#rita is a great character. she deserves more Rita Minutes. she deserves her own spin off back to when she worked with juno and puck

[smidgen-of-hotboy]

Bestie please give us your rita rant🙏

Rita's used as an exposition device. A lot.

Got some new gadget for Juno for his comms? Rita explains it. Wanna write foreshadowing? Let Rita ramble about a stream and cut her off.

She is a side character so I understand not focusing on her a bunch. But she's Juno's best friend. He cares about her, and it's because of that care he doesn't want her to follow him to the Trash-teroid. She isn't built for the field as Juno points out and I get that.

But she is so insanely smart and taught herself coding and even she can't figure out her own locks. Rita has so many niche interests and we never get to hear half of them because someone is almost always cutting her off. She provides excellent help and great commentary like a sports news caster.

The whole point of Mega Ultrabots was that Rita feels inadequate and like she's always messing things up. And Juno tries reassure her that isn't the case. And we ended last season with Juno going "RITA! just the lady i was looking for". And then this episode he just- shoos her away. And that rubbed me wrong.

AND DONT GET ME STARTED ON NUREYEV’S TREATMENT OF HER- Nureyev swooped in after Juno to do the reassurance bit but like. Cmon. He's pissy right now. He did that to quiet her and get them moving again.

[poipoi1912]

Barba-centric thoughts on Ep 19x13

For the last time.

But first, to get it out of the way.

Sonny Thoughts

Who’s that?

No but, are we honestly expected to believe that Sonny would pass on observing Barba’s murder trial?

Sonny, who is a lawyer himself, would pass on witnessing a) any colleague’s MURDER TRIAL, b) BARBA’S murder trial, c) Randy Dworkin working his magic and d) the skills of Peter Stone, out of sheer curiosity? How does any of that make sense? Sonny as a law student was eager to shadow Barba just to observe a random trial he had no personal connection to, and he’d return to the precinct literally saying “court was AWESOME” while the others rolled their eyes, and now that he’s a lawyer, all he does is say “lol it’s a good thing I’m a cop”?

Remember when the conversation was “will Carisi join or even replace Barba at the DA’s office?” to the point where Peter was asked about it in interviews? Remember when Sonny’s law degree had a purpose? When it was building up to something, to a potential change? When Sonny actively faced a dilemma? Now it’s only good for a throwaway line.

What has Sonny done all season?

Nothing.

Which brings me to, what has Barba done this season?

A lot, and none of it’s good, unfortunately.

Barba Thoughts

Barba has messed up many times this season. Too many. Twice it’s been completely intentional (causing a mistrial with the jurors on that elevator, and this). We’ve seen him act way too emotional for someone in his position, and indeed we have seen his heart guiding him (like it did the other week, with the alt-right/antifa case, when he dropped the charges because his heart wasn’t in it). It’s a fact that Barba changed, a lot, over the years, and this season saw him going through even greater changes.

In the past, he always had his integrity. He may have misstepped before (like with Munoz, who was a very close childhood friend) and he may have held opinions which pitted him against the squad or the police in general (the Terrence Reynolds case), but he always held his positions with impressive, if firm, conviction. Just last season, he admitted to what was, at the time, his “deepest” secret, i.e. giving money for drugs to a witness who ended up OD’ing, and even then he believed he had done the right thing.

Because he did do the right thing. Then.

This season, however, Barba has been doing the wrong thing, way too often.

Part of me appreciated the focus on Barba’s decisions, and part of me was suspicious (as I mentioned recently) because I knew that, usually, when a character receives an unprecedented amount of focus, it means they’re on their way out, and all those “bigger” moments are meant to sett up their exit arc.

I was wrong.

Barba’s exit wasn’t the result of his longterm disenchantment with his work. Barba’s exit wasn’t set up previously at all. Barba’s prior mistakes were, in retrospect, simply meant to highlight the fact he has turned into Liv, i.e. he shows complete disregard for the law and just does whatever he wants wait no, I mean, he has grown a heart. also he could never fully become Liv because her actions never have consequences Because you can’t have a heart and still prosecute criminals? For some reason? Do the writers know Barba wasn’t a defense attorney?

