S01.E04: The Captain

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Beck heads out of town to rendezvous with the man she's been texting; Joe follows and is shocked by what he finds; Beck realizes she and Joe are going to have to bring a scary level of truth and authenticity to their connection.

 

[LittleIggy]

Wow, this show gets better and better. No wonder Beck has issues with a dad like that. Peach better watch out by the looks of the preview.

[Spartan Girl]

Beck's need to text/tweet about everything right when it happens is really annoying. I almost felt bad for Joe when she and her friends mocked his little problem -- until I remembered all the stalking and killing. I wonder if he was able to last longer the second time because the fear of getting caught (her old phone and all his trophies just lying around the room!) was a turn on.

I did feel some sympathy for Beck regarding her dad ditching her to start a new family. That always sucks.

The scariest thing about Joe is seen solely through Beck's perspective he really does seem like the kind of sweet, caring guy you always dreamed about. Which goes to show you: always be careful about the Nice Guys

[skotnikov]

Shay Mitchell is gorgeous. 

[sadie]

My take on Joes “performance” is the second time at his apartment he did well because he was in the manic state of hiding all the evidence laying around.  THAT was the turn on moreso than just Beck. Fascinating. 

Beck remains awful IMO. To need to text everything as it happens is a wonderful commentary on today’s youth and ow they feel it didn’t happen or isn’t happening if you don’t “share” it. It really depletes these moments we should just experience. Fascinating.

The only thing that bothered me was Beck so easily overlooking the fact that Joe told her he followed her to the fair.  Again it seems they are just trying to make this character look dumb. That acknowledgment would have sent most girls running like hell. 

[EdnasEdibles]

I confess I was only kind of 1/2 watching as I was cleaning up for the day but I was so confused by the Captain at first. They totally set it up to seem like she was a kept woman so when she met the guy and called him daddy I was like "Oh gross, Beck, don't call your sugar daddy, daddy." and then when it was clear he was her dad I was like "oh wow, she sleeps with her dad?!" and then I realized that the whole sex thing was a red herring. But sheesh. That almost made me sick. 

Edited October 1, 2018 by EdnasEdibles

[VagueDisclaimer]

7 hours ago, sadie said:

My take on Joes “performance” is the second time at his apartment he did well because he was in the manic state of hiding all the evidence laying around.  THAT was the turn on moreso than just Beck. Fascinating. 

Beck remains awful IMO. To need to text everything as it happens is a wonderful commentary on today’s youth and ow they feel it didn’t happen or isn’t happening if you don’t “share” it. It really depletes these moments we should just experience. Fascinating.

The only thing that bothered me was Beck so easily overlooking the fact that Joe told her he followed her to the fair.  Again it seems they are just trying to make this character look dumb. That acknowledgment would have sent most girls running like hell. 

It could be a commentary on “kids these days”, but I read it more that Beck is in constant need of validation. Even as she’s texting her friends, she’s reminding herself over and over to have her own opinion. She has huge difficulty using her own voice and being confident in it, also shown with her intimidation with the writing group. Plus both Joe and Peach observed (obviously projecting a bit too) that she just needs someone to take care of her.

And because of that, imo, she’s also someone that’ll take a red flag like following her to the fair  as something sweet, complimentary even. There are a lot of relationships portrayed onscreen that show stalkerish behavior as being something positive and that some women, for example, really eat that up. I can see Beck being someone like that and loving the solo attention. I don’t necessarily read that as dumb, just in character.

On another note, while i do enjoy Joe’s voiceovers and appreciated getting Beck’s perspective, Penn Badgley has a great delivery, great tone, sardonic edge, Elizabeth Lail...has none of that. Her breathy lilt is fine for the character, but lacked weight for the voiceover that I think it needed.  

