S01.E07: S.N.A.F.U.

[Amy Beth]

Did Ben know that IT guy had a change of clothes? Because if someone spilled on me, I’d send THEM out of the office for paper towels to do the first round of mopping up before I ran out of my office.

[green]

On 11/12/2018 at 11:29 PM, CleoCaesar said:

This show is so much better when watched as a comedy.

Yeah, a send-up on soap opera and conspiracy dramas it is though unintentionally.

 

On 11/13/2018 at 12:09 AM, tennisgurl said:

I liked the professor, and while the idea of a passenger being involved in the conspiracy was interesting, but her being a red hearing worked alright too.

Having Vance actually being a good guy who is possibly going to be an ally to the passengers is a really good ideas, and I like the way the show is going with it. Its much better and more interesting than him just being a government stodge or a bad guy. 

I don't think the English lady can be totally ignored.  Or good writing wouldn't as in she was hired (research grant was it?) post plane ride by evil corp for a reason. 

And I immediately thought she was the one who should be THE main character on the show.  Ditch the Boring Family of Endless Soap Drama totally and give me her, the Indian doctor and Vance and reboot the show that way asap.

 

On 11/13/2018 at 11:34 AM, krankydoodle said:

Yes, it doesn't strike me as great IT practice to have the code needed to access secure data printed on a prominently worn badge. And I laughed at how no one in the office kitchen seemed to notice Ben nuking his badge and the ensuing sparks, and all the goofy computer-related stuff.

Writing direction to investigate evil corp is good.  Execution of same was F-.  In Ben's Most Excellent Two Days at Work we have him hired in 5 seconds flat where he never would be hired in a million billion years in real life.  Then he immediately starts goofing off at the job he was hired for to go all Jack Bauer meets Doctor Who meets Mr Robot at turbo speed.  All his "moves" were more unbelievable than say a plane disappearing for over 5 years then returning.  And how the hell was Vance INSIDE evil corp's accounting firm physically?  He should have been outside or just took his own flash drive in himself and done the job.

 

15 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

What's next -- they strap Cal to a divining rod to see if they can locate the Bulgarian ? ...

I am curious about the info in the data dump -- some of the records of the Singularity Project (S.P.) data dump predated the return of the plane, so we're they expecting the plane to return ?

I would pay to see that!  And that would at least make Cal useful for the first time ever on this show.  God there is not one single person in this family that I can stand.  Maybe Michaela is a little okay when she gets away from the others on occasion.  But Ben, Grace, Danny, Olive and The Golden Child can all take a flying leap into oblivion.  And don't try to come back in 5 years either please!

Good catch on the data dump which again ties the English woman into the storyline.  Which leads back to my plea to make HER the lead character.  She had more screen presence in her small role then the whole lot of the other actors lumped together.  She seemed down right chillingly dangerous and sinister then turned on a dime and seemed innocent yet still mysterious and pulled off both takes in less than a minute on screen.   She is the one with the acting chops.

She also has the backstory to be tied in with everything.  Like her research was/is being "used" without her knowledge for evil and she has to make things right but not without temptations and complications along the way.  Oh I so would watch that show for sure.

Edited November 14, 2018 by green

[albinerhawk]

Unlike some previous posters, I had trouble getting into the episode. I always watch it the next day on Hulu, but this time I couldn't finish it until Wednesday. I kind of pushed myself to watch it by using This Is Us as my reward, but after twenty minutes it finally got my attention.

I was having a few thoughts while watching the show. First of all, I have a three year old daughter and while she's biologically mine, I can see Danny not wanting to let go of someone he's cared for as the surrogate dad for that length of time. I think we're hard wired to stick to our kids, natural or adopted. 

Secondly, I did feel like some progress was made on the central plot. In other shows, having Ben hand over the drive might feel like the show spinning its wheels, but since Vance looks like he might put it to good use, I fee better about this situation.

I was starting to wonder today about where the writers are going with Cal. Not that I'm emotionally invested in the kid, but where his predicament would lead the show. On one hand, it feels like if they find Marco too quickly they might finish one of the central mysteries of the show too quickly. Unless this is just the mystery of the first season, and there's a larger mystery encompassing the whole show. On the other hand, they could end up killing Cal off and in that case we lose an annoying kid and provide more motivation of the heroes.

