So as you might have guessed from my not recapping all of the broadcast network upfronts this year, there was nothing really standing out in any offerings, either good or bad. For every interesting show (like the return of the Muppets), there were three shows were the only reasonable response was "meh."
Which also carried over to this year's running of the Ted Marshall Open, the Internet's greatest TV dead pool. Last year's slew of planned final seasons led to this year's dearth of them, and with few of the new shows really standing out for suckitude, this was one of the harder years to come up with 10 shows comfortably in the cancellation zone. Still, I made my picks, which are (from 10 to 1, most likely to get cancelled to least):
10 - American Idol. This was the no-brainer pick, given all of the press when it was announced this would be the show's final season.
9 - Truth Be Told. It's this year's generic multi-relationship comedy, with the added burden of being on NBC's Friday night lineup, needing to fend off The Amazing Race and ABC's TGIF lineup. It does not help that the show already has had a name change.
8 - Blood and Oil. It's Dallas for a new generation, starring Don Johnson and Chace Crawford! But it's up against football and The Good Wife. And has Once Upon a Time as a lead in. I couldn't see that wizards and fairy tale set naturally flowing into something so soapy and unmagical.
7 - Of Kings and Prophets. I took a bit of a flyer here, ignoring my usual rule about avoiding midseason shows that aren't a lock to air, as a prime time soap set in Biblical times seems ripe for being absolutely awful.
6 - The Mysteries of Laura. Still not sure how NBC brought this back - it seemed like it was on the cancellation side of the bubble - but as dead pool practice suggests, once a show is on your list you don't take it off.
5 - The Odd Couple. Also not sure why CBS brought this back.
4 - The Player. People betting on crime in Las Vegas is a little too high concept this season.
3 - The Guide to Surviving Life. Now Cooper Barret's Guide to Surviving Life, it features its title millenial giving advice to Gen Z on how to survive your early 20s. How this wound up on Fox rather than the CW I'll never know. Also a midseason show, so I've violated my rule twice.
2 - Heroes Reborn. I'm hopeful that it will recapture some of the magic of the first season or two, but am worried that it will just take up where things limped to the end and try to make us care about a bunch of new characters without improving the overall story.
1 - Undateable. The other generic (to my eyes, anyway) dating sitcom NBC is throwing at us on Friday nights. But one that managed to get renewed, so it gets put lower on the list. I'm still not sure how a show called Undateable works on Friday, when the people who are home are those who couldn't find a date.
And, as usual, the top ten choices among all participants include a few shows I did not pick.
Dr. Ken - Ken Jeong's TGIF sitcom, where he plays a doctor trying to balance work and family. The setup isn't particularly inventive (though does it have to be for TGIF?), and Jeong can be a lot to take (I wish I'd developed Changnesia for some of the Community episodes where his character figured prominently). The premiere won its time slot (not a particularly noteworthy accomplishment), and was the second most watched show of the night for broadcast (behind Shark Tank). Interested to see how much viewership falls off by this week.
Blindspot - One of the more high concept new shows, but I left it off because I thought (a) it's coming from the people behind The Blacklist, who have proven that they can do this kind of show, and (b) NBC did a nice job promoting the show over the summer. The promos were a good mix of exposition and mystery, and made me want to watch.
Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris - I passed on this because (a) I'm loathe to bet against the NPH, and (b) it's different enough (and likely cheap enough to produce relative to scripted shows) that even if ratings are middling it could stick around. I also thought the format of the show would allow for easier changes towards bits that appeal to viewers. NBC's been pushing it heavily on Today, which I expect will help.
Uncle Buck - This was apparently the one show where I stuck to my rule about midseason shows. I will say that I'm intrigued that the show is going to feature an African-American cast. Don't know if that will matter in the end.
So I think I feel pretty good about my choices, and in dodging some of the shows chosen by conventional wisdom (Blindspot was the highest-rated new show last week, while Best Time Ever was tied for 24th). Here's hoping for title number two!
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "Person to Person"
Three Up
1. Joan Harris. The episode opens with Richard telling Joan that her life is undeveloped real estate, and in time (and after a lunch with Ken Cosgrove), she finds something she wants to develop - a film production company, doing industrial films for Dow to start. She offers a partnership to Peggy, who declines, but Joan presses on. Her desire to build something of her own winds up driving Richard away. It's the crowning moment for Joan in the series, really, as she finally has true independence. And Kevin is also now getting part of Roger's estate when he dies, so he's even secure.
2. Peggy Olsen and Stan Rizzo. They're both staying at McCann, but in talking over Joan's offer to Peggy, and Peggy insulting Stan, they learn in their make-up phone call that they're in love with each other. There will be fans that will hate this, but it's the sort of professional and personal synthesis that kind of makes sense for someone as driven as Peggy. And Stan hanging up the phone while Peggy was talking to run up to her office was too cute.
3. Don Draper. Don starts the episode in Utah test driving cars, and now looks every bit a Whitman with his plaid shirts, jeans, and (relatively) untamed hair. He finally learns that Betty is sick, and calls her to say he's coming home, but she (and Sally before her) tell him to keep his distance. This leads him to California, and to Anna's niece Stephanie, where he's looking to crash a bit before heading back. But Stephanie takes him to some sort of New Age retreat up north, which eventually leads to him breaking down after calling Peggy to say goodbye. He's completely adrift until, in one session, he listens to an office worker talk about how he feels unloved and ignored. It's a cathartic moment for Don, as the troubles of this guy put his own issues in perspective. It also apparently leads Don to realize that the best solution for his issues is the one he used before: reinvention. The episode closes with Don in a meditation group, chanting om and smiling. He's at peace and one with the universe, the yin to New York Don's yang.
Honorable Mention: Roger Sterling and Marie Calvet. Marie has left Emile and come to New York, but she and Roger get in a fight because Marie thinks Roger will eventually throw her over. He responds by marrying her and apparently moving to Canada. They seem very happy in the last scene we see them in. As Joan noted, the timing finally worked out.
Three Down
1. Sally Draper. Sally breaks the news about Betty to Don, and then has to make the argument that it's better that he not come back to assert his fatherhood. She thinks it would be too much for Bobby and Gene, and that living with their uncle and aunt would be more stable. She makes no argument about herself, already assuming the mantle of adulthood. She later assumes a maternal role when she comes home to check in on everyone, and finds out that Bobby already knows (he overheard the fights between Betty and Henry). Sally cooks them dinner (Bobby tried but failed), and is still home washing dishes in the last scene we see her in, Betty sitting at the kitchen table and smoking. Welcome to adulthood.
2. Richard Burghoff. For all of Richard's talk about Joan's ability to do whatever she wants, Richard really wants Joan to be with him and not tied down. Her new business will tie her down, and he knows that, so he calls it off before things get ugly. Which is a wise move, but giving up Joan is a mistake.
3. Stephanie Horton. When Don arrives on her doorstep she assumes her folks sent him over to cause trouble over her son, who is being raised by the father's parents. Once they straighten out that Don is there simply because he wanted to check in, she invites him to the retreat. Which she leaves after people in a group session judge her on not wanting to be with her son. She leaves the retreat, going back into the world with the same baggage and problems as before. On the plus side, her conversation with Don before she leaves helps him, I think, as he talks with her about reinvention, potentially getting him to realize that starting over will be best for him.
Honorable Mention: Meredith. She gets canned once McCann realizes that Roger has been using her in addition to Caroline. She's still perky about her chances, agreeing with Roger that she'll land on her feet. Hopefully with a translation service in need of a pig Latin expert.
1. Joan Harris. The episode opens with Richard telling Joan that her life is undeveloped real estate, and in time (and after a lunch with Ken Cosgrove), she finds something she wants to develop - a film production company, doing industrial films for Dow to start. She offers a partnership to Peggy, who declines, but Joan presses on. Her desire to build something of her own winds up driving Richard away. It's the crowning moment for Joan in the series, really, as she finally has true independence. And Kevin is also now getting part of Roger's estate when he dies, so he's even secure.
2. Peggy Olsen and Stan Rizzo. They're both staying at McCann, but in talking over Joan's offer to Peggy, and Peggy insulting Stan, they learn in their make-up phone call that they're in love with each other. There will be fans that will hate this, but it's the sort of professional and personal synthesis that kind of makes sense for someone as driven as Peggy. And Stan hanging up the phone while Peggy was talking to run up to her office was too cute.
3. Don Draper. Don starts the episode in Utah test driving cars, and now looks every bit a Whitman with his plaid shirts, jeans, and (relatively) untamed hair. He finally learns that Betty is sick, and calls her to say he's coming home, but she (and Sally before her) tell him to keep his distance. This leads him to California, and to Anna's niece Stephanie, where he's looking to crash a bit before heading back. But Stephanie takes him to some sort of New Age retreat up north, which eventually leads to him breaking down after calling Peggy to say goodbye. He's completely adrift until, in one session, he listens to an office worker talk about how he feels unloved and ignored. It's a cathartic moment for Don, as the troubles of this guy put his own issues in perspective. It also apparently leads Don to realize that the best solution for his issues is the one he used before: reinvention. The episode closes with Don in a meditation group, chanting om and smiling. He's at peace and one with the universe, the yin to New York Don's yang.
Honorable Mention: Roger Sterling and Marie Calvet. Marie has left Emile and come to New York, but she and Roger get in a fight because Marie thinks Roger will eventually throw her over. He responds by marrying her and apparently moving to Canada. They seem very happy in the last scene we see them in. As Joan noted, the timing finally worked out.
Three Down
1. Sally Draper. Sally breaks the news about Betty to Don, and then has to make the argument that it's better that he not come back to assert his fatherhood. She thinks it would be too much for Bobby and Gene, and that living with their uncle and aunt would be more stable. She makes no argument about herself, already assuming the mantle of adulthood. She later assumes a maternal role when she comes home to check in on everyone, and finds out that Bobby already knows (he overheard the fights between Betty and Henry). Sally cooks them dinner (Bobby tried but failed), and is still home washing dishes in the last scene we see her in, Betty sitting at the kitchen table and smoking. Welcome to adulthood.
2. Richard Burghoff. For all of Richard's talk about Joan's ability to do whatever she wants, Richard really wants Joan to be with him and not tied down. Her new business will tie her down, and he knows that, so he calls it off before things get ugly. Which is a wise move, but giving up Joan is a mistake.
3. Stephanie Horton. When Don arrives on her doorstep she assumes her folks sent him over to cause trouble over her son, who is being raised by the father's parents. Once they straighten out that Don is there simply because he wanted to check in, she invites him to the retreat. Which she leaves after people in a group session judge her on not wanting to be with her son. She leaves the retreat, going back into the world with the same baggage and problems as before. On the plus side, her conversation with Don before she leaves helps him, I think, as he talks with her about reinvention, potentially getting him to realize that starting over will be best for him.
Honorable Mention: Meredith. She gets canned once McCann realizes that Roger has been using her in addition to Caroline. She's still perky about her chances, agreeing with Roger that she'll land on her feet. Hopefully with a translation service in need of a pig Latin expert.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
2015 Upfronts: Fox
What's Cancelled? The only relatively new cancellations are The Mindy Project (which was announced last week, with the potential that Hulu may pick it up) and The Following.
The New Lineup:
Monday: Gotham opens the night, followed by Minority Report, a TV version of the movie where one of the precogs has secretly returned to fighting crime, aided by a cop with a troubled past. They're once again trying to prevent crimes before they happen, so sort of a Person of Interest without the computer. I would have more faith in this if Fox had a better track record with shows set in the future.
Monday will also see the return of The X-Files in January.
Tuesday: is all new, and opens with a pair of sitcoms. Grandfathered stars John Stamos as a bachelor who learns that he's not only a father, but a grandfather. He then has to balance his new family with his work family, and work out the love lives of his son and himself. This is followed by The Grinder, in which a TV lawyer (Rob Lowe), finding his show cancelled, moves home to work in his family's law firm, to the consternation of his brother (Fred Savage) and father (William Devane). I find the latter show more interesting than the former.
The following hour gives us Scream Queens, Ryan Murphy's follow-up to Glee. An elite sorority is forced to open its pledge process to all students, which apparently causes a killing spree. We'll get another body each week until the killer is found, or something. I'm dubious about this one, if only because of how Glee wandered for most of its run.
New Girl returns later in the year, followed by a new comedy, The Guide to Surviving Life. The new show follows a group of young people who are living together for the first time. Probably a good match for New Girl and for viewers who don't remember Friends.
Wednesday: Opens with Rosewood, in which a brilliant private pathologist (Morris Chestnut) uses his sophisticated lab and skilled assistants (his sister and her fiancee) to find clues that the Miami PD missed. Which leads me to wonder why the Miami PD doesn't just have him do their autopsies to begin with. And there's a detective with her own inner demons for him to clash with, of course.
This is followed by Empire, which doesn't seem like the most natural combination.
Thursday: Bones, followed by Sleepy Hollow in a new time slot.
Friday: Masterchef Junior, follwed by the clip show World's Funniest.
Saturday: college football
Sunday: unchanged, notable in that midseason comedy The Last Man on Earth will return in the 9:30 slot after Family Guy.
Midseason?
*Lucifer, based on a comic book where the fallen angel moves to Los Angeles to punish bad guys, although living in LA means he's not keeping the peace in Hell, which may allow evil beings to escape (from a hellmouth?). Seems very Buffy/Angelish.
