Star - General Discussion

[Dee]

Jahil didn't kill Hunter & Eva.

Maggie sent her henchman, Leonard, to off Jahil, but he mistakenly killed Hunter & Eva (who were asleep together after having sex in Jahil's bed) believing it was Jahil.

[TGinKY]

7 hours ago, Dee said:

Jahil didn't kill Hunter & Eva.

Maggie sent her henchman, Leonard, to off Jahil, but he mistakenly killed Hunter & Eva (who were asleep together after having sex in Jahil's bed) believing it was Jahil.

Wait. Didn't that turn out to be Carlotta who did the shooting?

[Dee]

Carlotta shot Jahil after he found Hunter & Eva dead, and together, Jahil & Carlotta faked Jahil's death so he could leave town.

When Jahil eventually returned to the states, Maggie had her people beat him up & after sleeping with Maggie, she let him go.

Edited April 20, 2018 by Dee

[TGinKY]

Thanks Dee!

[KWalkerInc]

The thing that confused me was when Arlene was trying to frame Star for Hunter's death and convince the detective to investigate her, I think she somehow used her influence to get a look at Star's records.  She said something either to the detective or to Brody (it may have been brought up a few times) like "It's not like she hasn't killed before" adding that she wasn't talking about Otis.  I think that when the detective interrogated Star (before she showed the proof that Hunter had beaten her), he may have also hinted at it.

[Toothbrush]

I'm just glad that Jax texted Simone about Star & he didn't take advantage of her. With this show's need to tackle all of the issues, I was afraid that there would be something else piled upon Star. And now Cotton is a daddy. Jesus take the wheel indeed! But hasn't Cotton been living as a woman for several years? Her son is very young. 

I thought for sure the 2 versions of the DJ Khalad song would be combined and become a Noah Brooks feat. Take 3 collaboration. 

Guess there are no ethical issues around a PT dating a patient? 

On 4/12/2018 at 7:05 AM, Dee said:

I loved Karen & Simone but Angel & Simone are adorable.

They are adorable! I love how sweet and even a little naive Simone still is even after all that she has been through. Despite Evan Ross' pedigree, he's not a great actor.

On 4/19/2018 at 4:35 AM, KWalkerInc said:

The Angel/Simone duet was cute, even though the fantasy video started off a little cheesy.

It was cute, and I loved Simone's dress. I laughed at Miss Bruce's comment about Star & Alex being better than her stories too. 

Edited April 24, 2018 by Toothbrush

[Dee]

I seriously have grown to love every character on this show.

Season Two has been really awesome thus far.

[KWalkerInc]

It definitely helped when they killed off Hunter and Eva to end the first season.  I don't know how much more of them I would have been able to take!

I loved when Simone was trying to end the awkwardness between Alex and Star with her imitations of them, complete with Star having to stop herself from twirling her hair because she totally was before Simone did the imitation.  My favorite line though was "Star, please don't hit a student!"  It was all in Simone's delivery, with the "Oh, here she goes again!" tone of resignation.

It was clear that Natalie was going to end up being shady after she blamed Take 3 for the sound going out, like they could control that.

[Dream Boy]

4 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

 

It was clear that Natalie was going to end up being shady after she blamed Take 3 for the sound going out, like they could control that.

Natalie doesn't know what she's dealing with. Carlotta will shoot a bih.

I agree that even Star has become more likeable this season. I'm actually rooting for everyone to make it even shady ass Andy. And the writers come up with some good one liners. 

[luckyroll3]

On 4/24/2018 at 12:10 AM, Toothbrush said:

Despite Evan Ross' pedigree, he's not a great actor.

Neither is his mother.....  I do like the relationship between him and Simone though.  

[Toothbrush]

1 hour ago, luckyroll3 said:

Neither is his mother.....  I do like the relationship between him and Simone though.  

Good point. But big sister Tracee is awesome!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Amiyah Scott discusses Star:

[KWalkerInc]

Andy is in a little bit of trouble!  I don't think he learned much at Harvard or anywhere else if he thinks it's a good idea to steal a bunch of money from a woman after he just learned she was smuggling drugs.  I thought maybe he was stealing to try to run off somewhere because he knew he was in too deep, but then he was going to see her later when she killed that guy.  Dumb.  I'm kind of surprised that Cassie did her own dirty work--I kind of thought she'd pay people to handle it for her.  I like Brandy better in this role than in most of the mainly "good girl" roles I've seen her in the past (although the ones I'm thinking of were way back when she was quite young and maintaining a certain image.  I wasn't watching The Game when she was on except for the finale where she wasn't on much).  Until she returned two episodes ago, I didn't even know Cassie lived in the area and would still be a character on the show.  I thought she lived in the same city as her mom.

I have a bad feeling about Jahil between the secret heart condition and his speech to Jayden about how he wouldn't let him die, and volunteering to get tested to give him a kidney.

On the TV listings page of the newspaper, they have short descriptions for shows, and for this episode it said, "Star seizes an opportunity to take the spotlight."  I wonder if they've used that description before, because it probably applies to at least half the episodes.

[Dream Boy]

I dig Angel and Simone together. They're my new favorite cute couple after Alex broke Derek's heart. So, I enjoyed their scenes. 

