From Zap2It:

My head hurts.

So confused...

Wait..... WHAT???

I'm pretty sure I really, really enjoyed that, although I have no idea what the fuck happened.

After weeks of dekeing us, Milch reaches back and delivers the cheese across the plate.

Dear David Milch--

You're doing it wrong.


Love,

Everybody

Trixie!

Yay Paula Malcomson!

I want a spinoff with John, Bill, and Joe.

I'm not sure what the hell just happened, but it was brilliant. I'm going to watch it again immediately.

First impressions? Oddly enough, I was shocked over the Cissy/Butchie reveal...although the minute it happened, I thought "My God, of course!"

Best episode yet? Oh yeah. Definitely.

Someone 'splain,

please!

That last half was like watching a Stan Brakhage film made for TV. And yet I liked it, I think.

And it was fun to play "Spot the Deadwood veteran" once again.

They really hit it out the park tonight. All three rings were in full effect.

Cissy whipping Butchie's scivvy explains A LOT!

I'll have to watch a few more times to provide more thoughtful commentary.

That was amazing. I'm still trying to figure it all out, but I'm certain that I loved it. John seemed to consciously appear to some of them while only delivering subconscious messages to others. I just don't fuckin' know.

Will someone please explain to me what the hell happened the last 15 minutes? Did John go into the Black Lodge?

Agreed, thatguy. And Freddy and his midget friend.

If anyone had any thoughts on some of what John was saying (particularly the "word on the wall", and Cass' camera), I'd be much obliged.

I did think there was some fish and loaves symbolism between Tina and Shaun in the kitchen, but I have no idea what it meant.

Could 9, 11, 14 be a reference to St. John, chapter 9, paragraph 11 to 14?

I think we're gonna be working on this for a few days.

Oh..my.

Anyone else tear up when Butchie cried? I sobbed.

John's talking Cissy out of suicide and the 'reveal'? SO shocking..but yet, it makes complete sense why she treats him the way she does. Why he uses. Etc.

The rest? I'm soooo lost. It all happened so fast. The word? The circle? His father? The grey dude?

Mr. Rollins comes on Barry's face? Shocked? No.

Cass's camera!?

My head is throbbing. But I cannot wait until tomorrow to watch it again.

Edited to just say that I seriously think I have a major crush on Garrett Dillahunt. Like, I got it bad. Sigh..

I so agree - Bill, John and Joe so need their own spinoff. I wouldn't miss an episode.

Bill got to me first.

Where's Dale Cooper when you need him the most?

Room 24 revealed its dead.

Yes! I can't believe I forgot to mention Bill..that part had me crying too. I love this show. Just wish I knew what the fuck was going on...

Ok, that is going to require another viewing or ten. Wow! The scene almost made me forget the rest of the episode, which I really enjoyed. I loved the scene between John's projection and Cissy. And no Mitch this week, but we did get the writer's acknowledgment that he is an asshole!

Butchie is really fucked up over Tina. I think its pretty clear that he both loves and hates her. A lot of really intense feelings are surfacing. I suspected as much from the last episode, and gave the benefit of the doubt to Kai's reaction as she knows more about their relationship than we do. Although I certainly don't see a reconciliation in their future.

ETA: So that's what Dillahunt meant when he referred to incest!

Ghettomommy . . . I cried too when Butchie cried. I think he is doing a really great acting job. The way he always scratches? his underarms. He seems so lost sometimes. I love him.

Thank goodness no Mitch tonight!

I am anxiously awaiting reading this forum. For the main reason that I want someone smarter and more analytical than myself to explain what the heck John's soliquoy meant!!! Help a sister out, please.

Plus no Mitch, IIRC. Could it possibly be better?

I so love this show!

John and the cookout - the last supper, or something like it?

Cissy actually (sorry for the graphic language) jacked off Butchie?
Later, guys.

Okay, I'll start with a simple question for starters. Was Mr. Rollins the dead guy from Room 24? I'm also wondering whether Linc actually saw John in that scene by the window or John just delivered a subconscious message to him.

Now this episode was probably the most confusing one yet, but at least now there's a strong sense that some shit is actually happening.

After last week's episode, I felt more obligated than excited about viewing this week's episode.

Next week can't come any sooner.

Dear David Milch-
I am a huge fan. I loved Deadwood, and I really hope those two Deadwood movies come to fruition.

In the meantime, however, I have to make due with your new show, John from Cincinnati. I'm sure you've read many reviews and fan reactions that categorize your new show as "bullshit," and "incomprehensible, quasi-philisophical crap." Not to fear, though, for I have a solution. Season 1 may already be filmed and done with, but Season 2 (if there is one) can still be saved. Here's my pitch: John has the ability to travel back in time, right? So in the first episode of season 2, he just vanishes, leaving behind the Yosts, Luke Perry, Luis Guzman, and that gay lotto winner who's crazy and has no inner-monologue.

And he travels to a little town called Deadwood.

Bear with me, cause the drama is just getting started. After arriving in Deadwood, John from Cincinnati parrots back the words of Al Swearengen, who doesn't take kindly to mockery. Swearengen, in the heat of the moment, guts John with a knife. Swearengen then turns his attention to running the old mining town.

You could also conclude the season to a flashforward, where it's revealed that the Yost's ancestors were migrant Polish workers killed in a massacre in Deadwood, resulting in their never being born.

Anyway, mull it over and get back to me.

Yours,
Chris

Man, John's projection to Cissy and his speachy thing at the end was made of wow.

Okay, just to start some speculation, "My father's birthday is the same as mine" or something similiar at the end, made me think of Jesus.

