73 replies to this topic

[TWoP Mars]

From ABCMediaNet.com:

While constantly being challenged in court by prosecutor Nola Lyons, Nick is facing an uphill battle defending Letitia in the murder case. But the situation changes quickly after Nick discovers a dirty little secret about Nola. Later on he learns by chance some surprising news about Lisa from Joel Madden, one of the attendees at her art gallery opening. Meanwhile, Karen asks Nick to tell Tripp that she's marrying family nemesis Simon Elder, Tripp attempts to wield his influence over Patrick in choosing his chief of staff, and Brian and Andrea learn some shocking news after a visit to the doctor.

[bigmomma01]

Whatever happened to Jeremy's twin sister?

[FaithW]

bigmomma01 Karen mentioned Juliette in this episode. I believe she's with that guy Kai (or something) from the first season. I think Karen may have mentioned specifically, but I can't remember where she said she was.

ETA: Kinda wondering (the most anyway) about which things Simon didn't expect. The one thing was obvious, he didn't expect for Nola to get thrown off the case. In a prior episode, I believe that she had something about always getting involved with people from the opposing side, to make things interesting for her, because she never loses--- or something? I don't think Simon expected Tripp to show up at the engagement party, but I'm glad he did. I wish he had've gave something more meaningful, to show that he loved her, truly loved her... Instead, didn't he give her that thingee that Karen gave to him that she took from Simon? IF my viewing was correct, I don't get it, I'll have to think more about it.

Sad that Nick went to Karen in the end, but glad he's being honest with his feelings. It makes Karen seem like second best. I'm glad that she said that the only reason she would leave Simon is for Nick.. Love the idea of the Nick/Karen pairing. I hope the show eventually leads to it.

I heart Brian, and Brian Jr. :) Brian's softer moments in this episode were awesome. When he said, "Let me take care of you" I just melted.

Edited by FaithW, Nov 5, 2008 @ 11:08 PM.

[agockows]

Samaire Armstrong's contract wasn't renewed so the character has been reduced to mentions here and there about how she is out of the country.

ETA: Apparently there is a possibility that she may guest star here and there.

Edited by agockows, Nov 5, 2008 @ 11:09 PM.

[quietone]

Holy Crap! Leticia/Jeremy. Simon/Nola. Those are two twists I wasn't expecting.

Brian continues to own me. Underneath that gruff exterior is a teddy bear.

[slasherboy]

Two questions please .....

1. What did Brian say after Jeremy dropped the "puppy"?

2. What did Trip give Karen as a wedding present? I've seen it before, but must have missed the significance.

Thanks!

[TiffanyNichelle]

What the hell is going on with this show? I remember they teased Nola working with Simon in the first episode but I forgot about all that until tonight. So that was a nice little wrap up. Tripp coming in and laying the smackdown on the boys in that lovely subtle way was really cool.

Nick's an ass. He's clearly waiting for an excuse to run to Karen, to save her and be her big hero and this thing with Lisa and Jeremy was all he needed. Whatever Nick.

Who knew Leticia could be as manipulative as Tripp? But this whole whoring out the kids to mess with their enemies thing is really shady.

Loved Brian and Brian Jr playing Wii. Heh.

[CaliforniaSun]

This show gets better every week. The drama is really building and I couldn't be loving it more.

Do we know the significance of the crystal swan thing? If so, I'm missing something.

[lynettefl]

I still think that Karen and Tripp are playing Simon, Nick and everyone else. They are in cahoots.

[roseredscared]

Is it bad that I'm totally rooting for Tripp?

[Colombine]

With all these twists I don't know when a character is being geniune. I would like it if Nick was true about his feelings for Karen because I think they could be fun but I can't help but thinking that this is some elaborate plan of Tripps. But then would Nick go so far for the family?

1. What did Brian say after Jeremy dropped the "puppy"?

He said something like "We're so gonna get busted."

