34 replies to this topic

[TWoP Mars]

From Sho.com:

Jackie and Grace begin mother-daughter tap class. Coop threatens to expose Jackie for falsifying a donor’s record. Jackie has forgotten to remove her wedding ring, and needs to get it off before meeting Eddie for a quickie. She can’t get the ring off and asks O’Hara to saw it off. To distract Coop from hassling her about the donor, Jackie baits him into grabbing her breast -- and rather than admonish him, she kisses him.

Written By: Liz Brixius
Directed By: Paul Feig

[Lone Wolf]

NVM

Edited by Lone Wolf, Aug 11, 2009 @ 1:44 AM.

[Lone Wolf]

Okay.....

I'm assuming that the cardiac arrest victim got the bag he was carrying when he bought the razors (although I didn't see receipts for anything when Jackie was going through the bag). Maybe he bought Marley & Me at the same place, or rented it at his next stop; either scenario would explain why it was in there, too. I know he was planning to buy stamps, but why would he put his mail in the same bag? Apparently he never made it to the post office, so he must have been carrying the mail in a pocket before he bought the razors - wouldn't most people just leave it there until they had the stamps?

And if Marley was a rental, did Jackie return it for him, too?

Why did she kiss Coop?

Edited by Lone Wolf, Aug 11, 2009 @ 1:51 AM.

[Mia Nina]

Why did she kiss Coop?

I was very confused as well. All I figured is that she knew the easiest way to bribe Coop is to baby him in some way.

I loved this episode, and for me, it was ALLLL about Zoe! :D She steals every scene she's in. Her screaming and trying to get out but going back in the room when she walked in on Eddie and Jackie was priceless. The actress has been flawless.

Man, I really wanted the cardiac arrest man to make it. He seemed so young. :( The hopelessness when Coop ordered to "call it" kind of broke me a little.

Jackie is upping her fix, isn't she? Every time they show her doing it I get a headache. It looks so unpleasant and hurtful. And the thing with "my mom used to date your dad before your mom" had me scratching my head. I wonder if they're going to do something scandalous with that later on.

[Crocodileguy1]

Jackie kissed Coop because she realized that that was the best way to get inside his head. As O'Hara said, Jackie is good at finding out what makes people tick and manipulating them accordingly (paraphrased). So Jackie did was Jackie does best, and played Coop like a fiddle so he wouldn't be so inclined to pursue her ethical and legal violation regarding his not calling a time of death for the latest organ donor fraud job.

Edited by Crocodileguy1, Aug 11, 2009 @ 4:30 AM.

[isiscloud]

Jackie is upping her fix, isn't she? Every time they show her doing it I get a headache. It looks so unpleasant and hurtful. And the thing with "my mom used to date your dad before your mom" had me scratching my head. I wonder if they're going to do something scandalous with that later on.

It does look painful and awful. Both she and the other woman were dating the same younger man and Jackie "won out?"

Her treatment of everyone around her is awful. O'Hara should have just played along with the shut out for a while longer. The ring thing w/ Eddie. If there was a way to do the transplant thing ethically, then why not do it that way instead of doing it the right way?

So she was fucking Eddie in the back room when there were workers out front? That's just gross. And during the day, with the door unlocked. She really isn't much better than Coop.

Well, "Chris" had made it to the post office to purchase stamps (as Jackie posted the letters), but why would he have the letters in the bag still and not have mailed them unless he was about to when had the heart attack and someone just put them in the bag with the letters, razors and DVD.

And how obvious is taking a hammer to your ring finger?

[frostedglass]

I don't think Chris got the stamps. I think Jackie put her own stamps on his letters/bills and mailed them for him.

I am sounding like a broken record, but ZOEY! I flippin love Zoey.

It's interesting because on the surface, Eddie seems to be like the man Jackie would marry. He's a little rumpled but good looking in an unconventional way - like Jackie. They're both in the same type of field(Similar, not the same, I know). They both seem to be "good folks" in many ways, but they're also engaging in rule breaking and unethical behavior in terms of the drugs. Jackie is cheating on her husband. Eddie is cheating the system with his freebie drug line to Jackie.

