S05.E05: Episode 5

[stormy weather]

10 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

UO, but if I were Helen I would have tried to help out Priya, maybe by offering to have breakfast with the brother and her the next day, since I think Priya said that it was a 24-hour layover? Again, Helen loved Vikram, right? The love of my life died almost 30 years ago. All I wanted to do was show love and gratitude toward his surviving family members, because they were a huge reason he became the person I loved. Even though some of them were racist and the reason he didn’t let me meet them because of that. You grasp at anything you can when you ache to see him again. Spending time with them was still comforting for me. I don’t know. Maybe I am weird. My love died suddenly, so maybe that’s the variable that makes me so different from Helen.

I think the variable that makes you so different from Helen is that you loved this person, while I'm not sure Helen ever really loved Vik. I for sure couldn't start a proper relationship with another guy what, 3 months after my beloved partner died? (I'm saying 3 months because Eddie was born the day Vik died and we know he's 4 months old, and I'm assuming Helen and Sasha have been seeing each other for a month, but I might be wrong about that), but maybe someone else can, perhaps as a coping mechanism (which I don't think is Helen's case).

Also, Priya obviously represents the stereotype of the obnoxious mother-in-law, but Helen keeps forgetting that she just lost her only son, whom she loved and adored more than Helen ever did, so maybe she should cut her some slack. And I'm not saying by wearing the white mourning sari or pretending she had a baby at 54, but maybe by explaining nicely why she can't do either of these things instead of leaving her hanging on the telephone for 30 seconds waiting for an answer while she makes out with her new BF like a teenager. I thought that was super petty and heartless of her.

[marsha]

It was nice seeing Jennifer Jason Leigh and I thought she was great as Sierra's mother. I actually liked Sierra's story line this episode. The actress that plays Sierra was quite good and I especially liked how she played the scene on the 'Madame Bovary' set. That said, I still fear for her baby's life. I was convinced the poor little guy was a goner after that crash.

Oh man, how I cannot stand Priya from her first appearance on the show. She has been nothing but a complete and utter card carrying cunt to Helen. Helen "owes" her nothing. I do understand where the character is coming from as, unless you've been brought up in a completely different culture outside of North American you have no idea how truly deep family ties run (not that they don't/can't here as well). Decisions you make in life not only reflect on you but on your family. I still didn't feel sorry for Priya but I got where she was coming from. She was right about one thing: Helen looked absolutely beautiful in her white 'party' outfit.

And Helen? Run from Sasha...now. Once he finishes the film about Noah he will be dropping her. It was even beginning at the party with his obvious interest in Noah's ex literary publicist. 

I want to see where the Joanie storyline is going, though. I don't watch previews (actually we don't even get them for most shows half the time in Canada) so I'm still very curious where that will end. 

Edited September 24, 2019 by marsha

[preeya]

9 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Such shitty, shitty writing this season.

↑↑ This ↑↑

[AngelaHunter]

10 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

It all feels weirdly like a sit-com.  I wouldn't mind the subtle humor, but it feels strange. 

I know(!) and may have even mentioned that. All these weirdly exaggerated sitcom characters - Super Dork and Super Gay and Super Asshole(s) and now with Sierra's mom, we have the stereotypical Super Bitch Mom (along with Super Crazy Mom Margaret) who storms in from nowhere, and is seemingly incapable of speaking in anything but bitchy one-liners, missing only rimshots. Unfortunately, it's not even a funny sitcom.

10 hours ago, ScoobieDoobs said:

Sure, Sasha could get her jobs, but could she do the jobs?  Ah, but I guess Treem expects we wouldn't think about this.  Such shitty, shitty writing this season.

Really, couldn't they have given Helen a job she might be able to do without schooling? Maybe it wouldn't be glamorous but it would be real.  This is annoying me so much I had to look it up and see what, minimally,  what someone would need to pass an exam (not really necessary but advisable for working in million-dollar homes) and this is an online school, and the course is for interior decorating which is what Helen would be, not interior design:

Quote

Teachings include: Function of Interior Spaces, History of Furniture, Trade Showrooms, Use of Color, Lighting, Scale and How to Charge for your services as a Certified Interior Decorator. C.I.D. is also the only organization that can educate, test, and certify Interior Decorators.

https://www.cidinternational.org/

I got confused between Whitney and Sierra when the latter was screwing that creep, and thought, "Wait, didn't we just see this skinny, unhappy young woman last week, wanting a job/money and fucking some guy to get it while we view her sad, miserable, teary face?"  Does no one on this show ever enjoy sex for its own sake? Must it always be a means to an end of some sort - money, revenge, a power play, to make a point, distraction or the by-product of alcohol or drug consumption, etc?

