S01.E02: Dirt

[BingeyKohan]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Is there any significance to the maid getting right down on the floor where Adora had just been getting ready in her bedroom? It's like she was cleaning something specific but I didn't see anything on the floor.

seemed like later Camille knew she was playing with fire even putting a toe over the threshold of the room - and we know that Camille doesn't really mind playing with fire, figuratively speaking. 

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

I think Camille's editor is dying. He's been coughing on the phone and he is trying to heal her so he can die in peace or something.

There were a lot of med bottles on his table.

Quote

i can't imagine living near a slaughterhouse. a) i would wind up moving and b) i would give up meat.

Pig farms can cause some serious health issues! There's a whole mess with that kind of thing in North Carolina (I think?).

Edited July 17, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[mamadrama]

15 hours ago, msrachelj said:

i agree with you about the phantom words. and the way the town is so artfully, vintage-y depicted. no way there are really all those beautiful advertisement paintings still pristine on the sides of buildings etc. 

Small, mountain town dweller here. Our town looks frozen in the 1960s. Although the buildings are all mostly empty, the signs and advertisrments, even the paintings on the barns, look locked in time.

13 hours ago, nachomama said:

But does she only poison the children she likes? How did Camille survive? I definitely think something is up with Adora, perhaps the attention she got when Marian died was addictive and she has to recreate the situation every few years so bump up her "fame" in the town. She was the "first" mother to lose a daughter so she has to partake of these new dead daughters?

In my experience with munchausen by proxy, it isn't about killing the child but about control and making them dependent upon the parent. And yes, it is absolutely usually only done to the favorite. Amma is the one who zinged me as the killer of the recent girls, not Adora.

[msrachelj]

5 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

Small, mountain town dweller here. Our town looks frozen in the 1960s. Although the buildings are all mostly empty, the signs and advertisrments, even the paintings on the barns, look locked in time. 

that's awesome but i bet they don't look as crisp colorful and clear as the ones on this show. we have a few old ads on buildings too but they are very faded.

[tawd]

Does anyone know what year the story is supposed to take place in? I am really confused by whether it is present day. Camille's car, the lack of air conditioning and other things make it seem to be set in the past, which might explain why the detective is not familiar with the practice of marking death sites with flowers etc. The era is mysterious unless I am missing something obvious.

[TattleTeeny]

I'm assuming it's now(ish), because of cell phones and iPods and Barack Obama posters.

[SarahPrtr]

21 hours ago, zobot81 said:

And I am sorry to hear about your mother.  Us lonely kids gotta stick together, or at least stick up for each other, because we're not freaks.  Our experience with a primary parent, and in our case, our mothers -- yes, that is a freakish way to grow up.  But when we stop lying about the experience, if only to normalize it for other people out there who are/were raised by narcissistic parents, it's a tremendous victory.

I use the word "narcissistic" to describe your mother, and I hope you don't mind.  Of course, even if I was in a clinical position to diagnose anyone with a behavioral disorder, I shouldn't/wouldn't without meeting the person.  But as a fellow survivor of primary narcissists?  I feel totally comfortable offering you my condolences and (for what it's worth) I strongly believe that you should feel empowered by your experience.  It takes tremendous strength of character to survive a narcissistic upbringing. Most people like us have done our research and been to therapy.  But if you haven't, I recommend both.  Highly.

 

Ha, I always think about sticking together with people with similar upbringing.  I have zero resentment towards people who come from loving homes, but I draw the line at them trying to give me 'advice', especially when they tell me that I should make amends.  FO.  You Don't Know.  I get that you're trying to help, but really, you have no idea what you are talking about.  I think they have seen too many Hallmark movies where people Live Happily Ever After.  Again, if you have been estranged from your parents, but somehow found a way to make up and become close, I'm very happy for you.  But that's the exception, not the norm.

 

I would definitely use the term narcissistic to describe my parents, so I don't mind at all.

16 hours ago, Penman61 said:

Why haven't we talked about the catty ex-cheerleaders at the funeral reception?  I kept waiting for Camille to tell them she'd invented Post-Its.

Well, she's the one who wanted to make them yellow.  It was her grandfather or uncle.

[LeGrandElephant]

On 7/16/2018 at 11:11 AM, Teitr Styrr said:

First, that Elizabeth Perkins character might not be real. I don't think I've seen anyone else interact with her.

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone directly interact with her but didn’t Camille and the detective talk about her?