 

ETA: Regarding Joe’s redeeming sexual performance, I’m not sure if he was more turned on, because I wouldn’t think that’d help his issue. I think it was more like him being overly excited the first time, as he wasn’t just having sex with Beck the first time, it was the first time with his obsession that he’s built hugely in his mind and in turn, the reality of it was too much for his penis. The second time was less planned, more unexpected, and Beck was kinda feeding his need for power and control with how she showed up. 

Edited October 1, 2018 by VagueDisclaimer

[Jillybean]

I think Ethan is in trouble. First he told Peach Joe was at the fair, then he told Beck where Joe lives. Joe is not going to appreciate the lack of boundaries. Although I was surprised on both counts that Ethan was even provided with this information.

[Stella Rose]

My thoughts on Joe's issue was more of a 'It's been a long time' type thing.  I felt so bad for him and then I remembered he's a stalker and a killer.    What a great actor that in the span of 3 minutes he can make you forget that he's not a nice guy at all.  Fantastic.   

[poeticlicensed]

How old is Beck supposed to be? I have to keep reminding myself that she is a graduate student, because she acts like she is 15 sometimes. 

The thing with her dad really sucks. But part of adulting is being financially responsible and not relying on your parents for financial support. When my kids went to college, the agreement was that we pay for the undergraduate degree. If they want to go beyond undergrad, it's on them. If Beck would remove the financial aspect to her relationship with her father and stepmother, it might go a long way to relieving the tension. And if you can't live in NYC without your parent's help, maybe you should rethink living in NYC. I have a friend who basically spent her retirement savings to send her daughter to Pratt in NYC. Even when she graduated she couldn't get a job that paid enough to live in NYC, so mom is still working at 70 and sending money every month so her daughter, who has  been out of Pratt for 5+ years. Also, one of the best programs in creative writing is at the Univ of Iowa, which  has a much more inexpensive COL than NYC. Just saying. 

Edited October 1, 2018 by poeticlicensed

[VagueDisclaimer]

Didn’t Beck say she was at Brown when she heard from her dad again? So she was already in school and had apparently found a way to pay for school then, but when her dad offered, it became this guilt ridden thing that has now become their only interaction and it only involves an exchange of money. Beck didn’t seem as upset about the possibility of losing the cash as she was about the baby and that it appeared her dad was officially moving forward with his new fam and leaving his old one behind. 

Edited October 1, 2018 by VagueDisclaimer

[Ms Blue Jay]

5 hours ago, sadie said:

Beck remains awful IMO. To need to text everything as it happens is a wonderful commentary on today’s youth and ow they feel it didn’t happen or isn’t happening if you don’t “share” it. It really depletes these moments we should just experience. Fascinating.

Joe looks to be the exact same age as Beck.  I think it's a commentary on a certain type of person rather than the youth.

Beck's breathy voice annoys the shit out of me.

2 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

The thing with her dad really sucks. But part of adulting is being financially responsible and not relying on your parents for financial support. 

Wouldn't he owe alimony?  If he was an absentee asshole father I wouldn't feel any guilt in taking his money.  I don't feel sorry for his ass at all!

[tennisgurl]

This show just keeps getting better and better! I really liked getting more of Becks and how her mind works, and hearing more about her inner life and relationship with her dad. It makes her obsession with posting her whole life online less of a commentary on "those darn young people these days with their phones and their texting!" and more about her quest for validation,and how people are so busy broadcasting their own image of perfection than actually dealing with their life. It even ties into her step moms super smug Christian mommie blog, and how people are obsessed with making their lives look a certain way online, even if it means hiding messy reality off screen. 

It seems like Beck really just wants to be noticed, and to feel special, which is why she is so desperate for those sweet Likes online, and to both be taken seriously by hipster artsy types, AND the glamorous socialite types. And her questionable taste in men, who make her feel special, even if they also treat her like crap. She isnt a super awesome person or anything, and is pretty slow on the uptake, but I do feel like I know her more now, beyond what imagine Joe has pushed on her through his own fantasies. Joe might send out creepy vibes to other people, but to someone as desperate for affection as Beck, him focusing so much on her must feel amazing. And after sticking with her dad through his addiction, helping him get sober, only for him to ditch her and her family as soon as the hard stuff was done for a shiny new family, I get it. 