[DaisyBuchanan]

Whatever happened to he show's quality is a better question. I just found tonight to be so horribly hackneyed and clunky. It was soap opera-y in the worst way--big emotional moments w/out true emotions; huge twists revealed w/out any substance. The worst for me was that scene 'tween Tish and Jeremy--a big shocker to be revealed to be sure, but Jeremy's "I loved her!" sobbed confesssion and Tish's odd line of "That wasn't partof the plan!" over and over again--it was all so forced and as fake as that set they were on. (Worse than that was the WTF!? of the Dr.'s "Andrea, you have cancer" scene. What doctor would actually reveal it that way, with no detail or cushion?! Ugh.)

Other things seemed so rushed--yes, the Nick/Lisa thing is boring, but the end of the whoel thing just splatted on the screen, and seemed a waste of Zoe, who broke my heart a bit with her "I'll miss you" line reading. Also out-of-the-blue was Nick's sudden need for Karen. How about at least a longing look or two before he have him throw himself at her feet?

Shockingly, the Simon Elder stuff was halfway passable. His way-too-much information speech at the party was laughable, but for the first time he seemed actually villain-y to me in that scene w/ Nola. No idea what his endgame really is yet, but at least he was compelling.

The best thing was (finally) a scene with all the siblings (minus one) together--so great to see the actors play off eeach other. And Jeremy and Brian sneaking out was comic gold (as was the Tripp smackdown the best Tripp-of-S1 moment of the season). And Glenn Fitzgerald needs to campaign to get his own spinoff w/ Brian, or at least to have Craig Wright craft him a vehicle suited to his talent. His disgust at pooping in a cup and the Wii boxing scene were the best parts of the show.

Edited by DaisyBuchanan, Nov 5, 2008 @ 11:22 PM.

[lynettefl]

Who was playing whom first? Nola introduced herself to Jeremy two times; she sought him out. Did Simon want her to have an affair with Jeremy, or did she do it for the thrill?

When did Jeremy flip the script and tell his mother about the affair?

Edited by lynettefl, Nov 5, 2008 @ 11:23 PM.

[TVisMyMcLife]

I still think that Karen and Tripp are playing Simon, Nick and everyone else. They are in cahoots.

I would love it if it turns out Karen is actually playing someone. That would be cool. Much better than if she really is the victim.

Totally didn't see Nola/Simon coming. Awesome. I definitely want to know what his endgame is. And Nola being Patrick's chief of staff? Very cool. I like her a lot.

A bit judgey there with Lisa, Nick. My goodness. One mistake and he's out the door, but yet she forgives him over and over? Whatever.

Jeremy dropping "the puppy" was the funniest moment of the night. I could not stop laughing. Brian and Brian Jr. playing Wii and hiding it was a close second.

Tripp calling out the boys at the party was all kinds of awesome. And the sibling scene was great, too.

I didn't watch this show last season — I just saw little bits here and there — but I am really liking it!

[redheader]

So dad is pimping out the daughter and mom is pimping out the son. Lovely. I have to say, though, that I’m glad that Jeremy didn’t pursue Nola blind to the fact that she was prosecuting his mother. But that kid falls in love way too easily. He’s like a needy little puppy.

The whole time Nola was yelling at Jeremy I was laughing. The fact that a woman of her age in her position couldn’t control her hormones and pick somebody else to sleep with is nobody’s fault but her own. Everyone keeps talking about how brilliant she is, yet she makes the most ridiculous mistakes. Unless sleeping with Jeremy was part of Simon’s plan – but from what he said, it didn’t sound like it. It sounded like all he wanted from her was for her to convict Leticia. Also, does this mean that when Jeremy blithely handed Nick his phone he knew what would happen? Awesome.

Speaking of Simon, his speech at the party was ridiculous. Nobody talks like that in real life. And I hated Tripp dressing down his sons like they were kids in front of a large group of what I have to assume are semi-influential people. That’s really not like him. You think that he’d wait to air the dirty laundry behind closed doors.

Loved the four siblings discussion around the table. The digs and the smirks and Brian’s rationalization for attending the party. I think that was my favorite part of the episode.

