First of all, you don't know me.
We all about that high school drama, Girl drama girl, all about them.
High school queens.
We'll take you for a ride, and our comic girl shared for the right teams, Drama queenslis my girl up girl fashion, which you'll tough.
Girl, you could sit with us, Girl Drama, Queens, Drama, Quise Drama, Queens Drama, Drama, Queens drama queens.
Heay, So, hi, pl, how are you.
I'm doing well. Good to see you.
I know I've missed you. I was so sad to not good to be with you guys on the last ones because I've been shooting Grace. But I'm really glad that James sisters got to come in. And I watched all the Cliffees and they looked so good.
It was so much fun. They did not disappoint. Where in the world are you right now? Look like you are in a library.
I am in my den and I have bookshelves. My whole family is here for Thanksgiving, and so my off us has been temporarily put in my garage so that I can use it as an extra bedroom, and I am yeah. I had to like tuck myself into the corner today and sorry for the intense What is this? This is? I need joy to tell me, Like what the proper sound of your throat is when you lose your voice. But I feel like I sound like somebody's cool aunt who like smokes cigarettes and drinks whiskey.
Yeah. A friend who does voiceovers calls it the cool guy rasp. Oh, it's like that vocal fry that trying to be like dramatic and dreamy at the same Yeah.
Right, why do you feel we both just did for the listeners at home. As soon as we started impersonating that person, we both started squinting. What is that?
I don't know, but I can't do a douchebag bit without without like squinting my eyes. Like Jenny will see me from across the room starting to walk towards her with the stupid eying, and she's like, nope, nope, don't, I don't want It's just what we do. Episode seven twenty, Season seven, Episode twenty that is Learning to Fall. I know, how has it been twenty episodes already?
It's really crazy.
It's been so much fun, But I am also shocked that we are almost ending the season already. That's crazy Anyways. Air date May third, twenty ten. Nathan and Hailey struggle with the aftermath of her mother's death, while Brooke deals with the fallout of Alexander's tryst with Victoria.
Oh, trist is a gentle word.
It is a gentle word. Alex discovers a secret about her leading man Josh that could derail Julian's film, and Quinn is confronted by an unhinged Katie That's putting it mildly. Directed by Greg Prange, Written by Shana Fuel and Renee Until can you help me with this one? Into their cover? Wow, what first crack at it? You nailed that a These two.
Are absolutely incredible. God, SHANEA. Fuel just was such an amazing addition to our writer's room, and I thought that, you know, these episodes that they did together as a team were just phenomenal, So I'm so excited that they're doing their thing.
This episode was fun, man.
This episode was really fun. And I don't know how I forgot some of the details as they so closely related to Brooke and Julian's life. But the first note I have, because I wasn't with you all.
Last week, is Paul Teal was blackmailing, Like I had a full I had forgotten that Josh was behind that, and I I was so I guess same.
It also feels like a you know, an important moment in the timeline of when we are recording. I don't know if if you guys have spoken about this already, but we actually just lost Paul t Heel and it's it's such a surreal thing to have gotten that update after we'd all just been talking about the introduction of Josh and you know that he did the rehearsals and the workshops for Joy's musical of the Notebook that she
was working on at the time. Like, I don't know, it's just so weird because these things feel like they were just yesterday, and also like they were so long ago.
And then I think in that kind of time warp of like the memories we all made together, when someone tragically passes away, it's just so heavy and I I feel really grateful that like in this moment we get to you know, watch his work and that it really is such an important storyline, and just kind of felt the need to voice my appreciation for him and sent some love to his family.
Yeah, we got into it a bit last week. You know, Enjoy was sharing her experience with him because I sort of only knew of him just sort of in passing, because we didn't really have anything together.
Yeah, you guys never worked together. Your storylines didn't overlap.
At this point, right, you know, but Joy has worked with him intimately for an extended period of time, So she was just speaking to what the lovely guy he was, how he couldn't have been any more different than Josh the character. Yeah, and just sort of celebrating what a great guy he was. So yeah, absolutely heartbreaking, devastating, lost, thirty five year old guy. It's so sad, so much love and Comhirst to his family and loved ones right now.
And you know, he had that thing that prior to us recording, when we were just you know, testing our mics and talking about this week, like he and Amanda Shawl both, you know, they do this thing in their storylines right now where they they play these unlikable or scary people and they're just like two of the sweetest humans on earth. So I don't know what, I don't
know what it was that. You know, our casting people had such a knack for making sure that folks who came in to like ruin someone's world on the show were actually so kind to be around. So I feel really lucky for that.
What's interesting is I wonder if when they cast Amanda as Sarah, if they had an inkling that they were going to be doing this down the road. I think, I don't want to speak too soon, but I believe we're going to have Amanda on next episode and spoiler alert,
hopefully that still happens. But the wise, I apologize, but I can't wait to ask because I am curious if it was one of those situations where the audition material was one scene Sarah and then another scene a bit more ominous, much more Katie like, because.
She wonders it I had forgotten.
I knew the broad strokes of this storyline, but I didn't remember any of the gallery stuff that happens in this episode. And she made me so uncomfortable.
Oh, she like makes my stomach get tight. You know, it's like such a visceral response of anxiety, and she's so she's so still. Yes, she's terrifying.
That's exactly what I was going to say. There is a calm and a confidence to her crazy that is deeply unsettling. Mm hmm, I want let me run something by you, because I did have this moment of going This sort of seems to be a theme just in storytelling in general, where once a character goes full crazy, they go full cuckoo pants. They also simultaneously become an expert cat burglar. Like as soon as people go off
the resident they lose their mind. Then all of a sudden they're able to pick locks, scale second story balconies.