The mother in the dance class was opposite of Jackie in a lot of ways. The glamour-puss attempt in style. She's not gruff and "Blue collar" looking/sounding like Jackie. She was the home-coming queen who Jackie voted for. Then the mention that she was Kevin's ex? Interesting.

O'hara's throaty and hearty laugh when Jackie told her that Zoey caught her with Eddie was priceless.

My favorite episode so far.

Edited by frostedglass, Aug 11, 2009 @ 7:14 AM.

[funkmachine]

O'hara's throaty and hearty laugh when Jackie told her that Zoey caught her with Eddie was priceless.

Seriously. I laughed because of it. The only time I laughed in the episode.

So I get that all of the characters in this show (perhaps including Jackie's family) are caricatures who really don't quite behave like normal people, so I shouldn't get caught up if I don't like any one person very much. But Zoey drives me a little crazy from time time. I like the actress, but she seems a bit too naive/squeamish at times for someone who went to nursing school! I mean come on.

Similarly, Dr. Coop is just so skeevy. Just ick.

I love O'Hara, but I do want to know why her life is falling apart.

[meanteeth]

I'm assuming that the cardiac arrest victim got the bag he was carrying when he bought the razors (although I didn't see receipts for anything when Jackie was going through the bag). Maybe he bought Marley & Me at the same place, or rented it at his next stop; either scenario would explain why it was in there, too. I know he was planning to buy stamps, but why would he put his mail in the same bag? Apparently he never made it to the post office, so he must have been carrying the mail in a pocket before he bought the razors - wouldn't most people just leave it there until they had the stamps?

Lone Wolf, I just assumed that they hospital or ambulance put all of his stuff in a bag together, or put the rest of the stuff in the bag he was carrying.

I also thought it was weird that she just smashed her ring finger, but that's also the finger that you use the least, independent of the others. so I guess if there was a finger that could be "off" or "weak", it should be the ringer.

I liked the episode. Especially the way that Jackie and O'Hara made up with each other. That's pretty much how I am with my closest friends (I think I've both said and heard, "when you stop pouting...").

And, because it can't be said enough, Zooey rocks.

Edited by meanteeth, Aug 11, 2009 @ 10:43 AM.

[hoodooznoodooz]

Mia Nina: She steals every scene she's in. Her screaming and trying to get out but going back in the room when she walked in on Eddie and Jackie was priceless.

I love the Zoey character so much -- she makes me squee. I love that I don't think we've seen this kind of character ever before on TV (as far as I know). But could someone explain why Zoey didn't just leave the room where Jackie & Eddie were canoodling? Was it simply that she was so flustered & shocked that she wasn't behaving rationally?

isiscloud: So she was fucking Eddie in the back room when there were workers out front? That's just gross. And during the day, with the door unlocked. She really isn't much better than Coop.

I kind of don't even buy this. Would they be that careless, leaving the door unlocked?
I enjoyed Jackie mentioning on which day of the week she attends the Mother/Daughter Dance Class, and MoMo asking, "Your mom dances?" (Or something like that.)
And because I'm so compulsive and a real buzzkill at parties, I re-watched the opening. In my opinion, that wedding ring is a pretty loose fit on her finger in the opening. If a ring fit me like that, even if I were excruciatingly bloated one day, I don't think the ring would become THAT tight.

Edited by hoodooznoodooz, Aug 11, 2009 @ 11:22 AM.

[sighle]

I thought her manipulation of Coop gave us an interesting glimpse as to how her relationship with Eddie might have started.

The relationship between Jackie and O'Hara is fascinating. O'Hara seems to know Jackie's on the road to implosion, but mostly laughs about it. The only time we've seen her discourage Jackie's behavior was about cutting the ring off. She advised Jackie to manipulate Coop and laughed uproariously about Zoe walk-in. She's an enabler.

I found it unbelievable that Eddie and Jackie would have sex in an unlocked room with people milling about outside. Of course they were both drugged so maybe that's an explaination.

I also found Jackie's slip to Mo-Mo about the mother-daughter dance class disturbing. They hang out and chat all the time and that's the ONLY slip she's made to him about her other life?

[isiscloud]

And because I'm so compulsive and a real buzzkill at parties, I re-watched the opening. In my opinion, that wedding ring is a pretty loose fit on her finger in the opening. If a ring fit me like that, even if I were excruciatingly bloated one day, I don't think the ring would become THAT tight.