Lastly, the end scene with Michaela and Ben got me thinking about a concept from Doctor Who, but I don't know if DW originated it or not. The idea is that science would look like magic to a less advanced civilization. Ben's character has been established as the one embracing science. So perhaps this is where we're going especially with the introduction of Fiona. I hope she's more than a red herring. She seems like someone who has actually investigated the science behind the phenomena that the 828ers have been experiencing. She could be vital, contributing member to the Ben/Saanvi/Michaela brain trust. On the flip side of that, Michaela seems to be embracing the more mystical side of what is going on. She seems the most drawn to the Bible verse left behind by her mother and much more willing to trust the signs.

[fauntleroy]

46 minutes ago, albinerhawk said:

Lastly, the end scene with Michaela and Ben got me thinking about a concept from Doctor Who, but I don't know if DW originated it or not. The idea is that science would look like magic to a less advanced civilization. Ben's character has been established as the one embracing science. So perhaps this is where we're going especially with the introduction of Fiona. I hope she's more than a red herring. She seems like someone who has actually investigated the science behind the phenomena that the 828ers have been experiencing. She could be vital, contributing member to the Ben/Saanvi/Michaela brain trust. On the flip side of that, Michaela seems to be embracing the more mystical side of what is going on. She seems the most drawn to the Bible verse left behind by her mother and much more willing to trust the signs.

Arthur C. Clarke's third law, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Hey for a real bummer check out the depressing Childhood's End miniseries yuck.

In addition to go-it-alone Ben, there is a confab of a bunch of scientists gathered to try and make some sense of this event, in terms of physics and the like. We know because they showed us a whole brief scene of them! We don't want to see more of them though because the cause is only the engine for the wonderful domestic drama that is centered around Grace and her feeelings.

I used to watch Suits which was centered on legal cases. Similarly hard to write so it devolved into 'You betrayed me Harvey!' 'No, you betrayed us Mike, you betrayed all of us!" Because law and physics are both hard.

[Palomar]

On ‎11‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 5:42 AM, icemiser69 said:

Danny and Olive's relationship is just too weird.  Uncomfortably creepy weird, and it has gotten weirder as the season has gone on.  I never liked those two together at all from the beginning.  I don't get a father daughter type vibe at all.  Just ick.

 

I think if it continues it will definitely be creepy weird. How many teenage girls are that affectionate with their stepfather?  Most dream about their real Dads coming back in their life.  Olive's semi-rejection of her Dad doesn't ring true.  Let the real father take his rightful place.  Olive is almost an adult...it will be close to almost dating if they continue this relationship in the future. 

[Moose135]

23 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I work in IT, and though I don't have any super secret info or access, I don't walk away without locking my computer. It's so much a habit that I do the same thing at home. 

That's not to say breaches don't happen, but the guy also invited a new hire without clearance to take a gander at the cool security stuff. Dude needs to be fired.

I don't work in IT and don't have any super secret info and even I do that.  In fact, my last company was a major financial services firm, and we had a "clean desk" policy (not always adhered to) where you weren't supposed to leave any private information on your desk or your computer unlocked if you were away from it.  I also couldn't believe that Ben's boss just gave him his ID card to use when Ben's stopped working.  That's another major breach.

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, fauntleroy said:

Hey for a real bummer check out the depressing Childhood's End miniseries yuck.

Read that when I was 19 and it scared the crap out of me. Actual horror stories never have.

I have no clue what most teenage girls dream about in terms of family. But I am not inclined to view the world through the lens that men (or women) can't love their stepchildren as a parent, rather than as a potential abuser. Not that it doesn't happen, but that happens in birth families too. For me, Danny has been clearly drawn as a parental figure, who was a lifeline for Olive, who seems to love both Been and Danny.

Edited November 14, 2018 by Clanstarling

[fauntleroy]

Without pathetic computer security most modern detecting efforts would simply cease in their tracks. It's too much work for writers who have to progress a plot briskly to deal with real-world safeguards, so the result is this kind of eye-rolling scene. Variations on the old "Look it's Halley's comet!" ploy - while their attention is elsewhere, you copy the files! Similar the guessing of passwords and the old 'enlarge and enhance' of crap security cam footage to reveal a license plate within the car-sized enlarged pixels, Might as well hold up a sign saying [hero breaks into computer to steal info vital to plot, never mind how].

