The Perfectionists - General Discussion

[marinaalexis]

Not totally sure why, but I wasn't as enthralled with this episode as I was the last one. I did enjoy seeing more of Taylor, and her interactions with Alison. Are we taking bets on how long it is until she and Mona end up together? I actually don't want Taylor to be Bad Bishop because it's so obvious that's what's going to happen.

I've been trying to ignore it most of the season, but it was so painfully obvious in this episode that Sofia is just not a good actress. Her acting was actually taking me out of scenes. Goes to show that you shouldn't always just go with a big name. It's a shame, because I think Ava would be my favorite of the three, storyline wise, if she was being played more believably.

Caitlin being the one hit by the car, and not Mason, was a twist that I didn't see coming. But I really think this show needs to cool it with the direct parallels to PLL. Every time they do something like this, it just reinforces that this show is not the original. They should stick to just the little callbacks (like Taylor's "We don't just look alike, we think alike too" line to Ali) that more hardcore fans of PLL would notice - little Easter eggs in a way. Directly copying or paralleling major storylines is doing the opposite of what they want, I think.

Ali and Mona's friendship continues to be the main reason I'm tuning in. It just gets better and better every week.

[Writing Wrongs]

Dana, honey. Don't try to take on Mona. You don't stand a chance.

[tennisgurl]

Lady, you dont want to mess with Mona. She apparently knows what Mona can do to people that piss her off, I wouldn't underestimate her.

[Jack Shaftoe]

This show is already worse than PLL ever was. The characters motivation is a mess, the plot an even bigger mess, the dialogue is atrocious and the cast is ridiculously small. As crazy a place as Rosewood as was, it felt alive, it felt real. Here the characters keep talking about exams and homework and parents and so on but we barely see any of that. The plot moves at a breakneck speed, probably in the hopes of hiding the Antarctica-sized plot holes it in. Truth serum? Really, show? So based on nothing but a gum wrapper and the guy being a jerk they wanted to drug this Mason and use a "truth serum" on him? And when this (shockingly) doesn't work, Caitlin hits him on the head? Even Spencer with her "Everyone is A" tendencies needed several season to start acting so stupidly. The Idiot Trio aren't friends, have no reason to trust each other or even to believe that it wasn't one of them who killed Nolan - they aren't characters, they are plot devices. I don't care that Caitlin might die or go to jail for hitting Mason on the head because the show hasn't given me a reason to care. She is as two dimensional as they come. At least the actress is decent, unlike the one who plays Ava who is horrible.

Taylor faked her death because somebody tried to kill her (something extremely rare in the real world but apparently very common in the PLL world). A computer program picked Alison because she was really similar to Taylor and thus best suited to try to find her (*head, meet desk*). Alison says Taylor's mom was obviously grieving but we really saw nothing of the sort. One scene ends with Taylor yelling at Alison to get out, after the commercial break they are calmly talking outside? And last but not least, Taylor doesn't really resemble Alison all that much.

I can't be the only one who laughed out loud when Alison said "Nolan trusted me, Taylor". She literally met the guy for the first time in episode one, had a very brief conversation with him and then he died. She didn't know him at all and neither did he know her. Him "trusting" her is just as contrived and silly as everything else in the show. If there had been time for the viewers to get to know Nolan (even though he was great big jerk) and for him to have a genuine reason to trust Alison, what she said would have sounded convincing and her attempts to investigate his death at least somewhat plausible. As it is, I can't help asking why she is even involved in this mess.

Tanner 2.0 lures a murder suspect into the woods to confront her about... something for some reason. Amazingly, her genius plan doesn't work.

Alex and Mary Drake are at large but Alison is concerned with some randos she just met? Okay, show.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Jack Shaftoe

[marinaalexis]

While I'm all for expressing opinions, I must say that the idea of someone continuing to watch a show when they dislike pretty much everything about it is baffling to me.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Caitlin looked stunning for having just been hit by a speeding car.  It looked like she laid down on the road for a nap. 
Come on, she should have massive trauma from that impact.  And where did the phone in her left hand go ?  It was in her hand up until the car approached, but the shot right before the impact there was no phone.  Plus, they know what Ava's car looks like, why would she stand there like a doofus for the car to hit her ?

I guess RV trailer girl really was Taylor -- who knew ?  I figured it was a decoy/doppleganger/look-a-like that Taylor had jump off the bridge for her.

Even when she is eventually found out by the public to be alive, Taylor will suffer no consequences whatsoever from faking her own death --  Alison and Mona have already done that in the PLL-verse and look where that go them.

Trust me, your dead brother said so -- oh, that old chestnut.

Ava and her broken pencil of despair.  It was just so sad.

That was not a good cover of Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight".