I worry for Peach, she definitely smells a rat. Shay Mitchell is doing a really great job in this role, and she is just so beautiful! Its fun to see her like this, outside of the PLL verse. I almost want to get a Peach episode, I feel like her commentary would be hilarious. 

I think Joe got too excited the first time, and got into his own head too much. But the second time, he could let it go more. I swear, how messed was it that I was like "yeah, Joe nailed it!" for a second before remembering that the guy is a creepy, murder happy stalker who probably killed his ex girlfriend. Its really a credit to the show how it makes me get behind Joe, but never lets me forget who he really is. 

[seacliffsal]

I thought Joe's first response to Beck, that he was there to look through the books for sale at the festival was a good answer.  I wonder why he felt the need to change his answer.  I also don't know how Peach knew Beck and Joe were at the same place as Beck had told people she was at a writer's thing.  I know how Peach knew where Joe was (because the shop keeper gave it up to a pretty woman), but not the connection between Beck and the festival.

And, Beck certainly has it down how to live off of others.  Seems to be a pattern.

[2727]

I think I might enjoy the show more if the actress playing Peach was Beck. Blondie Beck is so amorphous and unformed that I can't really work up any feelings about her one way or the other. Joe's infatuation with such a blob makes me think less of him, too.

[KaveDweller]

2 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I thought Joe's first response to Beck, that he was there to look through the books for sale at the festival was a good answer.  I wonder why he felt the need to change his answer.  I also don't know how Peach knew Beck and Joe were at the same place as Beck had told people she was at a writer's thing.  I know how Peach knew where Joe was (because the shop keeper gave it up to a pretty woman), but not the connection between Beck and the festival.

And, Beck certainly has it down how to live off of others.  Seems to be a pattern.

I was also surprised he changed his story, because it seemed like she believed the original lie. Saying he followed her there should have set alarm bells off in her head.

I think Beck mentioned the location of her writer's retreat. If she didn't onscreen, I can buy that she would have mentioned it offscreen, considering how often she talks to Peach. But I want to know how Ethan knew where Joe was. Because didn't Joe just demand he work an extra shift and walk out?

7 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

And if you can't live in NYC without your parent's help, maybe you should rethink living in NYC. I have a friend who basically spent her retirement savings to send her daughter to Pratt in NYC. Even when she graduated she couldn't get a job that paid enough to live in NYC, so mom is still working at 70 and sending money every month so her daughter, who has  been out of Pratt for 5+ years. Also, one of the best programs in creative writing is at the Univ of Iowa, which  has a much more inexpensive COL than NYC. Just saying. 

Beck is going to school in NYC and so I get why she wants to be there. There are other schools, but maybe not with the same program she is in, or maybe she didn't get into school elsewhere.

But she could get a roommate, work a second job (she seems to have a lot of free time), or move out of Manhattan. But I get the sense she is just used to a certain lifestyle. 

[kdm07]

Beck doesn't think much of her friends but man, I definitely don't think much of her either. Shallow and stupid all in one go.

Joe continues to be creepy and I guess Peach is next on his kill list. Too bad, I'm beginning to like her.

[TattleTeeny]

10 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

How old is Beck supposed to be? I have to keep reminding myself that she is a graduate student, because she acts like she is 15 sometimes. 

The thing with her dad really sucks. But part of adulting is being financially responsible and not relying on your parents for financial support. When my kids went to college, the agreement was that we pay for the undergraduate degree. If they want to go beyond undergrad, it's on them. If Beck would remove the financial aspect to her relationship with her father and stepmother, it might go a long way to relieving the tension. And if you can't live in NYC without your parent's help, maybe you should rethink living in NYC. I have a friend who basically spent her retirement savings to send her daughter to Pratt in NYC. Even when she graduated she couldn't get a job that paid enough to live in NYC, so mom is still working at 70 and sending money every month so her daughter, who has  been out of Pratt for 5+ years. Also, one of the best programs in creative writing is at the Univ of Iowa, which  has a much more inexpensive COL than NYC. Just saying. 

