Big Love S04E07 'Blood Atonement'

As much as I love this show, it feels as though it has just become way too busy. Maybe this is because it’s season has been shortened by an episode. I think all these storylines, as dramatic as they, may have benefitted from revealing them at a slower pace – if for nothing else than to give the viewer a chance to breathe a little.

It was obvious that the dominant storyline within this episode was going to be the fallout between Lois’s smuggling and the Green’s. It did take up the majority of the episode, as Joey and Bill made their way down to Mexico to rescue them. We find out, however, this isn’t Joey’s sole intention. He wants to go down there to exact revenge against Hollis for the part he played in Kathy’s death. We see Bill’s fear that Ben could possibly already have been killed, a fear that is perhaps exacerbated by the distance has been between them both of late.
Hollis puts the three accused before a mock trial, although it’s clear that he’s never going to find in favour of any of them, as he believes he is muscling in on his own business. However, he does agree to put a halt on proceedings until Bill can get there. This isn’t to be nice; it’s because he has since found out that after Dale’s death – Bill has now been elevated and is the head of the UEB. As Hollis has his son, they both have something the other needs.

Things take a turn for the even more strange when Bill does get there. He pulls a gun on his brother, telling him he can’t join him as he is too hell bent on revenge and may put them all in jeopardy. Of course this does little to deter Joey, and was a bit foolhardy of Bill to think that it would. Joey follows him down anyway, ‘guns a-blazin’ shouting out for Hollis Green.

By this point Bill has already located and retrieved his family (as well as Joedine, who was essential to the operation). Bill tells Joey to leave it be and to get out of there, that the heavenly father will take care of it, just like he did Roman. This is where Joey tells him that it was in fact he, who took care of it. There was no divine intervention. Bill, although shocked, does stand by his brothers side when people pull guns on them.

Bill then offers himself up, as long as they let their family go. However, Lois’s maternal instinct kicks in. Although this might not have been the best course of action ... she grabs the nearest weapon a slices Hollis’s arm off. It may not be the greatest ideas in terms of revenge and future ramifications the action will have on both her and her family, but it’s quite clear she just wanted to save her son.

And there we have it. They are all free to go back to Salt Lake, and will no doubt have to deal with the fallout of this in the remaining two episodes.


We find out this episode that Nikki is having trouble conceiving. So much so, that she has seen a doctor about her qualms who confirms her suspicions. This issue is only made more interesting by the fact that Adaleen, her mother, has found out she’s pregnant. As improbable as this seems, it is confirmed by a home pregnancy test.
The part that Jay Jay’s son, who is a doctor, has played in this is yet to be determined. Adaleen sings her praise of him, and instructs Nikki to go see him as well. From what we’ve seen of Jay Jay, and from Wanda’s horrified reaction (‘What have you done!’) it will be interesting to see how this proceeds. I may be reading way too much into it, but I think the doctor is completely suspicious, and the ‘hormones’ he prescribed Nikki may be something else entirely...
Also from the way Adaleen has said she’s never had so much energy etc ...

And finally we come to Margene’s storyline. She got married. To Ana’s fiancée, in order to keep him in the country. This way Bill and Barb can keep their baby, Ana and her fiancée actually get to stay in America, and perhaps the underlying reason ... Margene has her own front for when Bill announces that they are all polygamists. Margene can hide behind the fact that she is in fact married, and hopefully it will have no impact on her business at all. Another consideration could be Margene potentially gaining two allies. It’s clear that she is still a little bit on the out with the family, so with Ana behind her she at least has somebody on her side.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- Still believe something is being built up between Tommy and Barb. The way that she asked him about his background, and the way he was concerned about her safety when the bomb was found in the casino.
- It would seem that Bill was right about Marilyn. No sooner have they signed, they already can’t contact her for help, and in fact, discover that she may be in bed with the organisation that is after their casino.
- Again no Sarah. Definitely phasing her out. She could have really left this season and it wouldn’t have made any difference.
- Was disappointed that the aftermath of Dale’s suicide hasn’t really been explored yet. Was really hoping to see Alby’s reaction, and whether or not he finds out Laura was behind Dale’s family finding out...
- I like how Ana has sort of been setup to point out just how difficult the whole family is. In a way, her character got to know the family just as we did. Through fresh, innocent eyes who knew nothing of polygamy or the lifestyle. She is usually the voice of reason, in many ways – pointing out just how difficult they all are to deal with etc
- Am wondering if there’s something between Joedine and Joey...?
- Was also interesting to see Frank admit to Lois the real reason for Bill’s banishment. The will of Roman Grant and the threat of relocating his wives. And although he did let Bill go for perhaps selfish reasons, perhaps we got a glimpse of how much Lois had meant to him. However, he now knows that this decision essentially ruined her.
- Was also nice to see Adaleen apologising to Nikki for her sealment when she was only fifteen. You could see just how much that sentiment meant to Nikki.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“I’m not going down without a fight.” Lois
“I’m not that person you think I’m becoming.” Bill
“No, I don’t even know who you are. Not really. I was just, pretending I did.” Lois
“You people can’t be reasoned with.” Ana
“I’ve come to see, I’ve really let you down.” Adaleen
“I had my childhood taken from me. I refuse to let my womanhood be taken too.” Nikki
“If you can’t share in my joy, then let’s just add it to the growing pile of things you and I are unable to discuss.” Adaleen








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Brothers and Sisters S04E15 'A Valued Family'

Bit of a bla episode really. Nothing terribly exciting happened. I don’t know if it’s the cynic in me (and lets be honest, it most definitely is) but I always seem to like episodes where the whole family is almost at war – more than the ones that they’re for each other. I know the whole show is based on the premise that these people share this intimate bond with each other, but sometimes it almost seems like it is TOO much like fiction. The fighting Walker’s seem a little bit more based in reality.


This episode we finally got to Kitty announcing her candidacy. She hired campaign manager, Buffy, who has also done a little digging into her background. She found Alec Tyler, the guy Kitty nearly had an affair with in the previous season. And while she sees this as merely being thorough, Robert sees it as almost an invasion of privacy and gives her quite a serving. I think these two characters (Robert and Buffy) share quite an interesting dynamic. Who knows ... maybe he’ll run off with her at the end of the season.
Just on a sidenote to this storyline, we almost saw Robert forgive Alec for his almost indiscretion with Kitty. Although he did make sure he didn’t sleep with her, even though Kitty has been adamant in the past that they didn’t. Alec somewhat humanised himself to Robert when he mentioned his wife dying of cancer, something Robert was so obviously afraid of having to go through when Kitty was sick. And in the end Robert did (sortve) thank him. He admitted they were in a bad place at the time Kitty and Alec met, and having to work through that drama set them back on course. (Although it could be said it’s obviously about to be derailed... If you look at Rob Lowe’s departure as an avenue for the writers to make Kitty single again)

Rebecca and Justin made a return to the series as well. Rebecca lost the baby, and they are both obviously grieving for their loss. I’ve never really liked them as a couple, and while it was emotional and you did feel their loss, I couldn’t help but remembering Justin’s admission – that he is just not at the point in his life to be a father. Perhaps that will get brought back up.

It was also revealed that Holly did not sell her shares to Dennis York, even though we were led to believe that she did throughout most of the episode. Her talk with Nora obviously had an impact in the hospital waiting room when they were both mourning the loss of their unborn grandchild. Nora referred to her as family, and you do actually see that remark register on Holly’s face. Later Holly does divulge the name of the potential buyer, which seems to resonate with Nora – and will no doubt be explored in meticulous detail in future episodes.

And my favourite storyline of the week. Sarah and Luke. It was pretty obvious from the episode prior to this that things with Sarah and Roy weren’t going to work out. She still had feelings for Luke, and although it was clear that she believed that staying with Roy was the much wiser choice, her heart just wasn’t in it. He acknowledges that there just isn’t a spark – and they break up on Valentines Day. However, in a very soap opera twist, the painting she so admired at the gallery they were all at (that Roy bought for her for V day) turned out to be Luke’s.... It was a corny, yet sweet twist. I think Sarah has probably had the most unhappiness in the four seasons of the show when it comes to love (although this could be debated, they have all had their fair share of bad times) and it was nice to finally see her happy with a development in her love life.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- Just as soon as one couple comes back, Justin and Rebecca, another one (Scotty and Kevin) all but disappear
- This is going to sound horribly critical and little bit catty, but the red suit that Kitty wore to her candidacy announcing, looked a little off. She looked more like she was about to sell people houses than policy ...
- Will be interesting to see the development with Dennis Yorke. It has been touched on that he had been sent to prison for something that involved William Walker, while he walked away relatively clean. Nora should be able to elaborate on the circumstances as she clearly knew exactly who he was.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“I’m sick of cleaning up dad’s messes.” Sarah (Isn’t cleaning up his messes the whole premise of the series??)
“You have to let me in. Cry. Punch a wall, punch me. Something. But just let me help you” Justin
“I’ve been trying to get my heart to follow my head.” Sarah
“What part of make it happen, do you not understand.” Kitty
“Whoever said you can have it all, is a big fat liar.” Sarah







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Greys Anatomy S06E15 'The Time Warp'

There’s not too much to say about this episode of Grey’s. Although I can see the reasoning behind flashback episodes; giving an insight into the characters before they became the people we now know them to be, or maybe showing something that happened to them that still has a major impact on who they are today, I generally don’t like them. Most of the time, they just seem forced.