Apparently turn off people's alarm systems exactly.
That's the one thing I found myself going, like, hey, when she in the opening scene when Claying quit her sleeping and she's just standing on the balcony.
By the way, on the balcony and they've got her leaning like the Marlboro man, I was like, what's going on here? I would have felt so much more unease if I'd seen her walking and like trying a door handle, but she's just kind of leaning. I was half expecting her to be like slow smoking a cigarette. It was so odd the stumus, But maybe the oddity was was kind of the point is that like it's supposed to feel creepy and weird.
Well, a lot of the stuff that I kind of initially went, huh at, I think when you look at it under the lens of someone unhinged, all of it makes sense. But I agree with you too because I had the note of after this scene, I was like,
what's the endgame to that move? Because if you're the stalker, it's usually about power and about control, right, So like what would have made sense was she put like like a picture of Sarah on like the table on the balcony, like something to let you, like, let Clay Quinn know I have access to you, yea. And the fact that she just stood there for her own satisfaction. I thought, first of all, you're a great climber, Katie, way to go.
And second, okay, like all right, but like they didn't they don't know, so again it was it plays into the creepy. But I did find myself going, was that was that as far as your plan went, just gonna climb? Because also she couldn't really even see them, there were curtains between her and them.
Well the curtains were drawn because she's in a silhouette on the other side of the curtain. So again it's why for me, I'm like well, why wasn't she walking around the balcony trying to get into the house. It just felt weird. And then even later when she clearly breaks into Quinn's gallery because when Quinn gets to work, she unlocks the door with her keys. Yeah, Katie smashes the photo of you, and then Hot plays hide and seek and then pops back out.
Yes, I'm like.
How'd she get in there? Where is said Locke picking kit? But then she's back in the sort of storeroom with Chantelle and she's just so creepy. It's just like the jump scare of her appearing when she hangs up the phone with you. Ye, that really got me And I was like, Okay to Shay, I'll forgive the balcony because that was really.
Well that And again, I think the other thing I can I can explain away all of this is you can't apply logic to an to illogical behavior. So in other words, she's not thinking through these plans with rationale, like she's just she's just going for it. She's just taking swings and not really thinking about the repercussions. So all of it and under that lens I can buy. But I had the same kind of moment, I don't know that you did, but like I thought, okay, so
you went to a gallery, you bought one photo. Okay, you've paid for it. We know because when I talk later, Quinn says it's already been shipped, which means payment has happened. So you went to a gallery, you bought one photo, you then broke into the gallery to smash the one photo you have paid for and then Lee it's like, really, yeah, It's like it was odd. Then if that's the case, why'd you pay for it? Friend? Or why don't break?
Why don't you break the other ones and leave one's standing exactly?
And then the weird thing too. I love the way they had this whole conversation kind of in code, because Katie's like, I want him now, even though she just broke it, and then Quinn's like, I've already shipped it and it's behind her, and I'm like, oh man, we're really we're all doing this thing. I like that. I actually always like when I can see the things people are actually saying under the words they're choosing to use.
So I loved that part of it. But I was like, oh wow, yeah, Quinn's just gonna like meet she's going to meet this chick's crazy a little bit and be like, I've already shipped it, per your instructions, even though it's clearly inframe. And I was like, oh, I like this, and it kind of gave me the proof of what she said to you, like she's about to see how unstable I can be. I was like, Oh, we're really going to throw down. I'm loving the girls like going to for tat here.
Except I think though in that exchange where she says I've already shipped it, it is not on the storeroom floor anymore. It's now in the back room.
Yeah, so oh wait, she says, I've already shipped, And then the next conversation is in the storeroom because.
In that I love that moment because Quinn knows that Katie is the one who did this, and Katie's lying. So Quinn is playing the game and she's bluffing back, going yeah, it's already been shipped, waiting to see if Katie's gonna go okay or I know it's here, and sort of implicate herself. So it was this fun like in real time. Quinn was just very sharp and caught it and went no, you wanna bs, I'm gonna be s with you and smile while I do it. Yeah, you know.
Well, And it was a very cool way for her to say the thing without saying the thing, which is, I'm drawing a line in the sand. This is my territory. You're never going to be with my partner. Like it was a really well written scene. Like again, hats off to Shana and Renee because I was like, ooh, it made me feel kind of excited to watch quin get to stand up like that. And to your point, I thought it was like very sharp.
And there was such an element of threat and danger to it. I love that Amanda was holding a giant jagged excuse me, Katie was holding a giant jagged piece of glass. Yeah, and you know, there's such I think the easy I think the trap for a less experienced actor is crazy means I'm going to do the most. Yeah, I'm going to give you big eyes and wild mannerisms. It's sort of like like an experience actor is playing drunk.
How they always overplay it, you know, and Amanda does the experienced thing of no, I'm gonna play it subtle. I'm gonna show you in my eyes and the result is just that scene where she has Quinn cornered trapped felt so much like the Apex Predator and the Deer. We were just like, yeah, how does this end?
And to your point, because she just had that massive shart of glass, which gave me flashbacks to Ghost, I was like, don't kill Patrick's lazy? Like I I really liked Greg's choice as a director because you understand that she you get the jump scares, she's revealed she's followed Quinn into the back silently, and because he kept the framing tighter on Amanda the whole time, I was like, does Katie still have the glass? Does Katie still have the glass?
Like?
And that was it. I just thought it was like a very cool choice on his part because I, you know, I didn't know, I didn't know if she had a weapon, I didn't know what her plan was. And Amanda's stillness played into that because if she'd been waving her arms around freaking out, she would have actually seemed like less of a threat. Yeah.