11 hours ago, CarpeFelis said:

I don’t think Sierra actually owns either the house or the Range Rover. I thought they belonged to her absent parents, and in this episode her mom said she got the house in the divorce.

Thank you!

[MaggieG]

6 hours ago, stormy weather said:

I think the variable that makes you so different from Helen is that you loved this person, while I'm not sure Helen ever really loved Vik. I for sure couldn't start a proper relationship with another guy what, 3 months after my beloved partner died? (I'm saying 3 months because Eddie was born the day Vik died and we know he's 4 months old, and I'm assuming Helen and Sasha have been seeing each other for a month, but I might be wrong about that), but maybe someone else can, perhaps as a coping mechanism (which I don't think is Helen's case).

Also, Priya obviously represents the stereotype of the obnoxious mother-in-law, but Helen keeps forgetting that she just lost her only son, whom she loved and adored more than Helen ever did, so maybe she should cut her some slack. And I'm not saying by wearing the white mourning sari or pretending she had a baby at 54, but maybe by explaining nicely why she can't do either of these things instead of leaving her hanging on the telephone for 30 seconds waiting for an answer while she makes out with her new BF like a teenager. I thought that was super petty and heartless of her.

This. I can't stand Priya but I did feel a tiny bit bad for her when she heard Helen on the phone saying "I love you" and then telling Priya that was her boyfriend. And then later with her on the phone when she is trying to explain her whole brother situation, while Helen and Sasha are macking on each other. I really just hate all of them. We all know Sasha is going to drop Helen like a hot potato when he goes off to film his new movie.

So Sierra left Eddie in the car but was her original plan to bring him into the audition? And she was going to recite the lines from Madame Bovary while he screamed in the background?

[ScoobieDoobs]

I was wondering why I hate the sex scenes so much this season.  They’re not completely gratuitous cuz that’s not Treem’s style.  They do kinda follow the storylines.  But they sure have been uncomfortable & ugly to watch.  The sex btw Sierra & creepy director was so unhot, mechanical & cold.  Ick.

OK, so now we know more about Sierra than I care to know.  She’s not just a shitty parent, she constantly puts her child’s life in danger, she fucks her boss randomly & she lives her life making horrible decisions & wandering around in a hazy fog.  Why should we care about this character?  She’s really awful.  Hopefully, there will be no more POV’s on her.

Edited September 24, 2019 by ScoobieDoobs

[stormy weather]

1 hour ago, MaggieG said:

So Sierra left Eddie in the car but was her original plan to bring him into the audition? And she was going to recite the lines from Madame Bovary while he screamed in the background?

Actually, I thought that during that moment of hesitation Sierra had when she was standing outside the audition place and saw Eddie asleep in car, she was contemplating whether to bring him in anyway even though he might wake up or forget about the audition and take him home since for once he was resting so peacefully. I am obviously too pure and innocent for this show.

Edited September 24, 2019 by stormy weather

[cardigirl]

I think if Priya had told Helen the entire story about her brother in the beginning, instead of bombing her with it after the fact, the outcome of the story would have been different. Helen has bent over backwards to accommodate this very difficult woman, even giving in to her over Vik's final wishes (and in accordance with Vik's father's religious beliefs) so when Priya makes the initial demand, without telling all of the story behind it,  of course Helen was not in a mindset to play mommy to Vik's son. Of course she finds it just another unreasonable request from an unreasonable person. 

I think Helen loved Vik, but I think Helen was always afraid to trust it, because she had so completely trusted the love between her and Noah, and that blew up in her face and devastated her, making her a bit cynical about love. If Noah could leave her, well, probably Vik could too, and boy, did he ever.

I think her attraction to Sasha is a bit of "this is easy and feels good" and she's been hurting for a long time, caring for Vik while he was sick.  I don't think she's even thinking 'love' with Sasha, and certainly not after seeing his actions with his stepdaughter. 

I liked the contrast between Sierra's point of view of her struggle to be a mother and Helen's point of view that Sierra is just a bit selfish. I was worried about Eddie too, but I think every mom has had moments of wondering how to deal with an infant, and Sierra has not been given a lot of self confidence tools. Her mother is a monster. Her mother was so very jealous of Sierra getting a great part with a great director, she had to undermine her in whatever way she could. She couldn't bear for her daughter to be successful. Such an unloving thing to do. 

Noah's declaration came across as a bit clumsy, but it was from Helen's point of view, when she was in no mood to hear it.  If we get to see that declaration from Noah's point of view, it may come across differently. 

Edited September 25, 2019 by cardigirl

[hoodooznoodooz]

57 minutes ago, cardigirl said:

I think if Priya had told Helen the entire story about her brother in the beginning, instead of bombing her with it after the fact, the outcome of the story would have been different. Helen has bent over backwards to accommodate this very difficult woman, even giving in to her over Vik's final wishes (and in accordance with Vik's father's religious beliefs) so when the initial demand is made, of course Helen was not in a mindset to play mommy to Vik's son. 

