch.

-The dancers watching Monica eating her cheeseburger like they were watching porn - and the very subtle "suck it" look she gave them.  Heh.  Good one.

- I also have to say it's fairly daring for the show to have the brother be such a total creep that he's willing to play his vet-card to get sympathy.  I appreciate that the show understands that as much as we love and appreciate soldiers (or claim to) - they're not all saints - and there are in fact bound to be some real bad guys among them.

 

What amuses me is that all during the episode I kept thinking it was making the same kinds of really stupid mistakes that Fear the Walking Dead does - and then later after a search, found out the director of this episode has also directed at least one of FTWD.  Hah! Figures!

[WaltersHair]

Okay, I'm up to the second episode and I'm already wearing out.  The director dude is just a bad actor. Way over the top.Also, I think making one of your employees sleep with a 'patron' for money is called pimping.

 

All the men are skeevy. They need to change the name of the show. To Catch a Predator is more like it.

[jvr]

 

What Paul did was much worse because (1) his touching was more explicit (bathing suit area vs Ross caressing Claire's leg) and (2) Paul is in charge of casting and contracts. But Ross is not just Claire's work colleague. She is a corps member which is the lowest rung in the company. Ross is a principal dancer which is the highest position in a ballet company. A principal has a lot of say in who they dance with. If Kiira had said at any point that she did or didn't want to dance with another dancer, Paul would have to at least consider it.

 

True, but you can also factor in that Claire has to dance with Ross every day at practice and performances on stage. And it requires her to be very close (intimate) with him all the time and to trust him in lots of ways. Him subjecting her to sexual harassment, if not at the level of Pauls, can have a far bigger direct impact on her being comfortable with him as a partner and her working environment. How many times will Ross have to dance in any capacity with Paul? I feel like Claire was at a bigger disadvantage (effects of harassment, consequences for her career) even though the balance of power was more in their favor. 

 

Plus Ross could leave this fucked up Company and get a job somewhere else easier than Claire.

Edited November 13, 2015 by jvr

[LittleIggy]

For once I agree with Paul: "This doe-eyed thing has to go. " Amen, brother! It's hard to relate to a character who has no personality. Claire is a cipher. I like Daphne much better.

BTW, yes, the "this is a dick" scene was a hoot!

[WaltersHair]

I'm just binge/hate watching now. Called it on the pedophile thing. To catch a Russian

[sacrebleu]

 

but there hasn't been any indication that they were abused.

Well, if the father's current behavior is any indication-- I'm gonna say verbal/emotional abuse-- then  as numbnut said, a thoroughly inappropriate relationship developed when they relied on each other for emotional support.

 

As for Claire going home, regardless of the horror show her home life was, people feel the need for home during the holidays. I've got a friend who works at RAINN (the rape, and abuse hotline) and she says Thanksgiving through Christmas are their busiest times, because people go home and sit down to a traditional meal with family members who used to abuse them.

[racked]

I hope so! Dewey Crowe...I mean Romeo needs to protect his darling Clementine!

Oh man, I completely missed that it's Dewey! I liked Dewey and hate Romeo so maybe that's part of it.

[adam807]

 

and also maybe not running a budget so close to the edge that one person's change of heart can imperil the whole company?

 

WORD. Seriously, we all learned this in the recession of 2008. If you're too reliant on one funder (usually corporate, not individual, but still), and something unexpected happens and they pull out (phrasing), you're fucked. Also, he's not just some random donor, he's the Board President. That comes with certain expectations and responsibilities. Did he resign that position too? Wasn't the original plan for the season to do all rep pieces? So cut the new work and then you don't need new sets and you don't have to pay the new choreographer or her designers. And there'd be no story, but come on. #PedantsGuideToFleshAndBone

 

Though I once had a pigeon nest under my air conditioner, and I have to admit I'm Team Paul on that one. So. Annoying.

[sacrebleu]

I felt sorry for Ross, he danced the male lead in both ballets? I know to fit them both into one evening's program they were shortened versions but damn! He must be exhausted. And does this mean he'll never get a night off if they're done in repertory? (I will admit it's great to see SR dance again.)

[Primetimer]

Mark Blankenship learns that camp humor can, indeed, be out of place.

