Dead Of Summer - General Discussion

[maryle]

I kind of liked it better.

The best part for me was the Drew and Jessie interaction this pairing was more fun for me than the other. Not by much, but still. Hate everything with the Deb and camera guy hook up. I missed a little bit of the end but it dosen't seem liked I miss something important 

[mntnsrck79]

So when Deb said camera guy reminded her of someone from her time in camp, do we think maybe she was referring to the tall man? I mean they don't really look alike other than both being african-american, but this show isn't exactly smartly written. Maybe she saw all the visions of the tall man back in the day and was turned over to the dark side with him and the satanic cults, etc.

[Curio]

2 hours ago, mntnsrck79 said:

So when Deb said camera guy reminded her of someone from her time in camp, do we think maybe she was referring to the tall man? I mean they don't really look alike other than both being african-american, but this show isn't exactly smartly written.

I was thinking it might have been a descendent of the Tall Man, but you're probably right.

[Dizzychickstar]

Still watching; I'm interested in how this all fits together.  Hated that Deb and camera guy got together-ew!  He's as young as the rest, right?  But I wondered if it(the sex out in the middle of the woods) was also apart of whatever rituals Deb may be into.  The evil bikers keep mentioning a teacher...seems like that points to Deb, but maybe not?  Maybe they're just talking about the Tall Man? If there is a group of leftover Spiritualists/Satanists, is there also a remnant that fought against them?  I kind of hope they don't prolong Amy having no clue that she's possessed, but I also wonder why she was chosen.  We saw her background, but perhaps there's something more...idk?

I think they made an interesting decision to join Jessie and Drew together and wonder what will happen next. That's just not a pairing I typically see.  Kind of like the small touches of continuation too...comments about the two campers' wet bed, Cricket shrugging Alex's hands away from her waist, the shared mixtape--which brought more pain than intended...so as I wait for the return of TWD, Mindy, JtV, and a few more, I'll be watching.  And I do appreciate the little bts they show each epi too. 

[candall]

On ‎7‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 0:39 PM, Writing Wrongs said:

 Was the counselor the mom took Drew to transgender too? 

I thought Renee Richards might have had a cameo.  Mom was really wearing some serious blinders if she never picked up a clue about that.

So, another harsh slap across the face for Drew.  I sort of expect a gay man to be a little less quick on the draw with:  "I like you as an individual and find myself sexually attracted to you, but your gender does not fit within acceptable parameters for me and is therefore a dealbreaker.  Bye."  I mean, isn't that exactly the sort of thinking we're trying to overcome?  Aren't "acceptable parameters for gender attraction" the root cause of all the pain?

I guess that wasn't as bad as your mother packing up and moving away without a forwarding address.  Tough life, kid.  Maybe you've finally driven away tiny Andrea and her damn red balloons, though--here's hoping, 'cuz you're way overdue for a win.

**************

Amy better get down and divest herself of that pesky virginity with Deputy Townie.  Maybe that will make her a less suitable candidate for the human sacrifice.

**************

I agree that it's all pretty terrible.  Could be worse, though--I was sure this whole episode would be demon worshippers in big goathead masks mingling with everyone at the masquerade ball, causing mischief and mayhem.

[Mabinogia]

Which one is Joel? I do think it's funny that they are leaving camp to go camping. lol I'm kind of hoping the ratings are so bad that they rewrote it and Deb is taking them all in the woods to be slaughtered. She will give some typical final villain speech so we know what the hell is going on, and then it is over.

[KaveDweller]

I think Joel is the guy filming everything and who hooked up with Deb.

It's too early for the villain to lead them all into the woods to be slaughtered. That will probably happen in the season finale. 

[Mabinogia]

Ooh, he has a name? Good to know. lol

I know. And I'm watching the show all the way through, but there is a part of me that wishes it would just end. I'm really only watching now because it's an unsolved mystery and I need to know how it is resolved.

[Mabinogia]

I actually liked this one. Probably because the flashbacks finally linked to whatever is going on at camp. Kind of glad Joel and Deb's hookup wasn't real (or was it? EM is sooooo good at playing enigmatic it is really hard to tell if she's lying or not). Not terribly sorry to see Cricket go, though I would have preferred it to be Russian Boy. Maybe he'll be next.

[TattleTeeny]

I feel like I like this show more or less when I'm watching it, not because it's good but because it's just compelling enough that I want to see what happens, if that makes sense? I practically forget it exists before I see it on the DVR and almost immediately after it concludes. 

