I've removed the spoiler tag, added the whedonesque discussion thread bit. So post what you thought of the episode. I've only seen the first episode. So I've got the following questions to ask people who have the next episodes. What themes are coming to the forefront and what kind of plot arcs are being laid in place?

Simon | April 02, 02:12 CET

Just removing my comment here to place it somewhere more appropriate.

[ edited by electricspacegirl on 2004-04-02 02:08 ]

electricspacegirl | April 02, 04:06 CET

Not too many thoughts on the episode right now other than I like it much better on Thursdays paired with Tru. Good move Fox!

TaraLivesOn | April 02, 07:00 CET

I actually liked this episode more than the one last week. Maybe because it featured more of the core characters, rather than bringing in new ones.

BlindHawkeyes | April 02, 07:07 CET

This is the first episode that I really liked! I was watching it before because, Tim - but now I'm hooked.

zencat | April 02, 07:08 CET

In references to Simon's questions...

I'm not really seeing any definite arcs, though I got a vibe that Jaye's parents aren't as close as they are shown to be. There's also the whole "Sharon being a lesbian" thing that will probably take over a ton of episodes as she hides her sexuality from her parents. Along with that, Sharon realized her girlfriend is bi, so things got kinda twisted.

BlindHawkeyes | April 02, 07:16 CET

Well, as for thematic rather than plot-based arcs, there are a few. Like Jaye finding out that Fate has a way with things that is difficult to change, or the way she is starting to see that things are not always as they seem -- the reason the animals ask her to do things are not always clear at first, or that things turn out differently than she has initially imagined they would.

There's also the notion of love and expectations, the way her family is all Republican, and kind of condescending, but they love her anyway.

OK, well maybe these are less arcs and more themes. Oh well.

chickenbird | April 02, 09:36 CET

I loved tonight's episode! I laughed out loud again. It had some great lines, very quotable.

This is definitely a show that if you don't like it at first, it will start to grow on you. I've like it from the beginning though. I'm really starting to love the characters and I'm looking forward to how they change and grow. I'm interested in Jaye's sister being outed to her parents. That plotline is so funny.

I'm also looking forward to my Wonderfalls watching being monitored by Nielsen. Not sure it will help, but it's going to be fun imagining I have all this power. Heehee.

electricspacegirl | April 02, 10:05 CET

I liked this one better than last week's, too, mostly because it dealt with the regular characters more than the story of the week. I felt Jaye was more likable in this one, but I'm not sure why. I was *entertained* and plan to stick with the show, providing Fox lets me.

wissxwe | April 02, 18:55 CET

I liked this episode better than last week's too. I liked that they showed more of the family dynamic and I thoroughly enjoyed how Jaye's relationship with her father changed over the course of the show. It was also interesting to see that Jaye's mother was obvioulsy trying to live her life through Jaye by being so into Jaye's high school life where Jaye's classmates remembered her mother and not her. I also sensed things weren't too happy between Jaye's parents.

My one complaint is the girl Jaye was "helping" was way too much like a cross between Cordelia and Harmony.

Firefly Flanatic | April 02, 19:16 CET

Jaye: I'm a puppet! The universe just sticks its hand up my butt!
Hee hee hee! I did get little misty eyed as it made me think of puppetAngel.

I like the cryptic nature of the wax lion, monkey bookend, flamingo etc. demands as opposed to Jaye being given a specific task. It's all open to interpretation.

bloodflowers | April 02, 19:22 CET

Glad to read that most like the ep better than last week -- I thought the exorcism scene with the nun bordered on offensive and was at the very least not funny. I'll just be reading the comments for the show until The Apprentice is over.

brother_grady | April 02, 21:09 CET

I loved the whle fireworks in the eyeball effect. I think that I may be a bit sappy, but it seemed so romantic.

Genia | April 02, 21:27 CET

I really liked this episode; anyone catch the reference to Alfred Hitchcock's 1941 film Suspicion when Sharon was taking up the drugged milk to her father? They even put a light in the milk. Great stuff.

"Do you know that our basic cable has lesbian porn?"

Shroomy | April 02, 21:42 CET

I missed the eyeball fireworks! I was looking away from the TV.
I hope there will be reruns.

electricspacegirl | April 02, 21:45 CET

Shroomy-- "Suspicion". Thank you! That was driving me nuts as to why it seemed familiar.

bloodflowers | April 02, 22:06 CET

Best episode of the four, easily. Visually engrossing (superb direction by Todd Holland; loved the "Suspicion" tribute), beautifully crafted character arcs, and funny lines everywhere.

Jaye: "He's servicing me sexually."

Jaye (bland, affectless voice): "I destroy you." (flings mai tai)

Darrin: "Did you know our basic cable gets lesbian porn?"

I liked the "pimp daddy" attitude of the pink flamingoes, the fireworks in Eric's eye, the flash-forward future of Richard Horowitz, and Sharon's makeout session (interrupted by Daddy). And may I mention that Caroline Dhavernas looked absolutely delicious in that dress?

I'm severely depressed by the ratings. This series is going the way of Firefly. It'll be released on DVD in 2005 and everybody will say: "Wow, this is fantastic. Why didn't I see this when it was on TV?"

Catch it while you can, people.

cjl | April 02, 22:59 CET

Confused me for a minute, Shroomy, because I just yesterday finished watching Alfred Hitchcock's 1945 Spellbound, which also featured drugged milk, but the details weren't meshing: you didn't know it was drugged until after the fact and there was no light. Hafta watch Suspicion now I guess.

melsta | April 02, 23:08 CET

Melsta-- Wasn't Ingrid Bergman given some sort of drugged beverage in "Notorious" too? Now I'm totally confused.

bloodflowers | April 02, 23:46 CET

Yeah, Claude Rains and his mother were poisoning Ingrid Bergman in Notorious. If you watch Suspicion, the tribute is rather obvious. In Hitchcock's film, Joan Fontaine suspects that hubby Carry Grant is trying to kill her; in one of the last scenes, she is in bed, and Grant carries a platter with a glass of milk on it up the stairs. The movie leads you to suspect that the milk is poisoned; Hitchcock even placed a small light in the milk to draw attention to it.

Shroomy | April 03, 00:02 CET

Oh yeah, I have a very, very big crush on Caroline Dhavernas. I loved her in the cheong sam inspired dress.

Shroomy | April 03, 00:03 CET

Notorious, eh? Gonna have a Hitchcock-fest!

melsta | April 03, 00:10 CET