S01.E10: Always Forward, Never Back

[Drogo]

The long-awaited showdown between con artists and the FBI unfolds as Patrick and Maddie say "I do" in the Season 1 finale.

[DeeplyShallow]

I. Love. This. Show.

Cool ending, so bummed that season 1 is over!

[PortaBella]

Am I correct in the following assumptions? Maddie was left with no money and no ring even though she expected to have one or both?  They got back at max for what he did to Sally? Does this have a second season because if not, it was anticlimactic to say the least. Lenny Cohen told to go get the five of them?  Was the guy Lenny was admonishing someone we were supposed to know? 

[portfino]

I thought the ending was fitting. Maddie got away with it, but the Imposters got the ring. I do hope that it gets a second season.

[Michichick]

13 minutes ago, PortaBella said:

Am I correct in the following assumptions? Maddie was left with no money and no ring even though she expected to have one or both?  They got back at max for what he did to Sally? Does this have a second season because if not, it was anticlimactic to say the least. Lenny Cohen told to go get the five of them?  Was the guy Lenny was admonishing someone we were supposed to know? 

Yes, Maddie was left with no money and no ring. I believe she only expected to have the ring. She left the fake money for Max with a note telling him she did it for Sally, so that means she intended for the FBI to keep the money and Max to be left with nothing. They had mentioned in a previous episode that the ring was worth a million so she was probably satisfied with that.

There will be a second season. We weren't supposed to know the guy Lenny was threatening.

i found this episode to be entirely satisfying even if there weren't going to be a season two. I'm delighted that the amateur cons got the best of Maddie and the FBI will assume she's the one who stole the ring. I will just hand-wave the fact that the FBI knows who Ezra is and it looks awfully suspicious that he just disappeared from the wedding.

[DeeplyShallow]

The guy wasn't someone that we know, it was just a scene to re-introduce Lenny Cohen. I am assuming that the plan was to give the money back to Patrick and to screw over Max. Maddie is on her own to start over, looks like she was a little proud of the three for pulling one over on her (the ring).

the only thing is- would the FBI be that stupid? Still enjoyed it, but was a bit perplexed about the bumbling agents.

[taragel]

I so enjoyed this show and really hope we get a second season. The last reveal with Ezra and the ring was really fantastic. (I also liked that it ended up being Jules running away in the dress/getting on the boat.) I didn't quite understand why Maddie didn't take the money and while part of me is glad for Ezra's triumph, part of me wanted Maddie to pull it all off and escape again (with the ring and the money). I expected when Max found the note that he would look up and Lenny would be there, so I'm glad that she showed up at the end there at least. 

The Maddie backstory was also surprisingly mundane. I thought it was going to be her conning the cousin to get revenge but....sleeping with him is a little weird but I don't know that it landed as a real revenge? Though I read some of the showrunners' post mortems and I guess the intention was just that she could pull something like that off out of boredom, which...ok. (I do like that they didn't want to give her some traumatic event like a rape to turn her into a "bad" girl.) 

If we do get a season 2, hopefully we get more of Uma Thurman than we did this season as well.

[dleighg]

So how did the money-non-switch happen? I thought Jules was supposed to do the swap (I assume the fire was to conceal what she was doing?) So how did the brick-bag end up in the art piece that was wheeled outside? If Jules didn't do the swap, she would know that the fake was still in there. If she did the swap, who swapped it back, and when?

[Laurie4H]

Wouldn't the FBI be smart enough to know that Max was impersonating the Dr?

[ivygirl]

1 hour ago, Laurie4H said:

Wouldn't the FBI be smart enough to know that Max was impersonating the Dr?

And the cops as well? I was mystified that they didn't stop to think that hey, maybe the guy on the lam had a disguise, so don't just wave him through because he now has hair, even though he's in the car that you've been chasing for blocks. 

I was a bit underwhelmed by this conclusion as well. They did a good job of tying it all together, but I don't feel satisfied the way I do with other season-ending episodes of shows I've loved. It's a tough balance to provide both closure for that season and curiosity for the next, but I feel this leaned a little more on curiosity and less on closure... maybe to create more demand for a second season ;) -- which I'd definitely want.

