For The People - General Discussion

[Kaiju Ballet]

1 hour ago, J-Man said:

That was Mary McCormack.

Thanks--made the edit!

@nilyank -- I'm aware. The point I failed to make was that the apartment he did move into after the airbnb was really nice, and not realistic for someone relying on a salary just starting out in the ADA's office (someone who wasn't top choice at that.) I did like the scene in the steak restaurant, where it was obvious that his friend made about 10 times as much as Seth, and would take every opportunity to remind Seth of that. It makes Seth a more interesting character for me, when his choice to be independent and stay true to his values isn't an easy one at all.

It just seemed like a misfire, when the show does other details so well, like the scene with the craftsman looking over the wooden spinner box (and what that says about Anna Deavere Smith's character), or Littlejohn's post-its and color-coded tabs. 

[biakbiak]

37 minutes ago, Kaiju Ballet said:

nd not realistic for someone relying on a salary just starting out in the ADA's office (

But he wasn't just starting out his career, he had worked several years as an associate at a Manhattan law firm and spent some of that time living rent free at his Gfs parents apartment so his apartment was that out of line. 

[wanderingstar]

On ‎4‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 7:42 AM, UNOSEZ said:

But I was kinda hoping the show would keep them as oddball friends...

Me too. I like their camaraderie, but I feel like their personalities are so similar, I don't think they could work as a couple. 

[txhorns79]

Am I the only one who made themselves laugh at Anna Deavere Smith's story about taking home the wheel by imagining that she was going to conclude the story by telling the judge that she and the wheel were now in some kind of romantic relationship, or perhaps we'd get a scene of she and the wheel sharing a laugh while they watched a movie and ate popcorn while sitting on Anna's couch?  

I give Hope Davis a lot of credit for doing what she could to sell a very schmaltzy storyline.  Of course she was going to have a relative who had similar issues to Mary McCormick.  I liked that we got to see one of the more experienced attorneys in action.    

I just rolled my eyes at Seth.  I don't pretend to understand the timeline of this show, but apparently his entire case went from initial investigation to jury verdict in what?  Three or four days?  And poor Ken Cosgove, that mullet is just awful.   

Edited April 6, 2018 by txhorns79

[tennisgurl]

This show is growing on me. The characters are becoming more interesting, and the show seems to be finding its groove. 

Hope Davis really sold the story this week, even if it was the typical "hits too close to home" story that every lawyer show does. I like her a lot so far. 

I've been watching HTGAWM for way too long. I keep expecting someone to accidentally kill some guy and have to cover it up through increasingly convoluted plans. And then have that happen again three other times. 

[wanderingstar]

Throughout this episode, Kate reminded me of those people on Law and Order who won't stop working even while being questioned by the cops. Too funny.

I guess the ending with that poor defendant getting sentenced to 10 years in prison was realistic. Didn't make me any less angry about it.

This show may grow on me yet.

Edited April 11, 2018 by Gillian Rosh

[2727]

Interesting main case this week that raised some moral questions with no easy answers.

Kate's still my favorite cast member, but she does seem to do more than her share of paper shuffling, highlighting, and post-in noting. When she's not walking briskly around the office. Romantic storylines can sometimes bog down a show, but I'm even interested in her push-pull sexual tension with Leonard. Him being so hot doesn't hurt.

I also enjoy the older cast members -- Roger, Jill, Judge Byrne, and Krissman. The rest of the 20-somethings are a mass of gormless non-entities, although Sandra and Allison verge on being outright annoying.

[TV Diva Queen]

5 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

Throughout this episode, Kate reminded me of those people on Law and Order who won't stop working even while being questioned by the cops. Too funny.

I guess the ending with that poor defendant getting sentenced to 10 years in prison was realistic. Didn't make me any less angry about it.

This show may grow on me yet.

Let me fix that for you........"questioned by the MURDER POLICE" ~ John Mulaney

[tennisgurl]

When the judge walked into his apartment, I was half convinced that he was about to kill himself. Thank God he didnt, that would have just been the depressing cherry on a very VERY sad ice cream Sunday. I pretty much knew that the defendant was going to get the ten year that everyone gets, but it was still so sad to see. This was one of those legal show episodes that has lots of speeches about the issues in the American legal system and how much it screws people over, and they usually live or die by the acting and by the moral itself. Luckily, the actor playing the judge pulled it off, and the message was quite powerful. I mean, the part where he notes that people get the same time for a bag of drugs that they get for child trafficking. Messed up. 

