Without A Trace - General Discussion

[Was-MArsenault]

Was Escape just down with a certain TV/cable provider?

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

Was Escape just down with a certain TV/cable provider?

I don't know. The network itself is USELESS. Instead of the rainbow bars this week, I get a black screen and 10 minutes of the show is lost. Around the 40 minute mark. Along with the fucking pixelation. I'll be giving Xfinity a call and make DAMNED SURE I'm NOT charged for at least a week's worth of shows!

[Was-MArsenault]

11 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I don't know. The network itself is USELESS. Instead of the rainbow bars this week, I get a black screen and 10 minutes of the show is lost. Around the 40 minute mark. Along with the fucking pixelation. I'll be giving Xfinity a call and make DAMNED SURE I'm NOT charged for at least a week's worth of shows!

I just turned to the channel, and it's fine here.

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 minute ago, MikaelaArsenault said:

I just turned to the channel, and it's fine here.

It mostly works for me. But for some reason this week this show keeps getting glitched. Anyhoo, I've also dvr'd on Pop TV, so once the final season is done on Escape, I can cancel the recording on it. The problems seem to occur monthly.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Okay, I know we talked about this back on TWoP, but did Poppy color her hair red in the final season or is she a natural redhead? And was she coloring her hair blonde? 

And what the hell was that all about letting Brian back into her and Finn’s lives because he suddenly decided he made a mistake signing his parental rights? Because stupid Escape didn’t replay the last four of Season six’s episodes, I don’t know what led to him signing them away. And it’s only been a few months. And from what I did see, dude was basically a sperm donor. There was no relationship so I’m at a loss as to why the show is treating the whole thing as he “deserves” to be a father and Finn “needs” a dad.

Jack showed growth after he was reinstated and though I’m not keen on him and Sam getting back together(the main reason his being her BOSS), Sam, per usual, was acting like a bitch and wishy washy. No reason to stop her whatever with Jack just because Brian wanted to be in Finn’s life. No reason why Brian and Sam had to be in a relationship. The ONLY reason they did that was because of their real life relationship and they ended up breaking up.

Also not a fan of Sam’s low cut blouses where her boobs look like they’re going to pop out.🙄🙄🙄

Anthony LaPaglia even looked better by episode 10-he looked like he dropped some of the weight, not to mention that his hair was growing back. His brother is still better looking, and it was a shame they never had him guest star.

[MarylandGirl]

On 3/7/2019 at 4:45 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

I don't know. The network itself is USELESS. Instead of the rainbow bars this week, I get a black screen and 10 minutes of the show is lost. Around the 40 minute mark. Along with the fucking pixelation. I'll be giving Xfinity a call and make DAMNED SURE I'm NOT charged for at least a week's worth of shows!

Yep, same here, around the same point in each episode (generally a crucial plot point!) The ones from yesterday and today seem OK though.

[MarylandGirl]

The thing with Brian is, he could be a dad and be in Finn's life without getting romantically involved with Samantha. Happens all the time! Not that I think Jack is quite right for her either...

Also, is it just me, or is the tone of some of the season 7 eps just...weird? Like Cloudy with a Chance of Gettysburg, they just seemed to kind of play it for laughs, but the guy was left for dead. And Jack and Sam's trip to LA a few episodes earlier. Like, "Well, guess the guy killed himself, let's enjoy the weather and make out!" There have been others like this (Check your Head comes to mind), but this season, the tone just seems to keep shifting. Maybe changes in directors/producers?

[GHScorpiosRule]

14 minutes ago, MarylandGirl said:

Yep, same here, around the same point in each episode (generally a crucial plot point!) The ones from yesterday and today seem OK though.

Yup. Just got off the phone with Xfinity and they gave me a week’s credit. Once the series gets to the series finale, I won’t be watching this show on this channel anymore.

9 minutes ago, MarylandGirl said:

The thing with Brian is, he could be a dad and be in Finn's life without getting romantically involved with Samantha. Happens all the time! Not that I think Jack is quite right for her either...

Also, is it just me, or is the tone of some of the season 7 eps just...weird? Like Cloudy with a Chance of Gettysburg, they just seemed to kind of play it for laughs, but the guy was left for dead. And Jack and Sam's trip to LA a few episodes earlier. Like, "Well, guess the guy killed himself, let's enjoy the weather and make out!" There have been others like this (Check your Head comes to mind), but this season, the tone just seems to keep shifting. Maybe changes in directors/producers?

I know! Nope, same producers and directors. I’m someone who reads the credits and who wrote the episodes.

[andromeda331]

3 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Okay, I know we talked about this back on TWoP, but did Poppy color her hair red in the final season or is she a natural redhead? And was she coloring her hair blonde? 

