qwksndmonster

Everything in this thread makes me happy.

I'm still confused about the scene where Kim quits. Hamlin is clearly still being a dick to her, trying to have a conversation in front of his secretary, but he seems almost sad to accept her resignation (which he knew was coming). Did Chuck tell Hamlin to turn the screws? I loved the character history we got about Hamlin (Hamlinformation, hahaha okay not clever). His conversation with Kim about wanting to change the world out of law school seemed earnest. That pause and smile when he says "Dad talked me out of it." speaks volumes. Hamlin hates it at HHM. He wanted to be his own man and now he's always under some kind of pressure, whether it be doing Chuck's bidding or running HHM the way his father wants. I still don't know what to make of "You know I pushed you hard because I always knew I could expect more from you." If Hamlin was pushing Kim hard to get the most out of her, AND he knew that she had a better offer from another firm... then why was he pushing her? Is Hamlin just a bad boss? Did he think that backing off of Kim once she got her offer would make him look weak? Something doesn't make sense. ____________________________________________ One of my favorite lines of the season was Chuck saying "We have our issues but, if things were reversed, I hope you know that I would do the same for you." First of all: I don't believe you, Chuck. In season 1 when Jimmy's life was in dire straits, Chuck just brushed off his little brother's concerns and tried to reimburse him with the piddly little jar of change. Chuck didn't care that Jimmy was running himself into the ground to provide for him. In fact, the only time Chuck raises his voice in that conversation is to say "I'M GOING TO GET BETTER." Chuck hasn't shown any ability to empathize with his brother, he just tries to be an authority figure. Also, "if things were reversed." Like... if a 6 and a 1 were reversed? Hehehehehehe ____________________________________________ I'm a funk bassist/guitarist, so I LOVE the theme song to this show. So much of funk guitar is making stuff up as you go along, which fits Jimmy perfectly. The theme itself is a cut off thrown away riff that you could hear any given time during a band practice. The British blues/funk band they got to write it is called Little Barrie. I started listening to Little Barrie big time last year when the show first came on. I was single for the first time in 5 years and just starting to put myself out there, and I remember many a late night driving home listening to Little Barrie. I lost my taste for them after a while because they've got well written songs, but they never seem to go anywhere after a while. They'll just repeat the same part over and over with no creativity, but whatevs. One of my favorites was Why Don't You Do It, the song that plays while Jimmy's changing the Mesa Verde documents. The way they edited the song and cut the show to it was miraculous. There's one part where the guitar is doing a fill and it fits in perfectly with Jimmy tumbling little shreds of paper out of place. The ending that sounds like the victory music in a video game made more sense in a TV show than it ever had to me as a song ending. It was such a treat hearing a favorite song that I hadn't heard in a while, and it brought so much extra punch to the scene for me. I had a similar feeling when the pilot opened with Address Unknown by the Ink Spots. I think Why Don't You Do It is my favorite use of music in any Vince Gilligan show, except for maybe We Are Born When We Die by Apollo Sunshine in season 4 episode 12 of BB: Also: the season 1 flashback where Howard (Chuck) tells Jimmy that he can't work as a lawyer at HHM has no words. Instead, all we hear is the copier outside the mail room and watch the body language as Jimmy becomes rejected and dejected. The copier came back hard, especially in the scene where Chuck hits his head. The lighted green swipes were very calm while Jimmy was changing the documents, but when Chuck was flipping out, they were daggers in his side. I love this freakin' show.

My recovery from wisdom teeth surgery has been incredibly smooth. Just hiked treman park with the fam and am heading back home to toss the frisbee around with some friends. Starting friday, every single day has been the nicest of the year. I'm finally ready to accept winter never happening.

3rd line =/= third best line. 3rd line = our best defensive line. Right now all larsson has to feed is Gionta and Foligno. Larsson seems to be a pass first guy on offense, so Kane would be a perfect fit to carry the puck into the offensive zone and cash in Larsson's passes. It would definitely skew the roster toward 3 more balanced lines, but I have no problem with that. Especially if we get Stamkos.

Did he really cost his family the store? That's Chuck's version. Jimmy assuredly contributed to the store closing, but we don't know the whole story. And stealing from the family store is significantly different than your examples. It might even be worse, but all of your examples sound to me like more foolhardy mistakes that a different kind of person would make.