The younger cast is still kind of just there, even though I think the actors are doing fine, but the show itself is growing on me. I like seeing both sides of a legal case, and about why people from both sides of the aisle do what they do, and why thats important. Even if the system is deeply unfair. 

57 minutes ago, TV Diva Queen said:

Let me fix that for you........"questioned by the MURDER POLICE" ~ John Mulaney

"Double rape and murder? Naaaah, he`s gotta unload that van." 

[TV Diva Queen]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

"Double rape and murder? Naaaah, he`s gotta unload that van." 

Thanks for the LOL.  He's hosting SNL this week.  "Love at First Sight". Sorry this is OT.

[JasmineFlower]

I enjoyed this and even though I did enjoy the final scene, I found the lead up to the final scene a bit much with the dramatic walk and the music and all that. I guess they were just trying to make a statement with what they were saying, but didn't think it was necessary to underscore the significance of the final scene. Sadly realistic in terms of the sentencing, unrealistic in terms of the judge's statements and legislating from the bench in this manner though more judges have spoken up about mandatory minimums in recent years. But still appreciated everything they were trying to get across.

I realized early on where this was ending up, but given the approach in the first few episodes, I was a bit surprised they didn't do more exposing cases where they left off the amounts to help the defendant as a way to get the AUSA to do that for them and help the defendant, likely as a favor to someone the client knew - like if Leonard was caught and his mom the Senator made a call. I guess they just wanted to highlight the sentencing problem and show the reality of what happens in similar cases, which I'm okay with as well, just a different tone than past episodes.

I was expecting the episode to end with the judge returning home to his husband "D" who made him lunch and wrote "World's Greatest Judge" on the bag. Don't know why I thought that, but that was definitely my guess on how the episode would end after we saw him at home, felt like it would end there as well, like a full day in the life. The way it ended was unexpected for me, not just because of my guess, but because I didn't think the visit to the woman happened before the trial but maybe I missed a cue that suggested it did at the beginning.

Very interesting to me how they've sidelined Britt's character Sandra in favor of Jasmin for right now. Even the previews for the next one, that feels more like what Sandra would be given more than Jasmin. I'm hoping she starts seeming like a more capable courtroom attorney than I see her right now. She seems very capable, I like her approach in the wine case, but not necessarily the most commanding voice to sway the jury like they've already shown with Sandra.

Edited April 12, 2018 by JasmineFlower

[J-Man]

Why was the drug case in a Federal court? Aren't most of those situations handled in state courts?

[biakbiak]

I seriously thought this episode was poorly written trash. Prosecutors have discretion in how they charge for good/bad/neutral so tons of this was horseshit and even worse than the pilot.

Also, where the hell did Allison's parents pay top market value for a designer watch without authentication? The comparison of the knockoff wine market to the knockoff watch market makes legit no sense and it seriously pissed me off.

Edited April 13, 2018 by biakbiak

[HazelEyes4325]

7 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I seriously thought this episode was poorly written trash. Prosecutors have discretion in how they charge for good/bad/neutral so tons of this was horseshit and even worse than the pilot.

 

I agree completely.  I've been enjoying this show more than I expected, but this ep was a fail for me. Yes to what you said about the Judge's story line, but Allison's with the wine fraud was what really set me off.  We are supposed to accept her as a smart, professional woman (as she's been, so far), but bring in a handsome guy and oh my!, we get to watch her make googly eyes and try to get around the law to keep the cute guy out of jail.  REALLY?  I mean, REALLY???? Ugh!

Also, I had to pull up IMDB and see what Allison's name was.  The only name I know on this show is Beth Littlejohn and Leonard Knox (and I didn't even get Leonard until it was mentioned in this episode and it didn't stick with me because he is the least-Leonard-looking-Leonard ever).  This is the 5th episode of this series and the fact that I can't remember the names of the vast majority of character point to that, no matter how much I've been enjoying this show, there are some serious problem.

[martha21]

I actually liked the deal that they made for the wine fraud guy. I would like to see a spinoff series about them tracking down wine fraud, similar to White Collar. Enjoying the show so far for what it is.