Although the episode was a little dry, and of course played on peoples emotions by showing the ostracism of both Richard and Alice (Grey), as well as showing the unlikely comeback, medico’s turning their backs on a patient they were afraid to treat, and the underdog (Bailey) having all the answers. But playing on peoples emotions is really what Grey’s does best.


It was interesting to see Bailey’s beginnings though. How quiet and reserved she was now, claiming that she may not have been built to be a shark in this environment. When we look at her character now, it’s hard to believe that they were once the same person. But we did see her stand up for herself in this flashback for the first time, and she’s been doing it since.


We also find out Callie and Alex had sex, not a particularly shocking revelation as almost everyone has slept with everyone at Seattle Grace anyway. I have to admit I did like the callback to the man in the elevator bit, Alex being a typical boastful guy, claims it was all him. This clearly impresses Callie, but in actual fact people that can remember back all those seasons ago know it to be George (her future husband and ex husband) to be the one that didn’t freeze up.


And lastly, it really was a great insight to see what Alice Grey was actually like. She’s almost been a mythical figure since the beginning of this series. Although she has been around, albeit incapacitated due to suffering dementia, it really was probably the best part of the episode. To see the dynamic between Richard and Alice, how they were both somewhat outcast by the other surgeons (even though it could be assumed that they were probably the two best interns there – they were the only one brave enough to help a patients suffering from AIDS when no one else wanted to go near him). There was also a reference to Meredith, and it was clear that Alice may not have been the best mother, but she loved her job, and she loved Richard.


All in all though, not the greatest episode. Grey’s is slipping.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- The set designers should be commended for the 80’s hospital. It was a stunning visual
- I thought it was also a nice touch having Callie so deathly afraid of public speaking
- Will the revelation of Callie and Alex’s sexual dalliance cause trouble for her and Arizona. I don’t see why it should ... She’s also slept with George, Hahn, Sloane...
- That's the first time (and probably last) weve heard Callie was in the peace corp..

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Flattery will get you to an on call room in five minutes or less.” Alice Grey
“Were not the lie. Our marriages are the lie. This, us, it’s right.” Alice Grey
“It changes you, this line of work.” Richard
“God made you short. Who made you quiet?” Richard
“I was not raised to be a shark.” ‘Mandy’ (aka Bailey)












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Big Love S04E06 'Under One Roof'

There’s action packed episodes, and there’s episode six of this seasons Big Love. Wow, I don’t even really know where to begin, but I will try to condense the commentary down to make it more readable.
One of the opening shots was a return to last seasons unfinished story. We finally get to see Ana again, and realise straight away that she is pregnant. It is assumed it’s Bill’s, and Barb goes to speak to her. Barb seems happy about this development, perhaps because a new addition to the family hasn’t been added for awhile (although Nikki is supposedly trying to rectify this).


However, it all turns sour pretty quickly. Ana makes it clear that she wants nothing to do with any of the wives, or for the most part, Bill. When she does finally concede she needs help (as she has to quit her waitressing job) she immediately brings up lawyers. Bill is of course horrified, not because he will only have seemingly limited visitation rights for his child, but because he is running for a seat in the senate, and cannot have any dirt sticking to him right now.

We also find out that Ana is happily engaged to a man that loves her regardless that she is carrying another mans baby, and that the child wasn’t conceived before the wedding. This changes things for Barb, and actually gets her angry with Bill – something that isn’t a common occurrence. And for once, someone finally questions Bill’s intention in regards to his political aspirations. He has claimed in the past that he’s doing it for them, because they shouldn’t have to be ashamed of who they are – but Barb floats the question as to whether his intentions are purely selfish.


The Adaleen/Jay Jay sealment also took a drastic turn in this episode. Nikki is clearly not coping with the knowledge of what is about to happen, and we see her truly vulnerable when she is laying on the couch next to Bill, asking him not to leave. She doesn’t rarely question or berate her family or the way she is brought up, so the fact she does in this episode tells us it is going to become much more of an issue. She also brings it up with the wives, stating that Margene should more or less count herself lucky that she did in fact have a childhood, and Nikki was never afforded that luxury.

We also see Nikki go to the location where the sealment is to take place. She is dressed in a short dress, with high heels – a completely different look to what we’ve ever seen her in. It is almost at this point, like she is rebelling like most teenagers do. This is where she finds out that CaraLynn is also intended to be sealed, and bursts into every room at the motel until she finds her and gets her out of the situation.


The casino was also a big part of this episode, where we see the tension between Bill and Barb mounting further. Marilyn is to make a proposal, basically telling the partners that she can help the casino when it comes to certain bills in the senate etc that may directly affect it. But Barb is not invited to the presentation, and Marilyn, ever the politician, preys on her insecurities of the casino just being one big boys club. They later share icecream together (with Sarah, who once again was seemingly under utilised and had perhaps one or two lines the entire show) and Barb seems to actually bond with Marilyn.

It’s clear that Bill doesn’t want Marilyn involved in the casino. He views her as a political shark who he should be wary of, but Barb, Tommy and Jerry seem to want her involved. Bill is afraid that people at the casino know who he ‘really’ is, and doesn’t want her to find out. However, Barb signs the contract to get her on board.


We also seen Ben getting actively involved in Lois’s business venture. He is in the car with Joedine, Frank and Lois going to Mexico to retrieve the birds. We see Ben and in particular Lois, perhaps the happiest we have seen them yet. Dancing around on the streets of Mexcio, happy to take in their surroundings, and happy with the development of the business and what exactly it could mean for them. Frank and Lois also propose the idea of building an extra room on their house so Ben could stay with them permanently. Ben, in turn, floats the idea of getting a house in Mexico, which they all seem to like. This adventure of course all goes wary, when the Green’s turn up and take them away – to somewhere that is not explored any further. Will have to wait for episode seven ...


Relations between Margene and the family still seem a little strained. Nikki explains that things between Margene and Barb won’t return to semi-normal until Ben is back at home. So with the capture of Ben, it may strain relations even further (although technically Bill should be blamed for Ben’s leaving).


And finally, probably the most touching storyline on this show for awhile was that between Dale and Alby. We have seen how much Dale struggles with who he is, and the lengths he has gone to in order to ‘cure’ his homosexuality.

Alby has organised an apartment, that is just theirs. A place where they can meet. However, this may be their undoing, as Alby’s wife follows them there, and instantly knows what they are up to when she sees them leave one after the other. The rumour on the compound has always been rife that Alby has had sexual dalliances with men (remember back to ‘drip drip drip).

Laura is outraged at the situation, and obviously has power through Alby’s standing on the compound, and is perhaps afraid of losing it. She intimates to Bill the connection between Alby and Dale. Bill confronts Dale, and seemingly feels sorry for him as it is so obvious how much he is struggling with his own demons. Bill acknowledges he know how hard it must be for him, and perhaps this is in direct correlation with Bill having sexual intercourse (with both Margene and Ana) before marriage.