This is a very hyperbolic description of Jimmy McGill. He's definitely got some self destructive tendencies and actively seeks out trouble, running scams and committing crimes. But he's not getting a bunch of unwitting participants caught in the crossfire. And Jimmy is not just loyal, he has a reflex to help anybody in a vulnerable position. Jimmy might very well ruin Kim's career with his corner cutting, and that's more tragic than anything else. Kim knows who Jimmy is. Kim even has a side to her that loves the thrill of the con.

If Chuck is dead, it is going to destroy Jimmy,.

He's the voice of reason, and he truly believes that he's the best guy/dad in the world. And he's only slightly better than his siblings. He really does deserve Gob.

Disco's 3rd lines get used heavily. Kane would still get plenty of ice time.

To the bolded: That's what I love about Chuck's character: no matter how screwed up his motivations may be, he always speaks the truth. I believe that Chuck screwed Jimmy in season 1. As someone else pointed out, it's not just that Chuck doesn't want Jimmy at HHM, it's that he doesn't want Jimmy practicing law PERIOD. This is extra sad because I believe Jimmy's strongest motivation for becoming a lawyer was that he looked up to and loved his big brother. He obviously preferred to use his talents in other ways back in Cicero, but once Chuck bailed him out Jimmy really seemed committed to becoming legit. Yep, this is also all true. That's what makes Chuck's noggin knock extra tragic. But I think you are ignoring Chuck's motivation behind giving that amazing pitch: He didn't want Jimmy (and by extension, Kim) to succeed. He put himself in physical duress to go the extra mile on this case. This isn't just Chuck trying to beat his illness, go back to work, and reclaim autonomy; this is Chuck dealing with his problems in the wrong way. I've come to understand his affliction as a psychosomatic sensitivity to electromagnetism. The trigger is a combination of his lack of ability to connect with other human beings, his jealousy over Jimmy's ability, his immense pride, and his lack of self awareness. When he left the house without thinking about it in season 1 episode 8, Chuck was happy working on the Sandpiper case with Jimmy. His little Hamlin-is-bad ruse was still in tact and he didn't have to confront his feelings about Jimmy. As soon as Jimmy got Chuck's attention, his brain realized what was happening. The return of the sensitivity happened to directly coincide with Jimmy returning his focus. When Chuck went outside to call Hamlin and tell him not to hire Jimmy, he had to endure that pain to keep locking Jimmy out. It's amazing how differently we perceive this show. The writing is incredible. _________________________________________________ I never made this connection. I knew that Jimmy grew to despise his father's naivete, but the fact that he stole 8 dollars exactly supports your observation. I think Chuck's got a lot of wolf in him too. Honestly, though, I didn't need another piece of fiction with the sheep/wolf thing. Why not Snakes and Gerbils? Tom Schnauz actually wrote and directed the flashback scene (it was originally broken by all the writers: Vince, Thomas Schnauz (my favorite guy), Gordon Smith, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hudson, and Bradley Paul (no idea who this guy is)). It was originally intended to be the teaser of episode 9 of season 1, but they had to cut it for time. I would've loved to have seen it in that order, but I'm still happy we got it at all.

You're absolutely right. For some reason I thought he painted his own car blue. :doh:

Considering my separation from the Bills and the NFL in general, this is the year that you guys can expect playoffs. I was the one keeping us out. IT WAS ALWAYS ME

Close, Smell. Suarez is actually biting the badge. I despise advertisements on jerseys. I hate it in soccer, I hate it in Euro hockey. I've always been surprised that we're better about that than Europe. Not for long, I guess.

I don't think Stamkos would mind playing on Eichel or Reinhart's wing. I really want our forwards to shake out like this O'Reilly - Eichel - xxx Stamkos - Reinhart - xxx Kane - Larsson - Foligno 2 of Girgensons, Bailey, Fasching, Rodriguez, and Carrier should be capable of filling out the blank spots. Would Stamkos play left wing or right? I assumed left because of where his office is on the PP, but that could easily be wrong.

Another thing I loved about the Smackdown of Truth was Kim's response to Jimmy asking her to ground herself. Despite Jimmy basically engaging in open lawyer warfare, he still loves Chuck and looks up to him. Meanwhile Kim, who has observed their sibling dynamic from a position of clarity (ie not being a part of it) has no idea why Jimmy's still so worried about Chuck. The patronizing way she grounded herself was a perfect scene entrance. I love Kim, I love Kim, I love Kim. I don't know how much Mike is getting what's coming to him. He kinda already seems beaten down by the world. I guess his further development as a hitman is a punishment in and of itself, considering he still obviously cares for basic human life. Great minds think alike K-9, I was actually considering changing my avatar to that exact shot. I'll figure out some way to get Matt Moulson's useless eyebrows out of here.