Yeah, there's a sense of control and power to stillness, you know, And that's right. I do even think about the framing of it, but that's such a good point because then you don't know that was good. Well done, Well done done.
Team.
We talked about this last episode, but I have been loving seeing Brooke and Julian finally happy. Yea, Brooke getting a break from the tears.
It's so nice. It's nice to have a good time, and it was really nice to get into what, for me as an actor was always some of the favorite work I got to do Brooks sort of you know, flustered, like fl mixed comedy. I always really enjoyed and being able to do it because Victoria's the ones screwing up was so fun. Like I just love being able to freak out at Daphne and have her be completely unbothered
by it and just love it. Like it was always a really fun dynamic for us on set on the days where we got to shoot scenes like.
This, And there's a fun dynamic that we got to see in seven nineteen that we're seeing again in seven twenty where it's Brooke being the parent chastising Victoria in the child role. Yeah, you know, it's the second time it's been a sit down. Brook has sat down Victoria and Alexander to have a talk and the result is so funny. I was confused when somehow Victoria gets confused for Brooke when the story broke.
I mean, we are in a moment where our hair is exactly the same, and if I remember correctly, like this sort of big blowout kind of you know, side part like thing that we're doing. We really did try to make her and I look very similar. And there's the one shot. I can't remember which scene it's in, but maybe it's when we're looking at the computer at the store and she's over my shoulder, and really, I'm like, God,
we look so much alike. It's bizarre. I mean, even my mom is like, she looks so much more like your mom than I do. It's kind of a trip. And so this idea that everyone just sort of assumed that Brooke and her coworker would be the ones in cahoots because her face was mostly blocked if I said inappropriate act kind of tracked for me comedically. I loved it and getting to be so mad that people think I'm my mom, Like it's great.
And of all the people to be confused with for scandalous behavior, how funny. It's your own parents, your own parent, it's not your your dumpster fire best friend. It's like, no, it's my mom actually. But I think the only reason why I I bumped on that was because there is such a funny moment in seven nineteen. It's the button Victoria has. I get the confusion, but the thing is, she does this hilarious, slow, deliberate walk away from Alexander, stepping over mouth and she looks down at mouth and
it skills and she goes scandalous. That's just scandalous.
Yep.
So I think the reason my eb bumped is because it was such a powerful, hilarious Victoria moment that there was no way of like, who else was there? Because I was like, that was the funniest line of the episode.
Yeah, well you know what For me in my brain, I was like, oh, yeah, that's exactly how things go, Like the telephone game gets played yes, and someone recounts the story and someone goes, no, you must have that wrong, and then it, you know, within two hours it's become something completely different, and god, it's just so funny. Daphne is so funny and in that very parental moment for me, you know, sitting them down. One of the things I really loved was watching them sort of have this conversation
about like, well, I don't care if everyone knows. Oh, I don't care if everyone knows, and they're flirting in front of me, and it's just like, this is this really? Oh my god? You know, And it's fun to play that dynamic because you're right, it's such a role reversal.
I'm excited to see where it goes because when you had that moment when Brooke goes, oh, are you not ashamed? I thought that was going to be the end of it. I thought that was the moment that Victoria's going to say, well, now that the cat's out of the bag, this has lost its appeal. But the fact that they it turned into a flirting moment of like I'm not you, No, I'm not. I don't remember where the storyline goes, So I'm excited to follow it.
Yeah, like they're just doubling down. It's great. I'm just realizing because I'm looking at my notes and we are talking about them the banter again that Shana and Renee
gave us in that scene. I'm calling this the blunder down under instead of the thunder, and Victoria immediately saying, well, the flag needs to be much bigger, Like, it's just the way we get to bite back and forth at each other, and she's justifying it saying cougar's are in now, and then Brooks response immediately is have fun with your cub like it just the wit in this and whether it's comedic like they gave to us, or really sharp and quick like what they give to Quinn in response
to Katie. I just think the writing in this episode is so top notch.
It's great. I also loved the way that they explained why Clay hadn't said anything to Quinn about Katie, because that was a big beef I had, right. I was saying this to Joy last week. I don't unders stand you could go and have that experience and not come home straight to your partner and go you are never gonna believe what just happened, right, Yes, But I love how they explained it here where she says, hey, man, like, why didn't you say anything?
Yeah?
And he was like, what was going on with your mom? It didn't feel like the right time, yes, And I had totally lost track of that, so it I went, oh, yeah, obviously that is not the time to be bringing that story up.
And by the way, I've experienced that more than once in my life. Like something happens and you don't go to the person you normally would go to, or you don't bring it up in the moment because someone has just lost a parent or someone you know. I had this happen recently with a friend and it wasn't even over anything like serious, but there was something we hadn't talked about. And when we talked about it, she was like, wait, how did I not know this in real time? And
I was like, cause your dog died. Like when someone's fourteen year old pet passes away, you're not going to like bring up something that seems to suddenly be not important. And it's like, whether it's the most serious thing which I've seen when you know years ago when a friend lost a parent, or it's something that you know feels more trivial on that scale. But someone's like, wait, I would have wanted to know about that in real time.
I would have wanted to be there for you. And it's like you had bigger going on, And I think that's a really human experience. And so even in the context of something like top of scale, how crazy this is that Clay is having this experience Quinn's mom's dying. Of course he's not like, what's more important than that?
