S02.E09: Hen Begins

[Drogo]

Hen relives her evolution into the firefighter she is today as she recalls the first times she met Chimney and Athena.

[TvGeek]

So was the kid the only one in that vehicle or what? Kind of confused on what just happened. Also I'm trying to figure out if the actor playing the asshole captain is the same dude who played the alien bounty hunter on The X-files.

[SimoneS]

Go Hen! I love her. I shared her disappointment discovering that her captain was a misogynistic asshole. I noticed that she was calling Chimney, "Howie." When are they going to tell us how he got his nickname, "Chimney."

I had no idea that the actor who plays Buck is British. He does a good job with the American accent.

[DearEvette]

24 minutes ago, TvGeek said:

So was the kid the only one in that vehicle or what? Kind of confused on what just happened. Also I'm trying to figure out if the actor playing the asshole captain is the same dude who played the alien bounty hunter on The X-files.

No the driver of the car his father (?)  was found DOA on the pathway down.

 

13 minutes ago, SimoneS said:

I had no idea that the actor who plays Buck is British. He does a good job with the American accent.

IKR?  After watching that great origin ep which was a great showcase for Hen, I am a little ashamed to admit that the biggest revelation after the PSA segment was that "Wait, Buck is British?"

[TvGeek]

7 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

No the driver of the car his father (?)  was found DOA on the pathway down.

Oh I thought that was some flower vendor and his cart.

[SnoGirl]

I loved this episode. I want to be friends with Hen, Chimney, and Athena in real life. I figured it was going to be terrible for Hen but seeing the hazing and how terrible they were to her broke my heart a bit. I love that she stood her ground and was going to do what was right no matter what her chief said. 

Sidebar-I know the nickname is Chimney, but I always think everyone is saying Chimmy.

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I had no idea that the actor who plays Buck is British. He does a good job with the American accent.

I knew he was British but I wasn't expecting him to be in his 9-1-1 outfit using that accent.  Like if he were in his real person clothes?  No problem but dressed as Buck?  It was cognitive dissonance. 

I kind of expected one of Hen's calls to be to save the boss who thought she was setting her life on fire by quitting.

[rhys]

I floved tonight 's episode too! Really liked learning more of Hen's backstory. That cap't was a grade A prick and so were some of the other firefighters.

Edited November 20, 2018 by rhys

[NJRadioGuy]

I enjoyed it, despite its many anvils and standard network-TV dramatic tropes. The formula never changes in these kinds of stories, but tonight I'll forgive it because if it gets just one person interested enough to become a member of the fire service or get into EMS work it will have been a rousing success.

I personally don't care about your plumbing or your personal life. I care that whoever answers the call will be able to pull my fat ass out of the fire (literally) or cardiovert me and do compressions if I'm in V-fib after one too many barbecue suppers. I sincerely hope tonight's episode will persuade some young people to head down to their local volunteer fire departments or rescue squads, or put in their applications to paid departments. We old-timers can thank Johnny and Roy for at least two generations of paramedics and firefighters (and edited to add Sam Lanier's cool, calm voice spawned a couple of generations of dispatchers, too). Here's hoping Hen's story and all the other ones we're seeing on the various shows keeps up the tradition.

Edited November 20, 2018 by NJRadioGuy

[llewis823]

9 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I had no idea that the actor who plays Buck is British. He does a good job with the American accent.

I know, right? I rewound it so my husband could hear it too. I had never heard he was British so it kind of threw me for a loop!

[llewis823]

Who was the very popular actor who played the lead firefighter trainer? I recognized him and can't remember his name and what he's been in before (I know I've seen him many times but can't place him). I looked on episode guest star lists and don't see it.  For some reason I want to say his first name is Charles but I think I may be completely wrong. 

[Empress1]

11 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I had no idea that the actor who plays Buck is British. He does a good job with the American accent.

Me neither. He and Idris Elba must have the same (excellent) dialect coach.

Aisha Hinds' buzz cut suits her much better than that wig they had her in, and it was interesting to see her and her ex on good terms. I loved that she said it was fine if her colleagues saw her as a Black woman and a lesbian because she IS a Black woman and a lesbian. (I abhor the phrase "I don't see color.") I like that the show didn't shy away from showing Hen's struggles. 