Laura, unsatisfied with the ruining of Dale’s career, also goes to his home to presumably tell his wife. In the closing shot of the scene, we see Alby on the phone telling Dale he loves him, before walking into ‘their’ apartment and finding that he has hung himself. Alby breaks down in tears, and for one of the first times ever we see Alby as a human being, who is genuinely grieving for something he loved and lost.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- In the meeting of the board, when Tommy asked a question about religion, even though it’s clear Bill would know about it, it was if he only directed the question towards Barb. I’m not quite sure what the writers are trying to set up between these two characters, but I’m definitely enjoying it.
- With Sarah’s about ... minute role in this episode, it could be said that the writers are just phasing her out as she is leaving at the end of the season anyway. If we hardly see her this season .. we won’t miss her next season?
- Margene in her public speaking role talked about how women should be there for one another. She obviously doesn’t feel that connection at home anymore. This might also explain why she was so happy to see Ana, as she thought perhaps she could gain an ally.
- There was a lot of phone throwing in this episode.
- Was also interesting for Bill to finally question about Margene’s resistance towards them being exposed. It has been clear she values her business, but Bill calls her on her intentions. However, really both of their intentions (her business, his political career) are both being done purely for themselves, not for the family. It seemed a little rich for Bill to be calling her on it....
- Although it’s clear Nikki doesn’t agree with homosexuality, her calling Alby and telling him she loves him regardless, I thought, was a touching moment. Alby seemed genuinely upset, and perhaps happy to talk to someone as he admitted more to his sister than he had to anyone else.
- But why then does he go ahead with the JayJay/Adaleen sealment? He knows how much it hurts her ... will be interesting to see if this is explained. It was almost like he’s doing it to put on a facade, as he immediately became cold toward Nikki when Laura walked in the room. Perhaps Laura has the real power after all.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“The marriage lasted forty eight hours. Conceiving in forty eight hours is hitting a real bulls eye.” Nikki
“You people are so damn complicated. There’s no half way with any of you.” Ana
“I’m an imperfect person, I know that.” Bill
“Sometimes I get so angry at the things we can’t change.” Nikki
“I think I’m damaged.” Nikki
“This hotel is the place where my soul was killed.” Nikki
“Behind every man, there’s an exhausted woman.” Marilyn
“I like your wife. I respect her. Heaven knows what she’s doing with a horses ass like you.” Marilyn
“He’s good. He touches my heart. He’s my destiny.” Alby
“I don’t want our marriage to be a weapon that stifles your growth. But it’s not just something you can throw away when you want to either.” Bill
“We are the women behind the woman.” Nikki
“I went straight from being a little girl to being a married woman.” Margene
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Secret Diary of a Callgirl S03E05 'Episode Five'

This episode almost exclusively focused on Belle and her developing relationship with her editor, Duncan. Are they on, are they off? It seems to take more twists and turns than most relationships, that’s for sure. It’s obvious in the opening, where they are discussing business, that she’s can’t get their previous dalliance out of her mind. She keeps having flashbacks, and I don’t think it was a coincidence that the word ‘cheap’ invokes a flashback. As he is very clearly trying to avoid the topic of the two of them (especially how he basically threw her out after they had sex) it would be natural for Hannah to feel somewhat used.


But he does come around to the idea, just as Belle seems to be completely going off the idea, mostly due to a conversation she had with a client. The client, Al, had asked her about relationships while she is still in the business. And although he never says it would never work, it seems as though Belle believes this to be true, and therefore conjures him up just after Duncan has apologised and they are about to get intimate. So she throws him out.

It only takes until the end of the episode for her to apologise for her behaviour. She had in fact, put him in quite an impossible situation. Telling him it bothered her that he doesn’t seem to mind what she does, and just to appease her he told her it does, and then her throwing him out because it has no chance of working then. It seemed completely unreasonable, and in fact, was meant to be. We saw Belle struggling with her past demons (her relationship with Alex). But the two are going to give it a chance, and again we get to see the dynamic of Hannah trying to juggle both herself and Belle. But this time it has an interesting twist – Duncan almost intimately knows Belle as he is her editor, and whereas Alex was mostly left in the dark, he has a complete understanding of the details of what she does.


In other news, Bambi and Byron announce to Ben and Hannah that they are engaged. Hannah immediately objects to the idea, telling them that it is a little strange that they met ‘for a shag’ and two weeks later, are engaged.
And although this in some part stems from the part of her that truly believes that a relationship while being an escort can never work, there is obviously more than a little truth behind the idea.
And it affects Byron and Bambi as well, because the next time we see them, they’re discussing all of their ‘favourite’ things in order to learn more about each other. And although they briefly skim over their family lives, they revert back to talking about their favourite super heroes. Neither of them have a relationship with their parents (Byron’s don’t like him, Bambi’s gave her away) and it seems as though the subject is almost too hard for them to talk about, that they simply cannot talk about something so personal with one another – so they go back to a much easier topic.


FURTHER THOUGHTS

- Belle finally divulges her magical number. 1036 men. I wonder if that includes the men Hannah has slept with? Logic says yes, but I guess it is murky ground.
- I feared that things will end up badly for Bambi, and with the announcement of her engagement to Byron, I’m more inclined to think it will. An underlying theme, not just in this season but throughout the whole series, is that it is almost impossible to have a relationship with somebody while you’re in this job. Even Stephanie confirms this.
- Find out Stephanie’s inclination is for women. That’s not either really here nor there, but provides more of an insight to a character than we’ve ever really had before.
- Belle’s unashamed love for the almighty pound also makes a resurface. We see what she actually does with her money (safe deposit box), and the issue of taxes is skirted around. I wonder just how much money she has stored away....

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Love is overrated. And built on very shaky ground. Where as an affair with a wardrobe is solid, and it lasts forever.” Belle
“Number one unwritten rule of being an escort. You’re only allowed on lover. Money.” Belle
“What? I had to do it. He’s my editor and escorts can’t have boyfriends. Keep up.” Belle
“Sex, enthusiasm, respect, clarity.” Belle
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Secret Diary of a Callgirl S03E04 'Episode Four'

Three different relationships, three different outcomes. This episode focussed on love, heartbreak and moving on. The relationship between Belle and Duncan continues to be a focal point, and just as soon as the writers put the two characters together, they tear them away just as fast. It looked like Bambi and Byron were heading for the same fate, until the dying moments of the episode proved otherwise. And of course, Jackie and Ben’s relationship flame flickered and died before our very eyes.

Ben made it clear at the beginning of the episode that he wanted to end things with Jackie. It seemed somewhat clear from the start of this story arc that it could never turn in to anything serious. Aside from the fact that Jackie has a husband, Ben just didn’t seem to be ready to settle down. And in some way, they were both long to be something they could never have. Ben seemed to be merely substituting Hannah for her sister. It is clear that the two still have SOME sort of feelings for each other – and I’m sure that will be actively pursued further down the track. This was made clear to me with Hannah’s reaction to him dating her sister, and in this episode where Ben clearly stated he didn’t want to hear about Hannah’s sex life.

And I believe that Jackie wanted a taste of Hannah’s life. She wanted to know what it was like to not be married, to be free to make alternative choices and in some regards, to throw caution to the wind. Perhaps the breakup with Ben is what she needed for her to wake up. She has now gone back to her husband to try to work things out, and it is unclear as to whether she will be back.


Now that Duncan and Belle have finally had sex, it will be interesting to see what happens next. It seemed at the start of the episode where they are discussing kinkiness, that Belle was almost flirting with him through her broad minded sexual exploits. That he should be impressed that she has no fear in doing something kinky. And although we know this to be true through her past experiences, the way she repeated herself seemed a little attention grabbing. Almost like she wanted to be noticed by him for this. And of course he knows what she does in intimate detail. This may be an attraction to a degree, but the fact that she is a prostitute will come into play down the track, just as it did with Alex. Belle dished out this advice to Bambi in this episode and the one prior, so it’s not like she’s unfamiliar with the situation.....

Perhaps Belle herself is headed for trouble, trying to find love again.

I felt genuinely sorry for both Bambi and Byron. I liked these characters together, and when I saw them having the ‘talk’, about how things down the track are going to be different, that he may ever start to resent her because of her job. Although he denies it, it does sound like a valid concern – and Bambi almost tries to take a pre emptive strike. To end things before she gets herself too involved. But he shows up at the end of the episode and makes a grand gesture. A declaration of love that seemed a little out of character for the show, but completely befitting of Byron.

It was also interesting to see Belle/Hannah look on the two lovers longingly when they embraced. It reflected what her and Duncan have not shared, even though they have had sex, he seemed to almost brush her off afterwards.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- Good to see Hannah and Ben back to being friends. It almost felt like there was something missing in this last few episodes where they were barely talking. This however, gave rise to Bambi, who I actually think might be my favourite character in this show.
- Was interesting to see the contrasting relationships. The beginning of one, the ending of another, and the tricky/complicated unsure stage...
- In a way, was glad to get rid of the sister. It was good to see that side of Hannah though, and who knows, family might come back into play soon. Would actually like to see Hannah with her parents at some stage too.
- It was nice to see a blossoming friendship between Ben and Bambi as well. When she’s lamenting about her situation with Bryon, with Hannah telling her its doomed, I thought it was a nice touch for Ben to give her a little bit of hope.
- Sploshing may be one of the weirdest sexual thing the show has ever covered..... Perhaps I live a sheltered life, but I’d never heard of it before
- Also notable that although Belle didn’t enjoy sploshing the first time, I think it almost seemed like she was doing it for the wrong reason. She did it because her editor asked her to pursue something kinky. But she gave it another go, and actually seemed to not mind it the second time when she really just let herself go. It seems like her thing with Duncan may be, to some extent (although some people may think this suggestion is a bit of a stretch) is interfering with her work.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Sploshing, the art of getting wet, and down, and dirty.” Belle
“He’s your editor, not your pimp.” Ben
“Who needs boys, when you’ve got girls and champagne.” Belle
“What is kinky? Something with kinks or twists. Well that’s all of us, isn’t it? It’s just a matter of finding who fits with your kinks. To be loved, unconditionally. That would be something.” Hannah
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Greys Anatomy S06E14 'Valentines Day Massacre'

Change is inevitable. And in dramas, it’s a constant. I know it’s part of the human condition to be resistant to change, but the characters in Grey’s are so exposed to it - I feel as though they should be used to it. Let’s see .... Sloane is suddenly a dad, and soon to be granddad. And at the shows end it’s almost like he’s neither. Meredith is a hardcore surgeon with no interest in the ‘suits’ that control the hospitals interests. And then she’s a dutiful wife, standing by her husband (the chiefs) side. Derek is a surgeon whose sole purpose is to save peoples lives, and now he’s someone who has to walk away from the chaos of the emergency room to release a statement to the media. Bailey is a single mother who seems to openly object to being anything else, and now she has a date planned with Warren. Change surrounds these people, they just don’t seem to see it.

