All Episodes Talk: TRMS 2018 Season

[meowmommy]

8 minutes ago, jjj said:

I thought I was being so shallow by being distracted by his ill-fitting jacket! 

Perhaps he could borrow one from Paul Manafort.

[ScoobieDoobs]

The tie Ari is wearing is appropriate, but dull, dull, dull.  Guess he's paranoid now about his ties?  Avenatti always wears gorgeous ties.  Uh, Ari needs advice on his clothes -- maybe he should go to Avenatti, who always looks impeccable.  Def not Manafort, who always looked like Gotti in the '80's.  Ew.

Rach's producers are top-notch.  Let's not forget that.  But I was wondering how they let Ari go on cam looking so damn disheveled.  Maybe cuz Rach wears the same outfit every nite, her producers don't think about clothes -- and neither does Ari?

Mike McFaul was also a dependably great & interesting guest.  Kudos to Rach's producers to book him when it was particularly appropriate.  Ari was asking him some inane question that I couldn't follow, but McFaul smiled & said -- Wow, you read a lot of spy novels.  Gave me a giggle.  Only one of the nite.  Ari was kinda dry & humorless tonite.  Not a great show -- other than a lot of interesting news going on & the good guests.  Rach, please come back!

Edited August 3, 2018 by ScoobieDoobs

[jjj]

1 minute ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Mike McFaul was also a dependably great & interesting guest.  Kudos to Rach's producers to book him when it was particularly appropriate.  Ari was asking him some inane question that I couldn't follow, but McFaul smiled & said -- Wow, you read a lot of spy novels.  Gave me a giggle.  Only one of the nite.  Ari was kinda dry & humorless tonite.  Not a great show -- other than a lot of interesting news going on & the good guests.  Rach, please come back!

Thanks, I did not hear what led up to "You must read a lot of spy  novels," so now I know not to worry about it too much.  Agree that McFaul is always a great guest, excellent background on all things Russian.  But no, it was not a great show.  I do like Ari, but TRMS sets a very high standard that we expect. 

[alias1]

McFaul was explaining that the Russian spy was in Russia and could not be arrested by the U.S.  Ari said, since she was a U.S. employee couldn't we have sent her to the U.S., in the ruse that there was a job she needed to do here, and then arrest her on American soil.  That's when McFaul said Ari must read a lot of spy novels.  And Ari said he just watches the news.  I thought that was actually a very funny exchange. 

I also thought Ari's suit was very ill fitting. 

Edited August 3, 2018 by SierraMist

[Medicine Crow]

Sometimes Ari thinks he's "too cute for school".  His attempts at humor & references fall flat with the guests & you can see he's slightly flustered.  Play it straight man!!!

[Quilt Fairy]

5 minutes ago, Medicine Crow said:

Sometimes Ari thinks he's "too cute for school".  His attempts at humor & references fall flat with the guests & you can see he's slightly flustered.  Play it straight man!!!

Recently Ari celebrated the first anniversary of his own show and the producers put together a clip of "the most awkward silences".  It was pretty much 100% people not getting his jokes. 

[M. Darcy]

Quote

but it annoys the shit out of me that Rachel (and Chris and LOD) don't tell us they're going on vacation or going to take off a few days. 

While Chris Hayes doesn't say it on the air, he is good about saying on twitter that he's is going on vacation.   

I am so glad that Ari covered the Jim Jordon story.  I was just saying earlier how annoying it was the media didn't seem to be covering it at all. 

[attica]

The thing I liked best about McFaul's laughter at Ari's suggestion is that he didn't deny that was a thing they did. Like "Oh, ha ha ha, what a card you are!" while surreptitiously out of frame booking airline tix for some mole.

[meowmommy]

4 hours ago, M. Darcy said:

While Chris Hayes doesn't say it on the air, he is good about saying on twitter that he's is going on vacation.   

I don't do Twitter.  And shouldn't have to, when there's perfectly good air time available for these people to communicate with.  He always finds enough time to pimp his book and his podcast.

I still think it's disrespectful to these hosts' loyal viewers that we don't get the courtesy of knowing who's going to sit in the big chair.  Maybe Rachel needs a permanent guest host, like Johnny Carson used to have for the Tonight Show, and not just whoever they can pull to do double duty.  And while I know it's undoubtedly a network decision that Rachel and her colleagues don't announce their time off, it's impossible for me not to direct my irritation at them since they're the only faces I see.