I do think Helen loved Vik, but I think Helen was always afraid to trust it, because she had so completely trusted the love between her and Noah, and that blew up in her face and devastated her, making her a bit cynical about love. If Noah could leave her, well, probably Vik could do, and boy did he ever.

I think her attraction to Sasha is a bit of "this is easy and feels good" and she's been hurting for a long time, caring for Vik while he was sick.  I don't think she's even thinking 'love' with Sasha, and certainly not after seeing his actions with his stepdaughter. 

I liked the contrast between Sierra's point of view of her struggle to be a mother and Helen's point of view that Sierra is just a bit selfish. I was worried about Eddie too, but I think every mom has had moments of wondering how to deal with an infant, and Sierra has not been given a lot of self confidence tools. Her mother is a monster. Her mother was so very jealous of Sierra getting a great part with a great director, she had to undermine her in whatever way she could. 

Noah's declaration came across as a bit clumsy, but it was from Helen's point of view, when she was in no mood to hear it.  If we get to see that declaration from Noah's point of view, it may come across differently. 

Such a compassionate post. Thank you!

[izabella]

Since we only see Priya from Helen's POV, I suspect Priya is not actually as bad as Helen sees her and she might not have said/done things the way they were shown.  There was a huge difference in the desperation with which Sierra asked Helen to babysit from her POV, and Helen's POV where Sierra is chill and lackadaisical and is just bitching she needs a break from being a mom for 4 months.  I have no doubt Priya as seen through Helen's eyes isn't the same thing as Prya from her own POV or maybe anyone else's POV.

[AngelaHunter]

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I never got the impression there was any great, romantic love by Helen for Vik. He came along at a time when her life was in turmoil, he was persistant, and also someone Helen could lean on, so it may have been a case of "Why not?" and also an affirmation of her attractiveness to men, which surely was damaged by Noah's affair. She certainly "one-upped" Noah by ending up with this prime catch (and I don't mean that in any derogatory way).

I don't judge her for falling into bed with Sasha a scant three months after nursing Vik and watching him draw his last breath. These things are very complicated and individual.

[cardigirl]

3 minutes ago, AngelaHunter said:

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I never got the impression there was any great, romantic love by Helen for Vik. He came along at a time when her life was in turmoil, he was persistant, and also someone Helen could lean on, so it may have been a case of "Why not?" and also an affirmation of her attractiveness to men, which surely was damaged by Noah's affair. She certainly "one-upped" Noah by ending up with this prime catch (and I don't mean that in any derogatory way).

I don't judge her for falling into bed with Sasha a scant three months after nursing Vik and watching him draw his last breath. These things are very complicated and individual.

I don't think it's cynical to think it wasn't the great romantic love, she was hesitant to fall for him.  After the divorce, and the pain of the affair, I think she was hesitant to let go and feel that way about anybody again. It wasn't the dizzying love you feel when you're in your 20s in college, like she had with Noah.

 Vik even left, or almost left, a couple of times, because she wouldn't be "all in" and she didn't let him just go.  She even confessed to Vik that Noah went to jail for her, that she was the one driving the car that hit and killed Scott.  He chose to stay with Helen even so. I think they had a pretty good relationship, and I think it was what she hoped for after the drama of Noah. 

[AngelaHunter]

On 9/23/2019 at 2:01 AM, HC87 said:

I can'remember, at least a premium cable show anyway, go so completely off the rails.

*cough* "Dexter" *cough*

I guess that's why this show pisses me off so much, even though I'm not as invested in it as I was in "Dexter". I watch very few shows, so two in a row giving viewers the finger, shoveling out as much crap as they can and just hoping something will stick is doubly enraging.

[Razzberry]

I'd really love to see Priya's POV, but time's a' wastin with all this other stuff.  I don't think 3 months is too soon for Helen to be dating.  Vic was sick for quite a while, they knew he was terminal, so she was prepared and had time to work through her grief then.  She deserves some fun.  I just hope she doesn't fall hard for Sasha (thankfully he's leaving for Chad next week), and remembers that Noah only wants her because Sasha does.  He acted like Helen has been dying to hear those words and would instantly fall into his web.

[DiabLOL]

2 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I never got the impression there was any great, romantic love by Helen for Vik. He came along at a time when her life was in turmoil, he was persistant, and also someone Helen could lean on, so it may have been a case of "Why not?" and also an affirmation of her attractiveness to men, which surely was damaged by Noah's affair. She certainly "one-upped" Noah by ending up with this prime catch (and I don't mean that in any derogatory way).

