The Mysteries Of Laura - General Discussion

[Free]

I loved that Max actually had a Valentine.  :)  I loved that Santiani's kid sends her balloons on Valentine's Day.  The mystery was interesting, and I always love seeing Enrico Colantani (not sure I spelled that right) on my screen.  But seriously, is there anyone who has watched television more than once in a blue moon who didn't see it coming a million miles away that Jake wasn't going to be around to be Laura's "fallback" guy for Valentine's Day?  Sheesh.  Of course she was going to end up alone - she sent the right guy packing.  And I really really really hate the stupid trope about everyone and his brother, most of whom honestly probably could not care less, having to push the hero/heroine towards his/her "one true love."  But the whole will they/won't they thing has long ago worn out its welcome for me.  And I cannot stand busybody neighbors/coworkers/friends/sometimes total strangers who take one look and just "know."  Ugh.

 

It's honestly the worst trope out there alongside character propping/assassinations.

[Trey]

 

A foreign dignitary is guarded by Laura and Jake, and the job entails fending off protesters and dealing with death threats.

 

[topanga]

 

But the whole will they/won't they thing has long ago worn out its welcome for me.  And I cannot stand busybody neighbors/coworkers/friends/sometimes total strangers who take one look and just "know."  Ugh.

Ugh is right, I never wanted them together (still don't), so I was actually happy to see Jake go on a date with Laser Tag ADA mom. But I guess I'm obligated to wonder: did Jake really think Laura will never take him back, and he has therefore given up on her? Or did he encounter a single mom who flirted with him and thought, "Oh yeah, I'm so in there"? The first reason would be okay. The second makes him the same Asshole Jake he always was. 

 

The Billy/Meredith storyline is cute though a little boring. But I liked Meredith's reaction when she realized she really did want Billy to do something for her on Valentines' day. 

 

I actually met the actress who plays Alicia a few months ago in New York! She's really nice, and she isn't as "sassy" and wise-cracking as the character she portrays. I think she appreciated being recognized--I'm not sure how often it happens. I loved her conversation with Laura where she conveyed every emotion through her eyebrows. But she's another character who was all, "Now you can go after Jake."   Ugh again!!!

 

I don't love this show, but I like it well enough that I can't stop watching it every week. 

Edited February 17, 2016 by topanga

[Trey]

Another pretty good CoTW.  I suspected the wife from the start - she was just too good to be true.

 

Of course they ruined it with everyone pushing Laura at Jake - I did like that Laura pointed out one of the people doing that is a murderer.

[12catcrazy]

I enjoy this show with the exception of the Laura/Jake will they/won't they crap.   It's almost an insult to our intelligence.  Laura drops a guy who is so perfect he'd never exist in the real world because she still has feelings for her ex who a) cheated on her and b) lied about his medical condition.  Okay, so in reality women stay with men far worse than that, but then instead of telling him that she dropped the Perfect Boyfriend, and seeing if they could make the relationship work, she practically pushes him into the arms of this "perfect for him" DA woman.  And, everybody she AND Jake  works with knows that she dumped Tony, and yet nobody tells Jake about it???? C'mon show writers - at least pretend you're on Planet Earth here!

 

They really need to poop or get off the pot with this Laura/Jake story - it's starting to ruin the rest of the show for me - how about the rest of you? 

[roomtorome]

The "romance" stuff on this show is being handled like they are a bunch of 14 year olds - how embarrassing to write adults behaving/talking the way are in this ridiculous situation.  

[Trey]

 

They really need to poop or get off the pot with this Laura/Jake story - it's starting to ruin the rest of the show for me - how about the rest of you?

 

Totally agree - they should try letting at least one episode go by with no mention of it.

 

I keep hoping that the writers have some big twist solution to the Jake/Laura romance but I just don't think they are up to it. 

[Sarnia]

 

They really need to poop or get off the pot with this Laura/Jake story - it's starting to ruin the rest of the show for me - how about the rest of you? 

