S04.E12: Ghosts

[formerlyfreedom]

The Cody family sets off on Smurf’s mysterious heist, unaware of the surprises that await them when they arrive, which will change the family forever.

Airing Tuesday, August 13, 2019

[Chick2Chic]

Holy shit! J killed Smurf. I figured Smurf was trying to go out in a blaze of glory. Glad she took out Jed first after that awkward family reunion surprise she sprung on Pope. 

This ep was so intense. 

ETA 

Edited August 14, 2019 by Chick2Chic
added something

[Laurie4H]

Wow. That was intense.   I’m assuming Ellen Barkin will still be on the show in flashbacks?  

[Chaos Theory]

So I am guessing that is a 'no' to the miraculous cancer cure.  Well that at least explains the reason for the backstory with young Smurf.  The birth and death of Smurf the Mother of all Mothers.

And this wasn't even the season finale.  We still have the Adrian issue to deal with at the least.

A couple of hard core murders.  Smurf killing Jed.  J killing Smurf.  I did not see Smurf actually dying coming.   Not sure if the show can survive long term with the lack of Ellen Barkin.   She made the show for me.  Yes there is a lot of guy eye candy but the majority of the show is Smurf being Smurf.  

I am curious if the boys will even follow J.  Especially after he shot mommy in the head.

I mean Craig has a family now.

Deran has Adrian

Even Pope has the potential with Angela.  

Why would they ever follow J?  That is the only minor little problem with the story I have.  

[mxc90]

Damn!!!!!!! That was crazy! Of course it was "ice cold" J to be the one to pull the trigger. 

Thanks Ellen Barkin!!! You played the role great and will be missed! I'm not sure how long this show can continue!

Too bad we didn't get to see who Smurf was partying with on the yacht. And where did the people go.

Why did Pope go in Smurf's bedroom with a gun?

Smurf should have left the coffee cake on the counter and tossed Angela in the trash instead. Surprised she didn't say anything to her when she left the house.

I was hoping Angela was going to drown in the tub. 

Jed really had gold in there. I'm shocked!

For what Jed did to young Smurf, Old Smurf held on to her revenge for Jed for a very long time. Killing Jed seems like something she would have gotten out of the way before the series started. 

Now Angela is recognizing/cozying up to "godfather" J, telling him he's smart and they need him. A few weeks ago, this fool had Pope in charge of the group.

Deran probably thinks he and Adrian are in the clear with Smurf gone but they don't know J will be after them. Angela shouldn't feel safe too!

There will be a few a police detectives popping champagne when they find out Smurf is gone!

Was Pope born with teeth? Or fangs?

Edited August 17, 2019 by mxc90

[magdalene]

No wonder Ellen Barkin was so bitter on Social Media. I certainly don't get the impression that she wanted to leave the show.

[HollyG]

Ellen wrote this on twitter earlier... 

"Hello my AK friends...season 2 episode 3. Promises were made. The story was told. You weren’t listening...."

That’s the episode that Smurf makes J promise to put a bullet in her if she loses her mind/mental health. He promised and he delivered

[Broderbits]

51 minutes ago, mxc90 said:

I was hoping Angela was going to drown in the tub. 

Me too, that was really disappointing. I'm not interested in watching a post-Barkin AK featuring Angela trying to play Pope and J.

[nekilarose]

Okay, my jaw is up off the ground. 

I'm not sure why I was surprised that it was J that did the deed. He has been gunning for her since he arrived. What surprised me was that the boys didn't have any explosive moments right afterwards. But looking at the preview it looks like it may be coming.

I really thought that they w would be digging and find the car with the body. But I did not expect her to use Pope as a distraction while the others robbed Jed.

speaking of country Klaus, he was as much of a bastard as I thought he'd be, going after his recently dead brother's pregnant girlfriend. I did cheer when Laney tackled his ass like it was her day job! 

sneaky Smurf, telling J about Adrian, she was hoping Pope would go out in a blaze of glory with her, so she channeled it down the line.  