3 hours ago, attica said:

The thing I liked best about McFaul's laughter at Ari's suggestion is that he didn't deny that was a thing they did.

I'm just glad (and I'm really sure he is, too) that the ambassador is no longer himself the topic of conversation and is able to go back just to commenting on other Russia-related issues.

[ScoobieDoobs]

Oh Jeez, Ari is back, but with the exact same ugly badly-fitting jacket & boring crappy tie he wore last nite.  Er, huh? And tonite he couldn't take 3 minutes to shave, so he looks like a homeless guy I just passed by on the subway.  Wow, I so can't wait for Rach to come back.

Edited August 4, 2018 by ScoobieDoobs

[jjj]

You totally read my mind about the suit and shave!

2 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Oh Jeez, Ari is back, but with the exact same ugly badly-fitting jacket & boring crappy tie he wore last nite.  Er, huh? And tonite he couldn't take 3 minutes to shave, so he looks like a homeless guy I just passed by on the subway.  Wow, I so can't wait for Rach to come back.

 

And, I thought he was haranguing David Corn unnecessarily, trying to make Corn part of the problem about the Steele dossier -- not fair, Ari, because TRMS was out in front of promoting all this information, so let's not blame Corn for putting it out there -- TRMS was in front of line at this buffet, and milked it for many episodes.  I thought even David Corn was looking surprised at the questions, but that might be my imagination.  

And then after spending too much time interrogating Corn about things Corn himself said we knew from a while back, he only left three to four minutes for David Farenthold, who had a MUCH more interesting story to tell us today!

ETA:  I have to thank whoever decided the Manafort trial should not be televised live.  I would never leave the screen if it were on the air.  I could have listened to Joyce  Vance and Josh Gerstein for the full hour, recounting what happened in the courtroom today.  Okay, 90% of the hour on the trial, and the rest on David Farenthold.  

Edited August 4, 2018 by jjj

[Galloway Cave]

I usually like Ari on his own show but I think pulling a double shift and trying to fit into The Rachel Mold is too much for him. His only positive moment tonight was when he quoted Warren Zevon. 

[Lava VaVoom]

Congratulations to everyone for surviving the week without Rachel.  FWIW, her fans on FB are also unhappy she's not on.  I like, but don't "get," Ari Melber.  I usually watch the repeat broadcast at midnight Eastern, and I can take him.  Ever notice how the big guns don't sub for anyone?  Just the second stringers.  I hope she comes back rested, happy, and ready to roll.

Edited August 4, 2018 by Lava VaVoom
misspelling

[meowmommy]

15 minutes ago, Lava VaVoom said:

Ever notice how the big guns don't sub for anyone?

Wouldn't it be amazing if when Chris or LOD takes off, Rachel could just appropriate their hour and do a two-hour show?

[jjj]

I did not hear Ari say that Rachel will be back on Monday, and I was listening for that at the end -- did I miss it? 

[Quilt Fairy]

Since he was formerly a practicing attorney and is now a TV analyst, I'm sure that Ari's suits fit him.  I think the scrunching - and it was very noticeable again tonight - must have something to do with the setup.  Maybe it's as simple as Rachel's chair and desk don't fit him?   I didn't notice the tie, which means by default it was OK.  Totally agree he should have shaved again before the show, though.

3 hours ago, jjj said:

I thought even David Corn was looking surprised at the questions, but that might be my imagination.  

No, you're right, and thus we got one of the awkward several second silences that Ari's afternoon show is known for.  He was also talking over Corn's answers, asking follow-up questions.

[ScoobieDoobs]

Yeah, well, too much Ari is too much for me.  If Rach is out for another week or more, and they're gonna ram Ari at us every nite, I'll skip this altogether.  He showed way too many Trump clips & was interrupting too much.  Is this an MSNBC thing, encouraged by all the producers there -- and Rach is the only one who resists it?

