S01.E08: Sweet Jane

[formerlyfreedom]

Claire deals with the emotional ramifications of Willa's scheming; Nina is determined to find out where Adam disappears to every night; Willa exposes another family secret; Hank's role in Adam's kidnapping is revealed.

 

[truthaboutluv]

Aww and I liked FBI guy but I knew he was going to bite it the second he called the detective and didn't tell her exactly what he found and then went to Jane and Doug's place alone. That is one of those television contrivances I'm going to ignore because that was incredibly sloppy, especially for an FBI agent no less. He had no way of knowing that Jane wasn't an accomplice so it made no sense that he wouldn't wait for the detective whose name is escaping me right now. 

 

So Jane apparently knew about the first time Doug did this and he swore he wouldn't do it again. I'm wondering if the first time was Ben and he told her he let him go but instead brought him to the bunker where Jane would not see him and find out he still had him. Still, Jane knowing about Doug's predilections makes her naivete shown in their one on one scenes together that much more ridiculous. I especially cannot believe she never suspected him when Adam went missing, which had to have been all over the news. Not to mention she knew he was showing his furniture at the fair that day - the same fair that Adam went missing from.

 

I get that this show is all about the twists but Ii just find it hard to believe this woman knew about this guy doing something of that nature once before (and we'll ignore her not just staying with him but then having a kid with him) and yet being completely clueless and ignorant to all these blatant signs for years that he'd done it again. And she's clearly not completely stupid as she put it together very quickly once she was called in to answer about being at the mall that day. 

 

So I assume the house that Ben is visiting is the foster home he used to live in. My guess is he had the key on him the day Doug kidnapped him and hid it in the wall of the bunker. I got that impression with all the pictures of kids on the mantle, none of whom look like siblings. Speaking of Ben, I have to say one of the things that keep me intrigued by this show is how sad I just feel for some of these people, especially him. As I've said, no matter how shifty and creepy he may be, the kid is clearly traumatized and has been very tortured in some way. I felt so bad for him when he was begging to stay even when he was being manipulative by offering to talk about Adam. Speaking of which, whatever she may be, my heart broke for Claire when Ben was telling her about Adam. That is a horrible, horrible thing for a mother to have to live with. 

 

And we now know how Doug zeroed in on Adam. Adam was probably coming around to hang out with Hank while Doug was working on the shelves in the kitchen. He saw him and meticulously planned exactly how he would kidnap him. Meanwhile, as others have noted, what are they doing with the older brother? They started the show with him the suspicious and skeptical one and now he's just hanging around showing up in random scenes and serving no real purpose. So he may realize Willa is now fucking reporter chick (who I have no idea why she was back as she was not missed)...okay. Is there anyone who cares about this pseudo-triangle? Because I sure don't. 

Edited April 18, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[RedInk]

I get that this show is all about the twists but Ii just find it hard to believe this woman knew about this guy doing something of that nature once before (and we'll ignore her not just staying with him but then having a kid with him) and being completely clueless and ignorant to all these blatant signs for years that he'd done it again. And she's clearly not completely stupid as she put it together very quickly once she was called in to answer about being at the mall that day

Well, she's not stupid, but she's demonstrably a despicable human being. She's covered up two abductions and rapes and has now murdered a federal agent. I was kind of waiting for this reveal because I assumed she's the one who got Pocks out of the bunker...and because it's a pretty lazy twist. I don't care to know her sad, codependent backstory any more that I want to know about Hank, the world's most ethical pedophile. They're all repulsive. Guess I'm just in it to see what happens to Ben & possibly Adam.

Like you, I can't imagine who cares about the love triangle. With everything going on in this show, the lives of the barely-written throwaway characters are pretty irrelevant to me.

Edited April 18, 2016 by RedInk

[KaveDweller]

So he may realize Willa is now fucking reporter chick (who I have no idea why she was back as she was not missed)...okay. Is there anyone who cares about this pseudo-triangle? Because I sure don't. 

 

I am really grossed out by the psedo-triangle. At least reporter chick had the decency to stop sleeping with the brother after she slept with the sister (for now). But wouldn't reporter chick know that if she gave the stuffed animal to Willa, Danny might see it? Or does she think he's that much of an idiot?

 

No one noticed before now that Ben was left-handed? It's really hard to just start using your other hand all the time, so he must have slipped before the detective saw him in the bus.

 

Willa kind of sucks. Releasing those texts about her dad and the detective just for the election? That's really cold. She doesn't even seem conflicted about it.

 

I really liked the scene with Ben and Claire where he was telling her about what Adam was like. 

 

I missed how the picture of the dog tipped the FBI guy off to Jane being involved. 

[truthaboutluv]

Willa kind of sucks. Releasing those texts about her dad and the detective just for the election? That's really cold. She doesn't even seem conflicted about it.

 

I will admit, I did laugh when Claire was asking where she went wrong with her when she was staring at Willa like she was a complete monster and stranger and then she said, "did I miss a recital or something?" That cracked me up. 