Same for me. I've been following with pleasure from the start because it was a show not taking itself seriously but this story feels awfully contrived, and I'm on the verge of dropping the whole thing. I want entertainment, interesting cases and badass Laura, not angsty/romantic/stupid relationship stories that last forever. Or just get them back together and get on with it, that would be the lesser evil at this point.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Sarnia

[iMonrey]

Me three (or four). The Laura/Jake thing is ruining the show. And I didn't find this week's mystery especially compelling. I did however think it was going to turn out to be the TV woman/publicist, because she was all up in everyone's business. The wife was just of like, "huh?" That came out of nowhere.

 

And I've gotten used to Santiani (sp?) but still find her unnecessary. They had a perfectly good situation in place during the first season with Jake as the captain and Laura working the streets paired with Billy in a non-romantic partnership. Even if they did go forward with a Jake and Laura romance it would have worked much better if they'd remained in those positions, not thrown together as partners after Jake was demoted. Now we've got two romantic pairings both working as partners. Stupid!

[Free]

I enjoy this show with the exception of the Laura/Jake will they/won't they crap.   It's almost an insult to our intelligence.  Laura drops a guy who is so perfect he'd never exist in the real world because she still has feelings for her ex who a) cheated on her and b) lied about his medical condition.  Okay, so in reality women stay with men far worse than that, but then instead of telling him that she dropped the Perfect Boyfriend, and seeing if they could make the relationship work, she practically pushes him into the arms of this "perfect for him" DA woman.  And, everybody she AND Jake  works with knows that she dumped Tony, and yet nobody tells Jake about it???? C'mon show writers - at least pretend you're on Planet Earth here!

 

They really need to poop or get off the pot with this Laura/Jake story - it's starting to ruin the rest of the show for me - how about the rest of you? 

 

Agreed, either get together already or just stfu with constantly having characters push her about 'Prince' Jake.

[topanga]

Agreed, either get together already or just stfu with constantly having characters push her about 'Prince' Jake.

Well said. LOL. I'd rather they didn't, but this is TV, so they probably will. Sigh.

 

I loved hearing Laz Alonzo speak Spanish. The words sounded so sexy coming from his mouth.

Agreed, either get together already or just stfu with constantly having characters push her about 'Prince' Jake.

Well said. LOL. I'd rather they didn't, but this is TV, so they probably will. Sigh.

 

I loved hearing Laz Alonzo speak Spanish. The words sounded so sexy coming from his mouth.

[Julia]

I think Jake was hoping that Laura would object to him dating perfect lady. But then, I've seen this season of Castle already. And before that, I saw that season of Bones. Which gives me a rough timeline of when this is going to become insufferable and I'm going to give up despite really liking the cast, which I appreciate.

 

Still liking Billy and Meredith.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Julia

[Free]

Which gives me a rough timeline of when this is going to become insufferable and I'm going to give up despite really liking the cast, which I appreciate.

 

It's become annoying in record time if those are the comparisons.  As for the show, there's 2 more episodes left.

[iMonrey]

So they only ordered 16 episodes for this season? That's not a good sign.

[Julia]

It's become annoying in record time if those are the comparisons. 

 

Well, in half a season of the reboot they got us to the end of season 2 of Castle which was essentially a find/change of season 5 of Bones, so yeah, they got there pretty fast.

[Free]

So they only ordered 16 episodes for this season? That's not a good sign.

 

A new medical drama is replacing it, I think.

[Heatsja]

Can anyone explain to me the significance of the cuff link? I must have missed where it was explained.

[JasmineFlower]

Really enjoyed this episode. And I realized, I miss Max and Laura having more one-on-one time like they did in this episode. The "are we really going half Pippy Longstocking all day? I need a bit more Valentine glam from you" was perfect along with other great moments between the two. They could definitely stand to up their interaction a bit more without it being anything close to overkill.

 

I'm okay with some Laura and Jake stuff, but not so much it weaves through every scene. I didn't mind this episode focusing on it as others did, because it was Valentine's Day, but I'm minding it more in the other episodes recently. Hopefully they dial it back a bit, though I understand since they cast Jenna Fischer as Jake's new girlfriend, that really may not happen. Her choosing Tony was always ridiculous to me, because as great as Tony is, I felt bad knowing he was giving up a life-changing career opportunity for Laura when it was clear she wasn't actually all in. As for Jake, I hope him taking the boys to the laser tag party was just that him being a good dad and not a chance he knew was available to get with Jenna. I don't care if it is, I care that he wasn't upfront with Laura about why he wanted to take the kids, if that is the reason, making it seem like it was a favor to Laura since she doesn't like those type of parties. Because things like that are the reason why Laura wasn't trusting of Jake in the first place and more evidence that they need to be friendly co-parents and not a reconciled married couple.

