56 replies to this topic

[TWoP Gadget]

Ellen convinces the FBI to radically change their approach in the investigation. Meanwhile, Daniel Purcell re-enters Patty's life and becomes critical to her case against UNR.

[MyEyesSee]

Wow, Ellen stuck her neck wayyy out against Patty via Tom. She made a badass power play, that's for sure, but I've got to put my money on Patty. Especially after the Phil-is-cheating photos...Patty won't forget that Ellen sent them.

So Purcell didn't really kill his wife but they let him think he did to keep him in line via blackmail. Damn, these folks are E-vil.

Hubby dearest is going to get a dish best served cold, very very cold.

Edited by MyEyesSee, Mar 25, 2009 @ 10:36 PM.

[Mindymoo]

I can't believe how off I was on Purcell. I was nearly positive that it wasn't him. Damn.

So, the grandparents are going to raise his daughter now?

I was waiting for Tom to mouth or write "I am wearing a wire" to Patty.

I kinds hope Ellen goes to prison or dies, because I am tired of her entire arc and would prefer not to see her next season.

[JessicaLovejoy]

Michael is a bag of dicks.

[cybercat08]

Another excellent performance by Glenn Close. I am tired of Ellen's entire "Bring Down Patty!" arc, especially when we see Patty trying to protect her. Now that we know that Uncle Pete was the one who tried to kill her (and explicitly said Patty couldn't know) and Uncle Pete is dead, I wonder how Ellen will find out that Patty is innocent.

Thinking back on this season it seems like Ellen has managed to make herself the only person Patty has left. Uncle Pete is gone, Tom is gone, Phil is gone, Michael was never really there. And Patty is the only person who will ever really understand Ellen. They are all each other has left.

Side note: It's kind of worrying to see how dead this forum is episode after episode. I wonder if Twop will still recap it next season.

[jase-bot]

I have no indication that Patty did not order the hit on Ellen; I thought we settled that issue. If they retconned that (and I don't consider Pete talking to his nephew about keeping him in town afterwards retconning it - that's what he didn't want Patty to know, that the assassin was still in play) I would stop watching. IMHO, that act is the crux of Season 1 and these relationships.

I know people dog on Rose Byrne but I think she's often had a thankless role; she played the doe-eyed innocent for most of Season 1, and then made a grand transformation into the avenging angel. This year she has been more of a peripheral antagonist amidst a lot of meandering, labyrinthine conspiracies and new characters, while the focus this year has been mostly on Patty and humanizing her (while keeping that killer edge).

These past two eps have been an amazing showcase for Byrne as well as Close, though, and that's why I think it would be a show-killing mistake if Ellen was written out. The Patty/Ellen dynamic is this show, not just Patty; their twisted mother/daughter love/hate thing, with Patty trying to kill Ellen then becoming consumed with guilt, growing to need her closer than anyone else and trying to protect her, even while her 'daughter' is preparing to stick the knife into her breast, is like Greek tragedy. Our protagonist (Ellen) has become the villain, trying to topple Patty even as we know that for all her corruption, she is now trying to do the right thing and destroy Kendrick. Yet, Patty has reaped her own whirlwind; she tried to kill Ellen and created her own assassin, and she also taught her all the tricks which led to Ellen being able to corner and roll Tom to get back in the catbird seat to deliver the killing blow. Everything Michael and Phil say about Patty is true; she loves people but can't stop driving them all away in one way or the other. The Hewes & Associates senior staff reminds me of nothing less than a dysfunctional family; Tom is the one she cares for but could never measure up, and she sees herself in Ellen, but Patty's fatal flaw is the ruthlessness she tries to imbue them with as her sins blow back on her.

In any event, the climax is once again winding everything together perfectly for the finale. I don't think S2 has been as strong as S1 - the sheer volume of newbies and ancillary storylines has been too much, despite the talented actors and good writing - but it's still much better than most television I watch. Props to William Hurt, as usual. I just hope they don't try to do a game-changer clean slate without Ellen and Patty working together; I can't see a future in that, at all. What would we have, another novice lawyer coming to work for Patty?

Edited by jase-bot, Mar 26, 2009 @ 4:18 AM.