On 7/16/2018 at 7:29 AM, zobot81 said:

It is a body-focused behavioral disorder, called trichotillomania.  It is closely related to OCD.  My mother had trichotillomania, and she had a bald spot on the top of her head where she pulled out each hair, one by one.  Her identical twin has also struggled with the disorder.  I have dermatillomania, which is compulsive skin-picking (and pretty much an alternative manifestation of hair pulling).  The things I can tell you about the behavior is that it's largely unconscious, mildly masochistic, and simultaneously meditative. In order to combat it, one has to become more grounded and aware of his or her behavior.  It also gets worse under stress.

Now I think I might have a relatively mild version of this. I used to pull out my armpit hair with tweezers and I really kind of enjoyed doing it even though it hurt (if you’re severely myopic like me  you can see each individual hair really well if you take off your glasses or contacts). “Meditative” definitely describes how I felt. Unfortunately it gave me a rash that was unsightly in summer tank tops. I managed to stop that with some real effort but I still bite the skin around my fingers compulsively and can’t stop even though I know it’s gross and sometimes it bleeds. Probably putting my fingers in my mouth all the time makes me get sick more often too. But then, lots of people bite their nails, so where’s the line that makes it a disorder?

On 7/16/2018 at 5:39 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

At the funeral, Adora told Jackie to use her inside voice. She specifically said Jackie’s name, so if she’s a ghost then both Adora and Camille see/hear her.

Ah good point. 

On 7/17/2018 at 7:35 AM, msrachelj said:

i chew the inside of my cheek.

Wait, are you saying not everyone does that? (I’m being totally serious).

I don’t understand why the teeth pulling means it must be a man. There are lots of women dentists. 

Edited July 18, 2018 by LeGrandElephant

[msrachelj]

1 hour ago, LeGrandElephant said:

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone directly interact with her but didn’t Camille and the detective talk about her?

Now I think I might have a relatively mild version of this. I used to pull out my armpit hair with tweezers and I really kind of enjoyed doing it even though it hurt (if you’re severely myopic like me  you can see each individual hair really well if you take off your glasses or contacts). “Meditative” definitely describes how I felt. Unfortunately it gave me a rash that was unsightly in summer tank tops. I managed to stop that with some real effort but I still bite the skin around my fingers compulsively and can’t stop even though I know it’s gross and sometimes it bleeds. Probably putting my fingers in my mouth all the time makes me get sick more often too. But then, lots of people bite their nails, so where’s the line that makes it a disorder? 

cuticle biter here also and i too believe that it is unsanitary even though i try to be conscious that my hands are clean, and most certainly makes me sick when i shouldn't be. it's a compulsion, stress, for me. had it since i was an adolescent.  i've had 2 infections around my finger from the damage i did and germs getting in i guess. are you anxious? 

1 hour ago, LeGrandElephant said:

Ah good point. 

Wait, are you saying not everyone does that? (I’m being totally serious). 

not compulsively! i have long white raised lines across the inside of my cheeks. i have made them bleed accidentally from chewing. i also do the inside of my lips. i am an anxiety bundle. 

1 hour ago, LeGrandElephant said:

I don’t understand why the teeth pulling means it must be a man. There are lots of women dentists. 

that's why i was asking if dentists have a special pulling tool that requires less strength. i'm assuming using pliers takes more muscles. don't know though. 

[LeGrandElephant]

11 minutes ago, msrachelj said:

cuticle biter here also and i too believe that it is unsanitary even though i try to be conscious that my hands are clean, and most certainly makes me sick when i shouldn't be. it's a compulsion, stress, for me. had it since i was an adolescent.  i've had 2 infections around my finger from the damage i did and germs getting in i guess. are you anxious? 

Yes and I now take long term medication for anxiety, and generally I think it has helped a lot and I feel much less anxious overall, but it has had no effect on my desire to bite the edges of my nails. I find I do it when I’m bored, or thinking, not necessarily when I’m anxious. I’ve tried things like bad tasting nail polish and getting jewelry to fidget with instead, but not had any long term success. No finger infections but I do get colds a lot. 

17 minutes ago, msrachelj said:

that's why i was asking if dentists have a special pulling tool that requires less strength. i'm assuming using pliers takes more muscles.

On that subject. How can they know it was done with pliers and not some special tool?

