Good Girls - General Discussion

[Anela]

By the end, I thought the cousin was part of the plan to get Beth to set him up, and then have him released. The cousin encouraged her to do the right thing.  

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, qtpye said:

My guess is that Rio is the Thug Life looking one that actually has a heart of gold (sort of...he did commit petty crimes).

He also murders innocent people like Lucy. But I guess we're still supposed to believe he's the "good" one since in the childhood flashback his egg sank to the bottom of the bowl.

[tennisgurl]

I thought the backstory of how Rio got into crime was actually pretty interesting, the actor playing teen Rio really nailed his mannerisms, and I am curious about the relationship between Rio and his cousin/brother. So Rio is the obvious "thug life" type on the streets while his cousin/brother is the respectable citizen who is the real mastermind? Or they're partners and Rio is the face of the business, while Nick is handling things legally through legit businesses and that help finance their crime ring under the guise of being a legit businessman? He must have some real clout to be able to get Rio off on all of that with just a phone call. Still helping rich guys make sure their games run smoothly? 

I definitely think that Rio knew what Beth was going to do and this was all a part of the plan. He basically ran the same scheme that Nick ran on him, just without Beth knowing about the plan. He knew she was working with the secret service, he went along with all of their obvious attempts at being sneaky practically smirking at the camera for the audience to see, and now he has an in with Beth being an informant but isn't actually going to jail. 

The girls having fun at the strip club was fun, its like every week we get one fun montage now. I have no idea how Stan's "plan" with the strippers could help, but I would totally watch another show that's all about strippers unionizing. 

[helenamonster]

I actually liked this episode! Forward momentum, interesting reveals, plot points having impacts across multiple storylines--we love to see it.

Damn, Breckin Meyer, haven't seen him in a minute. Him and Matthew Lillard being in scenes together was a very fun '90s throwback. I'm here, you're here, we're all here!

But of course Dean is getting involved in a pyramid scheme. Of course.

Loved the montage of the girls in the strip club. It looked like the actresses were having a great time and that shone through in the performances.

I would one hundred percent watch a spin-off show about the strippers' attempts to unionize.

16 hours ago, chocolatine said:

So if I understand correctly - and I probably don't - Rio's cousin-brother has connections to the DA (through his at-risk youth gardening program or something else?) and enough clout to get the charges against Rio dropped.

He's on the city council.

However, my nitpick with this point is that Rio's crimes--especially the counterfeit cash, which is what they got him on--would be handled at the federal level. The local DA wouldn't get a say in whether or not he was indicted.

6 hours ago, GussieK said:

Can anyone explain the brother/cousin thing?  I may have missed something last week when not watching closely.

What I took from it is that Rio and Nick are biological cousins, but their grandmother raised them together like brothers. Nick thinks of them as brothers, but Rio prefers to maintain the distance of cousins.

[qtpye]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

He also murders innocent people like Lucy. But I guess we're still supposed to believe he's the "good" one since in the childhood flashback his egg sank to the bottom of the bowl.

Yes, the Lucy murder tainted Beth for me as well...I no longer root for her. She got a totally innocent woman killed and that really messed with the goofy/fun vibe of the show.

[DanaMB]

34 minutes ago, helenamonster said:

I actually liked this episode! Forward momentum, interesting reveals, plot points having impacts across multiple storylines--we love to see it.

I did, too. It was the best one of the season for me.  Would also love to see more Rio/Nick backstory. 

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

I would totally watch another show that's all about strippers unionizing. 

So would I.

Stan can be the organizer, and Ruby can run the club.

[huggybear]

I actually find Ruby tooling around on her grandma scooter to be ridiculously amusing. 

[BoogieBurns]

9 hours ago, GussieK said:

Can anyone explain the brother/cousin thing?  I may have missed something last week when not watching closely.

Well, when being raised by their grandmother, I think they are biologically cousins but grew up together like brothers. I have "sister cousins" who are just way too close to refer to as a "cousin." It seems like they see their relationship differently. Rio likes Nick a lot less than Nick likes Rio.