To be so smart, Andy sure is dumb. Cassie's gonna kill his ass lol

Oh Star, two steps forward, ten steps back lol Who knew Maurice would end up so greasy?

It's scenes like Miss Bruce and Miss Ruby nonchalantly smoking together that help make this show awesome lol 

In other news, our girls will be back! http://tvline.com/2018/05/10/star-renewed-season-3-fox-2/

Edited May 10, 2018 by Dream Boy

[Dee]

Between the salon, managing Take 3/Noah & everything happening with Cotton, Carlotta is dealing with way too much.

I love the bond between Alex, Simone & Star. They're growing as individuals & businesswomen, with the occasional arguments/disagreements, while still also having each others backs.

Maurice & Natalie are the worst.

Jackson needs to be naked more. As does Maurice.

Ayanna's return has been interesting. Michael Michele nails everything she's given.

Grandpa Jahil is pretty great.

Angel & Simone are exhausting.

Cassie is a lot of fun. Brandy looks like she's having the time of her life in the role.

Andy is book smart but lacks street smarts.

Cotton has gotta calm down. Girl goes from 0 to 100 in record time.

Derek is cute but super boring.

Miss Ruby & Miss Bruce are still the best.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Dee

[crowceilidh]

I just can't bring myself to give a damn about Angel and esp Andy.

[KWalkerInc]

Damn, this episode was pretty much soul-crushing.  I thought the episode title "Mrs. Rivera" was referring to Simone, not Carlotta!  When Carlotta and Jahil were in the kitchen talking about how he just got grazed, my initial thought was that it was a fantasy sequence, but they rolled with it for so long that they eventually fooled me.  I wonder if Benjamin Bratt is busy with other projects, because otherwise I don't know that this was really a good idea, even though it wasn't surprising with all the hints (anvils) in the last few episodes.

I think Star may have been this week's dumbest character, with how she was just going with everything Maurice told her, and then thought he would erase the diss track just because she asked him to.  With as much as she distrusts people, it seemed out of character.  She instead should have warned the other girls, but then they wouldn't have material for them to hate each other again next week.

I did get a laugh for some reason when they started up the ominous music cue as Derek shook Cassie's hand, even though it's certainly appropriate.  It's also nice that they gave T.C. Carson a guest appearance, though even though I've seen him in recent photos with other Living Single cast members I actually just recognized his voice.  Probably because he's usually wearing a hat when I see him.

[Dream Boy]

Nooooooo! Not our favorite sleazy slimebag Jahil!!!! I had a feeling he was a goner when everyone was all "naw, he's good. He'll pull through." At least we got a few moments of Carlotta/Jahil even if it was just a dream. Sigh. Speaking of Carlotta, I'm going to need her to handle Cassie ASAP. 

Who knew Maurice would end up being such a snake? This is going to be a proper mess. 

Cool to see Carlotta and Ayanna on the same page but I'm going to need Noah to get his ass together.

And poor Derek. I don't want him anywhere near Cassie. 

[Dee]

Simone has the worst luck ever.

[fellini]

Why was there a drive by shooting directed at Andy?

[KWalkerInc]

He stole money from Cassie (Brandy's character).  She had several stacks of money on a table and he pocketed $15,000.  She blamed a guy she had sold drugs for shorting her and killed him, but then apparently realized Andy was responsible.

[Dee]

Benjamin Bratt will definitely be missed.

[Dee]

This, formerly, guilty pleasure has morphed into a very solid little show.

It's truly become the Knots Landing to Empire's Dallas.

[KWalkerInc]

This was the second straight depressing episode, though well-done.  My favorite part was when the quickly recuperated Ayanna (who knew she'd be one of the characters in the best position to survive, just because she got shot when there was still a segment left?) announced that there was a new head of Soundhouse, followed by Carlotta entering triumphantly and firing Maurice's ass!  I don't think they would waste all of the opportunities for storylines with Carlotta in this new position, so she should survive, but if they suddenly decide the show is too expensive and they need to cut the cast down, I will not be happy! 

They did a really good job with the scene of Star doing "I Bring Me" with the backup singers, with all the flashbacks and then Star getting emotional.  Although she has her share of blame for the break-up for well, doing Star-type things so many times, I still have sympathy for her because she did have regrets for the diss track and didn't really know what to do when it blew up like that.  In the past, she probably would have started performing the song right in front of Simone and Alex when the crowd cheered and not cared what they thought.

The way that Derek said, "My girl is on that plane!" for some reason made me immediately think something would happen to it.  But did the TV screens say it was a "mid-air crash," meaning two planes colliding?  Oh, great.  If Simone's plane was neither one of them, she'll probably get to the D.R. and get rejected by Angel again, because Evan was a guest star and it doesn't really look like there's any way for them to be together now (because they wouldn't keep her to have plot lines in another country).  But, ugh, Andy is not in the credits either but is somehow one of the few characters other than Star who isn't in mortal danger.  It would be great if the others survived and it turned out in a twist that he and maybe Maurice had both ended up on an ill-fated plane.

When Carlotta mentioned that she put Cotton on a flight to New York, that just made me MAD.  It's too soon to force me to worry about Cotton again, and they eventually killed Jahil after several fake-outs.  Besides, they should have the storyline of Cotton still trying to connect with (as Amiyah Scott put it) the "Omen child."