Read the story

[ElectricBoogaloo]

He should get the nights off when the B cast performs. Even so, he shouldn't be performing the lead in both pieces. He would be really overworked.

[LittleIggy]

The Russian mobsters with the young, scared girls serving them reminded me of "Eastern Promise" (great movie and Viggo is so hot in it). Wonder who searched Claire's pointe shoes. I wanted to see Daphne dance as the Black Swan, too.

I think Mia has MS.

[WatchrTina]

 

Chestiness is actually the reason why Sarah Hay ended up dancing in Dresden and not NYC.

Here's an extended interview with Sarah Hay where she talks about the fact that her having "boobs" is why, in NYC, she would be considered to be "heavy" for a dancer.  The interviewer is appropriately appalled at that description.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAAW3EBeiso

 

I have to say I was shocked by Sarah's appearance in this video.  She's so pretty!  Claire hardly ever smiles so you never really see how lovely Sarah Hay is.  And she's a red-head!  Claire's brown hair has an auburn cast to it but Sarah Hay is a full-on ginger.  What a revelation.

 

Sarah also said that as a dancer she's used to playing a character and communicating through gesture.  She said it is very different to have a camera 6 inches from your face and that she had some facial ticks she had to overcome.  I agree with that.  I don't think the TV camera loves Sarah's acting face (hence my not previously thinking she was particularly pretty)  I often find myself looking at her and wondering what her expression is trying to convey.  A lot of the communication in this show is non-verbal and when it works it's really on but I do think that this acting challenge -- and in particular expressing things through subtle facial expression -- is really pushing Sarah to the limit of her skills (and perhaps a bit past it.)

Edited November 14, 2015 by WatchrTina

[WatchrTina]

I must be gullible as hell because at first I thought Trey was going to Paul to try to help Ross.

I was right there with you and was crying "foul" at the unrealistic writing (because really, there is no way he would give up the battlefield promotion out of "ethics" so I was actually pleasantly surprised when Trey turned out to be just out for himself.)

 

I wish they had shown Daphne dancing. I wanted to see her doing the black swan's 32 fouettes, damn it.

I understand they they needed to move the plot along but it bugged me that Claire didn't stay to watch Daphne dance.  

 

So Kiira is married to nice guy Prescott but screwing Paul and off doing coke? Giiiiirl.

She's not screwing Paul.  She's screwing the artist who threw the party and who is also her supplier.

 

And Claire, come on. You had the bouncers beat the shit out of your brother after you told him to go away. Do not send him mixed messages by calling him. I know this is more complicated than a regular breakup but dude, you told him to leave you alone and he's probably pretty mad at you so DO NOT ENGAGE.

This.  A thousand times this.  Claire's call to her creepy brother was just a last of a bunch of plot moments that I scoffed at with varying degrees of ire.  For example:

• Are ballerina's able to perform a major role like two solo's from Swan Lake at the drop of a hat with no rehearsal?  Okay maybe I can fan-wank that both dancers have performed the role in the past and have it committed to memory, AND that they snuck a half-hour in a rehearsal room at the ballet company to brush it up before the event.  But can random members of a ballet company just help themselves to costumes from the company with no explanation?  How would they even get their hands on them?  And what guarantee would they have that they would fit?  My understanding is that a ballet costume is customized to a ballerina's body and as we know, Claire has a non-standard body (she has boobs).  I call balderdash.
• When Mia told Claire that she didn't want her creepy brother back in the apartment that would have been a really good time for Claire to tell Mia "Yeah if he shows up please don't let him in again LIKE YOU DID BEFORE because he IS bad news.  I suppose I didn't so much scoff at that as unrealistic (since Claire's relationship with her brother is super complicated), it just annoyed the crap out of me.
• So Romeo is so fucked up that he didn't think Claire's brother sleeping next to her was weird?  He now think's the creepy brother is some kind of guardian angel for Claire?  Great.  I'm sure that plot line is going to end happily.
• Claire's relationship with the guy "who's not really into strip clubs" just irritates me.  Her story about the velveteen rabbit was trite.  His reaction made no sense.  Him inviting her to attend at WORK EVENT as their first date (as opposed to, say, coffee and a walk in the park with this obviously skittish and damaged individual) made no sense.  Her tears at the prospect that he might consider her an "escort" made no sense (it's not like she's stripping for a living -- she doing it to feed some dark need of hers.  She not trapped in that world.)
• And I'm not even going to talk about a rent boy being upset because his client paid him.  And his "parting gift" was just gross.  There are too damn many body fluids in this show.

