S02.E09: Three Letter Day

[thewhiteowl]

The Staff takes action on letters sent to the President. Hannah and Damien work to find evidence that exonerates the First Lady.

[Bobbin]

It's good to see that Hannah Wells now takes these weekly attempts on her life in stride. Remember, you aren't paranoid if everyone is really out to get you.

It was refreshing to see at least three plots introduced and resolved in the hour.

[paigow]

Seth needs to watch Elementary... He would have learned about bees...Hannah has to kill her boyfriend now...Chuck deserves at least one "Told you so" for all the shit thrown his way....

[Dowel Jones]

1 hour ago, paigow said:

Hannah has to kill her boyfriend now..

Maybe she'll go Xenia Onatopp on him (from Goldeneye).

[marinw]

This episode felt like it had about ten different writers.

[Addie1917]

All  I can say is: I hope next episode Is as good as it looks in the preview. Damn. The letters were kinda interesting-except the bees one. But the same issue we have had all season- so much sh!t for a single hour.  Cant wait to see how they knock Alex off next episode. Loved that kirkman finally laid down the law with his pain in the ass wife.

I though they were laying the groundwork for the ending of Seth and Emily's thing and the rekindling of her an Aarons, but like always, nothing on DS is as it seems. For the love of god, stop kissing Seth, Emily. Its like watching brother and sister kiss. It was bad enough the first time, but twice? Really? I'm convinced these writers are not right in the head. Stop whining like a little girl and man up Seth.

Hands down the best part of this episode was the last two minutes when Hannah found out who was truly by her side. She owes Chuck big time. You could see the anger on her face after that call, Damian better watch his back.

Cannot wait for next week. I hope they don't make us wait 3 months again for it to come back-that was torturous.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Addie1917 said:

Loved that kirkman finally laid down the law with his pain in the ass wife.

I hate it when Mommy and Daddy fight. And so OOC for season 1 Kirkman.
Season 1 Kirkman would've sorrowfully said, "I know, Honey, but you're stuck married to a man of character." I'm assuming the yelling was so Kirkman can weep and wail great groans of guilty man pain when she's gone.

 

 

1 hour ago, Addie1917 said:

. For the love of god, stop kissing Seth, Emily. Its like watching brother and sister kiss

Or worse!

Edited December 7, 2017 by shapeshifter

[AnimeMania]

3 hours ago, paigow said:

Hannah has to kill her boyfriend now...

I was hoping Hannah would have hit him over the head with the champagne bottle as she was walking back to the bed. Next episode is Damian tied to the bed and Hannah in a black leather dominatrix outfit and a whip saying "We have vays of making you tolk".

[paigow]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

I'm assuming the yelling was so Kirkman can weep and wail great groans of guilty man pain when she's gone.

 

Holy Alliteration Batman!

[paigow]

What happens when the ACLU or similar group finds out that Kirkman knowingly kept an innocent man in prison? All of D.C. knows about Seth and felony drug charges...Kirkman commuted a high profile death sentence for an innocent man instead of pardoning him. Yeah...reasons...bite him in the ass later...

[chaifan]

For a fluff episode, which is needed every once in a while in more serious shows, I thought this was pretty good.  I liked the bee storyline, especially how Kirkman was punishing Seth by pairing him up with annoying guy (can't remember his name).  And I'll admit, I like the fact that the military guy didn't just roll over but threatened to out the affair if he had to write that letter.  Yeah, what he did was crappy, but what the other guy did (and military guy's wife did) was also crappy. 

I'm not sure where the wife's plot is going.  And not sure if I care, either.

What was with Emily's sudden change in look this episode - rather severe, compared to her normal look.  I would get it if she had some artsy fartsy function she was attending straight from work, but I don't think that look went well with her character.

[marinw]

49 minutes ago, chaifan said:

Seth by pairing him up with annoying guy (can't remember his name)

Lyor.

[chaifan]

1 hour ago, paigow said:

What happens when the ACLU or similar group finds out that Kirkman knowingly kept an innocent man in prison? All of D.C. knows about Seth and felony drug charges...Kirkman commuted a high profile death sentence for an innocent man instead of pardoning him. Yeah...reasons...bite him in the ass later...