[kacesq]

2 hours ago, dleighg said:

So how did the money-non-switch happen? I thought Jules was supposed to do the swap (I assume the fire was to conceal what she was doing?) So how did the brick-bag end up in the art piece that was wheeled outside? If Jules didn't do the swap, she would know that the fake was still in there. If she did the swap, who swapped it back, and when?

At one point, I think we saw Richard swap the briefcases - I think when the burnt case was dragged outside and Jules and Gina were arguing. But what confused me was there had to be two swaps right? First, they had to swap the real money case with the white ribbon on for the fake one in the art piece. But then they had to swap it back so that the FBI got the case with the money back at the end? I don't know which switch Richard did.

I loved, loved, loved this show and am so glad I took a chance on it.  I thought the ending was excellent.  I kept worrying throughout the season that 1, they wouldn't be able to tie this up, and 2, they couldn't do a second season.   I was pleasantly surprised that they managed to do both for me.  I loved that the three exes not only got away with it (at least for now) but got the ring as well.  That was an excellent twist.  My favorite part about this season was watching that relationship grow, so it was very satisfying to see the three of them on the bus at the end, reasonably happy with each other.

I loved the use of Lenny Cohen. I was a bit concerned that she might play a bigger role in the finale, and I loved her but didn't want her to take it over.  And she didn't.  Love that if there's a season 2, she's been positioned to be back and maybe have a bigger role.

Loved that Max got screwed.  For Sally.  He deserved it, especially after calling the exes "bumblers."  Apparently not so bumbling, Max, apparently not.

So did Maddie have real feelings for Ezra given the makeout session in the church?  What about Gina and Jules?  What's going to happen to Patrick now that he's thoroughly screwed this up for the FBI?

I also loved that we got very little of the actual doctor.  That's something that can play out in Season 2.
 

So for me, if there is no Season 2, I'm satisfied with this ending.  If there is a season 2, there's lots to work with.  Yay Bravo! I came for the Real Housewives but now am here for the scripted.  Well, Imposters and Odd Mom Out at least. :)

[dhilde85]

I wonder how the Doctor found out what was going on/that the FBI is involved. Did Max report back to him? 

[Snewtsie]

16 hours ago, DeeplyShallow said:

I. Love. This. Show.

Cool ending, so bummed that season 1 is over!

I agree!!!!  I love this show!!!!

[Snewtsie]

6 minutes ago, Snewtsie said:

I agree!!!!  I love this show!!!!

The great thing is... season 2 can go in so many different directions.  Will the 3 amigos be the primary characters, with the assumption Maddie got to start over somewhere (outside of the grifter life)?, will we see more of Patrick?, will we learn that Sally is actually alive somewhere?, will it be revealed the Doctor had in informant in the FBI all along?... just thoughts on how the writers can take the story forward.  It will be hard to wait to find out...!

[rejnel]

Very satisfying finale! Loved it. 

I guess one plot hole that I'm only catching now: why would Patrick and the FBI get a real and very expensive ring for Maddie? Maybe because she would know if it were fake, or would be likely to get it appraised?

I hope they never give us more than very small doses of Lenny Cohen. One or two appearances a season is plenty.

Edited to add: I really appreciate that all the twists made sense and they didn't pull something like having Richard being FBI or Maddie's mom being the Doctor. 

Edited April 12, 2017 by rejnel

[PumpkinPK]

With the Maddie flashback to her conning her cousin as a child, and the subsequent wedding flashbacks of Richard, Ezra and Jules, half of this episode was totally wasted.

[Athena5217]

Did Maddie have with with her cousin or just make out with him? I'm trying to determine how grossed out I need to be.

She claims she can be whoever she wants, but her con is always the same--she's always someone's fantasy woman. That's not freeing--it's letting someone else define you. Even when she's not playing a role, she's still doing what the doctor wants.

[Laurie4H]

On a side shallow note....is Maddie really supposed to that beautiful?  Maybe I'm in the minority but while I agree the actress is attractive I don't think she is a striking beauty that everyone would automatically be so drawn to her....but then again it's more about how she became the women they wanted and could be whatever she wanted to be.