 

I missed how the picture of the dog tipped the FBI guy off to Jane being involved.

 

They matched the dog hairs to a breed of dog and got a listing of everyone who had bought/adopted that breed of dog. He was going through them and noticed Jane was an owner - and I assumed he immediately remembered this was the same Jane who worked at the plant where they would know about all the bunkers and  their location and also the same Jane who was coincidentally at the mall the day that Ben was there. 

 

Well, she's not stupid, but she demonstrably a despicable human being.

 

You get no arguments here. 

Edited April 18, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[Free]

Meanwhile, as others have noted, what are they doing with the older brother? They started the show with him the suspicious and skeptical one and now he's just hanging around showing up in random scenes and serving no real purpose. So he may realize Willa is now fucking reporter chick (who I have no idea why she was back as she was not missed)...okay. Is there anyone who cares about this pseudo-triangle? Because I sure don't.

 

These are useless subplots tbh, it really should've been a streamlined mini series instead of getting dragged out like this.

[KaveDweller]

I will admit, I did laugh when Claire was asking where she went wrong with her when she was staring at Willa like she was a complete monster and stranger and then she said, "did I miss a recital or something?" That cracked me up. 

 

 

They matched the dog hairs to a breed of dog and got a listing of everyone who had bought/adopted that breed of dog. He was going through them and noticed Jane was an owner - and I assumed he immediately remembered this was the same Jane who worked at the plant where they would know about all the bunkers and  their location and also the same Jane who was coincidentally at the mall the day that Ben was there. 

 

That line about missing a recital cracked me up too.

 

Where did they get the original dog hairs from? The jacket they found at the mall? I no longer have any sympathy for Jane though. She heard her boyfriend may have been involved in a child abduction and her reaction is to kill a cop to protect him. She should have been horrified at the idea of him doing that, not horrified he might have to go to jail.

[truthaboutluv]

Where did they get the original dog hairs from? The jacket they found at the mall?

 

Yes

Edited April 18, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[Free]

I no longer have any sympathy for Jane though. She heard her boyfriend may have been involved in a child abduction and her reaction is to kill a cop to protect him. She should have been horrified at the idea of him doing that, not horrified he might have to go to jail.

 

I can see why they're a couple, they deserve each other.

[Madding crowd]

I predicted Jane was somehow involved, based on how much they showed her but it is hard to believe a woman would have a baby with a man she knows is a child molester. Someone like that cannot change. In Hanks case, I think they are trying to show that even though he has the same urges, with the help of his mother and therapy, he doesn't have to act on those urges. I think Hank will be involved in capturing Pocky in some way.

 

It was really sad to see the FBI guy get killed. Of course IRL, agents and cops don't go to suspects houses without backup. My husband has been a cop for over 20 years and you never know what to expect in any house. One time he went to help a woman getting beat up on by her husband, and the woman hit him in the head with a frying pan (he was ok). I guessed that Ben was going to a foster home but how could he go there every night and not have anyone ever wake up? I guess I'm a light sleeper cause I always wake up if my son comes home late as soon as I hear the door open. 

 

I guess at this point the show will focus on arresting pocky and Jane, but I would like some resolution regarding Adam and Ben too. We know Adam was sick but did he really die? I hate Willa and wish her mom would just ditch her as campaign manager. 

[thuganomics85]

Oh, Clemons.  I will miss you and your snark, but that was just some bad police work right there.  Even if you didn't suspect the girlfriend to be willing to cover up for him, what would have happened if Doug himself came home early or something?  You really should have brought back-up or, at the very least, at least tell Nina what you found and were you were going, even if it was voicemail.  Or maybe a quick text.  You do know about text, right?!

 

Seriously, did Bridey actually give Willa that pink penguin, even though she knows Willa still lives with the rest of the family?  Did it not even occur to her that Danny could easily stumble upon it?  What an idiot.  Although, I hope Danny doesn't get mad, and just decides he doesn't want any part of this insanity going on between Bridey and Willa.

 

Flashbacks reveal that Hank truly does have these feelings, and his sex offender conviction came from exposing himself at a park.  But at least he had the common sense to not let that kid in their house, although he should have did the same for Adam.  Also, we find out that Doug did house work for Hank's mom, so that is probably how he discovered and zeroed in on Adam.  Yikes!

 

I did enjoy the Claire/Hank, because it was nice to see Joan Allen and Andrew McCarthy play off one another, and how hostile they are with one another.  Although, I know Hank was being flippant, I so want him to just start introducing himself as "Hank, the Friendly Neighborhood Pedophile" to every new person he meets.

 

Damn, Willa is twisted, but it's kind of brilliant that she exposed John and Nina's affair, in order to make Claire's drunken binge be looked at as more sympathetic to voters.  That will open a whole other can of worms I imagine (I can see Lane trying some kind of "How can someone run the state, when they can't even control their spouse?!" act on her), but it probably will do more good then harm.  But I loved how freaked out Claire was and basically wondering how she failed to have Willa be this ruthless.  To be fair, Claire, Danny isn't exactly solid either, so really: it isn't just Willa.  You and John failed all of your children!