But if you had parents who agreed to finance your school bills, you should be able to trust that. Believe me, I have been there for the "whoops, sorry--changed our minds." And it was a suckfest. Twice. 

[dubbel zout]

The pressure is coming from the new wife not to continue to fund Beck's life. I don't think her dad would cut off Beck otherwise. He's doesn't seem to have the strongest character.

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

But if you had parents who agreed to finance your school bills, you should be able to trust that. Believe me, I have been there for the "whoops, sorry--changed our minds." And it was a suckfest. Twice. 

And I know Dad didn’t financially support Beck when he was on the pipe.

[Door County Cherry]

11 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Joe looks to be the exact same age as Beck.  I think it's a commentary on a certain type of person rather than the youth.

I agree.  And I think the only difference between kids these days and kids from the days of yore is the technology available to be who they're going to be.  Currently, they text.  In the past, I remember getting into fights with my sister because she'd plant herself on the landline which meant people who called would get a busy signal and I couldn't make a call.  Oh that's right for people younger than me, we used to have only one line in the house and no call waiting.  Instead of texting, it was talking for hours.  Maybe even party lines for the ritzy crowd.  My point is--people shared a lot back then too just in different ways. 

13 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

The thing with her dad really sucks. But part of adulting is being financially responsible and not relying on your parents for financial support. 

 

She found her father passed out of a drug overdose and then he abandoned her, her mother and her siblings.  I imagine that made her grow up pretty quickly. When he came back into her life, he offered to pay for school--I imagine as a way to make up for not being around to support her when he was legally obligated to.  For him to break that promise, not because he can't afford to, but because he's having a baby with his new wife, is worth being upset over.  Perhaps she wouldn't have made the grad school choice without her father's support. 

Being financially responsible is part of being an adult but incorporating a parent's support is far from irresponsible.  It sure as hell beats going into debt. 

[Jadzia]

I felt old that the stepmother was played by one of Rory Gilmore's schoolmates.

Did anyone else think Joe gave himself away a little when he referenced "8 seconds"? Yeah, it was brief sex, but the fact that he used the exact same number as Beck did in her texts could have been noticed as more than a little coincidental. The sex could have easily been 7 seconds or 10 seconds so I thought that was going to make her pause when he said 8.

[luna1122]

On ‎10‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 8:32 AM, sadie said:

My take on Joes “performance” is the second time at his apartment he did well because he was in the manic state of hiding all the evidence laying around.  THAT was the turn on moreso than just Beck. Fascinating. 

Beck remains awful IMO. To need to text everything as it happens is a wonderful commentary on today’s youth and ow they feel it didn’t happen or isn’t happening if you don’t “share” it. It really depletes these moments we should just experience. Fascinating.

The only thing that bothered me was Beck so easily overlooking the fact that Joe told her he followed her to the fair.  Again it seems they are just trying to make this character look dumb. That acknowledgment would have sent most girls running like hell. 

I don't think it's 'today's youth'....if Carrie Bradshaw and Co are any indication, which hopefully they aren't. Carrie was even worse with the oversharing and constant need for attention, validation and drama, even when she was twice Beck's age (or almost, in the flicks).

Yeah, Joe was pulling off 'oh I was here cuz I sell books' excuse and then he came half way clean...most women would, I hope, run screaming, but not Beck.

[legxleg]

I think Beck would have been more wary after the whole 'ok so I followed you after I figured out your location from the background of a photograph' thing if she didn't already like him and wasn't looking for a lifeline. She's having a crappy day surrounded by people she doesn't like and then, hey, here's Joe to rescue her from her crappy day and to come along as a buffer to the dinner she's dreading! How he got here is a little weird, but whatever! If, however, she had decided to ghost him like Peach wanted, and he showed up...she would have probably been freaked. I think it's one of those things where a gesture can seem romantic if you like the person but creepy if you don't because love/romance makes us stupid.