[Clanstarling]

7 minutes ago, fauntleroy said:

Without pathetic computer security most modern detecting efforts would simply cease in their tracks. It's too much work for writers who have to progress a plot briskly to deal with real-world safeguards, so the result is this kind of eye-rolling scene. Variations on the old "Look it's Halley's comet!" ploy - while their attention is elsewhere, you copy the files! Similar the guessing of passwords and the old 'enlarge and enhance' of crap security cam footage to reveal a license plate within the car-sized enlarged pixels, Might as well hold up a sign saying [hero breaks into computer to steal info vital to plot, never mind how].

Which they did, amusingly, on Limitless. I was sad it was cancelled.

[peachmangosteen]

I thought this was hands-down the best ep so far.

Michaela and Jared are really getting better acting and character wise, thankfully.

If Olive was a boy, would people think her and Danny still having a relationship is creepy? I doubt it.

[Orillia]

I'm still really enjoying this show despite the fact that there are things about it that drive me crazy. If someone who had disappeared for 5 years  under Bens circumstances started working where I do , I would imagine he'd be the most popular person there. He probably couldn't make a move without someone noticing him. You'd think everyone would want to talk to him or at least get a look at him. Which brings up another point .... why aren't these people being mobbed everywhere they go ? Why aren't they being swamped with requests for TV appearances ? Instead they're out and about like nothing happened . Even the lowest of the lowest z-list celebrities get more attention  than these people do.

This show has so much potential. I hope they don't screw it up.

[eel2178]

8 minutes ago, Orillia said:

. Which brings up another point .... why aren't these people being mobbed everywhere they go ? Why aren't they being swamped with requests for TV appearances ? Instead they're out and about like nothing happened . Even the lowest of the lowest z-list celebrities get more attention  than these people do.

You'd think Ben could have solved his family's financial problem by going on the circuit as a motivational speaker talking about his experiences.

[shapeshifter]

19 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

While Michaela was performing CPR, she called out to the source of the callings to "Save him, save him" -- really ? Was she expecting some sort of miraculous healing ?

Towards the end of the episode, I decided that the "Save him, save him" was the last lingering spirit of dying Uncle intertwined with Evie (Michaela's dead friend and the heart donor) asking for the nephew to be saved from death, crime, or maybe both. But I may be totally wrong.

 

11 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I do think the show is trying to be too many things

I imagine them sitting around saying: Hey. Lost had a smoke monster plot that was never resolved, and all that stupid pirate stuff, and still made a bunch of money and lasted 6 years, so we might as well just throw everything and anything at the viewers and see what sticks.
If I'm right, then maybe next week will be The Spaghetti Monster, or maybe Snuffleupagus.

[spottedreptile]

The old guy who the Uncle-killer was attacking was dressed just like Walter Bishop. Looked like him a bit too. 

[SpiritSong]

On 11/12/2018 at 9:44 PM, crgirl412 said:

Of course you can, it fits!!  Who thinks that is attractive??  Yuck!!

They don't bother me at all. But then, I think the whole idea that every woman should have to pluck and tweeze and sculpt and shape and color their eyebrows to be acceptable is odious. She's got eyebrows that are fuller/darker than many women. Oh the horror! Let's take her out and shoot her, why don't we?

[shapeshifter]

59 minutes ago, spottedreptile said:

The old guy who the Uncle-killer was attacking was dressed just like Walter Bishop. Looked like him a bit too. 

Do you mean Walternate? I always think of John Noble as an imposing figure, whereas the elderly victim from the ATM machine seemed frail.

[spottedreptile]

1 hour ago, SpiritSong said:

They don't bother me at all. But then, I think the whole idea that every woman should have to pluck and tweeze and sculpt and shape and color their eyebrows to be acceptable is odious. She's got eyebrows that are fuller/darker than many women. Oh the horror! Let's take her out and shoot her, why don't we?

I really like her brows! Wish I had them. Mine are miniscule. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

20 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Danny was a widower before he met Grace, as I recall. So I take it that Grace was his first relationship after that, and it's only been a few weeks since the return of the flight. I don't get a creepy vibe at all, I'm taking Danny at face value - he's a nice guy who cares and loves for Grace and her daughter. People not biologically related can love children in a non-creepy way, and one would hope there are more step-parents that do, rather than not (though there are plenty in the not category)

 

13 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I am not inclined to view the world through the lens that men (or women) can't love their stepchildren as a parent, rather than as a potential abuser. Not that it doesn't happen, but that happens in birth families too. For me, Danny has been clearly drawn as a parental figure, who was a lifeline for Olive, who seems to love both Been and Danny.