[NorthstarATL]

Thanks, show, for ruining "Killing Moon" for me.Also, way to show sensitivity Freeform or whatever you call yourself, by a before AND after mea culpa about suicide while apparently having no qualms about showing murder. Pretty sure that is as sensitive a topic.

 So Deb doesn't remember Joel from the night before? And Amy doesn't remember Deputy Guy? Were they possessed or just unimpressed?

[Curio]

1 hour ago, NorthstarATL said:

So Deb doesn't remember Joel from the night before? And Amy doesn't remember Deputy Guy? Were they possessed or just unimpressed?

I'm confused about this. So we're supposed to assume Joel just imagined he had sex with Deb and made it all up in his head, but Amy and the Deputy actually did kiss and she just doesn't remember? I want to get my facts straight before I start getting creeped out by consent issues.

[Tipsymcstagger]

4 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I actually liked this one. Probably because the flashbacks finally linked to whatever is going on at camp. Kind of glad Joel and Deb's hookup wasn't real (or was it? EM is sooooo good at playing enigmatic it is really hard to tell if she's lying or not). Not terribly sorry to see Cricket go, though I would have preferred it to be Russian Boy. Maybe he'll be next.

I think EM is so good at playing enigmatic because her face is so frozen from Botox and fillers that she can't register a human emotion. So she keeps us guessing ?

[Dizzychickstar]

I like Cricket(is she really dead?) and had been wondering what was Joel's deal for a while. Clearly, Alex and Cricket saw Deb leave with the box(last epi), but where'd she go next if she didn't meet up with him? 

The scene at the prom was pretty affecting(beating his friend up; how do you rebound from that?) but I feel like it went on too long. I also don't quite get why Joel didn't come clean earlier with the other campers. I do get his not wanting to appear "crazy," but some of the others had already said they'd seen things. Still have a lot of questions about the lake and camp lore. 

[Mabinogia]

I think Joel's camera, when he was going back to confirm what happened, showed that she was there in the woods with him, but they just talked. No sexy times. She did say they talked about the guy he reminded her of, so that did happen. So she did show him the box, just not HER box. lol

It is kind of weird that we've got one hook up where the participant doesn't remember it and one hook up where the participant remembers something that didn't happen.

I'm curious why Joel had to kill Amy. If Holyoke was going to be able to kill someone else in her place, why not just kill her? Was Amy's death the goal or was it getting Joel to kill her that was the goal? Very confused. I have always been fascinated by that ultimatum of kill this specific person or some random person dies instead.

[KaveDweller]

2 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I think Joel's camera, when he was going back to confirm what happened, showed that she was there in the woods with him, but they just talked. No sexy times. She did say they talked about the guy he reminded her of, so that did happen. So she did show him the box, just not HER box. lol

It is kind of weird that we've got one hook up where the participant doesn't remember it and one hook up where the participant remembers something that didn't happen.

I'm curious why Joel had to kill Amy. If Holyoke was going to be able to kill someone else in her place, why not just kill her? Was Amy's death the goal or was it getting Joel to kill her that was the goal? Very confused. I have always been fascinated by that ultimatum of kill this specific person or some random person dies instead.

Amy is some kind of chosen person, isn't she? When she got struck by lightning, those biker/satanists were watching and said how they'd been wrong thinking Cricket was the one, it was Amy. Or something like that.

[Writing Wrongs]

Do they actually do any camp counseling? They are barely around the kids they are supposed to be in charge of.

[Writing Wrongs]

The acting is sooo bad.

Fucking Apollo candy bars again.

I don't know if the producers talking at the end of the episodes is funny or sad. They actually think they are making good tv.

[applecrisp]

On July 27, 2016 at 9:10 PM, Writing Wrongs said:

Do they actually do any camp counseling? They are barely around the kids they are supposed to be in charge of.

This and let's take the kids we are responsible for, in the woods, where there are numerous bear traps really close to the path.  Deb is a very neglectful camp leader and owner.  She did kick out the one counselor and he just takes off down the road.  Never checked up on him. These are still kids.

She is the worst.  

[krankydoodle]

It looked like there was a bunch of previously never shown counselors in the scene where Cricket's mom picks up her stuff. I guess there'd have to be considering they're now 2 counselors down and the ones we have seen don't seem to be spending much time with the campers.