Speaking of gestures that can be romantic or creepy, I thought that Beck just showing up at his apartment, which he had never invited her to, after getting the information out of Joe's one employee would set off serious red flags in other circumstances. I think it's not too far off from Joe's 'oh I just found you based on things in the background of your photo!' story. And there was also that line about Beck watching Joe sleep, which is one of those classic things that walks the line on creepy/romantic based on who you ask (and how much vampire romance they consume). I do wish Beck was stalking him back, but we were inside her head this episode so I guess that theory is ruled out. 

Edited October 3, 2018 by legxleg

[TattleTeeny]

8 hours ago, Jadzia said:

I felt old that the stepmother was played by one of Rory Gilmore's schoolmates.

Did anyone else think Joe gave himself away a little when he referenced "8 seconds"? Yeah, it was brief sex, but the fact that he used the exact same number as Beck did in her texts could have been noticed as more than a little coincidental. The sex could have easily been 7 seconds or 10 seconds so I thought that was going to make her pause when he said 8.

Maybe he could say he was referencing the Luke Perry rodeo movie of the same name, haha!

Quote

Yeah, Joe was pulling off 'oh I was here cuz I sell books' excuse and then he came half way clean...most women would, I hope, run screaming, but not Beck.

A good plan (whether you're a run-of-the-mill shy flirt with a plan or a diabolical fiend, also with a plan!); you win some points by confessing to something embarrassingly honest (or "honest" in this case)! 

Edited October 3, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[Ms Blue Jay]

18 hours ago, Jadzia said:

I felt old that the stepmother was played by one of Rory Gilmore's schoolmates.

Ohhhhh my god.  Thanks for pointing that out.  I looked it up.  Emily Bergl, for anyone else interested.

[TobinAlbers]

"I thought it was a race. Didn't I win?" made me laugh harder than it should. It's not the worst way to comment on the issue of 8 seconds.

If Beck isn't going to really try or wants to really try with her father, then she needs to cut contact. She definitely has a right to her resentment and she had a right to her blow up at the meal (and probably more) but to keep putting herself emotionally out there and torturing herself as well as string currently sober dad along with the hope they can heal the rift isn't good for either side. Gotta say the note about how he used to be a good sailor but can't remember it was sad. She remembers the good and bad about her father when he can't remember it. It really was/is a gift to him that she keeps trying to bring up the good things she remembers to him even as she suffered/endured the bad. 

Man, when Joe finally is over Beck and turns on her....it's gonna be ugly. Right now he's caught up in his fantasy that if he just does this and that for her everything will fall into place and they'll live happily ever after. Only everything won't just 'fall into place' and eventually he will get fed up with her.  Although I kind of want this to go the full distance of five seasons and Beck and Joe get married with a kid on the way when she finds out who she's married to.

Really loving this show and Penn. It really is as if Dan of Gossip Girl has cracked in a thrilling, darkly comic way.

[QuinnM]

Did they ever talk about the owner to the book store?  For the life of me I can’t remember.  Did Joe inherit the store?

[LilaFowler]

4 hours ago, QuinnM said:

Did they ever talk about the owner to the book store?  For the life of me I can’t remember.  Did Joe inherit the store?

Joe mentioned him once. Said that he never comes in to the store anymore. I'm guessing that he's probably dead.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Lol, that jerk is probably dead and buried out there in the Jersey woods. 

[methodwriter85]

On 10/2/2018 at 3:15 PM, Jadzia said:

I felt old that the stepmother was played by one of Rory Gilmore's schoolmates.

It's less weird for me, because I knew Emily Bergl was in her mid/late 20's when she played that part. Alexis, Jared, and Chad were pretty much the only castings of that teen set who weren't more than 5 years away from a birthdate corresponding to people who graduated high school in 2003. (Liza claimed for awhile that she had been born in 1980 but came clean with the 1977 birthdate later.)