I really really enjoyed this show and I hope there is second season. 

Edited April 13, 2017 by Laurie4H

[Jillybean]

5 hours ago, Laurie4H said:

On a side shallow note....is Maddie really supposed to that beautiful?  Maybe I'm in the minority but while I agree the actress is attractive I don't think she is a striking beauty that everyone would automatically be so drawn to her....but then again it's more about how she became the women they wanted and could be whatever she wanted to be.

This is the exact thing I have been saying to Mr. Jillybean. She's pretty, but nothing special in terms of looks. Her demeanor and chameleon qualities is what draws people in. I actually thought she looked pretty haggard in the wedding dress. 15-y-o Maddie was downright creepy and perhaps a budding sociopath.

Personally, I have been hate-watching for the past few weeks, because the show got more and more far-fetched and downright ludicrous as it went on.  I could list all the implausible plot points, but I understand an argument can be made that it's escapist TV. I don't plan to be back for S2.

[taragel]

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I think Levi is drop-dead gorgeous, she reminds me a little of Audrey Tautou in her Amelie days. (Although I recently read an interview with her that made it clear she was surprised to be cast because she didn't think she was beautiful enough to play Maddie.) 

I thought the 15-year-old they cast as young Maddie was not a match lookswise, let's say. Interviews with the showrunners called the bit with her cousin "a make-out session" but I distinctly heard pants being unbuckled/zipped before he said "You've done this before?" so...uh, I assumed they took it further (esp. the smash-cut to him grinning at the dinner table.)

[Snewtsie]

2 hours ago, taragel said:

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I think Levi is drop-dead gorgeous, she reminds me a little of Audrey Tautou in her Amelie days. (Although I recently read an interview with her that made it clear she was surprised to be cast because she didn't think she was beautiful enough to play Maddie.) 

I thought the 15-year-old they cast as young Maddie was not a match lookswise, let's say. Interviews with the showrunners called the bit with her cousin "a make-out session" but I distinctly heard pants being unbuckled/zipped before he said "You've done this before?" so...uh, I assumed they took it further (esp. the smash-cut to him grinning at the dinner table.)

I'm also in the camp that the actress who plays Maddie is drop dead gorgeous.  I think she has a quality that is mesmerizing, yet uniquely relate-able at the same time.  I truly believe she was perfectly cast for the role. ... That said, I was surprised how underwhelming I found her to be in her finale wedding dress.

The whole scene with her cousin grossed me out.  I wish they hadn't taken it there.

[dhilde85]

I agree- she's gorgeous. It's all about the charm though and making the target feel special. As she tells Richard, "You were never in love with me. You were in love with who you were when you were with me." This is what she does best because Maddie herself doesn't know who she is. It's like the movie "Runaway Bride" where Julia's character liked whatever her husbands liked. She didn't know herself. 

[psychoticstate]

I think the actress who plays Maddie is very pretty but it's more how she becomes what her targets want.  Remember, most of them are marks so she's been given information about them.  Remember Saffron's boss?  She took up darts in order to align herself with him and make herself more attractive.  That's what she's done with all of them, I'm sure.

I thought she looked terrible in all the wedding flashbacks.  Maybe since all the marriages are a sham, she doesn't bother making herself look special or extra pretty.  

I did like the finale.  The FBI did come across a bit like the Keystone Cops. I think they would probably have agents watching the outside of the church, to see who is coming and going and would probably have their own people being "security."  

I'm glad Richard didn't jack anything up. 

Maddie seemed to insinuate that Patrick is already married?  Anyone? 

Funny that Maddie is waiting around Seattle, looking totally like herself.  You'd think she'd put on a hat or cut her hair or slap a wig on or something because she has to know that the Doctor is going to be coming for her (not to mention everyone looking for her). 

Looks like the FBI is going to be after Maddie, Max and the Scooby Gang, Max will be after Maddie, Maddie will be after the Scooby Gang and Lenny will be after everyone. 

