The Enemy Within - General Discussion

[BaskingsharkGTX]

Here's another question; what exactly are these cage dungeon places that the FBI randomly has in their basement where they store JCarp and now apparently also plan to keep Tal's girlfriend Mendoza? Is the FBI allowed to do this? Would they be all open with wire mesh like that so the supposedly super-dangerous need-to-be-kept-on-ice people who live in them can see and speak to each other? Next week will JCarp and Mendoza stare at each other through the bars, build a relationship and maybe eventually do a medley of songs from Chicago with JCarp as Velma and Mendoza as Roxie?

Edited April 24, 2019 by BaskingsharkGTX

[preeya]

35 minutes ago, BaskingsharkGTX said:

build a relationship and maybe eventually do a medley of songs from Chicago with JCarp as Velma and Mendoza as Roxie?

And Richard Gere (Billy Flynn) could be their legal representation.

[mertensia]

I spent time wondering why Cuba would let them build a super-secret prison there.

The biggest problem with this show is that it's dreary. I can take loopholes out the wazoo as long as the show is entertaining. This....is not. It's overly earnest, like bad English period piece dramas.

[Evagirl]

I used to watch a show with Kevin Bacon that I really liked.  But the show never showed the good guys winning.  Every week was dismal for the good guys.  That's what wore me down and made me give up on the show.  I can't remember how long the show actually lasted.

I said the above because I'm feeling the same way about this show.  When are the good guys going to get a break.  And girlfriend walking around shackled everywhere she goes is off-putting.  "No, I will not help you unless you treat me like a human being.  You want my help to bring down Tal, then at least have the decency to unchain me.  An agent is with me constantly.  I'm not going to run, I've proven that.  All I ask is some time with daughter every now and then and not be chained and paraded through my old stomping ground!  You can't do that - well I'll just stay locked up in my dungeon, refuse to eat and die of starvation.  How do you like THAT Buttercup?!!!  I tend to get a little hysterical over this dumb show.

[preeya]

15 minutes ago, Evagirl said:

I used to watch a show with Kevin Bacon that I really liked.  But the show never showed the good guys winning.  Every week was dismal for the good guys.  That's what wore me down and made me give up on the show.  I can't remember how long the show actually lasted.

I said the above because I'm feeling the same way about this show.  When are the good guys going to get a break.  And girlfriend walking around shackled everywhere she goes is off-putting.  "No, I will not help you unless you treat me like a human being.  You want my help to bring down Tal, then at least have the decency to unchain me.  An agent is with me constantly.  I'm not going to run, I've proven that.  All I ask is some time with daughter every now and then and not be chained and paraded through my old stomping ground!  You can't do that - well I'll just stay locked up in my dungeon, refuse to eat and die of starvation.  How do you like THAT Buttercup?!!!  I tend to get a little hysterical over this dumb show.

2

You must be referring to "The Following" where Bacon played FBI agent Ryan Hardy. This fiasco lasted three seasons and portrayed the FBI in the most inept view possible.  That said, portraying FBI ineptness seems to be the "in thing" on TV dramas.

Edited April 24, 2019 by preeya

[BaskingsharkGTX]

11 hours ago, preeya said:

Richard Gere (Billy Flynn) could be their legal representation.

It strikes me that Morris would make a pretty good Billy Flynn.

To be fair to the FBI with their shackles and chains, given that JCarp has so far escaped their clutches using just a metal tray and a broken walkie-talkie, guesses people's innermost secrets just by glancing at them, killed a dude with a pen and lip-reads secret code words at 20 paces, if I were them I'd probably keep her encased in a block of concrete up to her neck and tow her from place to place on a little wagon.

I have no idea how they are going to keep this dragged out for another four episodes but I'm glad it's not more than that! 

Edited April 24, 2019 by BaskingsharkGTX

[Evagirl]

2 hours ago, preeya said:

You must be referring to "The Following" where Bacon played FBI agent Ryan Hardy. This fiasco lasted three seasons and portrayed the FBI in the most inept view possible.  That said, portraying FBI ineptness seems to be the "in thing" on TV dramas.

Yep that was it.  I really wanted to like the show 'cause I like KB, but I couldn't handle how depressing it was every week.

[Writing Wrongs]

Whenever they show the opening bit about spies among us, I keep hearing the L&O "dun dun" in my head.

[weathered1]

Oh, this show. I can almost feel myself losing brain cells as I watch it. 

So, this thinly veiled plan of Erica's to catch Tal hinges on the "fact" that she needs him to break her out of her cell, yet in this episode (and the last one, to name just two), she moseyed off on her own without any problem whatsoever.  Tonight, she was only "caught" by Keaton simply because she stood in the same place for several minutes and alerted him to her general location. 

The show is just never going to tire of the shots of Shepherd's Shackled Shuffle of Shame; nor, it seems, will it let go of the shots of the team, as a whole, gracing her with their looks of disdain/hatred/suspicion every time she enters or exits a scene. 

Speaking of stupid things, no one wonders where that cell phone Erica stole went? I can't believe that there would just be a drawer full of burner phones because surely there would need to be records kept for those, and if it's someone's (Kate's?) personal phone, that person never said, "Hey, where'd my phone go?"? 