 

Credit to everyone who called Doug's girlfriend being not so innocent.  So, he's done it before, and she is not only still with him, but treats it more like he was just doing drugs or going out drinking.  They truly are made for each other.

 

Not surprised Claire ended up deciding to keep the act going, but it was creepy how Ben still was all "I love you" at the end, and his smile when she finally said it back reluctantly.  I have a feeling he is going to end up not being completely innocent, once this show/season is done. 

[dirtydi]

I can see why they're a couple, they deserve each other.

That poor baby has no chance.

[racked]

Did we ever find out why Pocky kidnapped Adam when he already had Ben? I know he told Ben he got him a friend but it seems highly unusual for a pedophile to risk keeping two boys like that. Maybe that was the whole explanation it just doesn't ring true to me.

The reporter is SO stupid. She also kept her newspaper clippings about the kidnapping in her apartment in plain sight and invited Matt Saracen over for some sex and didn't even bother to hide them. That whole triangle is such a waste of time.

[Madding crowd]

In real life, kidnappers have had more than one captive at a time. There can be a lot of reasons: wanting a companion for the one if they are alone a lot, using one against the other, developing a relationship between the two so one doesn't want to escape and leave the other behind. He also could have just wanted someone new to torture. 

 

The whole Cheerios conversation didn't really make much sense. Obviously he had to have been bringing more than Cheerio's to the boys, and why risk buying it with Jane and than having a box disappear each week? Why not just shop at a different grocery store? Then she is asking these questions and looks shocked but it is still willing to kill an FBI agent for him. Do they not think someone will come looking for him? 

[windsprints]

No one noticed before now that Ben was left-handed?

 

Willa did. She told Ben he had to use his right hand because Adam was right handed. 

 

I laughed when I read this on twitter:

The Family Writers ‏@TheFamWriters

"Pocky" was the nickname we used for Doug in the room. #TheFamily

 

 

[nara]

So Jane apparently knew about the first time Doug did this and he swore he wouldn't do it again. I'm wondering if the first time was Ben and he told her he let him go but instead brought him to the bunker where Jane would not see him and find out he still had him. Still, Jane knowing about Doug's predilections makes her naivete shown in their one on one scenes together that much more ridiculous. I especially cannot believe she never suspected him when Adam went missing, which had to have been all over the news. Not to mention she knew he was showing his furniture at the fair that day - the same fair that Adam went missing from.

 

I get that this show is all about the twists but Ii just find it hard to believe this woman knew about this guy doing something of that nature once before (and we'll ignore her not just staying with him but then having a kid with him) and yet being completely clueless and ignorant to all these blatant signs for years that he'd done it again. And she's clearly not completely stupid as she put it together very quickly once she was called in to answer about being at the mall that day. 

 

So I assume the house that Ben is visiting is the foster home he used to live in. My guess is he had the key on him the day Doug kidnapped him and hid it in the wall of the bunker. I got that impression with all the pictures of kids on the mantle, none of whom look like siblings. Speaking of Ben, I have to say one of the things that keep me intrigued by this show is how sad I just feel for some of these people, especially him. As I've said, no matter how shifty and creepy he may be, the kid is clearly traumatized and has been very tortured in some way. I felt so bad for him when he was begging to stay even when he was being manipulative by offering to talk about Adam. Speaking of which, whatever she may be, my heart broke for Claire when Ben was telling her about Adam. That is a horrible, horrible thing for a mother to have to live with. 

 

 

In response to the bolded sections:

1.  It's possible that they arrested Hank so quickly and he confessed that any initial doubts Jane had about Doug/Pockmark's involvement were quickly forgotten due to the arrest.  She did seem genuinely shocked by what Nina told her happened at the mall.

2.  It's interesting that Jane and Doug/Pockmark never got married.  Perhaps she's just so desperate to have children that their relationship is one of convenience.

3.  Good call on the foster home-- I was wondering why there was such an unusual, multicultural assortment of children.

 

 

I am really grossed out by the psedo-triangle. At least reporter chick had the decency to stop sleeping with the brother after she slept with the sister (for now). But wouldn't reporter chick know that if she gave the stuffed animal to Willa, Danny might see it? Or does she think he's that much of an idiot?

 

No one noticed before now that Ben was left-handed? It's really hard to just start using your other hand all the time, so he must have slipped before the detective saw him in the bus.

 

Willa kind of sucks. Releasing those texts about her dad and the detective just for the election? That's really cold. She doesn't even seem conflicted about it.

4.  I think that Bridey wants a threesome with both siblings.  In the very first episode, while she is kissing Danny, she makes a grab for Willa that looked sexual in nature.  Maybe she was teasing her, maybe not.  A thought just popped into my head.  I wonder if Bridey will be murdered in the last episode as set up for the next season?  With both siblings having sex with her and her knowledge about the paternity test, there would be plenty of suspicion to support 10 episodes of season 2.