[msrachelj]

9 minutes ago, LeGrandElephant said:

Yes and I now take long term medication for anxiety, and generally I think it has helped a lot and I feel much less anxious overall, but it has had no effect on my desire to bite the edges of my nails. I find I do it when I’m bored, or thinking, not necessarily when I’m anxious. I’ve tried things like bad tasting nail polish and getting jewelry to fidget with instead, but not had any long term success. No finger infections but I do get colds a lot. 

On that subject. How can they know it was done with pliers and not some special tool?

hmm. funny it didn't help the nail biting. maybe now it's just an ingrained habit.

don't know about tooth pulling, did they say why they thought it was done with pliers? i don't remember . and this talk of teeth  is making me anxious coincidentally! 

[Black Knight]

I googled it and dentists use something called extraction forceps - which are also referred to as "dental pliers" and described as pliers-like.

So yeah, pliers are what's used to pull teeth, fancy title or no. (There's also a dental tool called an elevator, but that's apparently just used to move the tooth around to loosen it before then going to work with the pliers.)

But I agree, the whole "the tooth was pulled so it has to be a man" is silly thinking on the cops' part. As noted above, there are plenty of female dentists.

[Alice Mudgarden]

My human scanner capabilities caught what I think was every word this episode. I was looking everywhere there was words, so if I missed anything, it must have been a super quick shot.

There was both "scared" and "sacred" on the car door. For a split second, while in the convenience store, "Saltines" had the "ines" part scribbled out until Camille passed by it. Three of the cars parked outside the house for the wake had license plates that changed to "tangle", "punish" and "bundle". At the funeral, the banner that read "hope" changed to "hurt" for a single shot. I thought "whatever" on the hoodie was one, but then I'm pretty sure I heard Camille tell her boss about it, so that one confounded me a little.

I'm not sure what any of it means, but I'm an enormous dork who loves this added layer of watching the show.

Edited July 19, 2018 by Alice Mudgarden

[nachomama]

This is really not a good show to watch on the computer at work, ha! I mostly listen and peek. I don't think "but we gotta see all the words written on Camille and find the lady in white and find out who been killin lil girls" will be a good defense when I get fired.

[zobot81]

I feel like there are enough users who have shared their experiences with BFRD, that it seems almost irresponsible not to provide a legitimate resource for dealing with and learning more about this group of disorders.  I also strongly encourage anyone who is in real distress to seek professional help, always.

Take care of yourselves, ladies and gents! 

The TLC Foundation

[MBayGal]

On 7/16/2018 at 10:27 AM, zobot81 said:

 

Also, I'm extremely skeptical of the reality of the family maid.  She's like a ghost coming in and out of the frame, barely saying anything.  I donno what the narrative value of this twist might be, I'm just kind of weirded out whenever she's on-screen, like a smiling prop.  It freaks me out and makes me uncomfortable.

Me too!  From the first time she appeared, she reminded me of the maid in the movie Get Out.

[Penman61]

12 hours ago, Alice Mudgarden said:

My human scanner capabilities caught what I think was every word this episode. I was looking everywhere there was words, so if I missed anything, it must have been a super quick shot.

There was both "scared" and "sacred" on the car door. For a split second, while in the convenience store, "Saltines" had the "ines" part scribbled out until Camille passed by it. Three of the cars parked outside the house for the wake had license plates that changed to "tangle", "punish" and "bundle". At the funeral, the banner that read "hope" changed to "hurt" for a single shot. I thought "whatever" on the hoodie was one, but then I'm pretty sure I heard Camille tell her boss about it, so that one confounded me a little.

I'm not sure what any of it means, but I'm an enormous dork who loves this added layer of watching the show.

Thanks!  :)

I guess we can start interpreting these...projections?...now since we have enough of them:

• They are Camille's projections.  They are always from her POV.
• They are externalized versions of the self-harm inscriptions in her body, and for the same reason: unexpressed trauma/emotion: dirt > dirty, scared > sacred, hope > hurt
• They tend to happen at times of rising emotional stress/intensity. (Not as sure about this one, since the convenience store wasn't a particularly stressful situation, at least at first.)

Thoughts?

[BingeyKohan]

2 hours ago, Penman61 said:

Thanks!  :)

I guess we can start interpreting these...projections?...now since we have enough of them:

• They are Camille's projections.  They are always from her POV.
• They are externalized versions of the self-harm inscriptions in her body, and for the same reason: unexpressed trauma/emotion: dirt > dirty, scared > sacred, hope > hurt
• They tend to happen at times of rising emotional stress/intensity. (Not as sure about this one, since the convenience store wasn't a particularly stressful situation, at least at first.)