I'm in for season 2. 

[dhilde85]

55 minutes ago, psychoticstate said:

I think the actress who plays Maddie is very pretty but it's more how she becomes what her targets want.  Remember, most of them are marks so she's been given information about them.  Remember Saffron's boss?  She took up darts in order to align herself with him and make herself more attractive.  That's what she's done with all of them, I'm sure.

I thought she looked terrible in all the wedding flashbacks.  Maybe since all the marriages are a sham, she doesn't bother making herself look special or extra pretty.  

I did like the finale.  The FBI did come across a bit like the Keystone Cops. I think they would probably have agents watching the outside of the church, to see who is coming and going and would probably have their own people being "security."  

I'm glad Richard didn't jack anything up. 

Maddie seemed to insinuate that Patrick is already married?  Anyone? 

Funny that Maddie is waiting around Seattle, looking totally like herself.  You'd think she'd put on a hat or cut her hair or slap a wig on or something because she has to know that the Doctor is going to be coming for her (not to mention everyone looking for her). 

Looks like the FBI is going to be after Maddie, Max and the Scooby Gang, Max will be after Maddie, Maddie will be after the Scooby Gang and Lenny will be after everyone. 

I'm in for season 2. 

I think she was just grilling him, trying to turn the tables, but I'm not sure... 

[Snewtsie]

1 hour ago, psychoticstate said:

Maddie seemed to insinuate that Patrick is already married?  Anyone? 

She jumped to that conclusion after she asked and he didn't immediately deny it.  She's a con artist, so she's at expert at reading people and believed his silence was a tell-tale sign that he was indeed married.  I think he was just trying to be smart and not give her too much info about his personal life.   He seemed a little annoyed later when he said, "I never told you I was married."  She shot back, "you never denied it."... something like that, at least. 

1 hour ago, psychoticstate said:

Funny that Maddie is waiting around Seattle, looking totally like herself.  You'd think she'd put on a hat or cut her hair or slap a wig on or something because she has to know that the Doctor is going to be coming for her (not to mention everyone looking for her). 

Yeah- funny she didn't at least have a baseball cap on, but I don't think she was staying in Seattle.  I think she was tempted to join the group on the bus, but smartly chose not to.  After their bus departed, I assumed she was heading into the terminal to buy her own ticket somewhere to start over fresh.... probably taking several different modes of transportation until she finally finds a very random location she feels will be safe.

[taragel]

10 hours ago, Snewtsie said:

I'm also in the camp that the actress who plays Maddie is drop dead gorgeous.  I think she has a quality that is mesmerizing, yet uniquely relate-able at the same time.  I truly believe she was perfectly cast for the role. ... That said, I was surprised how underwhelming I found her to be in her finale wedding dress.

The whole scene with her cousin grossed me out.  I wish they hadn't taken it there.

That very first shot of her looking in the mirror in the dress....she did look uncharacteristically rough there. I actually wondered if they made her up to play her looks down in that bit since they were cutting back to the flashback Maddie. When it came back from the flashback and through the rest of the ep though...I thought she looked better/like her usual lovely self. 

[shang yiet]

Glad the scooby gang got away with their scheme and that Max got his comeuppance for what he did to Sally. The FBI does come off as keystone cops stupid though and Max was dumb not to check the contents of the briefcase first.

OK, let me work out the plot. The original plan was for Max, Maddie and the three exes to divide up the money but when Maddie found out about Sally, she and the exes came up with this alternative plan to screw Max and forget about the money.  Then she was supposed to steal the ring and share it with the exes but Ezra got there first, meaning he didn't trust her completely. And yet they seemed disappointed she didn't show up in the end.

The briefcase. It was supposed to be swapped but after Maddie found out about Sally, they decided to let the FBI keep the money and just pretended to swap the briefcase.

But why were the exes going to San Francisco and what were they planning to do there?

[UncleChuck]

Quote

On 4/11/2017 at 10:41 PM, taragel said:

If we do get a season 2, hopefully we get more of Uma Thurman than we did this season as well.