Jeez, those music & rapper references fall so damn flat -- like every time he makes 'em.  Is he trying to be witty like Brian Williams -- except in a different way?  Not working.  Idk why his jacket looks so shitty & crinkled up, but it does.  LOD, Hayes & Chuck Todd never have this prob.  If Rach is gonna be out for a while, they need to try someone else for a sub.  Where is Joy Reid?  I like her, but she also shows a maddening amount of Trump clips that make me run for the remote to constantly mute.  Sheesh, maybe I need to take vacays when Rach does.

[car54]

On 8/2/2018 at 9:46 PM, meowmommy said:

On 8/2/2018 at 9:38 PM, jjj said:

I thought I was being so shallow by being distracted by his ill-fitting jacket! 

Perhaps he could borrow one from Paul Manafort.

I wanted to tweet Ari to do that anchorman trick of pulling his jacket down and sitting on the tail of it.

 

However many jackets Manafort buys, he'll always look like a used car salesman to me.

[ahisma]

I guess I'm in the minority that I like Ari, but I find his offbeat humor funny. And I think he does a good job explaining the news of the day, bringing on relevant and helpful interviewees, etc. 

Even though I haven't recognized any of his rap references, it makes me smile when he pulls one out. Maybe one day he'll say, "Did you ever go ever to a friend's house to eat and the food just ain't no good," and I will raise my hands in triumph. I did feel like Captain America at the Warren Zevon quote. "I understood that reference!"

[Apprentice79]

3 hours ago, ahisma said:

I guess I'm in the minority that I like Ari, but I find his offbeat humor funny. And I think he does a good job explaining the news of the day, bringing on relevant and helpful interviewees, etc. 

Even though I haven't recognized any of his rap references, it makes me smile when he pulls one out. Maybe one day he'll say, "Did you ever go ever to a friend's house to eat and the food just ain't no good," and I will raise my hands in triumph. I did feel like Captain America at the Warren Zevon quote. "I understood that reference!"

I love Ari and being Black, his love of Black culture makes me smile. It is not an affectation, to get attention.  He really loves it and I love how he will use hip hop lingo to connect it  seamlessly with legal terms.  Hip hop artists love him and are always giving him a shoutout.. I like that MSNBC has different personalities and are not afraid to show it.. 

[SpiritSong]

3 hours ago, ahisma said:

I guess I'm in the minority that I like Ari, but I find his offbeat humor funny. And I think he does a good job explaining the news of the day, bringing on relevant and helpful interviewees, etc. 

I like him too. I was glad he was the sub for Rachel most of the week. He does need to upgrade his wardrobe, but maybe he can't afford the designer suits Avenatti wears. Ari always strikes me as a bit of a nerd, but a highly intelligent one. I guess that's why I like him. Smart men are a turn on for me. Hence, my Avenatti love.

[Apprentice79]

12 minutes ago, SpiritSong said:

I like him too. I was glad he was the sub for Rachel most of the week. He does need to upgrade his wardrobe, but maybe he can't afford the designer suits Avenatti wears. Ari always strikes me as a bit of a nerd, but a highly intelligent one. I guess that's why I like him. Smart men are a turn on for me. Hence, my Avenatti love.

I love that he got his own show. He is much better than the fox news reject that he replaced. The network was trying to push us to love her by tying her to Rachel. Nope, it was never going to work.  I would love to see other dedicated people who work on MSNBC get their own show. Nicole and Kasie got their own shows. The weekend is ripe for the pickings. There is so much going on in our country. We need people to inform us what is going on.. The network could give somebody a time slot on Saturday nights.. I think Hallerman is being groomed for something. Whatever happened to Thomas Roberts? I miss him..

Edited August 4, 2018 by Apprentice79

[meowmommy]

3 hours ago, SpiritSong said:

I was glad he was the sub for Rachel most of the week. He does need to upgrade his wardrobe, but maybe he can't afford the designer suits Avenatti wears.

He just always sounds like he's cross-examining in his questions, and that's not always the tone that's needed.  The network should be making sure he is turned out well, instead of looking like he just got up from a night on a park bench.

3 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

I think Hallerman is being groomed for something.

If you mean John Heilmann, he already had a show (with the unlamented Mark Halperin) in the slot that Ari has now, and he has a show on Showtime.  I think he's great, though, and I'd be happy to see him get another program on the network.