 

15 hours ago, albinerhawk said:

I have a three year old daughter and while she's biologically mine, I can see Danny not wanting to let go of someone he's cared for as the surrogate dad for that length of time. I think we're hard wired to stick to our kids, natural or adopted.

ITA with both of you. I see nothing creepy, sinister, or inappropriate with Danny and Olive's relationship. He was a father figure to her during adolescence so I don't find it all surprising that she bonded with him, still wants to spend time with him, and turns to him in a crisis. She still loves Ben, but she doesn't really know him. She hasn't seen him since she was 9 or 10 (I forget exactly how old the twins were when the plane disappeared) and Ben admitted that he wasn't really there for her emotionally before the plane disappeared because he was so focused on Cal. Danny, on the other hand, has been around for the past four years and from what has been alluded to on the show, he was there for her when she was depressed and acting out.

Just because a romantic relationship between two adults ends doesn't mean that one of them is supposed to immediately stop loving the other person's kids or family members. I don't think Danny is a bad person just because he is still concerned about Olive and misses her. If anything, that makes him the opposite of a bad person.

11 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

If Olive was a boy, would people think her and Danny still having a relationship is creepy? I doubt it.

Good point!

4 hours ago, SpiritSong said:

They don't bother me at all. But then, I think the whole idea that every woman should have to pluck and tweeze and sculpt and shape and color their eyebrows to be acceptable is odious. She's got eyebrows that are fuller/darker than many women. Oh the horror! Let's take her out and shoot her, why don't we?

 

2 hours ago, spottedreptile said:

I really like her brows! Wish I had them. Mine are miniscule. 

I'm with you! Men are allowed to leave their eyebrows exactly as they are, whether they're scraggly/nonexistent or full on fuzzy caterpillars. Men are not expected to tweeze them, shape them, or fill them in with brow pencil because men's eyebrows are fine au naturel. Meanwhile, women are subject to whatever is considered attractive at the moment (and it's constantly changing). We had Brooke Shields with full eyebrows in the 80s and then we had the heroin chic 90s with eyebrows plucked within a millimeter of their lives. Now we're back to Cara Delevingne's thick eyebrows being on trend and women resorting to microblading and eyebrow transplants to get thicker looking eyebrows. Of all the things that annoy me about Michaela, her eyebrows are not on my list.

[fauntleroy]

At least the eyebrows provide continuity. They are comforting and I always know I'm watching the right show. Speaking of continuity has there been any followup of the shooting by the shadowy figure of the woman who went to the news? Mentioned by NSA dudes or our heroes. Anything. Happened at the end of Ep 2? It was determined that the killer was not the spurned assistant right? Meaning the real killer is at large. Which Michaela and Jared are aware of (?) so would pique their interest you might think. They went to some trouble with the shadowiness, then seem to have forgotten about it. Maybe they will cycle back to it in season 6 ha ha.

[Mr. Sparkle]

I thought you all might find this relevant:

http://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/manifest-recap-getting-lost-in-melissa-roxburghs-eyebrows.php 

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, fauntleroy said:

Speaking of continuity has there been any followup of the shooting by the shadowy figure of the woman who went to the news? Mentioned by NSA dudes or our heroes. Anything. 

When Ben was in Vance's office, one of the things he accused the NSA of doing was along the lines of "stealing a body".

 

2 hours ago, fauntleroy said:

It was determined that the killer was not the spurned assistant right? Meaning the real killer is at large.

Was it? I don't remember that.  I assume she was the killer.

[ottoDbusdriver]

21 hours ago, spottedreptile said:

The old guy who the Uncle-killer was attacking was dressed just like Walter Bishop. Looked like him a bit too. 

I thought the same thing -- he was definitely dressed like Walter from the Red Universe.  I miss Fringe.

[spottedreptile]

3 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

I thought the same thing -- he was definitely dressed like Walter from the Red Universe.  I miss Fringe.