[sempervivum]

12 hours ago, TvGeek said:

Oh I thought that was some flower vendor and his cart.

The dead guy was driving a floral delivery van and apparently had his kid with him.

 

8 hours ago, NJRadioGuy said:

I personally don't care about your plumbing or your personal life. I care that whoever answers the call will be able to pull my fat ass out of the fire (literally) or cardiovert me and do compressions if I'm in V-fib after one too many barbecue suppers. I sincerely hope tonight's episode will persuade some young people to head down to their local volunteer fire departments or rescue squads, or put in their applications to paid departments

Yep. I was pleased that they didn't gloss over the fact that many, many women are physically unable to do these jobs. Even sturdy Hen was struggling with that 'jaws of life' machine with the overturned limo. OTOH Hen looks like she could snap Chimney like a twig!

[Moose135]

3 hours ago, llewis823 said:

Who was the very popular actor who played the lead firefighter trainer?

I think it may have been Mark Derwin.  He was in the opening credits. He isn't listed on IMDB for this episode of 9-1-1 yet, but Googling some photos, I think that is the guy.

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

Me neither. He and Idris Elba must have the same (excellent) dialect coach.

Except for on Prometheus where Idris Elba had that completely unnecessary and unsuccessful southern accent.

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

I loved that she said it was fine if her colleagues saw her as a Black woman and a lesbian because she IS a Black woman and a lesbian. (I abhor the phrase "I don't see color.") I like that the show didn't shy away from showing Hen's struggles. 

It's as ridiculous as saying you don't acknowledge regional or ethnic differences.  It's insane to think that people living in Oregon would have the same experiences as people living in Sao Paulo. Or saying you don't acknowledge history. History and historical attitudes on all manner of issues have been baked into the culture, the society, and the laws.

3 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

I think it may have been Mark Derwin.  He was in the opening credits. He isn't listed on IMDB for this episode of 9-1-1 yet, but Googling some photos, I think that is the guy.

I too believe it was Mark Derwin.

[llewis823]

27 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

4 hours ago, llewis823 said:

Who was the very popular actor who played the lead firefighter trainer?

I think it may have been Mark Derwin.  He was in the opening credits. He isn't listed on IMDB for this episode of 9-1-1 yet, but Googling some photos, I think that is the guy.

Yes, that's him! I remember him from lots of things but most recently "The Secret Life of the American Teenager". Thank you because this was just driving me bonkers! : )

[iMonrey]

I mostly liked this one, but I'm confused about the roles these characters play. It was said specifically that Hen is an EMT - so why did the Chief say she would be unable to drag someone out of a fire? EMT's don't do that, fire fighters do. There's a clear distinction between the two, unless there's something about the LA fire department that differs from the rest of the country. An EMT wouldn't even ride in the fire truck, they would ride in the ambulance. So which is it? Is Hen both EMT and fire fighter? Does she get paid more than the guys who are only fire fighters? It seems like the show has this whole thing confused and backwards. (There should also be a separate truck for rescue squad.)

Also, I'm assuming both Hen and Chim have been around for quite awhile because none of the other crew members from this flashback are there anymore, as far as I can tell. How long ago was this supposed to have taken place? Because neither Hen nor Chim were visibly younger than they are now. I know I'm supposed to overlook this but it was kind of hard to do. 

[DearEvette]

From what I understand, there is a specific job called 'Firefighter EMT'.  In some jurisdictions, the EMS dept. is housed in the fire dept. but the EMT professionals are not firefighters ( I think this is how the show Chicago Fire works).  In others, the EMTS are also firefighters and have to go through the firefighter academy.  And in some others all firefighters have to have basic EMT certification, with those having advanced certification being the primary EMTs on call.

 

re: Mark Derwin, Oh I've loved him since he was Mallet on Guiding Light!  He and Beth Ehlers as Harley were a great soap couple,

Edited November 20, 2018 by DearEvette

[iMonrey]

I know that some fire fighters are also EMT's - in my city you have to be certified as an EMT to get into the fire department. But . . . you would only do one job or the other, at least on any given shift. If EMTs are running into burning buildings, for example, there's nobody to treat them when they come back out! That's what so dumb here. Let's say Chim and Hen are the designated EMTs on this run where the mudslide has buried a woman. If they go in with the fire fighters trying to rescue her, and they get injured or trapped in the process, that means there are no EMTs on hand for anyone else injured at the scene. And clearly, not ALL of the fire fighers double as EMTs, as we have seen in past episodes. 

