S01.E07: I Found Out What the Secret to Murder is: Friends. Best Friends.

[formerlyfreedom]

Beth Ann is elated when Rob ends his affair, but that feeling is short-lived when Beth Ann learns that everything is not as she thinks. While Simone and Karl work to find common ground in their relationship, conflict ensues as Naomi grows suspicious of Tommy's erratic behavior. Eli, Taylor and Jade try to work out their issues by heading to a polyamory retreat but Eli's relapse with addiction may derail everything.

 

Dropping on Thursday, September 26, 2019, on CBS All Access.

[CRT]

Loved the singers!

Sheila posing as Beth Ann was delightful!  And Beth Ann's reaction to the pregnancy was everything I could hope for. I knew she wasn't going to tell Rob the truth, but I wasn't prepared for faking cancer. For a brief moment I thought she'd fake a pregnancy!

Simone stopping Naomi from reading Tommy's journal by revealing Karl's gay was a genius move.  I had been wondering if the 80s story would get to AIDS and now it has.  That perhaps explains Hector blaming himself for the death last week. 
But the title of the show requires a woman kill (though not necessarily murder) someone: perhaps Simone helps Karl kill himself?

I'm happy Taylor knows about the drug problem now.  But Jade having Eli to herself won't be good for anyone.  Now he doesn't have to hide his drug use...

[Chaos Theory]

Sometimes I wish this show was on basic cable because it would get more eyeballs and it so very much deserves it.  It is amazing and funny and heartwarming and heart breaking.

Things were just starting to go well for Simone and Karl.  They had gotten to a good place in their relationship and now Karl is sick.  I am thinking HIV.  Which will more then likely put the kabash on her relationship with Tommy.   

Taylor Eli and Jade having finally gotten interesting now that Eli is hooked on drugs.  Of course his dealer is a mother who does her deals at kids parks.   Watching the whole thing explode and having Jade ultimately decide to stay with Eli leaving Taylor on the outside is an interesting devlopement.

I know people tend to like the Lucy Lui stuff the best but my favorite is always the Ginnifer Goodwin scenes.  I thought they were all really well done.  Beth Ann's conversation with Shiela was very well done.  And finding out that April is pregnant brings a whole new layer to the whole thing.  I thought it was an interesting move her not confronting Rob but instead letting him think she had cancer.  Keeping the lie going.  

Those little white lies

Edited September 27, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[Jessica Yes]

As usual, the modern day story is boring me to tears. Lucy Liu's stuff was fabulous. I really like Karl so I'm sad to see he has HIV/AIDS because we all know the survival rate back then was pretty damn low.  And what does this mean for Hector, Simone, and Tommy? They could all be positive as well. This is getting intense.

Beth Ann's scenes were very good as well and I also thought she was going to fake a pregnancy before she blurted out that she had cancer. Faking cancer is probably easier than faking a pregnancy but if her goal is to keep Rob from leaving her I'm not sure if that's going to do it; he may see April and the new baby as an escape from the depressing life of having a spouse with cancer.

[Ms Blue Jay]

10 hours ago, CRT said:

Simone stopping Naomi from reading Tommy's journal by revealing Karl's gay was a genius move.  I had been wondering if the 80s story would get to AIDS and now it has.  That perhaps explains Hector blaming himself for the death last week. 
But the title of the show requires a woman kill (though not necessarily murder) someone: perhaps Simone helps Karl kill himself?

I was thinking the same.  So fucking sad.  Simone and Karl are my favourite characters here.  Well, I also like Simone's young boyfriend.  LOL.

So sad.

I care about the 80s story the MOST, by FAR, then the 2010s story.  I'm sorry to say I really don't give a shit about the 50s story although I do love Sheila. 

3 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Sometimes I wish this show was on basic cable because it would get more eyeballs and so very much deserves it.  It is amazing and funny and heartwarming and heart breaking.

I think Lucy Liu is just so amazing and I wish she was getting accolades for it.

[CRT]

Quote

 And what does this mean for Hector, Simone, and Tommy? They could all be positive as well.

In the second episode, Simone told Tommy she hadn't slept with Karl for years, so I'm guessing she and Tommy are safe.

[shapeshifter]

On 9/26/2019 at 12:03 PM, CRT said:

Simone stopping Naomi from reading Tommy's journal by revealing Karl's gay was a genius move.  I had been wondering if the 80s story would get to AIDS and now it has.  That perhaps explains Hector blaming himself for the death last week. 
But the title of the show requires a woman kill (though not necessarily murder) someone: perhaps Simone helps Karl kill himself?

Oy. Reading this post it just occurred to me that Simone might get AIDS (suggested by Karl’s Chekhovian drop of blood) and then Tommy might get AIDS, and then Tommy’s mother will kill Karl —perhaps thinking Karl is Tommy’s lover —if she assumes that was what Tommy’s now-locked-up Chekhovian journal was about? She might even think the $10k was for a sex change —especially if he goes to Sweden or Denmark instead of France. 

But Simone and Karl live in the 80s, not the 90s, right? Did the doctors already recognize the type of cancer on Karl’s back (Kaposi sarcoma) as a symptom of AIDS?

Interesting coincidence that Karl has cancer and that former resident of the house faked cancer. 

Speaking of the house: Taylor just leaves it for Eli and Jade?? Doesn’t Taylor own it? If she expects Eli to pay half the value of the house to her, what happens if his $1.6 mil has already gone up his nose? Oh well. Taylor’s a lawyer. 

Loved ❤️ the whole episode.

So well done! Great directing, like Eli’s realistically awful U-turn, and both “Sheilas” dropping flat to avoid being seen by April. LOL both and more that I can't recall.