5 hours ago, qtpye said:

My guess is that Rio is the Thug Life looking one that actually has a heart of gold (sort of...he did commit petty crimes).

In contrast, Cousin/Brother is the upstanding citizen who is the crime kingpin of Detroit.

They literally spelled it out in the cold open about which one is the "good egg"... Rio.

[paulvdb]

NBC Bubble Show Watch: ‘Good Girls’, ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’, ‘Manifest’ & ‘Debris’

Quote

The four NBC scripted series on the bubble are all midseason entries that still are airing their current seasons. Because of the pandemic-delayed Season 2020-21 start, that also shifted the traditional midseason window, some — if not all — of NBC’s four bubble series, Good Girls, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Manifest and Debris, might not learn their fates until after the upfronts. And, if chatter is to be believed, there is at least a possibility for some of the shows, including Good Girls and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, to become streaming series on Netflix and Peacock, respectively.

 

[chocolatine]

3 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

They literally spelled it out in the cold open about which one is the "good egg"... Rio.

"Good eggs" don't murder innocent people. It would be one thing if they had never shown Rio hurt anyone and it was implied that his thug persona is enough to intimidate people and get his business done, but they can't walk back Lucy's murder.

It shows that the creators/writers never planned out any long-term story arcs or character development. They make it up as they go along and contradict themselves in the process.

Edited May 11, 2021 by chocolatine

[Anela]

21 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

"Good eggs" don't murder innocent people. It would be one thing if they had never showed Rio hurt anyone and it was implied that his thug persona is enough to intimidate people and get his business done, but they can't walk back Lucy's murder.

It shows that the creators/writers never planned out any long-term story arcs or character development. They make it up as they go along and contradict themselves in the process.

He shot Dean, too, and arranged for Beth to kill the FBI guy.  Who he later killed through someone else.  

[Marley]

At this point I wouldn’t even care if the show was cancelled. I feel like it’s getting so far away from the original premise.

I’m supposed to believe Rio just accepts whatever Beth does.

I miss what the show used to be.

[CarpeFelis]

Young Rio really nailed Rio’s mannerisms and voice, but young Nick didn’t seem at all like a young Ignacio Serricchio (speaking of whom, when the heck is the final season of Lost in Space coming out?).

Boy, am I old. I remember Matthew Lillard and Breckin Meyer in ‘90s teen movies when my daughter was in high school. It was so weird seeing Breckin Meyer with gray in his beard!

I assumed Beth was okay with Dean’s MLM because it presents another money laundering opportunity.

[JLaw]

On 5/10/2021 at 5:27 AM, paulvdb said:

It's a mid-season break. The rest of the season will air in the summer. According to thefutoncritic.com it will be back on June 24.

This screams "show is about to be cancelled" to me

[LaMatadita]

10 hours ago, JLaw said:

This screams "show is about to be cancelled" to me

The show may or may not get cancelled, but the break is more about balancing the shooting schedule with the number of aired episodes. The gap between what they've shot and what they've aired is closing and they need to widen it before airing more episodes. New Covid regs are slowing down most productions, and this is the first time GG has actually been able to shoot a 16-episode season (last season was supposed to be 16 episodes, but they only shot halfway through episode 12 before Covid shut things down).

 

[BoogieBurns]

20 hours ago, chocolatine said:

"Good eggs" don't murder innocent people. It would be one thing if they had never shown Rio hurt anyone and it was implied that his thug persona is enough to intimidate people and get his business done, but they can't walk back Lucy's murder.

Maybe, it was that they started out as one good egg, one bad egg. But that scene was definitely meant to imply Rio is the less dangerous of the two. Or something along that line. 

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, BoogieBurns said:

Maybe, it was that they started out as one good egg, one bad egg. But that scene was definitely meant to imply Rio is the less dangerous of the two. Or something along that line. 

Then I don't even want to think about how dangerous Nick might be.

[Guest]

On 5/11/2021 at 10:02 PM, chocolatine said:

Then I don't even want to think about how dangerous Nick might be.