[Apprentice79]

1 hour ago, meowmommy said:

He just always sounds like he's cross-examining in his questions, and that's not always the tone that's needed.  The network should be making sure he is turned out well, instead of looking like he just got up from a night on a park bench.

If you mean John Heilmann, he already had a show (with the unlamented Mark Halperin) in the slot that Ari has now, and he has a show on Showtime.  I think he's great, though, and I'd be happy to see him get another program on the network.

Yes, that is who I meant. I was unsure on how to spell his name. I knew one of you guys would correct me.

 I vaguely remember that show. Halperin left in disgrace. It is disheartening to know so many of these men are pigs, sigh..

I think that Heilmann should host a show on Saturday night.  

Edited August 4, 2018 by Apprentice79

[ScoobieDoobs]

I like John Heilmann a lot too.  Not sure why he's not being used as a Rach sub.  He subbed for Nicolle yesterday & was fine.

Oh, Ari is OK.  I'm just cranky cuz Rach is gone & may not be back for another week or 2.  Ugh, is there a support group I can join?

Btw, I saw Ari on the subway, maybe 4 or 5 months ago.  He's a tiny lttle guy & looked very unkempt, with stubble & uncombed hair & kinda messy clothes.  So if he's not naturally slick, that's OK with me, but if I gotta look at him on TV, he should clean up -- at least somewhat.  He usually does.  

Edited August 6, 2018 by ScoobieDoobs

[jjj]

45 minutes ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

I like John Heilmann a lot too.  Not sure why he's not being used as a Rach sub.  He subbed for Nicolle yesterday & was fine.

Oh, Ari is OK.  I'm just cranky cuz Rach is gone & may not be back for another week or 2.  Ugh, is there a support group I can join?

Btw, I saw Ari on the subway, maybe 4 or 5 months ago.  He's a tiny lttle guy & looked very unkempt, with stubble & uncombed hair & kinda messy clothes.  So if he's not naturally slick, that's OK with me, but if I gotta look at him on TV, he should clean up -- at least somwhat.  He usually does.  

Oh, have you heard something more than the lack of announcement about her return next week?  

I have something to gripe about Heilemann and his hosting for Nicolle yesterday, but I'll take it to the MSNBC thread.   

I like Ari fine in his own show, but he is just not a good fit as a Rachel replacement.  But when you get down to it, no one is.  I listened to the show again that Nicolle guest hosted, and could not hear her interrupting anyone, despite what was said above -- I thought she did a far better job than Ari this week.  

[Quilt Fairy]

What I've noticed about the subs for both Rachel and LOD is that they try to take on the actual persona of the person they're subbing for:  "Tonight, the role of Rachel Maddow will be played by....." and it really doesn't work because these two have a style of their own that no one else can duplicate.  They've got the prime evening slots because they're somewhat unique.  No one does an A-block history lesson like Rachel.  No one has fewer fucks to give than LOD.  I, as a viewer, would be a lot less snarky about the situation if the subs just came in and did an evening version of their daytime show.  

Edited August 5, 2018 by Quilt Fairy

[Apprentice79]

12 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

What I've noticed about the subs for both Rachel and LOD is that they try to take on the actual persona of the person they're subbing for:  "Tonight, the role of Rachel Maddow will be played by....." and it really doesn't work because these two have a style of their own that no one else can duplicate.  They've got the prime evening slots because they're somewhat unique.  No one does an A-block history lesson like Rachel.  No one has fewer fucks to give than LOD.  I, as a viewer, would be a lot less snarky about the situation if the subs just came in and did an evening version of their daytime show.  

 

Rachel's history lesson on White supremacy after Charlottesville was so haunting and moving. Seeing, those pictures of those angry young White men were very disturbing.

I also loved that history lesson that she gave us about the deal that the North and South made to basically abandon reconstruction and roll back the advancements that Black men had made in getting the right to vote in 1870 and being a force to reckon with in southern elections. She tied it superbly to the election of 45. 

I always look forward to her A block history lesson, very illuminating.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Apprentice79

[ahisma]

22 hours ago, Apprentice79 said:

Rachel's history lesson on White supremacy after Charlottesville was so haunting and moving. Seeing, those pictures of those angry young White men were very disturbing.