Also, how fortuitous that her cell has . . . wait for it . . . good cell reception. 

In terms of that cell, it's not searched as a matter of course whenever she's not in it? This super spy has repeatedly demonstrated that she can and will steal anything and everything that's not nailed down and use it to her advantage, yet they don't stroll into that cell routinely solely to see if they can find a treasure trove of stolen goods? 

I see that the oft-mentioned ex-husband actually took off his invisibility cloak. Sadly, it seems like he's kind of a crappy dad if it took him that long to figure out that "my daughter!!" was feeding him really bad lies and going on those treks of hers whenever she wanted. You'd think that the only not-imprisoned parent of the offspring of The Most Hated Woman in America would keep better tabs on said spawn since it would be pretty easy for someone to do something to Hannah as a way to make The Most Hated Woman in America pay for betraying her country. (Reason 9372-b why it remains insanely stupid that Erica never told anyone to protect "my daughter!!".)

"My daughter!!" - the same one who was so traumatized and terrified by "the police" picking her up when she lied about her whereabouts three years ago - evidently didn't learn her lesson.

Finally, my initial opinion of Pettigrew was basically that she was okay. That lofty view has subsequently gone downhill. Tonight, it was like someone fed her her line(s) just before she was due to speak, so she spit out the line quickly and without any inflection before she had a chance to forget it. 

I know other things happened in this episode, but  . . . I just can't seem to care. 

[Dowel Jones]

Once again the FBI launches a raid with several agents and an entire squad of HRT people, and nobody thinks to watch the doors.  The assassin simply bolts out the back and down the street.  Ressler Keaton decides to shoot him, excuse me, tackle him because he wants to extract a little bit of blood revenge, and it backfires on him in a big way.

Tal seems to have the ability to circulate around the city in a big way without any cameras catching his face.

[mertensia]

Dude, show a little sympathy for your daughter who wants to see her mother.

[preeya]

Yes, Yes, Yes to the previous three comments, but the biggest LOL for me was when Keaton was listening to the "black box" recording he clearly had the earphones on backward.

"R" stands for right, dummy!

Edited April 30, 2019 by preeya

[Ohwell]

This show.  I just wish Keaton would say "FUCK IT" and put a bullet in Erica's head.  I can't believe they think she's the only person in the world who can help them.  What if she gets sick or hurt or goes into a coma, or dies on her own?  Then what would they do?  

[sempervivum]

If Erica knew MY DAUGHTER (thanks, weathered1) was visiting her without telling her father, why on earth didn't she express any interest in how the kid was getting there? Now we hear from the ex that the kid has been 'taking 2 buses and walking a half mile- in high-crime Washington, DC., getting home after dark!

Also, what was I missing in the whole story about the black box from the original terrorist attack on the plane that killed Keaton's fiancé? Why was the CIA keeping this a secret from Keaton? Why did it even matter, since all it contained was a recording of shots, screaming and the plane going down? Keaton already had a thumbdrive of the pilots' conversation, which allowed them to link the 2 events, why didn't he have the rest of it? Like so much of this show, it makes no plot sense, it's just the vehicle for a bunch of weepy emoting.

Has anybody heard if this mess is being renewed?

[Writing Wrongs]

OMG, Erica used the Clark Kent disguise!

[rhys]

I think I heard that the pilot who was in the Russian social club was in his 30s. Please tell me I misheard. He was 50 if he was a day.

[tennisgurl]

So the ex husband is actually alive! I half suspected he would just be a figment of the daughters imagination. I honestly struggle with remembering her name, she gets called MY DAUGHTER so often. 

Seriously, has no one in the FBI ever just thought of watching the exists!?! No wonder Tal, who never seems all that brilliant to me, keeps getting away, he is up against people even dumber than him! 

Edited May 1, 2019 by tennisgurl

[preeya]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Seriously, has no one in the FBI ever just thought of watching the exists!?! No wonder Tal, who never seems all that brilliant to me, keeps getting away, he is up against people even dumber than him! 

Every TV FBI/CIA/NCIS agent should be enrolled in "PERP CHASHING & APPREHENSION 101"

[4N6MAL]

On 4/30/2019 at 1:14 PM, Writing Wrongs said:

OMG, Erica used the Clark Kent disguise!

And Pettigrew said, "I almost didn't recognize you"!!! OMG!!!

[JenLily]

On 4/24/2019 at 9:24 AM, preeya said:

You must be referring to "The Following" where Bacon played FBI agent Ryan Hardy. This fiasco lasted three seasons and portrayed the FBI in the most inept view possible.  That said, portraying FBI ineptness seems to be the "in thing" on TV dramas.

"The Following" was an absolutely hilarious show. The first season took itself way too seriously and the second and third went balls to the wall, crazier and crazier with every episode. It was fantastic and I loved every single second of it.

I don't mind The Enemy Within but maybe if they were a little more tongue in cheek, it would be more palatable. Certainly less boring anyway.

