I suspect the spec about the NAACP having a hand in representation issues, with how the Duprees always default to "Duprees strong!" and only outside parties (Joey, the Belleclaires, Hayley, etc.) are the baddies/puppet masters, may have a kernel of truth. And I do think it is an problem for the show. That being said they're all still keeping the secret about what Martin did and what happened to his last attacker, and that is going to come back.

They toned Dani down a lot after some very broad first weeks and months. I don't have a problem with that. She's not meant to be a villain and very clearly isn't.

The Hayley story was tired almost six months ago and needs to end. She's become almost as annoying and tedious to me as she was last summer. How many pointless conversations about 'your client Lynette' can one have?

Edited 5 hours ago5 hr by Vee

The beginning of the episode felt very authentic in how grieving occurs. It reminded me of the day after my grandmother passed away and how it felt to have to carry on.

Lia is trying to find a way to escape with all these complaints of having a concussion and heart palpitations. Shanice telling her to rot in hell was a strong line because you would never expect Shanice to talk that way.

Donnell going back to not trusting Joey seemed like there was a step or two in between missed because he was still almost on Team Joey yesterday. But I guess the warehouse incident can be a believeable reason for him to go back to be suspicious.

-- Today was less interesting, but I guess that was inevitable after two episodes filled with action and plot movement.

-- I know we had to get Ashley's sadness and grief, but I can do without this many scenes in one episode in the future.

-- Grayson and Ashley need something to do from this point on, because they're pretty boring together.

-- I'm side-eyeing SO much of the plasma operation aftermath. Too much is "We're clearing the table and moving on. For example, Grayson stole plasma for a year. He not only gets full immunity, but no one at the hospital hears of his crimes and he gets to keep his job in healthcare? Really??

-- Grayson gives a recorded interview in the middle of the police station and it's all wrapped in a minute?

-- Lia gets informal visits from the police department? No formal questioning for someone so high up. Yeah, I know she's still in the hospital, but she doesn't even look ill enough to be there, and I don't think we're going to get any formal questions.

-- Lia doesn't know who the Impaler is and it's unclear if Joey knows. How convenient, and not believable. And why would Bill even consider taking on Lia as a client?

-- I was happy to see Shanice dragging Lia for filth. I agree that Donnell turning on Joey as he did seems like we missed a few scenes.

-- We had a "VIP meeting" at the warehouse and none of those VIPs had shown up? But yeah, Ren knows the Impaler's identity and Lia doesn't.

-- And let's throw Lynette into this plasma mess to make it all muddier and hide how badly the plasma story's been written. "The entire plasma operation is out of the DMV." Isn't that convenient.

1 hour ago, ranger1rg said:

-- Lia doesn't know who the Impaler is and it's unclear if Joey knows. How convenient, and not believable.

I kinda doubt Lia knows who the Impaler is. I'm figuring Lia answers to someone else, who answers to the Impaler. (They kept saying "VIPs" (plural) at the warehouse, as though there are several different layers of folks involved in the Plasma Thief Hierarchy. lol.

And I REALLY doubt Joey knows who the Impaler is. It's always been my belief that Joey is running some kind of outfit (that we know nothing about yet) which is "indirectly" related to the Plasma Thieves. I suspect Joey was keeping an eye on the Plasma Thieves because he's afraid the Plasma Thieves were encroaching on his "territory". I believe he sent Sammy/Randy out to the warehouse to figure out who the Impaler is. (Just my two cents.)

Smitty didn't get much of a journalistic article out of this mess, did he?

I know Ashley is grief-stricken, but I don't wanna see it. She bores me to TEARS no matter what she's doing.

19 minutes ago, Broderick said:

I kinda doubt Lia knows who the Impaler is. I'm figuring Lia answers to someone else, who answers to the Impaler. (They kept saying "VIPs" (plural) at the warehouse, as though there are several different layers of folks involved in the Plasma Thief Hierarchy. lol.

You may be right. I won't be happy if Lia gets some sweetheart immunity deal, especially since Grayson got one and Ren is in line for one. Derek dies and these people all get away with crimes?

22 minutes ago, Broderick said:

And I REALLY doubt Joey knows who the Impaler is. It's always been my belief that Joey is running some kind of outfit (that we know nothing about yet) which is "indirectly" related to the Plasma Thieves.

Again, you're probably right because this enables the show to keep the Golden Corral Casino Mobster around.

24 minutes ago, Broderick said:

I suspect Joey was keeping an eye on the Plasma Thieves because he's afraid the Plasma Thieves were encroaching on his "territory".

And how lame is that? I just want this plasma stuff scrubbed from the show completely.

24 minutes ago, Broderick said:

Smitty didn't get much of a journalistic article out of this mess, did he?

LMAOOOOOOO True. It's actually laughable. Has he written even one piece?

25 minutes ago, Broderick said:

I know Ashley is grief-stricken, but I don't wanna see it. She bores me to TEARS no matter what she's doing.

Agreed. We're already in "She's making Derek's death all about her" territory. And the truth is that she's a mediocre actress. None of these grief scenes are anything special.

-- If Doug is back, putting Jason Graham in the credits is a colossal unforced error on production. If that happens and Nicole is part of the secret, I can't wait to hear the tortured explanation of why a psychiatrist is the medical contact.

10 hours ago, 1974mdp said:

We need Deanna full-time. She brings an energy the show really needs!

Yes we do. And I want Deanna to ask Joey questions about the plasma stuff too.

I wanted to take the time to post something about two villains. First of all I know it's an unpopular opinion but the fact that Mike is back as a villain is very interesting. He's such a piece of s__t but a sleazy type of lawyer like him is necessary. Mike vs Bill could legit be one of the biggest feuds of the show.

As for Joey, the reason why he's white is because of political correctness. I truly believe that if Joey was a black man instead there would be a lot of complaints. I think the show wants to establish Joey as the big gangster and then bring in a black gangster later to be his rival.

Edited 42 minutes ago42 min by melanatedbtgfan

16 minutes ago, ranger1rg said:

Derek dies and these people all get away with crimes?

My own guess -- which is likely completely wrong! -- is that Grayson gets the immunity deal he was promised.

Lia -- probably not. She instructed someone to knife one man & to beat the daylights out of another man. She created a situation in which an employee of a highly-touted free clinic was murdered in cold blood. I would imagine any immunity she's offered will be "reduced jail time" and not a free walk.

Ren -- he can probably just give it up entirely. He could (theoretically) provide some valuable state's evidence, if he actually knows who the Impaler is, and he claims he DOES have that knowledge. But I betcha Joey Armstrong and Randy/Sammy figure out who the Impaler is before Ren has a chance to talk, reducing Ren's contribution to zero.

As for Doug McBride and Nicole -- I've got no guesses. But they sure made a big plot point of hustling her beautiful ass out of that ballroom mid-photograph with her family, and whatever led her to brush aside her debutante granddaughter's biggest moment (especially considering Nicole herself holds the emeritus title of Platinum Deb With the Nicest Booty in Barrington County) must be something she deemed AWFULLY important.

Ben Gavin's last day on the set as Derek.