* The Frankenstein Code, where a septugenarian sheriff is killed by mobsters but brought back to life by a couple of thirtysomething techies, with some unpredictable superpowers thrown in to boot. I assume the reanimated lawman is not afraid of fire?
* Bordertown, an animated comedy from Seth MacFarlane set in a town on the US-Mexico border. Which I assume will allow him to use all of the jokes left over from The Cleveland Show, only edited to be about Mexicans.
We're also getting a live version of Grease, as Fox horns in on NBC's territory. And, as noted pretty much everywhere, American Idol will return for its final season.
Thoughts?
Seems like Fox is betting heavily on sci-fi/fantasy themed programming, which hasn't quite worked out for them in the past. But if they can embrace it, and give shows time to develop, it could work out very well for them. And while there may be derivative notes in some of the new shows, they are at least for older shows that may not be as familiar to current 18 to 34 year olds; it's new to them!
The New Lineup:
Monday: Gotham opens the night, followed by Minority Report, a TV version of the movie where one of the precogs has secretly returned to fighting crime, aided by a cop with a troubled past. They're once again trying to prevent crimes before they happen, so sort of a Person of Interest without the computer. I would have more faith in this if Fox had a better track record with shows set in the future.
Monday will also see the return of The X-Files in January.
Tuesday: is all new, and opens with a pair of sitcoms. Grandfathered stars John Stamos as a bachelor who learns that he's not only a father, but a grandfather. He then has to balance his new family with his work family, and work out the love lives of his son and himself. This is followed by The Grinder, in which a TV lawyer (Rob Lowe), finding his show cancelled, moves home to work in his family's law firm, to the consternation of his brother (Fred Savage) and father (William Devane). I find the latter show more interesting than the former.
The following hour gives us Scream Queens, Ryan Murphy's follow-up to Glee. An elite sorority is forced to open its pledge process to all students, which apparently causes a killing spree. We'll get another body each week until the killer is found, or something. I'm dubious about this one, if only because of how Glee wandered for most of its run.
New Girl returns later in the year, followed by a new comedy, The Guide to Surviving Life. The new show follows a group of young people who are living together for the first time. Probably a good match for New Girl and for viewers who don't remember Friends.
Wednesday: Opens with Rosewood, in which a brilliant private pathologist (Morris Chestnut) uses his sophisticated lab and skilled assistants (his sister and her fiancee) to find clues that the Miami PD missed. Which leads me to wonder why the Miami PD doesn't just have him do their autopsies to begin with. And there's a detective with her own inner demons for him to clash with, of course.
This is followed by Empire, which doesn't seem like the most natural combination.
Thursday: Bones, followed by Sleepy Hollow in a new time slot.
Friday: Masterchef Junior, follwed by the clip show World's Funniest.
Saturday: college football
Sunday: unchanged, notable in that midseason comedy The Last Man on Earth will return in the 9:30 slot after Family Guy.
Midseason?
*Lucifer, based on a comic book where the fallen angel moves to Los Angeles to punish bad guys, although living in LA means he's not keeping the peace in Hell, which may allow evil beings to escape (from a hellmouth?). Seems very Buffy/Angelish.
* The Frankenstein Code, where a septugenarian sheriff is killed by mobsters but brought back to life by a couple of thirtysomething techies, with some unpredictable superpowers thrown in to boot. I assume the reanimated lawman is not afraid of fire?
* Bordertown, an animated comedy from Seth MacFarlane set in a town on the US-Mexico border. Which I assume will allow him to use all of the jokes left over from The Cleveland Show, only edited to be about Mexicans.
We're also getting a live version of Grease, as Fox horns in on NBC's territory. And, as noted pretty much everywhere, American Idol will return for its final season.
Thoughts?
Seems like Fox is betting heavily on sci-fi/fantasy themed programming, which hasn't quite worked out for them in the past. But if they can embrace it, and give shows time to develop, it could work out very well for them. And while there may be derivative notes in some of the new shows, they are at least for older shows that may not be as familiar to current 18 to 34 year olds; it's new to them!
Monday, May 11, 2015
2015 Upfronts: NBC
It's the most wonderful time of the TV year: the broadcast networks trout out their planned schedules for the upcoming season, in the hopes of selling as much ad time as possible. NBC and Fox go today, ABC tomorrow, CBS Wednesday, and The CW on Thursday. Let's start with the Peacock.
What's Cancelled? Nothing surprising, really, and mostly things that have already been cancelled. Most notable shows not coming back include Parks and Rec, Parenthood (both planned endings), State of Affairs, The Sing-Off, Allegiance, and Constantine.
The New Lineup. Here's what's on tap for the fall:
Monday: The Voice for two hours, with Blindspot moving in at 10. This new drama sees a woman wake up in Times Square not knowing who she is or how she got there. She's also only covered by a set of intricate tattoos, one of which is the name of a FBI agent. Working together, they realize that her tats are related to crimes, and that solving them will help the woman get back her identity and apparently expose some sort of international conspiracy. If it's done well it might not be bad, but I'm sensing this as every international conspiracy show of the last decade with a Blacklist overlay.
Tuesday: begins with The Voice, and then moves to new drama Heartbreaker, about a heart surgeon whose professional brilliance in a male-dominated field may only be matched by a "racy" personal life. This is the latest attempt to find a Grey's Anatomy for a younger set, I'm guessing.
The day wraps with what might be the most interesting new show of the year, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. It's a return to the variety show, promising music, comedy, stunts, audience participation, and various giveaways. I'll admit to being intrigued.
Wednesday: No changes here, with The Mysteries of Laura (so much for a repeat win in the Ted Marshall Open) followed by Law & Order: SVU and then Chicago PD.
Thursday: Starts with the reboot of Heroes, which still seems like a bad idea. That's followed by The Blacklist, and then The Player, which stars Wesley Snipes as a special ops guy turned Las Vegas security pro who is tasked to stop major crimes by a shadowy group of millionaires. This may also help Snipes finally learn the truth about the death of his wife, because working for a shadowy group of millionaires to stop major crimes isn't enough. I just hope Snipes gets his withholding correct this time around.
Friday: The one relocated show is Undateable, which kicks off the evening, followed by People are Talking, in which to diverse couples who live next door to each other talk about life, love and... sorry, I fell asleep in the middle of the synopsis. Marc-Paul Gosselaar stars, for those of you still upset about Saved by the Bell not getting the reboot treatment.
Grimm and Dateline round out the evening.
Saturday: Dateline followed by vintage SNL repeats.
Sunday: Football scores, followed by football game.
Midseason?
Chicago Fire comes back in November in place of NPH's show, and there are a variety of unscripted programs (Celebrity Apprentice, The Biggest Loser, etc.) that aren't on the schedule but will likely fill some cracks. As far as new scripted shows go, we have:
* The reboot of Coach, where Hayden Fox comes out of retirement to help his son, who is the head football coach at an Ivy League school where the eggheads don't know sports.
* Hot & Bothered, a sitcom set behind the scenes of a telenovela. Eva Longoria stars.
* Crowded, about empty nesters who suddenly have children and parents living with them. The description calls this setting "timely," which is probably true if we're measuring in geologic time.
* Superstore, a big box workplace comedy starring America Ferrara and Ben Feldman. This is closer to timely, NBC, especially if the leads started working their after losing their jobs in the Great Recession.
* You, Me and the End of the World, an apocalyptic comedy about a group of misfits whose lives intersect in the shadow of an impending collision between the Earth and a comet. Stars Rob Lowe, Jenna Fischer and Megan Mullaly.
*Chicago Med, another Chicago Fire spinoff. Looking forward to next year's Chicago Sanitation.
* Game of Silence, which strikes me as Revenge combined with I Know What you Did Last Summer, when a secret shared by a group of high school friends comes to light 25 years later.
* Shades of Blue, about a crooked cop (Jennifer Lopez!) who has to turn on her fellow crooked cops when she gets pinched by the FBI.
Also, we're getting a live version of The Wiz this season.
Thoughts?
First thought is that after years of giving NBC crap about turnover, they've done a nice job of developing some shows with staying power. Quick second thought is that they've only got one hour of traditional sitcoms for the fall, and it's on Friday. Must See Thursday is well and truly dead.
There's not much among the new shows that really piques my interest, other than the variety show, and that's less about content than format. But I also think the new shows are OK, not so derivative to be obvious about who they're ripping off but not so original to potentially be off-putting (though People are Talking sounds dreadful). So good work, I guess?
What's Cancelled? Nothing surprising, really, and mostly things that have already been cancelled. Most notable shows not coming back include Parks and Rec, Parenthood (both planned endings), State of Affairs, The Sing-Off, Allegiance, and Constantine.
The New Lineup. Here's what's on tap for the fall:
Monday: The Voice for two hours, with Blindspot moving in at 10. This new drama sees a woman wake up in Times Square not knowing who she is or how she got there. She's also only covered by a set of intricate tattoos, one of which is the name of a FBI agent. Working together, they realize that her tats are related to crimes, and that solving them will help the woman get back her identity and apparently expose some sort of international conspiracy. If it's done well it might not be bad, but I'm sensing this as every international conspiracy show of the last decade with a Blacklist overlay.
Tuesday: begins with The Voice, and then moves to new drama Heartbreaker, about a heart surgeon whose professional brilliance in a male-dominated field may only be matched by a "racy" personal life. This is the latest attempt to find a Grey's Anatomy for a younger set, I'm guessing.
The day wraps with what might be the most interesting new show of the year, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. It's a return to the variety show, promising music, comedy, stunts, audience participation, and various giveaways. I'll admit to being intrigued.
Wednesday: No changes here, with The Mysteries of Laura (so much for a repeat win in the Ted Marshall Open) followed by Law & Order: SVU and then Chicago PD.
Thursday: Starts with the reboot of Heroes, which still seems like a bad idea. That's followed by The Blacklist, and then The Player, which stars Wesley Snipes as a special ops guy turned Las Vegas security pro who is tasked to stop major crimes by a shadowy group of millionaires. This may also help Snipes finally learn the truth about the death of his wife, because working for a shadowy group of millionaires to stop major crimes isn't enough. I just hope Snipes gets his withholding correct this time around.
Friday: The one relocated show is Undateable, which kicks off the evening, followed by People are Talking, in which to diverse couples who live next door to each other talk about life, love and... sorry, I fell asleep in the middle of the synopsis. Marc-Paul Gosselaar stars, for those of you still upset about Saved by the Bell not getting the reboot treatment.
Grimm and Dateline round out the evening.
Saturday: Dateline followed by vintage SNL repeats.
Sunday: Football scores, followed by football game.
Midseason?
Chicago Fire comes back in November in place of NPH's show, and there are a variety of unscripted programs (Celebrity Apprentice, The Biggest Loser, etc.) that aren't on the schedule but will likely fill some cracks. As far as new scripted shows go, we have:
* The reboot of Coach, where Hayden Fox comes out of retirement to help his son, who is the head football coach at an Ivy League school where the eggheads don't know sports.
* Hot & Bothered, a sitcom set behind the scenes of a telenovela. Eva Longoria stars.
* Crowded, about empty nesters who suddenly have children and parents living with them. The description calls this setting "timely," which is probably true if we're measuring in geologic time.
* Superstore, a big box workplace comedy starring America Ferrara and Ben Feldman. This is closer to timely, NBC, especially if the leads started working their after losing their jobs in the Great Recession.
* You, Me and the End of the World, an apocalyptic comedy about a group of misfits whose lives intersect in the shadow of an impending collision between the Earth and a comet. Stars Rob Lowe, Jenna Fischer and Megan Mullaly.
*Chicago Med, another Chicago Fire spinoff. Looking forward to next year's Chicago Sanitation.
* Game of Silence, which strikes me as Revenge combined with I Know What you Did Last Summer, when a secret shared by a group of high school friends comes to light 25 years later.
* Shades of Blue, about a crooked cop (Jennifer Lopez!) who has to turn on her fellow crooked cops when she gets pinched by the FBI.
Also, we're getting a live version of The Wiz this season.
Thoughts?
First thought is that after years of giving NBC crap about turnover, they've done a nice job of developing some shows with staying power. Quick second thought is that they've only got one hour of traditional sitcoms for the fall, and it's on Friday. Must See Thursday is well and truly dead.
There's not much among the new shows that really piques my interest, other than the variety show, and that's less about content than format. But I also think the new shows are OK, not so derivative to be obvious about who they're ripping off but not so original to potentially be off-putting (though People are Talking sounds dreadful). So good work, I guess?
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "Milk and Honey Route"
Three Up
1. Pete Campbell. Pete runs into Duck in the elevator at McCann, and it turns into Duck talking Pete into meeting with an executive from a private jet service. This is actually Duck trying to get Pete into a senior position with the company, which Pete turns down because he's happy at McCann. At least he is until Duck is able to work the company into an offer that matches what Pete would get from McCann. Pete rushes to Trudy with the news, proposing that they all move to Wichita and resume family life, which Trudy accepts.