And what the hell was that all about letting Brian back into her and Finn’s lives because he suddenly decided he made a mistake signing his parental rights? Because stupid Escape didn’t replay the last four of Season six’s episodes, I don’t know what led to him signing them away. And it’s only been a few months. And from what I did see, dude was basically a sperm donor. There was no relationship so I’m at a loss as to why the show is treating the whole thing as he “deserves” to be a father and Finn “needs” a dad.

Jack showed growth after he was reinstated and though I’m not keen on him and Sam getting back together(the main reason his being her BOSS), Sam, per usual, was acting like a bitch and wishy washy. No reason to stop her whatever with Jack just because Brian wanted to be in Finn’s life. No reason why Brian and Sam had to be in a relationship. The ONLY reason they did that was because of their real life relationship and they ended up breaking up.

Also not a fan of Sam’s low cut blouses where her boobs look like they’re going to pop out.🙄🙄🙄

Anthony LaPaglia even looked better by episode 10-he looked like he dropped some of the weight, not to mention that his hair was growing back. His brother is still better looking, and it was a shame they never had him guest star.

If I remember Brian got mad and signed the papers because Jack did a background check on him without Sam knowing. He found out there was a report of sex with a minor and told Sam. Sam went off on Brian who explained it was nothing. I think his girlfriend's parents made it up or the girl had issues I really don't remember but it turned out to be nothing. He gets mad at the background check and signs the papers. Sam later goes and yells at Jack because what he did cost her baby his father. I do get being ticked off at background check I would be too. It just highlights that they know nothing about each other. Maybe they should work on that if their going to be co-parents? But that's reason enough to sign away rights to your kid? 

[andromeda331]

3 hours ago, MarylandGirl said:

The thing with Brian is, he could be a dad and be in Finn's life without getting romantically involved with Samantha. Happens all the time! Not that I think Jack is quite right for her either...

Yes! Thank you! It drives me crazy not on this show but so many shows. You can be a parent and not married to your child's father or mother. It happens all the time. But shows never go that way. They always end up getting married. Why? Brian and Sam knew nothing about each other. She didn't even remember his name. I'm assuming since Brian never looked for her, she meant nothing but a one night stand either. They have nothing in common except they both love their son. That's great. But that's not a reason to get married. That's not falling in love. That's not a sign they belong together. Its a sign they both love their kid. Why can't it ever go the parents working out a way to co-parent together or joint custody? Not only do we rarely see it on TV it would fit Brian's and Sam's situation perfectly since they didn't know each other.

[MarylandGirl]

Ugh, this last half of Season 7 is just so bad...it's like 35% of it is stories about their personal life. I guess the thing with Martin and the fugitive woman was sort of interesting at least. But so much Sam and Brian and Jack drama...and Brian is just not that interesting. Jack and Samantha seem to have lost any chemistry they had. And I so don't care about Danny and Elena's engagement--I know they have the wedding in the finale, right? And the cases just seem...tired. Maybe because they aren't spending as much time focusing on them or because they're so wrapped up in their personal lives that they don't care about the missing person...Everything seems to end up in a standoff with a gun. Guess I'll slog through my rewatch of the last few eps...then may need to watch some of the first few seasons to clear those out of my head and remember how good it once was!

Edited March 13, 2019 by MarylandGirl
error!

[GHScorpiosRule]

9 minutes ago, MarylandGirl said:

.it's like 35% of it is stories about their personal life. I guess the thing with Martin and the fugitive woman was sort of interesting at least. <snip> Jack and Samantha seem to have lost any chemistry they had. And I so don't care about Martinaand Elena's engagement--I know they have the wedding in the finale, right? And the cases just seem...tired. 

That’s DANNY and Elena’s wedding!😆😆😆

I love me some Vanessa Marcil, but how STOOPID is Martin? He lets Kim (Vanessa) who is totally a criminal, hold a gun on him even after he stupidly drops his own. Instead of using his skills to take the gun away.

I don’t think Jack and Sam ever had any chemistry. Their affair took place offscreen before the show started, and we just had Sam making Googly 👀 at Jack during the first three seasons. I’d forgotten what a BRAT Hannah remained. I much prefer Katie.

Vivian is the ONLY reason I’m sticking. At least Season One on PopTV cleanses the palate.

And what possessed Roselyn to hack her hair and get those horrid bangs??

Edited March 13, 2019 by GHScorpiosRule

[MarylandGirl]

15 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

That’s DANNY and Elena’s wedding!😆😆😆

I love me some Vanessa Marcil, but how STOOPID is Martin? He lets Kim (Vanessa) who is totally a criminal, hold a gun on him even after he stupidly drops his own. Instead of using his skills to take the gun away.