Did y'all see the look Pope was giving J when they were moving Smurf's body? It was stone cold.

Oh, and go away Angela. 

[arachne]

I'm surprised there was any gold to be found. I figured it would just be dried food and such - that would be the greatest WA-WAAH!

Not surprised that it was J who took out Smurf. He had the least emotional connection with her, and may want revenge over Baz as well. 

But killing Smurf is still a stupid decision on the show's part. Next season ought to be the last. 

[NUguy514]

If Pope, Deran, and Craig each simultaneously put bullets in J's head, I wouldn't mind.  I agree that there is no reason why those three would ever follow J.

Bye Smurf!

[Dowel Jones]

That little kid had the crazy Pope eyes from the get go.

Even with earplugs, that drill must have been deafening in that little tunnel.  "What?  What the hell did you say?"  "The gold's here" "No, it ain't cold. I'm sweating like crazy."

So, with Smurf's plan to go out with Pope, how were the others supposed to know what to do?  How long would they wait for the dead Smurf and Pope?  By the way, the two prepper kids are still alive, as is the goon.  That's not good for the Codys.

Sorry, but a signed death certificate isn't going to fly with the mortician when they see a gaping head wound.  And who's going to make the boys dinner now? No matter.  Time for a wake!

I can just imagine Pope's surprise and consternation when Smurf not only brought up the purchase of guns and ammo, but suggested they go to the bunker right away.

Adrian:  "You mean we're just going to leave?  What about the house?"  You really don't get it, do you, kid.  Even if he makes an escape, eventually he will go somewhere to surf and forget about his fugitive status.

[Chaos Theory]

I must be the only one who likes Angela.  I am more curious then ever what is in store for the character now that Smurf is dead.  I mean she has real history  with the family but also her own agenda.

In other words she fits in n just fine

i honestly have no clue why people hate her.  

[Raja]

7 hours ago, nekilarose said:

Okay, my jaw is up off the ground. 

I'm not sure why I was surprised that it was J that did the deed. He has been gunning for her since he arrived. What surprised me was that the boys didn't have any explosive moments right afterwards. But looking at the preview it looks like it may be coming.

I really thought that they w would be digging and find the car with the body. But I did not expect her to use Pope as a distraction while the others robbed Jed.

speaking of country Klaus, he was as much of a bastard as I thought he'd be, going after his recently dead brother's pregnant girlfriend. I did cheer when Laney tackled his ass like it was her day job! 

sneaky Smurf, telling J about

Adrian, she was hoping Pope would go out in a blaze of glory with her, so she channeled it down the line.  

Did y'all see the look Pope was giving J when they were moving Smurf's body? It was stone cold.

Oh, and go away Angela. 

Did we ever see any other look from Pope. He has had that cold shark's eye from the beginning.  New born Julia remains the cipher as we focused on fierce Andrew

5 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Sorry, but a signed death certificate isn't going to fly with the mortician when they see a gaping head wound.  And who's going to make the boys dinner now? No matter.  Time for a wake!

If Smurf had doctors and cops on call by calling them baby and being flirtatious over the years I am pretty sure having someone known for getting rid of bodies with a death certificate issued by a crooked doctor is no problem. So Deran or Craig. and wouldn't even need j to personally see to the problem, they just needed him to think about what was needed

J. hated his grandmother so I guess next year he can move that over to auntie Angela. And play the long game for his revenge like Smurf's last lesson just showed him.

[SuzWhat]

Conspiracy theory:  J and Smurf cooked up a way to pretend she is dead with movie blood.

OK, that is too out there.  I don't want Smurf to be dead and hoped for a magic cancer cure.

I don't think the others can blame J, she was going to kill Pope, right?  

[Raja]

22 minutes ago, SuzWhat said:

Conspiracy theory:  J and Smurf cooked up a way to pretend she is dead with movie blood.

OK, that is too out there.  I don't want Smurf to be dead and hoped for a magic cancer cure.

I don't think the others can blame J, she was going to kill Pope, right?  