I had the same reaction when it was being cut off. There was clearly a ton of room for O'Hara to cut it off. I'm sure there's a problem. Plus, they were wearing light jackets so it's late September/October and by then day swelling should go down. My fingers swell in the summer and I have problems getting my ring off sometimes, but it needs to be smaller because my fingers are fine in the winter and it would slip off otherwise.

I found it unbelievable that Eddie and Jackie would have sex in an unlocked room with people milling about outside. Of course they were both drugged so maybe that's an explaination.

And no one heard them? They weren't exactly quiet!

[Guitargal]

I also thought it was weird that she just smashed her ring finger, but that's also the finger that you use the least, independent of the others. so I guess if there was a finger that could be "off" or "weak", it should be the ringer.

She had to explain that sawed off ring somehow.

I just bought a ring that fit just right the evening I bought it, but during the day it feels like it's going to fly off my hand. Plus, probably the more she played with it, the worse it got.

Would the drugs make her swell up? Or maybe the dancing?

Jackie kissed Coop because she realized that that was the best way to get inside his head.

ITA. He is such an ass and I loved that he just had no idea what hit him.

Oh, but poor Jackie. 2 epis left. How will I get thru Mondays without you and O'Hara????

[Chris29]

I'm tired of writing this but I LOVE ZOEY!

I love that I don't think we've seen this kind of character ever before on TV (as far as I know).

Yeah, I agree with that too. And even if there is a character as weird and sweet and childsish as Zoey somewhere, I probably wouldn't really like 'em, because to me the awesomeness of Merrit Wever in this role makes the character this lovable and eandearing, instead of annoying.

But could someone explain why Zoey didn't just leave the room where Jackie & Eddie were canoodling? Was it simply that she was so flustered & shocked that she wasn't behaving rationally?

For what I understood, I think thay she kept coming back because when she screamed she scared the guys outside the room, and she was divided between staying anf pretending that nothing was wrong or fleeing making the guys suspect of something. That what I thought when I watched it.

Still about the scene, I LOVE that Zoey had no reason at all to go there, I mean, "Super obese is bigger than morbidly obese!" lol

And O'Hara's laugh is amazing. I just can't stop watching these two scenes.

My favorite episode from this second half of the season. Even though the kiss on Cooper really bothered me, because it didn't make much sense.

[Authorized User]

Jackie is just using more and more and getting so messed up she breaks her own finger with a frigging hammer. She is going to be in deep doo-doo when her stream of drugs dries up.

[hoodooznoodooz]

Chris29: . . . because to me the awesomeness of Merritt Wever in this role makes the character this lovable and endearing, instead of annoying.

This actress is so terrific. I was not familiar with her work. Should I rent "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"? I love when Zoey is trying to seem cool & slick & wise, & she ends up coming across as inexperienced & naive: so lovable & sweet! & Thanks for the explanation re Zoey staying in the room.

isiscloud: I had the same reaction when it was being cut off. There was clearly a ton of room for O'Hara to cut it off.

Oooh! You're right! You could practically fit another finger in there. Tsk, tsk. Someone on the staff of the show should have caught that.

Edited by hoodooznoodooz, Aug 11, 2009 @ 3:18 PM.

[Chris29]

This actress is so terrific. I was not familiar with her work. Should I rent "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"?

I watched the first episodes of Studio and didn't like at all, but lots of people did. As a hardcore fan of The West Wing I expected more and again as a fan of The West Wing I saw a LOT os dialogues and situations that reminded way too much stuff from the show, not in a good way, but in a "Aaron is too tired to be original" way. But thanks to Merritt, I downloaded again to watch it again... I know a lot of people who loved it, you should check it out. The cast is awesome. Aaand Wever is there =D


Another line I loved: "I went to second with my manager at Burger King."

Edited by Chris29, Aug 11, 2009 @ 6:54 PM.

[charlieboo]

My wedding & engagement rings are quite loose around the base of my finger, but depending on the day and time, I often cannot get them over my knuckle, so I found that scene believable. I visibly cringed for several minutes after she smashed her own finger. That scene, more than any other to me, showed her desperation to keep her two lives apart.