So one of the more heartfelt stories in this episode was the love triangle between three of the patients. And of course, being Grey’s Anatomy, they end up teaching the surgeons something. In this case, Meredith learns the true meaning of being married. Sacrifice. That it can’t all be about her ambition, at some point, she has to put that aside in order to be Mrs. Derek Sheppard. And she does, even though it’s clear that she was struggling with this earlier on. She didn’t want to leave being a surgeon behind to be at a brunch with the ‘suits’. But she does it for her husband, because her patient conveniently tells her what marriage means.

An interesting aspect of this episode was also getting some insight into Avery’s background. It seems that many people have seemingly not survived the merger (or they just get zero screen time). But if there’s one doctor I’m glad that made the cut, it’s Avery. Although his speech to Lexie is a little boastful, particularly when he harps in about his looks, it becomes clear that his looks are what defines him in his family. He is the pretty one, lost in a family of over achievers. And it’s Avery that gets through to Lexie, that changing her hair isn’t enough, she has to change herself. She has to stand up for herself, and that’s exactly what she does.
And again we see a doctor connecting with a patient, due to a connected plight that seems to haunt them both. Lexie sees a parallel between herself and the dishwasher in the restaurant where the roof collapsed, who was seemingly ‘left behind.’ Lexie feels that she was left behind in her relationship with Mark, suddenly his daughter that he didn’t know he had shows up. And the whole dynamic between himself and Lexie changes – he’s far more focussed on being a dad/granddad than he is on her.
It seems that she is moving on, with Alex of all people. And with her new blonde hair, I have to admit I did find myself asking if Alex was merely replacing Izzie. Perhaps there is no connection, maybe just an insight into how I read too much into things....

The love triangle between Owen, Christina and Teddy seems to be drawing to a close. Thankfully. I’m not sure how well that storyline has really worked, because I never really found myself connecting with Teddy as a character. She feels as though she’s lost her best friend and wants him back, so hopefully she will stop vying for his affections and just let things develop naturally. I’m sure when the writers run out of material, they will throw this storyline back in the mix though.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- Callie so eagerly jumping in on Mark’s offer to help him raise the baby seemed quite sudden. And if it had worked out, would most likely have caused some major tension between herself and Arizona. It still might. It was shown last week, where there was brief snapshot of the three of them on the bed, that Arizona is a little uncomfortable with the friendship between Mark and Callie.
- Hopefully Avery will become more of a core character now. He’s always been floating around in the background, and he’s the only doctor from Mercy West I can actually remember.
- Alex is not exactly the most compassionate doctor I’ve ever seen. The comment made after the head waiter dies seemed a little heartless...
- Sometimes Arizona’s chirpiness can be a little grating. And her lack of subtlety in trying to set Warren and Bailey up on a date bordered on embarrassing.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“What’s happening with the giggling, the girl talk, the OMG’s, has to stop. I am busy.” Bailey
“If you want to go out to dinner, fine. I will show up, and try to talk.” Bailey
“So Yang’s with Hunt, Grey’s with Sheppard, Torrez is with Robbins and you were with Sloane until he dumped you. It’s a wonder you guys got any work done.” Avery
“Sometimes change can be good, right?” Lexie
“Is this what marriage turns into? Running out of things to say, and changing who you are” Meredith
“If you don’t feel the losses, if they don’t hurt you, humble you. That’s when you know you’re not cut out for this work.” Sheppard
“It may seem like we have nothing left to talk about, but sometimes it’s nice to not to have to talk. Fifteen years ago I made a choice, and I keep making it every day. That’s what marriage is.” Patient
“Dude waited on tables and watched life happen without him. He’s probably better off.” Alex
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Big Love S04E05 'Sins of the Father'

What to say about the fifth episode? My problem is, I always say too much, so am going to try and condense this analysis down a bit. Again, I find the political storyline a little dry, but it’s so infused into the family’s storyline now, that it’s completely unavoidable.

So more or less, Bill is running for senate. His political opponent has some insight to his past – although he has made it public that he grew up on the compound. But with the recent new headlines involving ‘lost boys’ who have been exiled and have had to turn to crime in order to be able to simple eat, the campaign turns a little ugly. A photo gets dug up of Bill’s mugshot from when he too was outcast from the compound – which is a revelation to his children.
And while everybody thinks this is essentially a death sentence to his campaign, we find out the end of the episode that he has in fact won the nomination.


And of course, this ties in nicely with the Ben storyline. We saw last week that Bill thought it was a good idea if Ben left the house for awhile. And maybe there is a bit of a difference between that and getting dropped off somewhere and told to fend for yourself – there are some similarities between the two. Ben was essentially left behind by his dad, just as Bill was with Frank. The only difference in this instance is that people are speaking out against it. It is made clear that women on the compound can’t do much about this sort of behavior for fear of the ramifications. But all three of his wives are openly against this move when they eventually find out, as if Bill’s mother and brother – as they have seen the first hand effects that it had on Bill. And although Bill does extend an offer for him to come back home, Ben declines. Sarah explains that he has gone off with Lois.

I think it’s easy to see why, Bill can be like a dictator at times – and has never really had that much time for his son. But if he’s not careful, he may have to go through something similar that Frank did in the previous episode. Listen to Bill’s speech where he essentially credited his mother for his upbringing, and didn’t even mention Frank. Although the audience knows Frank to be a pretty ordinary person at the best of times, you can hear the lament in his voice.

It was good to see Margene stand up for herself in this episode, another reminder of just how much the character has grown. Barb is angry, and blames her for Bill sending Ben away. Margene’s later confrontation of both Nikki and Barb was quite a comedic moment, where she almost shouts at them she is just more sexual than they are, and may in fact need one of their nights. She’s earning enough, she can buy one off them. Toward the end though, after Bill’s impassioned speech where he reveals his errors of his past and how he got through it by finding love, he tells her that they will work through their problems. He doesn’t want to lose Margene. And although she looks satisfied with this statement, it’s still hard to say which direction this character is heading in.

There’s an underlying storyline with Nikki in this episode that isn’t as obvious. We have seen previously that she has been struggling with her faith, and with her marriage. Her and Bill are trying to get their relationship back on track so to speak, and have committed to trying to have another child together. But Nikki is still questioning certain aspects of their relationship. She wonders why she is always the one that has to essentially do Bill’s dirty work. Is it a respect thing? I actually really felt for Nikki’s dilemma in this episode.

Another important relationship storyline, was between Barb and Tommy. They have had some sort of chemistry on screen since they first shared a scene together. And it is unclear (to me at least) just where this is going. Although they do fight, she really does seem to respect him. And we also got an insight into his personal life – losing his wife and two children to a drunk driver two years. Although the circumstances are no way near the same, there are parallels. I believe that Barb may be starting to feel that she is losing Bill (not only to the other two wives but also the political campaign), she lost Sarah as it is clear she is never going to truly accept their way of life (particularly as she is leaving at the end of the season) and now she’s losing Ben.....
Are there romantic intentions here? She has been through a massive transition in her life from being in a loving monogamous relationship, and the idea of polygamy came up when she was ill with cancer. Has she truly accepted sharing her husband?

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- I think there may be an arc for a flirtation and possible relationship between Ben and Nikki’s daughter, CaraLynn. She brought him his clothes over and they got to talking, and it seems as though they genuinely seem to enjoy each others company. It probably helped matters when Ben told her she looks nice.
- There’s going to be a massive fallout between Marilyn and Bill as she found out the meeting with Tommy was a set up. She has a lot more power and influence than he does, so it will be interesting to see what trouble she can stir up for him
- Still keeping an eye out for any sort of sabotage coming from Joey. It’s clear that he’s being forced into bed with Jay Jay, and it seems as though Bill is Jay Jay’s target – so keep your eyes peeled.
- While Bill made it clear that he and Margene will make it work, it will be interesting to see the interactions between her and the other wives (particularly Barb). This is probably the most irrational we’ve seen Barb – when she expressed her anger and knocked down her jewellery stand.
- I don’t know why they even bothered putting Sarah in this episode. She seemed a little wasted really. She barely even spoke.
- Also keeping an eye on future Tommy/Barb interaction. I actually really like it when these two share the screen.
- No word on the fallout between Bill and Don. Was actually looking forward to seeing Bill show some sort of remorse for selling out his friend....

