Vee

Four behind and finally catching up. Meanwhile:

It was a mistake killing all three of them - Pat, Peggy and Pauline. Granted, Barbara had extenuating circumstances and Wendy had her own health issues but still.

I'd love a bit more detail on Star's plans for S4, and when exactly he left. I haven't rewatched those eps in forever and I'd like to examine when and how the show changed course. Haven't watched much of the show at all in aeons, but I'm finding upon looking this week that I still know much of it by heart. I do think a revival could be viable, but it would need most of the cast while also requiring a) some link to the building and b) some younger or multicultural cast. It can't be all-white anymore. Maybe a anniversary celebration/benefit re: the neighborhood or gentrification draws the old crowd back, or a death (Billy?). One thing I disliked about the use of the old cast in the CW show is that every single one of them, from Michael and Amanda through to Jo and Jane, was ultimately portrayed as cynical, moneygrubbing and desperate. Each was a vindictive leech. Jane's company was supposedly broke and she schemed to bleed the young cast; Jo was out for a payout. While this may be very true to life re: much of LA or the ethos of the old show, it's not all it was or all they were at core, not the latter two especially. It demeaned them. The less said about the byzantine art forgery world Amanda and Sydney were now allegedly preoccupied with, the better.

Jo and Billy had a number of scenes together. I would've had Kimberly have a fling with Jake during her S4 free spirit era living in the building. Grant Show had an underused smoldering intensity in his rare good stories post-S2.

She was incredible in Last Summer.

IMDB is (as it often is) wrong. It was always Alison in print and official media. We don't view Jane as a bitch. She was a victim for the first three years, something the press and cast openly discussed. The introduction of Richard and Mackenzie/Hart was a plotline specifically created to toughen her up, per TPTB interviews at the time. I remember many. They went too far with it in late S4 and S5, but the complexity remained upon her underrated return.

Pluto is great - a new TV channel lineup for cord cutters - but YT has it up for free in great quality.

I can give you a very simple guide to necessary eps, at least so far: - S2: "The Measure of a Man". Rare early classic and introduces Bruce Maddox, the cyberneticist mentioned last week re: Data. - S2: "Q Who?" Introduces the Borg. - S3/S4: "The Best of Both Worlds". Legendary two-parter. Picard, the Borg and a nearly world-ending battle. - S4: "Family". Picard returns to his family's vineyard (which he has taken over in the new show) to recuperate from the Borg incident. - S4: "Brothers". Data and evil twin Lore are reunited with their creator, Dr. Soong (also played by Brent Spiner). - S4: "The Drumhead". Jean Simmons is a fanatical Starfleet prosecutor on a witch hunt. Picard must stop her. - S5: "Unification". Two-parter with Leonard Nimoy as Spock. Picard and Spock work for peace with the Romulan underground. Key to Romulan lore. - S5: "I, Borg". The Enterprise encounters a lost young Borg, Hugh. This episode will be very relevant to the new show. - S5: "The Inner Light." Classic Picard episode. - S6-S7: "Descent." Two-parter featuring Lore and Hugh. Also important. - S7: "All Good Things..." The excellent Picard-centric finale. Two movies very necessary: First Contact, Borg-centric and the only good TNG movie. Nemesis, terrible but very relevant re: the fate of Data. Also: Voyager elements will become relevant. VOY is a mediocre show with some good stories, but features heavy Borg lore re: Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), who will be appearing soon. Watch "Scorpion" and "The Raven" in S4, "Dark Frontier" in S5 and the series finale, "Endgame". If you're familiar with all these, my bad. You're welcome!

I thought Muldoon sparked with Josie early on in the tail end of S3. That faded fast, as Richard stuff became literally all Jane or Jo did. I was over it fast. To me he was best as a device to toughen Jane. I loved how they began evolving Kimberly into a functional, liberated and slightly cracked sex kitten/radio therapist post-bomb. I think that was perfect and could've gone on years.

My suspicion is Bex. Mistake not to just write her out for now, boring though she is. Did not realize Jessie Wallace is suspended for boozing, again.

IIRC Muldoon was in the cast press shots for Season 4. If it was going to happen it would've then. Kimberly was my favorite character, but by the end of S3 I felt sure she'd never be added to the main credits, if she survived. (Allegedly Marcia kept saying no.) I was floored when S4 rolled around and she not only was alive but finally in the opening.

I don't think Alycia was ever more than a plot mover, myself. I do think Bobby and Brooke could've been/done more and were intended for it. I think Richard failed bc Muldoon was a poor actor, so they made him a solid heavy instead. He fulfilled his main purpose, which was evolving Jane that year.

I always found Alycia truly weird. I thought the Bobby plot was great, but woo when they threw Enos out they wasted no time. It was a bit of a quick change, but their double demise was a blast. Jake and Alison was hell. IIRC it happened because they were dating IRL.

Huh.

This was very, very impressive. The opening ambush interview (with Merrin Dungey from Alias, who needs more work) was classic Picard.

One of the greats.

Bong's best movie is still the incredible Memories of Murder - the best police procedural of the last 25 years, and a true story that rivals Zodiac - but Parasite is excellent.

I msged you on PTV.

Classy of Zimmer to be interviewed on it. She discusses it a fair bit in her book.

I thought Lady Bird was profoundly overrated, despite some great performances. Little Women OTOH shocked me by being my favorite film of last year. It was an epic achievement, particularly in terms of its structure and production design, and yes, I feel Gerwig was robbed.