This isn't a good show, but I look forward to watching it every week for some reason. My favorite bits are with the 3 satanists who are always tooling around on the fringes.

[Tipsymcstagger]

Quote

The acting is sooo bad.

Agree. It is abysmal. Particularly that of Amy and Blair. I had to go on IMDb and look up the character names because they're so unmemorable and I've watched every episode. And Elizabeth Mitchell's coy, whispery "acting" just grates - especially in the dopey flashbacks. From hippie to driven career yuppie...and Harvard educated? Lol! But - in the actor's defense - I also think the writing is awful. So it's not like they have a lot to work with.

At this point I'm just watching from force of habit because I've already invested in 5 episodes. Guess I'm a sadomasochist? It's really kind of a garbage heap...

[Sammich]

Why were the producers asking us to look at the one mask in the tan shirt? Is that a police uniform? 

[jewel21]

I just figured they wanted us to know that those mask guys were around for awhile. *shrugs*

[Texasmom1970]

Wow, just when I thought this crap could not get any worse!

[candall]

Quote

Deputy Sykes works with Deb and the counselors to enact a plan that he hopes will put an end to the attacks at Camp Stillwater.

 

Oh, ROTFLMAO! 

Amy:  "You want to use me for BAIT?!  Okay, I'll do it.  For Camp Stillwater."

Deputy:  "Don't worry, Amy, we'll never take our eyes off you."  3 . . .2 . . .1 . . . "WE'VE LOST AMY!!!"

And my very favorite production tool--someone goes dashing off in broad daylight, but night falls during the trip.  (And yet, visibility is perfect, down there in the depths of the underground pool in the underground cave.)

 

Mostly, while I'm watching this, I'm thinking about all those open bear traps mining the area around the camp.  Snort, like that would ever be a problem--well, except for that one time.  I thought Token Gay Guy might have sprung another one, but nope, "just a sprain!"

****************

Those production people in the clips at the end are a riot.  They're so sincere.  And it's cute when they get all smirky and drop a hint about things to come, like we're all waiting with bated breath for the next installment.

I almost always learn something about the story I didn't pick up during the show, though.  Do you think they ran each episode past a focus group and then decided they needed to pop in at the end and give us some notes?

*****************

Finally, that is one weakling demon if he couldn't hold his grip on Amy's ankle against Jessie reeling those two in on their rope.   The demon got his voluntary blood from a virgin plus several human sacrifices this week--he should have a little more tiger in his tank.

[Mabinogia]

44 minutes ago, candall said:

Those production people in the clips at the end are a riot.  They're so sincere.  And it's cute when they get all smirky and drop a hint about things to come, like we're all waiting with bated breath for the next installment.

Those are downright painful to watch because I think they really believed, when they made them, that this was the next Lost. That we'd all be sitting around trying to piece it all together.

[candall]

I know, right?

I don't know why this show makes me laugh like a loon instead of my usual harrumphs and eye-rolls.  Maybe because it's just so, so bad and then the producers showing up at the end, behaving like world-class auteurs, give it the final touch that pushes the whole thing right over the edge into hilarious.

[TattleTeeny]

Oh my god, that was awful. And something about the completely stupid way Amy was dangling really got on my nerves.

[Mabinogia]

that was weird, the way they had her hanging there. And then she'd like "snap to life" and do as she was bid. That whole scene was hilarious!

 

I do like the guy who plays Damon because I feel like he is playing it up as a parody and I totally appreciate that.

Gotta admire Jessie's upper body strength though. Girl hoisted a full grown man and dead weight virgin out of the clutches of some evil underwater demon. You go girl!

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

that was weird, the way they had her hanging there. And then she'd like "snap to life" and do as she was bid. That whole scene was hilarious!

It was like they were more concerned with presenting a dramatic, flowing-white-dress image than the fact that a body would not hang that way. And I for one am shocked. Shocked, I say, as this show has been so well-done thus far!

Edited August 10, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[Mabinogia]

thanks for the laugh TattleTeeny. I needed that today. Yes, this show is so well thought out and tightly plotted this freak misstep is shocking!

Sad thing is, I'm starting to enjoy the show.

[NorthstarATL]

3 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

It was like they were more concerned with presenting a dramatic, flowing-white-dress image than the fact that a body would not hang that way. And I for one am shocked. Shocked, I say, as this show has been so well-done thus far!