Speaking of Brian, I loved his reaction to having to give a stool sample. And it was touching seeing his emotional reaction to Andrea’s illness.

[TryingHarder]

I still think that Karen and Tripp are playing Simon, Nick and everyone else. They are in cahoots

I hope so.

My other thought is that Nick is playing everyone. In some way he will bring down the whole Darling family as revenge for his fathers death and his mother leaving.

[surfer]

Wow, so Lisa lies about going into the art business with Jeremy while Nick lies for 10 years about proposing to Karen, a woman whom he interacts with on a daily basis, that has self-professed feelings for him and who kissed him and has thrown herself at him on multiple occasions and Nick is the one to leave?

I say run Lisa, run; take your kid and what looks like a successful art business, find a nice man and let Nick continue to be the Darlings bitch. She deserves better... something I wouldn't have said last season.

As to the rest of the episode, it was nice to see some sibling interaction and Brian's storyline with Andrea has potential. On the other hand, anything involving Simon or Nola continues to bore me and Tripp, who was manipulative, yet sympathetic last season, has become ruthless and one-note this season; so much so that I don't really care whether he or Simon wins what I can only guess will become a repetitive weekly rivalry.

[theponderer]

Maybe Craig Wright will get another series starring Donald Sutherland as Tripp Season One. They can start with the premise that a one-dimensional evil twin took over his body.

[DiamondDot]

Writer's strike.

Lots of shows changed, regrouped after that. Most for the better.

I like the new, more intense story lines.

[Crs97]

I gotta say that I am really disappointed with this "new, improved" DSM. I liked last season so much better. I think breaking Nick and Lisa up is a huge mistake. She was his anchor as he tried to balance normalcy with the Darlings. Suddenly putting her with Jeremy was so incredibly contrived, and the separation came out of the blue. To see him running to Karen afterwards just left an awful taste in my mouth.

I find Nola to be one of the worst characters, and it doesn't help that I don't find LL particularly compelling as an actress. I was so hoping she was actually off the show. Her gall in telling off the judge and then Jeremy was ridiculous; she pursued Jeremy and then blames him for her problems? Stupid.

Right now the only one I like is Brian, but I hate how we are supposed to forget he has daughters hanging around someplace with his (ex?) wife. You'd think that with as much fun as he is having with his son, he might spare his daughters a quick thought.

This is not the show I fell in love with last season. I'm hanging on by a thread, but if it doesn't get better soon I'll have to cut bait.

[HalpertNBeesly]

Lisa's crying REALLY irritated me. I wanted to, like, bang her head into a wall. Was all of that boo-hooing necessary? Jesus! It was the epitome of why i HATE HER with Nick. She's so pathetic and whiny and needy and clingy and self-pitying and just UGH! That one scene of her at her gallery opening showed a side of her that could be interesting if she got the hell out of that marriage.

If I were Nick, I'd want time away from her too.

As much as I love Nick & KAren, if that final scene between them had occured in the 2nd episode (after that hot almost kiss and the eye-sex on his yacht at his birthday party) i would have bought it more. but we went almost 3 eps without them even sharing a single scene together so it seemed SOOOOO random that he was so . . . I dunno. I get it, though. I think he's always had some feelings for her, and being sucked into the Darlings and Lisa nagging and Jeremy, its all given him the excuse he needed to step away from his marriage a bit and explore the What If's with Karen. Just wish it had been executed a bit better because I think Nick/Karen is so much more compelling than "Lisa-is-his-anchor" which is, IMO, cliche and unoriginal.

Breaking up Nick & Lisa makes sense because it automatically opens up a plethora of storylines.

I agree that the Jeremy/Letiticia scene on the roof was ridiculous. "That wasn't part of the plan" over and over was stupid. Jeremy's crying and how the show dragged that scene out too irritated me just as Lisa's pathetic clingy weepiness did too. Those two belong together, if for no other reason than they sound ridiculous when they cry.

