[Miss GoodManners]

Just watched it. Ok, the case was boring. And sorry to say, but MJF's character was even more boring. So boring that I'm starting to think Stern died because he really couldn't take it anymore during transactions and contracts. Ok, that's mean. Still, I really hope they won't get him back on the show (Canning, not Stern, of course. It's TGW not The Walking Dead!). Once was nice. Twice was so so. Three times? It's too much.

That said, I liked the rest of the episode. Specially the dynamics between characters.
Will and Diane are great conspirators. They had their little moments and it was nice to see it.

Originally Posted by witgit (View Post) Stern had a picture of Diane in his home? I wish we had gotten to see Diane's reaction to it. They meant a lot to each other, more than they admitted. And I still get a little shocked seeing Diane as shark-like as Will.

I agree with you here. The pic was a really nice and sweet touch. I really loved the way Alicia was looking at it and I wish we'd see Diane's reaction too. Stern was her mentor after all, the one who took her under his wing and maybe the one she needed to get where she is, someone who trusted and respected her. So yes, I was a little shocked too to see Diane so predatory like Will, but I guess this is part of the aftermath of what's happened this season.

I really liked the Alicia/Eli moment in the office. This man is getting kinda protective towards her, some sort of older brother. Sure, he's doing it for the campaign, but I guess he's learned to care about her in the process. Maybe because she's the only honest person in it all and because she's the only one who can really tell him what to do and what not.
Loved his strangling moment at the beginning. So inappropriate, but funny. And I appreciated Lily Rabe too. Nice atta!girl journalist.

Cary/Kalinda was...interesting. I really thought he would have reacted differently. He's actually showed a lot of maturity and I think his character has really grown up a lot this season. All this mess has helped him grow.

I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but: I liked Tammy/Will. Maybe it's because we haven't see her in quite some time so I wasn't this fed up. Or maybe it's because they're finally acting like adults and not horny stupid teens. But I liked them and I was glad Will told her to stay in the end.
(BTW, was the props guy mixing things up? Those glasses totally looked like Diane's!).

Abernathy was preciours. As usual. Love love love him.

Finally, a special mention for Childs disguised as the furry dancing lion! Do you think a lion could get an Emmy nomination? He'd make a great Best Male Guest in a Drama.

[coconutty]

I am so confused about what evidence Blake could possibly have. Because if he had evidence, then why did he have to put 2+2 together about Kalinda firing up every time Alicia was mentioned? And even if he was wearing a wire during their conversation, she said nothing incriminating. Unless after he figured it out he unearthed some hidden camera footage of them from years ago? They probably should focus the writing towards him helping her change identities rather than the sleeping together thing. That would make this so much more realistic and less tv-scandalous.

Other than that and Cary's way too expository dialogue, I enjoyed this ep. I don't mind MJF, he's not my favourite but he's not the worst. The legal twists were interesting to my non-legal brain. Alicia is wonderful. Eli is awesome when he's not being all cartoon-angry. Will/Diane is my favourite now that Alicia/Kalinda is all screwed up. I even enjoyed the Tammy parts! Yes both her and Will were desperate and sad but that happens in real life, it does.

Are those speakerphone toys thing an actual thing? And if so, where can I get one?

That journalist was a brat but she is good at her job. Wonder who tipped her off? Blake? But he wants to hurt Kalinda, not Peter... idk. I hope they answer this question, I'm genuinely interested to know.

[Will's Girl]

Wow, this episode was packed full of interesting little developments. This is going to be long, but i'm using it to digest last night’s episode. My thoughts on the first 10 minutes:

-With all the job offers, I don't think Alicia will leave LG. She has made it clear that she is happy there. I think it's more likely, given her boost of self-confidence, that she will use these job offers to get a fast track to partnership at LG. I think she will remain loyal to LG and Will.

-Eli was a bit over the top in this episode. Did not like the choking scene at all. It would have been much more effective if he had been quietly furious, imo. I also wonder how the Florrick campaign missed the news about the DCC suit. Don't they have people monitoring the news for this kind of stuff?

