The previous episode was excellent and introduced a very promising new character. Very disappointing that this is not explored more for at least one episode. I get that this episode is setting up a number of plotlines for the future which is good, but I would have loved one episode focussing on the new partnership - the plots could have easily been developed in the background. I like the 'new' romance and the potential set up for conflict in the future.
3 Reviews
Too much drama
pauli_gomez21 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This was so boring.
I can'r stamd Stella. Her character is annoying.
The Davidsons drama is out of control. If the Walkers have been paying taxes for decades, the house is theirs. Period.
Cordell (allegedly) burning the barn? An accident, and he was a minor at the time, so nothing legally serious either.
I am tired of family drama, give me more case of the week stories.
I can'r stamd Stella. Her character is annoying.
The Davidsons drama is out of control. If the Walkers have been paying taxes for decades, the house is theirs. Period.
Cordell (allegedly) burning the barn? An accident, and he was a minor at the time, so nothing legally serious either.
I am tired of family drama, give me more case of the week stories.
A lot of boundaries crossed
Sarah42311 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
First the good news: Mitch Pileggi (Bonham) absolutely carried his scenes as the gruff patriarch. He even managed a 27 year time throw back with steely-eyed panache.
His scene near the end with Molly Hagan (Abeline) added both an unexpected plot twist and a view into a decades long relationship that has been tested, time and again, and survived.
God, I love these two and every bit of nuance they bring to each scene they have.
An ominous tone really hit in that last moment with Bonham and Geri (Odette Annable)--who again is a very good actress just saddled with a mountain of character back story to climb.
Now added to it, will Geri lie when called to the stand in the future or will she sell out the Walkers? Either way is a bad choice once again for the character--and that's not a ship dig, it just looks like a looming fact.
Other good news: Sets and locations, as always, were perfect. Costumes pulled a little more weight than usual with the "old west" vibe we suddenly were thrown into. (And they always deserve kudos for their regular work.)
Final good news: it wasn't bad enough to turn me aside.
---
My real downside was the out-of-character choices made during this episode that threw me out of enjoying my favorites:
Would Cordell really walk out on his (cancer patient) daddy to go rock climbing with the new partner?
Would Liam, a lawyer mind you, leave it to Cordell and not already have yellow pads full of notes and arguments and multiple drafts of appeals (because this was looking like an easily solvable adverse possession case)?
Would the new partner both leave him dangling for a sip of water while meddling in his sex life?
Would Trey break the bro code to discuss the same, so breezily? And by the way, why are the writers poking us with fan fic portmanteaux so much? (Yes, we get it folks. You're down with the section of fans who inhabit AO3)
Would Geri push away the golden "prince" she talked about with Micki, having stepped over Hoyt's dead body to finally get Cordell in her grasp? (Admittedly, later we find out no, but that little push back was OOC to me.)
And why the heavy handed parallel between the two het sex pairings, young and old? Why would any teenager, much less Stella, be all "you go, dad, walk of shame. HELL YEAH"?
These actors worked it hard and deserved much better tonight.
---
Then besides characters--the life force to me of the show--we have several totally implausible plot turns. Yes, it's a drama and sometimes a bit soapy, but this was me going "huh" on the regular within one single ep.
So to sum up: um, they tried.
His scene near the end with Molly Hagan (Abeline) added both an unexpected plot twist and a view into a decades long relationship that has been tested, time and again, and survived.
God, I love these two and every bit of nuance they bring to each scene they have.
An ominous tone really hit in that last moment with Bonham and Geri (Odette Annable)--who again is a very good actress just saddled with a mountain of character back story to climb.
Now added to it, will Geri lie when called to the stand in the future or will she sell out the Walkers? Either way is a bad choice once again for the character--and that's not a ship dig, it just looks like a looming fact.
Other good news: Sets and locations, as always, were perfect. Costumes pulled a little more weight than usual with the "old west" vibe we suddenly were thrown into. (And they always deserve kudos for their regular work.)
Final good news: it wasn't bad enough to turn me aside.
---
My real downside was the out-of-character choices made during this episode that threw me out of enjoying my favorites:
Would Cordell really walk out on his (cancer patient) daddy to go rock climbing with the new partner?
Would Liam, a lawyer mind you, leave it to Cordell and not already have yellow pads full of notes and arguments and multiple drafts of appeals (because this was looking like an easily solvable adverse possession case)?
Would the new partner both leave him dangling for a sip of water while meddling in his sex life?
Would Trey break the bro code to discuss the same, so breezily? And by the way, why are the writers poking us with fan fic portmanteaux so much? (Yes, we get it folks. You're down with the section of fans who inhabit AO3)
Would Geri push away the golden "prince" she talked about with Micki, having stepped over Hoyt's dead body to finally get Cordell in her grasp? (Admittedly, later we find out no, but that little push back was OOC to me.)
And why the heavy handed parallel between the two het sex pairings, young and old? Why would any teenager, much less Stella, be all "you go, dad, walk of shame. HELL YEAH"?
These actors worked it hard and deserved much better tonight.
---
Then besides characters--the life force to me of the show--we have several totally implausible plot turns. Yes, it's a drama and sometimes a bit soapy, but this was me going "huh" on the regular within one single ep.
So to sum up: um, they tried.
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