I don't think Kirkman had a choice.  The guy refused to admit he falsely confessed to save his son.  Yeah, the White House people figured it out, but it's not on record anywhere.  How does Kirkman justify a pardon to the general public based on the actual facts, not just what they're "pretty sure" happened?  (In other words, Kirkman isn't keeping this guy in jail, the guy is keeping himself in jail.)

[Driad]

Wondering what will happen to FLOTUS.  Prison or death would both be fine with me.

[AnimeMania]

I could be wrong, but I thought the death row inmate was in Florida and I thought the death row inmate's son tried to run over Hannah while she was in Washington DC.

[paigow]

2 hours ago, chaifan said:

I don't think Kirkman had a choice.  The guy refused to admit he falsely confessed to save his son. 

Let him die. The secret dies. Victim is avenged. Kirkman buried the truth 2 out of 3 times today.

[Guest]

21 hours ago, marinw said:

This episode felt like it had about ten different writers.

Almost as many as the series has had show runners!

[Guest]

21 hours ago, Addie1917 said:

 

I though they were laying the groundwork for the ending of Seth and Emily's thing and the rekindling of her an Aarons, but like always, nothing on DS is as it seems. For the love of god, stop kissing Seth, Emily. 

 

I thought the same thing.  YAY, Emily and Aaron!  Oh wait, no.  She's still with Seth for reasons unbeknownst to anyone.

I'm hoping Tom's grief in the preview is over finding out his wife is guilty and going to go to jail forever.  I think her actually being dirty is much more interesting than her being killed.

[AAEBoiler]

Good grief, Agent Hannah Wells is everywhere! She's helping deal with warlords in Afghanistan! She's helping track down death row inmates' intel! She's almost getting run over (again)! Canoodling with shady agents! I think budget cuts have reduced the FBI work force because she's involved in everything!

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, AAEBoiler said:

Good grief, Agent Hannah Wells is everywhere! She's helping deal with warlords in Afghanistan! She's helping track down death row inmates' intel! She's almost getting run over (again)! Canoodling with shady agents! I think budget cuts have reduced the FBI work force because she's involved in everything!

Instead of the Capital, it's more like the J. Edgar Hoover building was blown up with only Hannah and Chuck surviving.

ETA: and Forestal

Edited December 8, 2017 by shapeshifter

[calipiano81]

I don't mind Seth and Emily together...I think they are sweet. I'm just surprised because the show just jumped straight to it, which usually doesn't happen on TV. It's kind of refreshing, in a way.

But on the other hand, it's odd that Emily and Aaron were scrapped. They originally fizzled out because Emily thought Aaron was shady; once that was cleared up, you'd think they would resume where they left off. But I could see Aaron being hurt by the accusation.

Edited December 8, 2017 by calipiano81

[paigow]

22 hours ago, AAEBoiler said:

Good grief, Agent Hannah Wells is everywhere! Otherwise, we would have to endure Leo with his dime bag dealer buddies

[Blue Plastic]

On 12/8/2017 at 8:23 AM, deaja said:

I'm hoping Tom's grief in the preview is over finding out his wife is guilty and going to go to jail forever.  I think her actually being dirty is much more interesting than her being killed.

Me too!  This would be more interesting IMO.

On 12/8/2017 at 10:04 AM, AAEBoiler said:

Good grief, Agent Hannah Wells is everywhere! She's helping deal with warlords in Afghanistan! She's helping track down death row inmates' intel! She's almost getting run over (again)! Canoodling with shady agents! I think budget cuts have reduced the FBI work force because she's involved in everything!

She really is everywhere.  I guess that's the only way she can be kept in the show since she's not WH staff, but it seems unrealistic.  Why do she, Chuck, and British Turncoat (can't remember his name) still keep working in the WH basement or wherever that is supposed to be?  Did the FBI headquarters get blown up with everyone else inside?  Anyway, I'm glad the British spy turned out to be a bad guy since I never liked him.  It'll be interesting to see what Hannah does about him.

I personally hated the 3 letters and their respective story lines.  I didn't relate to any of them and it's just more of the random characters that show up for one episode and then you never see again.