[Dream Boy]

Man, another solid episode and great finale. I agree that this show has just gotten so good. People are truly sleeping on it.

Star getting everything she wanted but still losing out was truly poetic. And she tried it with that bootleg Alex and Simone she had with her lol 

I love the characters and don't want any of them to die, except Cassie lol I kept screaming "stop shaking, Carlotta, and shoot that bih" lol 

So glad that Ayanna's injuries weren't fatal and I assume the baby is okay. I love when her and Carlotta work together so I really enjoyed that scene where Maurice is fired. But I predict that we haven't seen the last of him. 

My Alex and Derek loving heart got excited to see him at the airport. She better be safe, show! 

[crowceilidh]

Quote

Star getting everything she wanted but still losing out was truly poetic.

Well put.  Tha t scene of the fans screaming and cheering completely unaware of her emotional state showed her fundamental loneliness.  I also loved Noah's words to her about fame and the mercurial love/approval of the crowd -- the real addiction they all seem to have.

[KWalkerInc]

This was a pretty good premiere, although FOX apparently didn't care too much about keeping up the drama of the cliffhangers until the premiere.  Several months ago, Entertainment Tonight was bothering Brandy with some "Will you do a Moesha reboot?" crap and then casually mentioned that she was a regular on Star.  Apparently that had already been announced a few weeks earlier, and I at least hoped they weren't stupid enough to kill off Carlotta, so that pretty much took care of that.  (When the press release for the season premiere said Christine was caught in the middle of their problems, I thought maybe the shot was a warning shot she had fired.)  They also had Simone and Alex all over the promos.  I was glad the episode didn't drag out any drama over Cotton, but it was still unnecessary to throw that "she got on a plane to New York" thing into the finale with all the other cliffhangers they had.

 

Poor Ayanna, dismissed in two lines of exposition.  I'm guessing they didn't need her to have Jahil's baby on the show because they decided to make Star pregnant, but really, she's probably much safer in London with all the horrible things that happen to all the characters in Atlanta.  Alex already had enough things to traumatize her without going through a plane crash and seeing that fan (maybe) die.  (I liked her mention of the wheelchair line from Star's song, as that definitely would have gotten people riled up if such a song happened in real life.)  I didn't see it coming that Mateo's wife was Simone's one-night stand.  Along with the girls coming together to help Carlotta and the kitchen table talk at the end, I liked Miss Bruce helping out Noah and Derek's dance with Grandma Ruby.  But what happened to her could be the most horrible thing they've had on the show so far (along with Simone's abuse in the beginning).  I was hoping she'd shoot the guy and the storyline would be the trauma of dealing with that.  It's awful.

[luckyroll3]

8 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

But what happened to her could be the most horrible thing they've had on the show so far (along with Simone's abuse in the beginning).

I agree. So unnecessary.  This show already had so much sexual trauma that raping grandma was just too much.  She just could have been robbed and beat up, and it still would have been just as traumatic and able to push the story along.

Damn, Simone's body in the morning after scene is goals.  She looked amazing!

Not excited about Brandy and Lance Gross being added as regulars.  And I was really hoping that Jahil would be back in spirit form harassing everybody.  Disappointed all around.  The only I liked about this episode were the new songs. 

[Dream Boy]

2 hours ago, luckyroll3 said:

Damn, Simone's body in the morning after scene is goals.  She looked amazing!

I agree. Simone looked great this whole episode. As much as she wants to divorce Angel, marriage agrees with her lol

I was overall pleased with the opener except for:

1. Cassie. She will always be trash to me and can't wait for her to eventually go.

2. The sexual assault on Ruby. I get it. It happens and is a reality. But so many of these characters have been shit on for seasons, did they have to add fun Miss Ruby to that mix too? Damn! I will say that I do like how the show doesn't forget the secondary characters and adds them to the story like Ruby here and Danielle's death in season one.

I love seeing Carlotta and her wigs of many colors rear their heads, especially when they're pulling a fast one. Glad to see the girls united too. And if this baby is anything like its mother, Star got something on her hands. lol 

[Dee]

I'm happy this show is back.

The quiet little scene between Bruce & Noah was wonderful. More please.

[Toothbrush]

Top of the list of things I hope to never have to say to my kids: "Which one of you bitches shot me?" 

Poor Miss Ruby! I was a mass of nerves watching that scene. 

Loved the scene between Noah & Miss Bruce. 

Glad Cotton came back. Not so glad that Maurice is now a regular character; Lance Gross eye candy non-withstanding. 

[KWalkerInc]

Having Maurice around sort of defeats the great moment in the finale when Carlotta got to fire him.  It would have been more powerful to not see him again.  And although Brandy plays her role well, Cassie has already gotten away with so much that it is tiresome to watch her scheme and pout just because Carlotta (shockingly!) doesn't forgive her for getting her husband killed.  I still laugh at the way they amp up the ominous music when she's plotting something though.