[Serpentine2007]

Great Post!

I had no doubt in my mind either that Patty ordered the hit on Ellen. That's the whole reason she's consumed with so much guilt. For some reason I find myself rooting for Patty over Ellen despite her corruption much like I rooted for Vic Mackey over Claudette on The Shield.

Even though the story line is not as tight as last season, I am loving this season! The acting is absolutely riveting- I'm always on the edge of my seat. It still blows away any other Drama!

I have 2 questions: I'm still unclear Who was responsible for killing Uncle Pete. And what was the significance of the burned, buried remote?

Edited by Serpentine2007, Mar 26, 2009 @ 6:23 AM.

[jase-bot]

Serpentine: I believe Daniel's wife threw the remote at him, resulting in the gash on his forehead before he choked her.

[shegunner]

Side note: It's kind of worrying to see how dead this forum is episode after episode. I wonder if Twop will still recap it next season.

TWoP gave up on Big Love although the boards were very busy after each episode. Gave up on it way too soon IMO as S3 has been magnificent. I really missed having people to talk with about it.

Rose Byrne's acting or lack of it does not bother me. She has had to be a foil for Patty and without that, this is just a show about a badass lawyer. They won't write her out, but I have trouble seeing how Ellen and Patty will function after all that has happened...and will happen. Ellen's sudden show of ruthlessness toward Tom might be a glimpse of something to come and her scene with him was well acted - and played. I would also miss Tom though if he were written out.

Purcell's visit to the police station seemed strangely drawn out - trying to contact the cop he wanted etc. Maybe there will be some sort of twist in that before the next 90 minutes is over.

[Dynamite Teddy]

I too am concerned over the lack of posts in the last few weeks. I hope TWOP dosen't drop it.

On to the episode, this week was better. The show is startting to really pick up. I have no idea how they are going to wrap everything up and I love it.

I really hope Frobisher returns this season or next, I don't know how they can keep him in the story but Ted Dansen has done such an amazing job I really miss him when he's MIA from an episode.

[bumblehare74]

This was another great episode.

I am surprised that an autopsy on Christine's body didn't show anything. I would think that the time of death would have been a bit off. Daniel should go to jail for assault, not murder. I don't think he would have called in Kendrick if he had known his wife was still alive.

Since Daniel supposedly cares about the environment so much, I would have thought that he could have come up with a better way of disposing the remote control.

Wow, that was some difficult code to crack. /sarcasm

A = 1, and using military time to determine when to have the brownouts? Patty should have been able to solve that in her sleep.

Edited by bumblehare74, Mar 26, 2009 @ 8:49 AM.

[Counse]

I saw the real killer reveal coming right when Kendrick was talking to that guy (name?!) and said, "Does he know what really happened?"

I was like. . .he didn't kill her! That's some cold-blooded crap from Kendrick. I hope he gets his comeuppance. . .maybe he's the 3rd person in the room although Ellen's still all about taking Patty down.

GC was great as usual. Her "good luck" to Phil when he said he'd fight her on the divorce was chilling. Does the dude not know who's he married to and is messing with?!

I hate to say it because TO was the reason I tuned in, but Wes seems incredibly pointless. TO is certainly channeling every single badass, sleazy, creepy character he's ever played (with a pinch of his pretty boy charm thrown in) but that storyline is totally not compelling. I know Wes isn't going to kill Ellen. When he showed up at her place with his bag 'o guns and got her to agree to let him stay with her, I know I was supposed to be going. . .UH-OH but I was indifferent. And if he ends up taking out Cheeseburger, I won't care. . .I don't know nothing about their dynamics and what are the odds I'll care in the last 90 minutes of this show.

That said, I hope the show will surprise me on this front.

Michael and Michael's hair continues to bug me.

Poor Tom. Patty coming down on him like that was rough, especially since 2 minutes before she was all, "Congrats on the baby!" But still. .. he had to have known she wasn't going to take things well.

Edited by Counse, Mar 26, 2009 @ 9:10 AM.

[lovinbob]

As far as I'm concerned, Purcell did kill his wife. He choked her to the point that she was limp and then called not an ambulance but some shady business acquaintance? (I can't even remember who that guy is.) He's absolutely culpable. If Purcell's nobility is supposed to emerge here, I'm not buying.