[kieyra]

My wedding ring fits appropriately...most of the time, except for the days when it doesn't, when my fingers are swollen from arthritis and whatnot. It can be a little panic-inducing when you can't get it off, and the more you mess with it the worse it gets. (Tips from my last episode with stuck-ring syndrome: 1) try windex rather than dish soap (according to a jeweler; and it worked for me); 2) ice if you can stand it; 3) keep your hand elevated while waiting for the swelling to go down. Hammer not recommended.)

[revbfc]

Something I'm wondering about:
Are we supposed to be rooting for Jackie? Despite her good deeds here and there, I can't help but feel a strong dislike for her character. I can't stand her cheating on her husband with a guy whose only usefulness is providing her drugs. I can't abide her playing fast and loose with the rules. I hate that her drug use has increasingly put other people in danger, as well as her habit of deflecting blame for her sins onto others. Jackie (in my opinion) is vile.

Zoey? Yeah, she's awesome.

[uranushertz]

Add me to the Zoey Love Train! Woot Woot!! One thing I simply could not buy into: How unplugging the machine reset the counter/# of withdrawls/something or other. Total BS.

[Rare Books]

That scene, more than any other to me, showed her desperation to keep her two lives apart.

Unless I've missed it, we are all still waiting on an explanation for why Jackie hides her marriage to her co-workers (except the doctor). Perhaps that will be revealed at the season finale.

This episode was an improvement over last week's mediocre one. It's still a very uneven Season One for the show, though.

Something I'm wondering about:
Are we supposed to be rooting for Jackie? Despite her good deeds here and there, I can't help but feel a strong dislike for her character. I can't stand her cheating on her husband with a guy whose only usefulness is providing her drugs. I can't abide her playing fast and loose with the rules. I hate that her drug use has increasingly put other people in danger, as well as her habit of deflecting blame for her sins onto others. Jackie (in my opinion) is vile.

Pretty much. The more this season progresses, the more we are witnessing her unfriendly, selfish side. She is definitely not a sympathetic character, which is not necessarily a bad thing for the show.

[lincoln84]

I don't always like Jackie's behavior, but I am interested in the character. This is such a great role for Edie Falco and I totally get why she did it. She was so loved and identified as "Carmela"--something that she seemed to tire of in interviews--and this role is the antithisis...I think she is a great actress and is so far more interesting than Carmela.

[GypsyBee]

The more this season progresses, the more we are witnessing her unfriendly, selfish side. She is definitely not a sympathetic character, which is not necessarily a bad thing for the show.

She's not an entirely sympathetic character, but she has her moments. In general, good with patients and good with the nurses, albeit with some really appalling lapses. In the scenes with Grace, she does seem to be concerned primarily with Grace, and not herself. As for Eddie, Kevin, and Ohara...I got nothin'.

We have never seen her sober. I wonder how much of her negative behavior is drug-induced rather than innate, and how much alike Grace and "sober Jackie" might be. However, having said that, it's odd that Kevin doesn't seem to be noticing any kind of personality change, given that he's a bartender/bar owner- shouldn't he recognize the symptoms of substance abuse?

[isiscloud]

I think she is a great actress and is so far more interesting than Carmela.

Her role in OZ was also a far cry from Carmela, but here's she's the star.

However, having said that, it's odd that Kevin doesn't seem to be noticing any kind of personality change, given that he's a bartender/bar owner- shouldn't he recognize the symptoms of substance abuse?

True, although you never think it can happen in your own family. Doesn't he know anything about her work friends? She doesn't associate with anyone from work outside work? Never been to a party, never had anyone except O'Hara over? Some of my best friends have been from work. She's been working at the hospital a while, too. It might be easier to keep work away from home than home away from work, but all the work she puts into it seems pretty crazy.

I wonder why O'Hara and jackie are such good friends and that Jackie lets her into her world? They're both cynical? Smokers, Outcasts?

Edited by isiscloud, Aug 13, 2009 @ 12:26 PM.

