statsgirl July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 I completely understand her dismay at having to wear a pizza slice costume. It was her reaction to it, the lack of acceptance that this is what she has to do to get her career back and the horror of Eddie finding out what she was doing (which was legit acting) that left a bad taste in my mouth. Link to comment
statsgirl July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 I agree that Castle is in the vein of the older mystery shows. Even Beckett's mother's murder was nowhere near The Wire type viewing. Castle worked for me because while Richard Castle was a goof and very fond of himself, there was a solid core to him that could be mature when it was necessary. The way he raised his daughter while a single parent was one of the things that anchored him and that's why I could buy Beckett's attraction to him . I don't get that maturity with Sam; I feel like she's 16 rather than 36. In the previous episode I know it was humiliating to have to dress up like a slice of pizza but that's the adult thing to do to get her career back. In this episode, yes it's humiliating to have a sex tape out there but why did she shoot it in the first place, and having shot it, why didn't she make sure it was off the boyfriend's computer? In 2018, every adult and most teenagers should know the risks of the internet. I can see the charm of Bilson. I just have trouble seen her as a longterm relationship to 45 year old Eddie. The FWB with the cop works much better for me (and is a more mature relationship IMO). The current TV comparitors to Take Two for me are Private Eyes with Jason Priestly and Carter with Jerry O'Connell. They're on smaller networks than Take Two but I think both are better shows for light summer viewing. Link to comment
shapeshifter July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 I didn't see it as "legit acting," but rather just proof to her parole officer (or the judge?) that she's willing to work. IRL, the humilatation would be more like what was shown on Barry, in which the once-famous actor had to go try out for an unnamed, one-line part. But I guess the pizza slice gig was more fitting to the perky character. Mileage varies. 1 Link to comment
Jacks-Son July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 25 minutes ago, statsgirl said: I can see the charm of Bilson. I just have trouble seen her as a longterm relationship to 45 year old Eddie. The FWB with the cop works much better for me (and is a more mature relationship IMO). See, this is what throws me off, to me, despite the age difference, they have chemistry, I see zero chemistry with Eddie and his cop friend, or as you call her, "Friend with Benefits", (chemistry is more than just tepid innuendo) yet, the director had her show a twinge of jealousy when she detected a bit of a budding romance between Sam & Eddie, despite her advice for him to give it a try. I watch this show called "The Orville" with Seth McFarlane. One of the most used actors on that show is Halston Sage, a rather young, tiny, thang (meant in jest) who plays a senior bridge officer, Halston is about 25 IRL, yet she's in a real-life relationship with Seth McFarlane who is nearly 20 years older. I thought the age difference should have been a deal breaker, but others have told me that they don't see a problem with that. It's confusing. Age is just more than a number, I know, but age has a certain maturity level, that if not comparable, with your partner can be a deterrence. I see why you may have trouble seeing Eddie with Sam. Yet, while Monica and Berto may be closer in age, I see there is a maturity level difference between them. Maybe Eddie is just a kid at heart? He was rather playful with Sam when he teased her in her pizza costume, speaking to her using a mock Italian accent. Link to comment
Jacks-Son July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 1 hour ago, statsgirl said: I agree that Castle is in the vein of the older mystery shows. Even Beckett's mother's murder was nowhere near The Wire type viewing. We're talking about two VERY different shows with Wire in the title. You may be referring to the HBO show called "The Wire" which depicts life in a prison in Maryland. (Never saw it) The show I'm talking about is a British murder series called, "Wire in the Blood". It's a VERY hardcore show about a psychology professor who works as a criminal profiler who may also be a high functioning Aspergers sufferer who assists the police in solving gruesome murders committed by serial killers. When I say gruesome, I mean, avert your eyes gruesome. Think the opposite extreme of "Take Two". Not as bad as the 90's series, "Millennium", a series so hardcore and depressing that even I had to stop watching it because it was so depressing. 1 Link to comment
