S04.E02: Confess Yourself To Heaven

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Cyrus helps Liam gather intel on Robert. A contender emerges as Helena and Willow assess possible brides for Robert. Jasper goes rogue at a press conference, as Eleanor watches.

[EarlGreyTea]

Jasper's backstory...zzz. I'm realizing his character is simply not interesting without Eleanor and, to a lesser extent, Liam. I don't give a damn about his woobie backstory. I'm losing patience quickly with his entire storyline. I really only like him when he's angsting over Eleanor and even then it gets old. Those two are lucky they have chemistry to burn. Cyrus' "Who is Jasper?" indeed. And Christ almighty, what an idiot coming clean to the press and making life even harder for himself and Eleanor.

I know I'm not supposed to root for Robert to bring down Jasper, but he is right about a lot of things and frankly, the way Jasper came into Eleanor's life was repulsive and unforgivable if this wasn't fiction. Jasper did destroy Eleanor last Christmas. It was his job to take a bullet for Robert. She did flourish without him over the summer. Their life together would be difficult. If I'm supposed to be disagreeing with Robert, he shouldn't be made to sound so reasonable. I know we were meant  to be chilled at Jasper's look toward Robert at the end, but are we supposed to think Jasper is capable of taking down the chessmaster himself?

Legit cannot tell Liam's current blonde from Kathryn. Why do they insist on pairing him with boring characters when he's a boring stiff himself? He needs a character with some spark. I miss Ophelia. And so much for twin solidarity, ditching Eleanor when Jasper is in the hospital.

The only decent thing in this episode was Helena and Willow's royal bride hunting, and of course that was one of the minor storylines. Robert and Willow still spark. Max Brown is great. The way his face lit up listening to Willow's story, even with his back turned to her, you could sense a spark between them. And I think that was a small sign that even when he turns full-on villain, there might be some genuine feeling for Willow. He definitely has ulterior motives, but I'm going to enjoy them as long as I can.

Edited March 19, 2018 by EarlGreyTea

[omgsowicked]

I'm already irritated by all things Jaspenor but showing him as a child, smiling at a young Eleanor... barf! Nothing is going to make me get on board with them after how they started. Going even further back to show how truly ~star-crossed~ they are just bugged me more, lol. I hope Eleanor takes the "choose life and choose love" thing to heart because Robert wasn't wrong about her doing so much better without Jasper.

So Robert really did have Simon killed and had his own plane crashed for the alibi? Uh. Wow? Can't wait to see this all play out because that's pretty nuts. Now I'm wondering if Robert didn't pay for a sniper to take out Jasper and help give him more to work with when talking to the people. Because apparently he's that ruthless!

I'm still wary about Robert and Willow but it did seem like he might genuinely like her. We haven't met his other candidates yet but I think it's pretty clear that she would be the best choice to "replace" Helena, in terms of knowing what to do and also being a decent person. If Robert and Willow get married before his actions come to light, would she retain her title when he's removed from the throne? Would Liam become King or would he abdicate? Then Helena would remain Queen? At this point, I think I'd be happy with Willow or Eleanor in the "top spot" in the end. Well, maybe Willow over Eleanor, just because I don't want Jasper to become King or whatever title he'd get.

[methodwriter85]

10 hours ago, omgsowicked said:

 

So Robert really did have Simon killed and had his own plane crashed for the alibi? Uh. Wow? Can't wait to see this all play out because that's pretty nuts. Now I'm wondering if Robert didn't pay for a sniper to take out Jasper and help give him more to work with when talking to the people. Because apparently he's that ruthless!

I knew they were going to turn Robert into the Dan of the series. I got to hand it to Max Brown for being willing to play all this, because it makes absolute zero sense. Similar to how I had to hand it to Paul Johannsson on One Tree Hill for being willing to play all the dumb turns they gave to Dan.

[EarlGreyTea]

15 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

I knew they were going to turn Robert into the Dan of the series. I got to hand it to Max Brown for being willing to play all this, because it makes absolute zero sense. Similar to how I had to hand it to Paul Johannsson on One Tree Hill for being willing to play all the dumb turns they gave to Dan.