[KWalkerInc]

Andy is possibly now the stupidest character in all of TV land.  He had done dumb things before, but now after Carlotta helps him go into hiding, he decides to just saunter back to town because he "misses his life."  Well, he's going to miss it a lot more after Cassie kills him.  Plus he's putting his parents in danger again, as Cassie probably didn't do anything to them before only because he wasn't around so she couldn't use the threat against him.  I don't see why HE doesn't go to the cops, as it's not like he's ever been one to live by the code of the streets.  He'd probably get killed while waiting to testify though or they'd say they didn't have enough evidence (even though he saw Cassie kill that one guy), so she can continue to parade around plotting, practically twirling an invisible mustache.  Carlotta should at least tell Cotton what happened for her own safety and Jayden's.  Cassie seems to care about Cotton, but she might hate Carlotta more.  I liked how when Carlotta suggested that Cassie needed to get her own life, Cassie didn't even pretend that she has one.  The previews of next week look good.  And we got spirit Jahil!  It just made me more depressed that Benjamin Bratt isn't around all the time though.

I'm glad that Cotton is having a better relationship with Jayden now.  I've always liked her friendship with Star, and I liked when she kept trying to pester her about the father's identity and then gave her advice.  I didn't buy the fake-out about Noah at the end because I'd read his father would be around so he already had a storyline.  It will be funny if he ends up starring opposite Simone in a movie considering that she "still doesn't like his ass" (love her).  It was great that Alex was there for Grandma Ruby and Derek, even though the whole thing is just heartbreaking.

I really liked the song at the end (Madonna), but I wonder how it was supposed to work for a movie soundtrack before they leaked it.  It had nothing to do with a movie and was about their real lives.  I also didn't buy Carlotta just volunteering the info about the pregnancy to Mateo with as tight-lipped as she is about things.  I guess they couldn't think of another way for him to find out to set up the rest.

[Dee]

This season is shaping up nicely.

The shifting issues within Take 3 are really interesting. All three girls have grown into compelling figures, without sacrificing the group as whole.

It's exceedingly cruel of Carlotta & Cassie to allow Cotton to remain in the dark about her dad's death (to say nothing of Jaden).

Andy is indeed stupid. Cute but reckless.

Juanita, Ryan & Quincy are doing great work with the sexual assault/ptsd story. The subject matter is intense, but the acting has been superb.

Brandy is a lot of fun, even if Cassie is nothing but trouble.

I ship Maurice & Cassie. He's a slimy opportunist and she's a career criminal with a chip on her shoulder.

I'm glad Luke James was placed on contract. Noah has been a great addition to the show. Unfortunately, he seems to be the next in line to deal with Daddy Issues.

Hope that's not the end of Angel's run on the show. He & Simone were sweet together.

Bruce remains wonderful. Miss Lawrence is a gift.

Jackson is still fine.

[Dream Boy]

I really enjoyed the Miss Ruby/Alex scenes and their mutual support. Now that Alex is out of Noah's orbit, I'm enjoying her again.

Cassie is playing a dangerous game. She keeps this up and it will be Cotton that ends her and not Carlotta. And yes, Andy is a total moron. Dude, you need to never see ATL again. As Cookie Lyon said "The streets ain't made for everybody, that's why they made the sidewalks" lol

[Dee]

The bodies on this show are ridiculous.

[KWalkerInc]

There's definitely a lot of good eye candy, but I was getting frustrated over scene after scene of Cassie getting her way and smirking about it.  And of course Grandma Ruby's rapist turns out to be someone who works for Cassie.  I kind of guessed that because of that scene last season where she was talking to Derek about wanting to employ ex-convicts and then they shook hands and the creepy "Cassie is evil" music played.  So they must have planned this storyline pretty far in advance.  I suppose we're supposed to feel sorry for her that she can't be legit (like that would happen) because of Chad Michael Murray, who I can't take really seriously so far.  It's bad enough that Carlotta wasn't telling Cotton about the reason for the feud without Cotton coming to see her and asking her directly, only for nothing to happen.  I hope it doesn't take as long for her to find out as it did for Star and Simone to learn about Brody's death.  I hope Jackson really is a nice guy, but it doesn't happen too often on this show.

Alex has a creepy stalker?  This is really going to end well.  I liked Miss Bruce's various comments and interactions even more than usual, but it would be sad if his friendship with Noah gets wrecked if it turns out that Bruce was once involved with his dad.  I guess I was way off on Bruce's age, I thought he was a little younger than to already be an adult in 1994.  Great advice by the way, Noah's dad.  You had no idea what the alternative was to Gravity and just had your son throw his career away to sing gigs at a club for a murderer backed by someone apparently even shadier.  I wonder if they'll get some other guy for the movie, otherwise what's the point of Simone getting the role if nothing will happen?  She did have a great "WTF?" face after Mateo's wife kissed him seconds after Simone told her about the reporter.

[DoItToIt]

On 10/11/2018 at 1:26 AM, KWalkerInc said:

There's definitely a lot of good eye candy, but I was getting frustrated over scene after scene of Cassie getting her way and smirking about it.  And of course Grandma Ruby's rapist turns out to be someone who works for Cassie.  I kind of guessed that because of that scene last season where she was talking to Derek about wanting to employ ex-convicts and then they shook hands and the creepy "Cassie is evil" music played.  So they must have planned this storyline pretty far in advance.  I suppose we're supposed to feel sorry for her that she can't be legit (like that would happen) because of Chad Michael Murray, who I can't take really seriously so far.  It's bad enough that Carlotta wasn't telling Cotton about the reason for the feud without Cotton coming to see her and asking her directly, only for nothing to happen.  I hope it doesn't take as long for her to find out as it did for Star and Simone to learn about Brody's death.  I hope Jackson really is a nice guy, but it doesn't happen too often on this show.