Quote

Beck certainly has it down how to live off of others.  Seems to be a pattern.

I mean, if you look at it from the point of view from the stepmother, she's definitely seeing Beck that way.

The whole point of this show seems to be about perception- how we perceive people and how that perception differs according to who's doing the looking. The stepmother and Benji saw Beck as a golddigger. The lecherous professor saw Beck as a gal who'd do anything to get ahead. Joe and Peach see Beck a delicate flower that needs to be protected.  Maybe she can be all these things?

Anyway in her get-up and hairstyle this episode I thought she looked like West World Evan Rachel Wood.

Edited January 4, 2019 by methodwriter85

[bettername2come]

"Look, I'm just saying, stop killing puppies" - Good writing advice. Between that and Peach calling Joe "8 seconds" I'm liking her more.

I like that we got to see more of Beck's perspective.

Joe was working the Dickensian outfit. Penn Badgley should be in a period piece.

On 10/2/2018 at 3:15 PM, Jadzia said:

Did anyone else think Joe gave himself away a little when he referenced "8 seconds"? Yeah, it was brief sex, but the fact that he used the exact same number as Beck did in her texts could have been noticed as more than a little coincidental. The sex could have easily been 7 seconds or 10 seconds so I thought that was going to make her pause when he said 8.

I did take it in the bull riding sense. But I live in the country and have seen the Luke Perry movie many times.

[JoeyCrown]

Was this the first episode where we get a Beck voiceover? Did that surprise anyone else?

[BetyBee]

I've only watched up through this episode and this show is really freaking me out.   I can't exactly say that I like it, or that I want to finish it.  Peach and Paco are the only characters with any redeeming value at all, imo.  Well, also the bookstore clerk, but I'm not invested in any of them enough to keep going.  And they're all probably doomed anyway.  I'm tempted to just spoil myself and not finish.  I won't post anymore if I do that.  I was just wondering if anyone else feels ambivalent about finishing the season.  

[Chaos Theory]

1 hour ago, BetyBee said:

I've only watched up through this episode and this show is really freaking me out.   I can't exactly say that I like it, or that I want to finish it.  Peach and Paco are the only characters with any redeeming value at all, imo.  Well, also the bookstore clerk, but I'm not invested in any of them enough to keep going.  And they're all probably doomed anyway.  I'm tempted to just spoil myself and not finish.  I won't post anymore if I do that.  I was just wondering if anyone else feels ambivalent about finishing the season.  

I wrote this and realized it was one big spoil.  The huge problem is that I watched this when it was on lifetime and kinda laugh now that people are discussing it on Netflix.  Anyway if you are looking for characters with reframing qualities this isn’t really the show for you.  Even in this episode you have people questioning whether Beck is in the right to want more from a father who has a new family.  Is Beck a bad person?  I never thought so but just a self involved one.   But I also thought her step mom was actually trying to push her out if the family dynamic so she wasn’t actually wrong.   To her Joe must seem like a nice guy after a string of assholes when in reality Joe is king if the assholes.

Edited March 26, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[Scarlett45]

Joe should’ve kept up with the lie that he was there to sell books- believable and a sweet coincidence, but following her there would’ve sent me screaming and running for the hills. 
 

I do feel for Beck with her Dad. The did set it up to look like she was a kept woman, but when he came out of the car and opened his arms to her, that didn’t look sexual at all and when she said “Hi Dad” I went “ahhhh”. 
 

 

He caused her so much pain with his addiction, and I can tell she’s does want some kind of connection, but he’s never going to be able to “undo” those years of abandonment and neglect- sending her money for her cell phone etc is the least he can do. And yes, seeing him with his new family has to hurt. I wonder what her siblings think of him. So many times in those situations one sibling wants to forgive, and another is “stay the fuck away from me”. But I think for Beck’s own well-being if she can’t heal past her hurt with her Dad it may be best to let him go.