One of the reasons I watch this show is that there seem to be quite a few, if faint, Fringe cues. I had to stop myself from yelling out: "It's the PATTERN, ffs!" when they started to question why the Callings were happening hehe.   

[djinn]

On 11/15/2018 at 10:04 AM, fauntleroy said:

At least the eyebrows provide continuity. They are comforting and I always know I'm watching the right show. Speaking of continuity has there been any followup of the shooting by the shadowy figure of the woman who went to the news? Mentioned by NSA dudes or our heroes. Anything. Happened at the end of Ep 2? It was determined that the killer was not the spurned assistant right? Meaning the real killer is at large. Which Michaela and Jared are aware of (?) so would pique their interest you might think. They went to some trouble with the shadowiness, then seem to have forgotten about it. Maybe they will cycle back to it in season 6 ha ha.

Well, I don't accept that it was determined, LOL!  To me, it was pretty clearly the housekeeper/maid, who bitterly resented that the lady of the house had come back.

[fauntleroy]

8 hours ago, djinn said:

Well, I don't accept that it was determined, LOL!  To me, it was pretty clearly the housekeeper/maid, who bitterly resented that the lady of the house had come back.

Yes thanks (and Moose135) consensus seems to be that it was her after all. But wasn't there an unusual shadowy stealth that implied otherwise? And the NSA spirited away her body? I would rewatch to verify, but that's a level of commitment I'm not quite willing to make.

[peachmangosteen]

49 minutes ago, fauntleroy said:

Yes thanks (and Moose135) consensus seems to be that it was her after all. But wasn't there an unusual shadowy stealth that implied otherwise? And the NSA spirited away her body? I would rewatch to verify, but that's a level of commitment I'm not quite willing to make.

Yes, they showed a shadowy figure when whatsherface was murdered. And it was just after Cal had shown the picture he drew of the shadowy figure. But I guess apparently it was just the maid who killed the lady and Cal's drawing was just of Danny. Kind of stupid if you ask me, but whatever!

Edited November 17, 2018 by peachmangosteen

[shapeshifter]

37 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Yes, they showed a shadowy figure when whatsherface was murdered. And it was just after Cal had shown the picture he drew of the shadowy figure. But I guess apparently it was just the maid who killed the lady and Cal's drawing was just of Danny. Kind of stupid if you ask me, but whatever!

Yes, a stupid attempt at a red herring, IMO.

Back to this episode:
I can't let go of the title.
I realize all the episodes have cute air travel references (as does the show title, Manifest).
But the other episode titles also seemed to relate to the episodes themselves (like "Reentry" focusing on fitting back into life 5.5 years later—although "Reentry" is more of a space travel term), whereas "S.N.A.F.U." is a military acronym for Situation Normal: All Fouled Up, and I don't see how this episode depicts that any more than any other. 

[Clanstarling]

21 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes, a stupid attempt at a red herring, IMO.

Back to this episode:
I can't let go of the title.
I realize all the episodes have cute air travel references (as does the show title, Manifest).
But the other episode titles also seemed to relate to the episodes themselves (like "Reentry" focusing on fitting back into life 5.5 years later—although "Reentry" is more of a space travel term), whereas "S.N.A.F.U." is a military acronym for Situation Normal: All Fouled Up, and I don't see how this episode depicts that any more than any other. 

I agree that SNAFU doesn't really seem to apply specifically to this episode.

Side note, as a military brat, I grew up with the less polite version of that acronym. ;)

[Camera One]

They should have called the episode "Domestic Terminal".  It can refer to Ben's sucky family situation, Michaela's friend's dying contribution and the computer terminals at the accounting firm which Ben is hacking into for domestic reasons.

Edited November 17, 2018 by Camera One

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I agree that SNAFU doesn't really seem to apply specifically to this episode.

Side note, as a military brat, I grew up with the less polite version of that acronym. ;)

Yeah, I didn't know the more polite version of this F word until I Googled. ?

[Camera One]

Actually, the episode title is a message to the IT guy.  S.N.A.F.U. = Sneaky Newbie Actually Fooling U

[mythoughtis]

On 11/13/2018 at 7:37 PM, txhorns79 said:

I laughed at Ben's whole storyline.  Of course, after two days at the company, Ben is easily able to access the information he needed because why bother building trust or relationships when you can just microwave your ID and attend a card game.