2. Don Draper. Don is still on his road trip, keeping tabs with the kids and enjoying not being at McCann. His car breaks down somewhere in Oklahoma, and he's stuck there for nearly a week before it can get fixed. He gets in good with some of the locals, enough to get invited to a social for veterans (which is actually a fundraiser, at which he is able to admit that he caused his CO's death). Don later takes a phone book to the face a few times when he's suspected of stealing the fundraiser proceeds (the locals know he has money, and seem to think this is how he gets it). Turns out the thief is the handyman at the motel, and Don gets him to return the money, and gives him a quick lesson on being a con man and the negative aspect of living under a false name. Don gives the kid a ride to the bus station, but then gives the kid his car. The episode ends with Don sitting at the bus stop, huge grin on his face. He's gotten rid the last physical reminder of his New York life and is apparently looking forward to letting Greyhound do the driving.
3. Duck Phillips. Duck gets to eat for the rest of the year! Nice bit of work maneuvering Pete into the new job, maybe not so nice that he's apparently back on the sauce. Probably too much to ask that we'll have one more great drunk Duck scene.
Honorable Mention: Trudy Campbell. For all the great backbone that Trudy's shown as a divorcee in the suburbs, it turns out that she's spent the last couple of years waiting for Pete to come back and declare his love for her. She's not forgotten what he's done, but she seems amenable to moving on. Which I'm not sure I'm happy about, but it'd be nice to have a happy Trudy back, even if we don't get to see it.
Three Down
1. Betty Francis. HOLY CRAP BETTY HAS TERMINAL CANCER. A fall at school leads to the discovery that she's got lung cancer that's spread to bones and lymph nodes, and could have a year if she submits to various treatments. She's not going to do this, much to Henry's dismay. Betty asks Henry to not tell the kids until she figures out how she wants to do it, so of course he goes and tells Sally. This leads to Sally coming home, ostensibly to talk Betty into treatment, but Betty gives Sally a pretty good explanation about knowing when something is over, and how fighting that is generally not worth the trouble. This is easily the most adult thing we've ever seen Betty do.
Also, between Anna and Betty, Megan should use some of the million that Don gave her to get regular cancer screenings. Being Mrs. Don Draper is apparently carcinogenic.
2. Sally Draper. Sally is apparently going to be the responsible adult when it comes to Betty's death, as Betty gives Sally postmortem instructions, noting that Henry isn't going to be any use once it happens. So Sally is going to have to deal with helping him through as well. She can't even tell her brothers what's going on, and doesn't have a way to tell Don until he calls again. So she's carrying this on her own, at least for now. And she has to sell her field hockey equipment, what a drag.
3. Henry Francis. When Henry breaks down after telling Sally about Betty, it's the first and best clue that Betty's assessment is correct. He's also in pretty heavy denial, doing research into oncologists and telling Betty that she's always been lucky. He is going to make a horrible widower.
Honorable Mention: Al Bettendorf. The drunk vet burns down his kitchen, and then beats up a stranger who he thinks stole the money raised to fix it. Wonder who he'll beat up next year when they have to have another fundraiser to rebuild whatever he burns down next.
1. Pete Campbell. Pete runs into Duck in the elevator at McCann, and it turns into Duck talking Pete into meeting with an executive from a private jet service. This is actually Duck trying to get Pete into a senior position with the company, which Pete turns down because he's happy at McCann. At least he is until Duck is able to work the company into an offer that matches what Pete would get from McCann. Pete rushes to Trudy with the news, proposing that they all move to Wichita and resume family life, which Trudy accepts.
2. Don Draper. Don is still on his road trip, keeping tabs with the kids and enjoying not being at McCann. His car breaks down somewhere in Oklahoma, and he's stuck there for nearly a week before it can get fixed. He gets in good with some of the locals, enough to get invited to a social for veterans (which is actually a fundraiser, at which he is able to admit that he caused his CO's death). Don later takes a phone book to the face a few times when he's suspected of stealing the fundraiser proceeds (the locals know he has money, and seem to think this is how he gets it). Turns out the thief is the handyman at the motel, and Don gets him to return the money, and gives him a quick lesson on being a con man and the negative aspect of living under a false name. Don gives the kid a ride to the bus station, but then gives the kid his car. The episode ends with Don sitting at the bus stop, huge grin on his face. He's gotten rid the last physical reminder of his New York life and is apparently looking forward to letting Greyhound do the driving.
3. Duck Phillips. Duck gets to eat for the rest of the year! Nice bit of work maneuvering Pete into the new job, maybe not so nice that he's apparently back on the sauce. Probably too much to ask that we'll have one more great drunk Duck scene.
Honorable Mention: Trudy Campbell. For all the great backbone that Trudy's shown as a divorcee in the suburbs, it turns out that she's spent the last couple of years waiting for Pete to come back and declare his love for her. She's not forgotten what he's done, but she seems amenable to moving on. Which I'm not sure I'm happy about, but it'd be nice to have a happy Trudy back, even if we don't get to see it.
Three Down
1. Betty Francis. HOLY CRAP BETTY HAS TERMINAL CANCER. A fall at school leads to the discovery that she's got lung cancer that's spread to bones and lymph nodes, and could have a year if she submits to various treatments. She's not going to do this, much to Henry's dismay. Betty asks Henry to not tell the kids until she figures out how she wants to do it, so of course he goes and tells Sally. This leads to Sally coming home, ostensibly to talk Betty into treatment, but Betty gives Sally a pretty good explanation about knowing when something is over, and how fighting that is generally not worth the trouble. This is easily the most adult thing we've ever seen Betty do.
Also, between Anna and Betty, Megan should use some of the million that Don gave her to get regular cancer screenings. Being Mrs. Don Draper is apparently carcinogenic.
2. Sally Draper. Sally is apparently going to be the responsible adult when it comes to Betty's death, as Betty gives Sally postmortem instructions, noting that Henry isn't going to be any use once it happens. So Sally is going to have to deal with helping him through as well. She can't even tell her brothers what's going on, and doesn't have a way to tell Don until he calls again. So she's carrying this on her own, at least for now. And she has to sell her field hockey equipment, what a drag.
3. Henry Francis. When Henry breaks down after telling Sally about Betty, it's the first and best clue that Betty's assessment is correct. He's also in pretty heavy denial, doing research into oncologists and telling Betty that she's always been lucky. He is going to make a horrible widower.
Honorable Mention: Al Bettendorf. The drunk vet burns down his kitchen, and then beats up a stranger who he thinks stole the money raised to fix it. Wonder who he'll beat up next year when they have to have another fundraiser to rebuild whatever he burns down next.
Sunday, May 03, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "Lost Horizon"
Three Up
1. Pete Campbell. We see very little of Pete in this episode, but it seems clear that Pete is the one SC&P partner who is really fitting in at McCann (Ted seems OK too, but maybe not to the same level as Pete). He kind of wins by default given how things go for everyone else.
2. Peggy Olson. She's having a rough start at McCann, as her office isn't ready and her boxes get sent back to SC&P. She keeps working at the old office, and discovers that Roger is still hanging around. They spend the second half of the episode getting drunk, but they do talk enough that Peggy, when she finally shows up at McCann, comes in with confidence.
3. Betty Francis. Also a short appearance, but kind of a sweet one with Don involving Sally and Betty's return to school. She's doing what she says she's always wanted to do, and Don is genuinely happy for her.
Honorable Mention: Roger Sterling. He's still processing the move and his role in it, but his drinking with Peggy helps him to see how the move might just be the kick in the pants he needs. Not sure he'll fit in at McCann, but he does help Joan make an important decision.
Three Down
1. Joan Harris. Things are going just as expected for Joan at McCann. No one takes her seriously, and she's unlikely to get any more accounts than those she brought over. She's also being saddled with a McCann exec, who more or less expect that she's going to be arm candy - or more. This leads to a tense meeting with Jim Hobart, who offers Joan half of what she's due to disappear. She threatens a lawsuit involving the EEOC and ACLU, but eventually takes the deal. She's equal parts furious, embarrassed and sad, but in the long run this may be the best for her. Especially if this frees her up to finally be happy in her personal life.
2. Don Draper. Don appears to be settling in reasonably well, and Jim Hobart is clearly smitten. Accounts are lining up for Don, including a return to Hilton and a new account with Miller beer that McCann more or less got specifically for Don. But he's clearly not all the way there, and when the first Miller meeting mentions Wisconsin, Don thinks of Diana and how she's apparently returned home. This leads Don to leave the meeting and, eventually, drive to Racine to find her. He doesn't, but does meet her ex-husband, who wants nothing to do with Diana or Don. Don is now fully adrift, and has apparently decided to keep going westward.
3. Jim Hobart. He's landed his "white whale" in Don, but his happiness in finally bringing SC&P in is short-lived. Don goes AWOL, Joan threatens a lawsuit which leads to a buyout, and Roger, when he finally shows up, is less of an ally than expected. Maybe Jim should have stayed in the Bahamas.
Honorable Mention: Ferg Donnelly. No happy fun time with Joan in Atlanta. Which is possibly a good thing for him, as Joan's new man would likely have him disappeared by one of those guys he occasionally calls.
1. Pete Campbell. We see very little of Pete in this episode, but it seems clear that Pete is the one SC&P partner who is really fitting in at McCann (Ted seems OK too, but maybe not to the same level as Pete). He kind of wins by default given how things go for everyone else.
2. Peggy Olson. She's having a rough start at McCann, as her office isn't ready and her boxes get sent back to SC&P. She keeps working at the old office, and discovers that Roger is still hanging around. They spend the second half of the episode getting drunk, but they do talk enough that Peggy, when she finally shows up at McCann, comes in with confidence.
3. Betty Francis. Also a short appearance, but kind of a sweet one with Don involving Sally and Betty's return to school. She's doing what she says she's always wanted to do, and Don is genuinely happy for her.
Honorable Mention: Roger Sterling. He's still processing the move and his role in it, but his drinking with Peggy helps him to see how the move might just be the kick in the pants he needs. Not sure he'll fit in at McCann, but he does help Joan make an important decision.
Three Down
1. Joan Harris. Things are going just as expected for Joan at McCann. No one takes her seriously, and she's unlikely to get any more accounts than those she brought over. She's also being saddled with a McCann exec, who more or less expect that she's going to be arm candy - or more. This leads to a tense meeting with Jim Hobart, who offers Joan half of what she's due to disappear. She threatens a lawsuit involving the EEOC and ACLU, but eventually takes the deal. She's equal parts furious, embarrassed and sad, but in the long run this may be the best for her. Especially if this frees her up to finally be happy in her personal life.
2. Don Draper. Don appears to be settling in reasonably well, and Jim Hobart is clearly smitten. Accounts are lining up for Don, including a return to Hilton and a new account with Miller beer that McCann more or less got specifically for Don. But he's clearly not all the way there, and when the first Miller meeting mentions Wisconsin, Don thinks of Diana and how she's apparently returned home. This leads Don to leave the meeting and, eventually, drive to Racine to find her. He doesn't, but does meet her ex-husband, who wants nothing to do with Diana or Don. Don is now fully adrift, and has apparently decided to keep going westward.
3. Jim Hobart. He's landed his "white whale" in Don, but his happiness in finally bringing SC&P in is short-lived. Don goes AWOL, Joan threatens a lawsuit which leads to a buyout, and Roger, when he finally shows up, is less of an ally than expected. Maybe Jim should have stayed in the Bahamas.
Honorable Mention: Ferg Donnelly. No happy fun time with Joan in Atlanta. Which is possibly a good thing for him, as Joan's new man would likely have him disappeared by one of those guys he occasionally calls.
Monday, April 27, 2015
What About Don?
I have to admit to having second thoughts about not including Don Draper in the most recent Three Up, Three Down. It was not a good episode for him, from the aborted pitch to McCann about keeping SC&P West running to not being able to find Diana to his inability to pitch the folding into McCann as a new beginning to the SC&P staff. As has been the case for this half season, Don is losing parts of him at every turn, to the point where all he has is his assumed name.
But I left him off because the four people had arguably worse episodes. Joan, whose position as an executive has always been shaky, is going to get sidelined at McCann. Peggy has to go to McCann if she wants the sort of career success she's already identified as what she wants (all while keeping the stress of giving up her son under the surface). Roger is facing mortality even more squarely than usual, with the Sterling name now, as he notes, ultimately only naming the family crypt. And Trudy Campbell is facing parts of all of these issues, being a single divorced mom who knows that, soon, the husbands who keep sniffing around will stop doing so.
So as much as this episode continued Don's decline, I don't think it did so in a way that made things as measurably bad for him as the episode did for others. I do think Don's the one character in this group who is least likely to find the new beginning that he tried to sell to his SC&P colleagues. Unless he decides to head west on his own to take over the SC&P West space (maybe with Joan in tow if she decides to marry her new beau?).
But I left him off because the four people had arguably worse episodes. Joan, whose position as an executive has always been shaky, is going to get sidelined at McCann. Peggy has to go to McCann if she wants the sort of career success she's already identified as what she wants (all while keeping the stress of giving up her son under the surface). Roger is facing mortality even more squarely than usual, with the Sterling name now, as he notes, ultimately only naming the family crypt. And Trudy Campbell is facing parts of all of these issues, being a single divorced mom who knows that, soon, the husbands who keep sniffing around will stop doing so.
So as much as this episode continued Don's decline, I don't think it did so in a way that made things as measurably bad for him as the episode did for others. I do think Don's the one character in this group who is least likely to find the new beginning that he tried to sell to his SC&P colleagues. Unless he decides to head west on his own to take over the SC&P West space (maybe with Joan in tow if she decides to marry her new beau?).