Alex has a creepy stalker?  This is really going to end well.  I liked Miss Bruce's various comments and interactions even more than usual, but it would be sad if his friendship with Noah gets wrecked if it turns out that Bruce was once involved with his dad.  I guess I was way off on Bruce's age, I thought he was a little younger than to already be an adult in 1994.  Great advice by the way, Noah's dad.  You had no idea what the alternative was to Gravity and just had your son throw his career away to sing gigs at a club for a murderer backed by someone apparently even shadier.  I wonder if they'll get some other guy for the movie, otherwise what's the point of Simone getting the role if nothing will happen?  She did have a great "WTF?" face after Mateo's wife kissed him seconds after Simone told her about the reporter.

Love your recaps!! I wish this thread got more traffic. :-/

[KWalkerInc]

Thanks!  I try to limit what I write, but there's always so much going on!  At least ratings have been pretty stable compared to last year, so Cassie hasn't driven everyone over the edge so far.

 

ETA:  I'm glad that there was more pushback against Cassie and Maurice this episode, though it's kind of annoying how they seem to be trying to create sympathy for both of them.  It's a little late in Cassie's case because she's already gone way past the line.  Cassie thinks she can be a good person because she tried not to murder another person after torturing him for days, even though he ended up dying anyway.  I guess it was necessary to complete Carlotta's breakdown, but it was still all a little much.  And now Cassie would be a saint if not for Xander's influence.  Okay.  At least it's fun that every time Cassie claims she will go legit, I laugh and say, "Legit my ass!"  Chad Michael Murray should provide some consulting on Alex's storyline, because they had obsessed stalkers every season on One Tree Hill.  I hope at least she will be gone soon.  Star and Jackson are cute, although I wonder why he went along with her breaking into the office when he knew that wouldn't work out.  Maybe just to spend time with her.  They did all that with Simone and then didn't show her actually making the introduction.  I guess Noah is still doing the movie or they're going to cast someone else?  That was confusing.  Cotton and Bruce were good in their limited roles as usual.

I had some problems with the spoiler feature, so it will look weird.

Spoiler

It looks from the previews like the stalker stuff will all come to a head next episode, then maybe Olivia can take Carlotta's spot in the psych ward, although she probably needs more help than just that.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited October 18, 2018 by KWalkerInc
Adding comments on this episode.

[TGinKY]

Wow. I was naive enough to think a big pregnant belly would cause Star to cut back on the revealing clothing.  But there she is!  Rocking that belly like it's the sexiest thing ever!  I am female and have been pregnant.  No one but my husband saw my belly, because not everybody wants to see that. Have some modesty.

[Court]

On 10/16/2018 at 5:46 AM, KWalkerInc said:

Thanks!  I try to limit what I write, but there's always so much going on!  At least ratings have been pretty stable compared to last year, so Cassie hasn't driven everyone over the edge so far.

 

ETA:  I'm glad that there was more pushback against Cassie and Maurice this episode, though it's kind of annoying how they seem to be trying to create sympathy for both of them.  It's a little late in Cassie's case because she's already gone way past the line.  Cassie thinks she can be a good person because she tried not to murder another person after torturing him for days, even though he ended up dying anyway.  I guess it was necessary to complete Carlotta's breakdown, but it was still all a little much.  And now Cassie would be a saint if not for Xander's influence.  Okay.  At least it's fun that every time Cassie claims she will go legit, I laugh and say, "Legit my ass!"  Chad Michael Murray should provide some consulting on Alex's storyline, because they had obsessed stalkers every season on One Tree Hill.  I hope at least she will be gone soon.  Star and Jackson are cute, although I wonder why he went along with her breaking into the office when he knew that wouldn't work out.  Maybe just to spend time with her.  They did all that with Simone and then didn't show her actually making the introduction.  I guess Noah is still doing the movie or they're going to cast someone else?  That was confusing.  Cotton and Bruce were good in their limited roles as usual.

I had some problems with the spoiler feature, so it will look weird.

  Hide contents

It looks from the previews like the stalker stuff will all come to a head next episode, then maybe Olivia can take Carlotta's spot in the psych ward, although she probably needs more help than just that.

 

  Hide contents

 

 

The Cassie stuff is exactly why I've stopped watching. Last week's episode sat on my DVR until tonight and I couldn't even finish it.

[KWalkerInc]

11 hours ago, TGinKY said:

Wow. I was naive enough to think a big pregnant belly would cause Star to cut back on the revealing clothing.  But there she is!  Rocking that belly like it's the sexiest thing ever!  I am female and have been pregnant.  No one but my husband saw my belly, because not everybody wants to see that. Have some modesty.

I can imagine someone (maybe Simone?) making this suggestion to Star, but she probably wouldn't care.  Mateo probably thinks it's great because it would create controversy and make him money.