Pope is the problem. After her suicide by survivalist preppers failed she turned to Pope who refused the assisted suicide. His little brothers all but urged him to protect himself

[Ohwell]

So J put grandma down like a sick horse.  She never saw it coming so it was merciful.   It was good that he had the balls to do it to keep Pope from killing his own mother; however, unfortunately, I doubt Pope will see it that way and will hate J.

Pope should think about the fact that, with her surprise suicide by preppers plan, she never considered that he could get killed along with her.  Maybe she didn't care?

I was hoping that Angela would drown in the tub but I guess Pope needs her?  It'll be interesting to see how she and J interact from now on.

J said the prepper brothers are coming for them so I'm looking forward to that showdown.

Edited August 14, 2019 by Ohwell

[Laurie4H]

Pope said to J that when Smurf is gone so is he (J) so I wonder why he didn’t let Smurf kill Pope and then kill her.  

I can’t tell if J is a complete sociopath.  He does show some signs of remorse in his expressions but other times seems stone cold.  Pope on the other hand has definite emotions.

Edited August 14, 2019 by Laurie4H

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

i honestly have no clue why people hate her.  

I hate her eyes.  And she's a freeloader.  She's got a job, she could get her own damn place somewhere but she likes living in that nice house and stirring up shit between J and Pope. 

Colin's brother (can't remember his name) was stoopid.  The last thing he should have wanted was to have crazy Smurf's mouth on his dick because he would have surely lost it. 

[SimoneS]

2 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

I must be the only one who likes Angela.  I am more curious then ever what is in store for the character now that Smurf is dead.  I mean she has real history  with the family but also her own agenda.

In other words she fits in n just fine

i honestly have no clue why people hate her.  

I totally agree with you. I actually think that if she can get clean and stay clean that Angela would be good for Pope. She is his best chance of making it out alive, especially with J gunning for him. Pope cares enough about Angela to make the effort and she is manipulative enough to keep him moving forward away from J for her own well being. I expect she will be gone in the next episode though, either killed or she will leave. 

Besides, I am only watching regularly for Emily Deschanel who has been criminally underused. Usually, I watch a few minutes and then change the channel. 

Edited August 14, 2019 by SimoneS

[Novel8]

Wow, the expected came unexpectedly...I thought what we saw last night would be in next years final season wrap up. How can they follow up after that? I really don't care what happens to the rest of the Cody's, so the final season is going to be a drag, for me. The one interesting part left as far as I am concerned is the Deran/Adrian mess. Smurf made sure she told J about Adrain before her suicidal attempt. Does he follow through? He didn't look too concerned. The next week promos showed J kicking someone down...was it a teaser, as they usually do with these promos, or was it Adrian getting his ass kicked, or even Deran?

[OoogleEyes]

43 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Pope should think about the fact that, with her surprise suicide by preppers plan, she never considered that he could get killed along with her.  Maybe she didn't care?

I think that was her plan. Didn't she say right before she was killed that Pope couldn't make it without her?

Ellen Barkin was spectacular in this. Dod you see when she nearly climbed out of the window when Pope threw her into the truck??

Smurf was a great character and I will miss her

[misstwpherecool]

53 minutes ago, Laurie4H said:

Pope said to J that when Smurf is gone so is he (J) so I wonder why he didn’t let Smurf kill Pope and then kill her.  

I can’t tell if J is a complete sociopath.  He does show some signs of remorse in his expressions but other times seems stone cold.  Pope on the other hand has definite emotions.

I think J had a revenge plan from day one. His mother Julia probably told him the stories about Smurf and his uncles. Even some of Julias friends begged J to stay away from the family. Being smart he was also smart enough to realize his mother's family didn't help her let alone banish her. Yes he's full blown gangster now but he's also been slowly but steadily taking his revenge while making his move to the top.

I see Frankie getting a stronger role in 'family' business if there's anyone left.

Pope is smart and aware but he also has tunnel vision and impulse control problems.

One thing to keep in mind is that brothers now have something on Jay if arrested beyond theft, assault etc.