Thoughts?

Definitely agree with the first two bullets - I think it's part and parcel with what led her to carving the words in the first place. She has an experience and a word attaches itself to it and flashes at her, and in place of carving them into her skin she now projects them onto her environment. As for stress and intensity - you're probably somewhat right, if she experienced a moment of desire she'd probably see and feel it as a word, too, even thought it would be a more 'pleasing' sensation.

Edited July 19, 2018 by BingeyKohan

[zobot81]

1 hour ago, BingeyKohan said:

Definitely agree with the first two bullets - I think it's part and parcel with what led her to carving the words in the first place. She has an experience and a word attaches itself to it and flashes at her, and in place of carving them into her skin she now projects them onto her environment. As for stress and intensity - you're probably somewhat right, if she experienced a moment of desire she'd probably see and feel it as a word, too, even thought it would be a more 'pleasing' sensation.

I don't necessarily consider what I'm about to share a spoiler, but it very clearly explains at least why the words keep showing up in the external environment, and not just on Camille's body.  Just in case anyone doesn't want to know exactly what's going on with that aspect of the show, I will put spoiler thingies around the following quote (taken directly from a Vanity Fair article, summarizing a podcast interview with the author, Gillian Flynn, who worked on HBO's adaptation of her book):
 

Spoiler

 

But how would the show tackle the part of the novel which sees the words carved into Camille’s skin flaring and burning in her own mind at certain moments, a phenomenon she describes using her first-person narrative? For example, how do you visually convey the following sentence: “‘Maybe we can pick this up later, Miss . . . Camille.’ A word suddenly flashed on my lower hip: punish. I could feel it getting hot.”

[...]

Flynn said the problem of Camille’s words popped up in every conversation during the 12 years it took to bring her debut novel to HBO. The way the words have been seamlessly integrated into the show—rather than rendered as, say, superimposed text that floats up over the screen—means that Sharp Objects can avoid the kind of obsessive, fan-driven Easter egg hunts that don’t quite fit the story Flynn, Noxon, and Vallée are trying to tell. “If you’re paying attention, you see it,” Flynn explains. “But if you miss it, it’s not a big deal either. I’m not a huge fan of the things you must see, but I think those are lovely little notes for people.”

 

[ferjy]

On 7/18/2018 at 9:54 PM, Black Knight said:

I googled it and dentists use something called extraction forceps - which are also referred to as "dental pliers" and described as pliers-like.

So yeah, pliers are what's used to pull teeth, fancy title or no. (There's also a dental tool called an elevator, but that's apparently just used to move the tooth around to loosen it before then going to work with the pliers.)

But I agree, the whole "the tooth was pulled so it has to be a man" is silly thinking on the cops' part. As noted above, there are plenty of female dentists.

I remember when I had a tooth pulled, the elevator tool was used extensively to loosen it. It took quite some time. So by the time the dentist used the pliers, not much force was needed. It’s more a skill (at loosening the tooth) than braun. I’m sure the killer didn’t have this tool (or the patience to use it if they did) so had to apply much more force than a dentist would need. I guess that’s where their thinking was that it needed the strength of a man. But then some women are stronger than some men. Unless they meant a brute of a male was needed to accomplish the task! 

[ferjy]

On 7/19/2018 at 12:26 AM, Alice Mudgarden said:

My human scanner capabilities caught what I think was every word this episode. I was looking everywhere there was words, so if I missed anything, it must have been a super quick shot.

There was both "scared" and "sacred" on the car door. For a split second, while in the convenience store, "Saltines" had the "ines" part scribbled out until Camille passed by it. Three of the cars parked outside the house for the wake had license plates that changed to "tangle", "punish" and "bundle". At the funeral, the banner that read "hope" changed to "hurt" for a single shot. I thought "whatever" on the hoodie was one, but then I'm pretty sure I heard Camille tell her boss about it, so that one confounded me a little.

I'm not sure what any of it means, but I'm an enormous dork who loves this added layer of watching the show.