[Madmarsha]

I'm enjoying the show. I still have it DVR'd anyway. Can't say as much for Hung. But I just can't see what the dénouement will be. There seems to be no point, no end in sight, except for complete and total destruction of a really cute and likable family (Kevin and the girls I'm talking about) which will be painful to watch. I mean, I was so WTF with the hammer because it was so over the top. She's going to have to lie about the injury which is going to sound lame, so why not just come up with some lame excuse that the ring fell off. First of all, we see how much regard she has for her marriage vows, why not just have started out in the first place with "As a nurse, I can't wear my ring to work because there's too many things for it to catch on, or something. And since O'Hara is not "in" on the drug taking and presumably wouldn't be able to just keep mum about it if she knew how bad it was, I'm kind of surprised she's "in" on the whole ring on/ring off charade. Just doesn't comport with me as I HAD thought that she knew EVERYTHING, but she only thinks she does.

Edited by Madmarsha, Aug 16, 2009 @ 12:38 PM.

[Lilybart27]

I don't always like Jackie's behavior, but I am interested in the character. This is such a great role for Edie Falco and I totally get why she did it.

Lincoln84, I totally agree. I love that Edie Falco gets to do some of the despicable things that Tony Soprano (Gandolfini) got to do: cheat on their spouse, live a double life of sorts, dabble in illegal activities. This is a great, meaty role for Edie Falco and I am enjoying her complicated, nuanced performance. I'm worried that the show is getting a little soap-opera-ish these last couple of episodes, but Falco carries it well, and is always a joy to watch.

[CaliforniaSun]

I disagree about Jackie not being a sympathetic character. I find her extremely sympathetic, despite her huge flaws. She does some really bad things and makes some really bad choices, but overall she's a truly amazing person, IMO. I certainly am rooting for Jackie. Also, it doesn't hurt that Edie Falco is absolutely terrific.

I thought this was the strongest episode of the season. Things are really starting to get intense for Jackie and I'm nervous for how the season will end.

[MyrnaC]

I just caught up with the last few episodes after a few weeks off. I agree with one review I read somewhere that said this series could have been an hour long. 28-29 minutes doesn't do justice to the subject matter it's grabbing for. I am so impressed with a series that approaches addiction from this angle, as opposed to the old ER format where oops! the intern is coming off her ADD meds as a temporary storyline, or Noah Wyle and his addiction to painkillers after the schizophrenic killed Kellie Martin. I posted this earlier, but I come from a medical family, and man, these meds are no "storyline" and it pisses me off to see some series treat these issues like it's some seasonal thing.

I found the wedding ring stuff preposterous. Lots of medical folks don't wear rings for the same reason they don't have fancy manicures. Boggles my mind that Jackie couldn't just come up with another story for Eddie OR her husband, and had to break her own hand? That is some weird implausible shit, and I don't buy it.

Other things that have come to my thought process ... her kids are not THAT old. How old is her youngest, 6? 5? When was she pregnant or on maternity leave? To me, this means she can't have been at All Saints for more than 4 years or so. Where was she before? I am also guessing, as her husband runs a bar, that she is the one with the better health insurance. No human resources manager at All Saints? These people have all the time in the world to have sex in examining rooms, but not to gossip about what's behind locked doors? The hospital administrator keeps a baby in her office? Diapers? Did I see a diaper changed? Did I see the baby fed? One thing I know is that because of the extended hours in a hospital, these people are all in a petri dish. They know what you had for lunch. Yes, they COVER for each other, but also yes, everyone KNOWS quite a bit.

This series has "Weeds" logic. All of which makes it hard for me to take the more serious issues seriously, unfortunately, like the very real issues about double lives.

Last note, I think everyone correctly called that there's going to be some more stuff about the other mom in tap class, and found it retarded that Jackie can so well control her behavior at work (she broke her FINGER, people) and dance such manipulative circles around the rich Lice-kids mom, but loses her shit for not much reason because a kid is bumping into hers. Dumping your meds onto your kid's donut - excellent! Contrived escalated dialogue between two moms about their kids bumping into each other - Lifetime TV.

[LTG]

It does look painful and awful. Both she and the other woman were dating the same younger man and Jackie "won out?"

I think the fact that the two women were in the same class in high school and that they both dated Kevin is supposed to establish pretty firmly that Kevin was someone Jackie dated in high school. I don't think he's supposed to be significantly younger than Jackie.