Edited February 20, 2016 by JasmineFlower

[txhorns79]

So they only ordered 16 episodes for this season? That's not a good sign.

 

It's kind of mixed.  Originally they only ordered 13 episodes for the season, so ordering three more episodes might be seen as a sign the network has some kind of confidence in the show. 

[Free]

It's kind of mixed.  Originally they only ordered 13 episodes for the season, so ordering three more episodes might be seen as a sign the network has some kind of confidence in the show. 

 

It's a scheduling move, I think, since they have a new medical drama that airs after it.

[sinkwriter]

 

And I realized, I miss Max and Laura having more one-on-one time like they did in this episode. The "are we really going half Pippy Longstocking all day? I need a bit more Valentine glam from you" was perfect along with other great moments between the two. They could definitely stand to up their interaction a bit more without it being anything close to overkill.

 

So much agreement. I love Max (and Max with Laura). I always want more of them.

 

I think the only thing I found frustrating was the writers using Max as yet another person getting on the train of "Laura should get back together with Jake now." I thought of all the secondary characters, Max would be the holdout who is on Laura's side and remembers that Jake wasn't such a good guy to her and that his incessant "I still looooove you, why don't you trust me?" bullshit doesn't mean Laura has to get back together with her ex. 

 

I was so disappointed to have that "now you can get back together with Jake" crap come out of Max's mouth. I was hoping for ONE lone person still against Jake, reminding her that him doing a couple of nice things doesn't mean he's fully trustworthy. Why do they have to write it that everyone wants them back together? That's not realistic at all. And frankly, given how snarky Max is, I think it's much more believable for him to be the suspicious one who still doesn't quite trust Jake.

Edited February 22, 2016 by sinkwriter

[xander874]

 

Can anyone explain to me the significance of the cuff link? I must have missed where it was explained.

Earlier in the episode they focused on the guy not having a cufflink - they lingered on the shot of that, which made it obvious it was important. Murder she Wrote used to do that back in the day.

 

Anyway, the same cufflink fell out of wife's purse (I think) and Laura put 2 and 2 together.

 

If this show gets a 3rd season, I hope they just put Jake/Laura together and be done with it. It's weighing down the show now and it's the lesser of 2 evils. And I hope they actually address them being partners/lovers and don't just do it on the DL like Meredith/Billy. Having 2 sets of that in the same precinct would be too much.

[topanga]

Earlier in the episode they focused on the guy not having a cufflink - they lingered on the shot of that, which made it obvious it was important. Murder she Wrote used to do that back in the day.

 

Anyway, the same cufflink fell out of wife's purse (I think) and Laura put 2 and 2 together.

But why did the wife steal the cufflink? 

[crazycatlady58]

I thought the guy with the cufflink and the wife were having a affair , he lost the cufflink and she put it in her bag not thinking.? But I could be wrong I read as I watch T.V. and sometimes miss things.

[xander874]

Yes, that's correct. They didn't really explain it well, but I assume in their intense passionate lovemaking, he dropped the cufflink and she picked it up and just dropped it in her purse meaning to give it back at some point.  I thought it was a bit of a stretch, but Laura is never wrong you know.

[Trey]

 

Laura's sister becomes a suspect in a murder investigation in Brooklyn, so Laura tries to stay one step ahead of the detective assigned to the case.

 

[Jaded]

I didn't like the ending at all.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Jaded

[Free]

I didn't like the ending at all.

 

I guess it was their 'upping' the stakes for the 2 part finale.  I wonder what the twist will be next week.

[shapeshifter]

The sister actor did a good job of mimicing Laura's voice patterns, but was otherwise an awkwardly introduced plot device, IMO.

I kept wondering if a 47-year-old Debra Messing could be pregnant.