I don’t think Jack and Sam ever had any chemistry. Their affair took place offscreen before the show started, and we just had Sam making Googly 👀 at Jack during the first three seasons. I’d forgotten what a BRAT Hannah remained. I much prefer Katie.

Vivian is the ONLY reason I’m sticking. At least Season One on PopTV cleanses the palate.

And what possessed Roselyn to hack her hair and get those horrid bangs??

Haha, oops, all fixed regarding the wedding.

And yes re: Martin being stupid.  And those horrid bangs...were they a thing at the time this aired?

Just watched Devotion--a disturbing episode but also a good one (aside from the rather cheesy last few seconds), in part because they kept their personal lives out of that one.

[Dr.OO7]

On 3/12/2019 at 8:51 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

I love me some Vanessa Marcil, but how STOOPID is Martin? He lets Kim (Vanessa) who is totally a criminal, hold a gun on him even after he stupidly drops his own. Instead of using his skills to take the gun away.

I hate when writers ruin characters like that. Seriously? You're going to jeopardize your career for this woman you barely know?

On 3/12/2019 at 8:42 PM, MarylandGirl said:

And the cases just seem...tired. Maybe because they aren't spending as much time focusing on them or because they're so wrapped up in their personal lives that they don't care about the missing person...

The same thing happened with Cold Case.

The formula was excellent at first, but indeed, had gotten very stale by the end. It really didn't help that a lot of episodes were recycling of old ones--which happened even when it was still good!

Edited to write that Escape has struck yet again. The times haven't changed, but at some point the week after next, the early morning airings will jump from the middle of Season 2 to the beginning of Season 4. 

Edited March 14, 2019 by Camille

[Dr.OO7]

I was rewatching the pilot today and I had to laugh my head off at the scene where Martin and Jack interview the victim's boss. Martin thinks he's sleeping with her because of the gushing way he talks about her and Jack's like, "Dude, he was checking YOU out." Martin's reaction is priceless.

One wonders how he failed to notice this, because the guy was pretty blatant about it.

Edited March 15, 2019 by Camille

[GHScorpiosRule]

Saw the last three episodes of the final season last night. Man, they should have cancelled the show maybe three years earlier. Hannah is a spoiled, entitled, bitchy TWAT. There. I said it. She takes after her mother.

I'm soooo glad Jack dumped Sam FIRST, before she could. It's sooooo stupid, that because the idiot, one night stander, kisses her, all of a sudden, she turns into the 80s typical Harlequin Romance heroine, bafflement and realization that it's HIM she loves, and not her actual, you know, boyfriend. Which at their age, is a stupid term. And just why/how is it Sam's responsibility to take care and be Brian's nurse? Because he's the sperm donor to her child? So, will she be supporting him, since, you know, he doesn't have a job?

I almost didn't recognize Nicholle Tom in "Labyrinths"! But I did recognize the actress who played her sister, who played the freaky-obsessed Lex Luthor sycophant in Smallville's "Fanatic."

And now I can't delete all recordings on Escape, and just watch this show on PopTV, My Law & Order on Sundance.

[Dr.OO7]

On 3/15/2019 at 1:26 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

It's sooooo stupid, that because the idiot, one night stander, kisses her, all of a sudden, she turns into the 80s typical Harlequin Romance heroine, bafflement and realization that it's HIM she loves, and not her actual, you know, boyfriend. Which at their age, is a stupid term. And just why/how is it Sam's responsibility to take care and be Brian's nurse? Because he's the sperm donor to her child? So, will she be supporting him, since, you know, he doesn't have a job?

That might be one of the worst examples of the Strangled By The Red String trope. There's no reason TPTB couldn't have written Samantha and Brian's relationship better if they wanted them to be together. It's really bad when you consider that they spent two years establishing the attraction between her and Martin and SEVEN making it clear that she and Jack never stopped caring about each other despite their affair ending a year before the show began.

But by all means, let's have her dump the guy she pined away for for seven years and decide at literally the last minute that she wants to be with a guy whose name she couldn't even remember.

From this morning's airings:

"Suspect". The last five minutes had to be among the creepiest in TV history--the relentless pouring rain, the sound of the windshield wipers, the haunting music, and Jack acting like he empathizes with a serial killer in order to find a victim--"I'll give you fifteen minutes with him if you tell me where he is."

(Shivers)

On the plus side, I like that little moment when Martin gently susses out that one of the other kids has also been victimized by the guy--"Did he do that to you?"--and assures him that it wasn't his fault.

"Silent Partner"

Aww. It's the beginning of the Danny and Martin love story. 😄

I love that part when Martin gets off the plane and Danny's like "Did you have a good flight? Can I take your bag?". Martin gives him this "WTF?" look and Danny grudgingly admits that Jack has ORDERED him to be nicer to him.