A job that you wouldn’t even have started that quickly given the obvious requirements for a background and fingerprint check.  Any company doing random searches is going to require those. 

Then there is the normal employee orientation and training. No one is going to have  the free time and freedom  to visit the IT guy on day 2. 

All of those passengers should still be trying to get their IDs, DLs, insurance, cars,phones  and living arrangement straightened out at this point.  For example, Ben and Grace are now broke... where did Ben’s nice car and phone come from? Plus Ben is 5 years behind on technology. 

Edited January 6, 2019 by mythoughtis
Spelling

[Clanstarling]

31 minutes ago, mythoughtis said:

A job that you wouldn’t even have started that quickly given the obvious requirements for a background and fingerprint check.  Any company doing random searches is going to require those. 

Then there is the normal employee orientation and training. No one is going to have  the free time and freedom  to visit the IT guy on day 2. 

All of those passengers should still trying to get their IDs, DLs, insurance, cars,phones  and living arrangement straightened out at this point.  For example, Ben and Grace are now broke... where did Ben’s nice car and phone come from? Plus Ben is 5 years behind on technology. 

That's a major point for me, since I work in tech and have seen how fast it changes (and how little relevance past knowledge can have - at least in the eyes of someone hiring you for the first time)

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

That's a major point for me, since I work in tech and have seen how fast it changes (and how little relevance past knowledge can have - at least in the eyes of someone hiring you for the first time)

It's been a while since this show aired, so I don't recall: Was Ben hired directly by the Flight 828 fanboy boss? If so, that explains away common sense in hiring. Similarly, if the decision was made higher up, fanboy boss might have been consulted as to whether or not Ben's resume was sufficient, and fanboy (looking through rose-colored  kaleidoscope glasses), might have said a resounding, "Hell, yeah!"
In my current workplace several inadequate IT people were hired over the last 10 years; they didn't last. Ben's good looks alone would've gotten him a job at my place. I have not seen or heard of much hiring and firing done logically. Recently I read that it's not unusual for Elon Musk to storm through his facility in a bad mood and randomly fire people.
But, yeah, I wish we could've had a couple of lines between Grace and Ben in which she nags him for being on the computer late at night and he tries to explain how he needs to catch up with current technology for his job. 
 

[jhlipton]

On 1/6/2019 at 11:59 AM, mythoughtis said:

A job that you wouldn’t even have started that quickly given the obvious requirements for a background and fingerprint check.  Any company doing random searches is going to require those. 

Then there is the normal employee orientation and training. No one is going to have  the free time and freedom  to visit the IT guy on day 2. 

That's what I thought (and said, somewhere).

On 1/6/2019 at 2:32 PM, shapeshifter said:

It's been a while since this show aired, so I don't recall: Was Ben hired directly by the Flight 828 fanboy boss? If so, that explains away common sense in hiring. Similarly, if the decision was made higher up, fanboy boss might have been consulted as to whether or not Ben's resume was sufficient, and fanboy (looking through rose-colored  kaleidoscope glasses), might have said a resounding, "Hell, yeah!"

Most mid- to large-scale companies (like this one) don't have HR get the resumes directly.  The resumes are fed through an automated system that checks for keyword matches (which is why you have to have a different resume for each job you apply for, and a generic one for the recruiters to see).  So "fanboy boss" wouldn't even know that Ben is applying unless he passed the reader (and, as someone 5 years out of date, he might not know about the readers -- I didn't until I took a class on resume writing).

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, jhlipton said:

Most mid- to large-scale companies (like this one) don't have HR get the resumes directly.  The resumes are fed through an automated system that checks for keyword matches (which is why you have to have a different resume for each job you apply for, and a generic one for the recruiters to see).  So "fanboy boss" wouldn't even know that Ben is applying unless he passed the reader (and, as someone 5 years out of date, he might not know about the readers -- I didn't until I took a class on resume writing).

Typing as Devil's/Ben's advocate (not that Ben is devilish--he practically wears a halo): More than 5 years ago those of us applying for jobs knew our cover letters and resumes should include the exact words from the advertisement because departmental assistants or others would likely be looking for those words when sorting applications into piles and recycling bins.
So Ben might have done the right thing without knowing about automated keyword searching and sorting. 