I don't judge her for falling into bed with Sasha a scant three months after nursing Vik and watching him draw his last breath. These things are very complicated and individual.

I agree 100% with everything in your entire post.

[AngelaHunter]

2 hours ago, Razzberry said:

I'd really love to see Priya's POV, but time's a' wastin with all this other stuff.  I don't think 3 months is too soon for Helen to be dating.  Vic was sick for quite a while, they knew he was terminal, so she was prepared and had time to work through her grief then.  She deserves some fun.  I just hope she doesn't fall hard for Sasha (thankfully he's leaving for Chad next week), and remembers that Noah only wants her because Sasha does.  He acted like Helen has been dying to hear those words and would instantly fall into his web.

THIS! makes it look even more ridiculous than it actually was. 🤣

2 hours ago, Razzberry said:

I'd really love to see Priya's POV, but time's a' wastin with all this other stuff.  I don't think 3 months is too soon for Helen to be dating.  Vic was sick for quite a while, they knew he was terminal, so she was prepared and had time to work through her grief then.

Whether 3 months is too soon or not depends on the person and their needs and no one should judge, but no one is ever be prepared or able to say goodbye to a living person, especially when that person is your partner. You might think you're prepared, but most people are not. Knowing something and seeing it are often two entirely different animals and denial, even if illogical, is often the only thing that enables us to get through it all. As my mother used to say, "Where there's life, there's hope." Maybe in Helen's case VIk's death was a relief, but we don't know.

[NeenerNeener]

On 9/23/2019 at 5:21 AM, weaver said:

Makes me wonder what happened behind the scenes with Ruth Wilson, because this stuff they are throwing at us this year cannot possibly have been part of Treem's Five Year Plan for the show.  

Ruth did at least two projects this year:  a surprise season of Luther with Idris Elba, and a mini series about her grandparents where she played her own grandmother. Maybe she really wanted time off to do these things that were near and dear to her heart and Treem couldn't make the shooting schedule work for her to do all three.

Then again, maybe she just wanted a lot more money.

Edited September 25, 2019 by NeenerNeener

[weaver]

9 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

Ruth did at least two projects this year:  a surprise season of Luther with Idris Elba, and a mini series about her grandparents where she played her own grandmother. Maybe she really wanted time off to do these things that were near and dear to her heart and Treem couldn't make the shooting schedule work for her to do all three.

Then again, maybe she just wanted a lot more money.

Yes, Mrs. Wilson was on PBS.   Ruth is always working.  But she keeps saying "ask Treem." so I think there is a lot to the story.   

[AngelaHunter]

3 hours ago, weaver said:

But she keeps saying "ask Treem." so I think there is a lot to the story.   

I have read several times that she mentioned Dominic West getting a higher salary, but that may not be why she left. I have read several times about other issues on the set, involving the assistant director.

There is very little detail, and it's third party, so make of it what you will - gossip or fact:

http://tinyurl.com/y3eblmo6

[Rockfish]

So, I obviously haven’t been paying attention, but where is Whitney’s apartment and gallery? I assumed NY, but she was just in LA with her mom giving advice on art purchases for Helen’s client—if she’s so broke, how could she afford that? Sure, maybe her mom paid for her ticket, but would her demanding boss allow her the time off?

Also, the idea that within one month Helen successfully decorated not just one posh LA dwelling—but two! (possibly more?)—is so ridiculous for a myriad of reasons. 

And definitely Sasha’s going to go after Eden; otherwise there’s no reason for her to be back, and he noticeably perked up when Helen shared her suspicions.

And seriously, show? Cole’s Jeep, which has been sitting in a salty, humid environment for decades, doesn’t show any signs of rust? True, it didn’t start, but it did look pristine. 

These are just a few of the details I zeroed in on—I won’t even go into storyline problems. 

[nara]

TBH , I think I would have enjoyed more a season of Cole dealing with Alison’s death. Do he and Luisa stay together to raise Joanie, who is the product of another affair? Can Luisa handle the ghost of Alison everywhere? Noah, who grew attached to Joanie, could have moved back to NYC in the wake of Helen’s remarriage and stayed involved somehow.

Then, future Joanie would have made more sense.

[AngelaHunter]

3 hours ago, Rockfish said:

So, I obviously haven’t been paying attention, but where is Whitney’s apartment and gallery? I assumed NY, but she was just in LA with her mom giving advice on art purchases for Helen’s client—if she’s so broke, how could she afford that? Sure, maybe her mom paid for her ticket, but would her demanding boss allow her the time off?

I never even thought about where Whitney was living and I too assumed it was NY? My assumption may be wrong.  I think Whitney is just broke when it fits her make-believe world and her image of "struggling artist." Yes, Show has taken pains to inform us that Helen is broke and Margaret is broke, but surely Noah isn't, with his best-seller and movie deal, and wouldn't let his little girl live in squalor? If she wants to go to L.A. or buy designer slips for some party, the money seems to be there. 