I love Brian & Brian Jr.'s relationship! It's still the best storyline on the show, IMO. I don't find he and Angela even remotely interesting or attractive together, but obviously the show is going to go this route and probably kill her off and leave Brian a heartbroken single-dad. Hopefully they'll bring in a woman whose a little tougher and abrasive to be Brian's love interest down the line. I'd kind of love to see him with a Female Brian. I think that would be comedic gold.

[Pixels]

I was baffled by the Karen and Nick scene and where it suddenly came from. I enjoyed watching him finally go to her, but it just came out of the blue they should have led up to it a bit more. However it did kind of make sense since Nick hasn't been really thinking when it came to Simon and Karen. Simon told him his plans and Nick just ran straight to Karen without realizing it was a set up until after.

So happy Nick and Lisa are apart.

While Leticia whoring out her son was ick, glad to see Jeremy had a plan and cared for his mom and wasn't just sleeping with the woman trying to convict his mother.

I loved the scene of Tripp and Nick walking into the party and giving Karen back that crystal thingy she gave him. Then the 3 boys following him out, I think that rattled Simon a little bit after his ridiculous speech. He thought he had them.

I don't think Karen is playing anyone, she's living in that house and not realizing Simon's watching her every step. I do think it's possible Tripp's playing Nick and Tripp knows Nick is the only one who can stop Karen's marriage by Nick admitting his feelings. Which would also bring Nick officially into the family if he and Karen marry, which could be what Tripp wants.

[redheader]

Why does Nick seem so certain that Leticia didn't kill Dutch? Does he have evidence to the contrary?

[ajra]

Because Tripp has the better motive and he's evil. But no, no actual evidence, unless you count what he might imagine the words that were blacked out in Tripp's diary were.

Edited by ajra, Nov 6, 2008 @ 11:10 AM.

[TV Whore]

I was thinking that Nick going to Karen was part of the master plan that he and Tripp cooked up to get her away from Simon (along with the cutting her off from money and stock). I thought Nick ditching Lisa was part of that and the whole Jeremy/gallery thing just gave him a reason. How random was Joel Madden's appearance? Lucy Liu's character is a mess, but I sure did like that white blouse she had on in the judge's office when the case was entirely dismissed for prosecutorial misconduct. I think what happened was that Simon's plan to use Jeremy backfired when he told his mommy about meeting her prosecutor and they cooked up the plan.

I didn't understand the mention of Paddy's brother in law disappearing after his initial complaint to the police? I thought they paid him off to save his home and gave him a job. Wouldn't he be easy to find?

I have always liked the actor that plays Simon but I don't like the character of Simon at all and I feel bad for Karen getting played by both him and her father because it sure doesn't seem like she is clever enough to be playing both of them. MBA or no.

Still thinking about it. C'mon fans let's talk! I love this show and am not bailing.

[Crs97]

Nick/Karen is so much more compelling than "Lisa-is-his-anchor" which is, IMO, cliche and unoriginal.

Sorry I was cliche and unoriginal. I would just much rather watch Nick struggle between his principles and the Darlings's lifestyle and power (which seemed to be what the first season was about) than two (I'm sure I'm supposed to consider them) "soulmates" screw over their wife and fiance because true love cannot be denied. JMHO.

[marty118]

What did Trip give Karen as a wedding present? I've seen it before, but must have missed the significance.

It was the crystal swan which Karen stole from Simon's apartment earlier in the season. That's back when she was spying on Simon for Tripp. So you could read it one of two ways: Tripp indicating that he recognized that Karen was no longer spying for him, and letting her go (goodhearted Tripp), or Tripp making sure that Simon knew that Karen had been spying for him (supermanipulative Tripp). Given the public nature of the exchange, and insuring that Simon was there, I think we were supposed to go with B.

I didn't understand the mention of Paddy's brother in law disappearing after his initial complaint to the police? I thought they paid him off to save his home and gave him a job. Wouldn't he be easy to find?