[Free]

I kept wondering if a 47-year-old Debra Messing could be pregnant.

 

I wonder if that's a twist in the finale if it ends in a cliffhanger.

[LVmom]

I wasn't fond of the addition of Santiani, but I grew to like her within the ensemble. She was a nice buffer to the constant interactions between Laura and Jake. Her little references to her son here and there, and then dying, made it extra depressing.

[Trey]

That was a shocker.

 

I should have guessed Santiani was doomed once she and Laura became friends.  If the show does by some chance get renewed I hope the sister is gone.

 

Edited February 25, 2016 by Trey

[12catcrazy]

Depressing isn't the word for it.   This show could have so much going for it - a good cast for one, but the writers don't seem to have any direction in what this show should be.  They want it to be a light-hearted (well , at least in comparison to shows like Chicago PD) crime of the week show, then throw in stuff like killing off a character we've started to like (a single mother of a young child, no less).   

 

And we have the stupid back and forth romance/nomance of Jake and Laura, and now throw in the really original (rolling my eyes) trope of the female cop with a messed up, lying, law-breaking sister.  And then along comes Pop with his Jewish father schtick (oh yeah, I'm forgetting the Gay office guy - talk about another stereotype).   What a mess.  And yet there are some really likable parts of this show.  The crimes of the week are usually okay, and I really like the cast in general.  But Comedy/Drama has to be done right - "Mom" does it really well - , and there is pathos in every day life, but on "The Mysteries of Laura" things seem so forced.  

 

Shapeshifter and Free upthread are wondering if the next twist is Laura being pregnant (and oh yes, who's the Baby Daddy).  Why the hell not - this show has thrown everything else up at the wall - why not have the stressed out divorced working mother now have an unexpected pregnancy to contend with - especially when she's not going to know who the Daddy is?  How 2016 is that?  

 

I really hope the writers don't go there, but at this point I don't expect much originality from them, so it wouldn't surprise me if they did. 

[Julia]

Oh, and not just those - a woman who handled raising twin boys on her own while working a career as a senior homicide detective in NYC just got so goshdarn flustered she forgot to read the suspect her Miranda rights, because it was just two sisters and the handcuffs one of them apparently uses during social interactions. And absolutely the press conference where the cops bragged on putting a large hurt on the real big drug dealer would be facing into the light of an unobstructed window. Because it's totally worth the bad visuals to let the man with the snipers know exactly where the people who hurt him are going to be. In front of cameras. In case he wants to send a message.

 

But good thing Laura's still around to take care of her wacky sister who gets people killed with her large-scale drug deals, because otherwise the woman who ripped off the drug cartel and ended up getting them taken down would be staying with her asshole father instead of slapping a great big target on a household with two children in it.

 

I just can't with this show.

[iMonrey]

I can't imagine them doing a "who's the daddy" storyline since Laura hasn't slept with Jake (as far as we know).

 

My reaction to Santiani's death was "Damn, just as I was starting to like her." I mean, I started out resenting the character and the shake-up of the workplace dynamics, but by the end I was starting to warm up to the character. I think she could have worked if she'd stuck around. My main objection is to the unrealistic pairing of Jake and Laura as partners, and Billy and Meredith as partners. That's so forced and Soap Opera. 

[ams70]

I have a feeling that the death is a fake out and Santiani won't be dead.

Edited February 25, 2016 by ams70

[Jaded]

I have a feeling that the death is a fake out and Santiani won't be dead.

I'm hoping it was a fake out too.

[shapeshifter]

Shapeshifter and Free upthread are wondering if the next twist is Laura being pregnant (and oh yes, who's the Baby Daddy).  Why the hell not - this show has thrown everything else up at the wall - why not have the stressed out divorced working mother now have an unexpected pregnancy to contend with - especially when she's not going to know who the Daddy is?  How 2016 is that?

Oh dear. I feel like I'm back in the high school lunch room making inappropriate outloud observations about baby concealing clothing. I was just wondering if DM was possibly pg because she was dressed like Elaine on Seinfeld when JLD was pg. But 47 is too old IMO for reasons of the health and longevity of the mother, so I guess I'd almost rather it be a fake TV baby plot point. ETA: Better yet, DM filmed the episode right after the holidays and had a few extra pounds to conceal.