And to your point, I thought it was a really really smart choice, and I thought you played it so well because it wasn't It wasn't like a thing where someone gets a little testy, like, well, obviously I wasn't going to make it about me. It felt like this really intimate moment for the two of you, and not her being mad that you didn't tell her, her just being like how could I not have known this? And you being like how could I have talked about this
at that moment? And it's it's two people being really generous with each other, and I don't know, it felt very timely because I was like, man, I've I've experienced this multiple times. My friends are experiencing versions of this right now, Like it is really human and you just don't always know you know when the right time is when you're trying to I think respect other people's experience. And I loved the way you guys played that well.
And that's another kind of testament to I think also the writing, but both Clean Quinn are gentle with each other. Yeah, in other words, she doesn't hit him with the why didn't you tell me about this? Tone? Yeah, which then puts him in a position to not have to respond on the defensive. Yeah, where it's not like your mom was, you know, he is able to go like, yeah, man,
this is what was happening. I remember. Yeah, And it's a nice meeting ground when you can kind of both enter into it, like with that sort of compassion and kitty gloves with each other.
You know, it's interesting you put it that way, because I also feel like that's what Millie and Marvin are doing with each other, you know, her willing to check on him and see if he's okay, even though she's really sad and knows he's in this weird, confusing place, Like I really, you're like, yeah, of course. I was glad eventually when Brooke showed up, especially because they could relate this. You know, the skills in Mouthfight is very Brooke and Bayden in high school, and it's nice to
see the history of their friendship feel so relevant. But I actually loved that Millie got there first, and I loved that she chose to and to your point, she's being really gentle with him, and because she's gentle with him. It enables him to be honest, and he's not defensive, he's just confused. Yeah, and it's I don't know, it's really nice to see all these people in this position where nobody's posturing, everyone's just trying to process together.
Yeah. That scene with her was so human. Yeah, it was so relatable where she she asked him, you know, do you think of me? And he goes yeah, and she takes a beat and she goes that helps Like, oh yeah, because I have to say I've been on the team Mouth miss Lauren for a while now. Yeah, I've been rooting for that and I still wanted it and was disappointed with some of the things that happened in this episode, but I after that moment, I was like, Okay,
well that's very sweet. You two got something there. But yeah, the Skills and Miss Lauren and Mouth triangle. Though I found myself still rooting for Miss Lauren and Mouth throughout the whole episode. I felt like she needs an emotionally mature guy, and Skills is just not able to show up as that guy right now. And I loved the kind of come to Jesus talk she had with him on his front porch, where she was like, hey, let's
introduce some accountability. You bounced, you didn't check in, and then you show up like nothing has happened, Like yeah, I just I loved it because also again she did it with compassion. She wasn't pointing a finger while she did it. She was just saying, hey, this is the reality of the situation you created.
Yeah, and I loved she got to call him out and he was like it was only because of geography, and she got to be like, no, you didn't call, you didn't make an effort, And and what she got to say without saying it is you didn't just disappear on me. You disappeared on all these people who care about you. And like, sure, you're out there working and the hours are crazy. I mean, who who can understand? You know, set hours more than us. But you you
can't be upset if people move on. If you yes, if you've left a void where you used to be.
Yes. And we saw, you know a scene where he and Mouth are playing video games and Miss Lauren walks in and he says, oh, I'm on with Mouth or skills and she says something effective, how's he doing? I haven't heard from him, So yeah, he made choices, like he had time to play video games with his buddies, so he could have had time to call. So he had time to call her, he just chose not to. Yeah, And I think him coming back and wanting miss Lauren
is totally fine. And well, it's just the attitude and the entitlement that he came in with where he's like, walks in, how's my girl, puts his arm around her. I was saying, it's very oblivious main character energy, where it's like, yes, I left the scene, so all of the all of the other supporting characters freezes, right. Yeah, And then he has the audacity to say to one point. I think it's at the gallery last episode, he goes, hey, you seem you seem distant. I'm like, bro, you've been
literally distant and figuratively distant. Yeah, what high pot meet Kettle exactly.
And and sure, you know you get that he's upset that it's mouth because Mouse is his friend. But what I also think is what I think is great about it in adulthood, you know, versus all the teens in high school, it's it's not pick me drama. It's like these are two people who both love you, who both felt really abandoned, and I get that hurts you, But are you really surprised that they like bonded in their sadness about missing you.
Yes, you know, I think I've said this before in here, but one of the most profound gems I ever got from therapy was when my therapist said, it's not about the damage, it's about the lack of repair. And I love that, and I feel like that's kind of what's happening here where It's like if you had just shown up and been like, hey, my bad skill you skills as was saying, like, yeah, sorry, I just dipped out on you guys, I ghoested Jews, it would have been different.
But instead it's like he's not acknowledging it, he's not own.
Yeah.
So yeah, I found myself going, come on, come on. And then when mouth tells after miss Lauren Anxiety bakes a cake for him and shows up at his place, I'm like, don't shoot her away on man, you know, Millie, she's looking she's in early recovery. They say, not to date in your first year. Give her some space studio.
Yeah, come on, I don't know, it's interesting because as we talk about it, I feel really appreciative that they gave everyone some complexity and that you could really as an audience member, like I feel like I'm on the
seesaw with all these people. I'm like, don't but oh, I get it and I'm duh, like I'm mad at skills, but also oh, it's so hard to like come home from some all consuming thing and feel like your life has moved on without you, and like I actually feel for everybody, there's no way to totally get it right.
And I think that's nice because so often and maybe that you know, it felt more true in the earlier years, but like so often when there's some tension between people, it's easier when you're watching it like this to pick a side, and I feel like I kind of can't pick any sides, and I.