[tennisgurl]

I would watch the crap out of a show where a guy tracks down fake wines. Like a drunker White Collar. 

[Miles]

So, the judge wasn't allowed to bring up the mandatory minimum sentence, but couldn't the defence have?

Also aren't jurors allowed to look up what a possible sentence would be? If I was allowed I know I would.

 

On 11.4.2018 at 9:10 PM, tennisgurl said:

When the judge walked into his apartment, I was half convinced that he was about to kill himself.

That was the apartment of the mother of the kid who got killed in prion.

Edited April 14, 2018 by Miles

[biakbiak]

7 minutes ago, Miles said:

Also aren't jurors allowed to look up what a possible sentence would be? If I was allowed I know I would.

No and if it wasn't part of the jury instructions you aren't supposed to take it into account even if you were aware of it.

[shksabelle]

I may have missed this, but can someone tell me why the CEO of a company headquartered in Kansas was being tried in the Southern District Of New York?

[biakbiak]

12 minutes ago, shksabelle said:

I may have missed this, but can someone tell me why the CEO of a company headquartered in Kansas was being tried in the Southern District Of New York?

Because it wasnt headquartered in Nebraska, not Kansas, that was just where that one plant was located, the company was headquartered in NYC.

Edited April 14, 2018 by biakbiak

[shksabelle]

Thanks, biakbiak. I did miss that. 

[Lady Calypso]

Quote

Allison defends a man accused of stealing supplies intended for victims of a devastating island hurricane and goes up against Celia Chavez (Olivia Sandoval), a tough Assistant U.S. Attorney for whom losing is not an option. Sandra defends a peculiar client accused of assault, but with an altered view of reality and on the other side, Kate is being sought after by an ATF agent in need of legal advice for an unlikely suspect.

[tvfanatic13]

A judge can set aside a jury verdict. Why didn't he just do that?

[FozzyBear]

58 minutes ago, tvfanatic13 said:

A judge can set aside a jury verdict. Why didn't he just do that?

I thought about that and all I can think of is that the guy was guilty and the judge knew it. Maybe he didn’t know precisely what was in the bag, but he knew enough not to ask questions and probably knew it was drugs just not exact details. I’m not sure if a judge could set aside a verdict and then convict him of a lesser charge (which I think is what the judge wanted the prosecution to do, charge him with possession or a lesser amount or anything that wouldn’t trigger the manditory minimum) but maybe the judge didn’t want to just let him go. I think the judge was more conflicted about the manditory minimum then if drug couriers should be charged with a crime in a general sense.  

[UNOSEZ]

Leonard is such a dick.. And I love  it... Sandra was actually really good today.. Her speech on the bench was in point... Surprised that Littlejohn went there.. Can't wait for Leonards reaction... Jay and Seth as usual had little to do..  And I dont really care... Allisons case was ok I guess... Did like the housing speech about America... Sometimes we left leaning millenials are portrayed as not loving the country as we tend to just complain about it... But this place is super awesome... 

 

Of course Kate us good at shooting 

Leonard was the MVP...  His back and forth with everyone is gold... Hope he gets to interact with Allison and Hope Davis' character before the season ends

[wanderingstar]

Leonard was definitely doing the most in this ep. Loved all the Marvel references (corporate synergy!) Is he headed for a love triangle with Kate and that agent?

I don't care about Seth, but I do wish Jay had more to do.

I like the actress who plays Allison, but unfortunately, Sandra still bores me.

[Caseysgirl]

Hope this isn't going to be all about Leonard and Kate being invincible prosecutors.  Haven't even seen Kate in the courtroom ( though I admit I haven't seen every show) but have either of them ever lost a case?

[babs1226]

I know the actress who played the ATF agent has been in at least one series, but I can't recall which one.  For some reason, she is not listed in the IMDB cast list.  Does anyone know?

[tennisgurl]

So it looks like the Leonard, Kate, and the ATF agent might end up in some kind of love triangle? The ATF agent seems cool, but I kind of like the idea of Leonard and Kate, so I dont know! 