And now my suspension of disbelief is all geared up for tonight's new episode. ;-) 

Edited January 8, 2019 by shapeshifter
pesky prepositions

[mythoughtis]

I’m sure Ben could do a suitable resume. I just refuse to believe that he could get thru the interview scheduling,  interview(s),  offer and acceptance process, background check, and actually report to work in. the one or two days each episode seems to cover. Plus be invited and attend  a poker game  on his first day on the job. Unless this episode skipped a month or two?  After all Jared was supposedly suspended for 10 days

Edited January 8, 2019 by mythoughtis

[jhlipton]

54 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

More than 5 years ago those of us applying to jobs knew our cover letters and resumes should include the exact words from the advertisement because departmental assistants or others would likely be looking for those words when sorting applications into piles and recycling bins.
So Ben might have done the right thing without knowing about automated keyword searching and sorting. 

Up until about 3 years ago, I had a great position where I thought I was valued and appreciated, only to be let go after 30 years of service (yeah, that still hurts!).  So I found out about the keyword stuff the hard way back in 2016 or so.  It sounds like it was around a lot longer than that.

21 minutes ago, mythoughtis said:

I’m sure Ben could do a suitable resume. I just refuse to believe that he could get thru the interview scheduling,  interview(s),  offer and acceptance process, background check, and actually report to work in. the one or two days each episode seems to cover.

On my current position, it took at least a week, and I think more like two, from the initial offer until I started work, and drug and background checks were definitely part of that.  I work for a very friendly group, so getting invited to a poker game within a day or two wouldn't be out of the question.  

It's funny how, in a show about time travel, it's the little things that trip us up. 

[crgirl412]

I'm so excited this is back on!!

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, jhlipton said:

It's funny how, in a show about time travel, it's the little things that trip us up. 

I think that a show that requires the audience to suspend disbelief about the over-arching mystery (the time travel/sci fi, etc.), it's really important to ground the day to day story in reality to make sure the audience is thinking about the disappearance, not getting bogged down in the details that don't really take that much to take care of. Most of the rabbit holes we've gone down could have been taken care of with a throw away line.

The job, not so much, but they still could have come up with something if not realistic, then explainable (for example, say he was hired specifically because a big boss at the firm wanted publicity). It's as if these guys never held real jobs or knew anyone who did.

[crgirl412]

I am most interested in Jared and Mick out of everything. 

[Friendly kitty]

With each series of TV series is becoming duller. It seems everything is gradually revealed, but I want more tension, more plot twists, more drama ...
One thing is clear, the boy is the center of everything. His brain was connected to the brain of another person and maximally strengthened his empathy. Because of this, he knows the most and can predict the future ...😵

Edited April 23, 2019 by Friendly kitty

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 11/15/2018 at 1:32 AM, SpiritSong said:

They don't bother me at all. But then, I think the whole idea that every woman should have to pluck and tweeze and sculpt and shape and color their eyebrows to be acceptable is odious. She's got eyebrows that are fuller/darker than many women. Oh the horror! Let's take her out and shoot her, why don't we?

I think that Michaela is so gorgeous!  I love looking at her.  

(Then again, I called her Eyebrows for the first episode too.  It fits.)

(Then again again, I call Mae Whitman's eyebrows on "Good Girls" caterpillars.  Those things were hideous when she had platinum blonde hair.)

Edited June 27, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Paloma]

On 1/7/2019 at 10:06 PM, Clanstarling said:

On 1/7/2019 at 8:58 PM, jhlipton said:

It's funny how, in a show about time travel, it's the little things that trip us up. 

I think that a show that requires the audience to suspend disbelief about the over-arching mystery (the time travel/sci fi, etc.), it's really important to ground the day to day story in reality to make sure the audience is thinking about the disappearance, not getting bogged down in the details that don't really take that much to take care of. Most of the rabbit holes we've gone down could have been taken care of with a throw away line.

The job, not so much, but they still could have come up with something if not realistic, then explainable (for example, say he was hired specifically because a big boss at the firm wanted publicity). It's as if these guys never held real jobs or knew anyone who did.

Way late catching up on this show on Netflix, but I completely agree with both of your points about the little things needing to be believable or explainable. And it's probably true that the writers never held "real" jobs, or at least the kind of jobs that require typical hiring practices and 9-5 routines. So far I am willing to overlook these things, though they do take me out of the story at least momentarily.