Maria and her creative money making schemes....Clark the self-sacrificing driver... and Cook, who isn't capable of chopping broccoli. Talk about them and other Darling family staffers here.

In the 3rd episode, when Clark willingly stands tall and offers himself to the NYC cop in Pat's place so that Pat wouldn't be arrested and could make it to his speech on time, he completely reminded me of Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock - the time Kenneth stood tall, saluted Tracy, and then hurled himself into a stairwell so that Tracy could make it to the show on time. Such devotion.

I love it that the staff are given personalities and motives.

Maria and her money making schemes, Clark surrendering himself to the police (and the police themselves letting Nick know this sort of thing is "all in the family") enhance my caring about this whole cast immensely.

I hope this series lasts...it is the first one I have personally cared about since the first season of Gray's Anatomy, which then betrayed my trust so profoundly that I would like to hire a hitman against it.

My other fave to watch is Heroes, but the personal stakes are not so high.

I also love that the family is so respectful of them. It makes me like the family more. Like instead of firing the cook Tripp bitches in his journal. Tripp lends Clark books and Patrick acted like Clark was his friend.

Also Juliet's polite, "Kathryn, may I please be done packing?" when she wanted Kathryn to leave and the Thank you afterwards.

So Clark's a pilot too? That's pretty handy. Tripp must have thought so too, since he put Clark through flight school I kept wondering though - wouldn't last week's druck (or reckless) driving arrest had some impact on his pilot's license?

This made me sit up and notice. It's like an oxymoron -- it reeks of snobbery/entitlement and respect, all in one. Which is so the Darling family. I love the staff and yes, I love that they have personalities that are as endearing as the leads. As much as I love Maria, I totally love Clark because he protected Patrick's reputation. About the arrest -- I just thought (fanwanked) that just like the pretense of Clark going in for Patrick, the police pretends to arrest Clark for the eventual photo op or paparazzi blitz, and then lets him go after a little stay in the holding cell.

Thanks, hypertwink, I hadn't thought of that. A faux-arrest would explain why Clark wouldn't lose any of his licenses.

I don't think it would be a case of false arrest so much as one where the charges are simply never filed. After all, Clark was sober so his blood test would show no alcohol. Then the whole thing becomes simply an unfortunate accident.

And really, as someone who works in the aviation industry, as long as Clark wasn't flying while drunk, a DUI, sober or otherwise, wouldn't really have an impact on his pilot license -- as long as he's for private-hire, anyway. (It's a whole difference of FAA regulations part 91 vs. part 135, let's not get into that.)

The staff rocks. I especially love Maria [she has her standards, turning down a thousand from Nick because her usual five hundred is sufficient to the task] and Clark, who's so dependable and so capable.

Does anyone know which book Tripp gave to Clark? I noticed that Clark didn't seem to mind that Tripp spoiled the end for him. Maybe he had no intention of finishing it...

The book from 1.3, The Lions? I posted that information in the episode thread. Or has there been another book since?

I don't think one "spoils" history in quite the same way...One could give someone a book on Abraham Lincoln and not have to be concerned that they already know "the ending," yes?

I loved that Clark immediately rolled with being Jeremy's dad (Mr. Babiton?) I thought it was also cute that he gave the girlfriend an extra long hug. Heh.

They're the "Babesons." Such a proud, poor clan of valets...

I liked Clark's mocking comment to Jeremy about not being able to afford to grow a beard.

Clark may be my new favourite character. "I've been called that before" - excellent!