It would probably be better if they just portrayed Cassie as a villain instead of trying to humanize her all the time (oh, she does these things to prove herself because Carlotta is so MEAN to her).  I know there are shades to everyone, but we've already seen her shoot a guy in the head at point-blank range, so it's a little late.  I guess they loved Brandy so much they felt the need to put her in the main cast, but it could definitely prove to be a mistake.  Plus sticking her in the credits and toward the end as one of the "top" stars makes it pretty apparent that Cassie can never have any real repercussions for anything she does (although Stephen Dorff was main cast and didn't last long).  This week's episode was less annoying because Cassie and Carlotta weren't together so Cassie couldn't taunt her all the time, but it also had more scenes of Cassie and Maurice in their own stories, so that no one I cared about was onscreen.  I'm hoping that after Carlotta's breakdown, things will balance out some more and it will come back to bite Cassie.

[DoItToIt]

This episode annoyed me terribly I'm afraid. 1.) They are making Alex appear way too stupid and naive. With just the way Olivia was dressed when they were backstage, you knew she was about to find some way to put the spotlight on herself, the girl came to slay! It looks like she'll be gone but the next episode, good riddance. 2.) Cassie and soft-looking gangster dude, HATED IT! Their scenes were completely unnecessary and didn't advance the plot in any way, shape, or form. Neither did scenes with Andy. Speaking of, 3.) I'm having a hard time connecting with the Andy scenes. Were we supposed to feel sympathy for him? Why did he even come back after the end of last season? 4.)Lastly, as much as I LOVE looking at Jackson, I can't believe he folded like that in front of Maurice! If he felt so strongly convicted, why didn't he say something at the club lol smh. 

I did enjoy Noah pulling a fast one on Maurice, it felt like my show again lol. Idk, it feels like the plots have been really disjointed. My guess is maybe the writers is figuring out a way to be able to distance Star in time for her [real] upcoming maternity leave.

[KWalkerInc]

This episode was a little better, and some good things happened, especially Olivia getting locked up!  The confrontation with Alex was shorter than I thought it would be.  I hope Olivia won't ever turn up again, as on One Tree Hill that I mentioned earlier the crazy stalker types would always reappear for some reason.  I liked the scene with Take 3 toward the end, that was cute.  It was great that Bruce had probably a more prominent role than in any other episode.  It was great when he threw Cassie out of the house when everyone else had called her over there.  He also had a great throwaway line about "straight Ricky Martin."  I already don't care about Mateo's gambling problem, although it was interesting that it's made him more supportive of the music festival.  I doubt the festival will ever happen.  It's kind of like last year where every episode was like "if x, y and z happen, Take 3 will go on tour" and then that finally lasted for one concert before they split at the time.  

Cassie was less aggravating, even though they are obviously trying to do all this "she has a conscience and cares about Carlotta!" crap because they want Brandy on the show so bad and think they can walk it back from Cassie being a murderer.  I knew they wouldn't have her shoot Maurice in the middle of the club, but that would have gotten rid of both of them!  It will be funny to see Maurice have a fit about his ex-wife being involved with Noah.  I'm glad Cotton finally knows the truth about Cassie, as long as it doesn't get Cotton killed somehow (I'm always worried about that).  It's still irritating that Cassie will likely be around so long when they got rid of other annoying characters (Hunter and Eva) so quickly.  I wonder if there will be a time jump or if Carlotta isn't going to be in some episodes?  I think I would know why though I don't intentionally read about Queen Latifah's personal life since she doesn't discuss it, but there was a post on a Living Single page.  

[Dee]

Star is hilarious when she is in Protective Mama Bear Mode. Even more hilarious? Simone in full BITCH PLEASE Mode.

I continue to appreciate Derek & Star's relationship and that he confronted her about her dissing him.

I LOVE that Bruce & Cotton are fully fleshed out, 3 dimensional characters.

Noah & Megan are boring. I like that he got one over on Maurice, but they have no chemistry (especially compared to his relationships with Alex & Star).

Maurice needs to be naked more.

Cotton needs to punch Cassie in the neck. Repeatedly.

Mateo & his wife are annoying.

Poor Carlotta has been through the wringer.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Dee

[FlyHighSky]

Hello, I'm new to this forum but I've been watching Star since the beginning. I will admit that sometimes the plot lines are frustrating because they aren't fully fleshed out and the story has holes periodically, but overall it's an entertaining show with great music and high drama. Particularly in the beginning, I know the actors were maligned for bad acting but I thing they're all very good at what they do, especially considering how different they are from their characters in real life; and they've only gotten better with time. Even the less experienced actors (like Amiyah Scott and Ms. Lawrence) have improved drastically.

 

Carlotta's story line this season is breaking my heart. I'm glad she is finally going away to get the help and relaxation she needs. And while many viewers can't stand Cassie, I'm enjoying the dynamic she brings the show. The tension between the two sisters is entertaining to watch. I know killing your sister's husband is an insurmountable hill to climb, but I hope by the end of the season they will be in a better place. I really think Cassie can turn her life around, even though everyone is expecting her to fail. I kind of wish Cassie would have pulled the trigger on Maurice though. He's a snake who has no loyalty except to himself. If a character has to die this season, he is at the top of my list.