tennisgurl July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 I think that this show and Castle are basically the TV equivalents of Cozy Mysteries, a genre of mystery novels that are basically fun, light mystery novels with little blood or real danger towards the main characters. Its usually starring a woman who has a fun, cute job that allows them lots of free time, but enough money to not worry about it very much (baker, librarian, antique dealer) usually in a cute, quaint town on the east coast (imagine Stars Hallow with more murders), where she solves murders where the victim was a jerk no one really liked anyway, or was an out of towner, or both. She usually has a boyfriend or friend who is a cop or ME or something so she can have access to crime scenes, and most of the story is a cute, light, puzzle. Castle and Take Two are a teeny bit darker than most of those, but they're mostly the TV versions of cozy's. Mysteries that are basically light and fun, and has more emphasis on romance and banter than the gritty details of solving violent crime. I liked this episode, I thought the banter was fun, and the leads seem to be settling in nicely. 6 Link to comment
dubbel zout July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 8 minutes ago, tennisgurl said: Mysteries that are basically light and fun, and has more emphasis on romance and banter than the gritty details of solving violent crime. There's room for shows that only want to entertain and not have to have some sort of social message. 3 Link to comment
Jacks-Son July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 47 minutes ago, dubbel zout said: There's room for shows that only want to entertain and not have to have some sort of social message. Those shows are usually reserved for the Hallmark Channel. I'm sort of stuck on one now called "The Good Witch". It's SO boring I hate myself for watching it. There should be some sort of support group. They're usually cancelled as a way to put us out of our misery. Like they cancelled "Witches of East End"! 1 Link to comment
shapeshifter July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 4 hours ago, tennisgurl said: Its usually starring a woman who has a fun, cute job that allows them lots of free time, but enough money to not worry about it very much (baker, librarian, antique dealer) As a librarian IRL whose hours were just cut to half time—which allows me time to find more, poorly paid work—I want to edit this^^ post with the adjective fictional preceding the words woman and job. Maybe "fictional free time" too. You no doubt intended it to be read with tongue in cheek, but I was also a baker before I got the librarian graduate degree that allowed me to enjoy lower middle class income, so it was all a little too close to reality for me. Maybe I should just change my name to Jessica Fletcher and rob banks while pretending to assist in solving murders. Okay. I'm done. Carry on, all. 2 Link to comment
Jacks-Son July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 Sounds like you're fictionally shooting the messenger. Believe it or not, the scenarios that Tennisgurl described are actually the fictional professions and hobbies of those part-time sleuths. Why the writers chose those, I have no idea, but there are enough cozy mysteries written that follow that pattern enough to make it a stereotype. 2 Link to comment
tennisgurl July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 35 minutes ago, shapeshifter said: You no doubt intended it to be read with tongue in cheek, but I was also a baker before I got the librarian graduate degree that allowed me to enjoy lower middle class income, so it was all a little too close to reality for me. Maybe I should just change my name to Jessica Fletcher and rob banks while pretending to assist in solving murders. Very tongue in cheek, mockery of the Cozy Fiction genre, no offensive intended. My mom and aunt are both librarians, so I am very much aware of the realities of being a librarian. In these stories, these kinds of jobs basically exist so that the main character can hang out in a quaint location and do cute, semi work related things like hosting book clubs and hosting bake sales in-between solving crimes the local cops are too dumb to solve themselves. It has nothing whatsoever to do with really being a baker/librarian/antique dealer/veterinarian/writer in the real world, which are jobs that in the real world are time consuming, take hard work and skill, and often dont pay as much as the people who do them deserve. They basically exist because they sound like fun, somewhat creative jobs, and can allow the writers to make references to classic novels, or add recipes in the book if they're a baker or chef or something (and yes, the recipes in the murder mysteries is totally a thing), the way that people in romantic comedies are always architects or work in PR firms, jobs that sound cool, but without the characters having to put in the hard work that those jobs entail, or deal with how hard those jobs are to actually get. Its very much a genre convention of these light, fluffy murder mysteries where there are no real problems even in towns with more murders than the worst slums of Victorian London to give their heroine a job that surrounds them with things that people who like these books enjoy (books, food, animals, clothes) without actually thinking about what that job would entail in any real world environment. Didn't mean to step on any toes in my snark. 3 Link to comment
