Nikki K

It's an educated guess since Mikaila only played two games last season. I'd think Maggie has healed and they're planning to have her play otherwise they wouldn't put her on the roster but I think the first few games will decide who will see more playtime probably?

I'd think as the competition goes on the U.S. and Canada will amass more medals and the others will fall behind.

Thanks for the interview. Heh, sounds like Mädchen has a bit a of a crush on Skeet.

I think Hiram doesn't view Hermione as an actual partner yet. He just sees her as his wife, obviously more capable than the wives of the other mob bosses who seem to occupy their time with other pursuits, because of all the things she has handled while he was imprisoned but I think he thinks that now that he is out, she should go back to just being a wife again but she won't have that. That's probably why she is operating sort of clandestinely behind his back for the moment and we'll see a sort of power struggle in the coming episodes. Like we already started to see at the beginning of the season when they were fighting over Veronica's affections.

Well yes, Alice is some sort of blonde, Betty and Polly definitely are. But yeah, Mädchen definitely had auburn hair on Twin Peaks and I remember her hair was dyed black on Witches of East End. Well, I don't think Chic resembles Alice either though? Idek.

I'm not sure why they'd bring up the Black Hood again, I thought that was neatly wrapped up? Maybe as a copy cat?

I think Fred just wants to be convinced that Hiram and Hermione have gone straight so he can accept being in business with them and he can accept the donation towards his medical bills. I mean, I understand that actually, bills like that can ruin you.

BL.Arinna_1982

Are you still watching Riverdale?

PhoenixRising

Yes we are, Arinna.

Hi, Nina!

From what you've said and posted, I'm thinking that Maggie will more than likely be the starter. Having only two games under her belt would probably not be enough for Mikaila to get the position. They'll probably have Mikaila as a backup and perhaps a potential replacement for Maggie whenever she graduates, or are they the same age?

Well, as far as the Winter Olympics goes, Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands are still way out in front, with Germany right behind them. Obviously the cold weather countries are gonna do better. I don't know what it is with the Dutch and speed skating, but they are just owning that right now. Our speed skaters aren't doing so well at the moment. But USA is doing well in snowboarding. And I love our women's ice hockey team.

I think Madchen is married and has kids.

Wow, so you think that even after all this time, Hiram doesn't see how formidable Hermione is? See, this is exactly why I think she would try and make a move on his organization. You're right, she is working behind his back and there probably will be a power struggle between the two. I don't think that Hermione would be doing what she's doing with Archie if she didn't have contingency plans just in case she had to once again run things for Hiram should anything unfortunate happen to him. And I do think that Veronica means more to Hermione at this point than Hiram.

How do we know that Alice doesn't dye her hair and that Betty got her blonde from Hal? But I'm gonna wait and see when it comes to Chic because regardless of his physical appearance, I still think he's an imposter. Man, I forgot about Witches of East End. It's a shame that show got cancelled.

I've heard from people who still suspect Sheriff Keller of being the Black Hood. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Oh, I understand about those bills too, Nina. I had a lot of expenses during the time I was in therapy and stuff. I also got screwed one time by my insurance when it came to ambulance costs and I had to get that straightened out because the hospital and the insurance company weren't communicating with each other. But I think that Fred is just biding his time for the moment. He just got shot and he's recovering, so perhaps he just wants out of the fray for the time being.

Nikki K

Well, Maggie is a Junior, so I don't know how much playtime she got previously when she wasn't injured. I guess we'll see. I suspect the coaches will have made the decision based on what they saw in training.

I thought the Netherlands were always really good where speed skating was concerned? Snowboarding has never interested me.

Well, that doesn't prevent one from having a bit of a crush. Her whole language changed for that part.

No, and with the hispanic background they gave the Lodges on the show, I think men like Hiram while raised to respect women and accept them as quite capable and formidable forces within the home domain, they do not imagine that they may want something beyond that. Maybe that is cultural stereotyping on my part but I think this is how they are playing it on the show. This is why Hiram will struggle with the idea of making Hermione his actual partner in crime -- though let's face it, she has long since been.

You know at the beginning season 1 I would have agreed with you, maybe here and there throughout the show until the beginning of season 2 but not lately. I think lately Hermione is very much out for herself in the sense that she wants to secure her standing within the family.

Well, Hal is a Blossom, so he's a redhead obviously.

I thought Witches of East End was bit of train wreck, I only watched for Mädchen and Julia Ormond.

Nah, not Sheriff Keller -- though I have to say, I was shocked that he would have an affair. Poor Mrs. Keller.

I honestly think Fred is just naive, sorry.

But yeah there is something seriously wrong with the system here. And I mean generally. I never had to call my bank or my insurance so many times at home as I had in the U.S. for things that really should just work automatically.

BL.Arinna_1982

Nikki K

How was your day, Arinna? Are you feeling better?

PhoenixRising

Hi, everyone! I hope you all had a happy Valentine's Day!

Please forgive me for not being here yesterday. I was so exhausted and in a lot of pain after work that I just crashed and slept all afternoon and night.

Hi, Arinna! I hope you're feeling better as well! And why are you lurking on your own board?

Hi, Nina! I think Arinna had already gone to bed around the time you posted.

Oh, so Maggie is a junior? So I guess she's gonna be in her final season next year, so they may decide to start grooming her replacement?

Yeah, the Dutch kicked our asses in speed skating four years ago in Sochi, and it looks like they're gonna repeat again this year. And our Women's Ice Hockey team lost to fing Canada again, just like last year. I just hope they can get back to winning so they can make it to the finals and the medal rounds. I'm actually rooting for team Norway to do well in Men's Ice Hockey because Norway is often overshadowed by their Scandinavian neighbors, Sweden and Finland, in ice hockey. But Norway just lost to Sweden, so I guess that's a long shot. But Norway overall is still way ahead in the overall medal count at 17. Germany is right behind them at 15, Canada has 13, and The Netherlands has 12. USA only has 8 so we've got a lot of ground to make up. Japan is doing well with 7 medals overall, though none of them are gold. What's really shocking is how poorly Russia is doing, with only 5 medals, none of them gold. One silver and four bronze.