Edited August 14, 2019 by misstwpherecool

[Raja]

Baz and Pope were the brothers who would challenge J. I  do think Pope was supposed to die with Smurf as she hoped that J would care for his younger uncles.

[iMonrey]

My jaw, it is dropped. I really didn't expect it to go down that way. I mean, I realized early on that all these flashbacks that have been intruding into this entire season must be leading up to something, especially since Smurf had been diagnosed with incurable cancer. That just couldn't be coincidence. Still, I did not expect this.

Next week should be interesting. I wonder what is going through Pope's head. He has to realize that, at the very least, Smurf did not care if he was collateral damage in her suicide mission. How did she expect him to escape from the shoot-out when they were so heavily outnumbered? In all probability, she didn't. There's also a reason she demanded he be the one to shoot her. He head must be reeling with the idea that she meant to take him with her. I think that's likely to change his tune regarding J since he ended up saving his life.

That was an odd scene with Smurf waking up on the yacht. It seems like something got cut there because that felt very out of place and unexplained.

I hope we find out why everyone started calling Andrew "Pope."

That interview linked at the top of this thread is an interesting read, and I'm not liking what I'm reading either.

Spoiler

It appears the "young Smurf" flashbacks will continue next season. Ugh - IMO that's been the worst part of this season. And it reeks of replacing Ellen Barkin with a younger model.

[Chick2Chic]

3 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

i honestly have no clue why people hate her.  

For me, she feels like a waste of time. She doesn't annoy me like Nikki did but I ultimately don't care about Angela nor her agenda. I just wonder why she is still there taking up space.

9 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Sorry, but a signed death certificate isn't going to fly with the mortician when they see a gaping head wound. 

Isn't it a doctor on the take from them that J mentioned? I got the feeling it is people they can pay so they could get a death certificate without hassle or involving the cops. 

[Joimiaroxeu]

Poor Pope. He knew that preppers heist was fcuked, he just had no idea how much.

Oh, okay. Smurf had been waiting a long time to deliver that payback. Yeah, I'd say Jed was way overdue.

Ugh, I hope they aren't planning to slide Angela in as the new Smurf next season. Her already trying on Smurf's clothes was a bit much. I think J needs to put a cap in the back of her head too. Immediately.

So I guess this was Smurf's way of destroying the family business? Surely she knew those preppers would come back at the Codys even if she was gone.

Bye, Ellen. You delivered one of the toughest gangster queen/bad mama characters in recent history and did it like a BOSS. Don't know how well the show will do without you. Hope to catch you on your next TV venture.

Edited August 14, 2019 by Joimiaroxeu

[Laurie4H]

I still think they can do flashbacks ala This is Us style.  Maybe to when Julia was still alive?  CGI can make Ellen Barkin look younger.   Maybe far fetched but possible. 

[patty1h]

I wonder if Smurf left a monster life insurance policy for her boys. Their life was always going for the next big score, so it seems a Smurf move that she'd set it up so they got a big cashout when she died.  

[iMonrey]

Quote

For me, she feels like a waste of time. She doesn't annoy me like Nikki did but I ultimately don't care about Angela nor her agenda. I just wonder why she is still there taking up space.

The problem is that the show has wasted half the season on these stupid flashbacks so there wasn't enough time to spend on Angela. When she was slipping down beneath the water it occurred to me that if they killed her off like that there would never have been any point to introducing her in the first place. I foresee them doing more with her going forward into next season.

But again, this smells an awful lot like replacing an aging Ellen Barkin with a younger model, and it leaves a sour taste.

[Dowel Jones]

1 hour ago, Chick2Chic said:

Isn't it a doctor on the take from them that J mentioned? I got the feeling it is people they can pay so they could get a death certificate without hassle or involving the cops. 

I guess my question is what they're going to do with the body.  If a private cremation is planned, or even a private burial, the death certificate would suffice.  But, if they wanted an actual embalming, a mortician separate from the doctor would be involved and he would see the damage.