5.  Wasn't Ben's right hand bandaged for a while?  People might assume he's shaky with it because it was injured.

6.  Not sure I blame Willa for throwing her father under the bus.  He was having multiple affairs, starting during a time her family was in shambles and mourning the kidnapping/murder of her brother.  She lost respect for him a while back.

 

**********

 

I really loved this episode.

 

I like that Hank did the right thing by telling Claire about Adam's nightly travels.  He was right to call her out on not paying attention to Adam.  "friendly neighborhood pedophile" was a very apt description.  I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up dying while saving Ben or killing Doug.  I really liked that Claire acknowledged Hank's deed by thanking him.

 

Real estate agent --Yet another person who doesn't know that Hank is a pedophile.  Did his mother use a different last name than him?

 

I really like the discussion between Claire and Ben.  I  could see her thawing towards him during the convo.  Very well handled, I thought.

 

I did not expect Jane to kill the FBI agent.  I thought she was going to warn Doug, so that took me by surprise.  Though he should have been suspicious that she was sterilizing bottles for an unborn child--I think.  I assume that they would have to be sterilized right before use, not months ahead of time...

 

I was furious with Claire for criticizing Willa.  She asked her daughter to cover up her drunken escapade, just like she has probably asked her to do a ton of iffy things over the years.  Where does she get off being shocked that Willa actually takes care of things?  She wants the benefits of shadiness while still pretending to be pristine herself.  She used her young teenage daughter as a crutch and is now surprised that she is cynical?  In the meantime, Claire puts a camera in Ben's room.

 

Once again, I love Danny and Willa together.  Glad they are finally becoming friends, but so sad that they are so awkward with each other.

[Bobbin]

Typically, when a pedophile kidnaps a 2nd child while still holding the first one, it's because they have a particular age range they're attracted to, and the first child has "aged out". Ben and Adam were the same age.

Why did Willa frame Hank? And why did the parents act surprised that Hank had confessed to killing Adam and weren't upset at the news that their son was supposedly dead?

I thought only Danny and Willa were emotionally neglected, while Adam was getting all of the attention as the adored, perfect child.

How much baggage can a candidate bring to an election campaign? A philandering husband, an alcoholic son, a lesbian daughter, a kidnapped son who is an imposter, and the candidate drunk on a public bench. Willa the spin doctor has her work cut out for her in conservative Maine.

It was ironic that Danny was teasing Bridey about her boyfriend, when the "boyfriend" was his sister!

Ben seems sincere as a foster child desperate to make this "forever family" work. I wonder what kind of investigation was conducted when he was taken. Even if they thought he had run away, he was only 8 or less. He was apparently old enough to remember the house -- and for the dog to remember him. Or did the dog only recognize him from his other midnight visits? I also wonder why the barking dog didn't wake anyone.

Claire seems comfortable now with Ben being Ben. The smart thing to do is reveal the "mistaken identity" (he's already seeing a therapist -- he was just "confused") and simply adopt him. Win-win.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Bobbin

[lucindabelle]

Thanks for explaining about the foster home. I was so confused. But does anyone really believe nobody would notice he's there? Also I thought I saw him with a dog and that really confused me because the dog is pockys. I hate jane.

[mertensia]

As soon as the guy didn't say what his lead was I knew he was toast.

[DebbieM4]

As soon as the guy didn't say what his lead was I knew he was toast.

 

Me too.  And when Jane said, "Just let me get my purse", I thought......."Well, here it comes!"

 

When she added that she had been sterilizing baby bottles, that was ridiculous.  She hasn't had the baby yet.  But even without that  - just based on getting her purse - it was pretty obvious she was not going to come back into that room and go anywhere with him.  That has to be one of the oldest tricks in the book.

[Major Bigtime]

"What's happening to the other box of Cheerios??" she asks as she's busily trying to clean the blood off the frying pan. Lady, you got a lot of nerve!

Dad is the only one who's still clueless about Ben. Ben throws the ball with his right hand and Dad is marveling at how much better he's getting each day. "He's almost back to where he used to be." Oh, if only you knew.

Willa is cold as ice as her mother asks her "What made you this way?" or something along those lines. That scene was great. Yeah, if not for your batshit crazy daughter, where would you be today?

As soon as the FBI guy turned his back on crazy Jane, I knew he was toast. But a cast iron frying pan? Hey, don't ruin a good pan that way!

[BooBear]

Me too.  And when Jane said, "Just let me get my purse", I thought......."Well, here it comes!"

When she added that she had been sterilizing baby bottles, that was ridiculous.  She hasn't had the baby yet.  But even without that  - just based on getting her purse - it was pretty obvious she was not going to come back into that room and go anywhere with him.  That has to be one of the oldest tricks in the book.