I dunno. As completely frustrating as it is to see a complex character (played by a competent actor to boot) thrown over for the sake of a boring, self-righteous prick like Liam, I'm starting to think Max Brown has the better deal. He's giving Robert more layers than the character probably deserves, and he gets to play romance with Willow, devoted son with Helena, and then villain to everyone else. Liam/Moseley has been given fuck-all to do since...well, probably season one. As they always say, villains are more fun to play. Brown seems to be enjoying this hammy show and I think he's upped everyone else's game a notch. Plus, Instagram tells me his wife just had another kid recently, so he's probably liking the steady work.

That getup he has to wear in his coronation portrait is cringey as hell, though.

[methodwriter85]

19 minutes ago, EarlGreyTea said:

I dunno. As completely frustrating as it is to see a complex character (played by a competent actor to boot) thrown over for the sake of a boring, self-righteous prick like Liam, I'm starting to think Max Brown has the better deal. He's giving Robert more layers than the character probably deserves, and he gets to play romance with Willow, devoted son with Helena, and then villain to everyone else. Liam/Moseley has been given fuck-all to do since...well, probably season one. As they always say, villains are more fun to play. Brown seems to be enjoying this hammy show and I think he's upped everyone else's game a notch. Plus, Instagram tells me his wife just had another kid recently, so he's probably liking the steady work.

That getup he has to wear in his coronation portrait is cringey as hell, though.

Max does seem to be okay with the fact that he's playing a character that is the villain. The show is probably done at the end of this season but hopefully he can find something good. He'd probably do an awesome job in an episode of Black Mirror.

[Dvldj]

"These things have a way of working themselves out," says Jasper as he stares right at Robert. Guessing the flashback at the beginning (aside from showing his early affection for Eleanor) was to remind us that Jasper is a conman at heart and like the old saying goes: "You can't con a con." Jasper knows Robert set him up like I said in my last comment on the season premiere. I've never been into Jasper's character but, I can't wait to see where this goes (mainly because this will pit more people against Robert. It'll be fun watching him battle enemies on all sides). I also like that he didn't play ball with the Queen. He took his own step in front of the media.

Robert is certainly smooth. "I don't want to keep pressuring you" on the one hand and then sweet, romantic gestures of gifts from one's childhood on the other. Thinking Willow is about to accidentally "lose" that list of potentials. Liam was an idiot to ever let her get away from him but oh well. One man's trash is another man's treasure (even if this whole thing started off as Robert just trying to get at Liam). I have a sneaking suspicion he's going to honestly fall for her and hard. I am curious though, does the man legitimately hate his siblings? He is constantly doing underhanded things to the both of them while professing to love them (or at least professing to love Eleanor as he's made his hatred known for Liam). I can understand he wants to try and keep Lenny under his wing and close but to try and murder the man he knows she loves and keep them apart is both cruel and selfish.

On 3/19/2018 at 12:29 PM, omgsowicked said:

If Robert and Willow get married before his actions come to light, would she retain her title when he's removed from the throne? Would Liam become King or would he abdicate? Then Helena would remain Queen? At this point, I think I'd be happy with Willow or Eleanor in the "top spot" in the end. Well, maybe Willow over Eleanor, just because I don't want Jasper to become King or whatever title he'd get.

No. If Robert is no longer king (and they have no children) Willow would have no right to the throne as she is not of noble blood and there are legitimate heirs. If they do have a child, she'd become "Queen Regent" until the child became of age and at which point she'd become what Helena is "Queen Mother." So if any of that does come to pass, it would be Eleanor who would take the throne if Liam didn't want it.

[emjohnson03]

I watch this show off and on and I gotta say, I stay for usually the music but now I'm all in on Robert and Willow. He's one sexy mo-fo and I like that she's not some tired ole cliche girl. I feel she could totally take him on and I like that. I know she's gonna soften but I do think Robert has a REAL soft spot for her. I know he's gonna go down and hard, but I like him. He's not so one note as some of the others.

I think I'm gonna keep watching for them for sure. 

But seriously, the soundtrack each episode always features a song and band that I can't get enough of! 

[paisley]

Naively, I keep thinking that it is possible that Robert might not be behind all the reprehensible things going on. I'd like to be surprised by him. I'd also like to be surprised that Willow has a titanium, adamantium, vibranium backbone that isn't completely swayed by Robert's manipulations. My entire reason for watching this season is to see Willow survive, resplendent and triumphant, with Robert kissing her toes.

I really liked the music from the past seasons, this season not so much.

Everyone needs to get receipts for whatever Robert tells them.