She's what, maybe 25 years old? 27 at most? That maybe all she has now, but that doesn't mean that's all she'll ever have or find to care about. Fiction is convenient. When the part of the life the story is about is over, that's it. They only exist within the confines of what is told about them to further a story. But for a real life Marla, life doesn't stop just because it falls apart. It's a bit trite, but time does march on and people get older and their perspectives change. Who knows who Marla would be at 40 or what she'd choose to care about? Even if it's been fifteen years in prison and another ten to go.

Anyway... I can't quite remember how wee got on to the subject of the value of a broken life. I'm gonna go on the record as being in favor of hope. It must be a vestige of the idealistic 25 year old in my 40 year old self.

hehehe... yeah! But we're having fun and not hurting anybody, so what's the harm?

That's what I keep telling myself anyway.

That's why, somewhere, whe have the Are We Pathetic thread. To which I fully confess--Yes I am! Actually, I'm so pathetic that all day yesterday I was thinking about a fanfic I wanted to write about Kevin--he of the "9 wide"! And I spent my lunch break yesterday on it and then went home and stayed up WAY past my bedtime to finish it. All for a character who had, what? 2 scenes? Yep! Pathetic is the word.

Well, Bobby kept in contact with Wally Stevens. Maybe Marla can talk him into being her pen pal.

How did Bobby say it? “I believe my asking the question proves I’m not.” Well, that’s the story I’m going with.

So now I need to know--does Mr. 9 Wide try to contact Bobby again, in your fanfic, ciaddict? Because, hey, I understand being obsessed with the man...



Yeah. I'm a whackjob and proud of it.

Okay... please don't all get mad at me but this is driving me nuts. Kevin's ad said he was a "wide 9" not a "9 wide".

There is an acre of difference there folks. Or at least a yard... if you take my meaning.

Thanks for clearing that up. Now I want to know if a wide 9 means he's a double wide.

HA! In his dreams. Or maybe Skip's.

No he doesn't try to contact Bobby. Sadly, in this story Bobby and Alex are minor characters whose only purpose is to move Kevin's story forward. But Kevin was quite impressed with Bigfoot--until he slapped that badge on the table!



My mistake--you are correct. And I must have watched that scene 10 times last night--in slow motion!

Given the circles those people travel in, and having watched the interaction between mother and son, I would guess that poor little Henry is going to be told his mother died -- can anyone honestly see Eleanor permitting her grandson to make prison visits? Her son will do exactly what Eleanor tells him to do --- If Marla gets life, she ain't never going to see little Henry again. Very, very sad situation. I really detest people like Eleanor Reynolds. There but for the grace of God goes any one of us. Who can judge the effect of the pressure and strain of trying to fit into a life where you're obviously not welcome on a human mind?

IMO this epi was another homerun. I got a kick out of Robert this time around. He seemed to be more upbeat, smiling at times. He was amused at the uppitys and exchanged knowing glances with Eames. They seemed to be on the same page again.

I absolutely loved his last line. That was my awesome Bobby! I hope it lasts!

Hmm....I've read the last few pages of this thread before posting on it again....

There have been many thought-provoking posts and opinions posted in the past few days. This was one of the epis that probably should be watched several times, with the many layers to the story line.
Initially I had a great deal of empathy toward Marla, because of the rotten treatment she experienced at the hands of Eleanor and no support from her husband.....I have walked many miles in Marla's shoes these past 13 years. But one of the posters opined, and I agree, that more sympathy would be present if she'd killed the MIL instead of 3 innocent people, and for what? Her son to attend a prestigous daycare, oh excuse me, preschool. Even attempting to stand up to a monster-in-law like Eleanor isn't too effective if your spouse doesn't have your back.
And what is depression? Anger turned inward. IMO, I don't believe it's a post-partum depression, probably 2-3 years worth of verbal and emotional abuse and that she had no way to defend herself, and to go to a therapist wouldn't look right in the Reynolds' family social circle; and therefore she suffered in silence. Obviously the wrong choice was made, whether it be kill the parents of the children in the way of Henry's acceptance into Carnegie Hill Day, or killing the tormenting MIL.
And I'll be the 1st to admit, my initial opinion of Goren's response to Eleanor's actions has been coloured by my experience, just as Goren admitted his experience with his father coloured his treatment of the judge in ITWSH. With a few days of thought and repeated viewing of Please Note, my opinion has somewhat changed on that.
Perhaps Marla wouldn't be classified as a true serial killer....if I remember correctly, there's a sexual component to the serial killer classification (e.g. Ted Bundy, Gary Ridgway). Perhaps she would be classified as a spree killer, but even that doesn't feel right.
In the end, it's all the same: 3 people dead, one on the way to prison, 3 children without a parent and one orphaned. What a waste.