I feel like the writers/producers think of Rio as a much better guy than they have shown him to be. Even aside from Lucy, he’s irredeemable. And he has cartoon villain level skills. It’s not interesting to me anymore watching him almost get caught.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 5/10/2021 at 9:42 AM, dubbel zout said:

Dean knows he's in an MLM (aka a pyramid scheme), but he participates anyway? I guess he's that desperate to have something to do that he'll risk his family's finances AGAIN. Ugh. I like Matthew Lillard a lot as Dean, but Dean is such an idiot. It's frustrating how often he's a man-baby because his ego needs stroking.

Dean is also just the kind of over confident dumbass who thinks he can out game a pyramid scheme. He is probably the same type of guy who goes to a casino and says he has a system where he is guaranteed to win big.

Also how exactly is the girls spending a ton of money at the strip club, in front of the agents any kind of proof that the owner is in on the counterfeit scheme?

[DanaMB]

6 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Also how exactly is the girls spending a ton of money at the strip club, in front of the agents any kind of proof that the owner is in on the counterfeit scheme?

I wondered that, too. 

[dubbel zout]

8 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Also how exactly is the girls spending a ton of money at the strip club, in front of the agents any kind of proof that the owner is in on the counterfeit scheme?

If I understood that correctly, it was to show how easy it was to exchange real for counterfeit, and I guess since the owner counts the money, he would know?

I don't think applying logic to this show does anything but frustrate, ha!

[Guest]

10 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Dean is also just the kind of over confident dumbass who thinks he can out game a pyramid scheme. He is probably the same type of guy who goes to a casino and says he has a system where he is guaranteed to win big.

Also how exactly is the girls spending a ton of money at the strip club, in front of the agents any kind of proof that the owner is in on the counterfeit scheme?

I think the agents believed the girls that the club guy was linked to Rio and by him having the fake money, it gave them a legitimate reason to bring him in for questioning.

[Ms Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, deaja said:

I think the agents believed the girls that the club guy was linked to Rio and by him having the fake money, it gave them a legitimate reason to bring him in for questioning.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but is that entrapment?

[dubbel zout]

I don't think so, because the women weren't acting as agents of the Secret Service while they were in the strip club.

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but is that entrapment?

This show no longer has plot holes; it has plot black holes.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Brother or cousin? ¿Por qué no los dos? Sounds to me like mami got with papi's brother.

So it didn't occur to Beth that Rio might at least make bail? The feds were way overconfident as usual.

Rio seems too small to me to have been a boxer.

Ya played yaself, Beth! Now you'll never be free until Rio and his brother are both dead. That is unless Rio is trying to take Nick out himself, as some have speculated.

Is the show finally getting interesting? Now I'm curious to see what happens with Rio and Nick. As long as Beth doesn't sleep with Nick.

[TrininisaScorp]

Thanks to this plot with Nick and Rio, I am reinvested.  So, I guess Nick IS the big dawg and has no problem showing his subordinates who's boss even if it is his brother-cousin. 

I think I remember from Graceland that Manny Montana actually really boxes, so nice for them to incorporate that here.  Maybe he's a lightweight or welterweight?  Either way, I liked seeing that element tonight.

I just cringe with Dean.  Full in on an MLM and this stupid idea of Nevada. 

I was wondering when Stan would finally have something to say about Beth. The entire scheme with the strippers and the bags is just...so complicated for little reason.  Beth just likes making enemies.

Interesting to see where this goes with the Secret Service lady now.  

I guess we'll be back in June and by then will know the fate of the show after this season.

[chocolatine]

7 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Rio seems too small to me to have been a boxer.

There are many weight classes in boxing, including as light as 105 pounds for men.

31 minutes ago, TrininisaScorp said:

I was wondering when Stan would finally have something to say about Beth. The entire scheme with the strippers and the bags is just...so complicated for little reason.  Beth just likes making enemies.

I didn't understand that plot at all. So they try to blackmail a bunch of finance dudes into buying bags for their wives, but then one of those dudes brandishes a badge, so he's apparently an undercover cop? And then later Beth is at his house trying to sell a bag to his wife and still blackmailing him about the strippers when the wife steps out of the room, so he's not a cop after all?