Lady Calypso July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 This is where you can discuss comparisons with this show with other crime shows, whether it's Castle or Murder She Wrote, and everything in between. 2 Link to comment
Lady Calypso July 15, 2018 Share July 15, 2018 Hello everyone! So I have created an actual thread that can further this very insightful discussion on Take Two in comparison to other shows in the genre! Feel free to take any further discussions there so we can stick on topic to this actual episode! Thanks! 6 Link to comment
TheInnerClown July 16, 2018 Share July 16, 2018 I've seen a lot of comparison's to Castle, but it reminds me even more of a Canadian show caller Carter that debuted in May. "Actor Harley Carter returns home after a public meltdown. Partnering with his police detective friend, he tries to use his acting experience to solve real crimes." It seems strange that two shows with such similar story elements would come out a month apart. 3 Link to comment
dubbel zout July 16, 2018 Share July 16, 2018 The odd-couple trope is a classic. Think of shows/movies where both lead characters are cops but one is by the book and the other is the loose cannon. Changing the loose cannon to a civilian of some sort is a variation. 1 Link to comment
dubbel zout July 16, 2018 Share July 16, 2018 Apologies for derailing the thread in the first place. (I should know better, especially as a mod!) 2 Link to comment
Jacks-Son July 16, 2018 Share July 16, 2018 It's usually my fault, I tend to stray a bit and get into free form discussions, I've been trailed by the hijack police before. Sorry all. I should make a signature to remind me t stay on topic, if that's possible. Perhaps add a small reminder to my avatar. Link to comment
shapeshifter July 16, 2018 Share July 16, 2018 This episode didn't have a lot going on, in and of itself, IMO. But then I fell asleep at the half hour break and woke up 10 minutes before the end--but I don't seem to have missed anything, either. So it's not surprising that the discussion wandered. 1 Link to comment
tvfanatic13 July 17, 2018 Share July 17, 2018 On 7/16/2018 at 10:44 AM, dubbel zout said: Apologies for derailing the thread in the first place. (I should know better, especially as a mod!) Dubbel I just realized that you are now a mod! When did that happen? Sorry- OT!! Link to comment
WendyCR72 July 18, 2018 Share July 18, 2018 On 7/16/2018 at 10:44 AM, dubbel zout said: Apologies for derailing the thread in the first place. (I should know better, especially as a mod!) Well, I contributed, too. So I guess we both should have been a bit more careful. :-) 2 Link to comment
Lady Calypso July 19, 2018 Share July 19, 2018 Quote “Death Becomes Him” – A terminally ill man hires Eddie and Sam to protect him from the very hitman he hired to make his death look like an accident. When he discovers he was misdiagnosed and is going to live, he fears for his life. Together, Eddie and Sam must keep him safe and in hiding long enough to find and stop his hired killer but soon learn that the hitman isn’t the only one after him, on “Take Two,” THURSDAY, JULY 19 (8:00–9:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand. Link to comment
biakbiak July 19, 2018 Share July 19, 2018 Did the show change time slots? I thought it was normally 10 but with DVRs I sometimes don’t even know what day it is! Link to comment
dubbel zout July 19, 2018 Share July 19, 2018 It did for tonight, at least. So far, it's scheduled for 10 next week. 2 Link to comment
shapeshifter July 19, 2018 Share July 19, 2018 25 minutes ago, dubbel zout said: It did for tonight, at least. So far, it's scheduled for 10 next week. Google shows that, but zap2it and titantv show it off the schedule for the following 2 weeks, and ABC shows it off as far as next week (2 weeks schedule isn't loading for me). I wonder if this means tonight's episode and all the rest are really bad, or...??? Link to comment
dubbel zout July 19, 2018 Share July 19, 2018 I was looking at my cable guide, which isn't exactly gospel when it comes to schedules. I wonder if ABC aired the show in the first place to satisfy some contractual issue with Miller and Marlowe? Thursdays in the summer isn't exactly a prime viewing slot. 1 Link to comment
