S03.E09: Purging and Cleansing

[Sheenieb]

 

Mary Jane prepares for her return to "TalkBack"; and begins a "life cleanse" in an effort to resurrect her finances and reclaim her voice as a journalist.

 

[mrsbagnet]

I'm glad the principal reappeared but please, PLEASE do not pair her up with Patrick. No, just no. Seriously, I cannot stand the "love of a good woman" trope. It should not be her job to come in and save him or fix him or give him the motivation to change. He needs to stay on the right path for himself and his daughter. The principal is doing well for herself. When Patrick gets his shit together, then maybe, MAYBE they can be a couple.

 

Can someone plese explain how CeCe keeps getting onto MJ's property? She even made a comment this time "Get the gate fixed or give me the code." I don't understand. Is she scaling the fence? There's probably an easy explanation, but my tired brain can't think of it right now.

 

Due to what I've witnessed in my own family, I could relate to the talk between Mom and Dad Patterson. Your family can bleed you dry if you let them. Gotta say no.

[sereion]

I'm not sure how I feel about Patrick getting romantically involved with the principal, but I think she'll be a good support system on a plantonic level--at least for D'Asia's sake.

I felt sad for Paul, Sr. He sacrificed financially to support his children, and had little to show for it; with being said...

PJ gave Neicy some real talk, tonight; unlike MJ, he wasn't abrupt or condenscening, rather her was encouraging and offered his assistance to to help her.

I take back what I said about CeCe; MJ needs to leave her alone. Once she continues stop by, she'll never never get rid of her.

Side note: I just loved that Jill Scott song they played in the beginning and closing scene.

[ThomasAAnderson]

Only halfway thru..what is this bs host nonsense at the breaks? I want to punch CeCe.  

[Noirprncess]

Oh, Cece. You have finally over played and over stayed your welcome. You can't extort someone and want to be a friend at the same time. MJ MIGHT have considered using you as a resource right till you thought to put a price on your largely unsolicited advice. SMH. That was foolish on your part and promises that it won't end well for you.

PJ's advice was spot on. I hope his promise to help can be consistent because that impending investigation might make it impossible for him to be able to help.

I really thought Dad was going to start clutching his chest. It's all too common with care givers like him.

Patrick...I hope that talk with the principal helps him put this drug issue in the right prospective. Just because it's a prescription doesn't mean it's cool for you use, especially since it's not legally prescribed to you.

[candall]

Some really good, really well-written scenes in this episode.

 

Kara and her husband:  while "it's your fault I cheated on you" is always such a loathsome copout, it sounded like they purged out some difficult honesty to each other on some other festering issues. 

 

Neicy and Other Brother:  that was such a great talk he gave her--a much needed kick in the butt, but with realistic practical advice and loaded with love and support.  Pretty discouraging that Neicy's immediate response was wanting to pack up her whole situation and move it to his plate in California.  Sigh. 

 

Very moving to hear the parents, with their broken health, reflecting endgame on whether their sacrifices had been the right choice for themselves or their kids. 

 

On the other hand, I don't think the writer who thought MJ needed to hear "it's okay to be selfish and put yourself first" has ever seen this show.  Ha.

[Ohwell]

I don't know how Mary Jane thought she could ever be "friends" with someone who blackmailed her.  I can't believe she never put a stop to CeCe just showing up at her house, and then last night, her job.  Finally, I can't believe she actually looked surprised when CeCe tried to blackmail her again.  And while It looks like next week she's finally going to put a stop to CeCe's shenanigans,  I think MJ really needs to reexamine her life choices and get some therapy.  She's the crazy one. 

[Sheenieb]

 CeCe's a hustler, homie, MJ's a customer, crony.

 

CeCe's been working the long con from the jump. Notice how she was dressed. She had the fedora and the pimp gait as she walked. MJ was a damn fool for allowing CeCe to infiltrate her life, and even more foolish for thinking that she'll be rid of her. Blackmailers and con artists are barnacles. She isn't going to stop until she bleeds MJ dry. Judging from the season finale previews, it seems as if MJ finally wises up and gets her lawyers/police involved.

 

PJ giving Niecy real talk was nice to hear, but it means nothing if she doesn't get herself together. The kids are here already, so there's nothing any one can do about that, but she's so damn lazy that it's hard to root for her.

 

Speaking of lazy, even if the cheating hadn't happened, Kara would've still ended up divorced. She married a shiftless dude. He couldn't be bothered to call an electrician to get the wire fixed. I'm still annoyed with him from last season when he was getting on her case about private school tuition while he was out walking the dog. There's nothing wrong with being a stay at home parent, but he seems to bring nothing to the table, yet expects to be fed.