[missbonnie]

Started out liking this show and last week I removed it from my dvr queue because I now hate it. Way too much plodding along and really, really stupid plausibility issues for me. 

[Dowel Jones]

Can anyone tell me how Erica managed to maintain her ninja skills through 3 years of solitary confinement, such that she is able to knock out various well trained personnel with one strike?

[Ohwell]

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Can anyone tell me how Erica managed to maintain her ninja skills through 3 years of solitary confinement, such that she is able to knock out various well trained personnel with one strike?

It's gotten so ridiculous that now I just laugh when I see her knock out people with one blow.   

Also, Morris Chestnut must have some serious dirt on people because he can't act his way out of a paper bag.  

[sempervivum]

59 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

It's gotten so ridiculous that now I just laugh when I see her knock out people with one blow.

People with  testosterone and about 100 lbs. on her. Yeah. 

I admit to barely paying attention to the 'plot' while this show is on my screen, but exactly what was Erica going to do if she had been escaping with the Russian spy (or whatever he was)? Isn't her big obsession HER DAUGHTER? How would that work out if she escaped and was on the run? (I realize she was scamming them, but shouldn't her motivation make some sense?)

I loved the rationale of Keaton, when one of the other agents protested against him letting Erica 'escape', 'I dunno. She gave me this look, like she wanted me to hold back'. Well, alrighty then.

[preeya]

I predict:  Molinero is the mole.   Two more to go to find out.

Edited May 7, 2019 by preeya

[tennisgurl]

Oh alright Keaton, she gave you a look! That means that you should totally still trust her! Sounds super legit to me! 

I really wish that this show could lighten up for two seconds, everything is so serious, but without the intensity or drama to back it up, that it comes off as boring, and just makes the plot holes even more obvious. I am really trying with this show, because its premise has potential, but its just so dull!

Edited May 7, 2019 by tennisgurl

[Writing Wrongs]

I'm not sure what the end goal of this show is. Capture Tal and then what? Will Erica be pardoned?

[Loandbehold]

3 minutes ago, Writing Wrongs said:

I'm not sure what the end goal of this show is. Capture Tal and then what? Will Erica be pardoned?

Heh. Of course not. Once Tal has been captured, there will be another terrorist who Erica was able to foil their nefarious scheme, but, in the process, was given the choice of giving up CIA IT personnel or having her cat declawed.

[kassygreene]

I suspect the end goal is an irresistible cliff-hangar and renewal for an equally incomprehensible season 2.

[Dowel Jones]

3 hours ago, preeya said:

I predict:  Molinero is the mole.

What, there's a mole?  You mean Tal needs help to outwith this band of nincompoops?

[preeya]

1 hour ago, Dowel Jones said:

What, there's a mole?  You mean Tal needs help to outwith this band of nincompoops?

Maybe cohort instead of mole.

[KaveDweller]

5 hours ago, Loandbehold said:

Heh. Of course not. Once Tal has been captured, there will be another terrorist who Erica was able to foil their nefarious scheme, but, in the process, was given the choice of giving up CIA IT personnel or having her cat declawed.

Tal won't get captured any time soon. Maybe if the show lasts a long time they will catch him and replace with a new terrorist, but I wouldn't count on that. 

[alvajon]

16 hours ago, sempervivum said:

People with  testosterone and about 100 lbs. on her. Yeah. 

I admit to barely paying attention to the 'plot' while this show is on my screen, but exactly what was Erica going to do if she had been escaping with the Russian spy (or whatever he was)? Isn't her big obsession HER DAUGHTER? How would that work out if she escaped and was on the run? (I realize she was scamming them, but shouldn't her motivation make some sense?)

I loved the rationale of Keaton, when one of the other agents protested against him letting Erica 'escape', 'I dunno. She gave me this look, like she wanted me to hold back'. Well, alrighty then.

That “look” given Keaton by Erica, could have meant a lot of things.  At the time you could almost believe she was going to permanently escape, using Visser, which was, in fact, a great modus operandi.  

Edited May 8, 2019 by alvajon

[BaskingsharkGTX]

Uuuuuuuuuurrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhh. I missed commenting on last week's episode because I followed my own drinking game and passed out when Mr. JCarp actually showed up. 

Actually that's not true, I passed out with boredom. All I remember is that JCarp ran off and it was stupid, her husband previously didn't know that Hannah was going to meet her so he must be really stupid and something about a prison disguised as an eco-friendly self-sufficient dorm and it was incredibly stupid. Oh, and everyone (Pettigrew, Stubble Guy, Guest Woman Who Designed The Dorm/Prison/Whatever) wore really stylish wool coats. Costume designer on point. 

This week's installment also left me in an utter stupor but was probably the best one I've seen. Although "best" is a subjective term here, because it still had about as much internal consistency, character development and suspense as a mediocre filler episode of Peppa Pig. But you could see that if the writers had actually made JCarp and Morris into interesting characters who had an actual relationship instead of cardboard cutouts who hang around telling each other what a connection they have, there might have been some actual suspense and tension here. Especially with the FBI's answer to Rosa Klebb breathing down their necks. But they didn't. So there wasn't. 