[Ohwell]

34 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

I guess my question is what they're going to do with the body.  If a private cremation is planned, or even a private burial, the death certificate would suffice.  But, if they wanted an actual embalming, a mortician separate from the doctor would be involved and he would see the damage.

Oh, I'd say put her in a beat up car, find a field somewhere, bury the car, ala Colin.  Problem solved. 

I think that's what she'd want anyway.

[Raja]

13 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Oh, I'd say put her in a beat up car, find a field somewhere, bury the car, ala Colin.  Problem solved. 

I think that's what she'd want anyway.

It seems as if Smurf didn't leave anyone that message and her boys intend on a funeral  and traditional resting place.

[topanga]

15 hours ago, Laurie4H said:

Wow. That was intense.

My thoughts exactly.

4 hours ago, Laurie4H said:

I can’t tell if J is a complete sociopath.  He does show some signs of remorse in his expressions but other times seems stone cold.  Pope on the other hand has definite emotions.

I still can't decide if J's a sociopath or just a damaged young man who's learned to bury his feelings. He did show emotion after killing Mia, and I think it's affecting him that he killed Smurf--even though he hated her and wanted to kill her, and even though he was defending Pope. And like Barkin reminded us, J promised Smurf he'd put a bullet in her head if she lost her mind. Although I'd argue Smurf was angry and depressed about dying but hadn't become demented or delirious. 

It just dawned on me that the three people in J's life that he's killed: Morgan, Mia, and now Smurf, were all women. I don't know if that's coincidental or if this suggests that he does--or will--have a problem with women. 

53 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

The problem is that the show has wasted half the season on these stupid flashbacks so there wasn't enough time to spend on Angela. When she was slipping down beneath the water it occurred to me that if they killed her off like that there would never have been any point to introducing her in the first place. I foresee them doing more with her going forward into next season.

But again, this smells an awful lot like replacing an aging Ellen Barkin with a younger model, and it leaves a sour taste.

So much this. I hate that Smurf isn't going to be part of the story anymore, but damn, didn't Ellen Barkin kill it in her final scene? I could've done without some of the saliva, but that was realistic, I suppose. 

I actually found the episode a bit tedious until those last 10-15 minutes, mostly because of the repeated flashbacks. I'll admit that the flashbacks in these last two episodes have been more useful and relevant than those prior, but for me, it's too little, too late. Why did we have to see several minutes the crew in every episode, sitting around a camp fire talking, or sitting in a house talking, or sitting on steps, talking? With a crime thrown in here and there? We didn't need THAT much screen time to convey the information we got. I would have much rather spent those minutes in the present day. 

In terms of the heist itself, I kept waiting for something to go wrong, but drilling into the bunker and getting the gold turned out to be the easy part. 

[Ohwell]

21 minutes ago, Raja said:

It seems as if Smurf didn't leave anyone that message and her boys intend on a funeral  and traditional resting place.

I was (kind of) joking.

15 minutes ago, topanga said:

I actually found the episode a bit tedious until those last 10-15 minutes, mostly because of the repeated flashbacks. I'll admit that the flashbacks in these last two episodes have been more useful and relevant than those prior, but for me, it's too little, too late. Why did we have to see several minutes the crew in every episode, sitting around a camp fire talking, or sitting in a house talking, or sitting on steps, talking? With a crime thrown in here and there? We didn't need THAT much screen time to convey the information we got. I would have much rather spent those minutes in the present day. 

Exactly!  Agree with all of this.

[topanga]

3 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I guess my question is what they're going to do with the body.  If a private cremation is planned, or even a private burial, the death certificate would suffice.  But, if they wanted an actual embalming, a mortician separate from the doctor would be involved and he would see the damage.

Speaking of the body, did you notice that clean bullet hole smack in the middle of Smurf's temple? J was not playing. He's a good shot. Although, with the kind of pistol used, should the wound have been that neat, or would it have blown off half of Smurf's face? I honestly have no idea--I don't know guns. 