 

Happy that Cotton finally knows about her aunt's involvement in Jahil's death. I just hope Cotton doesn't do anything stupid, but she's been known to be impulsive. I also wonder if we will see or hear anything else about her relationship with her son's mother. Obviously, the mother let's Jayden spend time with Cotton, but we have no idea if the mother is on good terms with her.

 

I'm loving seeing more of Ms. Bruce this season. She's still shady and quick with the witty one-liners, but's its great seeing her more involved with Take 3's career and gravity records in general. Also, getting more background on the character has only made me appreciate and love her more.

 

When Season 3 premiered, Simone really stood out to me. I thought she would really get a chance to shine this season. I think she still will, but the last couple of episodes, she has taken a backseat to Star and Alex's drama. I do like the chemistry she has with Nina. You can tell they genuinely like and care about each other, whether it turns into more or not. If only we could get rid of Mateo. Besides replacing Ayanna as the owner of the record label, his character adds nothing to the show. I could care less about him wanting to take over Atlanta or his gambling problem.

 

Star...sigh. My least favorite character. I really can't stand the whole baby story line but I understand they're doing it to accommodate Jude's real pregnancy. I just hope the baby's father really is Jackson and that they don't try to pull a fast one and make it Noah's at the last minute. I wonder if she will ever truly have it out with Simone and Alex and apologize. Alex and Simone aren't saints either but Star always lets her selfishness guide her, and when she hurts people she just expects them to get over it. They did seem to be coming together at the end of last episode, but unless they address the issues they have with each other, it will just blow up in their faces again. I LOVE the way Star had Alex's back in the last episode though, regarding crazy Olivia. Like she said, they're family and whether they're fighting or not, they have each other's back when it comes to outsiders. Now, if only they could stop hurting each other, especially Star. But I will give her props and say Star really is a loyal and true friend (as long as it doesn't interfere with her ambition and/or ego). And it only took her one episode to handle Olivia as opposed to it taking Derek three. Speaking of...

 

I knew that if Derek and Alex got back together, it wouldn't be the same, nor should it be. But something is not right. Alex is clearly not in her right mind with PTSD from the plane crash, but instead of leaning into Derek for extra support, she is just going through the motions. Derek is still the supportive boyfriend, but he seems so passive. In the first season, he risked jeopardizing his own case so that the cop who roughed up Alex would be reported. This season, he immediately knew something was wrong with Oliva, but other that voice his opinion, he just sat back and didn't do anything. And then when he finally tried to research Oliva's background, it was because Star told him too. Star had to tell him to call the number he found and before that he just assumed Alex was okay even though he hadn't heard from her all day. I know Derek is going through a tough time with grandma Ruby's rape, but something is off between the two of them.

 

Last but not least, Noah. I don't mind him with Megan but I agree there is no real chemistry. I think Megan will use Noah to make Maurice sweat it out a little more before she either goes back to him or leaves town all together. And where does that leave Noah? I don't know. But I do find it interesting that he and Alex have yet to share one scene all season. It took the last episode for the characters to even acknowledge each other's existence. That can't be a coincidence considering how integral their relationship was to last season. I guess we'll have to keep watching to find out what it means.

 

Sorry for the long post, but I'm just excited to find a place with people who like the same I show I do and are willing to discuss it.

[KWalkerInc]

I'm surprised that I ended up liking the show so much, because I didn't even watch the pilot episode when it first aired.  The reviews made it sound very dark--which it is, of course--and I decided to watch SNL Christmas instead and save Star to watch on demand (plus an ice storm knocked out the power right at 9 PM, so even though it immediately came back on until going out for a while several hours later, I would have been too freaked out to enjoy the show).  Then I ended up putting off the show until several other episodes had aired, and I wasn't exactly impressed when I did watch, but it seemed to be getting better, so I got caught up and started watching in real time around episode 4 or so.

It could be possible for Cassie to turn things around, but it would take a lot to win over Carlotta at this point.  Carlotta also has a lot of issues in her past, but I don't think she ever ordered hits or just shot a guy in the head point blank.  There can't really be sufficient consequences for that and still have Cassie on the show, so that's where some of the annoyance comes from.  It seems like she is in more scenes than anyone, and often not with the other main characters.  Just in general, they seem to add in new characters, then give those characters their own plots with additional new characters.  That's how it ends up with Simone having almost nothing to do compared to the first two seasons.  Maybe that will change, but I didn't read the synopses of the next few shows, just skimmed to try to see if Carlotta was mentioned.

I don't remember Maurice mentioning his football days last season, but he does it so often now that it almost reminds me of Al Bundy on Married...With Children, although Maurice actually went pro and was a success, not just a guy who scored 4 TDs in a game in high school.  I guess they felt he needed a back story or to help explain the success of the club as him being a popular ex-athlete.

Star as a character can be a lot to handle, but she seems to have worn me down, even though she never really changes all that much.  I also hope Jackson is actually the father, that they don't say that Star lied about it or miscalculated or something.  She is in a good enough place with Noah right now that she probably would have told him the truth if he were the father. 

Your mention of Derek and the cop who roughed up Alex reminded me that I used to be sure that the car accident that left Derek paralyzed was intentional because someone wanted to quiet him after he went to the reporter about that cop.  I don't know if they ever intended that or if it got dropped when they kept changing showrunners.  I don't even remember Derek's case officially being resolved.  I remember when he was bailed out, but I thought it was still pending then.  I guess the lawyer found the video that proved he didn't do anything wrong and it was dropped?

