AMC: Wednesday July 21, 2010

[Khan]

As the Professor would say, "You try giving someone a good haircut with scissors made from a coconut!"

[Clear Drama]

LMAO ... you forgot Little britches

[Ryan Chamberlain]

Anyone else notice that this episode and today's (Thursday's) were written by B&E? I didn't even know they were still on the writing staff.

[AllMyDaysatGH]

I thought Tuesday's was by B&E, Wednesday's Tara K. Walsh, and I haven't seen today's yet. But yeah, they re-joined the writing staff as Script Writers recently. First ep back was Tuesdays.

[R Sinclair]

When smart assedness goes horribly wrong

That's the Jungle Book.

The Skipper called Gilligan "Little Buddy."

[Khan]

"Followed by an all-new 'Glee' -- NEXT! ON FOX!"

[EricMontreal22]

The Skipper is a bit like Baloo, I *suppose*.

Fair enough, re the wedding. Did she give Damon placebo? That would make a lot more sense, but I don't remember seeing it.

R--I agree it's insane for Tad to adopt Damon *this* quickly, but obviously it's cuz it taps into own past feelings and he sees himself as Damon--so he's not being rational.

[SFK]

I don't think it's strange at all to legally adopt your birth child whose very existence you were robbed of knowing. What I don't quite understand is why it was even legally necessary unless Paul had adopted him, perhaps I missed that factoid, but that would totally put Hillary in a shitload of trouble if she lied to the court about her son's biological father's interest/involvement/knowledge of that adoption. It's symbolic for Tad more than anything, the kid will be legal in no time and just b/c he's Tad's son doesn't necessarily mean that he's entitled to anything of Tad's.

[Khan]

Isn't Damon a little old to be adopted in the first place? He's "of age," right?

[R Sinclair]

You're so generous.

Gee... a man who buried a man alive, tortured him for weeks and then killed him all because he put his daughter up for a legal adoption not being rational?

[blanche Devereaux] I'm stunned. I'm just absolutely stunned. There are no words to say just how... stunned I am![/blanche Devereaux]

[R Sinclair]

It's a little strange when you've just met the person five months ago. It reminds me of the woman who adopted the kid from Russia, found out he was some kind of head case, and shipped him back with a note pinned to him, basically saying return to sender. Would it behoove Tad to find out WHAT exactly happened over the last 18, 19 years that has Paul soooooo repulsed by him? Or is Tad that basic and simple that the "ADHD" diagnosis justifies/excuses/absolves EVERYTHING Damon's done? Yeah, sure, at age 12, Damon might've set fire to Paul's sister's house and severely burned two of his nieces... but it's okay! It's the ADHD's fault... and David's.

[SFK]

I definitely agree about the apprehension given his awful track record. I just think, and I can only speak for myself here, that if I found out that one of my high school girlfriends had a kid by me and never told me, not only would I be beyond livid with her and seek some sort of legal action (if my mother didn't beat her ass first I'm just being real) but I think I would become so enamored with this kid and I'd go out of my way to "make things right." And if he/she was troubled like Damon, my heart (and yes, my ego) would probably be consumed by the idea that things would have been different had I been in the picture. I think that's where Tad is.

OMG, that case about the Russian kid was too much! Sadly, I can't say that I blame her, wasn't the kid biting and punching here?? Yikes. But even there, I'm biased. If this was my bio kid I'd work through it. A tough call, I mean, it's not like they told her the kid had emotional problems, but if he hadn't shown any signs of them before, do you just give up like that when he arrives at your home and does? Very tough.

BTW, I think Hillary has really gotten off here, Paul has assumed all of the overt villainy where Hillary's really the passive villain in this situation.

[EricMontreal22]

R you had me LOL there actually--of course, Tad has, at least since the McTavish era, not been all that rational...

Khan, adoption at that age is more a gesture, but I do know of it happening before. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss adult adoption, I think it can be a great gesture (plus Damon isn't exactly a fully grown adult--I know I'm in the minority on this here, but I think kids/teens still need a lot of guidance and support at 18).

SFK I *think* they did always raise Damon as Paul's legal son... But it hasn't been too clear (c'mon AMC, hurry up and bring on Hillary)

[Khan]

Thank you. Blood ties or no, Tad's turning a blind eye to Damon's potential dangerousness/chalking it all up to physiological disturbances such as ADHD is asking for serious trouble. Tad himself has crossed over to the so-called dark side on several occasions. Now, regardless of how you view Tad as a person, the fact is, he has acknowledged it to be the manifestation of Ray Gardner's troubling influence on him; and has attempted -- although, not always successfully -- to suppress it.

In the end, I think, Tad Martin is a decent, well-meaning guy who just makes really bad choices. Unfortunately, it's the amoral, borderline sociopathic tendencies that he'll always share with Ray -- and now, with Damon. And I would like to see all that explored, too, with possibly Jamie returning as a sort of "ego" to Damon's "id" and Tad caught in the middle, as AMC grapples with whether deviant or criminal behavior such as Damon's is a product of genetics or environment (IOW, "Can evil be truly reformed?"). But...yeah, I know, it'll never happen.

[EricMontreal22]

I feel the same way, btu I'm a bit of a bleeding heart--and of course if I actually found myself in the situation I may behave completely differently. Hrmm I did sleep with several girls when I was a teenager, though funny that, I actually used *condoms*. So I don't think it's too likely to happen.

+1 They did have a scene a bit back where they kinda, very very lightly commented on this, but it wasn't much.