That's just something to start it off with...

Wow. Just...wow. I really enjoyed that and am starting to love that I'm watching this show. I missed out on Deadwood though, so I've been taking ya'll's word for it that Milch is brilliant - tonight's episode is making me start to see why you guys are such fans. Kinda.

I'm typically pretty smrt, but this episode? Yikes. I think I'm gonna need a bigger brain.

Hard call (so to speak) in advance. They'd be unusually fragile emotionally if just mocking him for masturbating fucked him up that badly, and if she felt such shame over mocking him that she wanted to kill herself. We'll see.

This is the one thing I am not confused about (at least I think I am not confused). There were those who he individually approached and spoke to directly, Linc and Cass, and then everyone else. And then he projected Bill into the scene as well. I didn't notice Joe, was he there as well?

I have a bad feeling that I really dont understand anything about what is going on.

Is this a biblical parable or is it something completely different?

There seems to be a lot of New Testement/Gospel analogies happening, which I am sure I am not the first one to point out BTW.

We have resurections, a whore that seems to be seeking redemption--I guess, Bill or Joe seems to be some kind of Jonn the Baptist wild man in the wilderness type, the doctor seems to me like some kind of doubting Thomas, Linc gives me a some kind of Judas vibe...but none of seems to fit either...


My head hurts.

On a lighter note, Barry refering to Butchie as a "young Henry Kissinger" was a great line.

Loved this ep! Yes Cissy finished the job. I thought that was obvious. Loved the cookout more than anything. Sermon on the Mount, the alien version maybe? "Let's go find the space commander (John)".

John rolled out the big gun this week. After working a few miracles to attract the crowd and make sure he had their attention, he began delivering his message. The members of his cadre are coming to grips (ETA: esp Cissy) with their awareness of him.

The part of the story I can't figure is why he parroted them, especially in the beginning. It probably doesn't matter to the story, but I'd like to fanwank an explanation so I can put it aside.

Just remembered something else - I heard 'Judas priest' several times - again a new testament possibility.

So does anyone really care about this show enough to interpret everything John said there? Because I'd really like to know.

It sounded like there were some Biblical references there, along with the scatology and plot recaps. But were they? And if John keeps referring to "my father," does that mean he's actually Jesus?

Also, who was the green guy on the bench? And was Cass getting it all on camera, even though John may not have even physically been there? Is it going up on YouTube tomorrow as the Gospel According to The Weird Guy?

I liked the scene outside Cissy's window.... It was nice to see John actually say something specific and helpful to someone for a change. But I don't believe her whole belligerent personality could have been formed just on the basis of one act, no matter how odious it may have been.

In the scenes from next week: Zack from "Saved By the Bell"?! I know he was decent on "NYPD Blue," but come on. I guess he and Dylan McKay can hang out at the Peach Pit together.

"I don't care how much you say what I'm thinkin'. I'm still not givin' up herb." - Joe

"He's imitating my wife who has passed." - Bill

Can anyone refresh my memory in terms of exactly what he (the doctor) said? Thanks.

Secrets like that are incredibly corrosive.

When Butchie and Cissy were talking and she mentioned Tina; Butchie said it could not have been a surprise to Shaun. He said Shaun was thirteen. Later when John did the big reveal; he said Butchie was thirteen when it happened.

The actor playing Shaun totally brought it when he told Cissy, she hurt his feelings. I like this kid, I think he acts like a thirteen year old would in that situation.
As for the rest I don't know what it all meant, but I liked it.

For about the fifteenth time, Butchie broke my heart. It all makes so much sense: the stunted emotional growth, the dysfunctional relationships with women, his tortured relationship with his mother, the drug abuse, just the way he slips inside himself and holds himself tight...*sighs* I got teary-eyed when Tina was crying, and it got worse when Butchie started crying.

I can't bring myself to hate Cissy, but sexual abuse? I'm not sure there's any way to come back from that either.

I'm wondering if John actually fell asleep in the van with Bill and Joe, and his soliliquy was some kind of astral projection. When he sleeps, his inner self roams the earth and helps the suffering face themselves? On this show, why not?



Which brought me right back to my "The Violent Bear It Away" discussion from Episode Two. The book details the conflict/contradiction between science and faith, particularly religion's role in an increasingly secular world. It was my first thought when John started on and on about his father (faith) and Cass' camera (science). Sexual abuse plays a role in that book as well.



In general, the entire episode was very funny and needed comic relief after last week.

It's going to take a couple more views of this for sure. I did like how John sounded like a commercial when he was talking to Cissy.
It was my take that a lot of this happened after John passed out in Joe's van ( I guess he is a shape shifting mope).

Poor Mr. Sobell. This recap is gonna be tough.

The ghost of Rm 24. The guy that Barry has history with.

What. The. Fuck!!!! Must. Watch. Again. Brain. Hurts.
If Butchie gets high, I hope he scores enough for the rest of us.
TRIXIE!!!
No. More. Words.

Also, John passing out in Joe's van was the first time we've seen him sleep. Still have not seen him eat or dump out.

Also, since this was in many ways the most interesting episode so far, is it any coincidence that Mitch wasn't in it?

Maybe he should levitate higher and fly away.

In my house we started laughing and could not stop. Every time the kid is on the screen it just takes me out of the scene.

Laughing at that scene just made it easier to laugh at all the other nonsense. Why was Butchie so angry talking on the phone to Tina? It was just so over the top.

If someone wants to tell me what John was talking about - fine. Otherwise I can't say I really care. I think Milch must have really liked Twin Peaks.