 

Edited April 25, 2019 by ottoDbusdriver

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

That was not a good cover of Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight".

That’s because there’s no such thing as a good cover of that song. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S1.E6 Lost and Found

Quote

When Alison brings Mona into her investigation of Taylor, Mona makes a surprising discovery. While preparing for the campus fashion show, Ava comes into contact with Zach, a fellow student with an unexpected connection to her past. And the Perfectionists struggle to recover from recent events.

Promo:

Original air date: 4/24/19

Clips:

Mona joins the team:

Fashion show prep:

Mona & Alison:

Original air date: 4/24/19

[ottoDbusdriver]

Ava comes into contact with Zach, a fellow student with an unexpected connection to her past.

Ava's long-lost half-brother ??

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 hour ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Ava's long-lost half-brother ??

Nah, twin with a questionable accent.

[Writing Wrongs]

I quite enjoy this show. Probably because it's so bad.

Roswell's Shiri Appleby (Liz) directed the latest episode.

[Callaphera]

Can we take a moment to talk about Ava? More specifically her way of walking? More specifically her way of stomping oddly with her legs far apart while wearing skirts? She walks like a cowboy who lost his horse. 

[SadieT]

Taylor did not stay dead for long. I like that the show isn't dragging every little thing out. 10 episode seasons might be a good thing. 

Beacon Heighs PD appears to be just as useful as Rosewood PD. 

How long till Ava and Zach start dating? 

The ominous floating balloon and sewer shenanigans gave me IT feels. That whole scene with the pig mask person popping up behind Dylan and Ava was actually pretty creepy so props for that. 

Can we discuss promos or is that considered spoilers? Because it looks like our villain is connected to Mona. Running people over with cars, tampering with fashion show projectors, threats via cupcakes? All moves straight out of the Mona as A handbook. 

I love how Mona and Alison keep insisting to people that the other is trustworthy when everything they've been through involving each other suggests that that's not at all true. Mona defended Alison last week and now Alison is vouching for Mona. It's almost as if all the bullying, tormenting, attempting to murder, framing for murder, killing of sister/cousins never happened. 

At this rate, they're going to run out of string covers of popular Lady Gaga songs before the season's end. 

Edited April 25, 2019 by SadieT

[ottoDbusdriver]

I'm not sure what was funnier -- Dylan's "violin playing" on the catwalk or Ava's Model # 2 who looked like she was wearing high heels for the very first time ?
Followed only by Mason acting all aggressive sneaking into her room, in the dark, only to apologize.

Does Pigman live in the sewer ?  Like, all the time.  I thought it was funny that he just stood up and scared them, but then just stood there.

Booker is taking on Jason Voorhees-level qualities -- she shows up everywhere.

I knew the Nolan that was tossed off the roof was a clone -- the original is living a Mona's house.

It's almost like Alison put that glass in Claire's hand -- just so she could drop it on the reveal that Taylor is alive.

The PLL-verse -- the only world where faking your own death is not a crime.

I find it odd that Alison was in charge of this Fashion show when she has been at BHU maybe a week to 10 days tops.

I guess Taylor had time to clean up the jam on the counter/floor in the trailer.

Caitlin was hit --- BY A CAR ---  head on at high speed, but has nary a scratch on her arms or face, and despite having just gone through surgery to repair internal bleeding she is as feisty as ever.

And lest we not forget the pink balloon of distraction that Dylan stared at when Ava fell into the sewer.  Who writes this stuff ?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Alison: How do I explain Taylor?
Mona: You found the dead girl whose brother was killed based off a rose you found in a cabin and a map of Oz. Then you brought said dead girl back to Beacon Heights, despite my warnings, only to have her disappear again? That seems right.

Ali: Guys, you can trust Mona.
[Mona silently laughs maniacally]

Dylan: It was Mason Gregory [who killed Nolan]. He was jealous of Nolan because he was always number one and when he got rid of him, Mason spiraled into Nolan 2.0. Now he's got a hold of Nolan's stash of secrets and he's been blackmailing us to get what he wants. 
Mona: Oh, been there, done that. 
Dylan: Sorry?
Mona: We'll save that for another time.

Ava: Go practice. It will keep your mind off everything.
Dylan: By "everything," do you mean my boyfriend hates me, someone tried to kill our friend, we're being blackmailed, oh, and did I mention someone tried to kill Caitlin?
Ava: Yeah, I think that about covers it.

Ava: I know it's not the same thing as getting hit by a car but I'm about to rummage through a sewer looking like perfection.

Alison: Zach, have you seen Ava or Dylan?
Zach: No, not since the show started. Maybe they're out picking snapdragons.