 

I'm okay with Patrick and the principal having a platonic relationship, but anything more than that is a disaster. Like Niecy, Patrick has to work on himself before opening himself up to any relationship.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Sheenieb

[Ms Blue Jay]

Every Asian person on this show is either evil or ignorant.  It's kind of tough for me to stomach but I guess other minorities have had it worse on other shows.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[catrice2]

I didn't see how CeCe was introduced to the show. I don't expect the Mary Jane character to be perfect, just not stupid. Why would she let her in her home around her co workers?

 

At least Kara was honest about why she was with her husband.  I find it ironic that the one person who finally made a plan for Niecy ( i mean sending her to cosmetology school was a no brainer) is about to go to prison or doesn't have his own stuff together. He is counseling her about her druggie father when he used to  sell drugs? Dare I hope my NIecy problem is about to be solved?  

 

I fast forwarded through the Patrick and principal scenes because I got mad about being right that they would bring her back.  The really telegraphed that in their first scene.  Am I to understand that he told her about the drug use?

 

Good to see Mary Jane working with her team.  

 

I looked up pictures of the guy playing her new toy.  He looks really good in some pictures, I don't know why he looks so bad on this show.  Maybe it is the hair? 

[represent]

 

I'm glad the principal reappeared but please, PLEASE do not pair her up with Patrick. No, just no. Seriously, I cannot stand the "love of a good woman" trope. It should not be her job to come in and save him or fix him or give him the motivation to change. He needs to stay on the right path for himself and his daughter. The principal is doing well for herself. When Patrick gets his shit together, then maybe, MAYBE they can be a couple.

Could not have said it better myself. And was she at his apartment at some point? 

I just rolled my eyes. 

[After7Only]

Every Asian person on this show is either evil or ignorant.  It's kind of tough for me to stomach but I guess other minorities have had it worse on other shows.

 Last night was the first time I noticed an Asian on the show.   At the time , I thought he's definitely ignorant, but what he said is pretty common thinking among a lot of people. Hopefully it was a learning experience for the character.   But now I'll have to pay a little closer attention to the Asians on this show.

 

Love/Hate Cece.  She had me cracking up with her pimping and hitting on the female intern.  But then she had to go back to her blackmailing ways....  The dynamics with the new young production group for MJ's show is interesting.  Hopefully this plays out in the story line and wasn't a one and done thing.  

 

The "How did you get here" scene with Kara and her ex husband, was excellent.  Kara is really knocking it out the park this season.  

[Ms Blue Jay]

An Asian woman had a meeting with MJ in the same episode and said something about titling her show Ugly Black Woman?  Another Asian woman is in business with PJ and apparently they're doing very shady business dealings together (that are above my head.)

 

That's 3 Asian characters, and no other Asian characters, and they are all shady or ignorant.

[represent]

I thought it was cool that she was reading I Am Malala to D'Asia before bedtime.

[mrsbagnet]

 

That's 3 Asian characters, and no other Asian characters, and they are all shady or ignorant.

 

Well, there was the bartender at the private club. He seemed pretty cool, lol.

 

 

I fast forwarded through the Patrick and principal scenes because I got mad about being right that they would bring her back.  The really telegraphed that in their first scene.  Am I to understand that he told her about the drug use?

 

Yes, he told her. She told him to look at things from his parents' perspective, and she basically called him out on his BS.

 

I thought MJ was going to give Marisol a shot to work on her show. I guess she really did only mention her in her pitch to make Kara jealous. It's a shame. I'm rooting for Marisol.

 

Speaking of the club, I wonder if we'll hear anything about Mark before the season ends. I keep imagining that they'll break in, M*A*S*H-style, with an announcement that he died either in Nigeria or en route.  I hope things don't end that way for him.

Edited December 11, 2015 by mrsbagnet

[catrice2]

I'm hoping Marc comes back married and continues to be a good friend to Mary Jane.   I agree with someone..the smartest thing this show did was get Lisa Vidal and make her Mary Jane's friend...one that also has her own issues as being a woman balancing a life and career, a mother, and a minority in that type of business.  My best friend hates Kara, but I think she is one of the best characters on the show. 

[represent]

 

My best friend hates Kara, but I think she is one of the best characters on the show.

I agree and if I'm not mistaken she's been in the game longer than Gabrielle Union....I hadn't seen her in a long time but I knew that face, and I think I've known it longer than GU's.

 

I do believed she's the more seasoned actor and it shows.

[Ohwell]

I don't hate Kara but there's a nervous energy she gives off that turns me off.  I know she's supposed to be this harried wife and mother with a career who's trying to have it all, but she's just exhausting to watch.  

 

I miss Lisa (the character).  I wish the writers had let her live and shown how she was able to work through her issues and rebuild her friendship with MJ.  I hope the actress has something else lined up.  