Like that there was also a lot of subtext. There is also a lot of things not being said that work, which is great, which is just so fun to watch, you know, because sometimes everything is very on the nose and heavy handed, where there is no deducing to do, like you see exactly what's happening because the characters are literally saying it whereas in this episode there was a lot going unsaid, which I think makes for a scene
to be so much more interesting. You know, yeah, Alex, talk to me about Alex, Josh Paul and Julian.
I love it, and you know, something that was really interesting for me, and I was glad that we got to call this out really overtly and then less so, but make a point like tabloid culture is so awful because it uses people as supply, which is what narcissists do, Like when you go through narcissistic abuse and you have to learn how to recover from that, and you you understand that it is so hard because you haven't been having conflict or you know something that just ultimately isn't
going to be the lasting thing between two people. You have a person who doesn't view their quote unquote opponent as a person. They look at you as supply for their demand, for their whatever. And tabloids treat people that way, and you know, it's like a it's a business industry version of bullying because they'll decide what you are and then they'll tell a story about you because that story makes them money, even if you know they have all
the evidence to the contrary. And what really got me about this whole dynamic is, you know, twenty ten, like we were, we were so at the height of like you know, the tmzs and like the gross gossip blogs and the and those people still exist and if they decide they want to put a target on your back, they will, But we didn't. We didn't really have our own spaces online yet, Like the social stuff was like
just beginning where you could actually be yourself. And I loved that we addressed this, and that we addressed the way the double standard would exist for a woman and would exist for someone like Alex and that someone, to your point, who's in recovery is probably going to try to make themselves feel better in all the wrong ways as they stumble along this new road. And it was twenty ten, it was two years before marriage equality passed
in the Supreme Court. It it's still not safe for a lot of people to be out, and it really wasn't at this point. And it really kind of made me gasp when it was like, how many leading men do you know that are gay? It shouldn't be that way, but it is. And I appreciated that Paul from his age range or you know, his perspective at his age. I guess I should say was able to give Alex this lesson and say, yeah, it's that, but this is the way it is at current and we need to
hide it. And in a way I hate and would obviously never recommend, but was pretty heroic on a TV show since it was fake for Alex to say, you know what, let's put this out there and then the story is going to be that we're in love, and then the story is going to be that we're a couple, and yeah, people are gonna call me names, but it won't be so bad if I was like, oh my god, this crushes my soul for all of you, but what
a what a kind of snapshot of the time. And then you know, you got from like the heavy icky all the way to the very funny, with Brooke being like, oh, you don't care, fabulous, I'm going to tell them it was my mom, Hello TMZ, and I was like, oof. I was glad we got to have a kind of we got to run the gamut of like peeking under the hood, if you will. On that conversation.
The one thing I found myself wanting out of Paul though, because especially since he's sort of turned over this new leaf with Julian and we're seeing him sort of evolve. I really wished in that scene that as opposed to it being one hundred percent about that news affecting the film, if it was, hey, this wouldn't be good for the film. And also that's his story. It's not our place to publicly out him, like just there was some also mention of that, like the human aspect, as opposed to like
this would kill the film. And then the other thing I didn't get was they obviously discover its extortion. Julian goes to Paul's room, excuse me, Josh's room and is like, that's over. Give them money back so they haven't lost that million dollars. And Alex still it's her decision to still let the tape leak.
Yeah.
And then what's odd at the end of it was she tells Julian, I needed you to know that I believed in you too, Yeah, And it felt it felt weird to me because it's like, I don't understand if you wanted to show him you believed in his film, wouldn't you just promote the hell out of it? As like the greatest movie you've been a part of. Well, yeah, you're kind of What you're really saying is like, I think this film needs a serious crutch to help it out well.
And what was sort of was like they still could have done the press blitz and said, oh, they fell in love on this movie. Like she could have said I'm gonna help protect Josh and we'll use the tabloids to our advantage with this thing or whatever. But yeah, I got to say, like, not to be so serious, well, but it is a serious topic, or not to be
a Debbie Downer. I don't know what I'm saying. The fact is the writing from this pair of women is so good and that that whole sequence, like for me watching it, I was like, oh, that has our boss's fingerprints all over it. Yeah, Like the woman has to be a sacrificial lamb, she has to be sexually exploited.
She essentially has to experience digital assault because when people you view you in an intimate act without your consent, it literally like we know this now, you know, with deep fake porn and all this stuff, it creates the same response in the brain as being physically assaulted. And like the fact that we had this guy in charge of our show. That was like, well, obviously she's just going to sell her own sex tape to make the money for everyone and save the movie. I'm just like, God,
you're so gross, Like you're just so gross. It was almost such a great storyline, and then you just had to be so gross because what it suggests, without saying the words, is that that's an acceptable way to treat a woman and that that's how a woman has to be a hero.
And I was like, bit, yes, there's a serious element of like martyrdom unnecessarily. So in the scene when it's the first time we see Millie back when Alex is just kind of downloading with her, Alex so nonchalantly is like, oh, yeah, by the way, I was involved in a sex tape. I didn't consent to haha. And yeah, I was caught off guard, like you're having a moment with your friend and there's not even a hint of anger. Yeah, remorse,
it's just like she says it. She laughs, and then she walks out the door and says a button and leaves. I was like, and that's her tone the entire episode. Yeah, And so it was just odd, like I agree with what you're saying, it takes the weight out of what the implications of that actually.