[Ohwell]

I don't know guns either, but I liked that it was a clean shot.

I wonder if they'll take all those gold chains off Smurf's neck before they bury her.  

Speaking of Smurf's stuff, another reason I can't stand Angela is her trying on Smurf's leather jacket and sizing up her other clothes.  I hope that Pope catches her modeling one of Smurf's outfits, he snaps and disposes of her.

[topanga]

1 minute ago, Ohwell said:

Speaking of Smurf's stuff, another reason I can't stand Angela is her trying on Smurf's leather jacket and sizing up her other clothes.  I hope that Pope catches her modeling one of Smurf's outfits, he snaps and disposes of her.

Oh yeah. That scene bothered me, too. Although my first thoughts were, "How many of those leather jackets does Smurf own? And in how many colors?" 

BTW, did Angela end up rescuing one of the pills from the toilet and taking it? I'm assuming they were narcotics. I was grossed out and turned away. 

Smurf had such a strange psychological hold on people, especially her children. Angela (not one of her kids, I know) hated her, but as she was going through the clothes in Smurf's closet, I realized how much she secretly envied and maybe even admired Smurf.

And the gun scene: Deran didn't want to give Smurf the gun when she demanded it, but he let Smurf take it from him. Craig didn't want to give Pope his gun when Smurf commanded him to, but he let Pope take it from him. And no one simply tackled her to the ground when she had the gun pointed at Pope. Or after she shot Pope's ear. These grown men become helpless little boys when they're around Smurf. 

J was the only one who as able to break out his trance. Is that because he didn't grow up around Smurf? 

--Forgive me for being chatty and posting repeatedly. I'm at work, trying to avoid, you know, working. *sigh*

[magdalene]

I have been hearing Wells wanted a younger and prettier female lead and that's why the actress from Bones was brought in and why they killed off Smurf.  Angela is already trying on Smurf's clothes.

They certainly didn't need to do this because of ratings.  This show - which until now had a mature woman as the lead - has been a ratings winner for TNT for its entire run.

[iMonrey]

Quote

In terms of the heist itself, I kept waiting for something to go wrong, but drilling into the bunker and getting the gold turned out to be the easy part. 

When Craig was still screwing around and sizing up the assault rifle while Smurf and Ned were on their way to the bunker I thought "Uh-oh, she thought they were done but Craig's still in there." But that turned out to be a red herring I guess.

Quote

BTW, did Angela end up rescuing one of the pills from the toilet and taking it? I'm assuming they were narcotics.

Yeah, it was oxycodone.

It seems like there's a continuity issue with Smurf's name. It had been established that her mother's boyfriend nicknamed her "Smurf" when she was a young teen, but in the current flashbacks she's older and everyone is calling her Janine. When did she start calling herself Smurf, and why would she, considering who coined that nickname for her? 

[Laurie4H]

16 minutes ago, magdalene said:

I have been hearing Wells wanted a younger and prettier female lead and that's why the actress from Bones was brought in and why they killed off Smurf.  Angela is already trying on Smurf's clothes.

The actress is younger than Ellen Barkin but she is in her 40’s so not young by Hollywood standards.

12 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

It seems like there's a continuity issue with Smurf's name. It had been established that her mother's boyfriend nicknamed her "Smurf" when she was a young teen, but in the current flashbacks she's older and everyone is calling her Janine. When did she start calling herself Smurf, and why would she, considering who coined that nickname for her?

And The Smurf’s didn’t premier until 1981.  It was a French before that so the timeline is off on how she got that name.  

Edited August 14, 2019 by Laurie4H

[Raja]

3 hours ago, Laurie4H said:

The actress is younger than Ellen Barkin but she is in her 40’s so not young by Hollywood standards.

And The Smurf’s didn’t premier until 1981.  It was a French before that so the timeline is off on how she got that name.  

Well on TV and not the movies for some time now female leads, handling most sex scenes  have more likely been over 40 than near 30.  The girlfriend of the week or Ren has aged up from her 20s to her 30s, even with HD.