Another thing I didn't understand is how Annie having a live-in boyfriend helped her qualify for financial aid for Ben. The school lady said Annie didn't qualify on her own because she has a criminal record, but that's still the case whether she has a live-in boyfriend or not. And the boyfriend is not Ben's father or legal guardian.

I had a really bad feeling about the cop and his daughter who couldn't sleep because of nightmares. (BTW, the guy was a d-bag for refusing her request to get an alarm. If it helps your child feel safe, get a fucking alarm!) I hope the daughter wasn't home when Rio's goon showed up - the cop said something about her mother picking her up. I think the goon is the same guy who was really good with Dakota a couple of episodes ago, so I *really* hope that he would never hurt a child for his "job." 

[LaMatadita]

I'm glad to see Rio finally getting something resembling his own storyline. It's at least renewed my interest somewhat, even if it does feel like they're retconning Rio's character to some extent--he's almost always been presented as cool and collected and one step ahead, but now it seems like we're supposed to see him as "the dumb impulsive one" compared to Nick? 

I was also pretty disappointed at the lack of continuity regarding the show's biggest and most controversial scene--Rio's chest was about as smooth as baby's butt, no visible scarring from those three bullets. I think a lot of fan's were hoping for Beth to someday get a glimpse of those scars and have some sort of complicated emotional reaction, and now even if they try to do that, it will look stupid because they couldn't be bothered with the continuity in this episode. I've liked this season a bit more than the last, but I guess some things never change...

Seeing Stan call Beth on her crap was enjoyable. She feels things for others, but she's still a narcissist--she behaves in ways that benefit her and rarely gives enough thought to how her actions affect others. Even when she does something that seems generous or selfless, she turns around and negates it with some other thoughtless action.

Also, I really wish they had given Nick a different name. Having Nick and Mick on the same show is just silly.

6 hours ago, chocolatine said:

And then later Beth is at his house trying to sell a bag to his wife and still blackmailing him about the strippers when the wife steps out of the room, so he's not a cop after all?

I think he just knew that if he arrested Beth, his wife would find out about the strippers? He's the same cop who questioned Rio about Lucy at the beginning of the season (hence the scene with Nick in this ep), so he's definitely a cop. He doesn't know yet that Beth is connected to Rio, the guy he's trying to nail for Lucy's murder, so at some point I guess we'll find out which is more important to him, hiding strippers from his wife or catching Lucy's killer.

Edited May 17, 2021 by LaMatadita

[dubbel zout]

3 hours ago, LaMatadita said:

I think he just knew that if he arrested Beth, his wife would find out about the strippers?

He could tell his wife it was an undercover operation, though. Ugh, this show always makes things more complicated than they have to be.

I didn't understand how Annie having a live-in boyfriend helped with financial aid unless it increased the household occupancy and lowered the income level accordingly (i.e., more people to support on less money)? But yeah, how does that change her drug charge? And why would the drug charge specifically matter?

Agree with those who found Stan's dressing down of Beth very satisfying. I feel sorry for Ruby, though, being caught in the middle. It's tough when your partner hates your friends  (or vice versa).

We always knew Rio had a boss. So it's his brother/cousin. That doesn't change the fact that I'm still bored with him.

Given that Dean was a car salesman, you'd think he'd understand the importance of reading the fine print of a contract.

[chocolatine]

5 hours ago, LaMatadita said:

I think he just knew that if he arrested Beth, his wife would find out about the strippers? He's the same cop who questioned Rio about Lucy at the beginning of the season (hence the scene with Nick in this ep), so he's definitely a cop.

No, the cop who questioned Rio and then approached Nick is the one with the daughter who made pancakes in the middle of the night because she couldn't sleep. The guy with the strippers whom Beth blackmailed into buying a purse for his wife was a different person entirely.