 

Did your super scanning capabilities happen to catch who the young girl was, about 15, that Camille kept seeing in flashbacks (or imagery, whatever they are)? She saw her at the beginning of this episode when she (Camille) was in bed, the girl was wearing the black dress that was hanging behind Camille's bedroom door. In the mirror the girl's reflection had blood on her mouth. Mimicking Natalie, I guess. Camille sees her again while she's in her car listening to the radio (around the 39:00 mark in the episode). The girl has earphones on and is singing to that same song. She sees her again about 20 seconds later on the red train car that says Welcome to Wind Gap, she is standing in the doorway of the train car. And Camille sees her one more time right after, again in the black dress in the bedroom, the same image as before. Have they mentioned who she is? Not sure if I missed it or whether it's still to be revealed to us. In the cast list

Spoiler

it says the character is "Alice" (another reason you might have caught it!). I don't remember an Alice being mentioned yet.

Edited July 21, 2018 by ferjy

[Alice Mudgarden]

1 hour ago, ferjy said:

Did your super scanning capabilities happen to catch who the young girl was, about 15, that Camille kept seeing in flashbacks (or imagery, whatever they are)? She saw her at the beginning of this episode when she (Camille) was in bed, the girl was wearing the black dress that was hanging behind Camille's bedroom door. In the mirror the girl's reflection had blood on her mouth. Mimicking Natalie, I guess. Camille sees her again while she's in her car listening to the radio (around the 39:00 mark in the episode). The girl has earphones on and is singing to that same song. She sees her again about 20 seconds later on the red train car that says Welcome to Wind Gap, she is standing in the doorway of the train car. And Camille sees her one more time right after, again in the black dress in the bedroom, the same image as before. Have they mentioned who she is? Not sure if I missed it or whether it's still to be revealed to us. In the cast list

  Reveal hidden contents

it says the character is "Alice" (another reason you might have caught it!). I don't remember an Alice being mentioned yet.

I think I know who you're talking about and I don't believe she's been mentioned. If I'm thinking of the right girl, I was distracted by wondering if it was Emaline from Everything Sucks (never should have been canceled) or not haha.

It was, btw.

[ferjy]

9 hours ago, Alice Mudgarden said:

I think I know who you're talking about and I don't believe she's been mentioned. If I'm thinking of the right girl, I was distracted by wondering if it was Emaline from Everything Sucks (never should have been canceled) or not haha.

It was, btw.

Thanks. They will probably focus on her in the next episode now that they’ve introduced her (however briefly!). I only know the actress from The Handmaid’s Tale where she played Eden.

[LilaFowler]

On 7/17/2018 at 8:35 AM, msrachelj said:

for a woman who comes from loads of money, camille looks like trash. so, kudos to showing how her alcoholism and mental issues are affecting her "style" and grooming. her hair is killing me. she needs a cut. it's so 70's i don't care looking.  i see her and imagine how bad she must look up close and she probably smells.  at least it looks like she does. since amy adams is not a hollywood type beauty, she is making the physicality work. 

I actually love her hair. She's a bit too old for that style but then I guess that is a sign that she stopped maturing at some point or is stuck living in the past. Her hair is very thick, lots of body and looks good on the actress. They made a point to show the men turning their heads to catch a glimpse of her as she passed by.

So when do Camille and the detective have sexy times, because the show keeps warning us of adult nudity but other than Amy Adams in a bra and underwear, we've got zilch. Camille also seems to be preoccupied with the dead girl's brother.

[preeya]

1 hour ago, LilaFowler said:

So when do Camille and the detective have sexy times, because the show keeps warning us of adult nudity but other than Amy Adams in a bra and underwear, we've got zilch. Camille also seems to be preoccupied with the dead girl's brother.

I don't think AA does naked.

[msrachelj]

On 7/19/2018 at 4:19 PM, zobot81 said:

I don't necessarily consider what I'm about to share a spoiler, but it very clearly explains at least why the words keep showing up in the external environment, and not just on Camille's body.  Just in case anyone doesn't want to know exactly what's going on with that aspect of the show, I will put spoiler thingies around the following quote (taken directly from a Vanity Fair article, summarizing a podcast interview with the author, Gillian Flynn, who worked on HBO's adaptation of her book):
 

  Hide contents

 

But how would the show tackle the part of the novel which sees the words carved into Camille’s skin flaring and burning in her own mind at certain moments, a phenomenon she describes using her first-person narrative? For example, how do you visually convey the following sentence: “‘Maybe we can pick this up later, Miss . . . Camille.’ A word suddenly flashed on my lower hip: punish. I could feel it getting hot.”

[...]