Are, because essentially what we do is we model to an audience of millions of people that that's no big deal, that's not a huge violation, that that's not something that causes like trauma. If not, we'll give someone PTSD like it. We make light of it in a way that is
like so not okay. And then and then when there's this opportunity for this really great, you know storyline, and to your point, like no one was talking about you know, people's whether whose job it was to tell someone else's story like the way we do now in twenty ten. But even I could even appreciate that, you know, the character of Paul the dad wouldn't be as conscious of that stuff as we might be. You know, past generation
has to kind of learn whatever. But like we could have had this really powerful conversation and then it was like I know how to solve it. I'll go out and put this on the internet. And I was like, wow, we are We're just it was so special for a moment, we were having such an important conversation and we're just gonna throw the girl under the bus for the one millionth billionth time, even.
If there had just been a tiny moment of when she goes into Josh's room, if she sits down with them and she's like, Hey, what you did to me was horrific. So here's how you can begin to make amends for it. Yeah, here's the story. I'm gonna help you out, but you owe me, you know what I mean, just some sort of acknowledgment of it. I will say.
Another thing that I found incredibly egregious was the slow mo shot because this happened in seven nineteen when Clay sees Katie at the gallery, he drops his beer and we do the slow mo shot of a bottle falling and hitting the ground, as if the audience isn't registering that there's a tremendous amount of surprise this episode. Back to back episodes. Alex sees Josh and his male friend kissing in the elevator and she drops the ice bucket, and we have the slow mo close up of an
ice bucket. Yeah, like calling hitting the ground, Like, what are we doing? Let's just watch the actor responding well.
And by the way, not only is there the slow moll, there's there was one other slow moost shot which did not make any sense to me because the clay picture gets thrown to the ground, the glass shatters, and then completely still, they have Katie. They have Amanda Showl standing in like a Superheroes us with the hood, the slow pan up the body and the boots and the thing, and then she pulls her hood off, but her hood wasn't obstructing her face in the first place, and it's
broad daylight, and I was like, what is happening? And I have we all have been in that position as an actor where you are told we have to do this and you're like, I think this is silly and unmotivated, and they're like, it's the shot that's going to make it all make sense. And you either figure out how to fight your way into doing something else or you kind of get strong armed into doing the thing that
you know is stupid. And I was like, I don't know what show I'm watching right now, Like we went from One Tree Hill to the Boys back to One Tree Hill, but like she's not actually in a superhero outfit, and I was like, God, she looks beautiful and it's a great coat and her hair is flawless. But why are we doing this?
She's bringing serious, unhinged chic vibes to.
The be and e and in a weird way. It was like it was the reverse shot of you dropping the beer bottle in the gallery, and then like in the gallery, we pan up Katie and then we dropped more with Alex, and I was like, who got into Solomo in season seven like this?
I don't know. I also had the same response as you and I when they do the pan up and Katie's in like knee high leather boots and a superhero pose and she pulls the hood off. My first thought was you just broke into a place in broad daylight. That hood is obstructing nothing, and why are you choosing to take it? Was just it was so odd and sort of false. And also the scene with Alex ends
so not. Why do they slow mow extreme close up of an ice bucket hitting the ground and the ice cubes like it's saving private Ryan, the ice cubes flailing about, falling everywhere. Then they push in from a close up to like an extreme close up on Alex's face. Again it's like the slow creep, as if we it's just to me. It was like we don't need to hold the audience's hand here. Jana's great. Just let Janet do her thing and let's just watch her react.
Also, we are all seeing this. We all are going, oh my god, Josh, is this day?
Yes, like we know, yes, it's distracting to then break my concentration with the dramatic French film of an ice bucket hitting the ground and realizing its own fragility, Like, what are we doing?
Yeah, it was, it was a little extra. We didn't we didn't need it.
Let's get into sweet sweet hales.
Uh.
I did not know the storyline was coming at all, so it is. All of it is surprising me. And it got dark fast.
Yeah. Yeah, I think they're doing such a good job with this that the speed of it, and look, we've voiced this before. Sometimes I think we jump into things a little too quickly. I think the speed is really fast. But I think the again, the writing is so good because the choices to make certain things feel impossible, which I think is so true when you are going through really substantial grief, like nothing feels important. Everything you're doing,
you know, feels insane. It's like suddenly you're in a costume party. Of your own life. You're like, what is everybody doing? And why is everyone working? And why are those people like just buying groceries whatever it is. It's so surreal that not everyone feels like the world has stopped. And I thought they wrote really great representations of that for her, like the inability to even hear what Miranda is saying, the irrelevance of what meal it is, like, it's breakfast, eat this, who cares?
Like?
It's really subtle stuff, But I think it communicated, like what's the word I'm looking for? The catastrophic nature of the law for her really well.
Yes, And I think the fact that we ended seven nineteen with watching her kind of have her first break by the pool, because I agree, this does feel fast. It feels like a lot very quick, Like the Chinese food in the morning. Okay, that's obviously not her, but let's be honest, cold Chinese nos are delicious, So not a huge strike against you as a parent. The peeling off in the Porsche and blowing off your shoot, that's big,
and then the just setting the piano on fire. But I think the reason why I don't mind it so much is because grief is different for everyone, and it doesn't follow a timeline, and sometimes it can be slow and other times it can be fat. Like you know, there's no there's no playbook for it. So it's like, Okay, I think I saw her break last episode, so maybe this is what it looks like now that it's broken. Yeah, I'm worried for Jamie and Nathan. Yeah, but it's interesting.
