S01.E06: One Shoe

[Door County Cherry]

Airs on 12/30/18

Quote

Debra makes a decision about John; in Ohio, John captures the attention of Detective Dennis Luken. 

[QQQQ]

[Pickles]

What was Debra doing in her office when she was taking the label off of one envelope and putting it on another? It was from the attorney? Had she opened it, but then didn’t want John to know she had already opened it?

[answerphone]

Great episode!!

OMG, my jaw dropped when Veronica looked at the video on her phone.

(That's all, no spoilers 😏)

[absolutelyido]

9 minutes ago, Pickles said:

What was Debra doing in her office when she was taking the label off of one envelope and putting it on another? It was from the attorney? Had she opened it, but then didn’t want John to know she had already opened it?

Correct.

I'm not clear why John and Debra were living in that condo rather than their original place on the water?

[breezy424]

Thank god this woman is coming to her senses.  I can finally stop yelling at my screen and root for her.  Hopefully?

The back story with the detective in Ohio was interesting.  Who was the actor?  He's familiar but I can't place him.

And then we have Jeff Perry from Scandel and Grey's Anatomy.

Debra telling John she's leaving....  Don't back down Debra.  Yeah, she didn't.  Damn.  John looked scary.

Only two episodes left.

[TomGirl]

I’m enjoying this series but it seems awfully slow-moving to me.  I think it would’ve worked better as a two-part miniseries for a total of four hours, not eight.

[HunterHunted]

10 minutes ago, breezy424 said:

Thank god this woman is coming to her senses.  I can finally stop yelling at my screen and root for her.  Hopefully?

I'm currently living in a hotel so I was unable to scream at the tv like I used to in my house, but I silently mouthed "fucking finally!"

10 minutes ago, breezy424 said:

The back story with the detective in Ohio was interesting.  Who was the actor?  He's familiar but I can't place him.

Damon Gupton. He's a regular on Black Lightning. He used to be on Criminal Minds and Bates Motel.

10 minutes ago, breezy424 said:

Debra telling John she's leaving....  Don't back down Debra.  Yeah, she didn't.  Damn.  John looked scary.

Only two episodes left.

I think Deb left John for good because it's finally her idea. Though she should be chilled that it ever crossed Ronnie's mind that Deb was present when John spat on Ronnie's birth certificate. That's how far Debra has fallen in the estimation of her children. That's truly fucked up. John is so fucking dangerous. Bana as John just turned on a dime. I wonder if that was true for the real life John. If so, he was such a psycho. How did he get away with it?

[chuckity]

1 hour ago, QQQQ said:

Brilliant!

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

Every time I see Alan Ruck in a show I squee a little. He played the attorney spot on. 

Edited December 31, 2018 by Mom2twoNonna2one
Correct actors name

[zillabreeze]

36 minutes ago, breezy424 said:

Thank god this woman is coming to her senses.  I can finally stop yelling at my screen and root for her.  Hopefully?

Yes, seemingly so, but she didn't plan her exit very well.  She should have not done it alone!  With her money, she could have hired a big body guard.   Why leave all her possessions and just throw a few things in?  You know she has some expensive jewelry and clothes for him to destroy.

Also, if he was watching the bank and knew she withdrew money, he must have access.  What has she done to prevent him from wiping her out?

That said, I'm gonna miss this show when it's over!

Edited December 31, 2018 by zillabreeze

[chuckity]

12 minutes ago, Mom2twoNonna2one said:

Every time I see Alan Rickman in a show I squee a little. He played the attorney spot on. 

Alan Ruck.  

[LoveMyVike]

4 hours ago, chuckity said:

Alan Ruck.  

I KNEW it was him. Really, really great casting on this show!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Cameron Frye and Mr. Katimski! And Mr. Tanaka from Glee!

Oh, Ronnie. I know that you've been shown to be immature and spoiled, but there's this amazing thing now called the internet. You can get a certified copy of your birth certificate rushed if you think going to the county recorder's office is too full of dirty poor people for you to go in person. I ordered mine from another state to renew my passport and I had it in less than a week.

I'm glad to see that ultimately Debra ended up listening to PI Nurse Carla's advice!

Debra going home and telling John to his face that she wanted a divorce was either the bravest or stupidest thing she's ever done.

ETA: Cameron's blonde assistant looked familiar to me but I couldn't place her. It turns out she was Vern Schillinger's daughter in law on Oz!

Edited December 31, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[AttackTurtle]

I love Connie Britton in pretty much everything, but man Eric Bana is killing it in this role.   He plays a monster really well and as disgusted as I am in the man he is portraying, he and Connie have chemistry.