Flynn said the problem of Camille’s words popped up in every conversation during the 12 years it took to bring her debut novel to HBO. The way the words have been seamlessly integrated into the show—rather than rendered as, say, superimposed text that floats up over the screen—means that Sharp Objects can avoid the kind of obsessive, fan-driven Easter egg hunts that don’t quite fit the story Flynn, Noxon, and Vallée are trying to tell. “If you’re paying attention, you see it,” Flynn explains. “But if you miss it, it’s not a big deal either. I’m not a huge fan of the things you must see, but I think those are lovely little notes for people.”

 

that's what i said, i interpreted them as a figment. i thought it was obvious because you couldn't see them all the time.

[ferjy]

1 hour ago, msrachelj said:

that's what i said, i interpreted them as a figment. i thought it was obvious because you couldn't see them all the time.

It’s obvious that the words are there only for the viewer, yes, but it doesn’t convey well onscreen that

Spoiler

they are in her thoughts. They show enough flashes, they could have shown the words in a flash as she is thinking, that would have worked better.

Presented as it is, it looks more like clues we’re supposed to be noticing. 

Edited July 21, 2018 by ferjy

[Morbs]

On 7/17/2018 at 2:59 PM, iMonrey said:

Is there any significance to the maid getting right down on the floor where Adora had just been getting ready in her bedroom? It's like she was cleaning something specific but I didn't see anything on the floor.

 

I don't know but when I noticed that I thought there's no way she has the time to handwash all those hard wood floors. so maybe there's something to that specific spot  Get a swiffer!  Also, personally, I'd be very uncomfortable having a maid dress in a uniform.

[LeGrandElephant]

On 7/20/2018 at 12:01 AM, ferjy said:

I remember when I had a tooth pulled, the elevator tool was used extensively to loosen it. It took quite some time. So by the time the dentist used the pliers, not much force was needed. It’s more a skill (at loosening the tooth) than braun. I’m sure the killer didn’t have this tool (or the patience to use it if they did) so had to apply much more force than a dentist would need. I guess that’s where their thinking was that it needed the strength of a man. But then some women are stronger than some men. Unless they meant a brute of a male was needed to accomplish the task! 

I don't see how they could know that the person didn't use that loosening method - but maybe they can tell somehow (ew). In any case I think a better question is why someone would WANT to extract the teeth. 

As for physical strength, we know the body was left in the middle of town without anyone knowing, so whoever moved it must be a reasonably strong person - that wasn't a little kid; a 15 year old girl isn't that easy to lift up for, say, a small woman. But certainly doable for many women. So they are looking for a reasonably strong woman or an average strength man - that seems like it would rule out Adora, but who knows, maybe she has her weird husband or someone else doing the heavy lifting. 

[aemom]

I'm trying to figure out the relationship between the characters of Patricia Clarkson and Elizabeth Perkins.  Were they friends when they were younger or are they sisters who just don't talk much anymore?

[Jodithgrace]

Is it possible that the maid is cleaning up/picking up eyelashes? I didn't see anything on the floor, but I got the impression that this was the maid's daily routine. So routine that Amma imitates it in her dollhouse. Of course, if that is the case, how could the mother have any eyelashes left at this point? 

[fresiaa]

The scene with the pigs head was really upsetting me. It showed the practical side of pulling teeth. A dentist has the cooperation of the patient: the patient pulls back, by keeping his head firmly in place. So it is a combined force of pulling by  the dentist and by the patient. Here however, it was clearly shown the cop couldn't get a firm grip, and I started to imagine what "a firm grip" would be - holding the nose, put thumb in mouth to hold upper jaw, put hand flat on bottom jaw - just too gross …… And even more revolting to imagining it to be the girls face. It brought home to me, being cold about it after watching millions of tv shows, that murder is awful.

 

Brings me to RH (RedHerring or RealHint) what motive does the murderer have to pull teeth? 

[Anela]

Amy Adams is beautiful, and I love her hair. 

I'm still watching the episode, just reading here, too.

okay, what the hell? I just got something to eat, and now he's pulling a tooth from a pig's head?

[Butless]

This image which flashed at the beginning of this episode disturbed me.  Because the reflection in the mirror looks like a completely different person from the girl standing in front of the door (her rehab roommate?) I know she has the bloody vomit around her face, but  she looks like a totally different person to me.

 

[AmandaPanda]

On 7/17/2018 at 1:07 PM, BingeyKohan said:

Ha! I'm from a small-ish town myself so this is no knock on small towns but I found it hard to believe they'd be so dazzled by St Louis, especially since they lived in Missouri. I could imagine talking like that about the biggest city a state over, especially if it's bigger than your own state's 'big city,' but not one in your own state.