[queenanne]

On 12/8/2017 at 6:09 PM, calipiano81 said:

I don't mind Seth and Emily together...I think they are sweet. I'm just surprised because the show just jumped straight to it, which usually doesn't happen on TV. It's kind of refreshing, in a way.

But on the other hand, it's odd that Emily and Aaron were scrapped. They originally fizzled out because Emily thought Aaron was shady; once that was cleared up, you'd think they would resume where they left off. But I could see Aaron being hurt by the accusation.

This is clearly yet another one in the roster of Chemistry Fit Episodes; aka Showrunner's "Let's throw everything at the wall in terms of pairings, and see what the world starts talking about first.  That way we'll know what to panderingly write in future" moments.  It's in fact almost required continuity, to have Aaron say or at least act overtly as if he were hurt by the accusation, even if that's the end of the relationship; but these writers are more like "Alf, Kodos and Kang got sat down and told they had to write an American TV show, or else they could never return to their home planets".  

Also, just noting that up front either this episode or last, Kiefer (and closed captioner) voiced particularly and crisply, that they needed to "take a different tact", which strikes me about as next door to an admission that they've given up and are now letting Kiefer write and/or ad lib the scripts, as anything else does.  (Dear Writers, public service:  the saying is "tack", as in "the argot of sailing".  It is not "tact, as in, another word for "tactful", or maybe "tactic".")

[thuganomics85]

Hey, they actually let Aaron and Emily interact in this episode!  Didn't know that was allowed anymore.  Granted, they were kind of mute here compared to last season, but still way more interesting then Seth/Emily.

The "Three Letter" stuff was actually better then normal, since it allowed for some humor, and was moderately curious to see how they would all play out, even if most of them were predictable.  The biggest shocker was Seth not finding some way to stage a "accidental bee attack" for Lyor, because he was at his most obnoxious this go around!

So, now it is looking like Damien might be shady, so Hannah could very well have been sleeping with the enemy.  If he truly is bad, I'm actually hoping for a twist and it is Chuck that takes him out.  By smashing him with a keyboard.  Several times.

No surprise, the show finds a way to make Forstell shady, by it being revealed he is gearing for a Senate run, so he might be using the case against Alex's mom as political stepping stone.  That said, I'm surprised that they are actually having Kirkman admit that even then, what he is doing is legal and what Alex's mother did wasn't, and is even going against Alex here.  Not bad, Kirkman!  You're wife's been kind of lame (or evil?!) anyway, so stick to your moral guns, my man!

[jhlipton]

6 hours ago, Blue Plastic said:

I personally hated the 3 letters and their respective story lines.  I didn't relate to any of them and it's just more of the random characters that show up for one episode and then you never see again.

Plus, the whole concept is repulsive.  What if those letters arrived a different day?  What if an actully innocent man, not covering for someone, was inappropriately incarcerated but the letter for his clemency arrived a day too early or a day too late?  What about the dozen or so other letters that arrived that day?  Are they just thrown in the trash, or are they given at least some thought?

[queenanne]

24 minutes ago, jhlipton said:

Plus, the whole concept is repulsive.  What if those letters arrived a different day?  What if an actully innocent man, not covering for someone, was inappropriately incarcerated but the letter for his clemency arrived a day too early or a day too late?  What about the dozen or so other letters that arrived that day?  Are they just thrown in the trash, or are they given at least some thought?

I guess they didn't spend a lot of time thinking it through beyond the first knee-jerk shallowness, but I feel like anyone who thinks their only option left in life to fix things is to write to the White House without having "Three Letters Day" advertised (didn't Emily or lawyer lady imply up front, that some kind of announcement of this thing got made in public by Seth? or maybe I'm just guessing), knows that doing so is a super long shot to be heard anyway.  I give the writers props for trying to come up with some type of structure, but it's clearly got inherent flaws.

[jhlipton]

7 minutes ago, queenanne said:

I guess they didn't spend a lot of time thinking it through beyond the first knee-jerk shallowness, but I feel like anyone who thinks their only option left in life to fix things is to write to the White House without having "Three Letters Day" advertised (didn't Emily or lawyer lady imply up front, that some kind of announcement of this thing got made in public by Seth? or maybe I'm just guessing), knows that doing so is a super long shot to be heard anyway.  I give the writers props for trying to come up with some type of structure, but it's clearly got inherent flaws.