Anyway,

This was no masterplan. Barba’s exit happened on a whim. Even though the writers have known about Raul’s desire to leave since literally before the season started, they did nothing to create an actual exit arc. They just used him as normal, and they came out with the most dramatic, far-fetched and soapy idea they could to create a single exit episode, instead. Which Barba then had to share with McCoy and his own replacement, both of whom took up valuable time which could have been spent on Barba himself, and on highlighting Barba’s importance to the entire squad.

When an actor leaves amicably, and when they graciously make themselves available for an exit “arc”, it’s customary to treat them with the analogous level of respect.

Barba deserved a tribute, and this episode was no tribute to Rafael Barba.

Case(y) Thoughts

Remember when I said a “right to die” case had some potential for an exit arc, even though it would never come close to (the actual best ADA) Casey Novak’s iconic exit in S9? Casey, of course, put her career on the line by knowingly lying about evidence (i.e. something a lawyer would conceivably do), because she wanted justice. Because she tried to help a friend and colleague (my fave, Chester Lake) who snapped and resorted to extreme actions when the system failed him and a victim.

“He deserved to pay.”

“And so do you.”

That’s how you write a morally gray exit.

You do NOT have an Assistant District Attorney literally turn off life support for a baby even though he is not a doctor or even a relative of the child. Truly no one would do what he did in real life. No one. No matter what half-assed and canonically inaccurate story the writers tried to spin about his father.

Can you imagine? Physically ending a life thus rendering yourself liable for homicide? When it’s not your place to do so? And you are fully aware of the legal ramifications? When the life in question is a child’s life, and the parents disagree on what to do? Can you imagine “siding” with one parent and taking that final (and irreversible) step, as the other parent is forced to forever live with the consequences of your actions?

Can you imagine any of us finding any of that ethical?

Can you imagine that, instead of having Barba passionately argue a case for the right to die, or find a smart, legal-yet-shady way to help the mother do the deed herself without being charged for a crime (which was what I thought was going to happen, when the episode began), the writers had him physically pull the plug?

With that one move, and with the fact Barba’s actions were attributed to (selfish) emotion, because of his father, Barba lost his moral footing, no matter what that opening eulogy tried to tell us. His position on the matter may well have been correct (it was certainly defensible), as was his instinct to help that poor mother, but his actions were wrong. And this is now how or why I wanted him to leave. Not because he was so very wrong.

Squad Thoughts

I admire Liv for personally and single-handedly manning an entire Special Victims Unit while taking the time to attend lengthy trials and also haphazardly inserting herself to any and all hostage situations in the Tri-State Area.

Stone Thoughts

Eh. That said, I did like his quip about the Class A Felony. My Barba thoughts aside, I’ve been saying it all along, SVU needs a prosecutor who does the job without being emotionally compromised every five minutes. It’s one thing if A Case hits home, but an ADA who can’t do his job because his feelings are clouding his judgment shouldn’t have a job oh wait he no longer has a job lol.

Also I can’t believe I’m saying this but I was Team Stone, not Team Liv (or Team Barba) and I kinda think that’s exactly what the showrunner intended? And I’m offended I fell for it? But Stone was right so I had no choice but to agree with him? is it because i’m a lawyer too omg

I’m conflicted. But Liv dissing him over not having children (I hate that more than I hate most things by the way) and then acting like Barba, who also has no children, “gets it”, I guess because he’s been around her long enough, and her parenting skills are so good they’ve transferred over to him? Ugh.

Seriously, Team Stone. Do you think there’s a chance the showrunner (who created the character and is clearly attached to him) will actually let Stone be his own person? And challenge Liv on equal footing? Because Liv might be Liv, and Mariska might be Mariska, but the showrunner’s love for Peter Stone might be enough to keep him from being swallowed by the Benson Vortex?

(and do I kinda like that? Are they gonna make me like Peter Stone by having him disagree with Liv every time she’s wrong i.e. all the time? Because I’m open to it 👀)

Religious Thoughts

Both Barba and Carisi have talked about their faith in the past. Carisi especially is a man of faith who regularly goes to church and has been shown to be a true believer. And yet, he had no insight to offer about what the Church might have to say about a case like this. In fact, religion was not mentioned at all. During this case, of all cases. In my opinion, that was because the writers knew that by religious standards there is no defense for Barba’s actions, and they didn’t want to give the audience a reason to think negatively of him. Still, this was a glaring omission.