Anyone else think that the victim in that episode was kind of a jerk? I'm glad he went all out to reimburse the people ripped off by his company, but it's pretty shitty of him to FAKE HIS DEATH in order to ditch his wife and run off with another woman, no matter how much of a cold fish she was.

Edited March 17, 2019 by Camille

[MarylandGirl]

Agreed about "Suspect"--very chilling. And then at the end when the perp asks, "Do I get my 15 minutes now?" I couldn't bring myself to rewatch that one this morning.

[Dr.OO7]

"Legacy"

Yummy, yummy, it's brooding, angsty Martin, complete with five o'clock shadow and wearing a T-shirt to boot!

Remember when I wrote that Escape was bound to change the schedule again? I must be psychic--as of April 1, the Escape schedule will be 12--2PM & 6--8PM. I'm not sure what the seasons will be for either time slot, but knowing these people, it will probably be Season 8 or 9. 🙄

Edited March 19, 2019 by Camille

[Dr.OO7]

What a great slew of episodes this morning.

"Shadows"

I love getting a glimpse into Martin's personal life, not to mention once again seeing him in a T-shirt. Seeing him break down in Samantha's arms at the end was wrenching.

"Two Families"

What a haunting, heartbreaking, nail-biting ending. To think we'll never know if finding the missing person was in time to stop an innocent man from being executed.

"The Season"

A saddening look at how cutthroat college athletics can be. 

At least Pop is consistent with their rerun schedule, despite the ungodly hour. It's ridiculous the way Escape keeps changing it literally every other week. Just pick a 2-4 hour block and stick with it.

[MarylandGirl]

12 hours ago, Camille said:

What a great slew of episodes this morning.

"Shadows"

I love getting a glimpse into Martin's personal life, not to mention once again seeing him in a T-shirt. Seeing him break down in Samantha's arms at the end was wrenching.

"Two Families"

What a haunting, heartbreaking, nail-biting ending. To think we'll never know if finding the missing person was in time to stop an innocent man from being executed.

"The Season"

A saddening look at how cutthroat college athletics can be. 

At least Pop is consistent with their rerun schedule, despite the ungodly hour. It's ridiculous the way Escape keeps changing it literally every other week. Just pick a 2-4 hour block and stick with it.

Yes, I really like Shadows for the glimpse it gives into another side of Martin. Was watching it this morning and teared up when he broke down at the end.

I had thought that the lack of a phone call at the end of "Two Families" (another good but heartbreaking one) meant that the execution happened?

[EtheltoTillie]

I came here to say there’s a great new show called Gone on WGN. It’s Just like this. Everyone watch so it will stay on air!  I’m trying to see how to get a forum going for it. It also has elements of Breakout Kings, where prisoners helped law enforcement track escapees. The premise starts with a former kidnapped child who is plucked to help the team of her former FBI rescuer because she has helpful insights. Also the cast includes L&O alums Chris Noth and Danny Pino. 

[MarylandGirl]

2 hours ago, GussieK said:

I came here to say there’s a great new show called Gone on WGN. It’s Just like this. Everyone watch so it will stay on air!  I’m trying to see how to get a forum going for it. It also has elements of Breakout Kings, where prisoners helped law enforcement track escapees. The premise starts with a former kidnapped child who is plucked to help the team of her former FBI rescuer because she has helpful insights. Also the cast includes L&O alums Chris Noth and Danny Pino. 

Oh, hadn't heard of this--will have to check it out. Thanks for sharing!

[GHScorpiosRule]

3 hours ago, GussieK said:

I came here to say there’s a great new show called Gone on WGN. It’s Just like this. Everyone watch so it will stay on air!  I’m trying to see how to get a forum going for it. It also has elements of Breakout Kings, where prisoners helped law enforcement track escapees. The premise starts with a former kidnapped child who is plucked to help the team of her former FBI rescuer because she has helpful insights. Also the cast includes L&O alums Chris Noth and Danny Pino. 

Well, I wouldn't be able to watch because my provider dropped WGN. If you want to talk about the show, You can create it yourself. Explained here.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I'm not watching in any particular order, but just picking and choosing random episodes to watch.

When it aired on Escape last month, my dvr only recorded the first 24 minutes of "Life Rules." So I manually set POP to record it again and I watched it the other night. I 🤣🤣 my ass off at Jack's disgust and his "give me a break"  or was it "You've got to be kidding me" when he and Danny found the fake inspirational guy, talking to his old foster brother, who had taken over and for real kidnapped him to kill him, talk him out of killing him. Said brother and would be killer was in tears and apologizing and thanking Fake!Inspiration dude.

But that's what I like about the early seasons: it's ALL about the CASES and PEOPLE.