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "Time & Life"
Three Up
1. Pete Campbell. OK, it feels very odd to put Pete here, especially as his role in this last half of the season has been minimal, but for once he has an episode where he's (mostly) not a schmuck. He works gamely to keep Dow Chemical, even when Ken is clearly jerking them around. He stands up for both his wife and daughter in regards to day school admissions (he even gets to settle a score related to an ancient clan feud). And after the meeting where McCann says the absorbsion of SC&P is a done deal, he even has a good moment with Joan. He also gives Peggy a head's up on the move to McCann, which is also surprisingly chivalrous.
2. Lou Avery. He had to go overseas to do it, but Lou finally found someone interested in turning Scout's Honor into a cartoon. He's moving to Tokyo and working with the same studio that did Speed Racer. Roger is probably right that the Japanese will eat Lou alive, but for now Lou is pretty happy with himself - especially as he got to deliver the news to Don in typical asshole fashion.
3. Ted Chaough. Ted's happy with the move to McCann, as it means he'll stay in New York and get to work on the pharmaceutical account he's always wanted (assuming Jim Hobart isn't full of it), and not have to be in a leadership role. He'll also get to work on his new relationship with a woman he knew in college.
Honorable Mention: McCann-Erickson. Folding SC&P was pretty much always in the cards, you'd have to think. The only down side is that they'll have to cut loose some conflicting accounts, which they'll likely make up elsewhere.
Three Down
1. Joan Harris. The folding is going to be especially hard for Joan, given how poorly they've treated her to date. She's also the only partner to whom Jim Hobart doesn't mention a specific, high-level account. She's going to be sidelined at McCann, and will be lucky to even keep Avon. The only bright side to this is that her new beau is dropping everything to come to New York to help Joan through the difficulties.
2. Peggy Olson. On the personal front, a casting call with children brings up tough memories for Peggy, which leads her to tell Stan about her son. She makes the argument that women should be able to move on from giving up a child just like men, but may not completely believe her own argument. Professionally, Peggy meets with a headhunter to see what her options are, and he suggests staying with McCann. Three years and she'll be able to write her ticket. But she's ambivalent about staying given that her treatment by the McCann execs. In the end she decides to stick with McCann and forward her career.
3. Roger Sterling. As one of the prime movers of the McCann deal, Roger feels pretty guilty about what's happening, and that he's pretty much powerless to stop it. When the announcement is made to the SC&P staff, Roger is unable to hold the audience, which dissolves into several small conversations before the staff walks off on their own. Roger also has to admit to Don that he's in a relationship with Marie and explain why he'd not mentioned it previously.
Honorable Mention: Trudy Campbell. The issues with Tammy not getting into Greenwich Country Day, outside of the ancient MacDonald-Campbell feud, mostly lie with Trudy. Trudy didn't submit applications to other schools, which struck the headmaster at GCD as arrogant. Trudy also didn't share all of the information about Trudy's rejection with Pete (low test scores, for example). Trudy also is having larger issues living in the suburbs as a divorced mom - the husbands won't stop pestering her, and she fears that in 10 years no one will want to pester her.
1. Pete Campbell. OK, it feels very odd to put Pete here, especially as his role in this last half of the season has been minimal, but for once he has an episode where he's (mostly) not a schmuck. He works gamely to keep Dow Chemical, even when Ken is clearly jerking them around. He stands up for both his wife and daughter in regards to day school admissions (he even gets to settle a score related to an ancient clan feud). And after the meeting where McCann says the absorbsion of SC&P is a done deal, he even has a good moment with Joan. He also gives Peggy a head's up on the move to McCann, which is also surprisingly chivalrous.
2. Lou Avery. He had to go overseas to do it, but Lou finally found someone interested in turning Scout's Honor into a cartoon. He's moving to Tokyo and working with the same studio that did Speed Racer. Roger is probably right that the Japanese will eat Lou alive, but for now Lou is pretty happy with himself - especially as he got to deliver the news to Don in typical asshole fashion.
3. Ted Chaough. Ted's happy with the move to McCann, as it means he'll stay in New York and get to work on the pharmaceutical account he's always wanted (assuming Jim Hobart isn't full of it), and not have to be in a leadership role. He'll also get to work on his new relationship with a woman he knew in college.
Honorable Mention: McCann-Erickson. Folding SC&P was pretty much always in the cards, you'd have to think. The only down side is that they'll have to cut loose some conflicting accounts, which they'll likely make up elsewhere.
Three Down
1. Joan Harris. The folding is going to be especially hard for Joan, given how poorly they've treated her to date. She's also the only partner to whom Jim Hobart doesn't mention a specific, high-level account. She's going to be sidelined at McCann, and will be lucky to even keep Avon. The only bright side to this is that her new beau is dropping everything to come to New York to help Joan through the difficulties.
2. Peggy Olson. On the personal front, a casting call with children brings up tough memories for Peggy, which leads her to tell Stan about her son. She makes the argument that women should be able to move on from giving up a child just like men, but may not completely believe her own argument. Professionally, Peggy meets with a headhunter to see what her options are, and he suggests staying with McCann. Three years and she'll be able to write her ticket. But she's ambivalent about staying given that her treatment by the McCann execs. In the end she decides to stick with McCann and forward her career.
3. Roger Sterling. As one of the prime movers of the McCann deal, Roger feels pretty guilty about what's happening, and that he's pretty much powerless to stop it. When the announcement is made to the SC&P staff, Roger is unable to hold the audience, which dissolves into several small conversations before the staff walks off on their own. Roger also has to admit to Don that he's in a relationship with Marie and explain why he'd not mentioned it previously.
Honorable Mention: Trudy Campbell. The issues with Tammy not getting into Greenwich Country Day, outside of the ancient MacDonald-Campbell feud, mostly lie with Trudy. Trudy didn't submit applications to other schools, which struck the headmaster at GCD as arrogant. Trudy also didn't share all of the information about Trudy's rejection with Pete (low test scores, for example). Trudy also is having larger issues living in the suburbs as a divorced mom - the husbands won't stop pestering her, and she fears that in 10 years no one will want to pester her.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "The Forecast"
Three Up
1. Joan Harris. Joan gets sent out to LA to help interview new staff, and manages to meet a nice, older gentleman, a retired developer named Richard Bergoff who got lost while looking for his eye doctor. They hit it off immediately, to the extent that Richard follows Joan back to New York. Their courtship hits a bump when Joan admits to having a young son. Richard, who has grown kids, admits that he doesn't want to start over and be tied down. This leads Joan to decide to send Kevin away so she can choose love. Thankfully, Richard has decides he wants to be in Joan's life, including her son.
2. Betty Francis. Betty has some reasonable parenting moments, between a talk with Sally about a teen tour she's going on and confiscating a toy gun from Bobby in return for letting him watch the Brady Bunch. Her best moments are with the now grown Glen Bishop. They still have their weird energy, and Betty has to rebuff a pass from Glen, but she's very good with him as he admits to why he enlisted in the Army. Even if she might not believe the positive outlook she keeps spinning to Glen.
3. Peggy Olson. There's not a ton of Peggy in the episode, but what she is in she's nicely assertive. She gets to tell Pete off when he tries to get one of her people fired, while she calls Don on his BS when he mocks her answers as to what she wants for herself in the future. She's never been more confident or fun to watch.
Honorable Mention: Melanie. Don's real estate agent is having trouble selling his place - too empty and in need of new carpets - and while Don tries to tell her that she can find a different way to sell the place, she cuts close to the quick when she says the apartment looks like it's home to a sad person. She's more right than she knows. As a bonus to using Don's apartment to describe him, she also manages to sell the place. It's a win-win! Double her commission.
Three Down
1. Glen Bishop. Glen stops by the Francis residence to see Sally (and Betty), and eventually announces that he's shipping out shortly. Betty tries to be supportive, while Sally is pissed at Glen becoming part of the war machine. Turns out his motivation isn't just love for country; Glen failed out of college and enlisted as a way to keep his stepfather from laying into him (he also had some odd hopes for Betty, which she rebuffs). He knows he's screwed up, and is doing his best to get through things.
2. Don Draper. Don is tasked by Roger to write a speech about the future of the firm. This leads him to ask several SC&Pers about their dreams for the future, all of which he finds lacking. It doesn't help that he's having similar issues personally, now that he's unattached and selling his place. It doesn't help that more than one person accuses him of being sad or empty. He also gets into things with Sally before she leaves for her tour, as she's mad about how he can't turn his masculinity off, even for one of her high school classmates. But the bigger issue is Don seemingly set adrift without a clear vision for his future.
3. Mathis. He gets into a fight with Ed during their pitch for a Peter Pan peanut butter-based cookie and drops an F bomb. Don helps defuse Pete, who wants Mathis gone, and gives Mathis some advice about how to approach their next meeting. Turns out Mathis takes Don's advice too literally, using a line Don once used. He fails miserably, not being Don and not having enough of a sense of the room to know that the line isn't going to work. Mathis gets into it with Don afterwards, and Don fires him. At least Mathis got to tell Don that's he's basically empty inside.
Honorable Mention: Sally Draper. Sally is unable to apologize to Glen in person about his decision to join the Army, which weighs on her given their long-standing friendship. She also gets into it with Don over his constantly engaged libido, and says her greatest wish is to get on the bus and go somewhere where she can be unlike either of her parents. Don's retort is that she will someday realize she's just like her parents, and that it's up to her to be something more than pretty. There is probably nothing worse to a teenaged girl than being told she's going to be just like her parents. Nice to have Sally in an episode, though.
1. Joan Harris. Joan gets sent out to LA to help interview new staff, and manages to meet a nice, older gentleman, a retired developer named Richard Bergoff who got lost while looking for his eye doctor. They hit it off immediately, to the extent that Richard follows Joan back to New York. Their courtship hits a bump when Joan admits to having a young son. Richard, who has grown kids, admits that he doesn't want to start over and be tied down. This leads Joan to decide to send Kevin away so she can choose love. Thankfully, Richard has decides he wants to be in Joan's life, including her son.
2. Betty Francis. Betty has some reasonable parenting moments, between a talk with Sally about a teen tour she's going on and confiscating a toy gun from Bobby in return for letting him watch the Brady Bunch. Her best moments are with the now grown Glen Bishop. They still have their weird energy, and Betty has to rebuff a pass from Glen, but she's very good with him as he admits to why he enlisted in the Army. Even if she might not believe the positive outlook she keeps spinning to Glen.
3. Peggy Olson. There's not a ton of Peggy in the episode, but what she is in she's nicely assertive. She gets to tell Pete off when he tries to get one of her people fired, while she calls Don on his BS when he mocks her answers as to what she wants for herself in the future. She's never been more confident or fun to watch.
Honorable Mention: Melanie. Don's real estate agent is having trouble selling his place - too empty and in need of new carpets - and while Don tries to tell her that she can find a different way to sell the place, she cuts close to the quick when she says the apartment looks like it's home to a sad person. She's more right than she knows. As a bonus to using Don's apartment to describe him, she also manages to sell the place. It's a win-win! Double her commission.
Three Down
1. Glen Bishop. Glen stops by the Francis residence to see Sally (and Betty), and eventually announces that he's shipping out shortly. Betty tries to be supportive, while Sally is pissed at Glen becoming part of the war machine. Turns out his motivation isn't just love for country; Glen failed out of college and enlisted as a way to keep his stepfather from laying into him (he also had some odd hopes for Betty, which she rebuffs). He knows he's screwed up, and is doing his best to get through things.
2. Don Draper. Don is tasked by Roger to write a speech about the future of the firm. This leads him to ask several SC&Pers about their dreams for the future, all of which he finds lacking. It doesn't help that he's having similar issues personally, now that he's unattached and selling his place. It doesn't help that more than one person accuses him of being sad or empty. He also gets into things with Sally before she leaves for her tour, as she's mad about how he can't turn his masculinity off, even for one of her high school classmates. But the bigger issue is Don seemingly set adrift without a clear vision for his future.
3. Mathis. He gets into a fight with Ed during their pitch for a Peter Pan peanut butter-based cookie and drops an F bomb. Don helps defuse Pete, who wants Mathis gone, and gives Mathis some advice about how to approach their next meeting. Turns out Mathis takes Don's advice too literally, using a line Don once used. He fails miserably, not being Don and not having enough of a sense of the room to know that the line isn't going to work. Mathis gets into it with Don afterwards, and Don fires him. At least Mathis got to tell Don that's he's basically empty inside.
Honorable Mention: Sally Draper. Sally is unable to apologize to Glen in person about his decision to join the Army, which weighs on her given their long-standing friendship. She also gets into it with Don over his constantly engaged libido, and says her greatest wish is to get on the bus and go somewhere where she can be unlike either of her parents. Don's retort is that she will someday realize she's just like her parents, and that it's up to her to be something more than pretty. There is probably nothing worse to a teenaged girl than being told she's going to be just like her parents. Nice to have Sally in an episode, though.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "New Business"
Three Up
1. Megan Draper. Megan is still living off of Don's generosity, but is coming to New York to get her things and hopefully finalize the divorce. Things then get worse when she has to fend off Harry Crane's casting couch advances and then discovers that her mom not only stole all of Don's furniture but that she had a fling with Roger Sterling. What turns things around for Megan is (a) a million dollar payout that Don makes so she can have the life she deserves, and (b) the realization that she, like her mom, has done something to get out of a bad situation (unlike her sister, Marie-France, who is a total pill). If nothing else, Megan now has the money to buy a place that will fit all of her ill-gotten furnishings.