Ava: Was it Mason?
Dylan: You mean the pig man with bulging eyes who's going to haunt my dreams forever?

Caitlin: If the pig man wasn't Mason, then-
Dylan: Is that what we're calling him, the pig man? Cause I don't - that's not nearly as scary sounding as it needs to be.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This show is beginning to wear on me because of some of the stupid things that happen, like Claire "empowering" Dana to take over the POLICE INVESTIGATION. Yes, I know that money talks and that the Hotchkiss family is powerful, but in what world would a college security officer be allowed to completely take over a police investigation of a crime that happened off campus?

Also cracking up at Vogue coming to a college fashion show that looks like it's being held in the cafetorium.

Hilarious that Dana's oh so thorough method of checking to see if Caitlin's hospital room was safe enough for her mom the senator to enter was to barge in and yell, "CLEAR THE ROOM!" at the one nurse who was checking on Caitlin.

Ugh, Ava bitching at Zach about her flowers made me roll my eyes. That's the work equivalent of yelling at the receptionist when you get the wrong shipment. You are bitching at the wrong person.

Ha and Caitlin is going to intern for Veronica Hastings!

On a shallow note, Mona looked gorgeous this week. She's always been beautiful but she looked extra amazing in this episode.

More hilariousness - Ava telling her models, "Promise me you'll eat something," as they're standing backstage before the fashion show. Oh, okay, let me just run out while wearing your fancy glittery clothes and get a burger at the drive thru window. I'll try not to spill any ketchup on this top. And how does Ava think that wearing a black shower turban qualifies as looking like perfection?

Dylan's slow cautious stroll in the sewers made me realize that he is probably not the guy you want around in an emergency. Your friend just fell into a sewer, you heard her scream, and you can't see her so yes, this is the time to be slow and cautious.

After Zach's snapdragon comment, I was pretty sure I'd found my favorite person on the show. Now that we know his dad was one of Ava's dad's victims, I know he's going to be a red herring, but I'm fine with him just popping up once a week to say something bitchy to Ava. I wouldn't say no to some creepy milk drinking either.

I'm really hoping the pigman is the same one that Kramer said he saw in the hospital on Seinfeld.

[Writing Wrongs]

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Also cracking up at Vogue coming to a college fashion show that looks like it's being held in the cafetorium.

And she actually claps at Ava's speech. WTH?

[Jack Shaftoe]

Mason's confession had me in stitches. The "scary" cut to commercials which so obviously led into him not doing anything malicious, then his nonchalant "You were right to hit me on the head", followed by "Nolan told me the secrets he used for blackmail because why not, the plot requires it".

Did they blow their budget on this lame fashion show? Ava's speech was so cringe-worthy. The fashion show in PLL 2.06. was awesome, this was nothing like it.

Caitlin and her mom was the only moment which came close to showing genuine emotion but the dialogue was pretty bad. It didn't help that Caitlin didn't look at all like someone who had recently been run over by a car. And her mom talking about track meets and stuff was so insensitive. Wait for your daughter to be discharged from the hospital first, woman!

Gotta love how everyone treats phone location data as irrefutable proof of the phone's owner being there as well.

Honestly, I don't have the slightest idea what exactly Mona is doing and I don't care because the mystery is not going to make any sense for sure. I just wonder if Marlene and expect us to take Not Cop!Dana seriously because she is even more absurd that Rosewood's finest.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

It’s annoying that we’re only six episodes into this new show and all they’ve really done is recycle a bunch of PLL plots. When Dylan described what Mason had done, they even had Mona point out that she’d done the same thing. NO SHIT. That’s because the writers are too lazy to come up with new plots and storylines. No need to remind us of that!

[ottoDbusdriver]

14 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I'm really hoping the pigman is the same one that Kramer said he saw in the hospital on Seinfeld.

Kramer: "Yes, a pigman. Half pig, half man."

14 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

On a shallow note, Mona looked gorgeous this week. She's always been beautiful but she looked extra amazing in this episode.

Agreed.
 

[tennisgurl]

Maybe its because my home town had its own creepy Pigman urban legend, but the creepy Pigman in the sewers did seem a bit creepy, and very PLL. Really, it reminded me a lot of Professor Pyg from Gotham. Honestly, Gotham being set in the PLL verse makes way more sense than it probably should. 

Yeah Ali, hand her the glass for the express purpose of shocking her so she dramatically drops the glass. Oh Ali, you so extra. I mean, so many people come back from the dead in the PLL verse, that I half expect them to start nailed up coffins and sticking stakes through corpses hearts like in the old timie days when they legit worried that they might come back as zombies. 