The mother/daughter relationship is so interesting.  Ronnie acts like such a brat, but at the same time, she is who Deb calls when she needs help.   

I’m going to miss this series when it’s over.  Good on Bravo for producing it.   I hope they have more shows like this in the works.

Deb absolutely should’ve had protectionnwith her when she left, but I don’t know that she planned on leaving when she did.   

Edited December 31, 2018 by AttackTurtle

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I'm glad to see that ultimately Debra ended up listening to PI Nurse Carla's advice!

I prefer to think of her as PI Quiet Ann--lesbian, surfer, nail technician, and enforcer.

[Empress1]

9 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

Though she should be chilled that it ever crossed Ronnie's mind that Deb was present when John spat on Ronnie's birth certificate. That's how far Debra has fallen in the estimation of her children.

Yep. I don't think this dawned on her, but it should. Her kids think of her as someone who puts dick before them. Also, when she was like "I didn't think he'd go after you!" I was like, remember when he "joked" about shooting your daughter in the head?

2 hours ago, AttackTurtle said:

Deb absolutely should’ve had protectionnwith her when she left, but I don’t know that she planned on leaving when she did.   

Especially since he was blocking the exit. He 100% could have killed her in that walk-in closet. I think it was a game time decision.

When Debra got into that car I said "Cyrus!" Cyrus almost had his husband shot in his quest for power; he ain't playing with John's ass. I also liked the Ohio detective (aka the chief from Black Lightning); he was through with John from jump.

[Ohwell]

As enjoyable as this show is, I think there's a big gap of knowledge regarding Debra's relationships with her previous husbands.  Was she that dumb, playing the victim in those marriages, or did any of her husbands divorce her because of things she did?  We already know that John is a POS and I know that the story is being told from her perspective, but I'm just wondering what kind of person she really is.  

[Barb23]

Boy the saying "if looks could kill" sure played out in this episode with John.  It was like daggers were coming out of his eyes in the attorney's office when the words post-nup were mentioned.  I wonder how long he had to practice to get that look down.  The revelation on the attorney's face was great also.  It was like a lightbulb  went off when he realized he was dealing with a wacko & that Debra needed help.

Just a few observations:

I love how Debra thought to park her car at the dealership since she realized John was tracking her.   

I can't get over the amount of drugs the cops found in John's apartment.  He had to be dealing ike Tonia said.  Jumping out of the ambulance was something too but I shouldn'thave been surprised since he was so hopped up.  

John was really spooky looking too when Debra came in the penthouse at the end.   It may not have been a great move on her part but not telling him what she was doing with the bank money took some balls. I would have told him it was for a downpayment on a new car since he had to know she had been at the dealership.  

Edited December 31, 2018 by Barb23

[Vivigirl10]

11 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

Though she should be chilled that it ever crossed Ronnie's mind that Deb was present when John spat on Ronnie's birth certificate.

In the scene with Ronnie and Deborah at the restaurant, it crossed my mind that Ronnie should not trust her.  Idiot Deborah has parroted everything ever said about John right back to him.  I wouldn't have been surprised if she would've somehow sacrificed one of her children to him, whether unknowingly or not, out of her astounding stupidity.  

Quote

Thank god this woman is coming to her senses.  I can finally stop yelling at my screen and root for her.  Hopefully?

I will never be able to root for her.  Whether in the past or even in the present.  It's irritating to think that she's profiting today off of the mess she created.  

[sadie]

47 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

As enjoyable as this show is, I think there's a big gap of knowledge regarding Debra's relationships with her previous husbands.  Was she that dumb, playing the victim in those marriages, or did any of her husbands divorce her because of things she did?  We already know that John is a POS and I know that the story is being told from her perspective, but I'm just wondering what kind of person she really is.  

It’s surprising how LITTLE is out there regarding her past husbands. I can’t even find a picture, names, nothing! It’s very odd and does make one wonder. I’m gonna guess anyone who has been married that may times may have a few skeletons they don’t want unearthed.

[Ohwell]

I was so scared for that attorney.  I'm actually glad that John fired him so quickly, because had he tried to protect Dumb Debra like he said he would, John would have killed him.

[vmcd88]

The lady that came in to tell her boss that she didnt need to be present to take notes when he was going to tell John that he would not represent him was dead right.  She was like f&*k that, I dont even want to be in the room record that sh*t on your phone, I'll be hiding out in the lobby.   After meeting with John, that lawyer was SHOOK and rightfully so.  I enjoyed how the episode was put together in that we got to see how Debra had planned her getaway.   I did find it hard to believe that she took such precautions but didnt think he be checking her accounts daily.   But then real life is stupid sometimes.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

14 minutes ago, vmcd88 said:

I did find it hard to believe that she took such precautions but didnt think he be checking her accounts daily.   