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Bill and I are aggressively pursuing another baby, and yes, I am an active participant in the endeavour.” Nikki
“You’re a flirt Margene. And that’s the polite way of putting it.” Barb
“Maybe I have more needs than you.” Margene
“I ask a lot of my whole family. I should be held to the same standards.” Bill
“No, I’m Daphne. No, I’m Roman Grant’s daughter. No, I’m Bill Henrickson’s wife .. sort’ve, sometimes but not in public. Now I’m Colburn for senate. Where’s Nikki?” Nikki
“You’re on the wrong path, brother. What more do you need to see that?” Joey
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Secret Diary of a Callgirl S03E03 'Episode Three'

Duncan the publisher. Duncan the coach. Duncan the admired. The writers have established the connection Hannah and Duncan share, however, in this episode they do seem to spell it out, for anyone that may have missed it. Although they do essentially work together, he reads the details of her very intimate adventures, Hannah states that it goes beyond a professional admiration for each others work, on her end at least.


And of course, when he gives her the task of going deeper with her writing, to get to the root of the desire and thoughts/feelings that both she and her client have, it is of course, opening up a can of worms, so to speak. Less description of the event and a deeper analysis to what lies beneath it. Hannah, or Belle as she is in this scene, states it as describing the subconscious. I have to admit I did think to myself this may be a bit of a tall order, on account of her not being able to pick up on the fact that she wrote about all three of her feet.

But she finds herself falling back into old habits when she is trying to write about her barnyard experience with Simon. A client, who hasn’t had sex for many years, because what seems to float his boat is women talking about and making barnyard noises. Of course, when people in college found out about it, he was ridiculed. This obviously had a psychological affect on him, and in this respect, I can see the appeal of going to a professional. He asks Belle when he first meets her if she meets a lot of perverts, and to me at least, it seems like he might be struggling with the definition, and where on the spectrum of ‘pervert’ he might fall. Although Belle might find this affliction a little strange, she doesn’t ridicule him, and goes out of her way to make him comfortable.

When she first meets Simon, he is very timid. And as the scenes go on, we see him gain more confidence, which is where Belle finds out about his love of animals. And acceptance Belle has of this, I think, is probably important to him and his sustained level of confidence. And of course, this in itself, can show you the merit of Belle’s profession. A lot of different people can like a lot of different things, and it is more or less Belle’s job to create their fantasy (going back to last weeks episode).

When Belle tries to write about this experience, she finds herself using a descriptive technique. She knows she can’t send this to Duncan, when he asked her to try to get to the crux of the situation, the raw desire of it all. So, what she does instead, is imagine sex with Duncan. And that is how she does it. He is obviously impressed with her newly submitted chapter. He even comments about her obvious connection with the client, who unbeknown to him, is actually himself.

So of course they are setting up an attraction between the two characters. But it is hard to analyse if it will actually go anywhere. For starters, he only knows Belle. In one regard, that is a good thing. He is already aware of what she does for a living, and who that side of her is. But he doesn’t know Hannah. He doesn’t know much about her really, besides her occupation. And it’s been shown before, in last season, that Hannah embarking on a relationship while still being a call girl can simply not work. So will the writers try again? Or will they make it unrequited love?



One of the two minor stories this week, involved the Jackie (Hannah’s sister) and Ben (Hannah’s best friend) story line. It would seem that they are more than sex, but the direction of the relationship is unclear. Jackie still is technically married, even if her husband is cheating on her. Does she even like Ben or is she just using him to get back at her husband? And it could even be speculated that she chose Ben because of her strained relationship with Hannah. I thought last week, that Jackie almost seemed jealous of the life Hannah led, even if she did try to ridicule it. Perhaps she is trying to take something of Hannah’s and put her mark on it.

She knows that Hannah and Ben have had sex. And when she enquires about her experience with Ben, she gives the impression she wants to almost make it into a competition as she tries to compare their experiences. Although Hannah at this point, walks off disgusted.

When Jackie cooks dinner for Hannah and invites Ben without telling her, she also walks out declaring she just can’t do it. Ben tells Jackie he should go after her, but Jackie states she just wants a reaction. In this scene, it’s almost as if she’s treating Hannah like a child – but judging by her previous actions, it really appears to be Jackie that is acting like a child.... (or perhaps that’s just me?)



The other storyline, which I actually thought to be the most interesting of this episode, was the developing relationship between Bambi and her client, Byron. It was clear last week that this storyline was going in this direction. She has developed feelings for him, and it seems he likes her too. It was also interesting to see the juxtaposition of Belle, and her almost business approach with Simon, to Bambi’s interaction with Byron – which seemed quite romantic.

Although, after talking to Belle, where she reminds Bambi that Byron is her client, not her boyfriend – she seems not to be able to help it. When she gets a phone call half way through her date, when Bambi tells Belle she is with a ‘client’, Byron walks off, seemingly hurt by being referred to merely a client. And that is where they each tell each other their feelings for one another. And I at least, as the viewer, felt genuinely happy for Bambi at that moment, because she does seem like such a sweet girl.

But I fear things are not to work out between the two, as the lines become more and more blurry. What will their future hold? When you seem the lovingly embrace each other while asleep, you can’t help but fear it’s going to end with a broken heart, or a choice between love and career.


FURTHER THOUGHTS

- Ben is not that great of a friend to Hannah really. When she makes it clear that she is uncomfortable with him being with her sister, he still spends the night at her place on the couch.
- Jackie really isn’t that much of a sister either, come to think of it. Hannah has made it clear she doesn’t want her at her house, this point is made excruciatingly clear after Jackie walks in on Hannah and a client (whom Hannah quickly states is sortve a boyfriend). The fact that she still sticks around AND flaunts her relationship with Ben that puts Hannah at such unease, seems a little cruel.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“For the record, I do it better than I write it.” Belle
“We want to know about desire. How it works, what’s underneath it. What’s in your head. What’s in his head.” Duncan
“I’ve had more fun with you than with anyone.” Bambi
“You make me forget that this is your job.” Byron
“Give me an hour with him, I’ll give you a new man.” Belle
“I should have thrown them out the flat. Not myself.” Hannah






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Greys Anatomy S06E13 'State of Love and Trust'

I’m sorry. Those are the two words that seem to be on everybody’s lips this episode. Which, it could be said, is a change of pace in comparison to the unapologetic nature of the majority of the characters.

Of course the main story of this episode was the fallout of Derek outing the chief’s drinking to the board. And a massive fallout it is. Like any organisation, change in the hierarchy affects everybody – and it seems to involve a lot of exaggerated rumors, and a lot of speculation. In this case, only a very select few know why Webber is no longer the chief and Sheppard has been put in his place. With this being the case, the hospital staff don’t know that in a way, Sheppard is in fact trying to help an old friend. But to the outsiders who don’t know of Richard’s struggle, it may seem merely opportunistic of Sheppard, and may lead to them not trusting him as a chief on the basis of what he did to get there.


We see Derek address the majority of the hospital staff on the stairs. This is a common gathering place for several major announcements, and makes you wonder a) who is looking after the patients and b) do they not have anywhere else to make long winded speeches? Of course to add to the drama, Webber walks in right as Sheppard is saying how he wants to turn the hospital back to its former glory – implying that Webber has let things slide.

We later see Webber and Sheppard in a meeting with someone who I’m presuming is from the board. They give Webber two options; early retirement with full pension but no medical licence OR having to go to rehab. Sheppard goes as far as saying that he wants Richard to go with the latter, and when he comes back his job will be waiting for him (pending board approval, the third party is quick to point out). Although he has intimated in the past episode he’s merely looking out for the chiefs best interests – it has been an underlying question just what his intentions were. Friendship or promotion. But here it’s made clear that his predominant concern is Richard’s health – even though he does admit to wanting his job. He also adds that while he did want his job, he did not want to end Richard’s career. The tension between the two is very apparent; it’s obvious Webber doesn’t agree with the way that Sheppard ousted him to the board. Of course it was a potentially career ending move, and from Webber’s eyes it’s easy to see why he would feel this way. An old friend that he has personally helped on many occasions essentially stabbed him in the back. But it does raise ethical questions? Did Sheppard have an obligation to tell the board to potentially save patients? We have been shown that Webber had made mistakes in surgery previously due to his drinking. Some of Webber’s anger may be directed at himself.