How is Ali in charge of this massive, apparently important enough to be scouted by freaking Vouge fassion show, after like a week? 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S1.E7: Dead Week

Quote

During BHU's Dead Week, Caitlin tries to get her academic life in order, as well as elevate her relationship with Jeremy. Ava reluctantly teams up with Zach on a school assignment and Dylan's nerve damage impacts an important music project. Ali continues to make inroads with Taylor, while Mona investigates who left her a mysterious message.

Promo:

Clips:

Ava and Zach team up

Caitlin's strip study session

The perfectionists make a pact

Original air date: 5/1/19

[Writing Wrongs]

What the hell is "Dead Week"? Is that a real thing?

I love Mona. Her lines crack me up. But I don't know where they are going with her an Mason. It could be ew worthy.

"Where did you guys grow up?"

In unison: "Rosewood, Pennsylvania." LOL

[Callaphera]

Ava: "I'll totally write this bullshit computer program to do all the heavy lifting on this Google search because I'm awesome and smart like that."
Also Ava: does the world's worst Google search and ends it with a period like it's a sentence or something. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

I'm curious as well -- is Dead Week really a thing ?  There were still a lot of students around and there seemed to be informal classwork going on, so WTF ?

So Caitlin was in the hospital for maybe 2 days after being hit head on -- BY A CAR.  But she is none the worse for wear.

Dylan is plagiarizing his music submissions -- I guess this means Professor James can't be trusted.

Did Taylor just sit around all day at Alison's house -- on the day it was announced she was back from the dead ?

Mona on a mission to destroy someone -- something she does best.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

11 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

What the hell is "Dead Week"? Is that a real thing?

3 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

I'm curious as well -- is Dead Week really a thing ?  There were still a lot of students around and there seemed to be informal classwork going on, so WTF ?

Yup, dead week is a real thing. It's sometimes called RRR week (reading, review, and recitation). It's supposed to give students a week to study for finals, write final papers, have study groups, have review sessions, meet with their instructors/TAs, etc. Most people stick around for dead week (meaning they don't go home for the week).

Back in ye olden days, classes ended on Friday, we had Monday off, and then finals started on Tuesday.

Edited May 2, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[marinaalexis]

Dead week isn't a thing at my particular school, but it's definitely very common.

As much as I used to hate filler episodes on PLL, for some reason I really didn't mind this one. Maybe because (in my opinion) it's the first truly filler episode we've had all season, and I recognize that the show can't be rushing full-steam ahead every single week.

So Mason is Bad Bishop. I didn't for one second see that coming, so good job, show. As a teacher, now I just have to figure out how I feel about this. I think I'd be okay with them being together? It's toeing the line of icky, but at least he's not a minor in high school.

The Taylor storyline bores me. It just feels like she and Ali have the exact same conversation in every episode, and nothing ever moves forward. I hope she does turn out to be bad, it would be much more interesting to watch than her being Ali's new pet project. And we know Alison's history when it comes to trusting people she shouldn't.

That FaceTime call was cringy, but at least we finally got to see Alison show any sort of interest in her own children after seven episodes! She still doesn't seem to give one shit about her divorce, though.

I was so hoping that Dylan would jump up and stop that email attachment at the last second while it was uploading. Nooo! What a stupid decision, but it felt completely realistic at a school like BHU.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ava: So you were born like this.
Dylan: Pre-school spelling competition, first place. I didn't even know how to spell "mom" in pre-school.
Caitlin: You guys don't even know the half of it. My moms taught me how to play Monopoly with a calculator.

Mona: I stole Taylor's RV. I hid it in the woods. 
Alison: You WHAT?
Mona: It's like a mini Beacon Guard.
Alison: Mona, I've seen the camper. It's junk.
Mona: Remember that underground dollhouse I was trapped in? It looked like a bunker from the outside.
Ava: Okay, we have to Google these guys. 
Mona: You won't find anything. We were minors. Those records are sealed.
Dylan: Where did you grow up?
Mona and Alison: Rosewood, Pennsylvania.
Alison: You remember when A made Hannah eat all those cupcakes?
Caitlin: Who's A?
[Mona raises her hand]

Jeremy: You're as smart as a whip.
Caitlin: Congressional puns make me hot.

Dylan: That angle that Caitlin was hit at, special ops training. 
Ava: Really? 
Dylan: You've never played Call Of Duty?

Caitlin: Oh, no. Don't make eye contact. Don't look [Dana] in the eye.
Dylan: It's like Jurassic Park. Don't move. She can't see us if we don't move.

Veronica's intern interviewer: Pizza or tacos? 
Caitlin: I don't understand.
Veronica's intern interviewer: I know. It's a very controversial question.

Mona: Don't worry. Switching from pre-med to English doesn't mean you can't apply to med school. Did you know that Anton Chekhov was a doctor? That was his side gig. You'll be fine.