Clerks brought back a lot of memories of working for Best Buy. Those customers who will talk at your for no reason, the meticulous customers looking in the wrong place, and the customers that have the rage. Hahaha oh man do I not miss it. Speed (I LOVE KEANU REEVES) is currently on my list, as is Royal Tenenbaums. I've never heard of Broken Arrow, but it was written by Graham Yost who also wrote Speed, Justified (the tv show), and one of the episodes of Band of Brothers. I am intrigued.

I didn't realize how much I wanted to hear Randall tell it like it is. And how much I wanted Dante to hear it. The Jay and Silent Bob dancing scenes are amazing also. I actually did see it when I was 12 or something. I'm not sure I'd watch it again after seeing the first Clerks. I'd never forgive it for being nowhere near as good.

Zootopia was excellent! Jason Bateman was perfect as the voice of the fox. I can't not think of him as a D-bag because of arrested development, but this might be the best Jason Bateman has ever been (excluding his part as the commentator in Dodgeball). I just can't help but not want to trust him based on his voice, and the movie plays around with that. Zootopia is to discrimination and stereotypes as Inside Out is to mental health. This is a kid's movie with a whole lot of movie in it. The plot feels more like an 80s buddy cop film than any disney movie. Honestly, the main character does have a lot in common with Axel Foley from Beverly Hills Cop. Super fun for adults and kids alike.

I just watched 2 movies for the first time. Rushmore [1996] (directed by Wes Anderson) Wes Anderson's style is there, but its not as pervasive as in his later films. My girlfriend said she liked this movie because it didn't feel like she was getting hit by the Wes Anderson fish the whole time. I actually wanted more Wes Anderson fish. If you're wondering what I mean, here's a scene with much Wes Anderson fish (the quick camera moves juxtaposed with long steady shots): (slight Darjeeling Limited spoilers) Rushmore was a sweet film, but it wasn't very well paced. Even though it only runs 90 minutes this movie feels looooonnnnnnggg. It's a nice mix of funny and sad, but with not a lot of punch. Bill Murray's character is probably my favorite. He's so silent and so sad, he just says so much without saying anything. I love Bill Murray. I was sick of seeing Jason Schwartzman's stupid face by the end of the movie, though. That guy aged well, as his face isn't even stupid anymore. Clerks [1994] (directed by Kevin Smith) Not just a "stoner flick." Kevin Smith creates such a vibrant world populated with movie opinions and dealing with annoying customers. There's such a wide variety of personalities featured, but the two main ones (Dante and Randall) drive the whole damn thing. Despite having no central plot, Clerks manages to be super focused and ends up saying a lot more than most movies ever dream of. This movie is about mental health and feeling paralyzed by life. It's about escapism and the things we automatically tell ourselves without thinking about it. I remember being super kind to the Revanant when it first game out, but this movie has so so so so so so much more to say than the Revanant could ever dream of. AAAAANND, I seem to remember a few people that didn't think Mad Max: Fury Road was a masterpiece. I'm laying in bed with my wisdom teeth out all weekend, so I'll throw down on why Mad Max is one of the best action films of all time (AND also has much more to say than the Revanant).

I haven't thought about it very hard, but on first watch: Mike buying a round for the bar was him wanting to connect with people, any people. He was also drinking himself, which we haven't seen him do since the season 1. "It feels like I crawled out from the bottom of a bottle and I'm working hard to stay there." We just never see Mike like that. He might've even been giddy from ripping off the Cartel. I think Mike loved it, even though he later found out about the innocent casualty. Mike has something in common with Jimmy: "I just thought criminals would be smarter. It breaks my heart a little." I want to see them back together. I can't wait.

It's nice as a silver lining but after watching that first Kucherov goal... The way Johnson skates... The way Kucherov leans in and freakin' hammers the puck into the top shelf... The crowd erupting and the players celebrating so hard they don't know what to do with themselves. It's been 5 years since Tyler Ennis's rebound off Mike Weber's shot. 5 years since I've felt anything close to that ecstasy. I've learned so much and come to love hockey so much more as a player and a spectator since then. I can't even imagine that feeling now. But I want it.