Edited March 21, 2019 by GHScorpiosRule

[MarylandGirl]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I'm not watching in any particular order, but just picking and choosing random episodes to watch.

When it aired on Escape last month, my dvr only recorded the first 24 minutes of "Life Rules." So I manually set POP to record it again and I watched it the other night. I 🤣🤣 my ass off at Jack's disgust and his "give me a break"  or was it "You've got to be kidding me" when he and Danny found the fake inspirational guy, talking to his old foster brother, who had taken over and for real kidnapped him to kill him, talk him out of killing him. Said brother and would be killer was in tears and apologizing and thanking Fake!Inspiration dude.

But that's what I like about the early seasons: it's ALL about the CASES and PEOPLE.

I just watched that episode the other day--it was a lighter one, including that ending! And then how the speaker, his brother, and the former foster brother all seemed to think it was no big deal, that they could just walk away from it. I think the reason the first few seasons hold up so well is like you said--they're about the cases and people, not soapy stuff. Sure Shadows and a couple other episodes involved stuff with Jack's father, but I think those were really well done and gave good insight into Jack's character. And really, the stuff with Jack's ex-wife was generally good. Maybe it was just better writing in general...

[EtheltoTillie]

3 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Well, I wouldn't be able to watch because my provider dropped WGN. If you want to talk about the show, You can create it yourself. Explained here.

Thank you.  Too bad you will not be able to watch. 

[Dr.OO7]

It looks like Pop Channel has decided to join in on the nonsense too. Their repeats have been cut from Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12-3AM to just Tuesdays.

[MarylandGirl]

23 minutes ago, Camille said:

It looks like Pop Channel has decided to join in on the nonsense too. Their repeats have been cut from Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12-3AM to just Tuesdays.

Ugh--are not enough people watching or something?

[Dr.OO7]

2 hours ago, MarylandGirl said:

Ugh--are not enough people watching or something?

I would imagine so, given the ungodly hour.

I wish Pop would learn something about balance--they'll air an entire day of one show, but only two hours of another.  As annoying as Escape's constant shuffling is, they are clearly at least trying to find a balance of all the series they show.

Edited March 24, 2019 by Camille

[Dr.OO7]

"Bait"

It takes a very secure man to rock a hot pink shirt like that. 

I think I'll join in with the Jack's wife haters. That was a horribly two faced stunt she pulled on him, basically setting him up to be unemployed when she hits him with the divorce and custody petition. It was really sad seeing how broken he was in the next episode.

"In The Dark"

Thank you, TPTB, for that scorching sex scene between Martin and Samantha. You could have gone for the standard "waking up in bed together" shot, but no, we get him on top of her (beautiful back muscles, Eric/Martin!), thrusting away. Yowza.

Then it gets all cute and funny when Vivian calls and they're trying to sneak in kisses in between words! 😄

And then at the end of the episode when he quietly says "I'll walk out ahead of you", and she says "Okay" so quickly that it's obvious that she's been DYING to finish what they were doing in the morning. (notice how fast he walks out too? Clearly she's not the only one eager to get back to business).

Stupid writers ruining it so she could keep pining away for a misery guts like Jack.

ETA that Pop is having some fun with us. This week, they only ran reruns early Tuesday morning (12--3AM) but next week it will be Tuesday and Wednesday (12--3AM), and the week after that it will be just Tuesday.

And Escape won't be changing its schedule after all--6--8AM, 11AM--2PM.

To hell with this. Everybody just buy the DVDs and show up here to discuss whatever episode. 🙄

Edited March 27, 2019 by Camille

[Linderhill]

yeah, I bought the DVD's a while ago.  I couldn't find the show anywhere on TV and finally caved and bought each season, one by one.  Although I think I never did buy the last season.  The Jack/Sam overload along with Mumbles just didn't entice me. yet.

[Dr.OO7]

I caught "Nickel and Dimed" this morning.

Yikes. Angry Martin is sexy and scary all at once. I loved him yanking the guy out of his seat by ONE hand and pinning him to the wall--"WHERE DID HE TAKE HER?!"

Jack's side-eye is priceless. If he didn't know Samantha and Martin were knocking boots, he certainly suspects it, or at least that he's in love with her.

I liked that cute moment when Danny realizes it too.

[Dr.OO7]

I was watching "Malone vs. Malone" this morning.

That scene where Samantha tells Martin "You make me happy" is so sweet! And he looks so friggin adorkable in the Santa hat!

(If only that were the only thing he was wearing).

[texassunflower]

I love this series and watched it when it originally aired. I found it on IMBD Freedive. I think you have to have a fire stick or download the app to your tablet or computer. You can watch the episodes in order by season. Every once in awhile, it will ask me to pay for an episode. I just skip that episode and go to the next one. I am on season one and I believe they have at least 5 seasons.