Caitlin: Turkey patty well-done. Wheat bun, steamed. Onions grilled, not raw. Uh, three dill pickle slices. Oh, and tomatoes on the burger but only if they're heirloom, not beefsteak. Kosher, not table salt, on the fries. And lettuce on the side just in case it wilts. Do you have sriracha?
Luke: I made three different hot sauces from scratch. Want to sample those?
Caitlin: Mildest first, please.
Luke: Dessert?
Caitlin: I'll do the deep-fried Twinkie pie and the Oreo milkshake.
Luke: Whipped cream on the side?
Caitlin: Uh, yes, please. It can melt.
Luke: We're also doing a special on cake pops and our choco tacos are really popular.
Caitlin: Omigawd, tacos. I love tacos. Why didn't I just say that? 
Luke: So we're doing tacos?
Caitlin: Pizza or tacos. Tacos! Caitlin, for God's sake! They're tasty, they're portable if you're on the run. But why didn't I just say that? Why did I just freeze? And then, of course, there's taco pizza which you get the best of both worlds. And I even missed the opportunity to bring up the topic of cultural misappropriation of authentic Mexican street tacos by corporate America.
Luke: Look, I don't know what kind of weird new-agey class you're taking, but just trust me on this - there's no wrong answer to pizza or tacos.

Alison: When I left Rosewood, I thought it would be different but drama and lies follow me everywhere I go.
Mona: Ali, if you think you're a drama magnet it's because you want to be. If you don't want that, then change it.
Alison: I don't think it's that simple, Mona.
Mona: You're still defining yourself as that girl from Rosewood. You say you want a fresh start, so reinvent yourself and follow through.

Jeremy: Can I buy you a coffee?
Caitlin: Can you throw in a deep-fried Twinkie pie? I'm so happy you're doing carbs again.

Caitlin: Stop staring [at Dana].
Dylan: I'm not staring. This is espionage.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

When Alison told Dylan, Ava, and Caitlin that the best thing was for them to act normal and study during dead week, I was having flashbacks to A's "ACT NORMAL, BITCH!"

I remember when I was at a college with semesters, I usually took five classes at a time but the way everyone was going on and on about how they each had 75 midterms and 36 papers and 27 musical compositions, I was like geez, how many classes are you taking? And Alison said that they were on the quarter system so it makes even less sense that these students are taking six or seven classes at a time.

Do the writers know nothing about how school works at all? Dead week is before finals, not midterms. And an incomplete is NOT worse than an F. An incomplete before finals means nothing. All that matters is your grade after the finals which means that Dylan has the rest of the quarter to get his grade back up. If it's only midterm week and you know you're going to get an incomplete, you can probably still drop the class or at worst withdraw, neither of which carry any penalty.

I love whenever Alison and Mona bring up A shenanigans and Rosewood, but I was cracking up when they started talking about A and cupcakes and Ava said, "We need to google them!"

I get that Caitlin is tired of sneaking around with Jeremy, but how long has it been since Nolan (allegedly) died? Like a week? If she doesn't want Claire, Dana, and everyone else to accuse her of cheating on Nolan with Jeremy before he died, then she really should lay low for a little bit longer. I mean, really, they've been sneaking around for so long that another month or so isn't going to kill them.

Mason's meeting with Mona made no sense to me. "I've been a jerk since my friend died so maybe this isn't the right school for me." What kind of logic is that? It would be one thing if he said maybe BHU wasn't the right place for him because everything reminded him of Nolan which was making it difficult for him to grieve and move on. But if you're being a jerk, going to another school isn't going to stop that. Get some therapy, process whatever issues you have about Nolan and his death, maybe take a quarter off. You don't need to transfer just because you're being a dick.

Oh, Dylan, you big dumb dummy, you are not going to get away with plagiarizing an entire piece. How long before not-A tells the professor who will then ask Dylan to play that piece for him?

Mona needs to stay away from Mason. I mean, sure this isn't nearly as gross as Aria and Ezra, but still.

I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as deep fried Twinkie pie. There are deep fried Twinkies and there is Twinkie pie, but using deep fried Twinkies in a Twinkie pie would make no sense because then the Twinkies wouldn't be crispy after you covered them in custard.

[Aileen]

Could they not find another name for the coffee shop other than "Luke's"? This is not Stars Hollow.

Also, Jeremy sure did fling Caitlin onto that couch and climb on top of her like someone who forgot that his girlfriend just got run over.

[Jack Shaftoe]

I was cringing so hard when Alison and Mona made all those PLL references, including telling the Idiot Trio about some of their crimes and finishing with the ridiculous "you won't find anything, records are sealed". Media don't exist in that world? Not to mention Ali and Mona weren't minors throughout all of PLL. So stupid. The Idiot Trio should have googled those two long ago anyway but I guess there is a reason I call them that.

