AMC: Monday, May 20, 2013 Episode Discussion

[Ryan Chamberlain]

Damn! They should have kept it. That would have been freaking awesome to see.

[DRW50]

Finally watching this...

Lindsey Hartley is scary to look at these days. If not for that I think I would get more enjoyment out of her allying with JR to keep her secrets. But I need them to stop talking about this secret in earshot of a houseful of people.

I had [!@#$%^&*] all idea what Billy Clyde was saying in his first scene, but I did understand him in this episode. He's like a perverted Colonel Sanders, which is different, I guess. I like his delusion that he's a good, pure person. That woman who had the hair and old dress of Another Life's Terry Davidson and was hamming it up like she was in a Kids in the Hall sketch - I'm speechless. I don't know whether that was good or bad. The protest scenes and putting such obvious comedy in the middle of this - I want to say I was bothered, and sometimes it looked so cheap and fake, but I did laugh a few times. I'm not sure what to say. I'd give it a C.

Loved the David/Angie scenes. I hope they keep this a friendship and they don't have him start to obsess over her.

Eden Reigel was very, very good in the confrontation scene with JR. I felt like the scene went on too long, but Reigel and Ryan Bittle both nailed their reactions and it felt very nuanced. I'm very impressed with Eden's work this time around. She could have easily just seen this as a glorified cameo, a quick paycheck from people throwing a 16-year old daughter at her and not giving her a life outside of that. But she isn't phoning it in. I think that scene with JR was some of her best work. And Bittle, to me, is getting better and better.

Dixie and Brooke just sort of standing there, other than Brooke occasionally going, "Oh my!" like one of those RPG characters you keep talking to in case they finally have something interesting to say, was a bizarre, distracting writing choice. There was no reason for them to be in the scene. And the red blazer/red lipstick is still distracting me.

I liked that Miranda said "effed up" instead of the actual profanity when she was arguing with Bianca, and that when she told Bianca to get over Marissa's death, Bianca didn't do the soap cliche of slapping her. Most soaps would have done that. It would have cheapened the scene, and the later slap she gave JR.

I'm a little baffled by how emotionally disconnected Miranda is with JR's return. There should be more conflict over what JR did to Marissa, as Miranda was old enough to remember her and be fairly close to her. Miranda was strangely almost blase in some of those last scenes. It's nice that she wants to support AJ, but it's as if she never knew Marissa, never saw her mother grieve, and had no memories of JR's insane behavior in the months before Marissa died.

The song was out of left field, but nice enough, and, as Vee said, well-acted. I still don't want to see AJ and Miranda as a couple, but the kiss worked.

I need Eric Nielsen to stop making those stoic/stunned/awkward faces in closeup for quite so many scenes, because I'm starting to feel like he's turning into Tilda Swinton.

Celia and Pete were...out of place, although it's always nice to see a happy montage.

[Vee]

I just love Eric Nelsen. But I agree he's stagey. I wish he was naked more often.

I do agree Miranda is entirely too glib re: J.R., but I think part of that can be chalked up to the teen Kane archetype.

The Pete/Celia stuff takes an interesting turn soon, with business, etc. I'll be eager to see what you think of it. Brooke has a lot more coming, too. I'm still waiting on Dixie, but spoilers indicate she might have some new plot wrinkle. I just want to see her with a new man - I'm not convinced her relationship to Tad is anything stable. I got the unspoken vibe that he can't stay away long enough, possibly over her loyalty to J.R., and she's grasping at straws. I may be imagining it.

A lot of us seem divided on whether or not they are finally going to go for David/Angie/Jesse, tying into J.R. and Cara as well. I think they are. And I can't wait.

I liked Billy Clyde's debut the day or two before this one, in the diner with the prostitutes. It did feel very old school, as did the set - like a bit of Agnes business from the early '80s. But I liked that.

Lindsay Hartley looks a lot healthier in the recent episodes, IMO.

[DRW50]

Thanks for taking the time to read all my crap.

I like your idea about Tad and Dixie (and I would be happy to see this couple done with).

If they ever did Angie/David I'd need a very slow build.

I'm glad they seem to be moving away from Cara still having feelings for David, as the idea of her becoming a schemer works better for me. I'm also glad to hear that she is looking better.

Billy Clyde's first day back...it had its moments. Not quite sure. I hope the episode cut won't affect his story too much. I know people said some of his scenes with Dixie were cut.

[Vee]

I think the endgame, at least the one for the time being, is David and Cara and Angie and Jesse (as per the opening). But I think it's going to be a slow train to get there with J.R. and David as spoilers to each couple, respectively. And I'm fine with that. I like David/Cara, but J.R. and Cara have a very intriguing dynamic and I love David and Angie.