Edited April 12, 2019 by texassunflower

[Dr.OO7]

What a great collection of episodes this morning.

"Neither Rain Nor Sleet"

Sam and Martin inadvertently flirting with each other was hilarious and adorable. As was Danny's "Hello, I'm standing right here" expression. And then him prying and gushing like some gossipy school girl! (Of course, there's always the possibility that he's a little jealous. . .😄)

"Party Girl"

Martin half-seriously suggesting that he and Samantha make a sex tape and post it so as to tell everyone about them had me dying.

(Hey, I'd watch it. 😉 Better yet, Martin, why don't you and I make one? 😉)

"Manhunt"

First of all, excellent episode overall, even if it was a recycling of "Snatch Back" from the first season. This was Eric Close's/Martin's episode and he literally just ran with it.

(Has anyone else noticed how frequently he adopts that "arms folded" stance? It makes him look very vulnerable or defensive)

The opening scene with him and Samantha was so sweet and sexy and cute. Too bad she had to ruin it by once again balking at going public. My heart broke for him in the final scene where Jack tells him that he knows about him and Samantha and you can see him being forced to realize what he's probably known all along--that she isn't over Jack.

Damn the writers for ruining it. Word Of God is that they wanted to pair them from the beginning, so why did they mess it up?

* ETA there is no way that he, the kidnapper, and the kid wouldn't have been in agony--not to mention deafened--after the gun went off in that car.

"Lone Star"

Danny being a Shipper On Deck for Martin and Samantha is so cute--"I can see you guys in a place like this, Uncle Danny coming by to teach the kids to play hoops. . ."

"Second Sight"

Jack, et.al being so worried about Vivian was beautiful. For all the romantic relationships on this show, I think they did an excellent job with the platonic ones as well. It can't be easy to write an opposite-sex friendship without a shred of sexual tension, but the writers nailed it.

Awww, it's the beginning of the end for Samantha and Martin. ☹️ Her being bitchy to him was completely out of the blue and uncalled for, but I love that he just gave it right back to her and called her out on the real reason for it--"You're looking for another reason to push me away". This time, Danny's "I'm standing right here" expression is uncomfortable.

Why is it every time a cop show--or any kind of show, for that matter--features a psychic, everyone rolls their eyes until the psychic mentions something he/she couldn't couldn't possibly have known about? Then whoever they were talking to is left rattled and wondering if this mumbo-jumbo is true after all. It's such a tired cliche. Of COURSE the psychic is also going to nail the precise reason for Samantha's crabby attitude and of COURSE she's going to come for a reading, despite having spent the whole episode decrying the whole thing. 🙄

Edited April 17, 2019 by Camille

[Dr.OO7]

"The Boogie Man"

Yikes.

Not that I blame Martin for being fed up with Samantha, but DAMN he was cold. Did he even look at her when he broke it off?  Ouch.

Once again, I curse the stupid writers. Two years of build up for it to just end like that? ☹️

"Showdown"

It figures Danny would say "At least we're ending the day on an up note" two seconds before gunfire erupts.

Speaking of whom, he was on fire in this episode. I know I joked about him being in love with Martin, but aside from that, his reactions and behavior were pitch-perfect--his horror when he saw that he'd been shot, the way Jack has to drag him away to let the paramedics work, the hysterical way he's babbling, refusing to let the doctor treat him because he's so worried about Martin, and being so hell-bent on killing Martin's assailant that he gets out of control and almost kills an innocent person--he nailed it. Kudos to his actor.

As an aside, Samantha's horrified look when she saw how much blood he'd lost was also well done, as was the final scene at the hospital.

[MarylandGirl]

On 4/24/2019 at 1:52 AM, Camille said:

"The Boogie Man"

Yikes.

Not that I blame Martin for being fed up with Samantha, but DAMN he was cold. Did he even look at her when he broke it off?  Ouch.

Once again, I curse the stupid writers. Two years of build up for it to just end like that? ☹️

"Showdown"

It figures Danny would say "At least we're ending the day on an up note" two seconds before gunfire erupts.

Speaking of whom, he was on fire in this episode. I know I joked about him being in love with Martin, but aside from that, his reactions and behavior were pitch-perfect--his horror when he saw that he'd been shot, the way Jack has to drag him away to let the paramedics work, the hysterical way he's babbling, refusing to let the doctor treat him because he's so worried about Martin, and being so hell-bent on killing Martin's assailant that he gets out of control and almost kills an innocent person--he nailed it. Kudos to his actor.

As an aside, Samantha's horrified look when she saw how much blood he'd lost was also well done, as was the final scene at the hospital.

I hated how abruptly they ended Martin/Sam, too. "The Bogie Man" was a rather unsettling one, maybe more so to me now than when it originally aired because I have a daughter?