Since Wind Gap is supposed to be way down in the boot heel, it's about 3 hours from St. Louis. That's not terribly far, but I'm guessing not many people ever leave the town except for maybe college. I could buy them being more impressed with someone from Kansas City, since that's about 6 hours from the boot heel, so likely they've been there even less. 

On 7/18/2018 at 1:23 PM, LeGrandElephant said:

I don’t understand why the teeth pulling means it must be a man. There are lots of women dentists. 

 

If they're going off the assumption the teeth pulling happened while she was still alive, I can see why they'd think it would require a lot more strength. The brute force it would take combined with the possibility she was still actively fighting back would require a ton of strength. 

Edited August 26, 2018 by AmandaPanda

[paramitch]

I really like this so far. It's like a dream. A seriously creepy dream, but as a Southern writer who fled the South (although my Mom was an utterly lovely person, thank goodness), it's pinging a lot for me. I've felt genuinely uncomfortable at times just because some of the scenes resonated so strongly and strangely for me. It's a very odd thing to love and hate where you are from.

On 7/16/2018 at 9:07 AM, filmfan2480 said:

Amy Adams is killing it so far.  Patricia Clarkson, too.  And I love the natural ease of the acting coming from Amy Adam's boss.  Whoever he is, his line readings are so great -- feel like I'm looking in on real life and not watching a "show".

I feel the same way. I love Amy Adams when she stretches beyond sweetie-pie roles and think she's electric in stuff like this. Ever since "American Hustle," I've been gobsmacked by her range.

Also, her boss is played by one of my all-time favorite HITG actors, Miguel Sandoval, who I've loved forever and who I think has one of the loveliest speaking voices I have ever heard. I had a serious crush on him in "Things You Can Tell by Looking at Her;" he plays this very gentle, quiet man doing an autopsy on a lonely woman, and the scene has stayed with me forever (it's very sad but also quite moving, and his connection with Amy Brenneman, a cop investigating, there was just wonderful).  

On 7/16/2018 at 9:18 AM, zobot81 said:

I hope Camille is okay.  I hope we're all okay!  And I'm very grateful for shows like this that put demented families into words, into stories, and then bring them into our homes to be hashed out, or at least looked at.

Thank you for sharing your story (and everyone else who did here). There's sometimes nothing as heartbreaking, as punishing, or as painful, as family. I just hope you all find or create happier, better, more loving families for yourselves. You deserve it.

On 7/16/2018 at 10:06 AM, tennisgurl said:

Adora really is a piece of work. She might have her moments of humanity, but she doesn't even try to hide how much she is perpetually disappointed in Camille (both as a kid and as a adult) and how much she prefers both of her other daughters. Not to mention how she seems to really care more about what people think and their families "obligations to the community" than the fact that two kids are dead. Granted, most of the town seems to be like that, running as some kind of bitchy, southern gothic version of The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, so I guess she fits in. 

I kind of agree with the sheriff that Richard is watching WAY too many cop shows in this investigation. Do people in his city not ever leave flowers for people who have died, or have shown interest in a case? I know that the whole "look for a person trying to get too involved in the investigation" is usually a good tip to go on, but in a small town, where everyone knows everyone, and everyone is up in everybody's business, thats not going to be much help. 

I hate saying this but Adora reminds me of my maternal grandmother. She delighted in stuff like saying, "I have some clothes I bought for you" when I was a chubby teenager... but they were all always 4-6 sizes too small. Then I would see and realize this and she would say, with faux-regret, "Oh, well, maybe when you lose some weight." GAH.  

On 7/16/2018 at 11:39 AM, ferjy said:

We all have different perceptions of course, but I groaned when I saw the actor, who has been terrible in every role I’ve seen him in. He’s older now, he hasn’t been around much lately. I don’t think they’re clamouring at his door offering roles. He may have a natural ease in this role because he’s probably playing himself. No acting required. :p

I don't see this with Sandoval's work at all, but diff'rent strokes. I think he's a terrific and subtle, naturalistic actor. And I love the paternal warmth he gives his character here.