Pettigrew has been in hundreds of hostage situations and she knows that the South African Terrorist with the Wobbly Accent won't negotiate. Uh yeah, cos she's such an expert given how she messed up her last negotiation. Also, was the Heart Pill Woman faking it? She forgot all about needing her pills as soon as Stubble Guy got shot and failed to drop dead as her son in law had claimed she would. If so, excellent completely-silent escape-plotting on behalf of that family. Or maybe their favorite family pastime is sitting around at home discussing what they'd do in a theoretical hostage situation and they were actually super-pleased to get to put it into practice and didn't need to discuss it.

New addition to drinking game; one drink whenever anyone says "Sierrrrrrra Maestrrrrra" and pronounces it with a R-rolling sort-of Spanish accent.

And next; Tal's Biggest Generic Terrorist Attack Ever which Magical Erica will foil at the last minute with a jar of pickles, a doorhandle and a lightly used copy of the July 1997 issue of Popular Mechanics and then she will probably disappear on Morris for realz because it's almost the season finale and Hannah will look worried and say "But who will I talk to about driving lessons in a dungeon now?!" and her father will say "I didn't realize you were taking driving lessons? Hey, did I forget to put pants on this morning?" and then Morris will disobey Rosa Klebb and go rogue and we will see him dump his earpiece and cellphone in a trashcan so he can't be tracked and we know he's gone rogue and he'll follow JCarp to Sierrrra Maestrrrra (assuming the budget will stretch to some location filming someplace that looks vaguely like Cuba and has film tax credit financing available) and the team will have to decide if they trust JCarp and will take a Leap of Faith and decide they do and there will be a lame showdown with Tal and a lame twist and I will not care and nor will anyone else and Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. 

ETA:

Hulu is now recommending me a bunch of shows that are "For fans of The Enemy Within". I need to send them a message and say they actually need to start recommending shows which are "For people who hatewatch The Enemy Within."

Edited May 9, 2019 by BaskingsharkGTX

[misstwpherecool]

This is another one of those shows where the cast is making it work. Some over the top writing but it is quite watchable.

I'm still puzzled why they don't search her cell on occasion especially after her first escape. I liked Keaton's answer to why she is in cuffs-for your protection was it(criminal assault of a federal agent to be overlooked). Sooner or later she needs to become more of a trusted consultant without cuffs-more field work and let her colleagues know she was coerced into giving up the information to save her daughter-don't have to forgive the character but she should be allowed to earn back some trust and respect.

There's plenty of material to extrapolate on or correct the course so I hope this show is renewed because I will watch.

[sempervivum]

On ‎5‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 9:27 PM, BaskingsharkGTX said:

Hulu is now recommending me a bunch of shows that are "For fans of The Enemy Within". I need to send them a message and say they actually need to start recommending shows which are "For people who hatewatch The Enemy Within."

BaskingsharkGTX, I need you to know that I am now "Baskingshark GTX-watching" The Enemy Within! All respect to the other commenters, but you, sir or madam, are the only reason I'm willing to waste an hour a week on this garbage; your analysis is hilarious.

[preeya]

MOLE_inaro

[BaskingsharkGTX]

23 hours ago, sempervivum said:

BaskingsharkGTX, I need you to know that I am now "Baskingshark GTX-watching" The Enemy Within! All respect to the other commenters, but you, sir or madam, are the only reason I'm willing to waste an hour a week on this garbage; your analysis is hilarious.

Why thank you! I suppose I have to watch the last 2 episodes now... 😉

[Dowel Jones]

Sorry folks, I had the right sentiment, but the wrong tv show!

Edited May 15, 2019 by Dowel Jones

[tennisgurl]

I honestly have no idea what is going on during this show anymore, if I ever did. I honestly am struggling to figure out why everyone is doing anything at any point other than "because I am". 

Her daughter sure is super chill about everything going on. Like, mom is back from her CIA prison and is at home and thats just...normal?

[BaskingsharkGTX]

In our nation's capital... in the highest corridors of power, the most elite branches of law enforcement, there exists a special breed of people. More than fearlessness, more than mere super-intelligence, they boast... powers. Powers of Intuition, a form of sensory knowledge beyond that of mere mortals. Powers which transcend the internal consistency of narrative. Powers which allow them to just, like, KNOW stuff about people, things, events. Powers that grow stronger thanks to their previous experiences in Lithuania, Russia, the former Yugoslavia and other places which vaguely evoke thoughts of late-90's political strife and which can be recreated somewhat realistically (at least by network television standards) on a studio backlot. 

This week, we saw an EPIC CLASH of these titans as JCarp meets her match in Senator Eleanor Waldorf, a woman with just as many POWERS OF INTUITIVE DEDUCTION as she has! Thrill on the edge of your seat as JCarp SENSES that Eleanor knows why Tal wants her dead and Eleanor parries by DEDUCING that JCarp and Morris have gone rogue and their Rosa Klebb boss knows nothing about it and then JCarp STRIKES BACK by EMOTION-GUESSING-FIGURING-OUT that Eleanor is actually... ex-CIA Black Ops! Only to have Eleanor strike the ultimate fade-out smackdown by using super-ultimate Big Boss trump card power-up of a Previous Experience in A War Torn Eastern European Country Which Conveniently Parallels What's Happening Here to manifest knowledge that JCarp is Hiding Something about her motivation, rendering JCarp (for once) speechless!