[FlyHighSky]

Yeah, the only way Cassie could possibly get back in Carlotta's good graces, at this point, would to be to put her life on line. Even if she doesn't die, she would have to show that she is willing to to make things right. I agree with you about there being too many characters. The main cast keeps growing each season and the guest stars get so much camera time, they might as well be regulars. I wonder how they even make that decision of who gets regular VS recurring status.

 

I don't remember hearing about Maurice's football past until this season either. And now he mentions it every chance he gets. I can understand trying to build a backstory for his character but it makes no sense to me. We already know he's ambitious and ruthless by the underhanded moves he pulled towards the end of last season. And we didn't need to know he played football to introduce his ex-wife either. People cheat for all kinds of reasons. They could've used Natalie (Megan Goode) as explanation for the demise of his marriage. It would have showed a pattern of him not being able to resist her, since he cheated on Carlotta with her.

 

Star does have her moments, but every time I want to let my guard down and root for her a little, she inevitably does something to remind me of why she gets on my nerves. I will say she probably is not a bad as Star haters thinks she is, but when she does messes it, she messed up terribly. And I agree, if Noah is the father (Please, NO!!!), I think it will be more of a miscalculation than her flat out lying to Noah. Stoah (Star and Noah) fans keep mentioning how great their chemistry is, and I agree they have a great chemistry....as friends. I feel like they've been so much, they can confide in each other but are over any lingering romantic feelings. Or at least, I hope so.

 

Regarding Derek, they never mentioned his case again after he and Alex were in the car accident. I just assumed the tape evidence finally showed up and cleared him. There is a lot regarding Derek's problems that the writers never really explained. For example, the show never mentioned Derek suing the driver that hit him. But after he and Alex broke up, they started mentioning a settlement check. Derek mentioned it when he asked Ruby about paying for a new physical therapist and then again when he realized his grandmother never told him the check arrived and she spending it without his permission. On a side note: how was she able to cash and/or spend his check unless she deposited the check into a joint bank account they share? These are minor details that don't really affect the main story lines, so it doesn't really bother me that much, but there are definite holes in the story that force you to make assumptions or leave you with unanswered questions.

[Dee]

I love Noah & Star's relationship.

[KWalkerInc]

On the downside, there was, as expected, no Carlotta; but on the other hand, they had more shirtless men than ever.  That definitely helped.  The most gratuitous was having Cassie rip open Maurice's shirt to "look for a wire."  I didn't guess that Derek would turn out to be the informant even though they dropped a hint in the "previously" scenes by showing his arrest for the fight again.  I was mad about the idea that they would make him a cheater too, so I didn't think about it.  I wonder if they will explain how he is getting inside info when he already got into trouble with that gang for asking questions, so you'd think they'd be onto him.  If that was supposed to be a cliffhanger about Alex, of course they spoil it in the previews, just like when Carlotta wandered off into danger and they showed her in the hospital in the previews. 

I really like Star and Noah as friends and liked them as a potential couple last season (I think I like her more with Jackson).  They have their share of fans, so I'm guessing that with having Star actually happy with Jackson and accepting a relationship at the moment, and Noah with Megan (though that seems like a bad idea when it almost already had him off the wagon), they might have something happen where the baby isn't really Jackson's after all to set up more drama.  I hope it won't be stupid though.  When Noah went to Megan's house, I thought he was going to talk to his dad or Bruce (it was dark so I couldn't tell what house it was) and find them together and be upset.

There are so many characters on the show that sometimes I think I should write down their names, and I think Mateo's wife is Nina, so I hope I'm not confusing her with someone else.  I liked the scene where Simone explained to her why she wanted to do the movie to have something of her own.  And it was hilarious when she kept commenting on having to kiss her sister's baby-daddy.  "I want to gag" and "I know where that mouth has been!"  Simone is at least getting a divorce, but I'm sure Nina can't because it's complicated, and I hope they won't spend too much time explaining her ties to Mateo because it will probably be boring, and there's enough eye candy that I don't need Mateo to have a lot of scenes because he bugs me.

I was getting really annoyed with Lil Dini or whatever his name is, just thinking he'd be around spouting his crap all the time as we wait for the festival that will probably never happen.  I was pleasantly surprised when they discredited and embarrassed him so quickly, with Bruce's help.  I had found it odd that he just sat there while Star insulted him and threw water in his face, but it made sense once it turned out that he wasn't all that tough.

The Cassie/Cotton confrontation was well-done, and I knew Cotton wouldn't shoot her, not just because of Brandy's status in the credits, but because Cotton had restrained herself from killing her prison lover whose name I can't remember right now (I wonder if that guy is alive or if Cassie had him killed like she said).  Omari, maybe?  Of course this was even more painful because, as she said, Jahil was the only man to really accept her.  I just wish the whole thing hadn't ended with a hug though.  And I hope that Cotton won't be constantly trying to urge Carlotta (whenever we see her again, maybe spring?) to forgive Cassie after the "you can bring us back together" comment from Cassie.

Chad Michael Murray is so miscast.  At least he was only in the one scene, presenting the info about there being an informant.