acting in this episode was just so bad wtf
noah in that opening scene, man. i hope this kid gets more acting gigs in the future because my heart ached.
i agree with everyone on ice being the better version of this episode formula but ngl the guest stars are a fun bunch to see together
haven't seen the chinese version but as number one body horror fan i fucking loved this episode
ranjit's actor's monologue about the war was incredible tbh
i haven't read the books and i get where wenjie's coming from. if you interpret her choice as revenge against one man vs. all of what she's experienced at the hands of her society then i think you missed a few other things in these first two episodes
the timing of this episode mentioning the wow signal when i just finished the season 2 premiere of x-files less than a day ago
LMAO SCULLY WHY WOULD A CAGED PRIMATE BE FRIENDLY...
hearing people talk about autism in the 90s is wild (to clarify it's just one line at the beginning of the episode, i don't know that roland is intended to be depicted as a man with autism)
i mean, maybe it's because it's 2024 when i'm watching this, but its kind of endearing to see them discuss ai like it's as fringe a concept as a poltergeist
regardless of opinion on the case they portrayed i just wanna say chinaza uche is a great actor. he was incredible in silo and just as much so in this episode.
edited to add: i sincerely enjoy episodes like these. i think the l&o franchise does best when it portrays the gray areas of our justice system + society, even if they rarely make for satisfying endings. but also damn if your lawyer tells you you're being offered a good deal TAKE THE DEAL
lance reddick was a great zeus but my heart also hurts every time i see a posthumous role of his :sob:
and the gabe post-credits scene WHAT A NICE BONUS
THIS HAD ME IN MY FEELS TBH
for anyone wondering like i was, this is Maybe Kinda not a violation of the mandatory reporting laws in new york city. minors are protected by hipaa in new york city, even from their own guardians, but obviously that goes by the wayside in mandatory reporting situations - mandatory reporters are supposed to contact SCR (new york statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment) with disclosures, and they'll refer the cases to either CPS (if involving a parent or responsible adult of the victim) or the new york special victims liaison unit (svu in wolfverse). so yeah the therapist is technically making a mandatory report to the right person and just cutting bureaucratic tape.
but also benson is her patient and the girl's father is her boss so... the conflicts of interest are Many here idk. writing's not super logical (but maybe that's the strike for you)
but the ending was cute
i cannot stop screaming this until it stops happening: it is 2024 why are people still saying "i have a (insert relative here)" to contextualize their empathy regarding child pornography and sexual assault and human trafficking WHY DOES IT MATTER WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE RELATED TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING TO GIVE A SHIT ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS?
i'm not going to say i can't believe mat mustard still has his job and works in a position of authority, but i do want to know how much longer he gets to stay like that.
LMAO WAIT IM SORRY, DETECTIVE MUSTARD SAID WHAT ABOUT WOMEN???????
i sure love when men need to be reminded that women are human beings by someone pointing out that they have a sister/mother/daughter, because you know, if you don't have a female relative how could you possibly care about a woman being sexually assaulted
this episode in general wasn't great but i'm especially annoyed with maslow's hierarchy of needs being taught in a college class when it hasn't been even remotely validated as a framework in the field and is little more than one psychologist's idea built entirely on research focused on a select few individuals (e.g., albert einstein and eleanor roosevelt) who didn't represent the general population (which, as a bonus, i've since found out maslow defended by saying that studying anyone with any disability or illness would simply result in "cripple psychology")
(in case you can't tell what i have the most trouble suspending disbelief for)
i agree with the sentiments that the episodes could stand to be around the 45 minute mark but i also know why they aren't—family tv shows are always capping out around 35 minutes max and i think it's probably for the best as someone who used to have to bargain using television show episodes to finally get my brothers into bed. those 10-15 min extra add up fast. it is SUPER weird though how the episodes feel so short and rushed at times when the percy jackson movie adaptation didn't quite feel that way (not complimenting it, just an observation). maybe it's the fact it excised a few of the quest steps?
speaking of that adaptation, i haven't read the books so can't confirm but if this show is more faithful to them, i really don't understand some of the changes made for the movie adaptation. this show has been a lot more fun tbh.
cannot believe a man played by an actor a year older than me is being called a child and treated like the gen z of british police
idc i loved it. did need more monsters
still havent read the books but tbh jason mantzoukas as a cranky sober dionysus is inspired either way
maybe it's because i saw the original percy jackson movie in theaters (automatically makes things like 20% more entertaining) and love logan lerman (and never read the books) but i wasn't aware that adaptation was so disliked until reading up on this one. i hope fans of the book series get more out of this adaptation either way, it definitely sucks when a book you loved doesn't come to life on screen the way you imagined. this is cute, feels very YA and cheeky in the way that the new goosebumps adaptation did.
cannot believe the minotaur was running around in underwear though
this is the most fucked up cliffhanger in the world
i'm glad i waited to watch this because idt i could cope with this cliffhanger for multiple years of waiting
man what a fucking reveal
carla gugino has been killing it all this time but that last scene MAN i have never been more frightened and attracted to a woman in my life
favorite episode i think, the actings incredible but those EFFECTS and that NOISE
this episode really highlighted how well the cast members balance portraying awful, intolerable people and embodying characters that are still likable, at least for me. because normally this level of hostility toward a cat would have me screaming like lucy liu in kill bill, but i still loved rahul's character up and through that final scene.