Stray Thoughts

“Weasel”? They couldn’t find a better word lol?

RANDY DWORKIN. Not an obvious choice to defend Barba (oh, Rita, where art thou?), but definitely an entertaining one. I felt like I was watching the original Law & Order every time he spoke. Also, every single thing he argued was, indeed, defensible, and the writers made a decent (if schmaltzy) effort to paint Barba’s actions in a positive light, but the fact remains; having the right to die (which I personally support) is not the same thing as allowing a complete stranger to (technically) kill you “for your own good”. Even if it was the right decision, it was not Barba’s decision to make, and the trial glossed over that a bit.

Jack is still the DA? Since when? And why did they never namedrop him in all these years?

Both Peter Stone’s Class A felony quip and Jack’s quip about it being “unbecoming” to have his ADA’s killing people were great lines, but they rubbed me the wrong way because they were effectively making fun of Barba? But also they were accurate? And Barba deserved to be dragged? Again, I’m conflicted.

The new showrunner can write dialogue very well, but he cannot write season-long arcs (the Sheila mess confirmed that), he can’t write characters well or consistently, and he struggles with original episode ideas. For Season 19, I guess that’s not so bad. But for television in general, in its current thriving state, it’s pretty disappointing.

Liv, to an Assistant District Attorney: Forget the law for a minute.

me: *facepalm*

Peter Stone: lol how ‘bout I don’t?

me: u go gurl

The Barisi Corner

One last time, for old times’ sake.

The ship lives forever in our hearts. Where it’s always lived.

And also in Peter Scanavino’s heart ❤️

[pastelgayfairy-blog]

What Are The Best Tv Shows On Netflix

Best TV Shows on Netflix Right Now Scattered one of the better TV shows on Netflix are more and more of the streaming platform’s own original series. Watching TV on Netflix has gotten better and better as the support continues to add to its amazing catalog of network and cable collection, not to mention the proliferation of flashy Netflix originals. In reality, the business that spent its formative years in an effort to to see films has since become in the world’s main enabler of binge-watching. Our listing of the greatest shows on Netflix is here to help you discover the next TV series to devour, and we’ve appeared through the enormous catalog (USA only, sorry) to find these suggestions.

Breaking Bad

Creator: Vince Gilligan Stars: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul Giancarlo Esposito Network: AMC One of the things that created Breaking Bad one of the alltime greats was the writers did a phenomenal job introducing plot lines, complicated themes and tips, and then weaving them all together for an excessively fulfilling conclusion. It’s not an easy thing to do, especially when the display asks the audience to hold on tight until the end to see where it’s all going. In that way it’s similar to The Wire, a show that didn’t hammer its audience within the the pinnacle constantly with flashy occasions, but requested for patience as all the plot threads gradually untangled. And with Breaking Bad’s narrower focus, the stakes and emotional ties we have using the story and figures can be significantly higher.

Sherlock

Creators: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat Stars: Rupert Graves, Benedict Cumberbatch Mark Gatiss Network: BBC One h-AS only to seem in the sterling monitor record of Steve Moffat to witness a showrunner godin the creating. The guiding hand behind such English hits as Press Gang and Coupling, Moffat has acquired the most attention for resuscitating Dr. Who into the Anglo Saxon ambassador of science fiction. But Moffat and frequent collaborator Mark Gatiss transcended their best work with Sherlock, the BBC drama that hi Jacks Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic sleuth into the present with awe-inspiring intelligence and type. Calling Sherlock a TV series is a tad misleading, although; the series h AS created two seasons consisting of three 90 -minute episodes each. In other words, a feature film has been averaged by the Sherlock group every 90 days since the Summer of 2010. The immaculate second period dug deeper into the psychological faultlines of Holmes, played with sterile arrogance by Benedict Cumberbatch (or as Seth Meyers mentioned on SNL, the only real man with a name mo Re preposterous than Sherlock Holmes). When the audience wasn’t trying to piece together the secret of the week, we were discovering fleeting clues to the guarded humanity of London’s best “Consulting Detective,”typically to the chagrin of longsuffering accomplice John Watson (Martin Freeman) and volatile love curiosity Irene Adler (Lara Pulver).