If I wrote to the White House about something important (whether it be my "only option left" or not), I would expect it to be forwarded to the correct department and only passed to the President if there was as action he needed to take (as when kids write the White House, some Presidents respond personally).  Any of these letters could (and probably should) have been sent to the appropriate department (Attorney General for the clemency, the Pentagon for the Medal, and Interior or Agriculture for the bees).  There was no real reason for the President's staff -- including his Press Secretary -- to handle these requests.

Edited December 10, 2017 by jhlipton

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

So, now it is looking like Damien might be shady, so Hannah could very well have been sleeping with the enemy.  If he truly is bad, I'm actually hoping for a twist and it is Chuck that takes him out.  By smashing him with a keyboard.  Several times.

Heh. I hope it happens just like that in the final scene of the season's final episode, and then the show is cancelled. But I'd also be happy to see that next week.

[marinw]

On 12/8/2017 at 10:23 AM, deaja said:

I'm hoping Tom's grief in the preview is over finding out his wife is guilty and going to go to jail forever.  I think her actually being dirty is much more interesting than her being killed.

Agreed. It would also clear the way for:

Spoiler

https://www.cinemablend.com/television/1724020/designated-survivor-is-giving-kiefer-sutherland-a-big-24-reunion-in-season-2

 The Return of Kim Raver aka Audrey

[paigow]

13 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

 If he truly is bad, I'm actually hoping for a twist and it is Chuck that takes him out.  By smashing him with a keyboard. 

If you recall, a similar scene from "Wanted" [James McAvoy] ended with a slo-mo closeup of specific keys flying away that spelled out.....

[atlantaloves]

Okay, what is with all the vampire makeup for the female staff at the White House, on top of boobs hanging out everywhere, come on makeup people, you are making those gals looks like total whores.  Yeah, I said it. Those blood red lips on everyone are scary, stop it!? 

[ALenore]

I was watching this with closed captioning  and twice when they were discussing the medal of honor (non) recipient, they referred to him being "clicks" away.  That's not the right spelling, it should have been 'klicks" as in kilometers, not "clicks" as in what you do with a computer mouse.

[paigow]

6 hours ago, atlantaloves said:

come on makeup people, you are making those gals looks like total whores. 

Designated Surviwhore

[Moose135]

On 12/9/2017 at 6:40 PM, Blue Plastic said:

I personally hated the 3 letters and their respective story lines.  I didn't relate to any of them and it's just more of the random characters that show up for one episode and then you never see again.

I didn't see the episode, but was this their cheap copy of "Big Block of Cheese Day"?

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Moose135 said:

I didn't see the episode, but was this their cheap copy of "Big Block of Cheese Day"?

Pretty much, but without the charm and humor of TWW.

[Duke2801]

On 12/8/2017 at 6:09 PM, calipiano81 said:

I don't mind Seth and Emily together...I think they are sweet. I'm just surprised because the show just jumped straight to it, which usually doesn't happen on TV. It's kind of refreshing, in a way.

 

Hmmm I don't know if they really "jumped right to it." Based on their scenes together, i suspected they were leading up to a Seth/Emily pairing early on in the season. Especially once it became clear that she and Aaron would not be resuming their showmance.

[aemom]

On 10/12/2017 at 3:24 PM, ALenore said:

I was watching this with closed captioning  and twice when they were discussing the medal of honor (non) recipient, they referred to him being "clicks" away.  That's not the right spelling, it should have been 'klicks" as in kilometers, not "clicks" as in what you do with a computer mouse.

I've come to the conclusion that nobody except you, me and three other people care about spelling and grammar. In the newspaper, online, on resumes, or in official documentation. Your/you're is the offense that I see the most. It drives me bonkers!

Why are the senior white house staff running around to handle these 3 letters?  Aren't there any lower level staff that can handle this? 

British dude already saved Hannah's life before. Now he's trying to take her out?  What?