It would seem that Patty should be coming back with a vengeance here. Her world is falling apart, she's pretty much all alone, and I think this is where she excels.

[LeDucDiableBleu]

The Patty/Ellen dynamic is this show, not just Patty; their twisted mother/daughter love/hate thing, with Patty trying to kill Ellen then becoming consumed with guilt, growing to need her closer than anyone else and trying to protect her, even while her 'daughter' is preparing to stick the knife into her breast, is like Greek tragedy. Our protagonist (Ellen) has become the villain, trying to topple Patty even as we know that for all her corruption, she is now trying to do the right thing and destroy Kendrick. Yet, Patty has reaped her own whirlwind; she tried to kill Ellen and created her own assassin, and she also taught her all the tricks which led to Ellen being able to corner and roll Tom to get back in the catbird seat to deliver the killing blow. Everything Michael and Phil say about Patty is true; she loves people but can't stop driving them all away in one way or the other. The Hewes & Associates senior staff reminds me of nothing less than a dysfunctional family; Tom is the one she cares for but could never measure up, and she sees herself in Ellen, but Patty's fatal flaw is the ruthlessness she tries to imbue them with as her sins blow back on her.

Great post, jase-bot! I totally agree with you.

I need to process this ep more and see it again before I really understand what's going on. It doesn't seem like the future and present scenes are marrying each other quite as well as last year but overall I'm riveted and I can't wait to see the finale. Although I will miss it.

I felt really bad for Patty when Ellen decided to arrest Tom. It seems like Patty is trying to get her life back, her conscience back, after what Michael said to her but it's too late. Ellen will get to her first. I'm absolutely stunned and clueless about how this will end and how they'll work together, if at all, in the future. This is going to be huge for the Ellen/Patty relationship. Like someone said, Ellen is all Patty has left, and really Patty is all Ellen has left, too. It's such a strange and powerful dynamic.

As far as I'm concerned, Purcell did kill his wife. He choked her to the point that she was limp and then called not an ambulance but some shady business acquaintance? (I can't even remember who that guy is.) He's absolutely culpable. If Purcell's nobility is supposed to emerge here, I'm not buying.

Yeah, this. The business guy was his boss at his environmental research firm, the one that's in Kendrick's pocket doctoring reports. So yeah, Purcell sucks. I don't really buy his conscience eating him alive, either. He asked Claire if they could figure out their relationship not two episodes ago so I don't think he's really pining over Christine just yet. Those choking scenes were really graphic. It was horrifying to watch.

[amabele]

I hate how I find myself rooting for Patty* because I know she ultimately will be taken down. I also don't want to see her alone and miserable next season, but that's probably what we'll get.

Will season 3 be about Phil and Patty fighting over their beach house?

*I understand why people like Jack Bauer now (I hate him). Take the utilitarian route, don't question his methods, look at his results, right? In the end, they are both trying to save the world by getting their hands dirty, but while Bauer is that show's creators' hero, Patty is supposed to represent the powerful people KZK have encountered/despise, so I get why this is about Patty going down and paying for what she's done. I get it. I just wish I didn't like her (of course, the fact that I've grown to hate Ellen doesn't help). Damn you, Glenn Close!

On a side note: I can't believe this season is almost over.

[LostLyra]

Last week, I thought Patty's son was going to the be the third one in the room. But now I'm thinking it might be Phil... Maybe Ellen shoots Phil in an effort to frame Patty. So those are my guesses. Michael or Phil. I thought Purcell not actually killing his wife was a great reveal. Though I think the biggest surprise is him actually confessing, out of guilt, and going to jail. Not that he'll win a humanitarian award for it, but at least he had enough morality in the end to do that. Most people don't. They justify to themselves that they didn't mean to, it was an accident, there was no choice, etc. And even the guilt-ridden prefer to be guilt-ridden in the comforts of their own home. Ellen is turning out to be quite amoral. Truly a young Patty.

[Lupe]

My guess is she shoots the ex-cop who killed David when he comes in the room to kill her cause Wes wusses out. She fires over Patty's head and kills the cop, spraying Patty with blood.