-Loved the Superfriends teaming up to work together and win a case. All they are missing is Cary for me to be perfectly happy...loved the testy exchange about secrets between Will and Alicia and her confidently standing up for herself, although I'm a little tired of the 'thanks for keeping them together' and 'are you ok with that' lines. They've been done to death!!! She's more than that to this firm now. Also, am I the only one who is picking up that Alicia is becoming a bit of a shark herself? The way she was gung ho about going after their former clients at the Shiva (she practically shoved Will over to talk to their ex-client), I don't know she just didn't seem to be her morally self-righteous self in this episode, which was refreshing to see.

-Loved the convo between Diane and Will about Stern, the etiquette to be observed before going after his clients, and how neither wants to die alone. Those two are just magic together. Love it! 'I don't want to die like that' 'Then don't!' & then 'Stay healthy.' Great stuff!

-I found the whole Will/Tammy/Alicia scenes extremely interesting. In the first one, where Tammy says her sister has been saying some things, she clearly means (as we learn later) that she spilled who Will broke up with her for and this scene seems like a test for Will that he doesn't know he's taking (and one which he proceeds to fail miserably). First off, when she mentions going to London, he moves away from her (backs up three steps! I'm no body language expert, but that can't be good), which I thought was interesting, then Will seems to approach the subject as a business negotiation, gathering himself to discuss where they stand, but Tammy surprises him by not wanting to discuss that, rather only whether she should go to London or not. Basically she's wondering how much her leaving will affect Will. When he asks for help, basically 'what do you want me to say' she immediately determines that it won't affect him at all and that she should go. When he puts up no objections, she figures she's right, although Will looks taken aback by the whole thing and is wondering to himself 'what just happened?' kind of like the CoL scene with Alicia. For a lawyer, Will isn't very good at thinking on his feet, lol!

-Canning buying Stern’s firm means to me that we are going to be seeing a lot more of Canning in season 3.

-No more Stern! I'll miss him, I liked the crusty old curmudgeon!

Am I the only one that at the first commercial break 10 minutes in stopped and said 'Wow! This show just gave me more in 10 minutes than most shows give in an entire episode! I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!

More later...

[sholla]

ananbanana found out more about the phone here:

http://community.livejournal.com/tit...er/137253.html

This is the link to view the actual product:

http://www.curiosite.com/post/kuchip...-playback.html

[smoothaise]

I want the lion speaker for the telephone. How Matt didn't crack up during those scenes, is beyond. Cause I couldn't even attempt to keep a straight face.

[Kiki17]

And finally, I wasdisappointed that they seem to be setting up Canning as a regular adversary in S3. He's fine, he's just not great IMO.

I agree, I think 3 times in one season is more than enough. Now with the move to Chicago, I am worried this number might double.

I'm glad Canning told her it was not about her husband and it was about her competence. I don't think she quite realizes how good she is yet.

Me too, I am so glad he told her that! Because is true, is about her! her competence and skillful way in court. And I agree, I do not think she realizes just YET how good she really is The closes with got to that was Silver Bullet I think when she said she was good at her job

I don't know what to make of the last scene. Tammy clearly wants to stay. But she wants Will to commit to her so she can be with him. Seems like Will doesn't really want to commit, but doesn't want to lose her either. He looked really sad at the end even after he had convinced her to stay. I don't think he's ready to take the next step and they're both stuck in a complicated situation.

Seriously, it really killed me. I just felt bad for both of them.Will is so scared of being alone, but keeping Tammy around is not the best way imo, if he is just settling. Its not fair to either of them. I get what Tammy was trying to do, I get it, but she would really think about herself here....however the girl is in love and thats a problem

I don't think Alicia believed it to be a rumour completely either.

I agree, I do not think Alicia is not convinced either and neither is Eli. Gosh the lack of CN is difficult, cause I would have loved to see Alicia MARCH home and ask him to his face.

What didn't work was his shouting and trying to strangle the head of the DCC. Would someone like Rahm Emmanuel actually do that?

I agree, the shocking felt over the top and unnecessary. Emmanuel would never do that

I agree and moreover wasn't Black's theory that Peter helped or covered up the change of Leela into Kalinda? Would that not constitued abuse of office in itself?