3 hours ago, nara said:

Do he and Luisa stay together to raise Joanie, who is the product of another affair?

Another assumption on my part, but I thought Luisa and Cole's relationship ended when he got in his truck and left for some sort of sojourn? Did Cole raise Joanie? Considering the way future-Joanie dumped all his photos in the trash, maybe he didn't.

[ScoobieDoobs]

On 9/24/2019 at 2:22 PM, izabella said:

Since we only see Priya from Helen's POV, I suspect Priya is not actually as bad as Helen sees her and she might not have said/done things the way they were shown.  There was a huge difference in the desperation with which Sierra asked Helen to babysit from her POV, and Helen's POV where Sierra is chill and lackadaisical and is just bitching she needs a break from being a mom for 4 months.  I have no doubt Priya as seen through Helen's eyes isn't the same thing as Prya from her own POV or maybe anyone else's POV.

Helen is really unsympathetic & so dismissive of Priya, isn’t she?  And yes, this is Helen’s POV & she’s making her out to be the mother from hell — only second to her own mother.  Actually, Priya seems kinda stalkerish in this ep.  It was almost cartoonish & over the top.  Maybe Helen gives a stinkeye to all mothers except herself?

Helen coulda, at the very least, given Priya some helpful suggestions of what to do.  But instead, she was so condescending & dismissive to Priya.  Yuck.  What is Treem doing to this character?  She was likable before.  Not this season.  Don’t expect any Emmy wins for this crappy season, Maura or Treem.

[nara]

Maybe Helen will realize she’s not much better than Noah and that will be what brings them back together.

[Stad15]

On 9/25/2019 at 3:44 AM, AngelaHunter said:

I have read several times that she mentioned Dominic West getting a higher salary, but that may not be why she left. I have read several times about other issues on the set, involving the assistant director.

There is very little detail, and it's third party, so make of it what you will - gossip or fact:

http://tinyurl.com/y3eblmo6

Ruth said it wasn't about pay parity or other work, just "there's a bigger story" regarding her exit.  But she can't say why.  I think it might have been about the amount of nude/sex scenes they wanted her to do.  In a recent interview with Maura Tierney, they asked her about it and all she said was some people can tolerate things more than others.

[Razzberry]

I'm sure that Helen's perception of Priya is skewed negatively, but by how much is a question.  I have a hard time believing Priya doesn't strongly disapprove of Helen and makes no bones about it.

[Milburn Stone]

On 9/23/2019 at 6:05 PM, Double A said:

I'm enjoying the season for the most part. They had two major characters disappeared so they had to do something and the new POVs are a fresh ride so far. 

+1.

I think Eden was re-introduced so that Helen can learn more about Sasha's character when he cheats on her with Eden. In Sasha's view, Helen already "knows too much."

I also thought that was Ally Sheedy until the end credits. Makes sense that it was JLL, though, because the performance was so expert.

[AngelaHunter]

20 hours ago, Stad15 said:

I think it might have been about the amount of nude/sex scenes they wanted her to do.

But she had a body double, as mentioned in the article. It seems that person got fired after she complained about the AD.

15 hours ago, Razzberry said:

I have a hard time believing Priya doesn't strongly disapprove of Helen and makes no bones about it.

Agree. I'm sure her dreams of her beloved son's ideal partner was not a divorced woman with four kids and past the age of child-bearing.

1 hour ago, Milburn Stone said:

I think Eden was re-introduced so that Helen can learn more about Sasha's character when he cheats on her with Eden.

I didn't recognize her, but can't they ever have someone new for the characters to cheat with? It all seems vaguely incestuous.

[Stad15]

3 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

But she had a body double, as mentioned in the article. It seems that person got fired after she complained about the AD.

Agree. I'm sure her dreams of her beloved son's ideal partner was not a divorced woman with four kids and past the age of child-bearing.

I didn't recognize her, but can't they ever have someone new for the characters to cheat with? It all seems vaguely incestuous.

Think about what Maura said regarding Ruth's exit though....

[msrachelj]

On 9/22/2019 at 12:18 PM, chocolatine said:

Yeah, I'd be surprised if poor Eddie makes it to his first birthday. I hope with her new-found acting success (which came seemingly out of nowhere), Sierra can hire several nannies who can watch Eddie around the clock.

I don't blame Helen for ignoring Priya's request. It's 100% not her problem that Priya has a bad relationship with her brother and thought the harebrained scheme of introducing Helen as the mother of Vic's child would be the only way to fix it. In my experience, you have to firmly enforce your boundaries with people like Priya, or they'll keep making more and more unreasonable demands.