shapeshifter July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 (edited) A pretty original take on the premise. Some of the two leads' line reads seemed like—well, line reads. It was a little weird at first seeing Ryan/Seamus Deever because this show is sort of a Castle spinoff—it was like: Why isn't he the star of the show? I had to look up the H!ITG! brother of the victim. Niall Matter? Seriously? He looks like a different person than when he was on Eureka. At the end, there was a preview for "next week," so, I guess that's happening. Edited July 20, 2018 by shapeshifter Link to comment
CheshireCat July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 I finally managed to watch an episode. Why does the lead actress have to be a Beckett copy? Not in manner but in looks. I mean, she has the exact same hair style and paired with the fact that the whole show is basically a copy of their previous show, I find that a little creepy. I also felt it distracting to have Seamus Dever in the episode. Otherwise, I thought it was entertaining. 1 Link to comment
TWP July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 On 7/16/2018 at 7:43 AM, dubbel zout said: The odd-couple trope is a classic. Think of shows/movies where both lead characters are cops but one is by the book and the other is the loose cannon. Changing the loose cannon to a civilian of some sort is a variation. Or even literally The Odd Couple where nobody is a cop, but everything else applies. Gosh, come to think of it, about every show I can think of uses that trope in some way. Of course, I never watch anything all that serious. 1 Link to comment
KaveDweller July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 6 hours ago, shapeshifter said: Google shows that, but zap2it and titantv show it off the schedule for the following 2 weeks, and ABC shows it off as far as next week (2 weeks schedule isn't loading for me). I wonder if this means tonight's episode and all the rest are really bad, or...??? I think they were trying it out at an earlier time to see if more people watch. If it did better they'll probably move it here again. Maybe that's why the schedules aren't showing it? It was nice seeing Seamus Dever. 3 Link to comment
statsgirl July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 Good to have Seamus Dever on; he really can do more than he's usually given. But I knew it was the brother as soon as I saw who was playing him, you don't cast Niall Matter for a couple of lines. That's a mistake Castle didn't make, more often than not the best known actors wasn't the villain. The idea of being hacked is why I won't have a smart fridge or those other internet of things houses. 1 hour ago, CheshireCat said: Why does the lead actress have to be a Beckett copy? Not in manner but in looks. I mean, she has the exact same hair style and paired with the fact that the whole show is basically a copy of their previous show, I agree about it being a copy of Castle. But Beckett started out with short hair. The extensions showed up in later seasons. Link to comment
CheshireCat July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 4 minutes ago, statsgirl said: I agree about it being a copy of Castle. But Beckett started out with short hair. The extensions showed up in later seasons. My point wasn't that the actress looks like exactly like Beckett did in S1 but that she resembles Beckett/Katic in general and has the exact same hairstyle Beckett had (in S5 and 6). I'd actually find it less weird if they copied Beckett's hairstyle from S1 for this S1 but the female lead looks like she was cast more because of her resemblance to Beckett/Katic rather than anything else and it's as if S5/6 Beckett is either of MilMar's ideal of a woman or whatever and they're recreating that. Makes me want to ask, what's with this weird obsession of S5/6 Beckett? Link to comment
shapeshifter July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 One bit that I thought came off as insulting to the viewers' intelligence was when Sam and Eddie were using the belt and bra to snag the gun outside the cage because "leather and cloth don't conduct electricity!" Were we supposed to assume that during the commercial break they gnawed off the metal eyelets, hooks, buckles, and underwires? 2 Link to comment