I kept trying to figure out what exactly was keeping her from just getting herself out of the rope around her waist! Her arms/hands were free, right? Makes NO sense! My guess as to what's next is that the Teacher is someone we've seen in flashbacks: maybe the Sheriff? Because the ghost they've all been seeing (Holyoke?) seems to operate on his own and wouldn't need those idiots in the masks.

  From what we've seen of the flashbacks the camp has never been much fun. Even for nostalgic purposes I cannot see any of these people voluntarily returning.

And, just because it irritates me every week, and speaking solely for myself and gay males I have known in my lifetime: we are attracted to men! That is what makes us "gay". I understand that the show is trying to make "Drew" a male, but that is not how sexual attraction works. We really do have senses and stuff. having the gay guy be THIS clueless is even more annoying than the deliberately creep stuff.

[TattleTeeny]

Oh, I forgot! WTF with Deb saying that the campers were safe in their cabins "with the staff"? What staff other than the main cast, Deb?!

Also, kids being on the premises at all when attempted murder is afoot along with possible police gunplay (even if there were only all of two cops) is kind of, well, iffy to me!

[Texasmom1970]

I must be expecting too much this show bites to me. The scene where Amy was hanging and all the cult members or whatever, in their robes and hoods. So awful, worse than watching a bad high school play!

[KaveDweller]

4 hours ago, NorthstarATL said:

I kept trying to figure out what exactly was keeping her from just getting herself out of the rope around her waist! Her arms/hands were free, right? Makes NO sense! My guess as to what's next is that the Teacher is someone we've seen in flashbacks: maybe the Sheriff? Because the ghost they've all been seeing (Holyoke?) seems to operate on his own and wouldn't need those idiots in the masks.

I could see why she couldn't get out because her feet were in the middle of the air. She would have needed really great upper body strength to pull herself out without pushing off the ground or a wall.

But I don't get why she couldn't swim herself out at the end. She was conscious when the rope broke. She had it tied around her body but the other end wasn't attached to anything and it looked pretty light. It shouldn't have pulled her down. And it was a pretty short fall, I don't get why she passed out again when she went under.

[TattleTeeny]

Well, she was all loopy for a little while. But could she not have put her hands up on the rope and pulled herself through? My issue was with the way her upper body was positioned; I think she would have been in more of an almost backbend-like pose.

Edited August 11, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[candall]

21 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Oh, I forgot! WTF with Deb saying that the campers were safe in their cabins "with the staff"? What staff other than the main cast, Deb?!

Also, kids being on the premises at all when attempted murder is afoot along with possible police gunplay (even if there were only all of two cops) is kind of, well, iffy to me!

 I forgot about the kids being "with the staff."  LOL

 

Murder, gunplay . . .and bear traps!

(I know, I know--I'm the only one who's worried about the damn bear traps.)

[TattleTeeny]

Yeah, why the hell don't they just have someone come to find and remove the bear traps? Is this not something this Deb should have done prior to opening?

[Mabinogia]

Did Ugly Betty's Brother (I have no clue what his name is on the show, is it Blair?) trip on a bear trap? I only caught a glimpse of it and that's what I thought it was, thought his foot was going to get lobbed off and he'd be stuck with a bloody stump but when he just tripped and sprained his ankle I thought maybe I was dreaming up the whole bear trap storyline.

[Tipsymcstagger]

I'm too exhausted to even snark on this dumpster fire. All I can say is that this is the worst acted, worst written, most ludicrous show I have ever seen. I mean - it's so bad that all actors, writers and showrunners involved should not only never be allowed to work again - they should wear sack cloth and self flagellate for the rest of their lives. Good God - this show is actually offensive...an affront to anyone with some brain cells.

[queenanne]

This show has failed completely and utterly in what TPTB seem to think is its main mission - to make me give a crap whether or not Camp Stillwater survives.  A bunch of overgrown adolescents intoning "Camp Stillwater was the best experience *of my life*!", is not translating into truth for me.  Maybe it's been dumbed down for what the network thinks will appeal to teens or something?  Too many tossed plot points... Why does Deb have a creepy cultists' mask?  And think it's normal?  Why would she be fooled into thinking she had sex with Whosis in the woods when she knows he's dead, and has known for 2 decades?  The cultists threaten that mingling their blood with Amy's will revivify them and make them as gods... well, so much for that idea!