Hate Helen but I'd ignore Priya too if I were her, I still can't get over the fact that Vik left nothing to Helen after all their years together. What a bunch of fuck ups on this show. 

[msrachelj]

On 9/22/2019 at 10:12 PM, TexasGal said:

I couldn’t believe she left him in her car.  They are totally making Sierra into Alison 2.0 - everyone else sees her as this flakey/slutty person but she sees herself as the most put upon person in the world. 

I barely recognized Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Another victim of female actor plastic surgery where they are now barely recognizable? 

[AngelaHunter]

39 minutes ago, Stad15 said:

Think about what Maura said regarding Ruth's exit though....

What did she say? I haven't paid much attention to all this but I'm curious.

As for Sierra leaving the baby in the car, during the day in L.A. - I was expecting her to return and find the windows smashed and the kid  rescued and the police waiting to arrest Sierra OR for her to find the baby had been kidnapped or cooked. Are we supposed to feel sorry for her, about anything? I can't stand her.

41 minutes ago, msrachelj said:

Hate Helen but I'd ignore Priya too if I were her, I still can't get over the fact that Vik left nothing to Helen after all their years together. What a bunch of fuck ups on this show. 

I feel the same way. Priya is nothing to Helen. She has zero obligations to her. Maybe Helen should have told Priya to look after Vik during his illness. Priya banging on Helen's door to give her shit and wailing about her brother? Helen should have slammed the door in her face, she way she does with everyone else. 😂 She needs to do the same to Sierra as well and tell her to raise Vik's kid herself, or get Priya to babysit, since unlike Helen, Priya is actually related to the child.

38 minutes ago, msrachelj said:

Another victim of female actor plastic surgery where they are now barely recognizable? 

I've seen most of her movies over the years, and I totally did not recognize her.

[Andyourlittledog2]

Quote

I'm also really bothered by the stupidity of Helen becoming an interior decorator to the Hollywood elite in 2 seconds -- and with zero experience.  This is just so unbelievable & dumb.  OK, she owned a knick knack shop before.  That wouldn't make her knowledgeable about being a decorator, which involves details like having contacts with furniture suppliers, as well as various types of building contractors, not to mention the skill required to be an effective decorator.  Sure, Sasha could get her jobs, but could she do the jobs?  Ah, but I guess Treem expects we wouldn't think about this.  Such shitty, shitty writing this season.

My take on her new job is that it is part of Sasha's manipulation of her and Barry. He seems to me like the kind of guy who would do that. He convinces Helen to help him pick out furniture for his house to get her more enmeshed with him and he recommends her to Barry's wife to keep them jumping through his hoops because the wife is so anxious to please Sasha and get her husband the movie deal. I think Sasha would find his control over her amusing. I don't think that either of them think Helen is some great decorator, Helen just interprets this from her perspective as a new career opportunity. I fully expect that new career comes to a close now that Sasha has done with that. Once he's off to do the Maze 2 I think Helen will be yesterday's news. He is only interested in her because of Noah and his obsession with controlling and putting down Noah. They are both just temporary conquests and amusements to him. That's what I think about Sasha. I guess we'll see if I'm right.

[endure]

On 9/22/2019 at 5:12 PM, preeya said:

Because this entire ADDED season has gone off the rails. Five episodes of bullshit that I (and I'm sure many others) have absolutely ZERO interest. i.e. Sasha Mann, Sierra & Eddie, the Solloway offspring, Noah's non-ending bullshit, Vikram's family's problems, and Helen's attempt at being a West Coaster.

Yes and with all that there was just no time left for sex with Joanie!

[scrb]

On 9/22/2019 at 5:12 PM, preeya said:

Because this entire ADDED season has gone off the rails. Five episodes of bullshit that I (and I'm sure many others) have absolutely ZERO interest. i.e. Sasha Mann, Sierra & Eddie, the Solloway offspring, Noah's non-ending bullshit, Vikram's family's problems, and Helen's attempt at being a West Coaster.

I can't imagine viewers wouldn't prefer to have Alison and Cole still on the show and see their POV segments than segments from these random bit characters.

But if activity on these forums is an indication, it seems there might be more people watching than some of the previous seasons.

So who knows, the producers and showtime  may feel vindicated by higher ratings for season 5.

[endure]

9 minutes ago, scrb said:

I can't imagine viewers wouldn't prefer to have Alison and Cole still on the show and see their POV segments than segments from these random bit characters.

But if activity on these forums is an indication, it seems there might be more people watching than some of the previous seasons.

So who knows, the producers and showtime  may feel vindicated by higher ratings for season 5.

I would guess there is more activity on this forum because there is so much more to snark about not because there are more viewers.  

Edited September 27, 2019 by endure

[AngelaHunter]

2 hours ago, endure said:

Yes and with all that there was just no time left for sex with Joanie!