So: ex-cop, in the hotel room, with the gun.

Or: Prof. Plum, in the Conservatory with the candlestick!

I know people dog on Rose Byrne but I think she's often had a thankless role; she played the doe-eyed innocent for most of Season 1, and then made a grand transformation into the avenging angel. This year she has been more of a peripheral antagonist amidst a lot of meandering, labyrinthine conspiracies and new characters, while the focus this year has been mostly on Patty and humanizing her (while keeping that killer edge).

Exactly. And it's hard being another female playing in a cast headed by Glenn Close. Close is in a league of her own and any other female actor will suffer by comparison. I think Rose has done a fine job this season.

[dgreen66]

First post ever, but coming out of the shadows to say: Maybe Purcell turning himself in is also to help take down UNR. He thinks he killed his wife and can confess to that, but the UNR guys are the ones who made it look like a robbery. Too far-fetched?

[cmdfree]

GC was great as usual. Her "good luck" to Phil when he said he'd fight her on the divorce was chilling. Does the dude not know who's he married to and is messing with?!

That's exactly what I was thinking during the scene when she was grilling him about who gave him the tip. I kept saying "Dude, I'd tell her if I was you."

Lupe, I like your theory that it's the cop who gets shot, maybe because that's who I want it to be. Creepy bastard.

Every time I see that actor who plays the cop in the cell phone commercials it amuses me to pretend it really is the same character and this is his home life.

It really does seem like we're watching Ellen turn into Patty. Her handling of Tom sealed it for me.

[Bullfrog]

Ellen is turning out to be quite amoral. Truly a young Patty.

It think it would be interesting to have Patty finally be a real mentor to Ellen -- a mentor to show her how to be a cutthroat lawyer, instead of pretending to want to protect her. Ellen couldn't even put her finger on why she is seeking revenge (against Patty) anymore -- I sure can't when I watch her do stupid things, like throwing Tom under the bus. Ellen isn't thinking at all, she has no plan, she is causing chaos without even looking into the future, which is what makes her the young grasshopper. I would like to see Patty really help her get a clue, whether for good or evil, in S3.

That said, if next season features a baddie as boring as Kendrick, and compounds the boring with a Purcell foil, I have a hard time committing to it. Bring in someone at least as interesting as Frobisher. S1 I was on the edge of my seat most of the time. S2 I feel like I only got about 40% show for all the characters and material that never interested me. I really don't care about any Kendrick/Purcell/Maddox resolution. I don't care about Wes. I definitely don't care about Michael. All I really care about is finding out what happens in that room.

And while I like to see GC go ape as much as the next person, I wish her reactions to Tom and Phil hadn't been essentially the same -- screaming indignation. Would have been much scarier if she had kept her cool with one of them. The reaction to Tom in particular seemed bizarre and very rushed -- no prodding or asking for explanation. She knows him better than that. I would say it was planned, but that discounts what we know about the final episode.

[shegunner]

First post ever, but coming out of the shadows to say: Maybe Purcell turning himself in is also to help take down UNR. He thinks he killed his wife and can confess to that, but the UNR guys are the ones who made it look like a robbery. Too far-fetched?

Not too farfetched at all dgreen66. I also think that Purcell's confession will have the very much intended consequence of bringing down Kendrick and his band of men. He has his $$. There is nothing to keep him from revealing the cover up in its entirety. I do think Kendrick's remarks about Purcell's daughter were intended to sound a bit threatening.

Loved the comment upthread about the environmentalist not disposing of his electronic gadgets properly. LOL!!

I've been thinking some more about Tom's conversation with Patty when he was wearing the wire. He didn't do a very good job of having a REASON for not wanting to bribe the judge this time. He could have easly pointed out that Patty knows the firm is under investigation. That right there is a great reason not to go bribing judges, Tom! That said, Patty didn't seem too interested in persuading him with the temptation of bringing down UNR. I think she had just had it up to there with the males in her life.

Michael..... what a snot! I have news for you, kid, every relationship ends either with someone leaving or dying. I know William Hurt is not signed on for S3, but I would love to see Purcell sort Michael out. Maybe Frobisher can adopt him. Two narcissists together.