Also, how would Alison even know about the incident with Hanna and the cupcakes? She wasn't around and I doubt Hanna liked reminiscing about it.

Mason keeps on being unintentionally hilarious. "I want to quit because Nolan" (say what?) and "Music is the art of math"? Nobody says that, Mason, what a terrible way to set up the "shocking" revel of him being Mona's chess partner.

Marlene, making fun of the protagonists making random accusations every other episode doesn't make this tendency any less annoying, you know. Now they think Dana did it why exactly?

Caitlin is literally a bad caricature of Spencer.

Dylan is a cheater and plagiarist who ignores his doctor's advice. Why are we supposed to like him again? And, of course, his boyfriend came back without Dylan making any effort because he is so irresistible or something.

The Idiot Trio calls the villain A because the writers really, really don't believe in originality.

Quote

Do the writers know nothing about how school works at all?

Considering that they seem to believe Agatha Christie's works should be studied for their literary value, I would say no. I am a huge fan of Christie's, don't get me wrong, but she shouldn't be studied in lit classes, especially not in a supposed elite university.

Taylor's rise from the dead lost pretty much all of its potential emotional intensity because we didn't see her interact with anyone who knew her before her "death". And the show still doesn't bother explaining how exactly she faked her death or why she thought someone was trying to kill her or who she suspects for Nolan's death. No wonder Alison likes her - she is an annoying enigma like Alison of PLL season 5.

Who else laughed out loud at the "The driver thought he had hit a deer" revelation?

Edited May 2, 2019 by Jack Shaftoe

[tennisgurl]

I mean, we already know this show is a PLL clone, we dont really need the characters to be like "this is just like that thing that happened to us in that other show! Lets call our bad guy A too even if it makes no sense!" I did kind of giggle at Mona raising her hand when they asked who was A. By the end of the show, who wasent A? 

I admit, I did like this episode a bit more, I feel like the actors are getting more used to their roles, and the main three have got better chemistry. But I spent a lot of time being like "ummmm remember that sewer monster that chased us a few days ago? Maybe we should look into that more?"

[marinaalexis]

Ratings are abysmal. 174K. I'm going to be so sad if it turns out we only get this world back for one season. Those streaming numbers better pull through.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I forgot to mention what a nightmare Caitlin was when she was ordering her burger. There's a line a mile long behind you and everyone is stressed out about midterms, but yes, take your fucking time micromanaging a burger in the school cafeteria.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S1.E7

Cast's favorite scenes in this episode

Clips

Is Dana the new A?

Mona figures out who Bad Bishop is

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Cast interview: what is perfection?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S1.E8: Hook, Line, and Booker

Quote

Mona, Ali and the Perfectionists concoct a plan to turn the tables on Dana Booker. Ali and Mona separately try to deduce how much they can trust Taylor as part of their team. Caitlin is left reeling when she finds out Jeremy may be keeping secrets of his own.

Promo:

Clip:

Is Caitlin the new Spencer?

Original air date: 5/8/19

[skotnikov]

On 5/2/2019 at 7:48 PM, Jack Shaftoe said:

Considering that they seem to believe Agatha Christie's works should be studied for their literary value, I would say no. I am a huge fan of Christie's, don't get me wrong, but she shouldn't be studied in lit classes, especially not in a supposed elite university.

Oh come on! People do teach Christie at colleges and universities in classes on British 20th century literature, or crime fiction.  And here she's used for meta-reflexivity sake. Writers, who, as I suppose, are second year or so college drop outs, have heard  that it's cool to be meta, so they  decided to drop  the name of the famous detective fiction writer in a supposedly detective fiction TV series. So cool!  They permanently referred to Hitchcock in an original series, so that's ok as a sort of continuation, I guess.   

On the other hand, the show is bad beyond believe. New "liars" cannot act, nothing makes sense, and it's heading toward cancellation with the speed of light. 

Edited May 5, 2019 by skotnikov

[Jack Shaftoe]

2 hours ago, skotnikov said:

Oh come on! People do teach Christie at colleges and universities in classes on British 20th century literature, or crime fiction.

I am sure that they do but it still comes across as forced. Especially with all the protagonists enrolling in the same course.

7 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I forgot to mention what a nightmare Caitlin was when she was ordering her burger. There's a line a mile long behind you and everyone is stressed out about midterms, but yes, take your fucking time micromanaging a burger in the school cafeteria.

I was so certain someone would yell at her for that and a bit disappointed that it didn't happen.