Maybe this show could have a sequel, a sitcom called "Sex with Joanie." Every week she'll have a new bizarre encounter with some guy she picks up. Hilarity will ensue.

1 hour ago, endure said:

I would guess there is more activity on this forum because there is so much more to snark about not because there are more viewers.

I agree, and hate that I agree. I used to like this show so much and it angers me that it seems as though TPTB think, "Hey we got everyone hooked so they have to see how it ends up, so don't bother with trying to make a good story anymore. Suckers!" OR, what we're getting is truly the best they can do, which may be even worse. Did they just accost people on the street: "Pssst! Hey, want to help us write this season of our show? Any and all ideas welcome. No, don't worry about continuity or what makes sense. We don't!"

[Milburn Stone]

17 hours ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

My take on her new job is that it is part of Sasha's manipulation of her and Barry. He seems to me like the kind of guy who would do that. He convinces Helen to help him pick out furniture for his house to get her more enmeshed with him and he recommends her to Barry's wife to keep them jumping through his hoops because the wife is so anxious to please Sasha and get her husband the movie deal. I think Sasha would find his control over her amusing.

Thank you for this great post (and the rest of it). Somehow I totally didn't pick up on the manipulation of Barry's wife (and Barry) to keep them on the hook while it sadistically amused him. The worst part of it all is that now Mr. and Mrs. Barry have to live in a house in which every single thing they see will remind them of their pain every single day.

[AngelaHunter]

19 hours ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

I don't think that either of them think Helen is some great decorator, Helen just interprets this from her perspective as a new career opportunity. I fully expect that new career comes to a close now that Sasha has done with that.

But is Helen really that naive and so easily manipulated and flattered? If someone said my house looks nice and I have good taste,  then invited me to come decorate the home of a millionaire I think my reaction might be, "Are you nuts? I have no qualifications or the knowledge to do that." But Helen is told by Sasha, "You helped me pick out a sofa, so !Poof! You are now Decorator to the Stars!" Helen, dazzled, says, "Yeah, I had that little vanity bric-a-brac store, so I can definitely do it!"

[Milburn Stone]

42 minutes ago, AngelaHunter said:

But is Helen really that naive and so easily manipulated and flattered? If someone said my house looks nice and I have good taste,  then invited me to come decorate the home of a millionaire I think my reaction might be, "Are you nuts? I have no qualifications or the knowledge to do that." But Helen is told by Sasha, "You helped me pick out a sofa, so !Poof! You are now Decorator to the Stars!" Helen, dazzled, says, "Yeah, I had that little vanity bric-a-brac store, so I can definitely do it!"

There is something surreal about this show--and maybe there always has been, and maybe that's the intention. Somehow it's about the private worlds we all live in--which include dreams. 

Not in the sense that in the finale, "Noah wakes up and it was all a dream." But in the sense that there's a blurry line between our conscious perceptions of the world and our subconscious. And a blurry line between our subconscious and a dream state.

Edited September 28, 2019 by Milburn Stone

[Rockfish]

20 hours ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

My take on her new job is that it is part of Sasha's manipulation of her and Barry. He seems to me like the kind of guy who would do that. He convinces Helen to help him pick out furniture for his house to get her more enmeshed with him and he recommends her to Barry's wife to keep them jumping through his hoops because ...He is only interested in her because of Noah and his obsession with controlling and putting down Noah. They are both just temporary conquests and amusements to him. That's what I think about Sasha. I guess we'll see if I'm right.

Great post! Sasha was also intrigued with Helen because of her initial disinterest in him—plus, not only did she not fawn all over him, she was critical of the performances. 

[JenE4]

19 hours ago, endure said:

I would guess there is more activity on this forum because there is so much more to snark about not because there are more viewers.  

This episode was probably the worst one yet—and that’s saying a lot! And yet, I still came here to read the posts because I knew my snarky fellow viewers would be the only thing to redeem the 42 minutes I spent watching this dreck. You did not disappoint! 

[endure]

On 9/24/2019 at 7:45 AM, AngelaHunter said:

On 9/23/2019 at 8:52 PM, ScoobieDoobs said:

I know(!) and may have even mentioned that. All these weirdly exaggerated sitcom characters - Super Dork and Super Gay and Super Asshole(s) and now with Sierra's mom, we have the stereotypical Super Bitch Mom (along with Super Crazy Mom Margaret) who storms in from nowhere, and is seemingly incapable of speaking in anything but bitchy one-liners, missing only rimshots. Unfortunately, it's not even a funny sitcom

You are bang on with this, almost all of the guys are jerks and all of women are very unlikeable especially the mothers!  It must be easier to develop unlikeable characters than likeable ones.  I see this a lot in these types of series and soap operas etc unfortunately it is hard to make a connection for the viewer.