Nick and Chase had a conversation in which Nick offered to pay of his home and give him a job, and Chase was angry but eventually reluctantly agreed. However, Chase disappeared after that and the deal was not completed. This was commented on by Nick once or twice after that. Tripp didn't think it was important, just a transition time for Chase to come to terms with reality. But the comment was made by the Darlings that Chase has been hard to find lately, so that's OK.

As for the show...it feels forced, and tired, and confused. Last year it was fun first, edgy second, and a little too complicated third. Now it's pure soap, no fun at all, and almost all the edge has been replaced with mush.

The Tish/Jeremy scene was just pathetic, no matter how one looked at it.

I will put the show on DVR, catch up on it when it's convenient to do so, but it's no longer a favourite. Pity.

Edited by marty118, Nov 6, 2008 @ 12:19 PM.

[TiffanyNichelle]

Sorry I was cliche and unoriginal. I would just much rather watch Nick struggle between his principles and the Darlings's lifestyle and power (which seemed to be what the first season was about) than two (I'm sure I'm supposed to consider them) "soulmates" screw over their wife and fiance because true love cannot be denied. JMHO.

I'm with you. I don't enjoy watching him just leave his wife and child for a woman he already had a chance with. The reason it didn't work out then is the same reason it wouldn't work out now. Also I can't even see what Nick would see in this season version of Karen, who just seems so pathetic all the time. She was stronger in season one.

Plus, I just don't see anything drawing them together. They don't seem like this meant to be couple who just couldn't get the timing right. I think Karen is just this lost woman who'd rather cling to a childhood love than grow up and realistically move one (how many times have she been "married"?). And I think Nick sees Karen as something from an easier time. Instead of actually fighting for his marriage, he'd rather take the easy way out. I hate them both.

[Calicocat]

Whatever happened to he show's quality is a better question. I just found tonight to be so horribly hackneyed and clunky. It was soap opera-y in the worst way--big emotional moments w/out true emotions; huge twists revealed w/out any substance.

This is not the show I fell in love with last season. I'm hanging on by a thread, but if it doesn't get better soon I'll have to cut bait.

Both of these quotes sum up my feelings exactly. I've started to wonder if TPTB have any idea of where they want the story and characters to go. I feel that they're just making it up week by week rather than developing an arc. Last season I disliked occasional scenes or characters, but overall I liked the episodes and most of the characters. Now I find that I like a few scenes and characters, but dislike the episodes and most characters.

Breaking up Nick & Lisa makes sense because it automatically opens up a plethora of storylines.

Had it not been done in such as clumsy way, I might agree. Yes, Lisa was wrong to lie, but, IMO, Nick's behavior is a childish overreaction. Also, Nick is angry at his mother for abandoning him, but he's going to leave his daughter? I'd expect the opposite reaction; he would recognize that the Darlings are once again destroying his family and he'd fight to keep it intact. And for Nick to surrender control of his life to Jeremy, of all the Darlings, just make Nick seem weak.

[ProfCrash]

The only storyline that I am enjoying is Brian's. The rest of the storylines are just painful.

Jeremey being used by Leticia was out of the blue. Neither character strikes me as the type that would play that game. Jeremy is too good hearted a kid to do what he did intentionally. And if the whole plan was for him to get with Nola and cause the case to be thown out, then why did he try so hard to keep the relationship a secret from Nick? Why didn't he have sex with her a few times and get the Wheepies to tesitfy that they saw the two together? Leticia has been the one who has pushed to let the kids be free and do their own thing but she is willing to use her youngest son in this manner? It's just a giant pile of BS.

Simon is just so over the top. His character remains boring and two dimensional and annoying. Patrick could be interesting but he is has never been used properly. Tripp is being a douche.

Now Nick and Lisa are breaking up and Nick is going back to Karen? No no no no no. It is just silly. There was no reason for Lisa to need Jeremy as a silent partner. Nick makes more then enough money and is so closely tied to the Darling's that Lisa would have gotten the space easily enough. She wouldn't have looked at the location if she couldn't have afforded the space. And Nick randomly talks to a guy whose picture is in the gallery because Jeremy won a poker game.

Next week had better be a dman site better or I will be dropping this show.