[peeayebee]

All I really care about is finding out what happens in that room.

Me too. I loved the first season, but this one just isn't as involving other than wondering what will happen next. I'm not too invested in any of the characters. I doubt I'll watch Season 3 (maybe unless there are new actors that really excite me).

They really should have let Frobisher die in the first season. What did he add to this season?

I did like the scene betw Patty and Phil, particularly watching Phil slowly realize how he'd f'd up.

[amabele]

I did like the scene betw Patty and Phil, particularly watching Phil slowly realize how he'd f'd up.

Yeah, me too.

Oh, and I noticed that when Patty says "get out... just... get out" it sounded like Carmela Soprano's "get out, don't even say anything, just... get out" in Whitecaps. Beeeeautiful. I admit I wanted a Whitecaps blown-up scene between Phil and Patty, but that was good enough.

[EastSideFluffy]

First post ever, but coming out of the shadows to say: Maybe Purcell turning himself in is also to help take down UNR. He thinks he killed his wife and can confess to that, but the UNR guys are the ones who made it look like a robbery. Too far-fetched?

This is what I assumed. I suspect he's hoping to trade information in exchange for a lesser sentence. In a lot of cases, police might consider the cover up as worse than the original crime. On top of that, Purcell might know that Darrell Hammond really killed the wife, and he clearly knows a lot of other criminal info on Kendrick and co...the energy trading scheme and whatnot. It sounded like Kendrick was making threats on his daughter Erica when Purcell was thinking of blowing the whistle, so who knows what other dirt Purcell has on them.

Can I just say, Tom is so spineless. Why didn't he threaten to report Patty to the bar for her bribery attempts? She could lose her license and go to prison for that. Even Ellen's initial conversation with the judge was disbarrment-worthy.

I'm also still doubting whether the FBI agent is really working for the FBI. He might think he is, but I still think the instructions to investigate Patty are coming from outside the bureau and the middle man at the FBI is directing the agent on this case under the guise that the FBI wants it. The willingness of him and the woman to lie about the pay-off suggests to me that there's something not quite right about that investigation. I know cops do lie in real life, but there's still something fishy here. Particularly since there's that missing file we learned about a while back.

[crazydaizy3]

Fantastic episode! This finale better be amazing because I'm feeling like it will be.

Her "good luck" to Phil when he said he'd fight her on the divorce was chilling. Does the dude not know who's he married to and is messing with?!

Exactly what I was thinking! You HAVE to be a moron to think that you're going to take down Patty in divorce court after his extracurricular activates were made public. Even without that though, she is Patty Hewes and he is an idiot. That being said, the Phil and Patty scene was amazing. GC has got acting chops like it is nobody's business.

On top of that, Purcell might know that Darrell Hammond really killed the wife, and he clearly knows a lot of other criminal info on Kendrick and co...the energy trading scheme and whatnot.

That's what I'm thinking. He has to be confessing to take down Kendrick, but I really do hope that Purcell knows that Hammond finished her off.

I hate Ellen. I have tried time and time again to like her, but she just sucks. I still don’t understand how Patty can't know Ellen is in cahoots with the FBI. She has people and investigators everywhere, but this goes under the radar? That just doesn’t seem like Patty Hewes.

[carrlos00]

Good episode, though I felt kinda dumb because all this time I thought it was out in the open that Purcell had killed his wife, so I was a little confused with the "reveal"...
It's clear to me that Purcell is going to tell EVERYTHING to the police, otherwise why would he turn himself in?

The scene with Patty and Phil was fire, I really think this show wouldn't be as good if it wasn't for Glenn Close.

No more Claire? I was hoping she would still try to take down Kendrick or we would see more of her, I mean, c'mon! It's Oscar winner Marcia!

I get that Frobisher didn't have much this season, but I was glad we had a little something because, well, he's just fucking awesome!

For all this talk about Michael being so mature and worldly, he's such a teenager.

[Rare Books]

Ellen isn't thinking at all, she has no plan, she is causing chaos without even looking into the future, which is what makes her the young grasshopper.