AnimeMania July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 21 minutes ago, shapeshifter said: One bit that I thought came off as insulting to the viewers' intelligence was when Sam and Eddie were using the belt and bra to snag the gun outside the cage because "leather and cloth don't conduct electricity!" Were we supposed to assume that during the commercial break they gnawed off the metal eyelets, hooks, buckles, and underwires? I liked the way they got out, while completely eliminating the possibility that the hitman was still trying to finish his contract. I thought they were going to do something with the coffee and all the exposed wires, but they still would have to stop the hitman. The minute I saw Niall Matter, I knew he would have an important part in the story. 1 Link to comment
TWP July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 (edited) I'm not sure why Niall Matter is considered such a big deal. I've never even seen him before. From IMDB, it appears he does a lot of Hallmark Channel-type TV? I was sad when Seamus' character fell off the railing, thinking it was all we'd see of him. I respect him all the more as an actor after this, found it kind of amazing to see Todd's defeated, tired, stance, as opposed to Detective Ryan's energy. I was expecting a Ryan clone but wasn't reminded of him at all. Why doesn't Seamus get more character work? Maybe he doesn't want it? Spoiler Of course, the brother was the would-be killer since the MilMar MO is that the first non-victim non-show-regular you see is typically the killer... although good job, throwing us off a little at least by making him a brother. Another fluffy, entertaining episode. I'm still not feeling Sam and Eddie as a couple, though. Please, show, don't get them together. Moving Take Two to 8pm without any warning at all is not a good strategy, although could it be that ABC considers it a better lead in than The Gong Show? Expect the ratings to fall. Edited July 20, 2018 by TWP Link to comment
shapeshifter July 20, 2018 Share July 20, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, TWP said: I respect him [Seamus Deever] all the more as an actor after this, found it kind of amazing to see Todd's defeated, tired, stance, as opposed to Detective Ryan's energy. I was expecting a Ryan clone but wasn't reminded of him at all. Why doesn't Seamus get more character work? Maybe he doesn't want it? Exactly my thoughts too! Did anyone else wonder if they cast Niall Matter as not-Ryan's brother because he physically resembles Javie (Jon Heurtas)? Edited July 20, 2018 by shapeshifter Link to comment
KaveDweller July 21, 2018 Share July 21, 2018 18 hours ago, TWP said: Another fluffy, entertaining episode. I'm still not feeling Sam and Eddie as a couple, though. Please, show, don't get them together. Moving Take Two to 8pm without any warning at all is not a good strategy, although could it be that ABC considers it a better lead in than The Gong Show? Expect the ratings to fall. Yup, the ratings fell. Only a tenth of a point, but they are only at about a .4, so that is a lot. 1 Link to comment
SomeTameGazelle July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 Enjoyed Seamus Deaver. Todd's expertise with electronics seems like it could be a good excuse for future guest appearances if they wanted. When they realized that someone was still trying to kill him I suspected the brother since he was the only possible suspect we had met at that point. They faked me out a bit by hastily introducing a few others but I was surprised that they never seemed to consider Todd's wife a suspect. The idea that people who attended Todd's funeral must have liked him more than he realized struck me as odd. Also the idea that it was inappropriate for the company he worked for to want to make sure that his work laptop was not left unsecured. I loved the cop girlfriend (Christine) in the scene where Eddie brought the fake death suggestion to her, and I am disappointed that it seems like she is going to get short shrift for the sake of a tired will-they-won't-they trope. 2 Link to comment
Thomas Crown July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 Looks like the ratings aren't great and the show won't be back. Too bad, I'm starting to really enjoy it despite it being a Castle clone. As for the week's episode, the Moonlighting references were cute. 4 Link to comment
Thomas Crown July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 "Moonlighting" and "Remington Steele" are my two favourites from the tv couples crime solving genre along with "Lois and Clark" from the 90s. ABC had 2 decent replacements for Castle in the last couple of years in the short lived series "Forever" and most recently "Deception". The cancellation of "Forever" after only 1 season was the most disappointing to me as I really enjoyed that one. Does any one remember another the short-lived tv crime solving detective series from the early 90's called "P.S. I Luv U" staring Greg Evigan and Connie Sellecca ? The intro is on youtube. 3 Link to comment