We've seen these moments with him, you know, when Jamie's having a hard time and he just offers to be there for him a few episodes ago, and then in this one you can see Nathan processing that something is wrong and trying to figure it out, and he makes a choice again just to show up for his kid and not He doesn't say much, you know, he says, your mom loves you and always will. He doesn't say she's having a really hard time and she's acting out. You know, Mom's not mad at you. She was upset that,
you know, about the soup. Like he chooses not to say much and then says, let's let's do this puzzle together. He's just gonna be there, and it's really nice to not see him try to solve the problem but just be present for.
It, which I think is such a common reflex for guys, is that I know that my first instinct is always how do I fix it? Yeah, And it's a lot of times the same. It's not about that no one's asking you to by the way.
I was just going to be like yes, same with eldest or only daughters, where you're like I am I have to be responsible for everyone and all their feelings all the time. Like there's such a goal to jump in and say, well, this is how we're going to get through it. And I think it's really smart. And also it's really nice as an audience member to see our hero, you know, Nathan Scott is like he's the superhero of one trio and he doesn't try to save
the day. He just sits with his kid. Yeah, and it's like it that's a really beautiful choice.
Yeah, I love that. Speaking of pianos, I loved Grub playing to Miranda Grubs excuse me playing to Miranda? Did you find yourself?
Though?
And he's singing and the first line is tell me why we were talking when we dance so good?
Yeah.
I was like, no, sir, you dance well. But I realized it had because it had two rhymes with the following sentence, but every time he said it, I felt that little, like neurotic voice in my head, going, you dance well, you don't dance good?
Yeah, your grammar Nerd is like activated. I think what was really fun for me about it is again, I you know, I knew their storyline was coming, and I remember how it develops, but I didn't remember the episode by episode specifics. And I love that song, and so when he started, I was like, ah, it's here, it's here, Like I just felt really excited. And and I think they have such great chemistry and it's so nice to
watch him make music. And I don't know, I this is the hopeless romantic in me, you know, who desire to believe in the rom coms like will Never Die. He's like, marry me, and I'm like, do it, just do it?
Stay?
Yeah, you figure it out later. Who cares, you know? And I'm like, am I am I good? Like I am rooting for her to take him up on this offer, And when he just stands there and sings to her, I'm like, yeah, man, do it.
I was confused by the time that he says marry me. They have they have kissed, right, Like, aren't they they're they're kind of dating, right, doesn't he? Yeah, she goes, I think I have a boyfriend, because I was. I was surprised with how taken aback she was. I get that marriage is a big thing, but in this situation, if you're already dating the person, I had the same action as you. I went, this is actually just a good plan.
Right.
Well, by the way, that's also being an adult. You're like, listen, Logistically, it's a great idea because if you get to ported, you're probably never going to be able to come back. Yeah, but you could absolutely get married and then you know, dissolved, have a dissolution file for a freakin annulment if you need to, Like, we'll figure the details out later. Like I immediately go into what is the more sort of responsible strategic plan here so that these two can figure
out what they're doing. And I don't know, maybe we're supposed to be so taken aback by that, but I was rooting for it.
I'm a fan. It's so nice that what a luxury that we have so many talented musicians on our show, And then anytime you see either of them, like winding up to sing a song. You're like, yes, let's go.
I know.
I was so pumped when he's in the student, I'm like, oh, he's going to sing a song about this right now, isn't it? When he was writing it actually, when he's writing, looking at I was like, Oh, we're about to hear a lot song.
Yeah, I know, it's really sweet. One of the things that was interesting to me too is again, there's moments that stand out in my memory. So I knew Haley was going to set the piano on fire, but I couldn't remember. I was like, is it going to be the episode? Is it going to be next episode? When she sits down with that Martini though ass, I was like, oh my god, it's here, it's here, it's here, It's gonna happen. I remember what a production it was. With
the flame bar. You know, there's these for people at home. They basically have these metal pipes with holes in them, kind of like you do in a gas fireplace that they can put on a c stand and essentially suspend and make fire come out of it. And they have to to get that long line. And obviously we weren't going to actually burn like a real expensive grand piano. But then Nathan runs in and is like Haley, and you know, he pulls her away from the flames and
he puts the fire out with that blanket. And then I was like, and I realized I wanted to see him like standing in front of the smoldering piano. And then I went, oh, I forgot. We didn't really burn the piano, like they couldn't show, you know, the charred keys in the shot because it was big. I was so bummed about it.
I thought that we actually set a piano on fire until the end of that scene when we never cut to a reverse of Nathan's point of view. Yeah, I didn't realize that is how we done it, but yes, I was sort of I was hoping for the same thing as well.
Yeah, and it's it's funny when you know, you realize what great film school training working on a set is because as actors were like, oh, I know, I know why that's not in the shot, got it? It was special effects?
Cool?
And then I'm like, god, it sort of can really kind of ruin the fun. But it did give me a little giggle. I like that you and I both were like, oh damn, because I did want to see. I wanted smoking keys.
Yeah, let's see some charred piano. I also loved this is the way that scene ends with Haley just sort of in her haze, just saying I'm going to go call my mom.
That broke heart.
It's simultaneously told you how not in touch with reality she was and just how heartbroken she was.
Yeah, the stress and the experience of grief is like breaking her brand's ability to process the timeline.
I also liked that we got an explanation as to why Katie currently is the way she is. Yes, when Clay has a casual lunch date with her roommate, she's like, she's off her lithium. It gets bad, and he's like how bad. She's like, real bad, Mollie. You in danger girl?
Yeah. Run.
So that was nice to have some explanation because for a couple of episodes, I've just been going why why would you, yeah, suddenly be obsessed with a guy and you have a lot going on exactly. And then the other thing I really liked, which was just sort of a one off scene, was Skills and Jamie at lunch.
I was just gonna say, this is actually, this is my Honorable mention for the episode.