I honestly don't think the writers understand how this works, or are just taking extreme artistic liberties.

Edited November 20, 2018 by iMonrey

[tennisgurl]

Hen origin story! Loved seeing Hen starting out, and her many struggles and successes. It was cool seeing her early days, before she joined the force and right after, even if it was hard to see how much crap she had to put up with. Holy crap, what an asshole that first captain was! No wonder they moved him to a new station. Not only was he a total asshole to Hen, he was clearly creating a hostile work environment, as most people, especially in a high stress, team focused job like that, wouldn't want a supervisor that keeps telling them how much a co-worker sucks and is a failure as a human just for existing. 

I mean, yeah its harder for women to do more physically tough jobs, even a built as hell woman like Hen, but its not impossible, and if you pass the test, you passed the test! This was clearly not really about the captain being worried that Hen wouldnt be able to keep up and could get someone hurt, it was him just being a sexist asshole. 

It was weird and kind of sad to see her and her former girlfriend before she went full crack head. She seemed like a nice person and their relationship seemed sweet, it actually makes where they end up rather sad, and retroactively makes me feel a bit more sympathy for Hen still feeling a pull towards her, as awful as she would become, and even for the ex. Addiction really does do a number on a person, or makes their worst aspects become their only aspects. 

Also loved seeing the start of Athena and Hens friendship, and seeing their little support group. I wonder if they still hang out with the other two sometimes? Hen might be fully accepted by the station by now, but she still most deal with some old guard morons. 

[Zoe]

Took me 37 minutes to realize that asshole captain was the bounty hunter from X-files.

 

And y'all are late on Buck! They did a promo after the first episode, and while he was an incredible douche in that episode, hearing his accent at the end made him like an infinity times hotter.

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, DearEvette said:

From what I understand, there is a specific job called 'Firefighter EMT'.  In some jurisdictions, the EMS dept. is housed in the fire dept. but the EMT professionals are not firefighters ( I think this is how the show Chicago Fire works).  In others, the EMTS are also firefighters and have to go through the firefighter academy.  And in some others all firefighters have to have basic EMT certification, with those having advanced certification being the primary EMTs on call.

All I know about it is what I learned watching Emergency!, and there - in the LA County FD - the paramedics were firefighters first before becoming paramedics, so you would need to go through that training (some of which we saw with Hen) then get EMS certified, so you could take "firefighter" actions at a scene.

 

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Also, I'm assuming both Hen and Chim have been around for quite awhile because none of the other crew members from this flashback are there anymore, as far as I can tell. How long ago was this supposed to have taken place? Because neither Hen nor Chim were visibly younger than they are now. I know I'm supposed to overlook this but it was kind of hard to do. 

During the meeting between the Pharma Bro, the doctors, and Hen, Pharma Bro mentioned how his friends in finance and real estate had cut back on expenses since the economy tanked, so I assume this was shortly after that - 2009-2010 maybe a little later by the time she went through training.

[wonderwoman]

2 hours ago, DearEvette said:

re: Mark Derwin, Oh I've loved him since he was Mallet on Guiding Light!  He and Beth Ehlers as Harley were a great soap couple

and, iirc, for a while, in real life, as well.

[Raja]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I know that some fire fighters are also EMT's - in my city you have to be certified as an EMT to get into the fire department. But . . . you would only do one job or the other, at least on any given shift. If EMTs are running into burning buildings, for example, there's nobody to treat them when they come back out! That's what so dumb here. Let's say Chim and Hen are the designated EMTs on this run where the mudslide has buried a woman. If they go in with the fire fighters trying to rescue her, and they get injured or trapped in the process, that means there are no EMTs on hand for anyone else injured at the scene. And clearly, not ALL of the fire fighers double as EMTs, as we have seen in past episodes. 

I honestly don't think the writers understand how this works, or are just taking extreme artistic liberties.

 

I think that they know, they just don't care. Heroes have to do the heroic stuff. Like CSI Nick kicking in doors while Las Vegas police cover the back escape route.