The second promo is so cringe-worthy. Mona was scolding the Perfectionists just last episode that they were jumping to conclusions, now she says "Now that we know that Dana is our A". These idiots never learn, do they? Next episode everyone will be stunned that, gasp, it's not Dana after all.

And calling Caitlin Spencer? Just in case they were one or two viewers who hadn't realized Caitlin is a (bad) copy of Spencer. Not forced at all, no sir.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Per that first Episode 8 trailer, there's only 2 episodes left.  Really ?  That's it.
That doesn't seem to be nearly enough time to figure out the whole 'who killed Nolan ?' mystery, let alone time for a multitude of misdirects and at least 3 more scenes where the Perfectionists get imprisoned in an inescapable room.  Is the Pigman going to show up again ?

Plus there won't be time for pie.  :)

[marinaalexis]

I believe it's been basically confirmed that we won't be finding out who killed Nolan by the end of the season. That should be relatively unsurprising considering the writers' history with dragging out reveals.

Also, I have to say that I'm not one who finds the acting as bad as many seem to. Sofia Carson is pretty awful when she's trying to be anything but snarky, but Sydney is showing great range as Caitlin, and I don't think Eli is noticeably bad at all, especially considering this is his first acting role - like, ever.

Edited May 5, 2019 by marinaalexis

[ottoDbusdriver]

So .... many ..... flashbacks.

For some reason, Jeremy decided to drill his computer (I bet he missed the storage drive) and tossed it in the river where is will never be found again (it will likely be found next episode).
Was that bridge in the background the bridge that Taylor supposedly jumped from to fake her death -- because if it was that didn't seem nearly high enough ?

Is speed-meeting for university staff really a thing ?  If it is a thing, wouldn't they have done it earlier in the semester (instead of after Dead Week) ?

Mona hooks up with Mason.  That's not going to last since he probably killed Nolan -- or was at least involved with killing Nolan.

For someone who faked their own death and then waited a year to return, Taylor seems to be basically invisible on campus.

Alison starts making out with a Brazilian professor who is married but an open marriage practicer after he offers to teach her Spanish -- but don't they mainly speak Portuguese in Brazil ?  Would the show writers even know that ?

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Mona: Dana has full access to Beacon Guard so keep all confidential conversations out of public restrooms.
Ava: They're spying on us in the bathrooms?

Mona: Let's not give Dana anything to use against us.
Dylan: She already has something on me. I might've screwed up.
Caitlin: You definitely screwed up. 
Ava: Definitely.

Alison: Why did you cheat? That can't keep being the answer for you, Dylan.

Mona: You know the drill. Act normal, bitches.

Dylan: Are you done yet?
Ava: You know, asking me if I'm done every 60 seconds is actually slowing me down.
Dylan: Slowing you down, as in, like, it's not going to work? Or it will eventually work? Or what's -
Ava: Make him stop.

Taylor: Welcome to my unofficial "I'm not dead" party.

Alison: Mona's crafted a series of questions that are designed to get a baseline psych profile on Dana. It'll start easy and get more personal. You know, like the FBI does.
Taylor: I get it, you cannot defeat your enemies until-
Mona: Until you know who they are. Anthony Horowitz. I'm Mona. I stole your RV.
Taylor: Ali told me. I wasn't expecting you to be so...short.

Ava: Hashtag Zava. Like when Brangelina was a thing. Omigawd, I can't even tell you how much that break up shook me. I was so not prepared for that.

Alison: Oh, wow, I didn't know that pocket squares were so intricate.

Alison: I know an Argentine baker who makes all his cakes without condoms.
Gabriel: ...
Alison: I'm learning Spanish on an app. How did I do?
Gabriel: I think you need to try another app.

Dana: Where's your safe place?
Mona: If I told you, it wouldn't be safe anymore.

Ava: Why did you want to see us? I sobered up for you.

Gabriel: I understand what it's like to be attached to your students. It drives my wife crazy and she's always calling me out-
Alison Whoa, back up! You're married?
Gabriel: I thought you knew.
Alison: How would I have known? You're not even wearing a wedding ring.
Gabriel: I teach an elective in romance languages and modern relationships. I'm honest in the class about why an open relationship works for my wife and me.
Alison: I haven't taken your class.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

So Beaconguard is spying on all the students in public bathrooms so Mona told them not to say anything there, but somehow it's okay for Caitlin to tell Ava that she's been secretly dating Jeremy for a year while they're at Caitlin's apartment? And it's okay for Mona and Alison to discuss their plans about Dana on the phone?

Oh, Mona. Mason is a student so you really can't have sex with him. Even if he says he wouldn't do anything to get you in trouble, you're doing something that's going to get you in trouble.