2. Stan Rizzo. Stan starts off the episode getting bumped from Cinzano in favor of Pima Ryan, an art photographer. He clashes with her to start, but then she sees his drawing, likes his talent, and suggests that he shows her some of his photography. He does - shots taken of his girlfriend - and Pima suggests that he should focus on drawing. And that his girlfriend isn't that into him. Stan and Pima do it in the darkroom, but the bigger win for Stan is getting a dose of reality.
3. Marie Calvet. Not only does she mastermind the theft of Don's furniture, she winds up making a life change by staying in New York with Roger, who bails her out when the movers demand more money (to their credit, they weren't expecting to move an entire apartment). It's not great that Megan catches her post-dalliance, and it seems unlikely that Marie's stay with Roger will be permanent, but for now she's made a positive step away from a very unhappy home life.
Honorable Mention: Bobby and Gene Draper. They get screen time! And Don makes them chocolate milkshakes! Hooray!
Three Down
1. Diana. Don tracks down Diana in an attempt to get to know her better, and we learn that she's like Don in a few ways - she's not from New York, and is running away from a past tragedy (she lost a daughter). She's also like Don in that she's not always entirely truthful. She did lose a daughter, but has left another daughter (and a husband) in Racine. In the end she tells Don that she doesn't want anything from him, and would like him to go away. When she's with him she forgets about what she's left behind, which she doesn't want to do. Diana is keen on punishing herself, and can't let Don get in the way.
2. Don Draper. Don's rebuffed by Diana, cuts Megan a huge check out of guilt for the way their marriage went, and has to see Betty's happy homelife after time with the boys. And his former mother in law steals his furniture! The episode closes with Don standing, confusedly, in his bare living room, and it's a nice depiction of where Don is right now personally. There are bits and pieces of his past life, but for the most part things are a blank canvas.
3. Roger Sterling. He has two secretaries and three phones, which is more of either than he'd care for. He has to dodge a golf meeting so he doesn't have to be around Bert Peterson. And he's apparently gained a new woman now that Marie has decides she's staying in New York. That should be fun for a while, and Marie can certainly keep up with Roger verbally, It's just unlikely that she's going to be good for him long term.
Honorable Mention: Sally Draper. We've seen more of her brothers (and her room in Don's apartment) than we've seen of Sally in the second half of this final season. She'd better make a significant appearance in the next episode.
1. Megan Draper. Megan is still living off of Don's generosity, but is coming to New York to get her things and hopefully finalize the divorce. Things then get worse when she has to fend off Harry Crane's casting couch advances and then discovers that her mom not only stole all of Don's furniture but that she had a fling with Roger Sterling. What turns things around for Megan is (a) a million dollar payout that Don makes so she can have the life she deserves, and (b) the realization that she, like her mom, has done something to get out of a bad situation (unlike her sister, Marie-France, who is a total pill). If nothing else, Megan now has the money to buy a place that will fit all of her ill-gotten furnishings.
2. Stan Rizzo. Stan starts off the episode getting bumped from Cinzano in favor of Pima Ryan, an art photographer. He clashes with her to start, but then she sees his drawing, likes his talent, and suggests that he shows her some of his photography. He does - shots taken of his girlfriend - and Pima suggests that he should focus on drawing. And that his girlfriend isn't that into him. Stan and Pima do it in the darkroom, but the bigger win for Stan is getting a dose of reality.
3. Marie Calvet. Not only does she mastermind the theft of Don's furniture, she winds up making a life change by staying in New York with Roger, who bails her out when the movers demand more money (to their credit, they weren't expecting to move an entire apartment). It's not great that Megan catches her post-dalliance, and it seems unlikely that Marie's stay with Roger will be permanent, but for now she's made a positive step away from a very unhappy home life.
Honorable Mention: Bobby and Gene Draper. They get screen time! And Don makes them chocolate milkshakes! Hooray!
Three Down
1. Diana. Don tracks down Diana in an attempt to get to know her better, and we learn that she's like Don in a few ways - she's not from New York, and is running away from a past tragedy (she lost a daughter). She's also like Don in that she's not always entirely truthful. She did lose a daughter, but has left another daughter (and a husband) in Racine. In the end she tells Don that she doesn't want anything from him, and would like him to go away. When she's with him she forgets about what she's left behind, which she doesn't want to do. Diana is keen on punishing herself, and can't let Don get in the way.
2. Don Draper. Don's rebuffed by Diana, cuts Megan a huge check out of guilt for the way their marriage went, and has to see Betty's happy homelife after time with the boys. And his former mother in law steals his furniture! The episode closes with Don standing, confusedly, in his bare living room, and it's a nice depiction of where Don is right now personally. There are bits and pieces of his past life, but for the most part things are a blank canvas.
3. Roger Sterling. He has two secretaries and three phones, which is more of either than he'd care for. He has to dodge a golf meeting so he doesn't have to be around Bert Peterson. And he's apparently gained a new woman now that Marie has decides she's staying in New York. That should be fun for a while, and Marie can certainly keep up with Roger verbally, It's just unlikely that she's going to be good for him long term.
Honorable Mention: Sally Draper. We've seen more of her brothers (and her room in Don's apartment) than we've seen of Sally in the second half of this final season. She'd better make a significant appearance in the next episode.
Sunday, April 05, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men, "Severance"
Three Up
1. Ken Cosgrove. Ken's father in law is retiring from Dow, which gets Ken's wife thinking about how Ken shouldn't stick with a job he hates, and that he should quit so he can write. He's reluctant, but the next day he gets what he considers a sign: he's fired due to some ancient history with McCann. So he's ready to buy that farm, right? No. With all the movement at Dow, Ken gets hired to be their head of advertising. When Roger and Pete ask if he's firing SC&P, Ken gets to tell them that it's worse: he's going to be their client. Maybe this will be the basis of the advertising book he mentions to Pete.
2. Peggy Olsen. Professionally, Peggy has an issue with Topaz, as they're getting beaten badly by L'Eggs, the cheap supermarket pantyhose. This leads to a meeting with SC&P's colleagues at McCann, which goes poorly (moreso for Joan, who is the focus of the McCann double entendres). Peggy even gets a dig in at Joan for inviting the comments based on her appearance. On the personal side, Peggy winds up on a date with Mathis' brother in law, and it goes very well. They almost run off to Paris, but Peggy can't find her passport. In the end, she returns to her very Peggy mindset about how she wouldn't run off with a guy she barely knows, but she previously said that she's interested in the brother in law in the long term, which was hopefully not just the wine talking.
3. Pete Campbell. He's getting to take over from Ken as head of accounts, and he's so rich now he may have to buy an apartment building so he can keep his money. Not so great that Ken is going to have his nuts in a vice where Dow is concerned, but Pete's now big enough that his position may just be equal to his ego.
Honorable Mention: Ed Baxter. He's retiring, and will get to enjoy golf, his boat, and his adventures in cooking. His first dish? A Pop-Tart. It was very good.
Three Down
1. Joan Harris. She's fully moved into accounts, and is rich thanks to her partnership buyout, but she's still having issues being taken seriously, as seen in her meeting with McCann (though that may be a function of how McCann runs). She's also got some issues at SC&P, based on Peggy's reaction to their McCann meeting and her somewhat prickly meeting with Don about Topaz. Joan's response to all of this is to fake a meeting and go shopping, where's she's almost outed as a former store employee. So while she can afford the retail therapy, it's not going to help the bigger problems.
2. Rachel Katz. Dead of leukemia, which Don discovers when he tries to set up a meeting involving Topaz moving into department stores. She does appear in one of Don's dreams as a model (there's a casting call going on for a fur company), and tells him that he missed his flight. Not a main character, of course, but dead's dead.
3. Don Draper. In some sense he's back to being Don - back running creative and having enough women that his message service is basically a telebordello - but he's really taken aback when he learns of Rachel's death. He tries to pay his respects while Rachel's family is sitting shiva, but he's pretty much stopped at the door by Rachel's sister. She knows who he is, and asks Don what he wants. He mostly wants to know what happened and how Rachel's life went. While Don is processing Rachel's death, he becomes interested in a diner waitress who looks a little like Rachel. They have sex (she thinks a large tip that Roger left previously was some sort of advance payment for services), and at a later visit Don tells her about Rachel, at which point the waitress says that when people die, things get mixed up and people try to make sense of it. Which is kind of where Don is right now - he's getting divorced from Megan, kind of drifting back to his old life, and he has to process Rachel's death.
And can we take a second to ponder Rachel's statement in Don's dream that he missed his flight? Is this a reference to the flights he used to take to see Megan, or is it more general towards the show's flight and death imagery? Is Rachel telling Don that he cheated the Grim Reaper?
Honorable Mention: Mustaches. Both Ted and Roger are sporting some really gruesome facial hair. You think all the work on the Wilkinson account would spare us from this sort of thing.
1. Ken Cosgrove. Ken's father in law is retiring from Dow, which gets Ken's wife thinking about how Ken shouldn't stick with a job he hates, and that he should quit so he can write. He's reluctant, but the next day he gets what he considers a sign: he's fired due to some ancient history with McCann. So he's ready to buy that farm, right? No. With all the movement at Dow, Ken gets hired to be their head of advertising. When Roger and Pete ask if he's firing SC&P, Ken gets to tell them that it's worse: he's going to be their client. Maybe this will be the basis of the advertising book he mentions to Pete.
2. Peggy Olsen. Professionally, Peggy has an issue with Topaz, as they're getting beaten badly by L'Eggs, the cheap supermarket pantyhose. This leads to a meeting with SC&P's colleagues at McCann, which goes poorly (moreso for Joan, who is the focus of the McCann double entendres). Peggy even gets a dig in at Joan for inviting the comments based on her appearance. On the personal side, Peggy winds up on a date with Mathis' brother in law, and it goes very well. They almost run off to Paris, but Peggy can't find her passport. In the end, she returns to her very Peggy mindset about how she wouldn't run off with a guy she barely knows, but she previously said that she's interested in the brother in law in the long term, which was hopefully not just the wine talking.
3. Pete Campbell. He's getting to take over from Ken as head of accounts, and he's so rich now he may have to buy an apartment building so he can keep his money. Not so great that Ken is going to have his nuts in a vice where Dow is concerned, but Pete's now big enough that his position may just be equal to his ego.
Honorable Mention: Ed Baxter. He's retiring, and will get to enjoy golf, his boat, and his adventures in cooking. His first dish? A Pop-Tart. It was very good.
Three Down
1. Joan Harris. She's fully moved into accounts, and is rich thanks to her partnership buyout, but she's still having issues being taken seriously, as seen in her meeting with McCann (though that may be a function of how McCann runs). She's also got some issues at SC&P, based on Peggy's reaction to their McCann meeting and her somewhat prickly meeting with Don about Topaz. Joan's response to all of this is to fake a meeting and go shopping, where's she's almost outed as a former store employee. So while she can afford the retail therapy, it's not going to help the bigger problems.
2. Rachel Katz. Dead of leukemia, which Don discovers when he tries to set up a meeting involving Topaz moving into department stores. She does appear in one of Don's dreams as a model (there's a casting call going on for a fur company), and tells him that he missed his flight. Not a main character, of course, but dead's dead.
3. Don Draper. In some sense he's back to being Don - back running creative and having enough women that his message service is basically a telebordello - but he's really taken aback when he learns of Rachel's death. He tries to pay his respects while Rachel's family is sitting shiva, but he's pretty much stopped at the door by Rachel's sister. She knows who he is, and asks Don what he wants. He mostly wants to know what happened and how Rachel's life went. While Don is processing Rachel's death, he becomes interested in a diner waitress who looks a little like Rachel. They have sex (she thinks a large tip that Roger left previously was some sort of advance payment for services), and at a later visit Don tells her about Rachel, at which point the waitress says that when people die, things get mixed up and people try to make sense of it. Which is kind of where Don is right now - he's getting divorced from Megan, kind of drifting back to his old life, and he has to process Rachel's death.
And can we take a second to ponder Rachel's statement in Don's dream that he missed his flight? Is this a reference to the flights he used to take to see Megan, or is it more general towards the show's flight and death imagery? Is Rachel telling Don that he cheated the Grim Reaper?
Honorable Mention: Mustaches. Both Ted and Roger are sporting some really gruesome facial hair. You think all the work on the Wilkinson account would spare us from this sort of thing.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Downton Abbey, Season 5 Episode 6
Three Up
1. Lady Mary. Mary kind of hits the trifecta in this episode, as she adopts a controversial new haircut (a bob), gets to flaunt it (and her riding prowess) in front of Gillingham and Blake, and gets to be annoying about Edith finally learning that Gregson is dead. Almost a perfect episode for her.
2. Mrs. Hughes. She and Carson go with Mrs. Patmore for the final walk-through of the cottage she's buying with the money she inherited, which leads Carson to talk with Mrs. Hughes about buying a place for them to make rental income and eventually retire to. It's not clear if that's meant to be a personal proposal or strictly business, but it's the closest Mrs. Hughes has come in years to seeing her unrequited feelings for Carson be reciprocated, so let's take it.
3. Joseph Molesley. With Miss Bunting gone, Daisy is on the fence about continuing her studies. Molesley won't let her quit, and loans her a history book so she can continue. Molesley had designs on becoming a teacher but couldn't due to financial issues, so it's good to see him get a shot to live this out in some respect.