dubbel zout July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 31 minutes ago, Thomas Crown said: Does any one remember another the short-lived tv crime solving detective series from the early 90's called "P.S. I Luv U" staring Greg Evigan and Connie Sellecca ? I vaguely remember this show. Ironically, one of the show's directors was Bruce Bilson, who is Rachel Bilson's grandfather! Link to comment
SomeTameGazelle July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 (edited) On 7/15/2018 at 10:01 PM, TheInnerClown said: I've seen a lot of comparison's to Castle, but it reminds me even more of a Canadian show caller Carter that debuted in May. "Actor Harley Carter returns home after a public meltdown. Partnering with his police detective friend, he tries to use his acting experience to solve real crimes." It seems strange that two shows with such similar story elements would come out a month apart. Take Two and Carter are airing in a block here in Canada. There are things about both that remind me of Castle (when Jerry O'Connell was promoting his show [Carter] he mentioned Castle repeatedly). They blur together for me a bit, partly because the female leads are both called Sam. But Carter Sam is a cop and a childhood friend of Carter's, and they have a third friend and less focus on will-they-won't-they. Edited July 22, 2018 by SomeTameGazelle More clarity 2 Link to comment
biakbiak July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 2 minutes ago, SomeTameGazelle said: when Jerry O'Connell was promoting the show he mentioned Castle repeatedly Why was Jerry promoting this show is he going to show up? Link to comment
SomeTameGazelle July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 4 minutes ago, biakbiak said: Why was Jerry promoting this show is he going to show up? He was promoting Carter. Sorry for the lack of clarity. Link to comment
biakbiak July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 1 minute ago, SomeTameGazelle said: He was promoting Carter. Sorry for the lack of clarity. Ah, I have never heard of Carter! Thanks. Link to comment
SomeTameGazelle July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 46 minutes ago, biakbiak said: Ah, I have never heard of Carter! Thanks. It's on Bravo & CTV in Canada (I think the last ep aired this week) but hasn't started yet in the U.S.; the premiere is August 7 on WGN. Link to comment
KaveDweller July 22, 2018 Share July 22, 2018 1 hour ago, Thomas Crown said: "Moonlighting" and "Remington Steele" are my two favourites from the tv couples crime solving genre along with "Lois and Clark" from the 90s. ABC had 2 decent replacements for Castle in the last couple of years in the short lived series "Forever" and most recently "Deception". The cancellation of "Forever" after only 1 season was the most disappointing to me as I really enjoyed that one. Does any one remember another the short-lived tv crime solving detective series from the early 90's called "P.S. I Luv U" staring Greg Evigan and Connie Sellecca ? The intro is on youtube. Oh, wow, I do remember that show. I was a kid but really liked watching it with my mom. Then one time I was at a sleepover when it was on, so I told my friends we should watch it. We did, but they made fun of it like crazy. I don't even remember why. Link to comment
shapeshifter July 23, 2018 Share July 23, 2018 Hart to Hart from the 80s stands out to me as the best couple to watch—but I hated it when all those shows always had the female lead or female guest star needing to be rescued. At least this show's female lead has Mary Richards levels of spunk. 3 Link to comment
Thomas Crown July 23, 2018 Share July 23, 2018 (edited) 17 minutes ago, shapeshifter said: Hart to Hart from the 80s stands out to me as the best couple to watch—but I hated it when all those shows always had the female lead or female guest star needing to be rescued. At least this show's female lead has Mary Richards levels of spunk. How could I forget Hart to Hart !!! That was a fun one to watch too. Now I have the Hart to Hart theme in my head. Love the 80s :-) edit: Scarecrow and Mrs. King was another one that I remember watching. Edited July 23, 2018 by Thomas Crown 1 Link to comment
chitowngirl July 23, 2018 Share July 23, 2018 I always thought Castle should have had Rick and Kate married right from the start. My fantasy pilot would have had you finding out they were married at the end of the pilot, like finding out that the Furillo and Davenport were a couple in Hill Street Blues. It would have eliminated the “Will they or won’t they” that shows seem to think that viewers like, but I find tiresome. 2 Link to comment
dubbel zout July 23, 2018 Share July 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, chitowngirl said: “Will they or won’t they” It almost always ends up as "they will," and the chase is always dragged out way too long. Tiresome, indeed. 1 Link to comment
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