Edited November 14, 2015 by WatchrTina

[susannot]

Each man is creepier than the last one.  I'll keep watching for the dance scenes, though.

Edited November 15, 2015 by susannot

[WatchrTina]

Woo, Kelly Bishop! Loved her deer rant.

I know I have watched too many soap operas with murder and mayhem because when Claire's dad picked up the electric knife to slice the turkey, I was expecting someone at that table to get stabbed before Thanksgiving dinner was over.

Similarly, when Claire pulled that box out of the floor of her closet, I was expecting to see her aborted incest fetus in it.

Great minds think alike -- on all three counts.

This was just a WTF episode. I gasped out loud at the "Did we have a boy or a girl?" line. I screamed at the TV when Claire went into her brother's room. Wasn't she padlocking her door just 24 hours earlier? This is one fucked-up chick. I do like the speculation above that her anger at her brother is more over his having left her to see the pregnancy through on her own than about his having fucked her. This episode does suggest that the sex was consensual -- though there was that one moment when he grabbed her ponytail that hints that some coercion by him was involved. For that matter -- his skill at hog-tying Mia was a bit too smooth for it to have been the first time he used that maneuver so I'm guessing coercion was definitely a part of the their bother/sister sex lives. At any rate, WTF?

Claire's decision to call her brother and to go home just horrified me. It's probably realistic (people get used to all kinds of abusive/fucked-up behavior by relatives and still continue to see them during the holidays) but it made me sad.

Paul is an asshole. I was amazed at Kiira and Phoebe's scheme (Surprise! Happy Thanksgiving!) and actually thought it was going to work, but no. Instead he gives a big 'ole fuck you to the guy he sexually harassed (Ross?). The guy who tried to blackmail him (Trey?) just got publicly promoted to butt-boy. And poor Mona is still fired for no particular reason. At least she'll get a reference. I really hope the visiting choreographer finds a way to punish Paul for fucking up all the goodwill she tried to grant.

Poor Mia. I think I know what's going on with her (one of the reviews spoiled me) but at least she got to eat for once.

It's still not clear to me why Romeo went running downstairs. He saw the water in his glass shake (like there was a dinosaur approaching) but why would that make him run to look in Mia's window? I had thought she had hung herself and the tremor in the building was the weight of her body hitting the noose (tied to a non-existent rafter) but no -- she's quietly bleeding to death in the bathtub. So why did Romeo run down there? Is he now supposed to be imbued with some special 6th sense? And wow -- he really "embellished" Claire's copy of The Velveteen Rabbit. Bet she's sorry she gave one of her most prized possessions to the crazy homeless guy who lives under the stairs. But all things considered, that was really the least of her bad choices in this episode.

Edited November 15, 2015 by WatchrTina

[WatchrTina]

I'm binge-watching too.  Claire is one sick puppy.  She dances a great rehearsal -- one so good her rival the Prima decides to retire on the spot -- and then freaks out so much she has to crawl under a desk.  Damn. 

 

And as for the Prima retiring on the spot -- that seems unrealistic.  She could easily just step out of the new ballet so as not to be compared with the up-and-comer (and to place less stress on her injury.)  Why is everyone in the company so over-the-top?

 

I did like her supplier rejecting her advances and forcing her to do the deed herself (I'm giving you the gun.  I won't pull the trigger.)

 

So, we finally know why we've been subjected to the blonde administrator's home-life, complete with shitty ex-husband and bratty kid.  I totally did not spot that she embezzled the tuition money for her kid from the ballet.  So THAT's why she was so relieved when his check arrived.  Too bad it bounced -- because now her ass is owed by the Russian Mob.

 

I'm still trying to figure out what Russian Mobster sex trafficker is getting out of this, gotta be more than tickets and his name listed.