 

I do remember that the Chief giving the departments apologies referred to her as Firefighter Wilson 

Edited November 20, 2018 by Raja

[juliet73]

This was a good ep! I wonder if they are going to have one devoted to each character. Last season it was Bobby. What happened to the rest of the crew? The only one then and now (besides Hen) is Chimney?  Yay for seeing Gino Anthony Pesi! I wish this was a reoccurring part for him - he deserves a steady gig.

Count me in as another who didn't understand only saving the kid in the sinking car. Who was driving? The dead guy on the hill?

Why aren't TV firefighters allowed to use their native accents?  Buck, Casey on Chicago Fire...

Edited November 20, 2018 by juliet73

[llewis823]

38 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

Count me in as another who didn't understand only saving the kid in the sinking car. Who was driving? The dead guy on the hill?

Yes, the man on the hill was apparently thrown from the vehicle but the little boy (probably his son) was still in it as it sank.

[SimoneS]

6 hours ago, Moose135 said:

I think it may have been Mark Derwin.  He was in the opening credits. He isn't listed on IMDB for this episode of 9-1-1 yet, but Googling some photos, I think that is the guy.

How did I miss Mark Derwin? I crushed on him hard when he was on Guiding Light.

5 hours ago, DearEvette said:

re: Mark Derwin, Oh I've loved him since he was Mallet on Guiding Light!  He and Beth Ehlers as Harley were a great soap couple,

I just saw this. He was seriously a hot guy when he was on GL. He and Beth Ehlers were a steamy couple as Mallet and Harley. 

Edited November 20, 2018 by SimoneS

[DearEvette]

2 hours ago, juliet73 said:

Why aren't TV firefighters allowed to use their native accents?  Buck, Casey on Chicago Fire...

Also Capt. Boden on Chicago Fire.  I first saw his as Kareem Said on HBO's Oz and you could have knocked me over with a feather the first time I saw him in an interview and that British accent came out.  LOL.

One thing I forgot to mention, I love Hen so much better with the shaved head.  That wig she was sporting she was a pharma rep was... just...no.  It aged her like 10 years. 

Also, all the issues she was facing... the racism, the sexism, the isolation... was expected.  What I found interesting and I wish we had seen a little more of it, was apparently she was getting some sort of invisible support from the other male firefighters, not just Chim. If the brass were getting complaints (multiple) and enough that they fired the Capt. guy, then it had to be from quite a few of the other guys at the station.  As it was they just seemed silent and a little complicit.  Too bad, it would have been nice for the audience, if not Hen, to see an exasperated glance or a stink face at the captain a time or two to know that not all the guys felt the same way.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

20 hours ago, DearEvette said:

IKR?  After watching that great origin ep which was a great showcase for Hen, I am a little ashamed to admit that the biggest revelation after the PSA segment was that "Wait, Buck is British?"

Raises hand because I had same reaction. In fact, may actually have said "SRSLY???" out loud. 

That said, I LOVED this because I adore Hen and loved getting her back story and such a great showcase for Aisha Hinds. 

7 hours ago, Moose135 said:

He isn't listed on IMDB for this episode of 9-1-1 yet

He is now! (Hope this merges) 

A few other thoughts ... I didn't know until you just mentioned it that Eamonn Walker was a Brit (I also was first turned on to him as Kareem Said) ... and didn't know that Casey was as well ... I'm so provincial to think that it must be so hard to "do" an American accent. I remember also being surprised about Dominic West!

Finally, one clarification ... am assuming now that the support group at the end was made up of individuals who had all experienced some sort of harassment from the "good old boys" network (white woman, black woman, gay man) ... at first I thought they were all supposed to be gay and thought, well, Bobby must have been something to turn Athena LOL.

Edited November 21, 2018 by PamelaMaeSnap

[rhys]

25 minutes ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

 

A few other thoughts ... I didn't know until you just mentioned it that Eamonn Walker was a Brit (I also was first turned on to him as Kareem Said) ... and didn't know that Casey was as well ... I'm so provincial to think that it must be so hard to "do" an American accent. 

Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) is an Aussie.

Bloodie hell tho about Eammon! I just listened to a brief interview with him. His real voice is about an octave higher too! 