"Showdown" was really good and suspenseful, and I agree on Danny's great performance. I feel Enrique Murciano was rather underrated on the show. 

[Dr.OO7]

2 hours ago, MarylandGirl said:

I hated how abruptly they ended Martin/Sam, too

And the worst part is, there's never any further discussion. Even though most of their Season 4 scenes imply that they still care about each other, it never leads anywhere.

[Dr.OO7]

"Freefall"

Martin punching and then SPITTING ON the guy who shoved him down the stairs was awesome.

"Patient X"

Martin's evolution into an addict is haunting. He's so edgy and twitchy and pale and sweaty throughout most of this episode and that final scene where he steals the bottle of painkillers--notice how his hands are shaking?--and looks at himself in the mirror like he's horrified to see what he's turning into is chilling.

"The Little Things"

Martin's downward spiral continues, only this time it gets bad enough that he nearly gets himself, Danny, and the victim killed. He looks absolutely terrified at the realization of how much he screwed up. And then at the end after Danny confronts him and blasts him for it, he looks like he's about to collapse right there. How fitting that Danny, being a recovering alcoholic himself, is the one to recognize his problem--"I know what an addict looks like".

Edited May 14, 2019 by Camille

[Dr.OO7]

"Candy"

This show had an unfortunate habit of recycling its scripts, but for the most part, they did a good job when they did.

I love how Martin can barely keep from rolling his eyes at the lame story a suspect is giving him and finally shuts her up by showing her his sobriety chip and echoing Danny's line from a few months earlier--"I know a junkie when I see one."

[Dr.OO7]

"My One And Only"

I still remember missing most of this episode when it originally aired because my cable had cut out from a nor'easter.

I couldn't help but snicker throughout the scene where Martin and Danny are questioning the hookers and one of them keeps coming on to Martin. He's just so bemused by the whole thing.

(Not that I can blame them, he was as always looking quite fine)

Then they find the one they're looking for and she reveals that she's actually a cop and they have to start yelling at her and roughing her up to maintain her cover. Sorry, Martin, you do NOT do fake anger very well. 😄

It's strange. I felt sorry for the victim and yet simultaneously, I didn't. This guy has destroyed his life for this woman, but he's utterly broken to realize she wasn't worth it and never was. It's a hard way to learn that your dream girl is an illusion.

[MarylandGirl]

On 6/21/2019 at 8:37 AM, Camille said:

"My One And Only"

I still remember missing most of this episode when it originally aired because my cable had cut out from a nor'easter.

I couldn't help but snicker throughout the scene where Martin and Danny are questioning the hookers and one of them keeps coming on to Martin. He's just so bemused by the whole thing.

(Not that I can blame them, he was as always looking quite fine)

Then they find the one they're looking for and she reveals that she's actually a cop and they have to start yelling at her and roughing her up to maintain her cover. Sorry, Martin, you do NOT do fake anger very well. 😄

It's strange. I felt sorry for the victim and yet simultaneously, I didn't. This guy has destroyed his life for this woman, but he's utterly broken to realize she wasn't worth it and never was. It's a hard way to learn that your dream girl is an illusion.

Agreed on all the hooker comments!

And yeah, I wasn't sure how to feel about the victim either. Maybe if they'd done a better job showing why the woman had such a hold on him in the first place? It just felt like she was always trying to manipulate him, including the "We need to move to California together right now or my life will be awful."

Have you watched "Two of Us" yet? Curious as to your take on that. Particularly the ending.

[Dr.OO7]

"Res Ipsa"

Her overacting aside, I love that little moment when Martin and Vivian are interrogating the young woman and when she starts to freak out, Martin suddenly very quietly asks her if she'd feel better if he left the room and immediately does so when she says yes.

(Though given this woman's history, the possibility of her being uncomfortable speaking with a male agent actually should have occurred to them well before)

I love/hate how the reasons for the victim's disappearance almost always ended up being more complicated than what was hinted at in the opening sequence.

How many of these poor people ended up dead? Yeesh.

Schedule change:

It doesn't look like Pop will be airing this anymore, so Escape is our only option.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Camille

[andromeda331]

I really like the episode "A Day in the Life" when we get to see the search from the eyes of the parents of the missing son.  With Laurie Metcalf and Matt Craven as the parents they did a real good job as parents terrified over their missing son, trying to get information from the agents, the questions and learning things about their son that may or may not be true. Fighting with each other over their parenting styles. It would be so hard to go through it. Not knowing if your son is alive or dead, being questioned by the FBI, wondering if they know something their not telling you. Hearing stuff about your son that may make you think you don't really know him or he was hiding stuff from you. Going with the agents at the end not knowing if your son is going to make it out of that house or not. Its a great episode. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I really like the episode "A Day in the Life" when we get to see the search from the eyes of the parents of the missing son.  With Laurie Metcalf and Matt Craven as the parents they did a real good job as parents terrified over their missing son, trying to get information from the agents, the questions and learning things about their son that may or may not be true. Fighting with each other over their parenting styles. It would be so hard to go through it. Not knowing if your son is alive or dead, being questioned by the FBI, wondering if they know something their not telling you. Hearing stuff about your son that may make you think you don't really know him or he was hiding stuff from you. Going with the agents at the end not knowing if your son is going to make it out of that house or not. Its a great episode. 