But while these two Big Beasts locked horns, another was just coming into his powers as Morris went after Backus because... he just Knew Something about "the timing"! ANOTHER IS BORN! JCarp looked so proud of him - she has nurtured and guided him well through these dozen episodes and now he is ready to make his own giant leaps of logic, bounding away with hunches and guesses and tortuously-thought-out-yet-always-correct-and-successful deductions! Fly, Morris! Fly! 

It is now a fact that on spy television shows and in spy movies, it is statistically far more dangerous to be related to a spy/law enforcement agent/terrorist than it is to actually be one. So far we've had Morris' tragic dead fiancee, that other dude's other tragic dead fiancee and now Tal has two tragic dead brothers, killed by the CIA in a tragic stock footage attack. (And with a convenient anniversary coming up to boot!) Personally, I blame James Bond, originator of the Dead Wife character motivation trope and Batman, first to be driven to vigilantism by Dead Parents. What have they done?!!!

When Pettigrew and The Stubble Guy and Senator Eleanor were ambushed by the ambushers, the ambusher-ambushers got there in a matter of seconds, coming from all around. How did the ambusher-ambushers hide from the ambushers? And if they swept the area and knew where the ambushers were, couldn't the ambusher-ambushers have just ambushed the ambushers before the car showed up? It was good they wore different camo so we could tell them apart, though. I also like how they all go round with bulletproof vests that say FBI and CIA in big letters on the front. I know that's probably realistic, but if I was making this show, I would not be able to resist having one of the extras wear one that says "FRONT" on it instead.

Also, why was everybody acting like Senator Eleanor saying mean things about JCarp was mean? Did they somehow forget that while Morris and the audience know The Truth that it was for HER DAUGHTER, nobody else does and she remains The Most Hated Woman in America™.

And Tal was at it again, meeting people in the middle of parks and spouting stupid sort-of-sinister sayings. "I orrrrrdered you to get rid of Morrrrrris, it was an orrrrrrrder. You have never serrrrved, Mr. Backus, so you do not underrrrssssstand the imporrrtance of an orrrrrrrder. When I worrrrrked at Rrrrrred Lobsterrrr if the orrrrrder was wrrrrong do you know what would happen? It would be taken out of yourrrrr tipssssss!"

I wonder what WAS in that tape he had on Backus? Maybe Backus was a Brony. And more dumbass spies not suspecting that pram woman is going to pull a gun. Have these people not watched TV like ever?!

All of that snark snarked, this was actually better than much of what has gone before and Margaret Colin is one of my Kryptonites so she at least added some pep. Someone has joined the creative team of this show late in the series who is very good at making the best out of terrible material and his influence is pretty obvious - and thankfully so. I didn't even roll my eyes too hard at that idiotic last sequence with JCarp showing up on her husband's doorstep and having another cheesy chat with Oblivious Hannah (not least thanks to JCarp's quality performance.) 

Rrrrroll on next week when Tal will attempt to mount his Greatest Brother-Avenging Revenge Attack Ever and will be foiled and the season will end with JCarp giving Morris the slip and heading off to Sierrrrra Maestrrrrra to find out what the grand plan behind the grand plan is and which we will not see because budgetary constraints. 

And a random thought; if I get a change.org petition up to change the title of this show to "Tal Tales" would everyone here sign it?

Edited May 15, 2019 by BaskingsharkGTX

[Ohwell]

I bow down to your takedown.  

[preeya]

45 minutes ago, BaskingsharkGTX said:

In our nation's capital... in the highest corridors of power, the most elite branches of law enforcement, there exists a special breed of people. More than fearlessness, more than mere super-intelligence, they boast... powers. Powers of Intuition, a form of sensory knowledge beyond that of mere mortals. Powers which transcend the internal consistency of narrative. Powers which allow them to just, like, KNOW stuff about people, things, events. Powers that grow stronger thanks to their previous experiences in Lithuania, Russia, the former Yugoslavia and other places which vaguely evoke thoughts of late-90's political strife and which can be recreated somewhat realistically (at least by network television standards) on a studio backlot. 

This week, we saw an EPIC CLASH of these titans as JCarp meets her match in Senator Eleanor Waldorf, a woman with just as many POWERS OF INTUITIVE DEDUCTION as she has! Thrill on the edge of your seat as JCarp SENSES that Eleanor knows why Tal wants her dead and Eleanor parries by DEDUCING that JCarp and Morris have gone rogue and their Rosa Klebb boss knows nothing about it and then JCarp STRIKES BACK by EMOTION-GUESSING-FIGURING-OUT that Eleanor is actually... ex-CIA Black Ops! Only to have Eleanor strike the ultimate fade-out smackdown by using super-ultimate Big Boss trump card power-up of a Previous Experience in A War Torn Eastern European Country Which Conveniently Parallels What's Happening Here to manifest knowledge that JCarp is Hiding Something about her motivation, rendering JCarp (for once) speechless!