Mixed emotions about that.  I llike Uma Thurman but Lenny Cohen don't play.  If/when she catches up to Maddie/Max/exes...there will be no cat and mouse games--no trickery--no fooling.  If Lenny shows up, one (or all) of our characters is in deep doo-doo.

[Rus-L]

On ‎4‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 11:06 PM, PortaBella said:

Was the guy Lenny was admonishing someone we were supposed to know? 

In either episode 8 or 9, the FBI talks about how the Doctor is running these scams all over the country.  Thus, I assume that means the Doctor has multiple con cells operating at the same time.  When Lenny was talking to that guy, I took it as he was part of another con cell that screwed something up (remember, Lenny is only called in when someone "isn't doing their job").  Other than that, we're not supposed to know him.

On ‎4‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 11:26 PM, Michichick said:

I found this episode to be entirely satisfying even if there weren't going to be a season two. I'm delighted that the amateur cons got the best of Maddie and the FBI will assume she's the one who stole the ring. I will just hand-wave the fact that the FBI knows who Ezra is and it looks awfully suspicious that he just disappeared from the wedding.

I agree.  If this had been the series finale, I would have been okay with the various endings, while also leaving enough open (but not too much of a cliffhanger) to have a second season if need be -- and it turns out, happily, we are getting that second season.

On ‎4‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 9:43 AM, shang yiet said:

Max was dumb not to check the contents of the briefcase first.

Max was in quite the hurry to get the briefcase in the car and take off.  He didn't have time to check it first.  Thus, whenever he had the time, it would have been too late.

[Rus-L]

On 4/12/2017 at 10:24 AM, Laurie4H said:

Wouldn't the FBI be smart enough to know that Max was impersonating the Dr?

The FBI had very few, grainy photos of the Doctor, and none were "complete."  It was easy to impersonate the Doctor.

On 4/13/2017 at 3:10 PM, Snewtsie said:

The whole scene with her cousin grossed me out.  I wish they hadn't taken it there.

I'm almost positive one of the characters mentioned that Danny was Maddie's second cousin.  And if I'm correct, you are allowed to marry your second cousin.  So, no need to be (too) grossed out.  LOL

EDIT: I looked it up.  I can't believe about half the states actually allow first cousins to marry (I thought only Canada did), and only some of those with restrictions.  All but one state allows cousins beyond first cousins to marry.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Rus-L

[Rus-L]

On ‎4‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 11:32 AM, ivygirl said:

And the cops as well? I was mystified that they didn't stop to think that hey, maybe the guy on the lam had a disguise, so don't just wave him through because he now has hair, even though he's in the car that you've been chasing for blocks.

When Max put the briefcase in the trunk, there was another license plate on the bottom of the trunk.

They didn't have his car in sight the whole time, and the cops never saw him, just the FBI.  Besides, he had to have time to stop and remove (and I assume discard) his disguise.  At that point, he would have swapped license plates.  So, if the cops were suspicious based on just the description of the car, when they pulled him over, the plates would not have matched whatever the FBI told them and then when they saw his face didn't match the photos, they would have assumed they totally got the wrong car.

[Anela]

I'm glad I found this show, and am now sad that I have to wait a couple of months for the new season (and will have to watch one episode per week, instead of a few at a time). 

I don't think the FBI would be that stupid - they knew they were involved with several con artists. They kind of lost me a bit with that, but at least they left the money with the FBI, and the bumblers got the ring (?). What I like most about the show, is the friendship between them. 

[Joimiaroxeu]

So in order to make this work they had to turn two of the FBI agents into saps?

Why would the FBI have used a real diamond? There are lab-created stones (not cubic zirconia) that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing absent scientific tests.

I arrived late to the Imposters party but I'm looking forward to the second season. I hope though that Maddie will have left Seattle because I don't want to see her and Patrick dancing around having a real relationship. He'll be lucky if he doesn't lose his job because of her and he knows he can't trust her.

[RHJunkie]

On 2/21/2018 at 10:31 AM, Joimiaroxeu said:

So in order to make this work they had to turn two of the FBI agents into saps?