Great wardrobe. I wonder if Lucy Liu has a Fabulous Wardrobe clause in her contracts now that Elementary has spoiled her, heh.

But it’s an effective wardrobe too. I knew April was pregnant as soon as I saw the yellow empire waste dress. If she doesn’t wind up dead, that will stall her singing career in an era when ageism was on the rise. Or maybe she will pay for her sins by serving 3 square meals a day to Rob for 30 years. 

Sheila (the real one) just better make it out alive! 

ETA a couple of (blurry, sorry) screen caps re the wardrobe.  

I remember the pattern on April’s dress from my youth —possibly from draperies:

And Beth Anne should leave Rob and become a stylist. Love her ensembles, especially the beads here, which also seem familiar from some aunt’s jewelry box of my youth:

Edited September 27, 2019 by shapeshifter

[preeya]

On 9/26/2019 at 10:03 AM, CRT said:

I'm happy Taylor knows about the drug problem now.  But Jade having Eli to herself won't be good for anyone.  Now he doesn't have to hide his drug use...

Hide it?  She's his partner in lines 🤣 !  Sniff buddies.

Edited September 28, 2019 by preeya

[CarpeFelis]

Now Taylor’s sisters will be all “Told you so!”

Bummed that Karl apparently has HIV. He and Simone are my favorite characters.

LOL @ their discussion about how their friends would hate them for not being vicious to each other and Simone’s “We did that last week”!

[Joimiaroxeu]

Simone's arty leopard print dress seemed a tad anachronistic to me. That's more of a current look than an 80s one. A rare misstep wardrobe-wise.

So, Rob's boys can swim but seemingly Beth Anne's girls don't cook, at least not anymore.

That Audi SUV is a tough one, huh?

Kinda hard to introduce HIV/AIDS into what is otherwise a relatively light show. I know it's realistic but oy.

Jade is an opportunistic POS, IMO. It's a testament to her talents that neither Taylor nor Eli have seen through her. I bet she'll end up killing Taylor and somehow pinning it on Eli. Then she'll write bestselling tell-all and star in the movie. Ugh.

[shapeshifter]

18 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Simone's arty leopard print dress seemed a tad anachronistic to me. That's more of a current look than an 80s one. A rare misstep wardrobe-wise

Nah. Today’s animal prints are just retro. 

[Joimiaroxeu]

13 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Nah. Today’s animal prints are just retro. 

Nah, as someone who did a lot of clothes shopping during that time, I feel extremely confident that was not an 80s print.

[Jennabelle88]

On 9/26/2019 at 6:45 PM, Chaos Theory said:

I know people tend to like the Lucy Lui stuff the best but my favorite is always the Ginnifer Goodwin scenes.  I thought they were all really well done.  Beth Ann's conversation with Shiela was very well done.  And finding out that April is pregnant brings a whole new layer to the whole thing.  I thought it was an interesting move her not confronting Rob but instead letting him think she had cancer.  Keeping the lie going.  

I like the Beth Ann storyline the best by far. Second to me would be Simone. I cracked up when Beth Ann and Sheila hit the floor when April pulled up, and then Sheila changing her tone (imitating Beth Ann) while talking to April and Beth Ann cutting her those looks. So good. 

On 9/26/2019 at 8:35 PM, Jessica Yes said:

Beth Ann's scenes were very good as well and I also thought she was going to fake a pregnancy before she blurted out that she had cancer. Faking cancer is probably easier than faking a pregnancy but if her goal is to keep Rob from leaving her I'm not sure if that's going to do it; he may see April and the new baby as an escape from the depressing life of having a spouse with cancer.

I honestly thought she was about to reveal all to Rob - she knows he was having an affair and now the poor girl is pregnant. 

[TaraS1]

I am so, so happy to see Alicia Coppola getting so much well-deserved love as Sheila.  She's just awesome.  Always has been.

And I was not expecting Karl and Simone's story to take such a sad, heavy turn.  But Lucy and Jack do great work together.

[peachmangosteen]

I did not expect the AIDS situation. That seems much heavier than this show is. I hate that they did it tbh.

Does anyone know how many eps this has?

[Chaos Theory]

This isn’t really a comedy.  It’s isnt really a drama.   Marc Cherry has always written Soap Operas for  night time.  And even soaps did tackle the occasional heavy storyline in between all The Who is sleeping with who. 

Plus the title is Why Women Kill.   And that is heavy handed in its own right.

Yeah Beth Ann could probably confront her husband with the truth about April   But she really is scared he might not chose her.  Plus it’s really more fun this way.

Simone and Karl were just starting to figure out how to navigate their new relationship and Simone was starting to warm to the idea of a future with Tommy. Karl getting sick and the ramifications are pretty wide open because Karl really is her favorite husband.

Taylor and Eli mostly likely didn’t have the happiest of marriages to begin with.   Eli couldn’t write sober and Taylor didn’t actually like being the only bread winner.   Bringing in Jade to this situation was a disaster waiting to happen especially now that Eli doesn’t actually need Taylor and has Jade looking at him like the provider he wants to be

Edited October 1, 2019 by Chaos Theory

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

This isn’t really a comedy.  It’s isnt really a drama

 Barry is also a dramedy, and it’s a favorite show of mine too. I guess I have a type, heh. Anyway it bugs me that the awards shows haven’t caught up to the dramedy category yet, and that instead they just assign a show to the comedy category if it’s under an hour long, and to the drama category if it’s an hour  or longer. With so many shows being produced these days, a new category would spread around the recognition among the many worthy projects. #NeverWatchedGoT