I really liked the conversation with Allison on the bench, being upset that she cant do more to help her clients, and I can imagine how messed up that would feel. She goes home sad, but getting ready for the next case, but her clients life will probably be changed forever if she loses. I like how it turned out. I also liked her speech about America. She had a pretty good episode. 

Leonard also got a good episode, but I hope they spread the love out more. It seems like we have whole episode where half the cast doesn't really do much of anything.

[larkspur]

4 hours ago, babs1226 said:

I know the actress who played the ATF agent has been in at least one series, but I can't recall which one.  For some reason, she is not listed in the IMDB cast list.  Does anyone know?

I had her placed as the actress who played Claire on Please Like Me (Caitlin Stasey). 

[HazelEyes4325]

This episode was a big zero for me.  In fact, I only came away with one thing.  Beth Littlejohn went to law school at UVA.  Which, I mean, whatever....but two episodes ago she was bemoaning the fact that she had never been to DC.  I'm sorry, but BS.  It is not impossible to have gone to UVA for law school and currently work in NYC as an attorney and still have never been to DC, but you would have to try pretty damn hard to accomplish that.  

That was some dumb, dumb writing....

[biakbiak]

What was up with Jill walking in and asking Allison if she lived with Samdra it seemed so random on all levels. I mean she has known them for months and it's a small office for one.

[preeya]

9 hours ago, babs1226 said:

I know the actress who played the ATF agent has been in at least one series, but I can't recall which one.  For some reason, she is not listed in the IMDB cast list.  Does anyone know?

Romance sparks between Kate (Susannah Flood) and the ATF Agent (Caitlin Stasey) she’s working with.

ETA: She played in the short-lived series APB as Ada Hamilton.

Edited April 19, 2018 by preeya

[2727]

14 hours ago, biakbiak said:

What was up with Jill walking in and asking Allison if she lived with Sandra it seemed so random on all levels. I mean she has known them for months and it's a small office for one.

I think it was meant as a humorous/sarcastic comment on how messy the office was?

It might make me a bad person, but I hope Leonard beats Sandra every time.

[babs1226]

19 hours ago, larkspur said:

I had her placed as the actress who played Claire on Please Like Me (Caitlin Stasey).

Thank you for giving me her name!  Even though it's not listed in her biography on IMDB, I discovered that I recognized her from the 2013 series Reign,which I watched on Netflix a few months ago.  The show that you mentioned isn't listed either.  I guess it's time for her to update her biography.

[rhys]

I'm still flummoxed as to why Arturo's case was held in the US.

[preeya]

2 hours ago, rhys said:

I'm still flummoxed as to why Arturo's case was held in the US.

Just so they could show it on "For The People"

Edited April 19, 2018 by preeya

[Lambsilencer]

Caitlin Stasey also was tech girl Ava in last year's short-lived FOX series "APB". 

I think she's a bit young to play a detective (27 years old), but otherwise, I've always liked to watch her in her roles. Side note: She's bisexual in real life, so I kind of had a hunch that the story would have her fall for Kate.

The superhero story was fun, too. I for one always liked Britt Robertson. Even though she doesn't have the widest acting range, she was very good here. But I get why some people don't buy her in this role. She sure does look so young that it sometimes is hard to believe that she's a graduated lawyer.

Didn't care too much for the case concerning Arturo. It was pretty obvious how it would end, and the thickly laid-on patriotism didn't help, either.

Greets
Lambsilencer

Edited April 22, 2018 by Lambsilencer

[TV Diva Queen]

On 4/18/2018 at 7:12 PM, biakbiak said:

What was up with Jill walking in and asking Allison if she lived with Samdra it seemed so random on all levels. I mean she has known them for months and it's a small office for one.

I think because the one office was spic n span clean and the other was a hot mess.  Jill was asking the clean girl, in a sarcastic "how do you live with that mess"

[Lady Calypso]

Quote

Leonard is forced to confront some longstanding insecurities when his new high-stakes case leads him to question what is right and what is wrong. Sandra goes head-to-head with Seth who files charges against a daring comedian accused of threatening a U.S. president’s life; and Jay defends a tennis player accused of intentionally throwing a match to help his coach win a bet he placed against him

[AriAu]

I watched the prior 6 episodes in a binge and this is the first I watched "live" so I gotta ask, are all the episodes this slow feeling? 