 

This is just a crazy poor show. You and I can see this from a mile away but the highly trained FBI agent can't?  Do we know that FBI agent is dead? I know there was a lot of blood but ...Again I was most shocked at Claire's crazy cruelness to Ben. So he isn't your son. But he is a severely abused kid who has been through a lot. And your going to make him beg to stay? Horrible human.  Then she is like "what made you this way to Willa". Allison Pill nailed that.  Um.. you?  I do not like the fooling around with Willa and the reporter and her brother. That is a little icky, lame and just irrelevant. I would have preferred a plot where the brother and sister started mending their relationship and worked together to find Pocky.

 

As for Pocky's wife... I guess I can see her actions.  As someone noted up-thread if Hank came up early and it sounds like that happened that way,  she would have thought "false alarm".  As for the idea of her staying with him... well, plenty of women (and men) are married to active pedophiles and I think she actively hoped things had changed.  Though I thought killing the FBI agent (if he is dead) was a bit much.  I would have just gone with him and then lawyer-ed up. She has no way of knowing what evidence the police already have against Pocky. Adding murdering a federal agent... yikes.

 

I love Andrew McCarthy and still think he is far too handsome but I am getting ultra sick of Hank the friendly and sad pedophile.  Just really don't care.

[BonnieD]

 

When she added that she had been sterilizing baby bottles, that was ridiculous.  She hasn't had the baby yet.

Thank you! Exactly what I immediately thought. What a dumb excuse.

 

Well, I was apparently really off base about the house Ben visits. I never thought "foster home" because in that case, where were the people who live there? He couldn't go in there, lay on the couch and not expect to be caught. It's senseless. The house didn't appear abandoned for years or anything. Unless the foster parents had been murdered at some point and that's why he feels free to just set up camp in there. Would also explain why the dog was still alive after ten years, if he'd only recently killed them....or something....

 

My first thought was that the house was supposed to be a meeting point where he would check in with Pocky and that the mantel of children were all kiddies Pocky had taken at some point over the years. I thought the entire bunker sequence we were shown was a misdirection and this house was actually where Ben had been held for years. Wow, I was way off in my own little world about all of this.

[Major Bigtime]

Do we know that FBI agent is dead?

I think Pocky was dragging the body out to bury it at the end.

[Bwill3133]

Jane knowing was a twist for me. I couldn't think someone would know that your boyfriend has pedophile tendencies and you can overlook that. Also FBI guy why would you go over there alone and not tell what you found? Knew he was a goner once she went to the kitchen to get something. 

 

I hope Danny doesn't care that Bridey is now messing around with Willa. Hopefully he can talk to her about her using Willa to get a story. I dislike Bridey more than I thought I could. 

 

I might have a cold heart but I find myself liking Willa. "How did you turn into this person?" Umm well you raised her Claire and let her be your sounding board as a teenager. Playing protector of the family seriously stunted her growth and kind of turned her in the woman she is now. I didn't see Claire turning away and criticizing her for making everything else go away during her campaign. So that rings false to me now. Also outing her dad's affair with the detective is right up her alley because in 10 years it seems all he did was have affairs and distance himself from his family. Sucks to be you John. I feel horrible for their pain about Adam but there were two other children there. Your other child uses alcohol as a coping mechanism. So both of you did a bang up job with them! 

[truthaboutluv]

Again I was most shocked at Claire's crazy cruelness to Ben. So he isn't your son. But he is a severely abused kid who has been through a lot. And your going to make him beg to stay? Horrible human.

 

I actually thought Claire was much kinder than crazy Willa there. She offered to get him the best therapy and help and a place that could help him with everything he'd been through but she just wasn't going to continue the lie anymore of him being her son. I don't think that was cruel or unreasonable on her part. Willa pretty much went, "here's some clothes and money and bye..." I mean yes, I felt sorry for Ben because he's clearly been so abused and tortured and just so badly wants a "traditional" family (even though let's face it, between nutty Willa, alcoholic Danny, philandering Dad and ambitious mom, this is hardly the All-American Family but I imagine it's better than what he's ever had) but I cannot blame Claire for saying "I don't want to do this." She probably just wanted to mourn her actual son and move on rather than continuing this crazy lie. 

 

Do we know that FBI agent is dead?

 

We saw Doug dragging what obviously looked like a body into their tool shed...I'm guessing it was the FBI guy. 

 

In terms of the foster home and no one waking up and realizing Ben was there, guess I'm the only one who thought the place was clearly abandoned?

 

Jane knowing was a twist for me.

 

 

As I said last week, based on the one on one scenes we'd seen with Jane and Doug, I couldn't buy that she'd known all along about Ben and Adam and was even in on it. I said if there was a twist about her, I imagine it would be that she was in denial and Doug didn't know she knew. Well I was almost right. She didn't know but on some level she was in denial in my opinion, until she couldn't bury her head anymore. 

Edited April 18, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[Free]

That poor baby has no chance.

 

It's going to be so messed up seeing who the parents are.

[Madding crowd]

I don't think the foster family would leave behind their dog, furniture and family photos. That scene was kind of creepy but I'm guessing they will play it they are heavy sleepers.