[Chewy101]

6 hours ago, LaMatadita said:

I was also pretty disappointed at the lack of continuity regarding the show's biggest and most controversial scene--Rio's chest was about as smooth as baby's butt, no visible scarring from those three bullets. I think a lot of fan's were hoping for Beth to someday get a glimpse of those scars and have some sort of complicated emotional reaction, and now even if they try to do that, it will look stupid because they couldn't be bothered with the continuity in this episode. I've liked this season a bit more than the last, but I guess some things never change...

I was taken out of the scene several episodes ago when Rio asked Beth to strip to show she wasn't wired and the body double was SO not Beth. They aren't even trying.

[sempervivum]

So now Dean needs to screw some other sucker in order to get rid of the garage full of men's skin care products. Presumably Breckin Meyer (can't remember his show name) has also screwed the other 2 guys in the hot tub (so to speak)? That far-away look in Dean's eye makes me wonder if his association with Beth/Rio will lead him to an unconventional way to solve this problem.

The cop with the little girl came out of nowhere, right? Did I miss some plotline where he saw something suspicious? The fact that he also looks a bit like the other cop (with the strippers) further confused me😵

I thought Ben was already 'Ben' for part of his previous school experience, so I'm not sure why it matters if he goes back. Also, Michigan has school choice, so he could go to another public school (assuming there's one convenient to get to and of decent quality).

I wonder how many schools will get inquiries about qualifying for financial aid because the mother has a boyfriend living with her, after this runs.

[movingtargetgal]

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

And then later Beth is at his house trying to sell a bag to his wife and still blackmailing him about the strippers when the wife steps out of the room, so he's not a cop after all?

I have seen that actor before but I can't place him.  Does anyone know who he is?  I hate it when I get all OCD about this stuff? :)

Because it can't be said enough, Dean is a dumbass.  He is too stupid to be in business but his ego will not allow him to stop trying.  He does dumb and impulsive things like putting a hot tub on the hardwood floor in their living room.  He is Beth's fifth child. 

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, movingtargetgal said:

I have seen that actor before but I can't place him.  Does anyone know who he is?  I hate it when I get all OCD about this stuff? :)

His name is Lex Medlin. I know him from Drop Dead Diva, and more recently from a small part on Grey's Anatomy.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Hate Canadians, Annie?  Why?  What the hell did we do?  

[movingtargetgal]

59 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

2 hours ago, movingtargetgal said:

I have seen that actor before but I can't place him.  Does anyone know who he is?  I hate it when I get all OCD about this stuff? :)

His name is Lex Medlin. I know him from Drop Dead Diva, and more recently from a small part on Grey's Anatomy.

Thank You!  I used to watch Drop Dead Diva.  

[Anela]

“Did you do it for her?” Oh, no.  This is not a great love story. He did it for himself.  She was the artist who created the template.  Killing her, meant that Beth couldn’t do her own thing, and get rid of him.  
 

 

[Guest]

The best part of this lackluster episode was Rio getting hit in the face with the stool. 

[dubbel zout]

4 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Hate Canadians, Annie?  Why?  What the hell did we do?  

I thought the plates were for the British pound, what with the queen on them, but Canadian dollars make more sense, with the show set in Detroit. (I know she's on Canadian currency, but I didn't realize her image was so large.) LOL.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

I thought the plates were for the British pound, what with the queen on them, but Canadian dollars make more sense, with the show set in Detroit. (I know she's on Canadian currency, but I didn't realize her image was so large.) LOL.

Here's the old and new $20 Canadian bill.

10 is purple, 50 is red, 100 is brown or coppery.  5 is blue.  (Edited:  They all have different things or people on them.  Only the 20 has the Queen.)

1 hour ago, deaja said:

The best part of this lackluster episode was Rio getting hit in the face with the stool. 

Why did the CB do it?  Because Rio killed that young woman (Lucy?)

Edited May 17, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[dubbel zout]

Thanks, @Ms Blue Jay! 

11 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

16 minutes ago, deaja said:

The best part of this lackluster episode was Rio getting hit in the face with the stool. 

Why did the CB do it?  Because Rio killed that young woman (Lucy?)

I think because Rio took matters into his own hands. Killing Lucy wasn't necessary, despite what Rio says.