I actually hated that episode. Because it showed the entire FBI team as uncaring assholes. Yes, it was through the eyes of the parents, but even as someone watching as a third party, the viewer, in this and other episodes, what I got from seeing this is that Jack and his team couldn't be bothered; they thought and treated the parents as if they were suspects. There was no reassurance from ANYONE, like we've seen in other episodes.

[Dr.OO7]

That's an interesting way of looking at it.

I'm glad the early morning repeats are back in Season 1 and the midday ones will be there soon.

 I really liked one of the repeats this morning, "Maple Street". I wonder if that's the first "Ripped From The Headlines" episode they did.

[Dr.OO7]

"Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been. . ."

That little "It Has Been An Honor" moment between Danny and Martin is both amusing and quite touching considering that they couldn't stand each other at first.

"Revelations"

Good episode, but sometimes I wish there weren't so many Red Herrings in an episode. There were at least two in this one. 

WTF was with the disgusted looks Danny and Martin were giving the priest and his lover? Okay, their behavior isn't exactly reputable, but would you rather he be fooling around with a prostitute or a child? That whole scene just came off like the two of them harassing two people who had nothing to do with the victim's disappearance.

BTW, Escape is going to start fooling around with the schedule again. Because the midday repeats will soon be at the same place as the early morning ones (Season 2), the early morning repeats are going to jump ahead to about a third of the way through Season 3.

"He Saw, She Saw"

I liked that little moment between Martin and Vivian--"You figured if you were wrong, I'd go easier on you?" They always had a nice friendship.

"Confidence"

Rock that pink shirt, Martin. 😄 Him teasing Samantha about her driving skills--"Where's the airbag?"--was hilarious.

"A Tree Falls"

Martin losing it over the little girl who'd had her ear cut off was wrenching and scary all at once. From when he was struggling not to throw up to when he was almost in tears because he was so angry that he basically provoked the culprit into attacking him so that he could shoot him and even afterwards when he was so furious at himself for losing control. Yikes.

Edited August 13, 2019 by Camille

[Dr.OO7]

"The Source"

It's strange. This wasn't the first episode where the victim ended up dead, but it's the first one that made me really sad. For starters, her body hasn't been found (I always hate that aspect of a case in Real Life). But then there's the uplifting part of her work getting a death row inmate released and a mobster put away.

"Victory"

Danny and Martin had me cracking up throughout the episode, from the very beginning with them sniping at each other over climbing all the flights of stairs. The two of them look like a couple of Mafia guys with their matching sunglasses!

But WTF was with their godawful hair?

The drug dealer sassing them was hilarious--"You and Opie. . ."

I hate it when the victim of the week turns out to be an idiot who got themself into the mess.

"Exposure"

Everyone taking turns to tease each other about their secret penchant for reading tabloids was priceless.

Edited August 15, 2019 by Camille

[MarylandGirl]

6 hours ago, Camille said:

"The Source"

It's strange. This wasn't the first episode where the victim ended up dead, but it's the first one that made me really sad. For starters, her body hasn't been found (I always hate that aspect of a case in Real Life). But then there's the uplifting part of her work getting a death row inmate released and a mobster put away.

"Victory"

Danny and Martin had me cracking up throughout the episode, from the very beginning with them sniping at each other over climbing all the flights of stairs. The two of them look like a couple of Mafia guys with their matching sunglasses!

But WTF was with their godawful hair?

The drug dealer sassing them was hilarious--"You and Opie. . ."

I hate it when the victim of the week turns out to be an idiot who got themself into the mess.

"Exposure"

Everyone taking turns to tease each other about their secret penchant for reading tabloids was priceless.

I think part of it with "The Source" is that she had been featured in a previous episode. I was watching "Snatch Back" the other day, which featured her some. Then I was like "Right, she was the victim in that one episode." I recall "The Source" making me feel sad, too. And, before that, "Maple Street," with the one girl, especially with the friend (who was found) saying she couldn't wait to talk about it with the one who didn't make it. Though I think that may have affected me more now than on original viewing as the mom of a daughter...

Currently watching "Copycat," one of my favorites, but also a really disturbing one--much easier to watch knowing how it turns out.