 

I presume those 11 house seats are going to go to the same sleazy guys he entertained on his yacht with under-aged sex slaves.  Being a rich mobster allows you a lot of luxuries (like under-aged sex slaves) but what it generally does NOT allow you is entry into "polite" society.  It's probably going to be a big feather in Sergei's cap that he is a treated like a VIP by the ballet.  It will increase his status with his "associates."  It will also (I think) cost the company the rest of its donors and Paul's beloved company will end up being dependent on the Russian Mob for survival.  It couldn't happen to a more deserving artistic director.

 

This show is really suspenseful.  The scene between the embezzler and Sergei was really tense but the ones that really killed me were Kiira's performance (I kept fearing a catastrophic failure of her foot) and Claire handling the scissors.  I was particularly worried because I've seen a recent photo of the actress who plays Claire and she has long hair so I assume she would NOT cut her hair (and i feared she would cut something else.)  Now I recollect that this series has actually been on the shelf of a couple of years -- plenty of time for her to regrow her hair.

 

So . . . why do you think she cut her hair?  I think it was explained in the "previouslys".  They cut quickly from her brother gripping her by her ponytail during their sex scene last episode to the scene from episode 1 where a guy grabs her ponytail and she hits him in the head with a beer-bottle.  I'm assuming that the symbolism of cutting off that pony-tail is to cut her ties with all the fuck-uppery in her prior life, including schtupping her brother.  So now I'm on to the final episode hoping that Claire emerges stronger (kind of a reverse Samson effect) and, after Paul stops yelling at her about the unauthorized hair-cut, she puts on a terrific performance.

 

I guess Kiira's understudy for the other ballet is about to get her big break too (but she'll be overshadowed by Claire.)

Edited November 14, 2015 by WatchrTina

[WatchrTina]

 

Man, Romeo has all kinds of mad skillz. He can sew, draw, repurpose books, etc. plus he's psychic!

Yeah, as in how exactly did he know where Brian was?  Bad writing.  And what was the meaning of the symbol on Brian's chest (and now on Romeo's chest)?  We'll never know.  This show could not make up it's mind about Brian.  WAS he a monster?  Did he force himself on his sister?  He didn't on her last visit.  So why is he a monster who deserved to die?  For that matter, if Claire really thought the baby was a monster then why did she keep its hospital bracelet?  And if she hated carrying it why didn't she just get an abortion as soon and she found out she was pregnant.  She was over 18.  She had a job.  She was apprenticed to a ballet company (and you just KNOW anyone there could tell her where to go to quietly have it done.)  Bad writing.

 

I couldn't even enjoy the ballet tonight because I was worried the whole time that Claire still had glass in her shoes.  It was grossing me out.

 

Well, it was an interesting run.  I'll never watch it again -- too many gross-out moments -- but it was interesting.

Edited November 15, 2015 by WatchrTina

[numbnut]

So . . . why do you think she cut her hair?  I think it was explained in the "previouslys".  They cut quickly from her brother gripping her by her ponytail during their sex scene last episode to the scene from episode 1 where a guy grabs her ponytail and she hits him in the head with a beer-bottle.  I'm assuming that the symbolism of cutting off that pony-tail is to cut her ties with all the fuck-uppery in her prior life, including schtupping her brother.

 

Yup, that pretty much covers it. Though I'm calling bullshit on how that high ponytail cut resulted in a trendy lob (a low, nape-level ponytail cut would do the trick).

[Melissa56789]

Is it bad that the only characters I like so far are the little girl/daughter singing annoyingly in her mother's high heels....and the Russian mobster?

[LittleIggy]

Eww. Just eww. Any sympathy I had for Claire (which was little to start with since the actress is so bad) is now completely gone. WTF was the padlock on the door for?

As for Paul, what a dick. The dancers should have all walked out. BTW, why did he commission Toni if he despises her work? He is always mocking her behind her back.

[GaT]

When I saw the bobby pin scene, I thought "WTF is wrong with this girl?" then I saw Bryan's masturbation/rape scene, & I thought "WTF is wrong with this family?" There has to be a reason they're both so screwed up.