I found that I really didn't care about Leonard Knox...I get that he found some feelings and compassion making him more than a very smart, very talented privileged jerk, but it didn't make him more interesting...at least to me-YMMV. Even with these developments, he sits far behind the rest, particularly Kate, who is one of the most interesting characters I have seen in awhile-a little Christina Yang, a little Sheldon Cooper.

By the way, did we know that Tina was watching out for Jay or that they had some kind of prior relationship? I found that interesting.

And I have no interest at all in the Yankees fan relationship-I hope it never gets romantic since that would be too trite.

[2727]

13 hours ago, AriAu said:

I found that I really didn't care about Leonard Knox

I care about him his pretty face.

Edited May 3, 2018 by 2727

[Kaiju Ballet]

Lol, I have the exact opposite experience, @AriAu. I thought the first four or five episodes really rushed, and the pacing's finally calmed down enough for me to feel invested enough in the stories they're trying to tell.

My appreciation of Knox was helped by the contrast of Tina's moment with Jay, when she says something about how he's a brown man who didn't go to an Ivy League so that's already two strikes against him. This episode made a huge point of how Knox probably has never experienced any of that, although he's been given  a clear motive as to why he's trying to prove himself. It's just a less compelling motive to root for, than that of other characters. Or maybe Jay is just more relatable. Who doesn't want Anna Deavere Smith as a grouchy but protective mama bear?

The Yankees season ticket thing didn't bother me so much, probably because there was another contrast, in Sandra's whole skirting around the breakup between Seth and Allison--another set of opposing lawyers. The way the season ticket thing was handled is how I would imagine lawyers in a relationship to treat it --especially as was pointed out, season tickets are even more exrteme than marriage. (I agree to this, even though my only experience of what season tickets are worth is based on the Drew Barrymore/Jimmy Fallon movie, lol) It also led to that really sweet moment where mean head ADA guy shows up with the contract all signed.

Lastly, Kate rocks. She is my favorite character since she steals every scene she's in, even if she's not one of the featured cases. I liked her argument for letting Knox take the case, and how canny of Knox to know she wields that kind of clout.

[TV Diva Queen]

How are all these people getting public defenders?  The tennis guy and the comedian?  I love the cheesy closing arguments.

Kate reminds me of the Elle Woods former boyfriend's fiance.  I can't think of her name for the life of me.  

[funnygirl]

This show should really air on Thursdays at 10 instead of Tuesdays. At least give it a chance to be part of TGIT while HTGAWM is on hiatus. It's not even TGIT anymore with Quantico in the third slot. 

Also, it continues to be far superior to Station 19. 

[Gwen-Stacys]

3 hours ago, TV Diva Queen said:

Kate reminds me of the Elle Woods former boyfriend's fiance.  I can't think of her name for the life of me.  

VIVIAN!

[txhorns79]

Quote

How are all these people getting public defenders?  The tennis guy and the comedian? 

In reality, they would likely not be.  You don't get a public defender unless you meet certain income requirements.  Though, in defense of the show, they operate in a world where the AUSA can indict on Monday and apparently have a trial and get a verdict like two days later.  

As for Leonard, I feel like it's a situation where the actor isn't great, and unlike some of the other actors, he can't rise above the middling writing.   

[tennisgurl]

I too think the pace has slowed, for the better. Its not a great show by any means, but it has moved into something I enjoy watching. 

Kate is definitely my favorite. She just steals every scenes she gets. I did like Sandra this week too, I enjoyed her interactions with her client, and her slightly bemused and annoyed reactions to her. 

Jay had some interesting scenes too, it was nice seeing him so engaged. So do he and Tina know each other? The plot thickens.

[TV Diva Queen]

13 hours ago, Gwen-Stacys said:

VIVIAN!

God - I hate myself right now....

[ybrik]

I enjoyed the episode. 

Do wish Sandra would have been able to beat Leonard. Sandra as a lawyer doesn't seem that great however, her friendship with Allison is one of the best relationships in the series.

To the poster above mentioning Kate going to UVA being bad writing is that your reasoning for it being bad is mistaken. Kate didn't say the trip was just to DC, it was specifically to the Capitol building. She gives statistics and facts about the building as well as the Lego model she is building in the episode is of the building. So she never got to go the Capitol building not that she has never gone to DC.