[LaMatadita]

7 hours ago, chocolatine said:

No, the cop who questioned Rio and then approached Nick is the one with the daughter who made pancakes in the middle of the night because she couldn't sleep. The guy with the strippers whom Beth blackmailed into buying a purse for his wife was a different person entirely.

Huh, I could swear it was the same guy! I remember them having scenes really close together and thinking it was the same face I had just seen. They seem to have made that needlessly confusing. What is the point of having two different cops? I guess one is going to be trying to take down Rio and the other will be trying to foil his efforts?

6 hours ago, sempervivum said:

The cop with the little girl came out of nowhere, right? Did I miss some plotline where he saw something suspicious? The fact that he also looks a bit like the other cop (with the strippers) further confused me😵

Glad it's not just me! I'm usually good with faces, but they were both in this episode and I still thought they were the same person!

1 hour ago, Anela said:

“Did you do it for her?” Oh, no.  This is not a great love story.

Nick followed that up by saying something about Rio "showing her how big it is," which I took to mean that Nick thought it was about power and ego, not necessarily love. "For her" in the sense of showing off, not "for her" in the sense of benefitting her?

They always keep the nature of Rio's feelings ambiguous, but they do seem to be delving into his life and his history more this season, so maybe his feelings will become less ambiguous by the end of the season. I have room for some grey area, but Beth and Rio are definitely not some typical swoony romance, they're 2 selfish people with a deeply problematic relationship!

[dubbel zout]

Rio and Beth use sex to get what the want from the other. Maybe the first time was based on desire, but after that it's been transactional.

[Anela]

40 minutes ago, LaMatadita said:

Huh, I could swear it was the same guy! I remember them having scenes really close together and thinking it was the same face I had just seen. They seem to have made that needlessly confusing. What is the point of having two different cops? I guess one is going to be trying to take down Rio and the other will be trying to foil his efforts?

Glad it's not just me! I'm usually good with faces, but they were both in this episode and I still thought they were the same person!

Nick followed that up by saying something about Rio "showing her how big it is," which I took to mean that Nick thought it was about power and ego, not necessarily love. "For her" in the sense of showing off, not "for her" in the sense of benefitting her?

They always keep the nature of Rio's feelings ambiguous, but they do seem to be delving into his life and his history more this season, so maybe his feelings will become less ambiguous by the end of the season. I have room for some grey area, but Beth and Rio are definitely not some typical swoony romance, they're 2 selfish people with a deeply problematic relationship!

I thought the cops were the same person, too. 

[Guest]

59 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Thanks, @Ms Blue Jay! 

I think because Rio took matters into his own hands. Killing Lucy wasn't necessary, despite what Rio says.

I thought it was for being sloppy and leaving the tickets behind, leaving a trail to the BroCo.

[dubbel zout]

Probably that, too.

[Ms Blue Jay]

The tickets were on Rio's person when he was arrested?  (Sorry, I know, I ask a lot of questions)

[tennisgurl]

Its taken us ages, but we are actually getting something of a story with Rio at last, adding his cousin as the wallet behind the operation actually makes me a bit interested in him for the first time in a long time. I am going to be happy if Lucy's death ends up being the thing that brings Rio and the whole operation down.

That dressing down Stan gave to Beth was a long time coming. Beth could have stopped a long time ago, should have stopped while she was ahead more than once, but she keeps digging herself and the ladies in deeper and deeper. While she might have started this out of financial desperation, its clear that she is still in the game because she feels dissatisfied and bored with her life and wants to feel important. Beth keeps getting closer to that Walter White moment when she has to admit that while her life of crime started out because she needed money for her family, she kept going because she likes it and it makes her feel good. She isnt quite that self aware yet though. 

Every plan in this show is so confusing, I don't really get what Beth's plan was with the strippers. I assumed it was blackmailing the businessmen and threatening to leak pictures of them and the strippers, but they were also selling purses? This plan just seems needlessly convoluted. Also, isnt the secret service agent going to notice that a giant box of evidence is missing right after she was having girl talk with Beth?