I think she definitely knew he was monitoring her every move and that's exactly why she withdrew the money so that when he inevitably questioned her about it that evening, she had a reason to tell him that she wanted a divorce and that she was leaving.

[CruiseDiva]

I'm kind of confused about who the guy who was in the car that Debra got into after she parked her own car on the dealer's lot.

Was that the PI or a lawyer she'd consulted in an earlier episode? I didn't recognize the actor/character, but he seemed to know all about her situation and gave her advice that she then seemed to follow.

[TexasGal]

44 minutes ago, CruiseDiva said:

I'm kind of confused about who the guy who was in the car that Debra got into after she parked her own car on the dealer's lot.

Was that the PI or a lawyer she'd consulted in an earlier episode? I didn't recognize the actor/character, but he seemed to know all about her situation and gave her advice that she then seemed to follow.

I think it was another lawyer.  After we saw her messing with the envelope for the attorney we did see, she called him and asked for a referral for family lawyer.  I assume that was him.

[nr65000]

2 hours ago, Kiki620 said:

I will never be able to root for her.  Whether in the past or even in the present.  It's irritating to think that she's profiting today off of the mess she created.  

This 100%  She is still playing "victim".  She ignored every single red flag for her own selfish reasons and put her children in danger.

[HunterHunted]

13 hours ago, Mom2twoNonna2one said:

Every time I see Alan Rickman in a show I squee a little. He played the attorney spot on. 

I think we all knew who you meant. I think if it truly had been Alan Rickman, he would easily have won the Emmy for guest in a miniseries because Rickman has been dead for almost 3 years and before the denouement of John Meehan's ignominious exploits. "Rickman stuns in a brief role as a lawyer haunted by John Meehan's threats. Rickman's turn is especially impressive because he's been dead since January 2016. Rickman has managed to sink his ectoplasmic teeth into this role, which constitutes his brief return to the mortal plane. It's a small role, but Rickman does an impressive job playing a character who is viscerally frightened by the disturbed Meehan. The feat is notable because Rickman no longer has viscera."

1 hour ago, vmcd88 said:

The lady that came in to tell her boss that she didnt need to be present to take notes when he was going to tell John that he would not represent him was dead right.  She was like f&*k that, I dont even want to be in the room record that sh*t on your phone, I'll be hiding out in the lobby.   After meeting with John, that lawyer was SHOOK and rightfully so.

When I was working as an attorney, we had these guys come in who had some seriously shady business dealings with another shady group. After meeting with the group for about an hour, my supervisor asked me what I thought of the case. I said "it sounds like these guys borrowed money from the Israeli mafia on what they thought was a sure bet, but got scammed by the Russian mob. How else do you explain why these guys with long careers in the Israeli military are in our office and resistant to filing criminal charges." We passed on the case. Sometimes you just know.

[TV Diva Queen]

The first lawyer was Cameron Frye?  I completely missed that. He was in spin City with Deb. Lol. 

Its good but a little slow moving for my taste. I’m going to stick with it. All in. 

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

14 hours ago, chuckity said:

Alan Ruck.  

I realized i had it wrong after I closed my computer. 

[MerBearHou]

I hang in there with this series because I saw the Dateline episode and it is just an incredible true-life tale.  But honestly, this is one of the hardest series I've ever watched.  It's so scary because it's true and you know there are other con men (and women) out there, wreaking havoc on good, gullible people.  Eric Bana/John Meehan literally make my heart race with anxiety and loathing.  Not good!!  Connie Britton/Debra Newell are so maddening and that breathy speak / spacey personality / gotta have a guy demeanor is so disgusting to me. Having said that, I think the performances by all are just outstanding.   

[preeya]

3 hours ago, Barb23 said:

It may not have been a great move on her part but not telling him what she was doing with the bank money took some balls. I would have told him it was for a downpayment on a new car since he had to know she had been at the dealership.  

I was thinking that she should have said she was giving it to Ronnie, for ________________(fill in the blank), just to bust his balls.

Edited December 31, 2018 by preeya

[zillabreeze]

4 minutes ago, preeya said:

I was thinking that she should have said she was giving it to Ronnie (for whatever reason), just to bust his balls.

That gave me a chuckle, but in reality, it probably would have set him off violently.