[AngelaHunter]

2 hours ago, endure said:

 It must be easier to develop unlikeable characters than likeable ones.  I see this a lot in these types of series and soap operas etc unfortunately it is hard to make a connection for the viewer.

Agree. We do need unlikable characters to balance things out but the problem, in this season in particular, is that they are one-dimensional. The men - Noah, Sasha, Colin, that principal guy - are utter jerks who seem to have no redeeming qualities anymore. The women, for the most part, are pathetic doormats who will do anything and believe anything to keep jerk men around. Absolutes are boring and cartoonish and it's impossible to identify with any of them or to root for or care about anyone.

[Snewtsie]

16 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

Agree. We do need unlikable characters to balance things out but the problem, in this season in particular, is that they are one-dimensional. The men - Noah, Sasha, Colin, that principal guy - are utter jerks who seem to have no redeeming qualities anymore. The women, for the most part, are pathetic doormats who will do anything and believe anything to keep jerk men around. Absolutes are boring and cartoonish and it's impossible to identify with any of them or to root for or care about anyone.

Boom. Truth in this! It's really sad when we find our characters unlikeable even when the story is being told from their POV.  

[Blakeston]

On 9/24/2019 at 2:22 PM, izabella said:

Since we only see Priya from Helen's POV, I suspect Priya is not actually as bad as Helen sees her and she might not have said/done things the way they were shown.  There was a huge difference in the desperation with which Sierra asked Helen to babysit from her POV, and Helen's POV where Sierra is chill and lackadaisical and is just bitching she needs a break from being a mom for 4 months.  I have no doubt Priya as seen through Helen's eyes isn't the same thing as Prya from her own POV or maybe anyone else's POV.

Priya has been a dumpster fire of a human being in every perspective we've seen - even Vic's. She's a completely unreasonable, narcissistic control freak who looked down on everyone except Vic, who she relentlessly bullied.

I can't buy that Helen would be so submissive with her. When has she ever been the kind of person who would stand there meekly and let someone she hates hypocritically tell her off? Alison would totally do that, but it doesn't match what we know of Helen at all.

And speaking of dumpster fires, I finally managed to finish this episode (I keep falling behind because I find watching these episodes so horribly unpleasant, but I'm also very curious how the show is going to end, so I keep tormenting myself.)

Did the writers completely forget that Sierra has a bunch of friends? Her best friend was running interference between Helen and the doula when the baby was born. And she had all those friends at Joshua Tree last season who seemed to be very close to her. She didn't even think to ask any of them if they could watch her baby?

And how the hell did she get the lead in a highly anticipated Hollywood film from one audition? That's not how these things work. If the lead actress in such a film dropped out suddenly or was fired, they wouldn't just do an open casting and choose someone whose name they didn't know to begin shooting the next day based on how they read one scene. That's so ridiculous I don't even know where to begin.

[Aqua]

I was quite sure by the way Sierra was driving (trying to fishtail the car) that she was attempting to crash it in a way that would kill the baby.

[Aqua]

On 9/27/2019 at 7:39 PM, endure said:

I would guess there is more activity on this forum because there is so much more to snark about not because there are more viewers.  

 

On 9/27/2019 at 7:30 PM, scrb said:

But if activity on these forums is an indication, it seems there might be more people watching than some of the previous seasons.

 

There's less activity. The first few seasons there were 5 and 6 pages of comments and now there's only two. Less interest, methinks.

[debraran]

On 9/24/2019 at 2:26 PM, AngelaHunter said:

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I never got the impression there was any great, romantic love by Helen for Vik. He came along at a time when her life was in turmoil, he was persistant, and also someone Helen could lean on, so it may have been a case of "Why not?" and also an affirmation of her attractiveness to men, which surely was damaged by Noah's affair. She certainly "one-upped" Noah by ending up with this prime catch (and I don't mean that in any derogatory way).

I don't judge her for falling into bed with Sasha a scant three months after nursing Vik and watching him draw his last breath. These things are very complicated and individual.

I found it funny after rewatching ER recently, how Maura's character there was the end all and everyone wanted her and Helen, although cheated on, was the same thing. She was a mom of 4, not gorgeous but pretty, but all you heard was how great she was. She was the wronged wife, but she told Noah she could have had ANYONE, really could have but she picked him to be "safe". Max chased her like a puppy throughout the movie and hated her for not wanting him back and told her how "tight" she was. lol . Vic operates on her son and then falls in love with her and takes care of her 4 kids and moves in. She's afraid she doesn't love him but he is still there.  Sasha, a famous "can have anyone" producer, chases after her too and despite his reasons, still gives her attention and compliments and of course her decoration and design was superb! I found myself wondering if she knew the writer. ; )