Why would the FBI have used a real diamond? There are lab-created stones (not cubic zirconia) that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing absent scientific tests.

I arrived late to the Imposters party but I'm looking forward to the second season. I hope though that Maddie will have left Seattle because I don't want to see her and Patrick dancing around having a real relationship. He'll be lucky if he doesn't lose his job because of her and he knows he can't trust her.

I felt the opposite about how they handled the FBI agents. I don't think their downfall was that they became saps. I saw their downfall as being a testament to how good the amateurs worked together. Patrick wouldn't have been compromised had it not been for Richard accidentally discovering who he is and more importantly, if the trio hadn't participated in their own criminal activities in order to get to Seattle, they would have never thought to team up with Maddie to escape the FBI. As for Patrick's partner, both agents saw nothing to incriminate Jules so they saw her a pawn being used by Ezra. Jules had to tail her in order to confirm that they were right about her, but she was already at a disadvantage because Jules already knew her true identity which made manipulating her all the more easy.

As for the real diamond, I guess they may not have wanted to take any chances seeing as how they were dealing with professional con artists. I would have assumed that they would have had their own intelligence responsible for making all of the arrangements internally (purchases, accommodations) so that the agent is only needing to focus on playing their part but not like I know much about the FBI, lol.

I'm also a bit late to the party as I just marathoned Season 1 over the past few days. Loved it. I thought all of the twists made sense and I really do love the end where Ezra made out with the ring. I wonder if Maddie realizes that Ezra took it or if she thinks that Patrick got it before she did. Patrick isn't very smart to think that the ring was safe when he opened the safe in front of her. He knew what a good con artist she was, why wouldn't he think that the safe was compromised the moment she knew where it was?

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

Patrick wouldn't have been compromised had it not been for Richard accidentally discovering who he is

Patrick parked a relatively high-profile car right in front of the FBI building and strutted in there in broad daylight like he didn't have a care in the world. Why would he not have used a back, underground, or otherwise private entrance? Arrogant and sloppy, IMO.

Quote

As for Patrick's partner, both agents saw nothing to incriminate Jules so they saw her a pawn being used by Ezra. Jules had to tail her in order to confirm that they were right about her, but she was already at a disadvantage because Jules already knew her true identity which made manipulating her all the more easy.

Patrick's partner could have tried being professional and not falling for someone associated with a criminal she was actively investigating. There was always a chance her personal association with Jules could compromise the case.

Quote

As for the real diamond, I guess they may not have wanted to take any chances seeing as how they were dealing with professional con artists.

There are lab-created diamonds that chemically are almost indistinguishable from real diamonds without special equipment. It just doesn't make sense to me that the agency would take such a risk when it could've been easily prevented. I don't blame Patrick for it, but I am wondering why his boss okayed the unnecessary expense. The only way it makes sense to me is if it was a ring they got when they arrested someone else and it didn't actually cost the agency any money.

I think Patrick left himself just open enough to get played, and his partner pretty much offered herself up. They should've never trusted Maddie or any of her "gang" and probably should've abandoned the whole thing as soon as they knew they'd been made.

As far as The Doctor was concerned, how were they ever going to verify they had the right person? Fingerprints? Apparently they barely knew what he looked like since Max impersonated him so easily and Maddie had never met him. Seems like the whole case had holes big enough to drive tanks through. But I get that the show has to be plotted this way because the star is Maddie.

Edited February 26, 2018 by Joimiaroxeu

[HunterHunted]

Patrick's boss kept claiming that this was so expensive, but typically wouldn't they use seized items to pull off Patrick's life--seized diamond, seized car, seized jet, seized caviar. That way the only thing costing you are the staff salaries, maybe the house, and some day in and day out food costs. Heck, her birthday party should have been filled with FBI agents as cater waiters.

[jhlipton]

No love for the "Uncle Albert" reference.  I'm not a huge Wings fan and I got it.