I'm still shaking my head at her going to the penthouse alone.  But, I've been amazed at her stupidity throughout.  Really intrigued to go find the podcast after series ending.

[Ohwell]

When Ronnie was basically saying that her life was in danger, I couldn't get over the spaced-out look on Debra's face.  We all know that John is clearly a danger, but Debra is dangerous in her own way because she is incapable of recognizing any potential harm to herself and to the people closest to her.   To put it bluntly, I think she is just as loathsome as he is.

Edited December 31, 2018 by Ohwell

[CaliCheeseSucks]

Damon Gupton was fantastic as the detective. And Alan Ruck, wow - did not realize that was him until I came here.

Excellent episode overall, though I agree with those who still can't root for Debra. Nice that she's finally seeing the light but these red flags were there all along. She's endangered so many people at this point, including the poor attorney.

[biakbiak]

16 hours ago, absolutelyido said:

Correct.

I'm not clear why John and Debra were living in that condo rather than their original place on the water?

On the podcast it was stated that they wanted to start fresh and the house on the water had too many bad memories. The most shocking thing is that Debra still has so much money given the way she wastes it!

[Barb23]

I would really like to know the details of Debra's bank account(s).   It seems like his name was added very quickly  to her account.  I'm guessing when they were coming home from their wedding in Vegas so he could take advantage of her wedding high. (Just a guess on my part.) Did she question him why he didn't have an account? (I'm just assuming he didn't have one.) I'm sure he just gave her a story he didn't have one because of Tonia.  It's bad enough she didn't think of a prenup because he wooed her over & the wedding happened on a spur of the moment but putting his name on her account(s) is just ridiculous among other things especially considering how much money she has. 

[Showthyme]

John had conned many women. I am guessing that he had this whole process down to a science. I can see him telling Debra let's go to the DMV for a name change and stop by the bank "since we are out" and add my name to the account. 

Christopher Goffard said that he didn't understand all the criticism towards Debra. Most women who are afraid of men would not allow themselves to be cornered into a closet. I don't understand why she even had to go back to the condo to announce that she wanted a divorce. Buy some new clothes and have the lawyer serve him the divorce papers! Debra had resources. 

Roni (Jacquelyn) isn't making the press rounds like Terra. I wonder if she and Debra are still talking. 

Has anyone figured out what Debra was doing with the label on the envelope?

[TattleTeeny]

5 hours ago, Kiki620 said:

I will never be able to root for her.  Whether in the past or even in the present.  It's irritating to think that she's profiting today off of the mess she created.  

She annoys the living hell out of me too but I have no problem "rooting" for her in this scenario (if I am forced to root for anyone, that is). It's not against the law to be a naive dope or to earn a profit off of a story that is earning a profit for the various media that want to share it. Dumb or not, she's still the victim of a psycho criminal--and while, yes, it would benefit her to be more aware, discerning, and assertive (and less needy and apologetic), that criminal is the one who created the mess. 

Edited December 31, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[Ohwell]

Whatever money she's made off this show, I wouldn't be surprised if there's another Dirty John out there just waiting for his chance to grab some it.  And you know what?  As long as he isn't dangerous to her and others, and he just takes her for all he can get, I wouldn't blame him. 

[sadie]

10 minutes ago, Showthyme said:

Has anyone figured out what Debra was doing with the label on the envelope?

I understood WHAT she was doing with the letter, I just don’t understand why. Why open it, read it, then go to the trouble to reseal it and give it to John to open like she hadn’t read it. Was she waiting to see if he would honestly tell her what was in the letter. Was she trying to fool John that she still trusted him completely? Again, why? 

And yes, why go confront him for a small bag full of stuff. With her money I would have showed up with two of the biggest armed bodyguards my money could buy and get all my stuff? Was that her trying to show him she wasn’t afraid? This woman baffles me.

The acting Bana did in that scene in the lawyers office when he brought up a post nup was masterful. His expression was so subtle but absolutely terrifying. Gave me chills. 

[Pickles]

19 minutes ago, Showthyme said:

John had conned many women. I am guessing that he had this whole process down to a science. I can see him telling Debra let's go to the DMV for a name change and stop by the bank "since we are out" and add my name to the account. 

Christopher Goffard said that he didn't understand all the criticism towards Debra. Most women who are afraid of men would not allow themselves to be cornered into a closet. I don't understand why she even had to go back to the condo to announce that she wanted a divorce. Buy some new clothes and have the lawyer serve him the divorce papers! Debra had resources. 

Roni (Jacquelyn) isn't making the press rounds like Terra. I wonder if she and Debra are still talking. 