[Bramble]

5 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Also, all the issues she was facing... the racism, the sexism, the isolation... was expected.  What I found interesting and I wish we had seen a little more of it, was apparently she was getting some sort of invisible support from the other male firefighters, not just Chim. If the brass were getting complaints (multiple) and enough that they fired the Capt. guy, then it had to be from quite a few of the other guys at the station.  As it was they just seemed silent and a little complicit.  Too bad, it would have been nice for the audience, if not Hen, to see an exasperated glance or a stink face at the captain a time or two to know that not all the guys felt the same way.

I thought the two featured firefighters looked very uncomfortable after the captain’s rant about women firefighters, but they were probably hesitant to challenge him directly.   But from storytelling perspective they probably left it ambiguous to better put the viewer in Hen’s shoes. 

Edited November 21, 2018 by Bramble

[juliet73]

2 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Also Capt. Boden on Chicago Fire.  I first saw his as Kareem Said on HBO's Oz and you could have knocked me over with a feather the first time I saw him in an interview and that British accent came out.  LOL.

 

 

2 hours ago, rhys said:

His real voice is about an octave higher too! 

I didn't know about Eamonn Walker!   I noticed that too - his American accent is deeper and more brooding, 

 

2 hours ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

A few other thoughts ... I didn't know until you just mentioned it that Eamonn Walker was a Brit (I also was first turned on to him as Kareem Said) ... and didn't know that Casey was as well ... I'm so provincial to think that it must be so hard to "do" an American accent.

Here's a short clip of Eamonn Walker and Jesse Spencer talking about Chicago Fire:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryoPXe1pWU8  Jesse's accent isn't nearly as strong as when he was on House, MD.

To stay on topic with 911...Hen's wig when she was a pharmaceutical rep was awful!!  It looked like part of a Halloween costume!  Aisha is so much prettier with a shaved head!  

[Zoe]

25 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

I didn't know about Eamonn Walker!   I noticed that too - his American accent is deeper and more brooding, 

Same thing with Hugh Laurie. I don't know if that says more about American accents or British accents.

[Rap541]

35 minutes ago, Zoe said:

Same thing with Hugh Laurie. I don't know if that says more about American accents or British accents.

Throw Dan Stevens into that as well (he in fact sounds and looks EERILY like a young Hugh Laurie now)

I think though that if Buck had his natural accent, the question would be "how did an obvious foreigner get work as a firefighter?"

That said, oh my gosh like the entire cast of the Walking Dead is like a weird family reunion of accents for me. 

13 hours ago, Empress1 said:

(I abhor the phrase "I don't see color."

As do I. People come in different shades, its ok to notice it. I actually had a conversation with a friend that went like this. 

"Pal M is worried that if she gets stopped in my state that she will be arrested for being Latino, but I don't think she looks Mexican at all and she sounds like a Boston Red Sox fan"

"I don't know, *I* don't see color".

Like, yes, it's lovely you don't want to acknowledge it but it EXISTS. Hen is not white and that IS going to be an issue with some people, whether you choose to acknowledge her dark skin or not. If I have a gripe about the show and it's depiction, it's that I don't believe Captain X-Files Icepick Killer wouldn't have been reported almost *instantly* in Los Angeles and wouldn't have gotten a pretty stern talking to about making sure the black lesbian worked out. I suppose it can be argued that Hen was too proud or not wanting to be a rat to say anything but honestly I can't believe she wasn't being routinely checked on.

[Raja]

35 minutes ago, tvgoddess said:

SAME! I seriously fangirled over them back in the day. I sadly remember cutting pictures of them out of my Soap Opera Digest and making collages. Please don't judge me.

I also found it interesting that others had gone to complain to the brass about the Captain and his asshole behavior. It seemed like they were all against her in the beginning except Chim.

As far as the timeline goes, I'd guess that the interim Captain probably stayed for maybe 6 months to a year or so and then Bobby came along. Fast forward another year or so then Buck makes his appearance.

This episode was fine, I like a focus on a specific character and Hen is definitely compelling. However, I didn't feel like there was any drama and it kind of lagged for me. And what was with all that rain? LA never has that much rain, right?

When it does rain it comes down like that and mudslides are common. With the latest wildfires warnings are already up for a light rain due anytime now.