We seem to do a lot better in the Summer Olympics. We do have 5 gold medals, though, which ties us with The Netherlands for third place in the gold medal count. Norway as 6 and Germany is in front with 9.

Shaun White won a gold medal in snowboarding, but his sexual harassment situation is tainting his Olympics this year. And an Austrian snowboarder broke a vertebrae in his neck during competition and is being taken back to Austria for treatment. He's not paralyzed or anything, but that's still scary.

Oh, so it's still possible for a married woman to have a crush? Nice.

Are the Lodges Hispanic on the show, or of Spanish ancestry? I don't know if they ever specified. Hiram could be a descendant of the Conquistadors for all we know. It would make sense, given his temperament and power-greed. But I suppose you're right regarding the way Hiram sees Hermione and her place in the Lodge structure. And I still think that Hermione is looking out for Veronica, hence her testing of Archie, but I do agree that she's also looking to strengthen her own standing in the family, perhaps becoming the new Don, so to speak. But if it came down to a choice between Veronica and Hiram, I think Hermione would throw Hiram under the bus... but only after she had made sure that she had taken over completely.

So what, you think Hal dyes his hair blonde? Perhaps Mary is a Blossom and that's why Archie has red hair?

Oh? I never watched Witches of East End, so I wasn't sure. I thought it looked fascinating, but then so did Salem. Did you ever watch that one? I also loved the Coven season of American Horror Story.

So you don't think Keller is the Black Hood? Well, we'll have to wait and see, I guess. And it's cool that the Lodges used his relationship with Josie's mom against the mayor. You play, you pay, I guess. And I hope that Fred isn't too naïve, because that would make his character especially weak in terms of writing, or perhaps the writers just aren't that interested in Fred the way they are with Archie. Archie seems to be James Dean to Jughead's Marlon Brando.

I agree with you that the insurance system is broken here, Nina. I would hope that they could do something to fix it, but I don't know enough about how it works to point out exactly what needs to be done.

BL.Arinna_1982

I missed my Valentine, because he's living so far away...

I'm feeling better than before, thank you, Nina!

PhoenixRising

Aww, I'm sorry, Arinna. I'm glad you're feeling better.

Nikki K

So glad you are feeling better, Arinna!

Those Germans... ... well, better them than... idek, anyway.

So I disagree, I don't think Hermione would ultimately throw Hiram under the bus. Because at the end of the day she knows that this is a business where it's next to impossible for a woman to actually really be the boss and be accepted. She needs Hiram, and if only as a front.

No, I never watched Salem. I was too mad at WGN for cancelling my favourite show at the time, Manhanttan.

BL.Arinna_1982

Thank you, guys! Anything interesting to watch these two weeks?

PhoenixRising

Hi, Nina!

Hi, Arinna! No, nothing much but the Olympics.

Yeah, the Germans are surprising everyone by leading in the Gold medal count with 9. But Norway still leads in the overall medal count with 19. Better Germany than who? Well, Russia is doing shockingly bad this year. They have 8 medals, 2 silver and 6 bronze.

Oh, so you still think Hermione would stand by her man, but only as a figurehead? You don't think she could take over on her own? Well, I guess we'll see.

I never watched Salem either. AHS Coven was the only witch show I got into. And what's Manhattan?


Here's the Olympic medal count so far:

XXIII Olympic Winter Games Medal Count -

1. Norway - Gold: 6 | Silver: 8 | Bronze: 5 | Total: 19

2. Germany - Gold: 9 | Silver: 2 | Bronze: 4 | Total: 15

3. Netherlands - Gold: 6 | Silver: 5 | Bronze: 2 | Total: 13

4. Canada - Gold: 4 | Silver: 5 | Bronze: 4 | Total: 13

5. United States - Gold: 5 | Silver: 1 | Bronze: 2 | Total: 8

6. Austria - Gold: 3 | Silver: 1 | Bronze: 4 | Total: 8

7. France - Gold: 3 | Silver: 2 | Bronze: 2 | Total: 7

8. Japan - Gold: 0 | Silver: 4 | Bronze: 3 | Total: 7

9. Sweden - Gold: 4 | Silver: 2 | Bronze: 0 | Total: 6

10. Italy - Gold: 2 | Silver: 1 | Bronze: 3 | Total: 5

Nikki K

I heard "Altered Carbon" is good, Arinna. But I haven't watched it myself yet.

I don't know, Germany was always good at biathlon, women's speed skating, luge...

Yay, #7, we're in the top 10!

Manhattan was only one of the best TV shows in recent years. I shipped the hell out of Frank/Liza and Helen/Charlie.

PhoenixRising

I know. Congrats, Nina! France is doing really well in the Winter Olympics this year. Must be all that training in the French Alps.

Yeah, I know that Germany is good in the Winter Games, but this year they're really killing it. I've never seen them up this high before, neck and neck with Norway.

Ahh, thanks for the link, Nina. I'm not even sure I get that channel.

Yeah, I saw a movie about the Manhattan Project once, called Little Man And Fat Boy, about Oppenheimer's first atomic testing during WWII. John Cusack played a scientist who got exposed to radiation, and what happened to him was just horrible.

Nikki K

You mentioned Salem and that's the same channel Salem was on.

I never watched that movie you mentioned but I read a lot about the Manhattan Project. That TV show was just superb.