You're right, Bullfrog. Ellen's behaviour seems wayward. She really has no guidance in her life, no solid foundation on which to live. It might be an interesting arc to see her character become increasingly erratic and cut-throat, with Patty being the one to save her from her downward spiral - while Patty herself is ultimately brought down (by Ellen) for her past transgressions. I, too, have wavered in my like of Ellen/Rose Byrne, but would love for her to stick around if only for this story arc.

I really hope that Phil returns next season. Actually, I want Patty and he to reconcile, as they are made for each other.

[geekchic9]

Good episode, though I felt kinda dumb because all this time I thought it was out in the open that Purcell had killed his wife, so I was a little confused with the "reveal"...

I might be a little dense, but I was under the impression that Purcell arranged the murder or at least knew that it was going to happen to prevent the truth about Arosite (sp) from coming out. I didnt realize that he harmed Christine himself.

Oh, and you all have ruined William Hurt for me. I laughed hysterically when he punctuated a drama moment by taking off his glasses. I was waiting for him to do it again during his scene with Michael, you know, to properly convey the gravitas of the situation.

[mapei]

I think it's quite possible that Wes is in the room when Ellen shoots. We know he asked to stay there for an extended amount of time, and it makes sense that he would be there when Patty comes over to ask Ellen to bribe the judge.

That doesn't fit with "it's just the two of us," of course. But I have a feeling that Wes is going to try to make the hit on Ellen but botches it because he's conflicted and can't get his act all the way together.

A way that Patty & Ellen could both remain on the show for S3 would be if Ellen wounds Patty and is arrested for it - but Patty ends up not testifying against Ellen because she feels bonded to her.

Grasping at straws, I know. And count me among those who can no longer stand Ellen. I actually like Patty better at this point.

And why does Tom return to the firm to attempt to tell Patty something urgent? Maybe he's trying to warn Patty not to trust Ellen, but was denied the chance?

[hardy har]

Ok. I can't hold it in anymore. It is driving me up the fucking wall that GC's face doesn't move anymore. Seriously, I get distracted several times an episode. Sometimes to the point where I find myself thinking, "I bet she can't make a fish-face."

Whew. I feel better.

Anyway, I think I love Phil and (even though he's a douche) Michael. I cannot help it. They're not scared of Patty and it amuses me to no end how annoyed she gets when conversations with them don't go the way she wants. As fun as it is to watch Patty get her Steely Death Stare on it would be boring as fuck (for me at least) if everyone she faced off with quaked in her presence. Hell, I even love Creepy Cradle Robbing Jill because she didn't flinch when Patty threatened to rip her face off.

Sucks to be Tom. Ellen gives him the shitty option of trying to go up against the FBI in court or setting up Patty. Then, Patty fired him for NOT violating ethics laws.

Why didn't he threaten to report Patty to the bar for her bribery attempts? She could lose her license and go to prison for that. Even Ellen's initial conversation with the judge was disbarrment-worthy.

It's been implied that he's done some shady stuff too and he's aware that Patty breaks all kinds of ethical rules and he's never reported her. If he rats out Patty there's no reason why she wouldn't rat on him and he could get disbarred as well.

Considering how she sandbagged him, I wonder what happens that prompts Tom to hook Ellen up with a gun? Even though Patty fired him, I'm assuming he wouldn't be psyched to help out Ellen.

Side note: If FX doesn't back out of the 3rd season because of the god-awful ratings, I hope Tom winds up at the firm again only to be fired once more. It could be like some in joke for the show.

I loved the first season, but this one just isn't as involving other than wondering what will happen next.

ITA and, for me, I think the reason is that the "big case" this season doesn't interest me even half as much as the Frobisher case. All the energy trading stuff just doesn't hold my interest. I think the acting is great (well, except for William Hurt), but try as I might I really don't care if she takes down UNR for their trading shenanigans. I also think part of it is because we're not seeing who it effects. Last year we got to see Frobisher's employees and how pissed they were and this season all we know is that "Arocyte is toxic" and that's pretty much it. I was really hoping the cute reporter was going to stick around to we'd get to see how the chemical is fucking up the people and the community, but he never showed up again.

Edited by hardy har, Mar 26, 2009 @ 9:18 PM.