Derek is angry too, perhaps for the situation he’s been put in. Maybe because most people in the hospital don’t agree with the outcome of the chief. It’s clear that Meredith, his wife, doesn’t even agree with his actions. But again, the action needs to be put in perspective. He did what he felt was right at the risk of a friendship. Although I think the show in someway wants us to side with Webber, when you clearly look at his actions and the endangerment of the patients – it’s not hard to agree with Sheppard. And in a nice moment at the end of the episode, almost in passing, Derek tells the chief he’s sorry.

Both of his protégés try to talk to him. First Meredith, and in typical Meredith fashion, it’s mainly about her seeking approval. He doesn’t even talk to her. But it’s Bailey, I believe, that gets through to him. As I’ve said previously, they dynamic between these two characters has always seemed so believable to me. She clearly looks up to all he has achieved, and it’s also apparent that he has always (rightfully) believed in her ability. He listens to her, and I’m glad he continues to do so when she tells him he should go to rehab to get better.


Meanwhile, Bailey is kept rather busy herself when a patient she is operating with wakes up on the table. She panics, blames the anaesthesiologist and tries to correct everything. That’s the thing with Bailey, she is so confident with her ability, that she does not take blame in anything – and quickly looks to blame those around her. So as Sheppards first say of being the chief, he is facing a law suit.

While it is reasonable for the patient to react both angrily and frightened over the encounter – she does seem to take it a bit far when she won’t let Bailey touch her, even when she is bleeding and needs help. The patient needs surgery again, as she has internal bleeding, and she elects Meredith to perform even though she explains that Bailey has more experience. This seems a bit strange to me, if she’s so scared of going back into surgery, wouldn’t she want the best surgeon operating on her? Her reasoning is Bailey panicked while Meredith remained calm – but Im sure Meredith would have panicked too if she was leading the surgery team as Bailey was.

In the end, it would seem, they avoid a lawsuit. In a continuing trend, Bailey seems to be the one that can talk sense into the chief, even if in this case, it is Sheppard rather than Bailey. She advises him that most law suits can be avoided if you merely apologise for your mistakes. And Sheppard does go to see the patient, perhaps not only because he really doesn’t want a lawsuit hanging over his head, but because he has realised that it’s the right thing to do.


The minor storylines this week involved Alex’s venture into the world of paediatrics. We have seen in the past he does actually have a genuine connection with kids, and that he is a gifted surgeon. Arizona wants to see this for herself, and it looks like she wants to potentially recruit him for her service. During Alex’s time in paediatrics, we see Arizona coaching Alex on what the crux of the job is. Advocating for the kids. We have seen in the past that Alex is good at advocating for people; although he mainly gets his point across by employing bully tactics – which he does again here. However, it gets him what he wants, and usually what the patient needs. When something goes wrong after the childs surgery, however, Alex may take it a bit far as he berates the parents and their original lack of concern about the teens complaints. The father merely believes he is faking to get out of school, but it becomes clear that the teenager is suffering a genuine condition, which the doctors catch just in time. And running with the theme of the week, Arizona makes Alex apologise to the parents, just before she susses out his enjoyment of his time in paediatrics.


The other minor story belonged to Christina. I think although it wasn’t given as much air time as the chiefs dilemma etc, it was probably the most important, as it gave the viewer a real insight to the character. We all know how career focused she is. And when Teddy requests Avery’s service over Christina’s, it does seem to hurt her. And how does she deal with the pain? Having sex with Owen. Perhaps this is her way of getting back at Teddy, as she has the man that Teddy desires. Or perhaps it’s merely used as a release. But when Teddy pages Christina for help on a cardiac surgery, and Christina ignored the page at Owen’s behest it seemed completely out of character. I was glad when they resolved the issue at the end of the episode, and it actually made quite a lot of sense as to why she has trouble letting Owen in.

Through Sloane, Owen finds out that Christina was not only engaged but had actually planned the entire wedding but just failed to get married. He of course didn’t know this, as the couple seems to have too much sex and work too much, to have any time left over for discussion of anything. This hurts him, as he realised that he hardly knows her. However, she explains the relationship she had to Burke, how he took pieces of her gradually, until she didn’t even recognise herself anymore. And how by not answering the pager, Owen had taken a piece of her as well.

This was quite a defining moment for Christina, as it is not often the viewer gets an insight into what she is feeling. And more importantly, she shared her emotion with Owen – something that would mainly be reserved for Meredith. Perhaps the two as a couple are moving forward, however, they do have that delightful love triangle to contend with of course. Or is it doomed, if Christina is genuinely concerned of losing herself to another man?

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- The anaesthesiologist was essential for Bailey’s storyline. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe they may be setting this storyline for further use down the track. It has been established that Bailey is lonely, and they was he was gently ribbing her, even after she lashed out, and blamed him for the patient waking up – showed the viewer that he could handle her. I hope we see him again, he seemed like a genuinely likeable character.
- I didn’t talk about the Lexie/Sloane storyline much here, because there wasn’t really much to it. And to be honest, the storyline is sortve annoying. Sloane is so hypocritical that it almost painful to watch
- Interesting to note here that Lexie declared she wants to be a plastic surgeon. I know she’s said this before, but it got me thinking ... will the girls on this show ultimately follow the career of the man they are with. Meredith followed Derek into neuro. Christina followed Burke into cardio. And now Lexie following Sloane into plastics.
- Just a callback to the first season and Alex declaring he was hardcore. Arizona trying to sell paediatrics to him as hardcore made me laugh, as he seems to enjoy being the most ‘hardcore’ surgeon in Seattle Grace. It was the perfect way to get through to him.
- Alex heading towards paediatrics is most likely. Even back in the days where Addison was still with the hospital (and sleeping with Alex) he seemed to have an interest in the care of babies .. so perhaps this was just natural progression
- ‘Them of the week: apology count’. Alex apologised to the parents, Derek apologised to the chief, Derek apologised to the patient, Miranda sortve apologised to the anesthesiologist, Christina apologised to Teddy, Derek apologises to all the staff


QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Drinking feels a little bit like all I have left.” Webber
“You are better than this. I have seen you be better. The way to win, the way to beat them is to stop fighting them. You go get better. You be the man I’ve always known you to be. You be the chief. Be the chief” Bailey
“I don’t expect to win your trust overnight. But I want each of you to know, you have mine. Which is why I felt it was important to come in her and apologise” Derek
“Oh, here’s what we do? We? Did you not hear her? That girl is traumatised. So the only thing that we are doing, is getting sued.” Bailey
“People like to feel heard. They like to feel respected. And they like to hear an apology.” Bailey
“Please don’t cry on my ass.” Christina
“You’ve been trying to screw me into submission.” Christina
“Im trying to love you, and I don’t know how.” Owen
“I lost myself dor a long time, and now I am finally me again, I can’t.” Christina
“You don’t have to get down on your knees and apologise. But I would like something heartfelt. You know, something in the neighbourhood of you were right, I was rash, Im mean. Maybe even throw in, turns out you’re a hell of a doctor.” Anaesthesiologist
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Big Love S04E04 'The Mighty and Strong'

This is most likely going to be a long post, because so much happened in episode four of Big Love, that I’m going to find it hard to whittle down the commentary. And all of it seems pretty essential to the five remaining episodes. While I was watching this particular episode, it has to be said, I did question how Bill managed to get one wife, let alone three (or four, if we include the m.i.a Ana). As each episode goes on, I find it is harder and harder to view him as a sympathetic character. This feeling was heightened when he let his oldest friend, Don, take the fall for him and open him up to all sorts of ramifications in order to protect his political aspirations. Not only is he a bad friend and a bad husband, he is also foolhardy. He must have known that all of his dirty laundry would be closely scrutinised, and for him to run at all, is perhaps proof that he values himself more than the wellbeing of his family.


I must admit, I wasn’t loving the political angle of last weeks episode. It was interesting enough, but as I’ve previously stated, it is the family dynamics and the almost voyeuristic looking into these peoples live, that we as viewers get to see, is the reason most people tune in. However, the political storyline did spice up this week as we saw. One of Bill’s competitors running for the senatorial seat, Colburn, has not only sent the INS on Homes Plus to check if there was anyone of illegal status working for Bill, but he also has wind that Homes Plus is part of a polygamist front. As we’ve seen in previous seasons, Bill had given Roman Grant a percentage of what Homes Plus made, so it will be interesting to see what kind of information Colburn can dig up.

Bill finds out through Nikki, who seems to be working the phones at Colburn’s campaign to gain insider knowledge, that a reporter is going to show up at Bill’s announcement that he is running for the senate to question him about these allegations. This is where Bill decides to sell Don down the river. Although Bill called polygamy a misdemeanour in a previous episode, and seemed sure that he would receive no more than a slap on the wrist for the practice of the principle, it still seems unfair that not only is he opening up Don’s private life for the entire world to see – he is also opening him up to legal ramifications. It still seems inconceivable that Bill could not see this coming. Surely he is not that blind by his own ambition?