7 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Alison starts making out with a Brazilian professor who is married but an open marriage practicer after he offers to teach her Spanish -- but don't they mainly speak Portuguese in Brazil ?  Would the show writers even know that ?

He said he's from the University of Buenos Aires so he's from Argentina, not Brazil. But even if he were from Brazil, he also said that he is a professor of language studies who teaches romance languages. In my experience, professors who teach romance languages often speak more than one language. My high school only had one French teacher but when there was an unusually high influx of French students one year and they needed an additional teacher, an AP Spanish teacher took over one of the French classes. One of my Italian professors in college spoke fluent Spanish, French, and German (in addition to English and Italian), all of which she studied in school.

[marinaalexis]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I really don't see the huge issue with Mona and Mason. The age difference is a little strange, but dating between students and faculty at a university is not the same as it is in high school. She's not his professor and doesn't really have a direct position of power over him, so I really don't think it's a big deal. That said, they really shouldn't be drawing direct comparisons to Aria and Ezra. Noooo.

I enjoyed Ali and Gabriel, and I appreciated the normalization of open marriages (it's not for me, but it's a valid and normal choice). I'm so glad they actually kissed, to spite the nasty Emison shippers if nothing else (speaking of which, I don't recommend going on Twitter right now). I've seen so many people calling that storyline unnecessary, but they're missing the point. It wasn't about Ali and Gabriel. It was about showing that Alison is over Emily and has moved on. I wonder who her first actual, major love interest is going to be.

Speaking of which, did anyone else pick up on the vibe that Taylor's developing some feelings for Ali? Her attitude toward Gabriel was stand-offish at best, and the way she gazed after them when they went off to get drinks...everyone seemed so set on a pairing of Taylor and Mona, but it seems like the show might be moving in the direction of Taylor/Ali instead, which I hate. They've been compared to each other so much that it would be super creepy to me. I really want Taylor to turn out to be evil and trying to steal Ali's life or something.

I literally yelled out "Dylan, no!" when it seemed like he was agreeing to Booker's offer. As interesting as that could have been, it would have destroyed any semblance of the friendship that's blossomed between the three Perfectionists, and that's a part of the show that I've really started to enjoy.

So now Mona's story is that she found out about Beacon Guard spying on students in the bathroom because she's just that good, and has been keeping it a secret? That's bullshit. I can't wait to find out what her true involvement is, because she's obviously not being truthful. Along similar lines, there was an interesting moment during her and Booker's speed dating round, with Booker asking "Where is your safe place?" and Mona responding "If I told you, it wouldn't be safe anymore." That took me right back to the pilot, and the woman behind the mirror telling her to "go to your safe place." 

[Writing Wrongs]

3 hours ago, marinaalexis said:

Speaking of which, did anyone else pick up on the vibe that Taylor's developing some feelings for Ali?

Definitely.

[Jack Shaftoe]

5 hours ago, marinaalexis said:

It wasn't about Ali and Gabriel. It was about showing that Alison is over Emily and has moved on.

Considering these writers' track record, Alison moving on for good is very unlikely, alas. The whole thing reminded me of the really silly storyline with Thalia and her open marriage in S5 of PLL. "Did I forgot to mention that I was married?" is such a cliche. Pissing off Emison shippers is nice and all but the whole thing happened so fast and just seemed so fake to me. Same with Mona and Mason. A few episodes ago Mason seemed to be totally into Caitlin, even praised her after she hit him on the head and now he doesn't seem to remember that she exists.

I had a good laugh when Claire 2.0. announced "Hey, we are changing the curriculum in the middle of the school year, no big. We now care about feelings, not grades!". Nobody shows any curiosity in regards to why exactly Taylor feared for her enough to fake her death and her staying at the same university just beggars belief. I know her family owns it but you would think moving some place else where she is not known as "that girl who came back for the dead" would be far less traumatic for her. Assuming she isn't secretly evil, of course.

Dana is such a caricature. How exactly is blackmailing Dylan supposed to help her investigation? If he is the killer he isn't going to admit it. If he isn't, he almost certainly didn't witness the murder either. Even if she just wants to rule out Ava, Caitlin and Alison, you know, Dylan can still lie and give them an alibi despite being blackmailed. The show hasn't bothered to come up with any reason why Dana is so sure the protagonists had anything to do with the murder.

[Writing Wrongs]

I can't believe they are comparing Dana to "A". "A" should be insulted. Dana is nowhere near the same league. I still don't believe she is behind this. Whatever this is.

[Elinor Carlisle]

This show is soo bad that I LOVE IT! 😃

[Jack Shaftoe]

Even Marlene King seems to have stopped caring about the show - nothing about the new episode on her twitter account. Unless she has deleted some posts, I don't use twitter very often.