[scruffy73]

I don't hate Kara but there's a nervous energy she gives off that turns me off. I know she's supposed to be this harried wife and mother with a career who's trying to have it all, but she's just exhausting to watch.

I miss Lisa (the character). I wish the writers had let her live and shown how she was able to work through her issues and rebuild her friendship with MJ. I hope the actress has something else lined up.

I agree about Lisa. Her getting help and getting better could have blessed a lot of viewers, especially black viewers. In general we don't do therapy so to see someone actually benefit and have her life changed for the better would have been amazing. On the flip side, having her commit suicide showed that "we" do in fact commit suicide when things get overwhelming.

[Ohwell]

On the flip side, having her commit suicide showed that "we" do in fact commit suicide when things get overwhelming.

Yes.  I remember how shocked and saddened people were when Phyllis Hyman and Donny Hathaway committed suicide.

[represent]

I realized that Kara's talk with her ex-husband now roommate, showed that she basically picked her father for a mate in John.

 

Like she said, her father is a nice man, but he's weak and her mother had to pull all the weight, just like she does. But in John's defense, he did not pretend he was something other than what he was, he always had little ambition. I think he kept the house pretty neat, did the household chores, took care of the kids, he was fine with being a stay at home dad. He didn't bring much if anything financially to the table, but at least unlike her dad, he didn't gamble it all away. Bottom line he didn't pretend he was something he wasn't. 

 

It's psychology 101, seeking in a mate the same traits you saw in your parents growing up, the good and/or bad. She was so determined not to have to go through what her mom had to but she ended up setting things up that way in choosing her father in John.

 

The question is if you feel you must  marry a white man to fit into your picture of success, how do attract one with so little ambition, then complain about? 

 

You realize that subconsciously you sought out his lack of ambition on purpose and probably would have picked a man without ambition regardless of what his race.

Edited December 13, 2015 by represent

[topanga]

 

The "How did you get here" scene with Kara and her ex husband, was excellent.  Kara is really knocking it out the park this season.

Kara has become my favorite character. Even though she isn't in as many scenes this season, her scenes are powerful and moving. I understand why she lost it when her ex-husband, who's home all day, asked her what they should do about the faulty circuit breaker--after she gets home from a long day of work. Grow a pair, bruh. 

 

I'll have to watch the scene again later (my son is playing the PS4 on the TV with the DVRd episode). But why did she pick John, knowing he had little or no ambition? I thought she said she wanted someone who wasn't her dad? 

 

 

 

I fast forwarded through the Patrick and principal scenes

I find myself fast forwarding through the CeCe scenes because I can't believe MJ continues to let herself be manipulated like that.  And it pains me to see Loretta Devine playing the bad guy, although she's doing a great job with this character. 

 

The only thing I did like was hearing an older voice in the focus groups. MJ's team consists of racially diverse people who all look to be under the age of 30. You won't get a proper perspective on racial and social justice issues unless you also include the voices of people over 40.

[Noirprncess]

But why did she pick John, knowing he had little or no ambition? I thought she said she wanted someone who wasn't her dad? 

She picked him because she wanted the best of everything. She was told (when dating) that "white guys were the ticket to a good life" so it seems when they started dating she, in a sense, pursued him with that in mind. Based on his response, "I've always been like this", she focused more on his skin color and what she thought he could do for her versus focusing on the quality of his person. He was white and therefore couldn't be like her dad, in her mind.

[Ohwell]

"White is right" in Kara's mind.  

[represent]

 

But why did she pick John, knowing he had little or no ambition? I thought she said she wanted someone who wasn't her dad?

Some people don't believe in psychology, but I do. IMO, she picked John yes, because he was white. But also because he lacked ambition just like her dad. People look for the characteristics in a mate that they saw in the adults who raised them because good or bad, those traits are familiar. It's a cycle and one that is hard to break which becomes a problem if those traits that they witnessed growing up were harmful. Subconsciously one looks for the traits they saw in a parent/guardian in the mates they choose.  It's that old saying when people say, "I'm not going to be like my parents", yeah, good luck with that....

 

And the writers made sure to remind us of who her father was when she was talking to John. She talked about how her mother had to work multiple jobs to keep the family afloat because her father could not pull his weight as he was a gambler. He was a nice man she said and I think John is nice too but....they are both weak.

 

I remember when she went home in season one and found out that her father I believe had put the family house on the line due to his gambling, so she, Kara, now had to help her parents keep that house. Help her mother, who worked like a dog to buy the house in the first place.  

 

So based on my understanding of the psychology here, Kara would have picked a white man who couldn't pull his weight no matter what and based on her conversation with John I think she owns that fact. Ultimately, his race isn't the key factor IMO as is his lack of ambition, she would have found this trait in any man she chose, because subconsciously it's what she was looking for even though she despises it. 

Edited December 29, 2015 by represent