See this is where we need more details. Is it that Peter helped her changed her name and then basically "exchange" as a thank you, some sexual favors. OR was it that he helped her changed her name and this lead to a moment between them. OR was it that Kalinda sexuality was so overpowering that she basically manipulated him into helping and them it led to se. I think there are so many scenarios, I tend to think it was more of a Kalinda seduction, cause Kalinda does not seem like the kind to me that would let Peter get away with, "I do this for you and then you have to sleep with me" I wished we knew more about how the events took place
Now if two conceding adults who are co-workers have sex, is that really abuse of office? Just because he was her superior? Kalinda is no shrinking violet?

Why isn`t she considering them?Just loyalty?

It has to be loyalty? cause damn why else refuse double the salary I respect that though, this idea of loyalty. And since she probably does not need the money that bad, she probably is thinking why leave a place I like, especially for Canning who is a snake

I liked Tammy/Will.

yup me too however as I sad above, its sad how things seem to be lining up for them.

And too finish this post up....EVERYONE seems to be talking about the Lion today and everyone wants to buy it I would be interested to see how sales where impacted today That thing AINT cheap is like $90 dollars

[no_13baby]

I found this episode ok. There were definitely some highlights:

-Alicia: So, so gorgeous this epi. Goodness.

-Alicia / Eli: Like most of you I loved their media interview scene. Honestly the A/E stuff this week was really strong.

-The lion: I lol'd so much.

-Abernathy: Again, like pretty much everyone.

...

The not-so-good:

-There were so many great interactions this week: somehow I felt like it was missing a good Alicia / Diane moment. We get so little of that that I have no idea why I suddenly missed it this week, but it would have been nice.

-Will / Tammy: I'm about as emotionally involved with these two as I am with my front door knob. Possibly less- I'd be much worse off of my front door knob suddenly ceased to exist. Anyway, it's not that I hate them together, I just have no feelings whatsoever. I'm not sure if this is the intended effect or not...

Unrelated question: How do we know Alicia took out her IUD? The things we know about our favourite characters!

Re: the discussion about the HIV test: I'm not sure what to make of the journalist's comment. Was it supposed to simply be a mean-spirited attempt to get a rise out of Alicia or was it a deliberate comment on someone's personal health status? I sincerely hope it isn't the latter. I know it's not rational because obviously the character's personal lives are what keeps us watching TV, but as a nurse I just have this gut reaction to someone's health history being made public as the subject of an unfolding drama. I can't quite explain at the moment why I'm so uncomfortable with the idea, given that this would, of course, be entirely fictional. I just know I really don't like the idea.

Eli was a bit over the top in this episode. Did not like the choking scene at all.

It seemed so slapstick which is really not the role I see Eli playing in this show. He was great with Alicia this week- not so hot solo. I hope they get back to writing him a bit more thoughtfully.

"Is that why you became friends with her in the first place"? Really? Talk about clumsy. They got Cary doing commentary to introduce over-the-top hidden agenda?

Ugh, I had the exact same reaction to this line. Really poorly done.

He's actually showed a lot of maturity and I think his character has really grown up a lot this season. All this mess has helped him grow.

Despite being highly unimpressed by the scene above, I have to admit I agree with this. I'm really only annoyed by Cary out of habit these days... going to have to start cutting him some slack (as long as he keeps his hands off Kalinda, that is... )

How about a spin-off show "The Good Judge Abernathy" -I`d watch that!

I'd totally tune in!

[Kiki17]

Unrelated question: How do we know Alicia took out her IUD? The things we know about our favourite characters!

Remember in Fleas, where A/P have their first "big" fight when he finds the condoms? She tells him then she had her IUD removed. However now, we cannot really be to sure because of Silly Season, where we know in a way she had omitted information to Peter about the condoms. I think though she did get it removed.

Was it supposed to simply be a mean-spirited attempt to get a rise out of Alicia or was it a deliberate comment on someone's personal health status?