[AnimeMania]

On 11/20/2018 at 11:16 PM, tvgoddess said:

As far as the timeline goes, I'd guess that the interim Captain probably stayed for maybe 6 months to a year or so and then Bobby came along. Fast forward another year or so then Buck makes his appearance.

This is not even close:

Hen and girlfriend Eva happy

Hen goes through Firefighter training   (3 to 4 months)

Eva does drugs

Eva goes to rehab

Eva sleeps with black guy from rehab

Eva gets pregnant and has baby

Eva goes to prison
Hen and new girlfriend Karen marry and adopt Eva's baby Denny

Somewhere in there Hen becomes an EMT which can take up to 2 years

The actor that plays Denny (Declan Pratt) I believe is 6 years old.

So I would guess you are talking about 9+ years

[Jillybean]

One of the firefighters said he had gone to see Twilight, so this was 2008.

[Raja]

On 11/20/2018 at 10:13 AM, DearEvette said:

From what I understand, there is a specific job called 'Firefighter EMT'.  In some jurisdictions, the EMS dept. is housed in the fire dept. but the EMT professionals are not firefighters ( I think this is how the show Chicago Fire works).  In others, the EMTS are also firefighters and have to go through the firefighter academy.  And in some others all firefighters have to have basic EMT certification, with those having advanced certification being the primary EMTs on call.

 

On 11/20/2018 at 12:31 PM, Moose135 said:

All I know about it is what I learned watching Emergency!, and there - in the LA County FD - the paramedics were firefighters first before becoming paramedics, so you would need to go through that training (some of which we saw with Hen) then get EMS certified, so you could take "firefighter" actions at a scene.

 

They are all over the map with "Firefighter" Paramedic Hen. She volunteered to be a paramedic and has that patch on like Chimmy. And when the Sergeant introduces her to her rookie support group it is as a medic. But then the Chief refers to her rank as Firefighter. It does make sense that their paramedics need to know the basics of the fire department apparatuses that they are working with  and a medic's basic training course should cover that. Much like an Army medic has to learn how to shoot and go through combat basic training even if he only carries a rifle so that he won't be singled out by a sniper since the Germans were probably the last army we faced that honored the red cross and non combatant status of medical personal.

[Rap541]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

Much like an Army medic has to learn how to shoot and go through combat basic training even if he only carries a rifle so that he won't be singled out by a sniper since the Germans were probably the last army we faced that honored the red cross and non combatant status of medical personal.

This is sort of a myth as well. Or rather, not relevant in a world where the US military is all volunteer. A combat medic in the modern military is considered a combatant and is expected to fight. That may not be their primary job, but everyone is a soldier first and the point is made to the rare person who claims moral objection or whatever to carrying a weapon or learning to fight etc that they weren't drafted, they volunteered, and they should have considered their moral objections before signing on.

I think it was definitely different during the wars that had drafts, but these days medical personnel don't have special status.  

[mojoween]

All this time I thought Oliver Stark was Australian, heh.

I want to go to dinner with Athena.  I can’t remember exactly what she said when she and Hen first met at the landslide but I loved it because it didn’t sugarcoat anything.

Was one of the firefighters played by Lou Ferrigno’s kid?  He looked like one of the guys from the B team on SWAT.

[AdorkableWitch]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

 

Was one of the firefighters played by Lou Ferrigno’s kid?  He looked like one of the guys from the B team on SWAT.

Tommy Kinard was indeed played by Lou Ferrigno Jr.

[starri]

I've said this before, but Hen and Athena are #FriendshipGoals.  I would also love to see more of the support group in the future.

I know some of us are tired of superhero origin stories, but I'm glad we had time for one more.

[Reality police]

On 11/20/2018 at 3:30 PM, Zoe said:

Took me 37 minutes to realize that asshole captain was the bounty hunter from X-files.

 

And y'all are late on Buck! They did a promo after the first episode, and while he was an incredible douche in that episode, hearing his accent at the end made him like an infinity times hotter.

He is also the biker gang killer from Stallone's "Cobra".

[mojito]

Quote

I had no idea that the actor who plays Buck is British. He does a good job with the American accent.