 

 

I have a feeling that the death is a fake out and Santiani won't be dead.

Sorry, but Laura shed real tears, so I think not.

Edited February 25, 2016 by shapeshifter

[Free]

This show could have so much going for it - a good cast for one, but the writers don't seem to have any direction in what this show should be.

 

That's my main problem too, it's tonally all over the place.

[mojito]

 

Sorry, but Laura shed real tears, so I think not.

Check the actress on Wikipedia. Don't know if this is definitive, but it's discouraging. I knew something would happen as soon as Santiani and Laura used the word "friend". 

[sinkwriter]

 

I did however think it was going to turn out to be the TV woman/publicist, because she was all up in everyone's business.

 

Yeah, they leaned so hard on that cufflink angle that my money was on Woman Publicist and Cufflink Guy working together. I didn't suspect the wife until closer to the end. But Cufflink Guy was always on my radar. They made it too obvious.

 

And I am SO sick of the "Jake is a good guy, you should go back with Jake" bullshit. It seems so implausible to me that not one single person in that precinct is of the opinion that Jake may be a good cop, but he's a lousy husband and Laura shouldn't go back with him. Not Billy, Laura's former partner who was very protective of her in the early episodes? Not Max, the snarky guy who loves Laura? Not Meredith, who is badass and hates guys who disrespect women? None of them think it's a bad idea for Jake and Laura to get back together? How is that possible? I think that writing is ridiculous and not believable in the slightest.

Edited February 27, 2016 by sinkwriter

[xander874]

Killing Santiani was dumb. No reason for it. Maybe they want a story where Laura gets offered the job or something (next season if there is one) but otherwise, it really didn't advance the plot other than to make me mad. And I didn't even love the character. 

 

Maybe they can bring Penny Johnson-Jerald in as her Castle character. That would be funny. (Not gonna happen for many reasons I know).

[Free]

Killing Santiani was dumb. No reason for it. Maybe they want a story where Laura gets offered the job or something (next season if there is one) but otherwise, it really didn't advance the plot other than to make me mad. And I didn't even love the character. 

 

Maybe they can bring Penny Johnson-Jerald in as her Castle character. That would be funny. (Not gonna happen for many reasons I know).

 

It's there for shock value, to kill off a character in a season near or on a finale.  They weren't going to kill off the other characters who were already paired up.

[Trey]

 

Taking down an international drug kingpin leads to tragedy; Jake comes to a life-altering decision about his future with Laura.

 

[Trey]

Here's an article about the show.  I don't think there are spoilers but be wary.

 

http://www.bustle.com/articles/145400-will-mysteries-of-laura-return-for-season-3-dont-count-the-detective-out-just-yet

[topanga]

No, I didn't notice any spoilers. But the only negative of the article: the will-they won't-they with Jake is presented as a good thing. 

[Julia]

But it wasn't enough for her to tell the kid's grandmother to let the kidnapper who used to beat her daughter up til when he got her killed by his criminal friends have access to the kid. I mean, yeah, that was degrading and wrong and a betrayal of her dead friend and like something out of a Lana Turner movie, but is that really enough to make up for how mean she was to Jake? Especially since her selfish, shrewish self-respect pushed him into proposing to a woman he's known for forty-five minutes?

I mean, groveling and offering sex is a start, but still.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Julia

[Free]

Especially since her selfish, shrewish self-respect pushed him into proposing to a woman he's known for forty-five minutes?

 

It was so rude to Jen who did nothing to her, she had no business telling someone else to 'send her packing'.

[Julia]

It was so rude to Jen who did nothing to her, she had no business telling someone else to 'send her packing'.

Well, you wouldn't expect her manners to outlive her autonomy, would you?

[Saylii]

I was more amused that Scott Cohen was Santiani's ex-husband when that is precisely the actor that Callie Thorne ran off with at the end of "Necessary Roughness". I almost wish they had a scene or two together because they had some wicked chemistry together.

The only reason why I hope Jake picks Laura is because I hate Jenna Fischer as an actress. She ruins the character of Jen for me.