But while these two Big Beasts locked horns, another was just coming into his powers as Morris went after Backus because... he just Knew Something about "the timing"! ANOTHER IS BORN! JCarp looked so proud of him - she has nurtured and guided him well through these dozen episodes and now he is ready to make his own giant leaps of logic, bounding away with hunches and guesses and tortuously-thought-out-yet-always-correct-and-successful deductions! Fly, Morris! Fly! 

It is now a fact that on spy television shows and in spy movies, it is statistically far more dangerous to be related to a spy/law enforcement agent/terrorist than it is to actually be one. So far we've had Morris' tragic dead fiancee, that other dude's other tragic dead fiancee and now Tal has two tragic dead brothers, killed by the CIA in a tragic stock footage attack. (And with a convenient anniversary coming up to boot!) Personally, I blame James Bond, originator of the Dead Wife character motivation trope and Batman, first to be driven to vigilantism by Dead Parents. What have they done?!!!

When Pettigrew and The Stubble Guy and Senator Eleanor were ambushed by the ambushers, the ambusher-ambushers got there in a matter of seconds, coming from all around. How did the ambusher-ambushers hide from the ambushers? And if they swept the area and knew where the ambushers were, couldn't the ambusher-ambushers have just ambushed the ambushers before the car showed up? It was good they wore different camo so we could tell them apart, though. I also like how they all go round with bulletproof vests that say FBI and CIA in big letters on the front. I know that's probably realistic, but if I was making this show, I would not be able to resist having one of the extras wear one that says "FRONT" on it instead.

Also, why was everybody acting like Senator Eleanor saying mean things about JCarp was mean? Did they somehow forget that while Morris and the audience know The Truth that it was for HER DAUGHTER, nobody else does and she remains The Most Hated Woman in America™.

And Tal was at it again, meeting people in the middle of parks and spouting stupid sort-of-sinister sayings. "I orrrrrdered you to get rid of Morrrrrris, it was an orrrrrrrder. You have never serrrrved, Mr. Backus, so you do not underrrrssssstand the imporrrtance of an orrrrrrrder. When I worrrrrked at Rrrrrred Lobsterrrr if the orrrrrder was wrrrrong do you know what would happen? It would be taken out of yourrrrr tipssssss!"

I wonder what WAS in that tape he had on Backus? Maybe Backus was a Brony. And more dumbass spies not suspecting that pram woman is going to pull a gun. Have these people not watched TV like ever?!

All of that snark snarked, this was actually better than much of what has gone before and Margaret Colin is one of my Kryptonites so she at least added some pep. Someone has joined the creative team of this show late in the series who is very good at making the best out of terrible material and his influence is pretty obvious - and thankfully so. I didn't even roll my eyes too hard at that idiotic last sequence with JCarp showing up on her husband's doorstep and having another cheesy chat with Oblivious Hannah (not least thanks to JCarp's quality performance.) 

Rrrrroll on next week when Tal will attempt to mount his Greatest Brother-Avenging Revenge Attack Ever and will be foiled and the season will end with JCarp giving Morris the slip and heading off to Sierrrrra Maestrrrrra to find out what the grand plan behind the grand plan is and which we will not see because budgetary constraints. 

And a random thought; if I get a change.org petition up to change the title of this show to "Tal Tales" would everyone here sign it?

@BaskingsharkGTX:  This is a classic. Whatever you do for a living you should consider becoming a comedic writer. Your version of this episode was tenfold better than the one I watched last night.

Edited May 15, 2019 by preeya

[kitmerlot1213]

I know this show is ridiculous but I'm still enjoying the crap out of it and it's because  JCarp makes it watchable for me.  I like knowing the character's going to somehow out-think everyone in the room yet still somehow not catch the main bad guy--it's out of control and over the top, but I'm loving every insane minute of it.  If there's a season 2, will Tal continue as the bad guy or is he going to be dusted in the season 1 finale?

[preeya]

58 minutes ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

I know this show is ridiculous but I'm still enjoying the crap out of it and it's because  JCarp makes it watchable for me.  I like knowing the character's going to somehow out-think everyone in the room yet still somehow not catch the main bad guy--it's out of control and over the top, but I'm loving every insane minute of it.  If there's a season 2, will Tal continue as the bad guy or is he going to be dusted in the season 1 finale?

I sure hope he's finished in the finale as I can't stand to hear Tal this, Tal that, where's Tal, Tal, Tal, Tal, and more Tal. Enough already.

[sempervivum]

Again, kudos BaskingsharkGTX, that was indeed far more entertaining than the actual episode. 

I might have dozed off, but did anyone ever figure out where the BIG HUGE ENORMOUS attack is supposed to happen? I heard something about Grand Central Station(?) and 100K people pass through it, but that kind of petered out. Or did I miss Tal twirling his mustache and snarling 'Curses! Foiled again!'

[Dowel Jones]

12 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

I might have dozed off, but did anyone ever figure out where the BIG HUGE ENORMOUS attack is supposed to happen?