I was most interested to see how the kiss between Ben and Margene would be resolved. Barb saw her son being called Mr. Margene Heffman live on air, and we see her confront Margene about it early on in the episode. Margene admits to an ‘accidental’ kiss between the two, although we all know it was more than that. Barb advises her to sort it out before Bill finds out, because he won’t be too happy about it.
We do see Margene tell Bill about the Mr. Margene Heffman comment, although she doesn’t go into details of the kiss. It is here that she states she was so happy that someone was supporting her, and her desire to have a husband she can actually be public with. This is particularly important, as it seems Margene is almost outgrowing this family, and its need for secrecy. It makes sense, as she would have been quite young when she was sealed to the family, maybe too young to realise the implications of what she was getting herself into. And now in particular, as she has had the freedom to go out into the world and make somewhat a success of herself, rather than being confined to home – her sole task to make and raise babies – perhaps she has realised she can actually do it. She is no longer that naive young wife we saw in season one, she has grown enough to realise what she does want. And perhaps it is no longer this life.

The tension between Ben and Margene is clearly evident. They later discuss what transpired, and although she originally says it was an accident, she does admit to Ben that it meant something to her. And it is clear it meant something to him. And one can’t help but notice when he leant up to get her down the coco, the lingering glance Margene had with his body.

Margene does set the record straight on the Mr. Margene Heffman comment, on the advice of Barb – however she may not do so in the most practical way. She admits on air that Ben is not her husband, that her real husband abandoned her. And although this is not true in the most literal sense, it does seem to be true on some level. He was not there for her when she needed him, he only seemed to take an interest in her business when he realised the money she was making, and it’s almost like she’s only around to satisfy him – this refers back to the ‘I wasn’t finished’ comment she made the other week. She breaks down into tears, and tells the TV audience about her father and mother, which might not go down so well with the executives at the station. I for one, however, hope this doesn’t affect her career in anyway, because no story this season has been more satisfying than seeing Margene come into her own.
Bill does have a ‘talk’ to both Margene and Ben together. I think there was an extra element in this, as they Bill was standing above them, almost acting like they were children who had misbehaved and needed to be scolded. This also spoke volumes of how he and Margene don’t seem to really be equals in the marriage. Ben takes the blame for the kiss and the love letter written last season and says none of this is Margene’s fault. When Bill asks Ben to apologise to Margene, I almost found the moment awkward to watch, it was so hard to look at both the hurt on Ben’s face, and the guilt written all over Margene’s.

At the end of the episode, Margene does admit the truth to Bill. She tells him that the kiss meant something to her. Bill looks more shocked and hurt, and the last scene of the episode we are left with is Ben packing his suitcase. Bill walks in and Ben says he thinks it’s best that he’s not around for awhile. Bill agrees. His own father, more or less, admits to not wanting him in the house. Is it because he sees Ben as a threat? Because he’s afraid of losing Margene? Or because he feels emasculated? Having seen Bill Henrickson for the last four years, my guess would be the latter. He seems to be a man that puts his own thoughts, feelings and needs before all others.


Another interesting plot development that took place in this episode, was Alby granting Jay Jay’s request for sealment with Adaleen, he and Nikki’s mother. An almost devilish smile overtook Alby’s face when Jay Jay brought this up with him, as it has been no secret that the two don’t like each other. It would seem that this is a move to purely upset Nikki, who he clearly wants to get back at, and perhaps still loves (in his own, very warped way). It’s clear the anguish Adaleen feels about the situation through the phone call she makes to Nikki, but perhaps her faith in the principle will win out – as Adaleen and Nikki argue when she is essentially ambushed by the news at Jay Jay’s house.

A scene also took place which almost humanised Alby. He explains to Neil (his sometime lover) how his wish is to make the compound a better place. He wants to do a better job than his father did, who hurt too many people. But by placing his mother with Jay Jay, he is countering this argument – as he seems to be doing this purely out of spite for his mother. And he definitely hurting someone by doing so, perhaps Alby’s comments need to be taken with a grain of salt.


It’s a touching moment when we see Joey and Wanda in bed together, talking about their dreams. They, at this point, believe that they have destroyed all the evidence of the murder of Roman Grant. It is actually Joey, who I think is the most sympathetic character in the show. Although he does love Wanda, it is clear that he also is somewhat of a carer towards her. I almost felt his relief last season when he found Kathy. But to have her ripped away so suddenly was heart wrenching to watch. And although his actions afterwards are not condonable, they are understandable. But it seems they are not to be left in peace yet, as Jay Jay shows up with photographic evidence of the two burning Grant’s body. When Joey asks what he wants, Jay Jay intimates his vendetta is against Joey’s brother, Bill, and it is clear that Joey is going to have to take part in his take down if he wants his secret to remain that way.


The last storyline involved Sarah and Scott. We see Sarah caring for Layla’s baby, and it is almost evident straight away that Layla has abandoned her child in favor of perhaps going out to get high. However, Tommy expresses grave concerns, telling Barb that there are rumors going around on tribal land, that Sarah had in fact bought Layla’s baby, which of course would touch some nerves. And this, in turn, would affect the casino.

Bill and Barb go over to talk to Sarah about her keeping the child. It is clear that Sarah is mostly concerned about the safety of the child, whereas their interests are more predominately in the casino. Scott interrupts the conversation, and the juxtaposition between him and Bill as husbands almost punches you in the face. You immediately see the concern and love Scott has for Sarah, how he will stand beside her through whatever she decides is best, and how he will not tell her what to do. He is almost the opposite of Bill, as I’ve mentioned many times in this entry, he does not always treat his wives as equals. He seems to care about himself more than he does about his family, even opening them up to exposition, merely in order to satisfy his wants. Her care for the baby of course brings back the pain of her miscarriage, and she does eventually decide that she needs to take the baby back.
What an exhausting episode, it was so action packed and full of unresolved issues that I can barely wait for episode five.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- Interesting to see the morals and values that are instilled in Bill’s two eldest children, seem to speak to the opposite of Bill. They both put other people before them, and truly believed in doing the right thing. It is clear that Bill doesn’t seem to have that moral compass, and will go to extremes to achieve what he wants. Just ask Don.
- It seems that Teeny may differ between Sarah and Ben in this aspect, as she seemed to worsen the problem for Ben just because she could. We have seen this in the past too, that she is a little vindictive. Perhaps she takes after her father.
- It was interesting to see Don’s face in the crowd just as Bill was saying that he was raised with a sense of purpose, and integrity. This is clearly not the case.
- Surely Barb will be upset that Bill essentially saw Ben out of the house over his pride.
- With Ben gone, and Margene admitting what transpired, it begs the question what will happen to Bill and Margene’s relationship?
- Am I the only one that felt a little satisfied when the long suffering Joedine let go of Lois and Frank’s birds? The little smile of accomplishment seemed to make the moment all the more sweeter.
- Nikki was really a background player this week. She has quite a knack for gaining employment purely to attain inside information.
- The plot Jay Jay has against Bill really needs to be clarified. Is it merely because he married Nikki and he is just being spiteful? Or is there something more between them? This hasn’t really been explained enough, and I appreciate the writers revealing little by little, but they really need to give the viewer something they can use with this storyline.
- Alby’s break and enter was a little creepy. And to cook Neil dinner no less, while he waited for his return added to the aforementioned creepiness. But I guess he did bring him a jar of grape jelly, so all should be forgiven, right?

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Barb, why is everyone so tense? I know it’s not out of concern for me.” Nikki
“If he finds this out, sugar will really hit the fan.” Barb
“I’ve had to grow up. Why not you?” Ben
“For someone that is about to be your father, I will not allow you to address your mother in that tone.” Jay Jay (not the most welcoming words from an ex husband)
“It is a little, petty man that won’t stand by his son. Br proud of what that boy has accomplished. Be a good father for once, costs you nothing.” Lois
“My life began with you Joey. Nothing that came before matters.” Wanda
“I believe in the principle, Neil. And I believe that my people have to stay strong to defend it. But I want to undo my fathers misdeeds. He was cruel, he hurt too many people.” Alby

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Brothers and Sisters S04E14 'The Pasadena Primary'

Discarding the fact that there really aren’t that many families in existence that are as tight knit as the Walkers, the program exists to show how strong the bonds of family can be. How important family members are in sharing both the highs and lows that life inevitably throws at you. And as previously discussed in the last entry about Brothers and Sisters, the Walkers have certainly had their share of lows, littered with a few highs to balance things out a little bit.