Honorable Mention: Prince Kuragin. He shares a moment with Lady Violet when she visits him to tell him that his wife is still alive. He talks about how much he wanted Lady Violet from the moment they first met, which might be an unusual topic of conversation given the news about his wife, but it's good to see him energized about something. That it may put Lady Violet in a bit of a state is a bonus.
Three Down
1. Thomas Barrow. His health continues to decline, so Baxter forces him to see Dr. Gregson, which means the doctor has joined the circle of people who know about Thomas's tastes. Anyway, it turns out that the anti-gay cure was simply saline, with the source of Thomas's illness an infection from the unclean needle used for the injections. On top of this, the investigation into Green's death reaches Baxter thanks to a letter Thomas wrote to Scotland Yard saying that Baxter has knowledge about his death. So he's been a total jerk and yet still gets kindness from Baxter, which just makes him more miserable.
2. Lady Edith. Finally learning of Gregson's death pushes Edith over the edge, as after a period of mourning she gets Marigold from the Drewes and takes off, only saying goodbye to Branson. We have no idea where she's heading, but at least she can finally be with her daughter.
3. Lord Robert. He continues to keep Cora at length given the whole Simon Bricker issue, and he's pretty much as insufferable as he's been all season. The issue with Cora gets resolved when she tells him to move back into their bedroom, unless he can say that he's never misled a woman about his intentions. He remembers his kissyface with one of the maids, and moves back into the bedroom. Also, Isis continues to be listless, which can't help his disposition.
Honorable Mention Anna Bates. Bates discovers Lady Mary's diaphragm stashed in the drawer that Anna hid it in so it wouldn't be found in the big house. This leads Bates to think that Anna is using it to avoid being impregnated by a murderer. This leads to a lengthy discussion about the device, and Anna swearing that it's not hers. He eventually says he believes her (not sure that's 100 percent true), but as a bonus we learn that Bates thought about killing Green, and even bought a ticket to London to confront him, but he didn't go. Which means Lady Mary burning the ticket actually destroyed the evidence of his innocence. So maybe Lady Mary isn't the big winner this episode?
1. Lady Mary. Mary kind of hits the trifecta in this episode, as she adopts a controversial new haircut (a bob), gets to flaunt it (and her riding prowess) in front of Gillingham and Blake, and gets to be annoying about Edith finally learning that Gregson is dead. Almost a perfect episode for her.
2. Mrs. Hughes. She and Carson go with Mrs. Patmore for the final walk-through of the cottage she's buying with the money she inherited, which leads Carson to talk with Mrs. Hughes about buying a place for them to make rental income and eventually retire to. It's not clear if that's meant to be a personal proposal or strictly business, but it's the closest Mrs. Hughes has come in years to seeing her unrequited feelings for Carson be reciprocated, so let's take it.
3. Joseph Molesley. With Miss Bunting gone, Daisy is on the fence about continuing her studies. Molesley won't let her quit, and loans her a history book so she can continue. Molesley had designs on becoming a teacher but couldn't due to financial issues, so it's good to see him get a shot to live this out in some respect.
Honorable Mention: Prince Kuragin. He shares a moment with Lady Violet when she visits him to tell him that his wife is still alive. He talks about how much he wanted Lady Violet from the moment they first met, which might be an unusual topic of conversation given the news about his wife, but it's good to see him energized about something. That it may put Lady Violet in a bit of a state is a bonus.
Three Down
1. Thomas Barrow. His health continues to decline, so Baxter forces him to see Dr. Gregson, which means the doctor has joined the circle of people who know about Thomas's tastes. Anyway, it turns out that the anti-gay cure was simply saline, with the source of Thomas's illness an infection from the unclean needle used for the injections. On top of this, the investigation into Green's death reaches Baxter thanks to a letter Thomas wrote to Scotland Yard saying that Baxter has knowledge about his death. So he's been a total jerk and yet still gets kindness from Baxter, which just makes him more miserable.
2. Lady Edith. Finally learning of Gregson's death pushes Edith over the edge, as after a period of mourning she gets Marigold from the Drewes and takes off, only saying goodbye to Branson. We have no idea where she's heading, but at least she can finally be with her daughter.
3. Lord Robert. He continues to keep Cora at length given the whole Simon Bricker issue, and he's pretty much as insufferable as he's been all season. The issue with Cora gets resolved when she tells him to move back into their bedroom, unless he can say that he's never misled a woman about his intentions. He remembers his kissyface with one of the maids, and moves back into the bedroom. Also, Isis continues to be listless, which can't help his disposition.
Honorable Mention Anna Bates. Bates discovers Lady Mary's diaphragm stashed in the drawer that Anna hid it in so it wouldn't be found in the big house. This leads Bates to think that Anna is using it to avoid being impregnated by a murderer. This leads to a lengthy discussion about the device, and Anna swearing that it's not hers. He eventually says he believes her (not sure that's 100 percent true), but as a bonus we learn that Bates thought about killing Green, and even bought a ticket to London to confront him, but he didn't go. Which means Lady Mary burning the ticket actually destroyed the evidence of his innocence. So maybe Lady Mary isn't the big winner this episode?
Three Up, Three Down: Downton Abbey, Season 5 Episode 5
Three Up
1. Lady Rose. Struggling to get from a shop to the church that's hosting the Russian refugees, Rose is assisted by Atticus Aldridge, a young lawyer whose family emigrated from Russia in earlier times. She eventually learns from the refugees that Atticus' family emigrated during the pogroms. That Atticus is Jewish doesn't seem to faze Rose at all, and it's clear that the two of them are hitting it off, which is nice to see for once.
2. Tom Branson. While he's sad to see Sarah Bunting leave the village (she's taken another job, though her rough relations with the local gentry can't have helped), he is happy that she's reminded him of who he is. It's good to see Tom gaining some direction, even if it means he's going to move to America.
3. Baxter. She finally tells Molesley about her past, and he's as understanding as you might expect. It also helps Baxter continue to get out from under Thomas's influence, so a win-win for Baxter.
Honorable Mention: Charles Blake. He apparently has a plan for getting Tony Gillingham to finally give up on Lady Mary. And if it means he gets a shot with her, so much the better.
Three Down
1. Lady Edith. Things continued to deteriorate with the Drewes, and the situation is made worse when Lady Rosamund visits and learns that Marygold is no longer in Switzerland. And then the dowager countess learns of her secret great granddaughter, which just turns things up to 11. But we may finally learn that Gregson is dead, which is... good news?
2. Lady Cora. The inevitable advance by Simon Bricker comes to pass when he comes back to Downton to finish his work on that painting. Making it worse is that Robert, who has returned early from a dinner, catches Cora and Bricker in their bedroom. Cora wanted no part of Bricker's plan, and even to the extent that she can get Robert to believe that he still blames her for what's happened and being too blind to see it. There's a modicum of truth in that - Bricker's been walking the line of being appropriate with a married woman for quite a while - but she's taking too much of the blame, I think.
3. Tom Barrow. His anti-gay treatments aren't going well, and everyone at Downton is noticing that he's in a bad way. He continues to say he's fine, but that's obviously untrue. Whether or not he'll admit to feeling poorly before he collapses is to be seen.
Honorable Mention: Isis. Random mention of how she's feeling poorly. Hopeful that it's puppies, but concerned it's something worse.
1. Lady Rose. Struggling to get from a shop to the church that's hosting the Russian refugees, Rose is assisted by Atticus Aldridge, a young lawyer whose family emigrated from Russia in earlier times. She eventually learns from the refugees that Atticus' family emigrated during the pogroms. That Atticus is Jewish doesn't seem to faze Rose at all, and it's clear that the two of them are hitting it off, which is nice to see for once.
2. Tom Branson. While he's sad to see Sarah Bunting leave the village (she's taken another job, though her rough relations with the local gentry can't have helped), he is happy that she's reminded him of who he is. It's good to see Tom gaining some direction, even if it means he's going to move to America.
3. Baxter. She finally tells Molesley about her past, and he's as understanding as you might expect. It also helps Baxter continue to get out from under Thomas's influence, so a win-win for Baxter.
Honorable Mention: Charles Blake. He apparently has a plan for getting Tony Gillingham to finally give up on Lady Mary. And if it means he gets a shot with her, so much the better.
Three Down
1. Lady Edith. Things continued to deteriorate with the Drewes, and the situation is made worse when Lady Rosamund visits and learns that Marygold is no longer in Switzerland. And then the dowager countess learns of her secret great granddaughter, which just turns things up to 11. But we may finally learn that Gregson is dead, which is... good news?
2. Lady Cora. The inevitable advance by Simon Bricker comes to pass when he comes back to Downton to finish his work on that painting. Making it worse is that Robert, who has returned early from a dinner, catches Cora and Bricker in their bedroom. Cora wanted no part of Bricker's plan, and even to the extent that she can get Robert to believe that he still blames her for what's happened and being too blind to see it. There's a modicum of truth in that - Bricker's been walking the line of being appropriate with a married woman for quite a while - but she's taking too much of the blame, I think.
3. Tom Barrow. His anti-gay treatments aren't going well, and everyone at Downton is noticing that he's in a bad way. He continues to say he's fine, but that's obviously untrue. Whether or not he'll admit to feeling poorly before he collapses is to be seen.
Honorable Mention: Isis. Random mention of how she's feeling poorly. Hopeful that it's puppies, but concerned it's something worse.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Downton Abbey, Season 5 Episode 4
Three Up
1. Lady Violet. The dowager manages to stick her oar in for pretty much every story line, between needling Isobel about Lord Merton's proposal, commiserating with Edith about her troubles, trying to keep Robert from getting too worked up over Sarah Bunting, and helping to find the Princess Kuragin (she's apparently in Hong Kong).
2. Daisy Mason. She's moved from math on to history, and while that causes a slight hiccup in the kitchen it does seem that Daisy is quite inspired by her studies, and is effusive with praise for Miss Bunting when called upstairs to answer if her studies are causing problems (for the most part they aren't). Her increased confidence leads her to write a letter on behalf of Mrs. Patmore to get her nephew included in a war memorial, and as much as Daisy says she may be a cook for the rest of her life that's looking increasingly unlikely.
3. Isobel Crawley. Lord Merton finally makes his intentions known and pops the question to Isobel, stating that his motivation is romantic rather than pragmatic. He asks Isobel to think about it rather than answer immediately, and she accepts (and is clearly moved by his admission of love). Otherwise, Isobel hasn't changed much, vocally supporting Daisy's new-found confidence through education (and, by extension, supporting Miss Bunting and Tom). The liberal streak still lives in the future Lady Merton.
Honorable Mention: Simon Bricker. The art critic returns to Downton to further study the painting he came to see the first time, and is even more effusive in his praise for Lady Cora. He is a shameless flirt with her, and when he almost gets caught manages to save things by directing his comments towards the painting. He's walking an even thinner line than previously, but is getting to further both this career and his personal interest in Lady Cora, which he's clearly enjoying.
Three Down
1. Lady Edith. On the good side, we learn that we're closer than ever in learning what happened to Michael Gregson. On the bad side, it's clearer now than before that he got mixed up with some brownshirts, to a possibly permanent end. Edith doesn't really want to know what happened, as she feels that not knowing allows her to keep him alive by thinking he is only missing. On the daughter front, Mrs. Drewe strongly rebuffs a visit, with Mr. Drewe following up to tell Edith that his wife thinks Edith is unsettling Marigold. So Edith is even further separated from those she loves, and the advice from her grandmother to learn how to put things behind her doesn't help.
2. Tom Barrow. Tom returns to Downton saying his father has rebounded, but it becomes clear that Tom's time away wasn't related to his father at all. Baxter, hearing distress, finds Tom with a syringe, and based on what Baxter later sees in a magazine Tom dropped in a hallway, he's taking some sort of treatment (guessing that he's trying to "curse" his attraction to men). Tom's clearly in a difficult place, and is refusing to take help from the one person who seems sympathetic to his plight.
3. Sarah Bunting. For all of the success she's having downstairs she's flaming out upstairs, as her every utterance rubs Sir Robert the wrong way And in this episode she does seem to be taking pointed shots at Lord Grantham, questioning his feelings towards the servants and even if he knows Daisy's name. This eventually causes Robert to explode, saying he wishes that she never returns to Downton just before he storms out of dinner. For whatever good she may be for Daisy (and for Tom), you have to think Miss Bunting will be keeping to the village for a while.
Honorable Mention: Joseph Molesley. There are plenty of contenders here (from Tony Gillingham for his refusal to believe Mary is rejecting him to his former fiancee, Mable Lane-Fox, encountering Mary at a fashion show), but the honors here goes to Molesley, who finds that being first footman isn't everything it's cracked up to be when he gets tasked with every bit of extra work that seems to crop up. He eventually asks to not hold the title, to which Carsten agrees. And he seems to take some added pleasure at that, which kind of annoys me. Molesley brings a lot of this on himself, but it does seem like Carsten takes a little too much joy out of knocking him down.
1. Lady Violet. The dowager manages to stick her oar in for pretty much every story line, between needling Isobel about Lord Merton's proposal, commiserating with Edith about her troubles, trying to keep Robert from getting too worked up over Sarah Bunting, and helping to find the Princess Kuragin (she's apparently in Hong Kong).