Tal has actually developed the evilest of evil plans and figured out how to reach through the fourth wall and assassinate the viewers!  Yeah, it's only 27 people, but still....

[Loandbehold]

15 hours ago, BaskingsharkGTX said:

And a random thought; if I get a change.org petition up to change the title of this show to "Tal Tales" would everyone here sign it?

Just remember to post the link. It'll be tough having the patience to wait for the updates if they're going to be anything like your recaps.

59 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

I might have dozed off, but did anyone ever figure out where the BIG HUGE ENORMOUS attack is supposed to happen? I heard something about Grand Central Station(?) and 100K people pass through it, but that kind of petered out.

Union Station.

59 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

Or did I miss Tal twirling his mustache and snarling 'Curses! Foiled again!'

TPTB would never let that happen. Nor would JCarp since I'm sure HER DAUGHTER will find herself at Union Station just before the attack is supposed to take place.

[BaskingsharkGTX]

Thank you everybody for all the kind comments about my ranting! I'm glad people are enjoying it. Once upon a time in another lifetime I wrote a TV column and for some reason this show just pushes all my buttons and brings it all back and it's now my Monday night chill-down routine to come on here and vent about it! Which is ironic, because I really am a huge fan of JCarp and I started watching thinking it would be genuinely good. I still think she is a fascinating actor, has a sort of latter-day through-the-looking-glass Katharine Hepburnish charisma and a fascinating face. She deserves better!

I'm also a former TWoP forum poster if anyone is around from those days. I was active in the forums for The OC (loved it even after it sucked), 90210 (mocked it from the get-go) and - right before the site shut down - the wildly terrible CW remake of The Tomorrow People (stared at it in incredulous horror, unable to look away as it ran round in increasingly demented circles flinging its own poop at the walls before being mercy-killed by cancellation).

Back to TEW though, here's a genuine question - what happened to Mendoza, Tal's supposed girlfriend operative who he was so madly in love with and who they captured a couple of episodes ago and locked up in the FBI dungeons with JCarp? Did she get sprung while I wasn't looking or has she been memory-holed by everyone (including the writers and Tal himself who as far as I remember, hasn't referred to her once)? Maybe she was more of a booty call operative and less of a love-of-his-life operative. If so, then not only is Tal an EVOL TERRRRRORRRRIST, he also doesn't call after the second date or come rescue you when Morris & the FBI Scooby Gang capture you and stick you in a dungeon. Pig.

Still, he's so annoying, maybe she'd prefer to stay in the dungeon. He could rescue her and they'd be flying off and he'd be like "Sssssso, Mendozzzza, let ussss now rrrrruminate on the truuuuue nature of evilllllll" and she'd be like "I CHANGED MY MIND TAKE ME BACK NOW!"

My finale predictions;

Tal will either inexplicably decide to be in the vicinity when his Big Evil Plan for Union Station goes down, probably to revel in the aftermath and experience True Vengeance firsthand or be watching it remotely/be trackable down by the combined powers of Senator Eleanor and JCarp working together to Deduce Stuff. When said plan is ultimately foiled by Morris & JCarp & the Scoobies he will be chased down and either;

(a) get killed in a showdown with Morris and JCarp (most likely Morris shoots him to save JCarp so they can have A Moment) but before he dies he says something like "Errrrrrica. You may have foiled my Big Evil Plan for rrrrrevenge today but NOTHING will stop my Bigger Eviller Plan - the one which involves Sierrrrrrra Maestrrrrrra."

or

(b) escape after the showdown but before he flies off in his helicopter (or whatever) he goes face to face with JCarp and says something like "Errrrrrica. You may have foiled my Big Evil Plan for rrrrrevenge today but NOTHING will stop my Bigger Eviller Plan - the one which involves Sierrrrrrra Maestrrrrrra."

JCarp will then figure out some way to get Zane out of Rosa Klebb's klutches before escaping and running off to Sierrrrrra Maestrrrrra to foil Tal's plan and/or finally kill him (delete as appropriate depending on whether it's scenario #a or #b above). Morris will aid her escape, they will share A Moment where JCarp tells him that stopping Tal's Bigger Eviller Plan and/or killing him is the only way she can be absolved of what she's done, and he says yes, she actually CAN be redeemed, then Rosa Klebb will put Morris under arrest after she realizes he and his gang helped JCarp slip their clutches, but she can only pin it on him.

The Scoobies discover that 87 new moles are actually helping Tal and/or the CIA is actually sponsoring his Bigger Eviller Plan for their own ends.  

Morris may or may not quit the bureau in disgust.

Pettigrew and The Stubble Guy get put in a cliffhanger where one of them saves the other leading them to a moment where they just miiiiiiight declare their love for each other...

The Blonde Woman gets put in a cliffhanger leading her to a moment where she just miiiiiiight declare her love for Morris but nobody cares and Morris doesn't notice but at least she still has her Microsoft AI.

There is also a remote possibility that Senator Eleanor will actually turn out to be evil and on Tal's side and it will all have been another Big Tal Fakeout (in that scene in the car right before they got ambushed by the ambushers, she seemed to be incredibly close to spelling out exactly what JCarp's motivation was for doing what she did, even by this show's ridiculous standards of what people can extrapolate about each other!)