On 2/26/2018 at 3:26 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

Patrick's partner could have tried being professional and not falling for someone associated with a criminal she was actively investigating. There was always a chance her personal association with Jules could compromise the case

I got the impression that Gina was seducing Jules to determine if Jules was a "player" or a "civilian".  meanwhile, Jules was seducing Gina to throw her off guard.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

I got the impression that Gina was seducing Jules to determine if Jules was a "player" or a "civilian".  meanwhile, Jules was seducing Gina to throw her off guard.

That's what she was supposed to be doing but I think she actually started catching feelings for Jules. It made her willfully blind and miss how Jules was using Gina's trust against her in service of the con.

[jhlipton]

5 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

That's what she was supposed to be doing but I think she actually started catching feelings for Jules. It made her willfully blind and miss how Jules was using Gina's trust against her in service of the con.

A perfect parallel with Patrick, then?

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

 A perfect parallel with Patrick, then?

Yep, pretty much, IMO.

[Hovencloof]

This was a really clever show up to the last two episodes, as I see it. Perhaps I am missing something. They set up the wedding so that somehow a briefcase with a million dollars in cash is  at the reception hall next to the church. No sane person would do this, in my opinion. Gifts of money would be transferred in the form of a check or more likely an electronic transfer in real life.  Why would this be done at a wedding? I just don't get it. The grotesquely expensive ring is also something I would question. A million dollar ring would be very hard to fence, I would think.

I like to think the FBI is a bit more clever than this.

On 2/26/2018 at 7:17 PM, HunterHunted said:

Patrick's boss kept claiming that this was so expensive, but typically wouldn't they use seized items to pull off Patrick's life--seized diamond, seized car, seized jet, seized caviar. That way the only thing costing you are the staff salaries, maybe the house, and some day in and day out food costs. Heck, her birthday party should have been filled with FBI agents as cater waiters.

I would assume that in real life, Richard would have a difficult time landing a job as a waiter/valet/gofer.

Edited March 16, 2018 by Hovencloof

[HunterHunted]

On 3/16/2018 at 4:10 PM, Hovencloof said:

This was a really clever show up to the last two episodes, as I see it. Perhaps I am missing something. They set up the wedding so that somehow a briefcase with a million dollars in cash is  at the reception hall next to the church. No sane person would do this, in my opinion. Gifts of money would be transferred in the form of a check or more likely an electronic transfer in real life.  Why would this be done at a wedding? I just don't get it.

Because all parties (the FBI, Maddie, and Ezra) mutually knew that their covers had been blown, relatively speaking. At that point, there was no need to continue to act like a regular person or proceed as if this was a normal situation because it wasn't. However, you are correct that a briefcase full of money would have made the Doctor wary and that wariness should have been anticipated by the FBI. The thing that gets me about the million in cash is that the Doctor should expect that the FBI has recorded every serial number of every bill. It either makes the Doctor insanely stupid or scarily competent with a wide ranging operation that can easily distribute the bills all over the globe to make the bills harder to track.

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The grotesquely expensive ring is also something I would question. A million dollar ring would be very hard to fence, I would think.

I like to think the FBI is a bit more clever than this.

You can always cut the diamond into smaller stones. However, the entire diamond business is so dirty and shady that diamonds are probably a lot easier to fence than we realize. Considering that the entire high end art market has become entirely too susceptible to money laundering, I don't think it's too hard to sell a high end diamond. Heck, Charles Taylor gave Naomi Campbell a bunch of blood diamonds at Nelson Mandela's house. She didn't seem too concerned with their provenance because the diamond business is crazy dirty. So crazy dirty and criminal. 

Yes, the FBI should be more clever than this.

Edited March 22, 2018 by HunterHunted

[crgirl412]

I need to re-watch some episodes before the new season starts!  I'm forgetting things!

[Myrrhine]

Just catching up now on this. I really liked the finale of season one and was pleased with the wrap up for the characters, and I’m hesitant to start the second season since I’m sure everything is in turmoil again. 

It was my (perhaps flawed) understanding that they did not include the doctor in their plan. I thought they never planned to tell him about the fbi. (Or of course the $$ the FBI thought was doctor-bait)  . I thought Max always just told him the wedding was on, and they would be on their regular schedule of draining Patrick’s bank accounts in no time.