Dear White People

Creator: Justin Simien Stars:: Logan Browning, Brandon P. Giancarlo Esposito, Bell, DeRon Horton, Antoinette Robertson Ashley Blaine Featherson Network: Netflix Based on creator Justin Simien’s 2014 indie, Netflix’s unique series—narrated by Breaking Negative and Better Call Saul’s Giancarlo Esposito—replicates the pungent humor of the movie without ever see-ming stale, or static: Its knives are sharp, and they’re pointed in every path. Though its primary goal is white privilege, in forms both egregious (black-face events) and mundane (calls to finish “divisive”politics), Expensive White People, established on the campus of a fictional Ivyleague university, is even funnier when it turns to the information on the black students’ individual and ideological choices, transforming the the idea of the “problematic fave,”from the McRib to The Cosby Present into the engine of its own entertaining, incisive comedy.

The Fall

Creator: Allan Cubitt Stars: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, Valene Kane, Séalinín Brennan Bronagh Taggart Sarah Beattie Network: BBC Let it be known that before he was Christian Grey, Jamie Dornan proved his performing chops and charisma as a disturbingly undisturbable murderer in this superb psychological thriller. Dornan’s mild mannered husband, father and grief counselor (!) is on the list of most terrifying onscreen serial killers in recent memory. Paul Spector is a stalker, as exacting and methodical as his eventual pursuer. Enter Gillian Anderson’s Stella Gibson, a British detective superintendent called to Belfast to look into a spate of gruesome murders. As the cat-and-mouse sport intensifies, Anderson’s characterization is its own triumph: analytical, uncompromising, reserved, but brazenly sexual on her own terms, completely unfazed by the politicking and dick-swinging of her male colleagues. That we know the identification of the killer from the show’s first frames, but can’t t-AKE our eyes off the screen is a testament to the stealth creep with which The Fall operates.

Amy TV Show

The Office (U.K., U.S.)

Creators: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant; U.S. edition developed by Greg Daniels Stars: U.K.: Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis, Oliver Chris, Patrick Baladi, Stacey Roca, Ralph Ineson, Stirling Gallacher; U.S.: Steve Carell B, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer. J. Novak, Oscar Nunez, Brian Baumgartner, Angel A Kinsey, Ed Helms, Creed Bratton, Phyllis Smith, Leslie David Baker, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling Networks: BBC, NBC Ricky Gervais’ immortal Brit-Com deserves full marks for establishing this comedy franchise that killed the laugh monitor and introduced us to a hilarious bunch of paper-pushing mopes. Defying expectations that it could pale in comparison, NBC’s Workplace became an institution unto it self. While displaying much more heart in relation to the gang could muster in old England at its best, the American model was just as awkward as its predecessor.

Parks and Recreation

Creators: Greg Daniels Stars: Rashida Jones, Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, Adam Scott, Rob Low-E, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza Network: NBC Recreation and Parks began its run as a relatively common mirror of The Off Ice, but in its third-season, the student became the master. As it’s fleshed-out with oddballs and unusual metropolis quirks, Pawnee has become the greatest tv town since Springfield. Today, the present flourished this yr with a few of the most unique and interesting figures in comedy. With one of the one of the biggest creating staffs of any present, Re Creation and Parks is only got better with time.

30 Rock

Creator: Tina Fey Stars: Judah Friedlander, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit Network: NBC The religious successor to Arrested Development, 3 Rock succeeded where its competition failed by mainly ignoring the real process of making a television show and instead focusing on the life span of one one person responsible of the procedure, played by display creator Tina Fey. 30 Rock never loses track of its own focus and generates a remarkably deep character for the its circus to spin around. But Fey’s perhaps not the only one that makes the sequence. Consistently spot-on performances by Tracy Morgan—whether frequenting strip clubs or a werewolf bar mitzvah—and Alec Baldwin’s evil plans for microwave-tele-vision programming produce an ideal le Vel of chaos for the show’s writers to unravel every week. 30 Rock doesn’t have intricate themes or a deep concept, but that stuff would be in the way of its own goal: having probably one of the most of the most regularly funny shows on Television. Suffice to say, it succeeded.