[txhorns79]

Again I was most shocked at Claire's crazy cruelness to Ben. So he isn't your son. But he is a severely abused kid who has been through a lot. And your going to make him beg to stay? Horrible human.

 

I have to defend Claire.  She's just been through what would be one of the worst traumas a parent could face.  Her child vanished and she thought he was dead for a decade.  She was then told he was back and now she has found out it was all a lie, orchestrated by her daughter and Ben, and her real son is dead.  I can forgive Claire for not giving much consideration to Ben and his feelings.       

[JapMo]

While the show is moving along better and adding more intrigue, I keep noticing that every episode about 20 minutes into it I ask myself "what is the point". Is it shock value just for the sake of shock value? I think my problem is the show started out as a pretty straight arrow kidnapping mystery and now it seems to be all over the place with characters getting goofier by the minute. And speaking of goofy...

- It's no wonder the FBI guy didn't tell the police broad where he was. She couldn't find her way out of an unzipped Ziplock bag. The ridiculous "disguise" she wore on the bus (hiding her 'fro under a ballcap)and then STILL losing Adam when he only walked half a block. Note to cop: After kid gets off bus, flash bus driver your badge and demand he let you off right away. But no, moron patiently waits until the next stop to get off.

- Claire makes the tough, John Wayne walk all the way to Hank's side of the street with a look like she's going to kick his ass, and then says "Thank You"? What was the point of that?

- Danny finally shows up half-way through the show and shock of all shocks, he's tying one on. This guy could rival Norm from Cheers for scenes on a barstool. Give this character a story....AND NOT WITH THAT DRIP BRIDEY. Oh please please please let Bridey be the next face that meets a cast iron skillet.

[bennyblue]

I really liked the FBI guy and am sorry to see him go, but he lost all credibility when he offered Det. Meyer a "Red Vine" when clearly he was eating Twizzlers!

[JapMo]

Does anyone know what this show is doing in the ratings?

[DoubleUTeeEff]

How much baggage can a candidate bring to an election campaign? A philandering husband, an alcoholic son, a lesbian daughter, a kidnapped son who is an imposter, and the candidate drunk on a public bench. Willa the spin doctor has her work cut out for her in conservative Maine.

 

Whoa, one of these things is not the like the others!  But I get it. Claire is running as a Republican.

 

- Claire makes the tough, John Wayne walk all the way to Hank's side of the street with a look like she's going to kick his ass, and then says "Thank You"? What was the point of that?

 

I liked that.  She had to swallow her pride and it took all her gumption to go over there and tell the man she thought responsible for her son's death all those years Thank You for helping her with her "son" now.  My guess is the point is it paves the way for them to work together to get Pockmark.

[CleoCaesar]

Still, Jane knowing about Doug's predilections makes her naivete shown in their one on one scenes together that much more ridiculous.

 

That's my beef with it too. It's a lazy twist because it wasn't properly set up.

 

Oh please please please let Bridey be the next face that meets a cast iron skillet.

 

Hee! My vote for the next Cast-Iron Skillet of Doom is Det. Nina Meyer. I can't recall a more bland main character in recent memory. She has zero personality, and literally nothing interesting about her. Bridey at least has some chemistry with Danny and Willa.

 

Speaking of whom, Danny and Willa are pretty charming together. Not in a romantic way, but...oh who am I kidding. Consensual inncesty notes would be among the least weird things about the characters on this show.

[Texasmom1970]

I have to defend Claire.  She's just been through what would be one of the worst traumas a parent could face.  Her child vanished and she thought he was dead for a decade.  She was then told he was back and now she has found out it was all a lie, orchestrated by her daughter and Ben, and her real son is dead.  I can forgive Claire for not giving much consideration to Ben and his feelings.

I have to admit I have not being paying close attention but do we know the real Adam is dead? Or is it just Ben that is saying that couples together with the fact crazy ass abductor has nobody in his bunker?

Well done show you have made it where almost the only character I like is Hank, even with his past history.

[ari333]

Good for Claire for saying , "thank you"

Good for Claire for saying , "thank you"

Where did the Cherrios go?

 

"Um.... I feed the birds" It wasn't that hard for a liar to think something up. She killed a human/agent on a hunch? yikes.

[truthaboutluv]

I have to admit I have not being paying close attention but do we know the real Adam is dead? Or is it just Ben that is saying that couples together with the fact crazy ass abductor has nobody in his bunker?

 

In the flashback of Adam and Ben in the bunker, we saw Adam get really sick at one point and then later a scene of Doug showing up and Ben asking him what happened to Adam. Doug says he did everything he could and then leaves the rest unsaid but from that Ben clearly assumed that Adam had died. I said it after the episode that I imagine the final big twist will be Adam still alive but I do think as of now, Ben thinks he's dead. 

 

Well done show you have made it where almost the only character I like is Hank, even with his past history.

 

YMMV but while Hank may be trying to "control" his perversions, he's still a pedophile in my opinion who while not satisfying his urges by actually molesting any child, was engaging in child porn. So yeah...no. Personally the character I find sympathetic in the show is Ben until the writers inevitably write that he's in cahoots with Doug just to achieve some big twist, which IMO will be awful if they do. But until that happens, I see a tortured kid who was held captive and sexually abused for a decade and so whatever weirdness and shifty behavior he has, I excuse because he clearly needs a lot of therapy.

Edited April 18, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[ari333]

I give Hank a little credit for fighting his perversions. Some don't even try.

Hank volunteered for chemical castration. Some pedos  wouldn't choose that.

[Chaos Theory]

I actually like Wiila and find her the most (only) interesting character on the show. The disappearance of her brother and the collapse of her family made her who she is. When everyone else checked out of life she doubled down and turned every loss into a gain. I find her fascinating.

Ok I also find Hank interesting as well for the reasons Ari333 said. He is trying to be a better man. I forget why is he on the list anyway? Has he actually committed a crime?

Edited April 18, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[lucindabelle]

I give Hank a little credit for fighting his perversions. Some don't even try.

Hank volunteered for chemical castration. Some pedos  wouldn't choose that.

 

Agreed. Some pedos are made (with abuse) but some are just wired wrong and it's really quite tragic for those people. Hank is basically a good man with an unhealthy and criminal sexual inclination. He was no doubt a sweet boy before he had any sexual impulses. It's sad for people like this and there doesn't seem to be a way to rewire them.

 

This characterization is the most interesting on the show.

 

Willa to me is just a  baby sociopath. In a lot of ways what happened to adam and ben for 10 years is her fault for obstructing justice.

[Guest]

I laughed at the partner guy naming him Pocky, because 'pockmarked man' was getting too long, just like we did here.  I guess the FBI here doesn't have a term like "unsub" on Criminal Minds.  And the writers couldn't just decide early on to name the guy Doug, in order to discuss him by name.  

 

I think Pocky was dragging the body out to bury it at the end.

 

I'm hoping the partner is alive.  Who would want a dead body in their shiny new under-shed dungeon?  

 

I don't think the foster family would leave behind their dog, furniture and family photos. That scene was kind of creepy but I'm guessing they will play it they are heavy sleepers.

Or deaf, dumb and blind.  I'm shocked they're going to claim Ben disappeared from a local foster home and no one noticed Adam is Ben.  I guess the situation in the foster home was so bad he couldn't reveal his true identity but apparently not so bad he can't spend the night on their couch every night.  

 

Did anyone watch season one of Bosch?  Maybe that perp's foster mom is also Ben's.  She was conveniently blind, abusive and old as god.  

 

I also laughed at sterilizing bottles while pregnant.  

 

Could there be any more anvils about ***JANE IS PREGNANT***!!!  Every single line she's had is about her pregnancy.  WE SEE IT.  We got it in the first episode.  It's really not that unique or ironic a situation.  I'm sure there are pedophile fathers aplenty.  I guess they needed to give Jane a reason to be desperate enough to frying-pan a cop.  

 

Why would Claire stay up all night talking to the kid and never once ask, "Hey, what is YOUR story?  How long were you held captive?   Where were you taken from?   Where is your family?  What else can you tell us to help find this man?"   

 

What possibly significance can it be that Hank hired Doug to fix his shitty cabinets?  I guess Hank will put two and two together and lead the cops to him.  Kind of funny the cabinet drawers were messed up for at least 10 years.  It's not rocket science.  

 

Why would a realtor ask a seller to patch things up with his neighbors?  

 

I loved the scene of Hank biting Claire's head off.  Seriously, she didn't realize new Adam is left handed?  I think he could've come back a girl or a black kid and she wouldn't have noticed.  

[truthaboutluv]

I forget why is he on the list anyway? Has he actually committed a crime?

 

Yes, he exposed himself in a public park. 

Edited April 18, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[txhorns79]

Why would a realtor ask a seller to patch things up with his neighbors?

 

If the feud was viewed as impeding the sale, then I could see a realtor asking the seller to resolve the issue. 

[Guest]

Oh I also laughed at John's suggestion that maybe all Hank did was pee outside a bar, like a lot of us first theorized.  I guess I'm not the only one who knows someone who got that 'indecent exposure' ticket.  Though I don't think that counts as 'registered sex offender'.  

 

Kind of stupid to not tell your aged 8 and up kids about a sex offender next door because they're too young to know there are bad people in the world.  

[iMonrey]

 

Well, I was apparently really off base about the house Ben visits. I never thought "foster home" because in that case, where were the people who live there? He couldn't go in there, lay on the couch and not expect to be caught. It's senseless. The house didn't appear abandoned for years or anything. Unless the foster parents had been murdered at some point and that's why he feels free to just set up camp in there. Would also explain why the dog was still alive after ten years, if he'd only recently killed them....or something....

 

I hope they get around to explaining about this house because it confused me too. Clearly there's nobody home, or else the barking dog would've woken them up. But who's taking care of the dog? Unfortunately I don't have a lot of confidence they'll explain this because I'm still scratching my head over the first DNA test that proved Ben was Adam. We now know Ben is Ben but we still don't know how the DNA test got fixed. 

 

 

Does anyone know what this show is doing in the ratings?

 

It's doing pretty badly. A 0.8 in the 18-49 demo and about 3 million overall viewers. That puts it in fourth place among the four broadcast networks at 9:00 pm ET. Don't expect a Season 2.

[BooBear]

I have to defend Claire.  She's just been through what would be one of the worst traumas a parent could face.  Her child vanished and she thought he was dead for a decade.  She was then told he was back and now she has found out it was all a lie, orchestrated by her daughter and Ben, and her real son is dead.  I can forgive Claire for not giving much consideration to Ben and his feelings.       

As opposed to that kid who just escaped a hole in the ground where he had been held for 10 years being raped. If this had been last episode in the immediate aftermath of finding out I might have been able to see it but, she had time to process, and even was going to accept it only to snap this kids head off at 2 AM like she was a grumpy 4 year old.  Even if she decided this wasn't working at that point she should have held her anger and discussed it the next day. She is an adult running for Governor of her state. You don't get a pass for bad behavior forever because you lost your son.

 

I actually like Wiila and find her the most (only) interesting character on the show. The disappearance of her brother and the collapse of her family made her who she is. When everyone else checked out of life she doubled down and turned every loss into a gain. I find her fascinating.

 

She seems to be the only adult.  Everyone else is like "I lost my son, / brother" wahhhhhhhh. 

[Guest]

I think that Willa paid the doctor to take her hair sample from Ben and use it as Adam's, so that the test came back a match.  Then he was either so racked with guilt he killed himself, or someone in on it killed him.  I hope they show us exactly what happened there next week.

 

Maybe the foster parent (if not deaf and blind) told Ben repeatedly that she couldn't wait for him to turn 18 and be off her hands.  Maybe it's a heroin addict or blackout drinker who funded his/her habit by taking in foster kids and giving them minimal care and no affection.  

 

Maybe the foster parent never reported Ben missing, in order to keep getting state money for raising him?  Er, and his caseworker was in on the scam?  Maybe Doug's day job is caseworker in child services and he just moonlights with the woodworking business.  ; )

[rue721]

Ben's smile at the end when Claire told him "I love you" was heartbreaking. At this point, I don't care whether he ends up being shady or not. His life seems like it was horrific. And, especially compared to the other characters, he's been remarkably gentle and kind despite that.

 

If anything, I actually think he might be pretty vulnerable. He seems desperate for affection. If this is how he is at 18, after a decade of torture and being held captive in a pit, what was he like as a child?

 

Maybe the foster parent (if not deaf and blind) told Ben repeatedly that she couldn't wait for him to turn 18 and be off her hands.  Maybe it's a heroin addict or blackout drinker who funded his/her habit by taking in foster kids and giving them minimal care and no affection. 

 

I don't think that the foster home had to have been especially terrible. It looked pretty nice, anyway, with all the photos and the sweet, elderly dog.

 

Apparently, Ben was just one of a zillion kids there, though. I think he went back to the house to see if they'd bothered to keep a picture of him on the mantle with the other kids', because he was wondering if he'd been missed and if anybody might happy to know that he had survived (even though Adam hadn't).

 

It doesn't seem farfetched to me that he would have assumed that nobody had missed him and that nobody did care whether he was alive or dead, though. The house he visited looked like a group home (because of there being so many pictures), and who knows where he was before that. When he disappeared, where he was supposed to be living at any given time might have been lost in the shuffle or miscommunicated, and/or he might have been written off as a runaway.

 

Frankly, I think that it's one of the more realistic parts of the show that Adam, who has a wealthy and powerful family, is big news when he's lost and big news again when he's "found," whereas nobody cares about whether Ben lives or dies and he keeps coming very close to being shoved out onto the street again. It's messed up, but on a show with a lot of contrivances and plot holes, that actually seems completely believable to me.

[ari333]

Agreed. Some pedos are made (with abuse) but some are just wired wrong and it's really quite tragic for those people. Hank is basically a good man with an unhealthy and criminal sexual inclination. He was no doubt a sweet boy before he had any sexual impulses. It's sad for people like this and there doesn't seem to be a way to rewire them.

 

This characterization is the most interesting on the show.

 

Willa to me is just a  baby sociopath. In a lot of ways what happened to adam and ben for 10 years is her fault for obstructing justice.

 

Yes... both points.

[truthaboutluv]

As I've said, I'm all for twists, but I cannot take Ben being made into the big evil because whether that was the intent or not, I don't think I would be okay with a show that tried to turn the "friendly neighborhood pedophile" into the victim and made the kid who was kidnapped and sexually abused for years into the "bad guy". That just would not sit well with me at all. Unless the writers say everything we have seen has been a lie, Ben was clearly a victim and kidnapped by Doug. He is the victim imo.