2. Daisy Mason. She's moved from math on to history, and while that causes a slight hiccup in the kitchen it does seem that Daisy is quite inspired by her studies, and is effusive with praise for Miss Bunting when called upstairs to answer if her studies are causing problems (for the most part they aren't). Her increased confidence leads her to write a letter on behalf of Mrs. Patmore to get her nephew included in a war memorial, and as much as Daisy says she may be a cook for the rest of her life that's looking increasingly unlikely.
3. Isobel Crawley. Lord Merton finally makes his intentions known and pops the question to Isobel, stating that his motivation is romantic rather than pragmatic. He asks Isobel to think about it rather than answer immediately, and she accepts (and is clearly moved by his admission of love). Otherwise, Isobel hasn't changed much, vocally supporting Daisy's new-found confidence through education (and, by extension, supporting Miss Bunting and Tom). The liberal streak still lives in the future Lady Merton.
Honorable Mention: Simon Bricker. The art critic returns to Downton to further study the painting he came to see the first time, and is even more effusive in his praise for Lady Cora. He is a shameless flirt with her, and when he almost gets caught manages to save things by directing his comments towards the painting. He's walking an even thinner line than previously, but is getting to further both this career and his personal interest in Lady Cora, which he's clearly enjoying.
Three Down
1. Lady Edith. On the good side, we learn that we're closer than ever in learning what happened to Michael Gregson. On the bad side, it's clearer now than before that he got mixed up with some brownshirts, to a possibly permanent end. Edith doesn't really want to know what happened, as she feels that not knowing allows her to keep him alive by thinking he is only missing. On the daughter front, Mrs. Drewe strongly rebuffs a visit, with Mr. Drewe following up to tell Edith that his wife thinks Edith is unsettling Marigold. So Edith is even further separated from those she loves, and the advice from her grandmother to learn how to put things behind her doesn't help.
2. Tom Barrow. Tom returns to Downton saying his father has rebounded, but it becomes clear that Tom's time away wasn't related to his father at all. Baxter, hearing distress, finds Tom with a syringe, and based on what Baxter later sees in a magazine Tom dropped in a hallway, he's taking some sort of treatment (guessing that he's trying to "curse" his attraction to men). Tom's clearly in a difficult place, and is refusing to take help from the one person who seems sympathetic to his plight.
3. Sarah Bunting. For all of the success she's having downstairs she's flaming out upstairs, as her every utterance rubs Sir Robert the wrong way And in this episode she does seem to be taking pointed shots at Lord Grantham, questioning his feelings towards the servants and even if he knows Daisy's name. This eventually causes Robert to explode, saying he wishes that she never returns to Downton just before he storms out of dinner. For whatever good she may be for Daisy (and for Tom), you have to think Miss Bunting will be keeping to the village for a while.
Honorable Mention: Joseph Molesley. There are plenty of contenders here (from Tony Gillingham for his refusal to believe Mary is rejecting him to his former fiancee, Mable Lane-Fox, encountering Mary at a fashion show), but the honors here goes to Molesley, who finds that being first footman isn't everything it's cracked up to be when he gets tasked with every bit of extra work that seems to crop up. He eventually asks to not hold the title, to which Carsten agrees. And he seems to take some added pleasure at that, which kind of annoys me. Molesley brings a lot of this on himself, but it does seem like Carsten takes a little too much joy out of knocking him down.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Downton Abbey, Season 5 Episode 3
Three Up
1. Lady Violet. The dowager gets wind of Lady Mary's salacious vacation - Spratt saw Mary and Gillingham while in Liverpool for a relative's wedding - and she gets to read her the riot act about stepping out and how in her day that didn't happen until orders came from on high (one's mother). We learn later, however, that Lady Violet had an admirer in a Russian prince who is now a refugee. The pair are reunited at a tea Lady Rose put together for the refugees, which gives the dowager a little more context for Mary's assignation (not that Violet engaged in any hanky panky, just that she understands the impulse a little more than she let on). She even gets to slip in another dig at Lord Merton and Isobel, so a good outing all around.
2. Baxter. Baxter finally comes clean with Lady Cora as to why she stole from her former employer - she was under the influence of a man who left her holding the bag after he split with the booty. She never put the police on him as she wanted to put the entire thing behind her. Lady Cora winds up letting her stay. We also learn that Baxter knows Thomas's family pretty well, enough to express concern over the ill health of his father (which he doesn't take well, saying his dad treated her better than him, and it may be untrue to boot). We also get another moment of Baxter getting advice from Molesley, further the possibility of their relationship developing into something more intimate.
3. Daisy Mason. Her studies with Miss Bunting are apparently going well, as we see Daisy at the start of the episode flitting around the kitchen, chirping about where she might have wound up had she been able to go to school until she was 14 rather than only going until she was 11. There's some talk about her taking an examination, which sees like it will happen in short order. Interestingly, her success has seemed to put a spark in Thomas, as he makes a phone call about a self-improvement course (not that she knows about this). Daisy still has to work hard in the kitchen, but you can tell she's thinking more and more about life outside of it.
Honorable Mention: Prince Kuragin. While he's been holding himself apart from the other refugees in York, Lady Rose does get him to come out of his shell a bit, especially after she mentions she's currently living at Downton. As noted above, he seems to have taken a shine to Lady Violet back in the 1870s, when she and her husband went to St. Petersburg for a wedding (turns out the Earl of Grantham was part of the household of the groom, the young Prince Albert). He is genuinely pleased to see her again, even finishing the story of how Lady Violet came in possession of a fan during one of the balls. There is a tinge of sadness, though, when he mentions he does not know if his wife is alive (the assumption being that she didn't get out).
Three Down
1. Lord Robert. The season-long campaign of being an ass continues. To start, Robert rejects out of hand a plan to build 50 houses on or near the estate, complaining of not wanting to see modern houses (by which I think he means anything built after 1800). He then goes to London to surprise Lady Cora (who's gone down to see that art historian again to talk about paintings), only to have to cancel plans when she dines with the historian. He suspects the historian wants more than her opinion on paintings, and while Robert's not wrong he comes across as saying Cora has no opinions that the historian would want to hear. It's needlessly cruel, and his attempts to apologize the next day are rebuffed. He's also immediately cross when he sees Sarah Bunting at the tea, and while her outspokenness almost leads to the abrupt end of the tea he's still kind of an ass about her. He's becoming less able to deal with the present by the minute.
2. Lady Edith. Her attention to Marigold comes to a head, with Mrs. Drewe finally putting the kibosh on further visits (at one point she literally thought Edith had ran off with the child). This causes obvious distress, as Mrs. Hughes notes it's a blow to someone who has little enough love in her life as it is. Edith also casually asks Mary to show the sketches from her trip around, clearly not believing any were made. Mary is seen leafing through some later in the episode, so Edith doesn't get the pleasure of blowing Mary's cover, either.
3. Lady Cora. In some ways this is a good episode for her, as we get to see her demonstrating knowledge about something she cares about and gets to talk about herself and how she wound up in England looking for a husband (short version: a new money partly-Jewish family in New York City climbs up the social ladder more quickly if they marry into European aristocracy). What turns this into a negative isn't just Robert's dismissal of her intellect, but the way Cora notes that a night out in London is past her now, and as much as her art historian would like to keep the night alive and meet again in the future, neither are really in the cards. Cora has accepted her role as an older, country-dwelling countess, and we can see some of the regret in not having a more exciting or fulfilled life.
Honorable Mention: Anna Bates. In some ways she had a worse episode than Lady Cora, as she has to hide Lady Mary's birth control (and the book that inspired the purchase) in some corner of her cottage (ripe for Mr. Bates to discover in the next episode or two, I'm sure) and continue to keep the secret about Lady Mary's trip. Now throw in the police investigation into the death of Green, as there's now talk among Gillingham's household staff that Green spoke of not getting along with Mr. Bates. Bates is able to put together enough of an alibi to satisfy the local cop, but Anna (and Mrs. Hughes) fear that a more skilled officer may be able to determine that, even with the alibi, Bates could have had time to get into London, off Green, and get back to Downton. I fear Anna is going to worry her way into getting Bates caught.
1. Lady Violet. The dowager gets wind of Lady Mary's salacious vacation - Spratt saw Mary and Gillingham while in Liverpool for a relative's wedding - and she gets to read her the riot act about stepping out and how in her day that didn't happen until orders came from on high (one's mother). We learn later, however, that Lady Violet had an admirer in a Russian prince who is now a refugee. The pair are reunited at a tea Lady Rose put together for the refugees, which gives the dowager a little more context for Mary's assignation (not that Violet engaged in any hanky panky, just that she understands the impulse a little more than she let on). She even gets to slip in another dig at Lord Merton and Isobel, so a good outing all around.
2. Baxter. Baxter finally comes clean with Lady Cora as to why she stole from her former employer - she was under the influence of a man who left her holding the bag after he split with the booty. She never put the police on him as she wanted to put the entire thing behind her. Lady Cora winds up letting her stay. We also learn that Baxter knows Thomas's family pretty well, enough to express concern over the ill health of his father (which he doesn't take well, saying his dad treated her better than him, and it may be untrue to boot). We also get another moment of Baxter getting advice from Molesley, further the possibility of their relationship developing into something more intimate.
3. Daisy Mason. Her studies with Miss Bunting are apparently going well, as we see Daisy at the start of the episode flitting around the kitchen, chirping about where she might have wound up had she been able to go to school until she was 14 rather than only going until she was 11. There's some talk about her taking an examination, which sees like it will happen in short order. Interestingly, her success has seemed to put a spark in Thomas, as he makes a phone call about a self-improvement course (not that she knows about this). Daisy still has to work hard in the kitchen, but you can tell she's thinking more and more about life outside of it.
Honorable Mention: Prince Kuragin. While he's been holding himself apart from the other refugees in York, Lady Rose does get him to come out of his shell a bit, especially after she mentions she's currently living at Downton. As noted above, he seems to have taken a shine to Lady Violet back in the 1870s, when she and her husband went to St. Petersburg for a wedding (turns out the Earl of Grantham was part of the household of the groom, the young Prince Albert). He is genuinely pleased to see her again, even finishing the story of how Lady Violet came in possession of a fan during one of the balls. There is a tinge of sadness, though, when he mentions he does not know if his wife is alive (the assumption being that she didn't get out).
Three Down
1. Lord Robert. The season-long campaign of being an ass continues. To start, Robert rejects out of hand a plan to build 50 houses on or near the estate, complaining of not wanting to see modern houses (by which I think he means anything built after 1800). He then goes to London to surprise Lady Cora (who's gone down to see that art historian again to talk about paintings), only to have to cancel plans when she dines with the historian. He suspects the historian wants more than her opinion on paintings, and while Robert's not wrong he comes across as saying Cora has no opinions that the historian would want to hear. It's needlessly cruel, and his attempts to apologize the next day are rebuffed. He's also immediately cross when he sees Sarah Bunting at the tea, and while her outspokenness almost leads to the abrupt end of the tea he's still kind of an ass about her. He's becoming less able to deal with the present by the minute.
2. Lady Edith. Her attention to Marigold comes to a head, with Mrs. Drewe finally putting the kibosh on further visits (at one point she literally thought Edith had ran off with the child). This causes obvious distress, as Mrs. Hughes notes it's a blow to someone who has little enough love in her life as it is. Edith also casually asks Mary to show the sketches from her trip around, clearly not believing any were made. Mary is seen leafing through some later in the episode, so Edith doesn't get the pleasure of blowing Mary's cover, either.
3. Lady Cora. In some ways this is a good episode for her, as we get to see her demonstrating knowledge about something she cares about and gets to talk about herself and how she wound up in England looking for a husband (short version: a new money partly-Jewish family in New York City climbs up the social ladder more quickly if they marry into European aristocracy). What turns this into a negative isn't just Robert's dismissal of her intellect, but the way Cora notes that a night out in London is past her now, and as much as her art historian would like to keep the night alive and meet again in the future, neither are really in the cards. Cora has accepted her role as an older, country-dwelling countess, and we can see some of the regret in not having a more exciting or fulfilled life.
Honorable Mention: Anna Bates. In some ways she had a worse episode than Lady Cora, as she has to hide Lady Mary's birth control (and the book that inspired the purchase) in some corner of her cottage (ripe for Mr. Bates to discover in the next episode or two, I'm sure) and continue to keep the secret about Lady Mary's trip. Now throw in the police investigation into the death of Green, as there's now talk among Gillingham's household staff that Green spoke of not getting along with Mr. Bates. Bates is able to put together enough of an alibi to satisfy the local cop, but Anna (and Mrs. Hughes) fear that a more skilled officer may be able to determine that, even with the alibi, Bates could have had time to get into London, off Green, and get back to Downton. I fear Anna is going to worry her way into getting Bates caught.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Downton Abbey, Season 5 Episode 2
Three Up
1. Mary Crawley. No title for her this week, as she's off on her assignation with Tony Gillingham, disguised as a week of sketching with a friend. And she's gotten to this point with minimal work, between getting her friend to cover for her and sending poor Anna Bates to get protection for her. To her credit, Mary does give a fairly well-reasoned speech about how she needs to be sure that she's completely compatible with Tony, as she wants to marry again but absolutely does not want to divorce.
