But no one in the family knows? I don't buy it, they have to be only a couple streets over from their home and we've seen them explore the city before. It's just a common sense thing and it bugged me way too much, haha.

Dumb as this is, I don't see how the Belchers don't know the streets well enough to not get lost. I mean, it seems like a fairly small city, they were just going to the beach which they do all the time, and it's a parade so it's not like it wasn't on fairly easy to get to main streets. How would they not know where…

I was just reading something about how nowadays people don't really react in tv and movies like they should following really scary or weird things. Audrey absolutely losing it was spot on.

I disagree, I don't think he faded into the background, I think he was just a good observer and better at jumping in with the right thing when it was time. I personally think that the kind of Shadow we see is a little too typical a protagonist, so it's kind of a shame that they couldn't preserve some of his stoicism.

Oh no, I'm not really putting it all on Whittle, I guess that was just shorthand speak for the all around portrayal of him. I think when we do see Shadow as the strong silent type it works, but I still see Shadow here as being too cocky and forward. Personally I just always found that the Shadow of the book was more…

I'm still not super in love with Whittle's portrayal. I always read Shadow as being much quieter and subtle. He's a little too brash and cocky in the show, like his whole meeting with Laura. I like that Laura called him cocky to his face, like maybe this just isn't the Shadow I was expecting, but it still throws me…

I worked for a couple days on this show and that damn Chuck dummy was creepy as hell. They kept moving it around corners so you never knew where to expect it.

See I think that was what made him interesting. I mean, what's unique about him now? He's kind of like every other dude on TV, confidant, bold, yadda yadda. It's not that the book Shadow was meek, he knew what he was capable of, he just kept his cards close to his chest.

I agree, I like that they cast Whittle, who definitely looks the part, but Shadow is supposed to be kind of quiet and introverted. His manner is supposed to downplay that he's this big hulking guy who's actually very smart. You're right, it doesn't feel like Shadow.

Episodes like these really make we want a flash-forward episode. Sure it's hoary and sentimental, but I'd still love to see how it all turns out for the Belcher bunch - and all their hanger-ons - like, 15 years in the future. I can't imagine them ever doing it, but I would love to see, for instance, what becomes of…

I agree, seeing what he can do definitely fits into the American Gods wheelhouse, I'm hoping that it was just first episode "pilot" syndrome, where it just kind of looks cheap.

What I mean is that it feel like it's kind of closed off, like I said everything feels like a set - even the scene in the cemetery. And "small time" street hustle doesn't mean that the depiction on the screen needs to feel small just because it's a minor thing. I don't think it needs to feel epic right away but I…

The book is one of my favorites and I went into this show with reservations. Just going off this episode the tone is my biggest qualm. It's too stilted and awkward, none of it feels settled or lived it; it's a little too…small? Like it feels like it's all on a set, even when it's obviously not, and the acting's not…

And yet it's still probably gonna be some skinny, tall white chick with blonde (or red in this case) hair…who probably still guest starred on some tv shows or something.

I can't help but find this show somewhat irritating. It's a lot of circular plotting and a lot of saying the exact same things over and over - especially with the children. I rewatched the movie after I finished this series and for all its faults, it has points over the show - particularly with the children's acting…

Something about Catherine Reitman's line delivery as Maureen tonight was just perfect. The way she says "I don't see why I can't have a tail" was brilliant.

I think this episode finally showed what this show is capable of, and finally fleshed out some of the characters that were getting really stagnant. I mean, this is the first episode I actually liked Eddie in! Was his handing over the game so he could earn it a pretty sappy, standard-sitcom moment? Yes, but at the same…

Oh ditto on the newspaper thing, and let me add billboards or signs. I swear in the past if there was a funny saying on a sign in the background they'd let the audience find it, but now they specifically go right up to it and sit there to make sure you get it.

I think the joke where Homer's got his head in the Venus fly trap and gives in like Burns suggests kind of epitomizes why the show doesn't really work for me anymore. The moment is kind of funny for a beat there, then Homer eeks out that 'D'Oh' and whatever it was dies. It's such an obvious and unnecessary addition…

Hmm, good point, but personally this movie had me literally laughing out loud through the first 10 minutes (and again for most of it), and I think that's hard to do with comedy these days. Unless 2015 brings us a new age of funny, I think I'm gonna hold onto that A- until the best of list in December.