Recently, I decided to find out about all the Aussies/Kiwis and Brits playing Americans. I've gotten to the point that when I see a new face of someone in his/her 30s, I assume he or she is from abroad. My little bit of research informed me that, contrary to what I wondered, Aussies/Kiwis and Brits were not flooding our TV and movies because they are cheaper, but because they are, in fact, better trained than many of our new faces. They've done theater and they've worked hard to do our accents. Among the directors explaining this was Spike Lee.

I'm glad that Hen has decided to save cats, not wear them. 

[AnimeMania]

Don't forget Canadians, and filming in Canada.

[Clanstarling]

On 11/20/2018 at 6:40 AM, Empress1 said:

Aisha Hinds' buzz cut suits her much better than that wig they had her in, and it was interesting to see her and her ex on good terms. I loved that she said it was fine if her colleagues saw her as a Black woman and a lesbian because she IS a Black woman and a lesbian. (I abhor the phrase "I don't see color.") I like that the show didn't shy away from showing Hen's struggles. 

I do too, except when Colbert uses it to spotlight the idiocy of the phrase.

It was interesting, I agree, to see Hen's relationship - but I thought they also showed a few of the cracks in the relationship - tiny at this point, but bound to grow bigger.

On 11/20/2018 at 8:02 AM, sempervivum said:

Yep. I was pleased that they didn't gloss over the fact that many, many women are physically unable to do these jobs. Even sturdy Hen was struggling with that 'jaws of life' machine with the overturned limo. OTOH Hen looks like she could snap Chimney like a twig!

I had to laugh when the guy was complaining about Hen being able to lift someone out when Chimney was standing right there, a mere sapling compared to Hen. But then again, the captain probably didn't care much for Chim either. I was glad the resolution was that the guy was dismissed from that station.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Clanstarling

[Idiotboy]

A minority report. While I enjoyed seeing Aisha Hinds showcased (the writers must have been champing at the bit to do a Hen-centric episode) it felt too corny by half. Capt. X-Files Icepick Killer was such an obvious villain he might as well have twirled his mustache. At least it was nice to know that Hen's old girlfriend wasn't always a tattoo-covered skank and to find out how Athena came to bond with this particular fire company. Given that Aisha Hinds is (IMO) the best actor on the show, it's no surprise that -- tossed this softball of a script -- she knocked it out of the park. I have come to expect no less.

[DearEvette]

22 minutes ago, Idiotboy said:

While I enjoyed seeing Aisha Hinds showcased (the writers must have been champing at the bit to do a Hen-centric episode) it felt too corny by half. Capt. X-Files Icepick Killer was such an obvious villain he might as well have twirled his mustache.

I would probably agree if I hadn't had the bad luck to work under such a cartoon villain for six years.  Every single person in our office went to HR to complain about this guy for over that six year period.  One of my co-workers created a voodoo doll of him that she kept in her desk and whenever any one of us had a bad interaction with him, we had carte blanche to go to her desk and stick a pin in him. There were two women in our office, middle management level, that he seemed to have it out for the most.  We could never figure out why.  Finally two of the higher ups that had been pretty much his protection were forced out.  He was soon asked to resign.  The day after he left, the second in command in our office brought in champagne.  We had a little patio outside our office where we would eat lunch or take breaks sometime.  The woman with the voodoo doll brought in her little fire pit and we ceremoniously burned the doll.  Other people in our building who knew about our issues with this guy came and cheered us on. 

[Reality police]

On 11/28/2018 at 12:11 PM, DearEvette said:

I would probably agree if I hadn't had the bad luck to work under such a cartoon villain for six years.  Every single person in our office went to HR to complain about this guy for over that six year period.  One of my co-workers created a voodoo doll of him that she kept in her desk and whenever any one of us had a bad interaction with him, we had carte blanche to go to her desk and stick a pin in him. There were two women in our office, middle management level, that he seemed to have it out for the most.  We could never figure out why.  Finally two of the higher ups that had been pretty much his protection were forced out.  He was soon asked to resign.  The day after he left, the second in command in our office brought in champagne.  We had a little patio outside our office where we would eat lunch or take breaks sometime.  The woman with the voodoo doll brought in her little fire pit and we ceremoniously burned the doll.  Other people in our building who knew about our issues with this guy came and cheered us on. 

Oh my, I thought I was the only one that has a voodoo doll of my former boss. He's gone, the doll is in a drawer. Hope his neck is better.