This episode had one major story line involving Kitty, who if you’ve been following entertainment news at all, you will know that she’s going to be appearing in the show less in the following season. The most reasonable explanation for this would be for her to get elected, and simply not have as much time for her family. However, the political campaign will take up the remainder of season four – and we established in the previous episode that she was going to aim her sights a little higher, and run for Robert’s senate seat, which he will be vacating. In this episode, she tells her family about her intentions. And of course, as most families usually do, they take a vote on the matter. This seemed a little over the top to me, as Kitty is a grown adult who is clearly not only capable of making her own decisions, but taking responsibility for them. Of course, somebody notes no to everyone elses yes, and Nora immediately gets the blame.

This story arc continues on in the episode, as Robert and Nora help Scotty out with a celebrity cook night at this failing restaurant. They argue the whole time, which they usually seem to do when they are together anyhow. But this time it’s about Nora not supporting Kitty’s ambition. And although she maintains that the no vote was not hers, which is later revealed to be true, she admits to Robert that she doesn’t particularly want her to run for the senate. It makes perfect sense for her to worry, as Kitty has only just recovered from cancer, and worrying is what Nora seems to do best.

The other major story line of the episode was Kevin going back to his high school reunion, with Kitty as his date. Although it has been revealed before that Kevin didn’t have the fondest high school experience, with this storyline it is evident to see how much pain it has caused him. This is an interesting insight to the character, as not much seems to phase him, but he genuinely didn’t want to go. However, once he’s there, he feels the need to somewhat big note himself and his success. He claims that he and his husband are having a child through surrogacy, even though he hasn’t been informed as to whether the pregnancy has taken yet. And as in all good dramas, he finds out merely minutes later, that the pregnancy did not in fact take. It seems like a general nuance with Kevin, that he needs to make himself more important than he is, although when you look at the success he has had in his career and personal life – there really isn’t any need for it.

We also find out Kevin, and his ‘frenemy’ Brad Lewinski, rigged the high school presidential election, essentially meaning the Kitty would have won. In a nice moment which showed the viewers how much she does care for her brother, she tells Brad with a deadpan face that she will have him killed if he ever again calls Kevin a fag. That was a nice touch, as it not only revealed her innate need to protect her younger brother, but also let us know she wasn’t mad at him for the actions he took all those years ago. But for a woman who seems to have trouble letting things go, she forgives Kevin almost instantaneously, and tells Brad off for using Kevin. She knew he only did it because he wanted to fit in at high school, and thought that it might help, which it inevitably didn’t. Kevin also admits to Kitty that he was the one that voted no, because he just didn’t know if he had it in him to still be involved in politics; meaning more or less, that he is going to have to look for another job.

Sarah finally has sex with Roy, after a month of dating. They discuss the merits of waiting to see if they are right for one another, which seems reasonable enough, as there are kids involved on both sides of the relationship. Although, about five seconds of screen time after that conversation, they jump each others bones, and decide to take it to a motel. Classy.
After the deed, Sarah gets a text from Luc, the Frenchman, saying the he misses her. This is obviously a set up for future episodes also.

And after a long time of deciding whether she should hold her shares, to see why Dennis believes them to be so valuable, Holly declares at the end of the episode that she will sell them. And who could blame her? After a very creepy business meeting with Dennis, where he claims they should be partners, only so long as he got the same ‘benefits’ as William got. Some advice: coercion doesn’t usually turn women on. Oh, and it has been a couple of weeks since anyone got married, so it would only make sense for Holly and David to tie the knot.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- Both Kevin and Scotty’s careers seem to be a little in limbo. Kevin no longer wants to be involved in politics, and the restaurant where Scotty is head chef is failing. Can they even afford children at this point? Will Kevin have to rejoin corporate America?
- It’s ironic that it was only last week that Rob Lowe announced he would be leaving the show, as he is not utilised enough. However, I think this episode he got the most screen time he’s had for a long time.
- Is Justin only a background character now? Even Rebecca got more screen time than him, and that character isn’t even interesting.
- Will Luc come back for Sarah? I hope it causes some tension, he was a great character, and would love to see him back on the show.
- Maybe families actually do do this, but it seems to me like they are just a little too eager to talk about, or the lack thereof, of Sarah’s sex life.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“What about you? With the high heels and push up bra. You knew it was sexy time.” Robert
“Are you all tracking my sex life?” Sarah
“Motel sex is fabulous.” Nora (Four words you never want to hear your mum say)
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Secret Diary of a Callgirl S03E02 'Episode Two'

The theme to the second episode of the season is fantasies. This is fitting, as Belle’s whole job revolves around satisfying someone’s fantasy. We see just that during the cold open – dressed in clothing from a time long ago, and even donning a wig. We see how much detail she goes to, to get things right. But then we see her afterwards, taking off her wig – it’s almost as though the scene is telling you that playing out fantasies can only last so long, before you know it, it’s back to reality. Where she is just Hannah, and everything is as it was beforehand.

The major storyline revolves around the arrival of Hannah’s sister – Jackie. She believes Hannah to hold a job as a secretary, and has no knowledge of either her line of work as a callgirl, or of her recent publishing of her first book. Hannah finds her real job t be hard to hide, it is so much a part of her now, that perhaps it can be a little hard to separate the fantasy of Belle, from the reality of Hannah. Her sister finds evidence of her occupation, an abundance of sex toys, she however dismisses it and merely believes her sister simply enjoys sex.

In order to draw out the more wild side of her sister, who seems a bit prudish from the outset, Hannah takes her to a fetish club. Her sister seems shocked, and more than a little uncomfortable about the scenarios that surround her and wants to leave. She however, finds someone to talk to about the act of betrayal, which leaves time for Hannah to have a look around for herself. It is here, that she runs into her ex boss, Madam Stephanie. As predicted in the earlier post, she questions Hannah about being the author of ‘Secret Diary of a London Callgirl.’ It doesn’t take Hannah long to fold in her original denial, and it’s easy to see the contempt she holds for Stephanie and the rubbishing she gave her in her book.

The madam returns in a later scene, shared with the young callgirl Bambi. Bambi knows she isn’t getting paid enough, but doesn’t yet have the profile or the client base to draw upon as Belle does, so cannot essentially go it alone. Although the madam takes a high percentage of the fees, she is a necessity as she has the connections to screen and obtain the clients. The madam in this scene is contemptible, as she explains to Bambi that she will never get a higher rate than what she is on now, because she is ‘black.’ Not only do we feel Bambi’s rage at such a statement, we also are further ostracized from the madam.

It seems as though that the fetish club did nothing to heighten Jackie’s sexuality. The ensuing confrontation the two have which shows the lack of respect for the way each of them live their lives is also pivotal. It is Belle’s book, however, that seems to do the trick. It is clear that she is quite turned on, and when Ben turns up, she displays at least some form of subtle invitation. This is quite a different version of the Jackie we have seen thus far.

While Jackie essentially ruined the liaison Belle had with a longstanding client by hitting her, and therefore giving her a black eye – Jackie on the other hand, has quite a successful time with Ben. As they drink more and more, it is obvious that they are attracted to each other. And the chemistry between the two actors is a lot more steamy than it is with Hannah and Ben, it must be said.

The final scenes show that Ben has now put a wedge between the already strained relationship of the sisters. Hannah turns to writing, and when she finds she cannot, she calls her publisher. This plotline will surely continue to develop, as it seems as though there is some mutual attraction between the two. But as we learned last season, with the relationship between Hannah and Alex, it was impossible for her to have a normal relationship. But perhaps something will happen between the two, as he does know what she does for a living at least....

FURTHER THOUGHTS

- The ramifications of Ben hooking up with Hannah’s sister will surely put a strain on the friendship
- Could it be possible that he is using Jackie as a substitute for Hannah?
- Is Hannah jealous of her sister?
- The whole fantasy Bambi is having with her client, seems to have been set up to end badly
- The comparison between Hannah and Jackie’s sexuality was quite well done, and essentially shows how different they are. It seems as though Hannah is quite comfortable with herself and who she is, wheras Jackie is not.
- Was nice to see the family dynamic come into play a little bit. Hannah’s family is barely mentioned, and Im guessing at some point, she will be publicly revealed, much like the real author was. It will be interesting to see the fallout.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“We all fantasize to escape our ordinary lives. And in my line of work, I am the fantasy. Every encounter lingers like a ghost, following me all the way home, keeps me company. Someone to share the secret of who I am, and what I’ve just done.” Belle
“I don’t need loosening up, you need tightening up.” Jackie
“Under the cloak of darkness our fantasies can come out to play, but when the sun comes up, we all have a life to be getting on with.” Hannah
“The key to fantasies, is knowing that you’re in one. It’s when you start thinking things are real that things become complicated. Fantasy and reality, and never the twain shall meet.”

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