Yes, all right, take it away. Tell the folks why we love it them.
First of all, it's so cute to see Skills and Jamie out on their own lunch date of sorts. And I love that a you know, a grown up and a kid are talking to each other as equals. It's a really fun dynamic. And when Jamie says, but he's your friend, and he's like yeah, and he's still my girl. And to have a child say well, you stile here from me first and we're still friends. To point out that all sorts of people have feelings of all kinds, and you know, maybe friendship is worth more than that.
It's it's refreshing because Brooke has done it. We were talking about this earlier, like I'm the second one to go check on mouth, right, and I do it. And he says, well, you know, Peyton gave you a black eye and she's like yeah, and you told me I had to make up with her. Uh, you know. And then it's like Pete married Lucas, Like what conversation are
we having about you three at this point? And the humor of that that mouth gets that from his oldest friend and then Skills gets that from his like best little buddy, and it's so simple, Like it's the perfect kind of real life manifestation of that phrase from the mouths of babes, Like kids just get it, and Jamie just gets it. And he's like the first person that can remind Skills of the bigger picture.
Yeah, he's a wise little owl. Remember that when there was the beef going on between Mouth and Skills about moving out. Yeah, and they were doing like the naked off and all that stuff, and Jamie goes, uh, Skills explains the whole thing and how he's feeling to Jamie, and Jamie goes, what did he say when you told him that? And he goes, I haven't told him that. He's like, tell him that. And again it's like it's the simplest thing, you know. But Yeah, I love the
scene for all those reasons. And I also just really liked because this also made me kind of soften towards Skills, because I've been a little bit annoyed with the behavior, you know, like I want better of him. There is something special as a parent about seeing another adult take an interest and invest in your child. And I loved so many people are an uncle or there, this or that, but it's like they really only see the kid when
they stop by. And I loved it so much. It made its such an impression on me to see that part of his day. He planned an event for him and Jamie to go out, just the two of them and hang out as friends, because that is stuff that Jamie will never forget. And it's really truly showing up as an uncle and someone who cares for that little kid. And so I found myself going, all right, skills, yeah, I still love you.
It's so sweet. Great episode, for sure, great episode.
Honorable mens he is the honorable mensh.
Yeah, good ones. Alyssa wants to know we never met Clay's parents. Who would you have cast to play them?
Oh my gosh, I have an immediate answer. Really, yes, two National Treasures, Ted Danson, Mary Steam Virgin. Oh my god, yes, because professionally they are both just incredible and they would be great. But personally I love those two so much. I don't know them personally, but just I just I adore them anything they're and I'm like, I already like it, what are they up to? They would have been great?
Yeah, Oh my god, they would have been so fun. Ted dancing so cool. I it's crazy that you say that. I want to say. I want to say it was maybe after season seven, I did a pilot in second position to our show, and Mary Stein Virgin played my mom and Don Johnson played my dad.
WHOA.
It was like the most fun I've ever had. It was, Yeah, and Mary Stein Virgin is so cool, Like she's so cool, and you know, our show got picked up and that pilot didn't. And I remember just being like, I'm so happy, and I'm also so sad, like I'm so glad to be going back to work with my friends, and I'm also so crushed I don't get to go to work
with these amazing people. I like people like that. You just when you get to work with people of that sort of caliber, like to do a show with Ted Danson, that would that would probably change you, you know, as a performer forever.
Yeah. I would read a phone book with Ted. I would do anything. If they're like, it's a commercial for Herpies medication, You'd be like, fine, and you have to be the spokesperson. But Ted Danson's going to be in it. I'd be like, slap a fake cole sore on me. Baby, we're doing this thing. I want to meet Ted Danson.
I love it. Okay, well, ted Danson, we love you. We love you, guys, Rispin a wheel. Let's imagine it's like, who do you think would be most likely to do a film with Ted Danson?
Oh my gosh, who do you like more? Ted Danson or Mary Steam Virgin. We're like, no, most likely to forget their anniversary. Well, listen, if we're allowed to get ahead of ourselves a bit, I'm going to say Clay because he has a prepare for being forgetful about things.
Yeah, that feels fair. That feels fair. Dates are kind of tough for me, Like I have to look at calendars all the time to make sure I'm not inverting numbers. But I'm also so sentimental. I was gonna be like, maybe it's me, and then I'm like, no, absolutely not, I would never. I don't think I could do that.
You mean you as in Sophia not broh.
Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got because you because you got you got the character. And then I was like, is it me? But no, I don't think it would be me. There's things though, that numerically I struggle with, like, yeah, you need to know about you know, when the women in Iceland walked out to protest and how you know it took however many days and it was ninety four percent of the population. Like I can take you through
some social science, historical something. I I there are people in my life whose phone numbers I do not know and should and I'm like, I don't know, I don't know. I know the shapes, but I don't know what order they go in. But like some I read about that impacted me about like, wow, that was a thing that we did that worked good for humans. I'll never forget it. And it doesn't make any sense.
Have you ever heard how Einstein had a trouble counting his bus change?
No? Yeah, my god, are you saying I'm Einstein?
What I'm basically saying, Sophia Bush, is that I think you are the Albert Einstein of social and cultural historical movements and reads.
News makes me want to sob a little bit.
So the next time you forget a phone number or how to tie your shoes, little buddy, just remember you're kind of Albert.
I like and the bunny rabbit. Oh I love it. This is so good okay, friends, We're going to see you next week for season seven, episode twenty one. What's in the Ground Belongs to You? You sounds ominous?
Can't wait?
Can't wait?
Why everybody?
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