 

As for the episode, not enough dancing. Again. The stuff that wasn't dancing bored me, & I am tired of Claire's "doe-eyed thing"

[GaT]

Am I the only one who was surprised that they danced ballet on the yacht? When he said they would dance, I just assumed it was going to be around a pole, so color me surprised when they got into Swan Lake costumes.

[GaT]

I was worried that Claire was going to get raped if she went home, boy did I call that one wrong. The show did a great job of misleading everyone, Claire being a willing participant was a complete shock to me.

 

Paul is such an asshole, I can't stand him. Wouldn't having a director that acts like that keep the better dancers from joining his company? How does he think being such an asshole is to his benefit?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, I wasn't a fan of Jessica's storyline (including her home life) but I did love her daughter putting on her shoes and then shuffling around the house and then yelling, "FUCK!" after she heard Jessica say it on the phone.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Are ballerina's able to perform a major role like two solo's from Swan Lake at the drop of a hat with no rehearsal?  Okay maybe I can fan-wank that both dancers have performed the role in the past and have it committed to memory, AND that they snuck a half-hour in a rehearsal room at the ballet company to brush it up before the event.  But can random members of a ballet company just help themselves to costumes from the company with no explanation?  How would they even get their hands on them?  And what guarantee would they have that they would fit?  My understanding is that a ballet costume is customized to a ballerina's body and as we know, Claire has a non-standard body (she has boobs).  I call balderdash.

It really depends on the dancer. Some have very good memories for choreography so they would just need a few quick run throughs with music (and keep in mind that Claire and Daphne knew that they weren't performing for ballet afficionados so they could also simplify the choreography or make other adjustments). I say this not to be braggy, but I still remember some of the choreography/routines I learned over twenty years ago (not every dance I ever learned, but the ones that I rehearsed far more often have been burned into my brain).

 

As for the costumes, normally a ballet company would not just hand out costumes to the dancers, especially for a ballet they aren't even doing this season. But Swan Lake just requires classic tutus in black or white, which are easy to buy online. The costumes you would see in a professional production of Swan Lake would most likely be a one piece with the tutu attached to the leotard plus a feathered headpiece. But it would be easy to make a passable Swan Lake costume by wearing a leotard with a tutu (you can buy a practice tutu for $50 online but many ballet dancers already have one). It's also really easy to buy a decorated one piece leotard/tutu like this one for a couple hundred dollars, which would be nothing for the strip club owner.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

his skill at hog-tying Mia was a bit too smooth for it to have been the first time he used that maneuver so I'm guessing coercion was definitely a part of the their bother/sister sex lives.

Based on what he said in an earlier episode about being kicked out of the army for "some bull shit," I thought he had been mistreating the locals overseas. I'm not convinced that he was tying up Claire when they were both living at home. I mean, it's possible, but I got the feeling that the hog tying was something he picked up while he was in Afghanistan.

 

 

 

Claire's decision to call her brother and to go home just horrified me.  It's probably realistic (people get used to all kinds of abusive/fucked-up behavior by relatives and still continue to see them during the holidays) but it made me sad.

It's definitely realistic and i think part of it is just the whole "devil you know" thing, but I think another factor in her decision was just wanting to get the hell out of the city/Paul/the company to take a break from ballet. Dancing in a company is pretty intense especially right before a show opens. You basically spend 10-18 hours a day with the same people and then you go home and have to deal with at least one coworker who is your roommate (and sometimes more if other people come over to hang out or you are a broke corps member who has multiple roommates). In other words, it's 24/7 with the same people for months on end. In Claire's case, she seems that of all the people in the company, Daphne is the only one who is even remotely friendly to her so it's like being alone in a crowd all day, every day. Yes, her dad is a jerk and yes, she has major issues with her brother, but at least they acknowledge her presence, unlike most of the ballet company who either ignore her or are staring daggers at her. Plus Thanksgiving is a family holiday that she is used to spending with her dad and brother which probably seems more appealing than sitting in her apartment with Mia. And from what it sounds like, she has never missed Thanksgiving since her previous ballet company was in her hometown. It's hard to break the habit of spending every holiday with your family (and the first time is always the hardest) so I think she probably felt obligated to go home. I'm not saying that going home for Thanksgiving was the healthiest choice but I get it. I also think that she wanted an excuse to go home and see if Bryan was mad at her.