I also loved that history lesson that she gave us about the deal that the North and South made to basically abandon reconstruction and roll back the advancements that Black men had made in getting the right to vote in 1870 and being a force to reckon with in southern elections. She tied it superbly to the election of 45. 

I always look forward to her A block history lesson, very illuminating.

Same. She was also really good about showing the George Wallace campaign rallies where he was stoking racism before then showing Trump campaign rallies.

[M. Darcy]

Rachel will be back Tuesday

[jjj]

"Rachel will be back tomorrow" (Tuesday).  I knew she would not be there tonight, or Ari would have said that on Friday.  

My nightmare was that it might be Steve Kornacki, who I saw on a show earlier today, and I realized it is Kornacki season again, so he is in the building and available.  But instead, he filled in for Chris Matthews.  (I skipped it, but I usually do.)   I like Nicolle -- this is fine, as long as we know Rachel is coming back.  Honestly, I'd tolerate a few more days without Rachel, if they just would tell us ahead of time.  Hope she got a real break. 

Edited August 7, 2018 by jjj

[ScoobieDoobs]

Yay, Nicolle is in for Rach & she's zeroing right in on Gates, Gates, Gates.  Good stuff.  She said Rach will be back tomorrow.  Awesome!

Was ready to skip the show cuz Ari looked horrible on his show -- again, like a homeless man.  And I was really in no mood to look at his unshaved mug & crinkled ugly jacket.

Edited August 7, 2018 by ScoobieDoobs

[Ladyrain]

I missed the very beginning of the show, and when I walked in the room and saw that Rachel was not back, I began to get a little unsettled.  (Where is she? Is something wrong?  Contract dispute?  Yada Yada.)  Mr. Rain told me to calm down; that most people take two week vacations; I told him people on TV do not take two week vacations. (Do they?)  Then I came here and read that Rachel will be back tomorrow.  Thank you, jjj and M. Darcy ?

[jjj]

Ha, at least Nicolle has a good sense of humor!  She told Lawrence O'Donnell that she will get a tee-shirt saying "I Survived the 2018 Rachel Maddow Vacation" -- Nicolle, I am here to tell you there is a MARKET for those!  And that she will be in sweats watching the Tuesday show with Rachel back in the chair, with election returns.           

                                                                                    

Edited August 7, 2018 by jjj

[SpiritSong]

2 hours ago, jjj said:

 

My nightmare was that it might be Steve Kornacki, who I saw on a show earlier today, and I realized it is Kornacki season again, so he is in the building and available.  But instead, he filled in for Chris Matthews.  (I skipped it, but I usually do.)   I like Nicolle -- this is fine, as long as we know Rachel is coming back.  Honestly, I'd tolerate a few more days without Rachel, if they just would tell us ahead of time.  Hope she got a real break. 

 

Oh dear, tomorrow is election day in Ohio. That means more of Kornacki and his wild arm gesturing. Take it down a notch or twelve, Steve.

Edited August 7, 2018 by SpiritSong

[attica]

11 hours ago, jjj said:

And that she will be in sweats watching the Tuesday show with Rachel back in the chair, with election returns.           

Well, not if she's in NY or DC. Too effing hot for sweats. :)

Let me predict: a court transcript reading tonight!

[M. Darcy]

Quote

Mr. Rain told me to calm down; that most people take two week vacations; I told him people on TV do not take two week vacations. (Do they?) 

While its difficult to remember what it was like before this administration, I think in the days of more normal administrations, they might have.  Nowadays, its a catch 22 - you have to take less time off because of everything that is happening but you need more vacations to recover from everything that is happening.  

[ScoobieDoobs]

So Nicolle did not attempt any court transcript reading.  But things got very testy yesterday with the cranky judge.  So let's hope Rach dives right into that tonite.

Yay, Rach will finally be back tonite -- la, la, la, doing a happy dance!

[jjj]

Rachel was also off the Friday before her week off, so it was the end of one week, full week off, and start of this week.  Not two full weeks but a week and a half.  

3 hours ago, M. Darcy said:

While its difficult to remember what it was like before this administration, I think in the days of more normal administrations, they might have.  Nowadays, its a catch 22 - you have to take less time off because of everything that is happening but you need more vacations to recover from everything that is happening.  