I think she was just trying to get a rise out of her, see if she blow up on her face. Do not think we really have to worry about Alicia having anything

[no_13baby]

Remember in Fleas, where A/P have their first "big" fight when he finds the condoms? She tells him then she had her IUD removed.

Aaah, thanks

I think she was just trying to get a rise out of her, see if she blow up on her face. Do not think we really have to worry about Alicia having anything

That wasn't really my worry (though of course I would not like to see Alicia get news like this!) It was more just the principle of a story line like this. But thanks, I'm glad people are feeling it was just to prod her temper. I really wasn't sure how they were intending it!

[broccoli]

Stern's death was certainly a shock to me; I thought he was just being a jerk when he didn't respond to his secretary. Judge Abernathy was great, as always. But sadly, that lion was Mandi Bierly's highlight of the episode too, as well as mine. The rest of the episode? Meh... I just get a permanently anxious feeling in my stomach when I watch the show now :\

If I commented here more, this would totally be my new avatar:
lolz

[Gelfling]

Also aren't IUDs supposed to be less than ideal for women who are at a greater risk of STDs? Maybe that was on Alicia's mind all the time.

like you said, she's a very practical person. I'm sure the mayhem didn't help but she would have thought of her health before she thought of divorce.

Was it supposed to simply be a mean-spirited attempt to get a rise out of Alicia or was it a deliberate comment on someone's personal health status? I sincerely hope it isn't the latter

She was trying to shake things up. Alicia was way too calm and if she'd been coached, which the reporter probably believed, a question like that wouldn't have been prepared so she was hoping to throw her for a loop with it.

Stern dying came as a shock. It really was the end of an era.

I never really cared for the character but I have to admit, it came as a shock to me too and probably for the reason you mention. It's not that there was any chance of them getting Stern back and recycling their old letterheads but it's the end of the way things were when Alicia joined the firm and with all this talk of "reboot" by the Kings, it's certainly a little chilling.

These two can sometimes be soulless but they're still soulmates in my book.

and the lack of sex makes things so much less complicated!

Stern had a picture of Diane in his home? I wish we had gotten to see Diane's reaction to it.

I know! I kept hoping Diane would walk by and there would be an exchange between her and Alicia. I loved Alicia's reaction to it though. Ah Julianna

I was a little shocked too to see Diane so predatory like Will, but I guess this is part of the aftermath of what's happened this season.

and to be fair, she felt bad about it. But those are tough times and I don't think they want to be going back to firing people. It wasn't about making a buck.

I guess his reaction may either contrast Alicia's or it's setting the groundwork for Alicia's. Alicia really doesn't have a lot of reason to be upset with Kalinda, aside from Kalinda not telling her the truth.

That's what I've been hoping. Maybe Kalinda fearing the worst is a sign of how much she cares about Alicia and the fear of losing that relationship makes her see things in a much less rational way than she usually does.

I think it will all really depends on who tells Alicia. If she learns it from Kalinda, she'll probably still be angry but it will be less severe than if she finds out from say... Wiley for example. Or Glenn. Then the betrayal would be deeper for Alicia, I think.

What didn't work was his shouting and trying to strangle the head of the DCC.

I think what didn't work was that they never showed Eli that way and that was pushing it for a first time out. He came off as arrogant sometimes and remorseless maybe, a loud mouth (or so they said and then forgot about it) but he always looked calm even when unnerved. The worst we saw was him calling Adler a bitch to Peter and that certainly wasn't enough to jump to this reaction over that trivial a matter to boot.

I don't think she quite realizes how good she is yet. I know she enjoys her job and likes the rewards, but she undervalues herself

Agreed. There was something in her "I decided I'm good at my job" a few episodes ago that sounded more like she had to tell herself that to believe it than like a true conviction. But she's getting there.

I guess that is because she's mostly second chairing the name partners. Now that's pretty uncommon

Funny how her first case, a murder case, she was first chair and since then, she's been second chair almost every time.

I wasdisappointed that they seem to be setting up Canning as a regular adversary in S3. He's fine, he's just not great IMO.

Totally agree. He doesn't have enough to make him interesting. I hope they add a little more depth to him but I don't really see how they could.