Arrested Development

Creator: Mitch Hurwitz Stars: Ron Howard, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, David Cross, Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Alia Shawkat Networks: Fox, Netflix Mitch Hurwitz’ sit-com about a “wealthy family who lost every thing and the one son who'd no choice except to keep them all together”packed an entire lot of awesome into three short seasons. How much awesome? Well, there was the chicken dance, for starters. And Franklin’s “It’s Maybe Not Simple Being White.”There was Ron Howard’s place-on narration, and Tobias Funke’s Blue Man ambitions. There was Mrs. Featherbottom and Charlize Theron as Rita, Michael Bluth’s mentally challenged love curiosity. Not with every loose thread tying s O flawlessly in to another act h AS a story line that is comic been therefore perfectly built, since Seinfeld. Arrested Development took self-referencing post modernism to an intense that was absurdist, jumping shark but that was the level. They even induced the initial shark-jumper—Henry Winkler—as the family lawyer. When he was changed, normally, it was by Scott Baio. All of the Bluth family members was one of the better characters on tele-vision, and Jason Bateman performed a man that is straight that is brilliant to all of them. And after years of rumors, the present came ultimately back to Netflix for a fourth season—different in both construction and tone, but nevertheless, a gift to enthusiasts who'd to say goodbye to the Bluths alltoo so-on.

Orange is the New Black

Creator: Jenji Kohan Stars: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon. Harney, Michelle Hurst, Kate Mulgrew Network: Netflix Orange is the New Black is completely suited for the Netflix shipping program, if only as it might have been agonizing to wait a week for a new episode. But there’s more; the construct felt cinematic and compared to your average show, and I couldn’t help but feel that the all-at once release airplane freed the creators to make some thing less episodic and more free-flowing. Taylor Schilling stars as Piper Chapman, a woman living a content contemporary existence when her past rears up abruptly to tackle her from behind; 10 years earlier in the day, she was briefly a drug mule for her lover Alex Vause (the the wonderful Laura Prepon), and when Vause needed to plea her sentence down, she threw in the towel Piper. The story is based on the real-life events of Piper Kerman, whose e-book of the same title was the inspiration, but the truth is that the screen version is miles better. Schilling is the engine that drives the plot, and her odd blend of normal serenity combined with together with the growing rage and desperation in the late turn her life has taken strikes the perfect tone for a lifetime inside the women’s jail. Within the first few episodes, jail is treated like an almost-quirky novelty she’ll have to experience for 15 months, along with the wisest option director Jenji Kohan made (and there are many) was to heighten the stakes so that what starts as an off kilter journey quickly assumes the severe proportions prison lifestyle demands. And as fantastic as Prepon and Schilling are together, the cast is therefore universally outstanding that it almost beggars belief. You can find too many characters who make gold making use of their constrained display time to mention individually, but suffice it to say that there’s enough comedy, pathos and tragedy here for several exhibits. The reality that they fit therefore effectively into one makes OITNB a triumph .

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Creators: Tina Fey Stars: Sara Chase, Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Karkowski, Carol Kane, Lauren Adams Network: Netflix NBC has made any number of mistakes over the years, but few greater than shelving Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s 3-0 Rock follow up, before punting it over to Netflix. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt wound-up becoming one of the highlights of a great year for TV comedy. The fast-paced and flip sit com showcased breakout performances by Office vet Ellie Kemper as the titular former “mole woman”attempting to make it on on her behalf own in New York, and Tituss Burgess as her flamboyant and put-upon room mate, Titus Andromedon. (NBC has recently tri Ed to make it up to Kemper for dropping the ball on this by planting her in the guest host chair at Today—too little, also late, peacock peddlers.) Throughout the first season’s run, some writers and critics seemed deadset on finding some kind of flaw to pounce on using the present, zeroing in on the way in which the minority characters are re-presented. This may be a wild generalization, but I feel this was an organic reaction to perhaps one of the most of the most feminist sitcoms ever produced. Kimmy Schmidt is definitely upsetting the natural purchase of your network sit com that is typical. The show’s titular character is defining her li Fe on her own conditions and by her own standards. For many reason that still freaks out some people so they dismiss it or find some way to poke holes in the automobile for that idea. That is what makes the prospect of a second time so exciting. As the show can go in a myriad of directions that are different, so too can Kimmy Schmidt. Now that she has put the awful time in the bunker to mattress, she is able to face a brand new day with enthusiastic embrace of life-experience mindset, and that smile. Sorry nit pickers and network executives; Kimmy Schmidt will make it after all.