I...didn’t miss that? But that only refers to STIs (that’s the only reason why the Philippines reference would be meaningful) which implies that she wasn’t on any other form of birth control, and thus in no way preventing getting pregnant with Lip’s child, which strikes me as a pretty significant decision that I would…

The only unbelievable part is that anyone would leave their sweet sweet Oxy in the open on a table like that. Everyone knows you keep your precious close to your heart at all times.

Agreed Fiona and Lip are the two most compelling characters on the show whose decisions good or bad made sense.

I’m confused by this: I completely understand Rossum’s decision to leave the show, and have never expressed otherwise. My frustration has been with the terrible decisions around it, which we’re only now seeing the full impact of given that Rossum didn’t inform the producers of the decision until they were deep into…

I find this response fascinating. To be honest, I never question the value of exploring the decline of a television show—it’s been on for nine seasons, and the built-up emotional investment makes exploring and understanding its failures to be a valuable critical project for me personally, and clearly for others who…

I mean, to be clear, I obviously have never experienced this myself, but I guess for me it was the efficiency: she just left the house, went to a corner, and some dude drove up to buy it. I would’ve liked to see a BIT of legwork on how that worked, although maybe the show has to avoid “educating” the audience on the…

Seems everything has to be anti-conservatism these days in popular culture and Shameless is right on board. The last few episodes making “The Wall” their attempt to throw their hat in and make a political statement with Kev and V’s storyline. That has been tolerable for a semi-conservative, I tend to not get worked up…

I understand. I also sided with the lady who didn’t want the kids selling lemonade in front of her house, but hesitate to admit it because I don’t want to be accused of being a racist. (I despise all children; I don’t care what color they are.)

As a book reader, fuck if that wasn’t borderline perfect. Abaddon’s Gate is one of my favorite books of the past couple of decades, and while slicing out a ridiculous chunk of the meat, I can still barely comprehend how the hell The Expanse’s team got the message through as thoroughly as they managed to. Hopeful SF…

She might have been doing just that (the smiling because of the wedge) but it struck me more as what happens when you are so close to something and also on the edge of an angry, bitter, cynical despair, and it all falls apart, because of course it does. There is no escape. What was she thinking? (that kind of smile)…

I think it’s intentional for you to feel this way towards his character. He’s meant to be pathetic, he embodies what these men really are: impotent, worthless blank slates who had to stamp down these powerful women to feel superior.

I think it might be because Fred is utterly weak. Serena was always the driving force. And now he has tasted power and enjoys it and all the corruption that comes with it while also acting pious. And he’s always been weak, yet (I assume) borne of privilege.

I think maybe we’ll see Serena as antihero? I don’t know, it would be cool to see her repent of everything she created just to be punished at the end of it like she clearly deserves.

I didn’t find the OfGlen2 suicide bombing a bad fit. The flashbacks showed repeated protests and RESIST! signs. OfGlen2 was the only handmaiden we’ve met who was cool with it all, because of how bad life had been for her before Gilead — until it got worse than before. She thought she understood how bad life could be,…

My feeling bad for her doesn’t outweigh the fact she’s a terrible person who did terrible things. But it does make her more human. People that are SO evil they have not one single thing you can empathize with are cartoonish and boring. I’d rather have the nuance.

Sorry, I’ll only address this legitimate request if framed as “We need to talk about needing to talk about things.”

This episode was not “disheartening.” It was devastating.

Lenny was actually written as a male role, but then cast with Aubrey Plaza with no dialogue changes. Whether or how that impacts your point, I don't know. I just found it to be an entertaining bit of trivia.

It's not a review (THAT's a real misuse of the word), it's just a tongue-in-cheek description. And it's my breakdown to be deemed pedantic, not the show. It's right there in the adjective+substantive structure.

Some really great acting from Emmy Rossum at the end there.  But overall I didn't like this episode much.  It was all so contrived.  "Fiona finally tries to let go of some responsibility, and whaddya know, Monica just happens to steal all the family's conveniently-poorly-hidden money!"  And of course nobody thinks to…