I agree and moreover wasn't Black's theory that Peter helped or covered up the change of Leela into Kalinda? Would that not constitued abuse of office in itself?

That would probably be more like it. But apparently Matan seemed to ignore that fact. Now why wouldn't Blake have told him about it? Or was Matan just pretending it was just about sex to Cary?

Because if he had evidence, then why did he have to put 2+2 together about Kalinda firing up every time Alicia was mentioned?

I think the fact that the writers have not thought this plot through is becoming more apparent with every episode. They are adding details thye hadn't thought about before to make it all more credible, hoping we won't notice it doesn't fit.

Unless after he figured it out he unearthed some hidden camera footage of them from years ago?

But footage of what? If it was an affair, there could have been some evidence I guess but a one-night stand? What could he have? Even pictures of them entering a hotel room would be laughable as far as criminal evidence goes.

They probably should focus the writing towards him helping her change identities rather than the sleeping together thing.

But the Leela thing is just a pretext now. They have thought about the way he helped her even less than the specifics of the "affair" so they keep it as vague as humanly possible.

OR was it that he helped her changed her name and this lead to a moment between them.

a "moment"? I don't think so. I don't see Kalinda becoming all fuzzy with gratitude and falling for Peter over this. Especially not if it was a one-time thing.

Wonder who tipped her off? Blake?

Unlikely. Or she would have had said "evidence" and not just rumors and speculations. Childs seems more probable.

- Alicia gets a lot of job offers lately.Why isn`t she considering them?Just loyalty?

Too many if you ask me. One is fine or two spread out on a season but that was just one too many in a few episodes. I don't really know if it's loyalty so much as Alicia is still trying to find her footing at L&G. She's looking for stability more than for career advancement at this point.

- I think the writers are trying to make a point.This episode everyone used "call" and not "phone".

good catch. Maybe they are just tired of hearing about it, as we are

Anyway, it's not that I hate them together, I just have no feelings whatsoever. I'm not sure if this is the intended effect or not...

Probably not but then that's what happens when the writers are just using characters as decoys. They are not involved in it so we don't get involved either. They are going through the motions and it shows. I did feel bad for Tammy for the first time though. But then it felt all a little too manipulative with the "I'm going to London, ask me not to go" basically and I was bored again.

and on the Abernathy spinoff!

[no_13baby]

I think the writers are trying to make a point.This episode everyone used "call" and not "phone". good catch. Maybe they are just tired of hearing about it, as we are

I think I'm missing something..

[Gelfling]

I think I'm missing something..

The story up to that point:
Whenever a character talks about calling someone or getting a call on the phone, they use "phone" as a verb as in Kalinda's "why is she phoning you?" when told that Amber is calling Alicia in Threesome.
And believe it or not, it got so big that it started getting mentioned in reviews and articles (written by people who clearly have little to say) so the Kings got asked about it (a few times) and the writers on Twitter (yes, really) and they all replied that it was a habit of Robert King to do that and they used it as their own little private joke on the show.
But I guess now they're just tired of hearing about it so they dropped it and in this episode, everyone used "call" instead of "phone".

[no_13baby]

Wow, what an utterly bizarre thing to become a... thing! I never would have noticed, especially because I use "phone" and "call" interchangeably as verbs all the time... I never would have thought about it. Is it a Canadian thing? We always use phone as a verb, but I don't think they do in the States, maybe that's why people thought it was odd? Do they ever use it in British English?
Anyways, not that it matters- I just find this truly odd.

[Gelfling]

I never would have noticed, especially because I use "phone" and "call" interchangeably as verbs all the time...

I know, right? Why did people obsess about this is beyond me. Personally I use "call" but I have heard "phone" and it never shocked me. It's not incorrect or anything.

That only goes to show what happens when you act in a way that is slightly different from the routine... people make a big deal out of it.

Is it a Canadian thing? We always use phone as a verb, but I don't think they do in the States, maybe that's why people thought it was odd?

I heard it in Canada but I also heard it in the US. Not sure about the UK or Oz/NZ. Gaby?
And Robert King is not Canadian and is he uses it, it must be not exactly special