I actually liked this show better when it was just backstory, and for people with so much experience juggling large casts and multiple storylines, they've clearly got no idea what to do with this batch, because I stop caring about the earlier reveals by the time we finish unspooling the next camper's backstory.

[Mabinogia]

9 minutes ago, queenanne said:

The cultists threaten that mingling their blood with Amy's will revivify them and make them as gods... well, so much for that idea!

That was obviously just a lie the Teacher told them to get them to cut their own throats.

I do agree that I could care less if the camp survives. I'm half hoping they all die but then we will get that cliffhanger ending where they tease that a new idiot will come reopen camp and a new set of idiots will come and get killed next summer. I wouldn't mind them turning the Last Girl trope on it's head and have Jessie be the only one standing at the end. I kind of like her as much as I can like any of them. She's got great hair.

I kind of got the maybe impression that Deb reopened the camp and has the mask because she was doing some kind of ritual to get dead boyfriend to come back maybe? Yeah, I have no idea what is going on there. Maybe she's just crazy into rollplay. lol

[queenanne]

1 hour ago, Mabinogia said:

That was obviously just a lie the Teacher told them to get them to cut their own throats.

I do agree that I could care less if the camp survives. I'm half hoping they all die but then we will get that cliffhanger ending where they tease that a new idiot will come reopen camp and a new set of idiots will come and get killed next summer. I wouldn't mind them turning the Last Girl trope on it's head and have Jessie be the only one standing at the end. I kind of like her as much as I can like any of them. She's got great hair.

I kind of got the maybe impression that Deb reopened the camp and has the mask because she was doing some kind of ritual to get dead boyfriend to come back maybe? Yeah, I have no idea what is going on there. Maybe she's just crazy into rollplay. lol

It's just confusing because we've already been through ... "Michael's brother" (Josh?) thinking he had sex with Deb in exactly the same place, and she treated him like an idiot-slash-crazy person.  So the forest has... wormholes that make you fantasize?  I'm not even sure that's an interesting sci-fi/horror trope, lol.  

[Texasmom1970]

Wow, no comments. Silence speaks volumes, this show is all over the place. And that is not a compliment! On the bright side those who are watching only have a couple of more episodes to go!

[ownedbysetters]

This show has not only jumped the shark, it has lept over an entire ocean of sharks.

Hopefully the show will mercifully end after the next two epis, as it appears no one will be left alive.

[Chaos Theory]

Just because I don't comment doesn't mean I don't like the show.  I think this is a fair Freeform show that's major sin is that it could be better.  I enjoyed Jessie's backstory.  I think the overall story is ok but whoever picked the actors went for pretty over talented but that is often true for ABCFam/Freeform shows and something they need to get away from.  

[NorthstarATL]

I KNEW Amy was possessed! I love that NOW the camp has to be closed, but it was safe to run even though people were dropping like flies before. Blind Man's Bluff? Really? People are getting killed, strange stuff is happening, the camp is being closed down, and you think the height of FUN involves being blindfolded? These people are nuts.

[lorikauai]

I spent most of this episode just admiring how pretty Garrett is. I enjoy this show even though I'm not commenting. It definitely falls in the mindless entertainment category for me. I'm not sure the flashbacks and the "ghosts" the characters brought with them really work with the real ghosts/demons at camp. It feels like too much or a bit forced and unnecessary sometimes, especially with so many being killed off. 

Edited August 17, 2016 by lorikauai

[Chaos Theory]

These are the same show runners who do Once Upon A Time right?  The first season of OUAT the backstories worked with the show as a whole exceptionally well (less well as the show went on).  This show it seems for the most part tacked on.  There were a few that worked for me.  I think Jessie's backstory helps explain who she is.  I also liked the back storys of Deb and Joel.    Drew's backstory kinda worked but felt more like those old after schools specials and not in a good way.    

I do however like the overall mystery but still don't quite get why Amy is so special.  I am not sure it matters though this is still kinda fun mindless entertainment with a hot cast.  I just wish it was just a smidge better.  

[KaveDweller]

The backstories also worked on OUAT because we were seeing alternate fairy tales, and it wasn't just giving you backstory on the characters it was telling an interesting story on it's own. I feel like we've gotten some important information with the Dead of Summer ones (Jessie's miserable home life and Joel's brother dying), but most of them were useless.

Once Upon a Time has gotten worse as time goes on, but it was really good in the first couple seasons. I'm surprised the showrunners could put together something so awful.

Jessie's mom really sucks.