I'm with you. Man oh man am I sad that I've been behind. I'm finally caught up and ready to dive into this with you guys. Excellent stuff in here. I see things much more like PA than freeman. I think that Chuck's treatment of Jimmy so far in the show has been pretty on the nose. He's been incredibly quick to suss out every single mistake/questionable maneuver that Jimmy makes... almost like he's obsessively waiting for Jimmy to screw up. The problem with Freeman's argument is that Chuck has been treating Jimmy like this for his entire life. Jimmy left Marco and Cicero to try and fix his life. Chuck's wake up call from the prison flashback in season 1 worked and he set his brother on the right path. The problem is that the gesture wasn't enough. Chuck couldn't actually find it in his heart to help his brother succeed, he's too jealous of Jimmy's ability to make people like him. No matter how much Jimmy sacrificed his own happiness to take care of him, Chuck was only ever worried about himself. He's a very prideful man and it still hurt to see him be humiliated in front of his peers. But watching him squirm after Kim's smackdown? Justice. Karma is indeed a bitch, never stab your brother in the back. Chuck deserved the legal ######ery that Jimmy unleashed upon him. Kim, however doesn't deserve any of it. _____________________________ I love the way episode 9 capitalized on locations/set pieces established in episode 8. The ~5:30 minute teaser featuring a truck driver crossing the boarder, eating a popsicle, and picking up a gun left me puzzled. Episode 8 continued with a lot of Mike sitting in his car scenes. The much more succinct conclusion was all the payoff I could've ever asked for. Mike is a force of nature. Watching him work is a thing of beauty. I loved the shot where the truck was in between him and his car, trapped. Mike's ruses are always so simple: draw the eye that way, then come from this way. There's an elegant simplicity in it all. It was extra fun hearing him tell Nacho that 'you guys aren't anywhere near as smart as you think you are.' Of course his master plan went awry and he would've been better off killing the guy. The first time he was able to take the beating and think of it as punishment for corrupting his son, this time an innocent civilian (a good samaritan, even) bit it instead of the truck driver who's in the game. I love the way they're slowly pushing Mike down the path toward becoming Gus's #2. The two teasers working together reminded me of episodes 4 and 6 of season 4 of breaking bad. The first one featured Mike waiting in the back of a Pollos Hermanos truck and easily dispatching 2 would be robbers. The second one featured two random Gus employees getting killed by Cartel induced asphyxiation. Speaking of which, I guess Gus didn't build his distribution all alone. I think Mike takes a lesson from the cartel and gives Gus the idea to move his product in refrigerated food trucks. Maybe, I think we'll find out either way. ----------------------------------------- The other thing that episode 9 paid off was the dual offices. The scene where Kim gets the call from Mesa Verde broke my heart. Jimmy was in Kim's side painting the walls red (hah), then he had to feign excitement for Kim. He's coloring her professional world and keeping her in the dark. He's in her office, trying to solve her problems instead of taking care of his own career. That said... The guy can't even celebrate earnestly with his girlfriend. He's built himself another layer of separation through yet another lie. "You and Mesa Verde were meant for one another. All is right with the world." He still has to sell even in their bedroom at night. His tomfoolery has leaked out into every other part of his life. It's so sad to see everything Jimmy and Kim go through, because we know how finite it all is. Every time Kim accepts who Jimmy is yet again, it adds another helping of tragedy. I've cried a lot of times in season 2 so far, but no emotion compares to the exhilaration I felt when Kim layed the Smackdown of Truth on Chuck. The finale of Breaking Bad featured the completion of Walt's arc in one line: "I did it for me. I liked it, I was good at it. And I was really... I was alive." After years of watching this man lie to himself over and over and over again he finally understands his own motivation. It was a similar, yet potently different feeling to have Kim smack Chuck upside the head with the blunt truth of his motivations. Chuck is so proud that he couldn't even believe it himself how jealous he is of Jimmy. ------ Another thing: The couple walking down the street holding hands in the reflection of the diner window while Mike is shrouded behind the window shades. I love that as an illustration of Mike's separation from that world. There's no possibility for that kind of love in his life, he's just trying to provide for his DIL and granddaughter. It reminded me of the money heist from season 1: Mike outside alone. Spying on a family as they play games and enjoy the company of one another. Dweeeeeeeeeeebs

I love Kuznetsov. He's such a deceptive player. Right when it seems like he's speeding up to carry the puck he fires a perfect pass right to somebody's tape. Almost every time.

My rink is closing down for the summer. I'm so sad. Soccer and frisbee are fine, but they won't fill the void.

Modo! Your Christmas threads was one of my favorite of the year. I showed my siblings the video because I was so charmed. I can't imagine losing a team, especially one so obviously important to its homeyown the way MODO is. I hope you guys get back in the SHL soon. Thanks for joining us! :beer: