S04.E06: Physics

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Quote

Ted Sr. goes in search of his own bliss; Janet and Daniel make an effort to be honest with one another.

[bmoore4026]

Chloe, dear, you reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy aren't one to talk.  Not at all.  You're not a healer.  You look like a meth addicted Tinker Bell who lives in a shitty loft.  I hope your baby grows up to be Libertarian.

At least we're getting some head way into exonerating Daniel.

And Ted jr shot himself in the artery.  Classic him.

[Armchair Critic]

So the D.A. (Sondra) still doesn't want to admit they made a mistake convicting Daniel? Good for Jon still fighting for Daniel though his career will suffer for it.

The actress who plays Tawney I've never seen in another role but I like that she is natural looking, this show is really good with casting. She's lucky the woman cleaning Mr. Zeke's house didn't freak out on her when she found Tawney in his house.

Glad that Ted turned out to be a good guy after all with Daniel and him being open to selling the shop. I can't see how Janet would be able let Daniel go, but hopefully she will be able to live life more freely.

I do like how Chloe sees through Daniel and gets him to open up even though he doesn't want to.

Teddy worries me with the drinking and oh shit shooting his leg. Now at least we know his line about "one shot, one kill" was for the dancing man at the shop and not something more sinister.

[Primetimer]

A return, somewhat, to the elliptical writing of yore -- but as Teddy takes aim at the dancing man, the writing misfires with Chloe again.

View the full article

[kieyra]

I thought this episode finally showed us why Chloe is here. 

And I believe Daniel was mad--because she was right about his real reason for avoiding therapy.

I won't say all is forgiven for some of their earlier clunky scenes, but she did fine with Janet, and she told Daniel what he needed to hear. And as she pointed out, it's not about *her* being fucked up, that can be a conversation for another day.

[AuntiePam]

kieyra, I agree.  Daniel needed a push toward therapy and he wasn't going to accept it from his mother, from Amantha, or anyone else.  With Chloe being the pusher, if everything turns to shit he can blame her -- no harm no foul because she's just streaking through his life, she's not family.  If the therapy turns out well, then maybe they'll have something together, even if it's just friendship.  I shouldn't say "just" friendship -- good friends are hard to come by.

I think Daniel knows intensive therapy is his only hope -- he just needs someone to blame if it destroys him.  He has quite a deep understanding of himself, I think. 

Hope Teddy's okay -- his last couple days have been cathartic.

Loved Zeke's house.  A creative brother-in-law also has a room full of arrowheads (in frames like Zeke's) and artifacts, and if this BIL had seen that bottle tree, he'd be making one.  Seeing the rich life he lived made his lonely death even sadder.  Can we hope he heard some of what Tawney was saying? 

[SusanSunflower]

I haven't really been 'shipping for Tawney and Daniel to end up together (very BTDT) and yet this episode made me think that Tawney's painful acceptance of growing up a throw away child (quickly turned into an obedient drudge) may be more accessible -- that acceptance -- to Daniel than more intense, more formal therapy, particularly therapy he doesn't really want -- yet -- because he doesn't want to be so quickly mired in the past (now that he's finally out.of.prison). 

We haven't actually seen a lot of benefit from "therapy" in this show.  I'd love to see Daniel get practical EMDR training and some intense education on how PTSD "works" and what works and doesn't in dealing with it..  He (and the show) seem to be envisioning some classic one-on-one therapy.  Daniel already operates in so many artificial 'milieus" -- the house, the job, with Chloe, with his parents. It's all formalized and "classical therapy" could be just another mask to wear at a time where he still struggling to "keep up" with all the expectations of all the normal regular folks.  

I think Tawney "feels supported" by her therapist and likely benefits from having both that release valve of talking, but also the validation of talking to someone who is actually (gasp) listening and following the story of Tawney. 

Chloe seems awfully and artificially pushy with Daniel (for someone not.a.psych) ... a bit too prescriptive, like someone who read an article in a magazine or heard someone else's story.  I can't remember if she knows that Daniel doesn't know if he's innocent. Jon wresting an arrest and conviction of the guilty party could be incredibly freeing -- even if Daniel has reconciled himself with not-knowing (he thinks). 

I'm uncertain how long Ted and Janet's marriage has been well-manicured minefield for them, although I think if given some quality time together (and apart) they may end up together for the duration.   They are both the sort who "like" being married and are unlikely to endure the separate lives "one less bell to answer, one less egg to fry" for long. 

I fear that Teddy is going to end up sliding rapidly into substance abuse "just like his mother", likely blaming Tawney and Janet and Ted and Amantha ... who'd I leave out?  Substance abuse and spiraling down the toilet are almost iconic as a male response to pain. 

Of course, I'd like Amantha and Jon to reconcile as well. 

I was terrified that Teddy was going to accidentally shoot himself in the head as he applied his tourniquet with the gun "right there" to fall and go off. 

I think Daniel actually needs some breathing room. I was trying to cacluate how long he's actually be out of prison and I think we're still shy of 4 months. His life remains exhaustingly demanding .... Somehow I don' t see him going off to Ohio. 

Good episode. I was glad for extended Tawney screen time and to see her faith revisited. 

Edited December 1, 2016 by SusanSunflower

[SusanSunflower]

Chloe, dear, you reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy aren't one to talk.  Not at all.  You're not a healer.  You look like a meth addicted Tinker Bell who lives in a shitty loft.  I hope your baby grows up to be Libertarian.

At least we're getting some head way into exonerating Daniel.

And Ted jr shot himself in the artery.  Classic him.

There's something facile about insisting someone else must go into therapy ... as is that were some magic door, black box, secret potion, success guaranteed, particularly since she's going to be going off to Ohio in the not too distant future. I had to strongly encourage my mom to go into therapy because I was too close to her issues to be her confidant and she didn't have anyone else ... I felt like I was drowning in her pain.

Chloe just seems to be operating from a "people like you, with your history, need therapy" -- which may be true enough, but I think Daniel's house-leader is probably a more appropriate person to pursue this further.

Daniel has the "rest of his life" to pursue therapy and Chloe is not his mental health caseworker. She was too insistent about something too vague. Suggesting he "check out what the program offers" is different from telling him he needs to submit to more feedback, more judgment, and the emotional battering of "digging it all up" again.

[DoubleUTeeEff]

12 hours ago, kieyra said:

I won't say all is forgiven for some of their earlier clunky scenes, but she did fine with Janet, and she told Daniel what he needed to hear. And as she pointed out, it's not about *her* being fucked up, that can be a conversation for another day.

I agree.  Plus someone who has her type of issues might actually be more qualified to give him advice than something who is pretty mentally stable.  I think Daniel does need help navigating a change in the identity he created for himself to a new identity he can live with outside of prison.  I think a neutral party like a therapist is probably best suited to help him.  Chloe can't save him and his mother can't save him.  Ultimately he has to save himself but he might need to ask for help in doing so from someone else.

Oh, Teddy.  I'm glad there was no one around when he started shooting his gun and he "only" ended up hurting himself.

[Bcharmer]

You just knew the minute Teddy Jr said "All right, watch this" that something would go wrong. That's an old joke, of course (What did the redneck say just before he died? "Hey, watch this!"), but they went there... which made it both funny and sad at the same time.

I didn't think Teddy Jr had any intention of killing himself after last week's episode. Wouldn't it be impossible to shoot yourself with a rifle, I asked myself? Of course, I could not have predicted he would inadvertently shoot himself this way.  He's lucky the bullet didn't hit him in the head. Good thing he knew something about physics.

[FictionIsntReal]

So the D.A. (Sondra) still doesn't want to admit they made a mistake convicting Daniel? Good for Jon still fighting for Daniel though his career will suffer for it.

The actress who plays Tawney I've never seen in another role but I like that she is natural looking, this show is really good with casting. She's lucky the woman cleaning Mr. Zeke's house didn't freak out on her when she found Tawney in his house.

Glad that Ted turned out to be a good guy after all with Daniel and him being open to selling the shop. I can't see how Janet would be able let Daniel go, but hopefully she will be able to live life more freely.

I do like how Chloe sees through Daniel and gets him to open up even though he doesn't want to.

Teddy worries me with the drinking and oh shit shooting his leg. Now at least we know his line about "one shot, one kill" was for the dancing man at the shop and not something more sinister.

I was scoffing at the promos implying something menacing. Rectify is the not the kind of show where someone makes a badass boast and then actually kills someone.

[peeayebee]

I loved Zeke's house, both inside and out. He had so many interesting things there. It was nice seeing his little history, which was so different from how he was in the days before he died.

I agree with Chloe that Daniel would benefit from therapy. I don't know what it'll take for him to change his mind. It has got to be scary just thinking about digging up all that pain again. I didn't like her speech diagnosing him.

[AuntiePam]

Is it a good sign that Janet sat down on the bed next to Ted?  Maybe after Daniel sort of 'cut her loose', she'll be open to a closer relationship with Ted (and Jared and Amantha).

[Stella]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

I loved Zeke's house, both inside and out. He had so many interesting things there. It was nice seeing his little history, which was so different from how he was in the days before he died.

I agree with Chloe that Daniel would benefit from therapy. I don't know what it'll take for him to change his mind. It has got to be scary just thinking about digging up all that pain again. I didn't like her speech diagnosing him.

Zeke's house was wonderful! I couldn't help but wish that Tawny could live there. Zeke's house seemed to radiate love and a full happy life. (Which was surprising in that he came across as such a crotchety old man.) Tawny and Teddy's house is so generic and sterile.

Obviously Daniel would benefit from therapy. I think it's shocking he wasn't required to have some sort of counseling when he was released from death row. And even more surprising that his mother in particular wasn't strongly encouraging him to see a professional. It seems as though Jon was the only one who was suggesting Daniel get some help. It's unconscionable to me that a person could be on death row for half his life and then just be turned loose, as if he can easily acclimate to society.

I just can't get behind Chloe as a character. I mean she was right to confront Daniel on this but to me the character and her dynamic with Daniel doesn't ring true to anything else in the series. I think had it stayed strictly friends it might have been more believable. But her character is fairly unrealistic to me.

The Previously TV critic's review summed it up perfectly:

Quote

 I don't actually know physics, but I've got half a greasy handle on narrative, and whoever's writing Chloe like we're all in the cheap seats needs to quit it.

[nodorothyparker]

This is the second show I've seen this year where a character was spurred to act by Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Guy.  It was more of a ha ha laugh out loud kind of funny on Better Call Saul where with Teddy it was more of a "yeah, it has been a helluva day" sort of thing.  It was obvious the writers know the old joke too about the redneck who says "hold my beer and watch this" right before doing something blindingly stupid and just ran with it.  Clayne Crawford continues to impress with his no fucks left multi-day bender.

There were a lot of important conversations happening this episode.  I'd never thought much about it before Daniel said it but he was right to call Janet on perpetually looking for the 18-year-old boy who had a future before she lost him to death row every time she looks at the virtual stranger he is now.  It's understandable, of course.   But it's not helping him even know where to start to deal with what his life is now or figure himself out so he can try to move forward.  I mostly don't mind Chloe even if I agree that her introduction was awkward and felt a little forced, so I liked her interaction with Janet and could see where she was coming from in her pushing the issue with Daniel.  He's clearly avoiding taking any real steps toward anything, probably because he doesn't know who he really is any more than Janet or even we as an audience do.  There's an acknowledgement there that he was forced to adopt the very muted personality that had no strong emotions to survive as "Death Row Daniel" and that he doesn't know what to do with his pain or anger or any other emotions now that his interactions with the world aren't limited by wrist chains and plexiglass.  I also love the little touches in these scenes, like Janet of the proper family dinners clearly being taken aback by being told to hunt for drinking glasses in a rusty locker or that she realized that Daniel is able to joke and be at ease with someone he doesn't share a painful past with.

Tawney's story mostly left me flat this week.  It just doesn't feel connected to anything on the canvas.  I did like the obvious metaphor of Teddy not knowing his former home with her had termites and thus a possibly weakened foundation.  I also found Ted Sr.'s sojourn amusing because sometimes you might as well take the ride to see what you see.

I'm glad Jon is still hanging in there and pushing his obvious obsession with Daniel's case even if I wonder just what he plans to do with himself if he is successful.  I could see how someone in this line of work could get too attached or burned out with such literal life or death stakes.  But then I wonder how the show is going to manage to wrap up all of these various threads for a satisfying ending with only two episodes left.  It still feels like there's so much story left to tell.

[kieyra]

(To be fair, Inflatable Guy has been Teddy's spirit animal since before BCS was on the air, and I was kind of disappointed to think it might mean no one on BCS's writing staff has watched Rectify.)

[Ronin Jackson]

This is one of the best shows on television and the writing and acting has still been first rate this season, but something has gone awry with the musical score. It's way too on the nose emotionally when it doesn't need to be. The emotional elements of the scenes still work on the strength of the writing and acting, but the music has been distracting more than enhancing. 

This hasn't always been the case... it's actually had great musical moments before, especially the Arvo Part stuff in season 2. I'd have to rewatch earlier seasons but I feel like the music was more understated before... at least it's not something I've previously noted was as distracting as it has been of late.

[SusanSunflower]

I hadn't noticed it until the last two episodes where in several scenes I could not heart the dialog (which had been loud enough) because the music swelled and drowned it out ... I reached for the remote and realized it was't something I could fix. 

[Bcharmer]

I hadn't noticed the music being louder than usual... which is something I'm usually overly-senstive to.  Nothing is worse than that Grey's Anatomy level of distraction and obnoxiousness. So annoying when the music drowns out the dialog. But maybe I was too engrossed in the story to notice it in this episode.

[rue721]

Teddy's bender continues! Damn.

He's lucky all he shot was his leg! What a dumbass. That is going to be a pretty embarrassing story, and god forbid he gets in trouble with the cops over being out in the street drunk and shooting off a rifle! And how was the "dancing man" going to deflate if he shot it anyway? Wouldn't it still dance around just the same even if he'd shot a hole in it, because it's connected to a fan?

I was SO RELIEVED that that's all he wanted the guns for, though! I mean, it makes sense that once again, Teddy does something ominous and potentially frightening -- but what ends up actually happening is that he acts like a caricature of a redneck and his permenant case of terrible luck strikes again, and he gets himself into yet another hilariously pathetic position.

But anyway! I thought that everyone, aside from Teddy and Daniel, were much tenderer than usual with each other and I liked that. Maybe Ted and Janet's marriage is going to make it after all! And they agreed to set Teddy up to more or less take over the business, at least in terms of backing him launching the store in a new location. I thought that was really touching. And a relief as well, because I was thinking he was going to be really SOL, and begging Amantha for a job at her store sometime soon!

And meanwhile, John was on a roll! I like Amantha with him much more than her high school friend -- she seems more like herself with him. I mean, I don't really buy her as the small town girl who never really grew up or moved on from high school, and that's who she is with her high school friend -- as much as I like him, I don't like that. As a contrast, it was actually really cool when Amantha wanted to discuss legal strategy and was actually really on point.

Also, I actually took John's discussion with Sandra as a big win for him. Her stance on Daniel has definitely changed since his deposition, and I think that if John were to convince her that there was a practical way for her to do the right thing -- that is, exonerate Daniel and hold Hannah's actual rapists and murderer accountable -- I think that she'd do it. I don't get the sense that she's a bad person or even corrupt the way the Senator is, I think she's just a careerist. 

I liked Chloe for a hot second in this one. She was interesting and felt more like a real person when she was talking to Janet. And the VERY beginning of her conversation with Daniel afterward was pretty good, too. But that conversation went on about three times as long as it needed to, and didn't sound anything like people actually talk. 

I also don't even agree with her that Daniel should go into therapy. He's just now learning how to get through the day. He does not need to put himself through the wringer yet again with a therapist. Calm the hell down, Chloe. And sorry, but there isn't some magic bullet therapist who is trained to handle Daniel's bizarre situation, and a therapist/therapy isn't a magic bullet anyway. 

As for Daniel himself...this is probably an extreme UO, but I go back and forth on how much I like or trust the guy. Some of that is that I still haven't entirely forgotten/forgiven him assaulting Teddy. Some of it is that he just generally has a bit of an edge to him. IMO he can really lack compassion, and he can be very cold. I didn't like how he talked to Janet in this episode, and that he didn't seem really at all interested in hearing about or reaching out to Amantha and Jared, and I thought he was purposefully hurtful to Chloe, too. Who knows if he's like that because of prison or if that's just his personality. Either way, it kind of creeps me out.

I understand theoretically why Tawney's story is interesting, but I just can't get myself to care about her. She's so bland, and what (muted) reactions she does have are so unrelatable to me. I mean, even when she's talking about her parents, who apparently abandoned her without even bothering to put her up for adoption (?), she stays sweet and is like, "maybe I'll see my momma in heaven" and "I'm so grateful for not being aborted" or whatever. Come on. What kind of saint would actually feel that way? I find it really hard to relate to someone expressing sincere and unambivalent *gratitude* for something as basic as not being aborted.

I also find it hard to believe that Tawney in particular, who has been shown to want more for herself, and who decided that she didn't want to put up with Teddy anymore regardless of whether he still loved her, would actually have such uncomplicated and saccrine feelings for her absent parents anyway. I mean, she has proven onscreen that she's willing to give up love and security because she wants more. So I think she's actually more independent and more sophisticated than her supposed "revelation" at her patient's bedside made her out to be. 

The thing with the maid at his house...I really liked the actress who played the cleaning lady. But the trip didn't make sense to me. It felt too stage-y. And the house itself was beautiful, but also too stage-y, I think. Just like Chloe's loft is.

Speaking of her stagy, artificial-feeling loft -- did you see when she was moving the heaps of throw pillows off her bed so she could get into it when Daniel was leaving? It just struck me as so strange/funny that this supposedly bohemian artiste faithfully makes her bed in the morning and decorates it with a bunch of ornemental pillows. Like she's a closet Stepford Wife.

[Syren]

AHHH HAHAHAHAHAHA! Instant karma for shooting my beloved air dancer! That's what you get, Theodore!
 Yeah, I laughed pretty hard at that, especially since my favorite scene from two episodes back was when Teddy was in his jacket, ready for the meeting at the tire store and he's being all serious and business-like talking about how much they should get for the store, etc., and over his shoulder in the background, the dancing man kept dipping down like he was looking in the window and grinning. It undercut (to me, anyway) how serious Teddy was trying to be and I wondered how Janet didn't smile or snicker a little since it was her POV we were in when that was going on.
I'm just glad Teddy wasn't too proud or embarrassed to call 911. I thought he might be calling Tawney at first. Hope this is the end of his self-destructing spiral.

I don't hate Chloe but she doesn't seem like a real person either. All the writing for her has been off to me, which is so odd 'cause I don't think I've ever criticized the writing before. Well, not more than a line or two. Everything about her just feels like a tv character which is an unusual misstep for this show. She completely pissed me off in that episode where they were helping themselves to the gelato and making a mess at the country singer's place. Ugh, just tacky AF.

20 hours ago, Stella said:

I just can't get behind Chloe as a character. I mean she was right to confront Daniel on this but to me the character and her dynamic with Daniel doesn't ring true to anything else in the series. I think had it stayed strictly friends it might have been more believable. But her character is fairly unrealistic to me.

Yes, this.  I get what her purpose is for us watching, but overall, she doesn't really work for me.

15 hours ago, rue721 said:

Also, I actually took John's discussion with Sandra as a big win for him. Her stance on Daniel has definitely changed since his deposition, and I think that if John were to convince her that there was a practical way for her to do the right thing -- that is, exonerate Daniel and hold Hannah's actual rapists and murderer accountable -- I think that she'd do it. I don't get the sense that she's a bad person or even corrupt the way the Senator is, I think she's just a careerist. 

 

I love me some Jon Stern and he was particularly awesome this episode. I agree with you on Sondra. I think she would definitely like to hold the real rapists and murderer (s?) accountable. So would the Sheriff.

Looks like Ted and Janet might work it out after all.

Only two left, huh? I'm probably going to bawl at the end no matter what the end is. I'm just going to miss this show, these people, so much.

[Auntie Anxiety]

Can someone remind me why there is such hesitance to go after the boys/now men who really did rape Hannah Dean?

Edited December 3, 2016 by Auntie Anxiety

[nodorothyparker]

The most obvious answer is that the statute of limitations for the rape has run out.  Plus the victim is dead, so they really can't do anything much about it.

There's also the fact that Daniel has now confessed twice to killing her.  That ties everything up in a nice neat bow and may make them loathe to stir things up over a 20-year-old crime against men who are longtime members of the community.

[peeayebee]

23 hours ago, Ronin Jackson said:

This is one of the best shows on television and the writing and acting has still been first rate this season, but something has gone awry with the musical score. It's way too on the nose emotionally when it doesn't need to be. The emotional elements of the scenes still work on the strength of the writing and acting, but the music has been distracting more than enhancing. 

I've been bothered by the music this season, too. It's intrusive. I hate it when the music draws attention to itself. 

[Armchair Critic]

3 hours ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

Can someone remind me why there is such hesitance to go after the boys/now men who really did rape Hannah Dean?

I still want to know why Senator Foulkes was so eager to pin it on Daniel and make it stick. Did somebody do a political favor for him? Which could point to Chris if he came from a more prominent family than the other boys.

[Madding crowd]

Since we only have a couple of episodes left, I wish Daniel could have made some more progress. He still seems very cold and guarded, and while I can understand it in a real life situation, but I don't want to be left with him this way. I agree that Chloe doesn't seem like a real person and I find her 'speeches' to be unrealistic as to how a real person talks. I like Teddy, and to me he and Janet are the two most real people in the show. Tawny is too special snowflake for my taste and Amantha always seems kind of miscast in her role.

I liked the house of Tawny's patient and my first thought is that she would buy the house and live their somehow. I wish happy endings for everyone but the show will likely end without any type of closure. At the very least I would like to know if Daniel killed Hannah and I would like to know where Daniel will go next. 

[maraleia]

Someone said that only six months has passed in this entire series so Daniel's adjustment to the outside world feels authentic to me.

[AuntiePam]

22 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

I still want to know why Senator Foulkes was so eager to pin it on Daniel and make it stick. Did somebody do a political favor for him? Which could point to Chris if he came from a more prominent family than the other boys.

I'm rewatching season one -- just the first three episodes so far - and it looks like Foulkes didn't necessarily want to pin it on Daniel -- he just wanted it solved.  For him, Daniel's confession was the solution.  Daniel's attorney at the original trial talked to Jon about the mood of the community after Hanna's murder.  Getting a confession probably helped cool people off.

He was way more involved and vocal than most political figures get with regard to "local" crimes.  I don't know if he was from Paulie but he sure spent a lot of time there.  I'd forgotten that he was banging the waitress. 

Maybe some other episodes will shed more light on the Senator's behavior.  He might just be one of those people who can't handle being proven wrong.

[kieyra]

I've "only" spent about six months in therapy, but for me it wasn't the intrusive, torturous process some of it are making it out to be here. (Or the adversarial one we see on television so often.) 

(Although arguably I could use a few more years of it.)

I won't pretend my traumas held a candle to Daniel's, but I was pretty fucked up. And my therapist "guided" the sessions, but was a fairly benign presence. Just the opportunity to say things out loud to a neutral third party was huge, and I learned coping mechanisms and boundary-setting skills that no one had ever given me permission to use before. (Typical codependent child-of-addicts stuff.) I'm smart and self-analytical and I still missed a lot of really obvious stuff. But she never pushed or "fought" me. 

In other words, I think even a "counselor" and a neutral safe space could help Daniel for now, without having to go straight for ripping into the PTSD. 

[raven]

On 12/1/2016 at 10:30 PM, nodorothyparker said:

I'd never thought much about it before Daniel said it but he was right to call Janet on perpetually looking for the 18-year-old boy who had a future before she lost him to death row every time she looks at the virtual stranger he is now.  It's understandable, of course.   But it's not helping him even know where to start to deal with what his life is now or figure himself out so he can try to move forward.

I agree with this.  I binged all 6 eps the other day and Janet was annoying me.  It seems she pushed the issue of a visit because she wasn't connecting with Daniel on the phone.   It's not about you, Janet!  Don't get me wrong, I find her a very true character and can sort of understand how she feels, but it seems having to leave Paulie might be a good thing for Daniel.  He is connecting with people in different ways; I find all of the characters at the halfway house interesting at different levels.  In Paulie, Daniel is now the confessed murderer, someone's son, someone's brother.   In Nashville, he's learning that not everyone holds grudges (his warehouse co-worker) and is fumbling his way through life.   Yeah, Chloe is too precious for me, but I see what the show is doing with her and maybe if there were more than 8 eps she could have been realized more. 

It bugs me that Janet ignores her marriage, adult daughter and almost-adult other son.   In the car with Ted when they're talking about selling the store and she says they could move the store anywhere - I really thought she was intimating move to Nashville to be near Daniel.   It seems she will pull back now since she told Ted that they didn't need to visit for a while (that's what I got from their last conversation).

Tawney's story is also a little precious - that cute house, the understanding cleaning lady - but the acting is so good that I can wave it.  I like Tawney and hope she succeeds.  I don't think she and Teddy should be together. 

I did laugh at Teddy shooting himself.  I don't get a violent vibe from him - I think, in his way, he is on a personal journey just as Tawney is.  I think he is trying to be different and it's very, very difficult for him.  I've actually usually found his concerns realistic, it's just the way he expresses them to be troublesome sometimes.  When Daniel first was released, it wasn't unreasonable for Teddy to not want a convicted murderer around.  It was also a legitimate worry that he would be pushed out of the store, and only wasn't because Daniel had no interest in it.    His life has changed drastically since Daniel came back - Teddy's been assaulted,  found his place in the family supplanted, fears for his livelihood, and will now probably be getting a divorce.   Except for the assault, none of that is Daniel's fault of course, and Teddy deserves a bit of credit for still being truthful (like when Hannah's brother came to visit).   Does Teddy express himself well or appropriately all the time?  No he doesn't, but that's common to everyone.  As Tawney tentatively moves on with things, Teddy has decided to be more direct.  I think they will both be better off without each other.  It helps a lot that I think Clayne Crawford does a terrific job in displaying all of these sides of Teddy.   When he's nervous or feels he needs to assert himself, he overcompensates (like with the guy wanting to buy the store) but I don't think there was anything wrong with his instinct to get an informal assessment from someone.  Then he manages to sell tires to someone by just acting natural. I don't know, he's just believable to me.

I'm actually least interested in Jon's investigations.  It would be interesting to get a resolution one way or the other, but that's not the main reason I watch.  I never really felt him and Amantha together and I think she has a nice rapport going with the new guy.  

I have a feeling that Daniel with end up going with Chloe (if he can, legally) to TN.  Or maybe that's too expected, heh.

[nodorothyparker]

As a mother, I'm pretty sympathetic to Janet.  I simply can't imagine what it all must have been like for her lose her teenage son that way and then spend the next 19 years waiting to hear if he was going to be killed.  It's something that comes up quite a bit if you spend any time reading about death row politics, about how the families of both the murder victim and the convicted killer in their own ways live in a kind of suspended state where they wait for closure that may never come and really can't move on either. In Janet and Daniel's case, they never got that normal experience of her grown child separating from her to leave home and start his own life.  It was taken from them.   So she's struggling through that now, just as Daniel is struggling with being a 38-year-old man whose last relevant experience in living in the world was as a barely 18-year-old kid who hadn't left his mother's house yet.  And yeah, these past six episodes it's been pretty obvious that she was afraid of him fading out of her life and losing him again and so pushed for a visit that might have better waited a little while longer to give Daniel more time to solidify the life that he's struggling to carve out for himself in Nashville.

Janet's been particularly fascinating to me in all of this because in the interval, she did start another life and another family in Daniel's absence and from all accounts it sounds like she was reasonably satisfied with it.  But from the moment Daniel was freed she pushed her stepson and replacement son and replacement husband firmly into the backseat.  She wasn't deliberately unkind about it but it was also clear that she wasn't going to be brooking any challenge about it either.  I'm honestly sometimes surprised that there isn't more open hostility or resentment from the Talbot faction of the family on that front.

I think too that being forced to move to Nashville was actually a good thing for Daniel.  Had it not happened, he might have drifted from family member to family member's spare room or couch indefinitely without any realistic plan or direction and always being that guy who murdered that girl 20 years ago.  Despite some of the heavy handedness of the halfway house, he can also find some degree of anonymity in the city and be exposed to other kinds of people who may not know or care.  It's actually why I'm a little frustrated that the move didn't happen until the final season.  I would have been happy to have gotten less time on the trials of pool painting and random weirdos in the woods and another season or two seeing him deal with what happened to him and how or even if he manages to take the steps to establish himself as a whole person to live the rest of his life.  But then I've also thought from the beginning that not staying in Paulie to have to wallow forever in being convicted murderer Daniel Holden's sister or mother and run into the murdered girl's family or various people involved in the case at the grocery store probably would have benefited Janet and Amantha immensely as well.

Edited December 4, 2016 by nodorothyparker

[raven]

You make a good point about Janet living in a suspended state.   I actually do think she is an interesting character and my thoughts are that she married Ted Sr because she thought he was a good man and wanted stability in her life.   I think he was very much in love with her and so supported her but, as they talked about, there was always underlying resentment.   In the Talbot family circle, I would probably sympathize more directly with Jared, except we don't know much about him.   I think Janet did everything a mother is *supposed* to, and it seems Ted Sr is a good father, but Jared may have always felt he wasn't the first priority.  As he gets older now, he's asserting those feelings more, but with only a couple of eps left the show probably won't get into that.

Teddy I think was probably happy to be in a family after his mother left and my thoughts are he just ignored any feelings about being part of a background family.   It's only recently that's he's really confronted his feelings about anything; could be he can overlook anything with Janet because she did provide a maternal figure when he needed one, and she made his father happy, which goes a long way.

Not to say that Janet was cruel or negligent - I think it's obvious that she wasn't.   She's a very real character; I'm glad that she didn't just magically accept everyone and love everyone equally.    Parents have faults too!

It's one of the reasons that Chloe doesn't work for me - she's an idealized figure.  Everyone else (except maybe Jared) feels real, with negative qualities that anyone can have.

[MaryPatShelby]

I just fell apart when Ted Sr told Janet that he thought they should sell and talked about setting Teddy up with the inventory, and Janet sat down next to him on the bed.  For some reason I am so invested in their relationship, and with that scene I felt there was hope for their future.

[Eliz]

On 12/3/2016 at 9:03 PM, AuntiePam said:

I'm rewatching season one -- just the first three episodes so far - and it looks like Foulkes didn't necessarily want to pin it on Daniel -- he just wanted it solved.  For him, Daniel's confession was the solution.  Daniel's attorney at the original trial talked to Jon about the mood of the community after Hanna's murder.  Getting a confession probably helped cool people off.

He was way more involved and vocal than most political figures get with regard to "local" crimes.  I don't know if he was from Paulie but he sure spent a lot of time there.  I'd forgotten that he was banging the waitress. 

Maybe some other episodes will shed more light on the Senator's behavior.  He might just be one of those people who can't handle being proven wrong.

Guys, Foulkes was the prosecutor who convicted Daniel in the first place. That's how he got to be Senator Foulkes -- Daniel's conviction was the springboard to Foulkes's political career. So he can't ever let that conviction be questioned. Back in season 1, that was the huge roadblock to any further investigation of the other guys.

[Superpole2000]

I didn't enjoy this one. I have never been a Tawney fan, so I wasn't into her invasion of privacy with the dead patient. Teddy shooting himself felt a bit silly, especially since it came as a result of the inflatable man. Chloe pushing Daniel to therapy was a crappy thing to do. He seems fairly well adjusted now and may not need more time spent thinking about the past. I know if I was in prison for a long time I probably wouldn't want to spend the years following that time reminiscing about it. And then Amantha was just sidelined again, which bugged me because I like her the most of all of the main cast.

[dargosmydaddy]

Just got caught up on this episode. Chloe doesn't annoy me as much as some, but it feels like she belongs on a different show.

On 12/9/2016 at 0:55 AM, Superpole2000 said:

He seems fairly well adjusted now

Yikes... Daniel is may things, but I don't think "fairly well-adjusted" is one of them... The way Chloe pushed therapy at him was kind of obnoxious (though I liked that we-- and she-- got to see Daniel get angry), but he would probably benefit from some type of therapy.

On 12/1/2016 at 10:30 PM, nodorothyparker said:

Clayne Crawford continues to impress with his no fucks left multi-day bender.

I am beyond impressed with the range CC shows both within and between Rectify and Lethal Weapon. In many ways his two characters are similar, and yet I forget I'm watching the same actor.

[nodorothyparker]

I only gave Lethal Weapon a shot for Crawford.  I generally don't like crime of the week cop shows or the almost cartoony special effects and violence they're going for there.  The writing can also be kind of ham fisted and lacking in any subtlety.  But Crawford is doing something amazingly raw and soulful with his character that makes it watchable nonetheless.  If I hadn't followed him to that show I don't know that I would have even believed that Teddy Talbot and the rebooted Martin Riggs are played by the same actor either.

Edited December 11, 2016 by nodorothyparker

[Anela]

On December 1, 2016 at 11:23 PM, Ronin Jackson said:

This is one of the best shows on television and the writing and acting has still been first rate this season, but something has gone awry with the musical score. It's way too on the nose emotionally when it doesn't need to be. The emotional elements of the scenes still work on the strength of the writing and acting, but the music has been distracting more than enhancing. 

This hasn't always been the case... it's actually had great musical moments before, especially the Arvo Part stuff in season 2. I'd have to rewatch earlier seasons but I feel like the music was more understated before... at least it's not something I've previously noted was as distracting as it has been of late.

I was thinking the same thing. The last few episodes had me thinking, "here comes the 'this is a touching moment' music." 

Teddy made me laugh, when he shot himself in the leg, and at the beginning, when he said something about having to get something done before his wife got home. 

[ketose]

On 12/1/2016 at 1:23 AM, SusanSunflower said:

There's something facile about insisting someone else must go into therapy ... as is that were some magic door, black box, secret potion, success guaranteed, particularly since she's going to be going off to Ohio in the not too distant future. I had to strongly encourage my mom to go into therapy because I was too close to her issues to be her confidant and she didn't have anyone else ... I felt like I was drowning in her pain.

Chloe just seems to be operating from a "people like you, with your history, need therapy" -- which may be true enough, but I think Daniel's house-leader is probably a more appropriate person to pursue this further.

Daniel has the "rest of his life" to pursue therapy and Chloe is not his mental health caseworker. She was too insistent about something too vague. Suggesting he "check out what the program offers" is different from telling him he needs to submit to more feedback, more judgment, and the emotional battering of "digging it all up" again.

Didn't the New Canaan House people suggest that Daniel see someone about PTSD in episode 2? Chloe is actually trying to convince him to agree to that suggestion.

[SusanSunflower]

yes, and Daniel really didn't want to ... the point is that Chloe is a friend, not some adjuvant part of Daniel's "treatment team" ... for her to apply "more pressure" leaves Daniel in a position where his relationship with Chloe could become conditional, he is under the threat of "failing to please" her , which could distort their relationship.  She has the power to reject Daniel which at this moment in his life would be devastating for him.  It's important sometimes for friends and family to studiously try to stay neutral (having said their piece, which Chloe had) and not be another nag, another person with unmet expectations. 

For Daniel (or anyone) to go into therapy (they don't want or see a need for) in order to please someone else or to get folks "off his back" is not auspicious ... you and I can agree it would be "good for him" ... but he really needs to come to that realization all-by-himself. 

Edited February 12, 2017 by SusanSunflower

[ketose]

14 hours ago, SusanSunflower said:

yes, and Daniel really didn't want to ... the point is that Chloe is a friend, not some adjuvant part of Daniel's "treatment team" ... for her to apply "more pressure" leaves Daniel in a position where his relationship with Chloe could become conditional, he is under the threat of "failing to please" her , which could distort their relationship.  She has the power to reject Daniel which at this moment in his life would be devastating for him.  It's important sometimes for friends and family to studiously try to stay neutral (having said their piece, which Chloe had) and not be another nag, another person with unmet expectations. 

For Daniel (or anyone) to go into therapy (they don't want or see a need for) in order to please someone else or to get folks "off his back" is not auspicious ... you and I can agree it would be "good for him" ... but he really needs to come to that realization all-by-himself. 

But that's life. Everyone has friends who encourage them to make good (or bad) decisions. Is Chloe being a bad friend for nagging him into therapy? Maybe, but she also sees how broken he is. She's not a professional and is not violating any ethics by telling him he needs to see someone.

[SusanSunflower]

maybe, however, she's also about to leave town and have a baby anyway ... so it's no skin off her nose if he does or doesn't and he does not feel the desire to open that can of worms ... that's the other big point, therapy is less effective when entered into unenthusiastically or conditionally ... 

The message being sent repeatedly was that Daniel was already overwhelmed by uncertainty and a sense of being judged about every detail of his 24/7 existence, in the half-way house, at work, with his mom and Amantha's desire that he be "doing better" etc.  I felt that he really needed a friend who accepted him, as Tawney did, and didn't make demands ... because Chloe has one foot out the door into a new life.  Going into therapy to deal with trauma is gut-wrenching, because it brings everything up again. It's not a "small" or easy thing to embark on. 

[ketose]

6 hours ago, SusanSunflower said:

maybe, however, she's also about to leave town and have a baby anyway ... so it's no skin off her nose if he does or doesn't and he does not feel the desire to open that can of worms ... that's the other big point, therapy is less effective when entered into unenthusiastically or conditionally ... 

The message being sent repeatedly was that Daniel was already overwhelmed by uncertainty and a sense of being judged about every detail of his 24/7 existence, in the half-way house, at work, with his mom and Amantha's desire that he be "doing better" etc.  I felt that he really needed a friend who accepted him, as Tawney did, and didn't make demands ... because Chloe has one foot out the door into a new life.  Going into therapy to deal with trauma is gut-wrenching, because it brings everything up again. It's not a "small" or easy thing to embark on. 

I think it's a matter of opinion. I thought Chloe mostly wanted Daniel to get help because she was messed up at one time herself, but I didn't find it overly pushy or whiny. Choosing therapy is the ideal, but Daniel went to self-destructed right out of prison (acting out, drug parties). Jon had to encourage him just to go to New Canaan house, or maybe it was a condition of his parole.

I don't agree that Tawney didn't make demands. She wanted him to join her church because she wanted to justify being drawn to him as a divine calling. I think Tawney is better off in the end because she took Miss Kathy's advice about not latching on to a guy. Daniel has a good friend in Pickle. I don't know that he needs a girlfriend just yet.