5 hours ago, topanga said:

Speaking of the body, did you notice that clean bullet hole smack in the middle of Smurf's temple? J was not playing. He's a good shot. Although, with the kind of pistol used, should the wound have been that neat, or would it have blown off half of Smurf's face? I honestly have no idea--I don't know guns. 

Most combat/self defense ammunition used by police and civilians are designed to flatten on impact "mushroom" as many a CSI has said. So no neat holes. It is to drop the maximum energy on the target, "stopping power" instead of penetrating.

The two exceptions would be NCIS. Being part of the Navy has Geneva Conventions compliant ammunition with full metal jackets. It was a plot once when Agent Gibbs shot through a double agent, in her suicide instead of prison story, to hit the enemy behind her.

The second are the "cop killer" bullets to shoot through bullet proof vest. Now we can say that facing survivalist the Cody's were loaded with cop killers thus the clean entry wound on Smurf.

In any case though blood splatter is the new thing being shown we still are spared the really gruesome exit wounds 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Raja

[mxc90]

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

I wonder if they'll take all those gold chains off Smurf's neck before they bury her. 

J was already at the pawn shop as you were typing this.

I wonder if Jed's sons ever travelled outside the compound (Jed seems like the controlling/home schooling type). Would they know where to find Smurf's house. If they do, they probably think it's only Pope and Smurf to go after. They don't know about the other 3 (Surprise!).

There better be be a J/Pope showdown next week (probably sparked by Angela).

I am hoping Frankie and Angela aren't considered to fill Smurf's void next season.

Was Smurf hoping Angela would get high by leaving the Oxy out in the bathroom? Didn't Angela learn anything her trip with J?

Edited August 14, 2019 by mxc90

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, mxc90 said:

Was Smurf hoping Angela would get high by leaving the Oxy out in the bathroom?

That's exactly what she was hoping.

[heisenberg]

21 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

And this wasn't even the season finale.  We still have the Adrian issue to deal with at the least.

Yep.  I wonder how it is gone play. Will J tell Pope that Adrian is the snitch?  Will Adrian be the only victim?  I can't wait for next week.

[Dessert]

Several comments:

Adrian is seeming more and more like a very dim bulb. Deran, what have you done?

How are they going to explain Smurf’s sudden disappearance to ...everyone? ...especially the police. I’m looking forward to Detective Pearce’s reaction.

I don’t have a problem with the actress, but Angela is a mess - has delusions of grandeur, is manipulative, creepy, and not very smart. Surely she’s the one talking to the cops. I can’t imagine her lasting long.

None of the current women can fill Barkin’s shoes. That’s not even a criticism. They’re all good, but no one can come close. What on earth were these people thinking writing her out? Yes, I think they have a problem with older women. I feel like Smurf. “A deal is a deal”!

[SimoneS]

She is usually good, but I thought that Ellen Barkin was shockingly bad in that final scene. 

Killing Smurf has actually peaked my interest about where they will take next season. Smurf's creepy control over her son and the show's lack of diversity have always been a turn off for me. 

7 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I foresee them doing more with her going forward into next season.

But again, this smells an awful lot like replacing an aging Ellen Barkin with a younger model, and it leaves a sour taste.

You think that Emily will be sticking around? I thought she was one and done.

Edited August 15, 2019 by SimoneS

[Shellbell59]

Omgawd...I just finished episode...

PHEW..... I thought I’d come to hear what everyone has to say...but...Let’s just say I’m waiting for a heart procedure… That was quite something…

i have to gather my thoughts...and my arrhythmia issue...but looking forward to your comments 

WOW....didn’t see that coming (in the way it went down...anyway...)

[Artsda]

Wow, what an episode! 

[MrWhyt]

3 hours ago, Laurie4H said:

 The actress is younger than Ellen Barkin but she is in her 40’s so not young by Hollywood standards.

yeah she's 2 weeks older than I am, if she's the hot young starlet replacing Barkin then somebody has seriously readjusted Hollywood's standards.