 

 

 

So my did Romeo run down there?  Is he now supposed to be imbued with some special 6th sense?

Romeo is supposed to be psychic or something. Remember in an earlier episode when he talked about a vision he had of white and people screaming and Bryan freaked out because he was describing what he saw in Afghanistan? I'm not saying I totally buy the "Romeo is psychic" angle, but he definitely had no other reason to run down to their apartment and find Mia.

Edited November 15, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[GaT]

I forgot to ask, what did Claire take out of the box & shove in her father's mouth?

[numbnut]

I forgot to ask, what did Claire take out of the box & shove in her father's mouth?

 

I think it was the baby's hospital bracelet.

[susannot]

Finally some dancing! Swan lake was beautiful. More please! Of course the Russian is a sex trafficker. Poor girls!

Swan Lake was beautiful but agree with everyone that I wanted the Black Swan and her fouettes..

 

I know, suspension of disbelief and all that, but why wouldn't Sergei think it was a risk to expose his sex trafficked girls to outsiders?  Those girls looked age 12 to 16.  Did Sergei believe that Daphne and  Claire would be so bedazzled by the large yacht, the champagne,etc. that they wouldn't notice?  Well. clearly Daphne didn't. Her only concern was that "I nailed those fouettes."  But Claire is different.  Sergei doesn't know, but he suspects there is something--damaged and dark about her.  It is not a difficult guess that she has a background of abuse.  She would be sympathetic to his sex trafficked victims.  Hope something comes of this.

 

OK, I have a question.  What is a " dance belt" for a male dancer?  Can guess, but want to know.  And why are straight guys weird about their dance belts, as Trey told Paul?  And speaking of Trey and Paul , can anyone tell me why Paul, a gay man, seems to despise Trey for being "faggoty?"

 

I liked Trey in the episode.  Good for him for telling Paul he would invoke his remedies under the laws of New York.  They do apply to dance companies, Paul.

Edited December 3, 2015 by Queasy-bo
Double post

[nickk815]

I just finished watching this show...It was really dark and twisted, but I could not stop watching. Black Swan is one of my favorite movies, which drew me to this show. I hope there's a second season!! There was a lot left unresolved...like that last scene. I'm a little confused why Paul wasn't totally ecstatic at the end of the performance? I mean Claire (and the other performers) killed it, but he was like half-smiling and not really clapping that much. I mean I guess I could see that he was a little jealous of Claire...but idk. 

 

That ending made me feel like Paul was more of the "Dragon" than Bryan. He was so egotistical throughout the show and treated his dancers like trash. And the way he felt like he controlled Claire. I mean Bryan and Claire's relationship was twisted, but I was a little more sympathetic to Bryan. His father was terrible to him, even as a kid (that home video!?).

 

Thoughts anyone? 

 

[Lone Wolf]

....the scene where the dancers watched the pregnant woman eat a burger were my favorite scenes. 

I found that to be humorous, whether it was intended to be or not.

 

Also, I hope those baby birds are okay.

 

That is all.

[LittleIggy]

Yup, that pretty much covers it. Though I'm calling bullshit on how that high ponytail cut resulted in a trendy lob (a low, nape-level ponytail cut would do the trick).

In one of those Bourne movies, Matt Damon hacks off his girlfriend's hair and colors it (they are on the lam) in a hotel bathroom and the result looks like an expensive salon do! :-p

Called Mia having MS.

Edited November 16, 2015 by LittleIggy

[LittleIggy]

I like the guys' costumes for Dakini! ;-) I would love another season if it meant Sergei would control Paul and make him squirm. And focus on Daphne, not Claire.

[GaT]

Ahh, thanks. Now I wonder why she put it in her father's mouth?

[WatchrTina]

Well we've seen her put condom lube and nasty toenail blood on her own lips so it seems pretty clear she has a oral fixation.  Or it could just be bad writing.

[numbnut]

Now I wonder why she put it in her father's mouth?

 

 

My guess is that the dad created the whole mess. His abuse caused the kids' emotional dysfunction that led to the baby.