Has anyone figured out what Debra was doing with the label on the envelope?

Roni (Jacquelyn) has not participated in any of the publicity. She wasn’t on Dateline either. I think she is trying to remain a bit private. I did read that she runs Debra’s business in California and Debra runs it in Arizona. I think it is Arizona. 

Debra had opened the envelope from the attorney and then put the note in a new envelope with the attorney’s label, so John would not know she had already read the note before she gave it to John. 

I also read that Debra said she has not dated, since John. I guess she is not trying for marriage number six. 

[EdnasEdibles]

Debra should have figured out how to get John out of the house, gotten her stuff, then gone to get the money out and disappeared from him. I hope she takes the thing off her car now that she's leaving. But oh well, hindsight. I'm glad she got out.

[Ohwell]

5 minutes ago, Pickles said:

I guess she is not trying for marriage number six. 

Yet.

[lanter]

59 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I guess she is not trying for marriage number six.

Considering how often she lied to her family about John, I would not trust anything that woman says.

ETA: Pickles wrote the post I quoted.

Edited December 31, 2018 by lanter

[Ohwell]

16 minutes ago, lanter said:

Considering how often she lied to her family about John, I would not trust anything that woman says.

That wasn't my post, but I agree with yours. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 hour ago, Barb23 said:

I would really like to know the details of Debra's bank account(s).   It seems like his name was added very quickly  to her account.  I'm guessing when they were coming home from their wedding in Vegas so he could take advantage of her wedding high. (Just a guess on my part.) Did she question him why he didn't have an account? (I'm just assuming he didn't have one.) I'm sure he just gave her a story he didn't have one because of Tonia.  It's bad enough she didn't think of a prenup because he wooed her over & the wedding happened on a spur of the moment but putting his name on her account(s) is just ridiculous among other things especially considering how much money she has. 

She probably added him to her bank account at the same time that she added him to the safety deposit box. So dumb. I can't imagine giving someone access to those two things after knowing them for a few weeks, but then again I wouldn't marry someone I"d only known for two months so clearly I can't understand Debra's decisions.

[absolutelyido]

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

On the podcast it was stated that they wanted to start fresh and the house on the water had too many bad memories. The most shocking thing is that Debra still has so much money given the way she wastes it!

Good plan, because clearly the place where they were living was the problem, not the drugged addicted psychopathic husband.

[yourmomiseasy]

9 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Cameron Frye and Mr. Katimski! And Mr. Tanaka from Glee!

Oh, Ronnie. I know that you've been shown to be immature and spoiled, but there's this amazing thing now called the internet. You can get a certified copy of your birth certificate rushed if you think going to the county recorder's office is too full of dirty poor people for you to go in person. I ordered mine from another state to renew my passport and I had it in less than a week.

I'm glad to see that ultimately Debra ended up listening to PI Nurse Carla's advice!

Debra going home and telling John to his face that she wanted a divorce was either the bravest or stupidest thing she's ever done.

ETA: Cameron's blonde assistant looked familiar to me but I couldn't place her. It turns out she was Vern Schillinger's daughter in law on Oz!

In California to get the certified authorized copy by mail you have to get shit notarized and it takes at least 4-6 weeks to process the request.  If you want it faster you have to go in person to the county clerk in the county you were born  -- I don't think a lot of them process online/via mail, but there are companies you can pay to go in person for you.  I know this because my mom wouldn't give me my birth certificate when I was getting a passport because she said I'd lose it and we got in a huge fight over ownership of the certificate and I was extra aggro because I don't even live in that county anymore and didn't want to drive out there and didn't have 6 weeks to wait since I was taking a spur of the moment trip to NZ.  Eventually she compromised by going and getting me my own copy on her lunch break.  Spoiler alert: I'm pretty sure I "lost" the copy that she got me, but it might be in a drawer in the coat closet.

22 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

When Ronnie was basically saying that her life was in danger, I couldn't get over the spaced-out look on Debra's face.  We all know that John is clearly a danger, but Debra is dangerous in her own way because she is incapable of recognizing any potential harm to herself and to the people closest to her.   To put it bluntly, I think she is just as loathsome as he is.

Let's not forget Debra's mom.  She's also one of the villains of this piece.

[mythoughtis]

8 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I think she definitely knew he was monitoring her every move and that's exactly why she withdrew the money so that when he inevitably questioned her about it that evening, she had a reason to tell him that she wanted a divorce and that she was leaving.

She should have had her bag already packed and with her when she got the money... and not gone home.  They have process servers or couriers that could get him the divorce papers.