2. Lady Edith. She's continuing to spend time with her daughter, and has finally found a way to normalize that relationship to the extent one can - she's going to back up her personal support with finances, etc. as some sort of godmother. This does not necessarily sit well with Marigold's adoptive mother - she's still on the fence about Edith's presence, and shares Lord Grantham's concern that Edith will lose interest - but it seems to suit Edith's need to be close to her daughter. And with others thinking it's a way for her to distract herself from Gregson, they're thrown even farther off the scent as to the real connection between Edith and Marigold.
3. Isobel Crawley. The work of the Dowager Countess to get Lord Merton interested in someone of the appropriate station seems to not have worked, as he's still interested in Mrs. Crawley. Lady Violet continues to try to run interference between the two, but a visit to Lord Merton's estate to visit the gardens keeps things alive. The dowager is going to have to break out her finest cutting remarks, as her regular ones aren't quite working.
Honorable Mention: Mrs. Hughes. Her relationship with Carsten looks like it's going to take a hit when they disagree on the location of the village's war memorial, but when the location winds up being where Mrs. Hughes favored Carsten notes that one of the benefits of the location (which he didn't favor) is the the two of them are back on the same page. She's clearly pleased by that.
Three Down
1. Tom Barrow. While his position is secure, the loss of James makes him realize that he's lost the closest thing to a friend he has at the house. And now that he doesn't have the power of Baxter that he used to have, he doesn't even have a source for information that he can use against others. Even Molesley gets the upper hand on him at one point when discussing Baxter. Anna does reach out to him at one point, but he's seemingly comping to grips with being alone in the house.
2. Lord Robert. Mostly small issues - he's against the original location for the war memorial (though he wins that one), and is resistant to having a wireless set (though he relents after renting a set to listen to a speech by the king) - but he comes off as a dick in a couple places. He's flippant about Edith's interest in Marigold (he also thinks she'll tire of her), and is openly rude about Branson, Sarah Bunting and the return of Branson's leftist leanings (he as much as says he's parroting Sarah, which ignores pretty much all of Branson's political past). He also grouses about a visiting art historian flirting with his dog - missing that he was actually flirting with Cora.
3. Mrs. Drewe. As much as she appreciates Edith's interest in Marigold, her increased presence (and financial backing) isn't sitting as well as it could. She's concerned about Edith losing interest, but also that Edith is trying to muscle in on areas that are already covered (noting, for example, that Marigold already has a godmother when Edith suggests that sort of role for herself). I fear this conflict is going to continue to build over the course of the season.
Honorable Mention: John Bates. He's not in the episode much, but when a policeman comes to visit Carsten at the end of the episode, asking about the death of Green and revealing that there's a witness, we all know who is going to be in the middle of the investigation.
1. Mary Crawley. No title for her this week, as she's off on her assignation with Tony Gillingham, disguised as a week of sketching with a friend. And she's gotten to this point with minimal work, between getting her friend to cover for her and sending poor Anna Bates to get protection for her. To her credit, Mary does give a fairly well-reasoned speech about how she needs to be sure that she's completely compatible with Tony, as she wants to marry again but absolutely does not want to divorce.
2. Lady Edith. She's continuing to spend time with her daughter, and has finally found a way to normalize that relationship to the extent one can - she's going to back up her personal support with finances, etc. as some sort of godmother. This does not necessarily sit well with Marigold's adoptive mother - she's still on the fence about Edith's presence, and shares Lord Grantham's concern that Edith will lose interest - but it seems to suit Edith's need to be close to her daughter. And with others thinking it's a way for her to distract herself from Gregson, they're thrown even farther off the scent as to the real connection between Edith and Marigold.
3. Isobel Crawley. The work of the Dowager Countess to get Lord Merton interested in someone of the appropriate station seems to not have worked, as he's still interested in Mrs. Crawley. Lady Violet continues to try to run interference between the two, but a visit to Lord Merton's estate to visit the gardens keeps things alive. The dowager is going to have to break out her finest cutting remarks, as her regular ones aren't quite working.
Honorable Mention: Mrs. Hughes. Her relationship with Carsten looks like it's going to take a hit when they disagree on the location of the village's war memorial, but when the location winds up being where Mrs. Hughes favored Carsten notes that one of the benefits of the location (which he didn't favor) is the the two of them are back on the same page. She's clearly pleased by that.
Three Down
1. Tom Barrow. While his position is secure, the loss of James makes him realize that he's lost the closest thing to a friend he has at the house. And now that he doesn't have the power of Baxter that he used to have, he doesn't even have a source for information that he can use against others. Even Molesley gets the upper hand on him at one point when discussing Baxter. Anna does reach out to him at one point, but he's seemingly comping to grips with being alone in the house.
2. Lord Robert. Mostly small issues - he's against the original location for the war memorial (though he wins that one), and is resistant to having a wireless set (though he relents after renting a set to listen to a speech by the king) - but he comes off as a dick in a couple places. He's flippant about Edith's interest in Marigold (he also thinks she'll tire of her), and is openly rude about Branson, Sarah Bunting and the return of Branson's leftist leanings (he as much as says he's parroting Sarah, which ignores pretty much all of Branson's political past). He also grouses about a visiting art historian flirting with his dog - missing that he was actually flirting with Cora.
3. Mrs. Drewe. As much as she appreciates Edith's interest in Marigold, her increased presence (and financial backing) isn't sitting as well as it could. She's concerned about Edith losing interest, but also that Edith is trying to muscle in on areas that are already covered (noting, for example, that Marigold already has a godmother when Edith suggests that sort of role for herself). I fear this conflict is going to continue to build over the course of the season.
Honorable Mention: John Bates. He's not in the episode much, but when a policeman comes to visit Carsten at the end of the episode, asking about the death of Green and revealing that there's a witness, we all know who is going to be in the middle of the investigation.
Sunday, January 04, 2015
Three Up, Three Down: Downton Abbey, Season 5 Episode 1
It's 1924. Who's having a good year one episode in?
Three Up
1. Lady Mary. The semi-surprise visit by Tony Gillingham leads Mary to admit that she loves him, but wants to be as happy with he second husband as she was with her first, so she wants to play it slow. In response to that, Gillingham invites her on a week away where they'll get to know each other - in every sense of the word. This appeals to Mary, who suggested such a course of action to Anna (in a theoretical sense). She agrees to their assignation, saying no one must ever know. Which means it will be common knowledge by episode 4. Still, Mary's getting what she wants here.
2. Tom Barrow. He's on thin ice with Lady Cora after Baxter spills her big secret - she's a convicted felon due to stealing jewelry from a former employer, for reasons as yet unexplained - but his role in discovering the fire and saving Lady Edith puts him back in Cora's good graces. Another one of Tom's nine lives spent, but he's going to get some mileage out of this.
3. Lady Violet. As much as she's friends with Mrs. Crawley, and as much as Mrs. Crawley denies she has any interest in Lord Merton (who is still sniffing around), the Dowager Countess arranges a luncheon where she manages to steer another dowager aristo toward Lord Merton and isolate Mrs. Crawley with Dr. Clarkson. And while two parties in one day tuckers her out, she does manage to get off a couple of witticisms during the charged conversation at Lord and Lady Grantham's anniversary dinner, which Sarah Bunting does her best to ruin with her strident opinions.
Honorable Mention: Baxter. Her secret is finally out, but she takes Molesley's advice and tells Lady Grantham before Tom can (Tom is pressuring her for dirt on Mr. Bates, related to his day out where we believe he committed murder). Lady Cora is shocked, and is frustrated that Baxter isn't sharing more background as to why she stole from her former employer, and why she was unable to return what she stole. But Lady Cora has had no beef with Baxter, and isn't prone to sacking her straight off. She may still fire Baxter - and with Tom's good fortune with the fire he may have an opening to influence things - but Baxter is safe for now, and is a freer woman to boot.
Three Down
1. Lady Edith. Michael Gregson is still missing, and their love child continues to live with a family in the village. Edith apparently spends some time with the family, doting on their youngest, leading the wife to think that Edith fancies her husband. He has figured out why Edith is so interested, and they begin to work out an arrangement whereby Edith can continue to see her daughter. Still, she's despondent over the situation, and flings a book that belonged to Gregson across her bedroom. It manages to catch on fire, which causes the blaze that is confined to her room. Whatever light may be at the end of the tunnel for Edith is still a long way off.
2. Jimmy Kent. A former employer of Jimmy's continues to write letters to him, and she gins up a reason to stop at the abbey (and even fakes car trouble so she can spend the night). She passes a note to Jimmy at dinner inviting him to her room (which Carsten sees, but Jimmy is able to dodge giving the note to Carsten with an assist from Tom). He does go to her room, and is caught there by Lord Robert as he's going door to door raising the alarm. After the fire, Lord Grantham asks Carsten to let Jimmy go, but give him a good reference to cover for how he got the sack for getting in the sack.
3. Lord Robert. The generational (and ideological) shift is giving Lord Robert trouble, from the new Labor government to Sarah Bunting nearly ruining his anniversary dinner to a group from the village choosing Carsten over him to chair a war memorial committee. Throw in the fire and discovering the help rogering a guest and it was a tough episode for Lord Grantham. The only reason he doesn't finish higher is that the committee (or Carsten) asks Lord Robert to serve as the project's patron, helping to save face. He also has a bit of a talk with Tom about Sarah and his political past which I think helps to frame their relationship a bit, even if its ending was a bit sharp.
Honorable Mention: Spratt. Lady Violet's butler doesn't like serving the common folk. He continually snubs Dr. Gregson when serving other aristocrats, and has to be put in his place by Lady Violet on more than one occasion. You would think that one talking to from her would be enough, but his prejudice is apparently a little too entrenched.
Three Up
1. Lady Mary. The semi-surprise visit by Tony Gillingham leads Mary to admit that she loves him, but wants to be as happy with he second husband as she was with her first, so she wants to play it slow. In response to that, Gillingham invites her on a week away where they'll get to know each other - in every sense of the word. This appeals to Mary, who suggested such a course of action to Anna (in a theoretical sense). She agrees to their assignation, saying no one must ever know. Which means it will be common knowledge by episode 4. Still, Mary's getting what she wants here.
2. Tom Barrow. He's on thin ice with Lady Cora after Baxter spills her big secret - she's a convicted felon due to stealing jewelry from a former employer, for reasons as yet unexplained - but his role in discovering the fire and saving Lady Edith puts him back in Cora's good graces. Another one of Tom's nine lives spent, but he's going to get some mileage out of this.
3. Lady Violet. As much as she's friends with Mrs. Crawley, and as much as Mrs. Crawley denies she has any interest in Lord Merton (who is still sniffing around), the Dowager Countess arranges a luncheon where she manages to steer another dowager aristo toward Lord Merton and isolate Mrs. Crawley with Dr. Clarkson. And while two parties in one day tuckers her out, she does manage to get off a couple of witticisms during the charged conversation at Lord and Lady Grantham's anniversary dinner, which Sarah Bunting does her best to ruin with her strident opinions.
Honorable Mention: Baxter. Her secret is finally out, but she takes Molesley's advice and tells Lady Grantham before Tom can (Tom is pressuring her for dirt on Mr. Bates, related to his day out where we believe he committed murder). Lady Cora is shocked, and is frustrated that Baxter isn't sharing more background as to why she stole from her former employer, and why she was unable to return what she stole. But Lady Cora has had no beef with Baxter, and isn't prone to sacking her straight off. She may still fire Baxter - and with Tom's good fortune with the fire he may have an opening to influence things - but Baxter is safe for now, and is a freer woman to boot.
Three Down
1. Lady Edith. Michael Gregson is still missing, and their love child continues to live with a family in the village. Edith apparently spends some time with the family, doting on their youngest, leading the wife to think that Edith fancies her husband. He has figured out why Edith is so interested, and they begin to work out an arrangement whereby Edith can continue to see her daughter. Still, she's despondent over the situation, and flings a book that belonged to Gregson across her bedroom. It manages to catch on fire, which causes the blaze that is confined to her room. Whatever light may be at the end of the tunnel for Edith is still a long way off.
2. Jimmy Kent. A former employer of Jimmy's continues to write letters to him, and she gins up a reason to stop at the abbey (and even fakes car trouble so she can spend the night). She passes a note to Jimmy at dinner inviting him to her room (which Carsten sees, but Jimmy is able to dodge giving the note to Carsten with an assist from Tom). He does go to her room, and is caught there by Lord Robert as he's going door to door raising the alarm. After the fire, Lord Grantham asks Carsten to let Jimmy go, but give him a good reference to cover for how he got the sack for getting in the sack.
3. Lord Robert. The generational (and ideological) shift is giving Lord Robert trouble, from the new Labor government to Sarah Bunting nearly ruining his anniversary dinner to a group from the village choosing Carsten over him to chair a war memorial committee. Throw in the fire and discovering the help rogering a guest and it was a tough episode for Lord Grantham. The only reason he doesn't finish higher is that the committee (or Carsten) asks Lord Robert to serve as the project's patron, helping to save face. He also has a bit of a talk with Tom about Sarah and his political past which I think helps to frame their relationship a bit, even if its ending was a bit sharp.
Honorable Mention: Spratt. Lady Violet's butler doesn't like serving the common folk. He continually snubs Dr. Gregson when serving other aristocrats, and has to be put in his place by Lady Violet on more than one occasion. You would think that one talking to from her would be enough, but his prejudice is apparently a little too entrenched.
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