(Also as we approach the finale, it is worth noting that I still genuinely don't remember what Morris or The Blonde Woman's actual character names are and only in the last couple of episodes has it sunk in that The Stubble Guy is called Bragg although I have no clue what his first name is.)

Edited May 16, 2019 by BaskingsharkGTX

[preeya]

35 minutes ago, BaskingsharkGTX said:

Thank you everybody for all the kind comments about my ranting! I'm glad people are enjoying it. Once upon a time in another lifetime I wrote a TV column and for some reason this show just pushes all my buttons and brings it all back and it's now my Monday night chill-down routine to come on here and vent about it! Which is ironic, because I really am a huge fan of JCarp and I started watching thinking it would be genuinely good. I still think she is a fascinating actor, has a sort of latter-day through-the-looking-glass Katharine Hepburnish charisma and a fascinating face. She deserves better!

I'm also a former TWoP forum poster if anyone is around from those days. I was active in the forums for The OC (loved it even after it sucked), 90210 (mocked it from the get-go) and - right before the site shut down - the wildly terrible CW remake of The Tomorrow People (stared at it in incredulous horror, unable to look away as it ran round in increasingly demented circles flinging its own poop at the walls before being mercy-killed by cancellation).

Back to TEW though, here's a genuine question - what happened to Mendoza, Tal's supposed girlfriend operative who he was so madly in love with and who they captured a couple of episodes ago and locked up in the FBI dungeons with JCarp? Did she get sprung while I wasn't looking or has she been memory-holed by everyone (including the writers and Tal himself who as far as I remember, hasn't referred to her once)? Maybe she was more of a booty call operative and less of a love-of-his-life operative. If so, then not only is Tal an EVOL TERRRRRORRRRIST, he also doesn't call after the second date or come rescue you when Morris & the FBI Scooby Gang capture you and stick you in a dungeon. Pig.

Still, he's so annoying, maybe she'd prefer to stay in the dungeon. He could rescue her and they'd be flying off and he'd be like "Sssssso, Mendozzzza, let ussss now rrrrruminate on the truuuuue nature of evilllllll" and she'd be like "I CHANGED MY MIND TAKE ME BACK NOW!"

My finale predictions;

Tal will either inexplicably decide to be in the vicinity when his Big Evil Plan for Union Station goes down, probably to revel in the aftermath and experience True Vengeance firsthand or be watching it remotely/be trackable down by the combined powers of Senator Eleanor and JCarp working together to Deduce Stuff. When said plan is ultimately foiled by Morris & JCarp & the Scoobies he will be chased down and either;

(a) get killed in a showdown with Morris and JCarp (most likely Morris shoots him to save JCarp so they can have A Moment) but before he dies he says something like "Errrrrrica. You may have foiled my Big Evil Plan for rrrrrevenge today but NOTHING will stop my Bigger Eviller Plan - the one which involves Sierrrrrrra Maestrrrrrra."

or

(b) escape after the showdown but before he flies off in his helicopter (or whatever) he goes face to face with JCarp and says something like "Errrrrrica. You may have foiled my Big Evil Plan for rrrrrevenge today but NOTHING will stop my Bigger Eviller Plan - the one which involves Sierrrrrrra Maestrrrrrra."

JCarp will then figure out some way to get Zane out of Rosa Klebb's klutches before escaping and running off to Sierrrrrra Maestrrrrra to foil Tal's plan and/or finally kill him (delete as appropriate depending on whether it's scenario #a or #b above). Morris will aid her escape, they will share A Moment where JCarp tells him that stopping Tal's Bigger Eviller Plan and/or killing him is the only way she can be absolved of what she's done, and he says yes, she actually CAN be redeemed, then Rosa Klebb will put Morris under arrest after she realizes he and his gang helped JCarp slip their clutches, but she can only pin it on him.

The Scoobies discover that 87 new moles are actually helping Tal and/or the CIA is actually sponsoring his Bigger Eviller Plan for their own ends.  

Morris may or may not quit the bureau in disgust.

Pettigrew and The Stubble Guy get put in a cliffhanger where one of them saves the other leading them to a moment where they just miiiiiiight declare their love for each other...

The Blonde Woman gets put in a cliffhanger leading her to a moment where she just miiiiiiight declare her love for Morris but nobody cares and Morris doesn't notice but at least she still has her Microsoft AI.

There is also a remote possibility that Senator Eleanor will actually turn out to be evil and on Tal's side and it will all have been another Big Tal Fakeout (in that scene in the car right before they got ambushed by the ambushers, she seemed to be incredibly close to spelling out exactly what JCarp's motivation was for doing what she did, even by this show's ridiculous standards of what people can extrapolate about each other!)

(Also as we approach the finale, it is worth noting that I still genuinely don't remember what Morris or The Blonde Woman's actual character names are and only in the last couple of episodes has it sunk in that The Stubble Guy is called Bragg although I have no clue what his first name is.)

Another gem. I just might take this to the bank and not watch the finale.  Nah, just kiddin'