On 7/16/2018 at 9:24 PM, TattleTeeny said:

I think the point being made by the original poster that was that the act of leaving flowers doesn't say much in this regard, as people all over the place do that kind of thing--I even see flowers and crosses along highways pretty often, presumably at the sites of fatal crashes. Flowers and mementos are generally left by mourners, whereas the murderer may do "profiling 101" things like show up at the memorial/vigil or a search party, the site of the crime (or the discovery site), or even frequent cop hangouts. Maybe they leave flowers or something sometimes, but it's not because that's what murderers do (or that flowers are a "calling card"), it's to not attract suspicion in a crowd of other people doing the same thing. 

This! The cop wasn't surprised by the flowers or toys in remembrance, but, I felt, by the regularity of that specific bunch of daisies (or whatever they are) -- I think its reappearance was pinging for him and weirding him out a bit.

On 7/17/2018 at 5:35 AM, msrachelj said:

for a woman who comes from loads of money, camille looks like trash. so, kudos to showing how her alcoholism and mental issues are affecting her "style" and grooming. her hair is killing me. she needs a cut. it's so 70's i don't care looking.  i see her and imagine how bad she must look up close and she probably smells.  at least it looks like she does. since amy adams is not a hollywood type beauty, she is making the physicality work. 

While I agree that Adams is presenting Camille as someone who's casual and relaxed about her hair and makeup, and she's on the edge visibly in terms of her cleanliness and grooming, I have to disagree on the rest. Amy Adams is gorgeous, and the long curly hair is her most striking attribute. It instantly tells us so much about Camille as a person.

On 7/17/2018 at 9:28 AM, Penman61 said:

Why haven't we talked about the catty ex-cheerleaders at the funeral reception?  I kept waiting for Camille to tell them she'd invented Post-Its.

Me too!

On 7/17/2018 at 11:59 AM, iMonrey said:

Also, what exactly does Camille's editor think is wrong with her? Clearly he thinks she needs some kind of mental help or therapy. Does he think making her confront her childhood traumas will fix her? How about suggesting therapy for a start? 

To me it seems like her editor genuinely loves her in a paternal way after years of work together, and that he's worried she's nearing the brink of crisis or more self-harm. He's obviously noticed her serious alcoholism and issues, and I feel like he's hoping the story will save her in some way. I love that he seems to give her the warmth and parental support that she so obviously doesn't get from her passive-aggressive icecube of a mother.

On 7/17/2018 at 12:12 PM, nachomama said:

I think Camille's editor is dying. He's been coughing on the phone and he is trying to heal her so he can die in peace or something.

Yeah, I'm worried he's sick. That seems to be the implication.

On 7/21/2018 at 11:04 AM, LilaFowler said:

I actually love her hair. She's a bit too old for that style but then I guess that is a sign that she stopped maturing at some point or is stuck living in the past. Her hair is very thick, lots of body and looks good on the actress. They made a point to show the men turning their heads to catch a glimpse of her as she passed by.

I love her hair too, and it's such a beautiful character note too I think -- I love the fact that it's like it's the one soft thing she'll allow about herself. But I also think she should rock it now -- or in 20 years if she wants. I hate the idea that certain hairstyles or clothing are only okay for people of specific ages. 

On 8/5/2018 at 8:36 PM, Anela said:

Amy Adams is beautiful, and I love her hair. 

This. I can't even encompass beauty standards that would find Amy Adams unacceptable or plain.

[Lady Calypso]

 So, I'm trying to figure out the purpose of the maid and how vital she is to the overall story, as I don't really believe that she's just there to establish the family having enough money to hire a maid. And yeah, I agree with some of the posts above that said that it feels a little like a Get Out scenario. 

Adora really isn't the ideal mother to have. She does seem to hate Camille for reasons that are unknown. I mean, we know Camille was a rebellious kid who never did like to follow her rules, but Adora seems to really resent her. From trying to control her at the funeral to reprimanding her while she's trying to calm Amma down, they're further establishing why Camille never comes home. Meanwhile, Adora's current husband Alan is not really doing anything to stop any of this from happening. He seems to be incredibly submissive himself and hasn't really done....anything in these two episodes. And then there's Amma, who seems to have her own set of issues and who I still feel is hiding something. She's nice to Camille but at what cost? 

I'm horrified of the way Natalie died. All her teeth being pulled out was likely before she was killed, which makes it even more horrifying. Whoever this killer is is pretty sadistic and I wonder what the significance of the teeth pulling is for them. You'd think it could be a male that did this, but could a woman be capable of this as well? I think so, under the right circumstances. 

Well, this show definitely makes me visibly uncomfortable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

I still haven't caught all the words appearing, nor do I know the significance.