[ScoobieDoobs]

Felt like Rach was off for a month.  Anyhoo, that damn annoying Kornacki better not waste even a sec of Rach's first hour back.

[meowmommy]

1 hour ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Felt like Rach was off for a month.  Anyhoo, that damn annoying Kornacki better not waste even a sec of Rach's first hour back.

But you know he will.  He will take ten minutes to gesture wildly, jump back and forth, and generally go bananas in front of maps to explain something that could be summarized in ten seconds.  Feh.  

[izabella]

I wish Kornacki's energy and excitement could transfer to voters so they'd actually go vote.  So many more people sit out midterms than presidential elections. 

[jjj]

1 hour ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Felt like Rach was off for a month.  Anyhoo, that damn annoying Kornacki better not waste even a sec of Rach's first hour back.

I believe he will be front and center, because the returns will be coming in during her show.  But sheesh, they are saying if the Democrat loses by only five points, it is a victory, so although I understand the implications of this race, I also will be royally peeved if they spend the evening on an Ohio primary for a House seat.  Analyze it when you know the result, not while every tattered low-voting district results come in. 

[meowmommy]

2 minutes ago, jjj said:

I also will be royally peeved if they spend the evening on an Ohio primary for a House seat.  

And a seat that will be re-contested in November.  I know why everyone's freaking out about it, but there's nothing Steve Kornacki's going to add that will be of more value than hearing anything Rachel has to say.  I want to hear what the trout thought about the Manafort trial.

[jjj]

Steve is warming up for Rachel's show on "All In with Chris Hayes" -- the big, big arm flailing, the big, big color-coordinated board, all for the teeny, teeny, tiny little initial county results.  Even Steve is saying "Don't be fooled by these results, because the apparent Democratic lead will disappear when the other counties come in.  But let me tell you about this snapshot in time that no one will remember a day from now."  (Okay, I added the last sentence.  But why spend time on results that mean nothing in the larger context?)  

You'd think he would wear himself out with all that energy, like a puppy that finally will collapse exhausted.  But these are just the stretching exercises leading up to the sprint on Rachel's show.  

[suomi]

Like a welcome breath of fresh air, Rach wafts into our rooms tonight. I feel perky, I sit up straighter. 

LMAO at calling The Army "for a briefing for my new job." Army: "Whozis?"

[jjj]

How much clout does Rachel have?  Chris Hayes starts with Kornacki, and Lawrence O'Donnell starts with Kornacki -- both hearing for fifteen minutes that "it's early, it's too close to call".  On Rachel's show?  "Let's slot Steve in the middle of the show for a quick four-minute update and thank him for his work."  And it was so.  

Edited August 8, 2018 by jjj

[ScoobieDoobs]

Well, Rach was still being jokey about the asshole judge, but she had Barbara McQuade point out the serious possible consequences from his biased asshole antics.  I'm less inclined to find his cranky/nasty shit so funny anymore.  

Btw, nobody can really sub for Rach.

[jjj]

The Six Degrees of Rachel Separation (also known as Rachel Separation Anxiety) was hard at work tonight.  Barbara McQuade telling Rachel that "all her fans in the courtroom" said to say hello, and Lawrence O'Donnell similarly telling Rachel that he was asked to tell Rachel "no more vacations".  

But I would have been dazzled to meet Barbara McQuade all on her own -- and I was so amused that Barbara herself was star-struck by being in an elevator with Brandon Van Grack, the renowned counter-espionage prosecutor (now on the Mueller team).  (How cool would it have been it he asked her to say hello to Rachel?)  

6 minutes ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Well, Rach was still being jokey about the asshole judge, but she had Barbara McQuade point out the serious possible consequences from his biased asshole antics.  I'm less inclined to find his cranky/nasty shit so funny anymore.  

Btw, nobody can really sub for Rach.

It was alarming to hear this.  And I am still glad this is not being televised, but wow, this judge is must-see TV. 

Yup, Rachel is a league of her own.  

Edited August 8, 2018 by jjj

[Sharpie66]

I’ve watched enough Law & Order to know that a PITA judge can really mess up a prosecutor’s case if he/she wants to. It might be amusing to read the transcript, but I am getting worried about the case.