I have watched that scene over and over too. And smile everytime.

Also, last night very late, the episode was on where the yound adults kill themselves on the railroad tracks in that strange suicide pact in the car. One one the guys that died was played by the same guy that played Marla's husband.

Just a thought.... I don't think she did it to get Henry into the preschool. She did it to get the impossible... approval from her mother in law.

Which just makes her pathetic IMO. But that's from my perspective. There is something about a woman too weak to stand up to herself that just irratates the crap out of me.

I agree. I like your post.


Didn't she come from a poorer background? Came to NY to dance. No education. Maybe she wasn't weak but didn't want to distance herself from MIL purse strings. Rich lifestyle outweighed whatever she had to endure. Just a thought.

I'm curious about something, since I'm new to this board. The fighting a few pages back....is that normal for every discussion about episodes? If so, I'm on the wrong board.

Angela

I'm sorry Angela. We try to keep it civil. But there are lots of strong opinions around here and sometimes we get carried away.

Somehow I get the impression (and like I said before, my own experience may be colouring things) that Marla wasn't weak---this is a character who moved to NY, tried to live her dream by trying to become a dancer--that took some cojones to do. While this was done to initially get her son into the "right" preschool, seemed like it was MIL's decision to have Henry there...and Eleanor strikes me as a woman who wouldn't have been satisfied, no matter what. Even if Henry hasn't been wait-listed, something else probably would've set her off against Marla. Add in the milksop husband, and it became a recipe for a woman on the edge of losing herself, and reacted the only way she thought she could.
My own experience....I'm certainly not afraid to stand up to MIL, have done it many times in the past!--but hubby refuses to have my back and stand up for ME and for what's right, which I strongly suspect Marla's hubby also did and just caved to someone with the personality of a steamroller. You know what they say about the squeaky wheel....and some people will do almost anything to keep that wheel quiet and running smooth.




I haven't been on the boards for too long......but from what I've observed, periodically a topic really hits a nerve. For "strong disagreement", it really should be taken to PM and that way it's not tainting the boards. For me (and I suspect for many others on this board), this is a great outlet--I can discuss something I really enjoy with people that also have similar feelings.

Maybe. I'll admit I've got a "thing" about this that might be clouding my judgement. Remember in "person of Intrest" when Bobby says, "She picked someone I already didn't trust... someone I already didn't respect." That's kinda how I can get about women who let people walk on them.



I haven't been here so long myself, but I don't think so. What I like about this list is there are lots of people on in who really seem to want to talk about the episodes. I think spats break out now and then on every board but as long as it's not that often, they're pretty easy to skip over. Unless you're like me... compulsive mediator. I'm doing better now.... group therapy... medication really helps.... hehe - just kidding! Welcome to the funhouse!

Yeah.... maybe weak is the wrong word. But for whatever reason she left that harpy walk all over her and that just pisses me off! lol

QUOTE (TheGoddessDivine @ Jul 9 2008, 10:41 PM)

While this was done to initially get her son into the "right" preschool, seemed like it was MIL's decision to have Henry there...and Eleanor strikes me as a woman who wouldn't have been satisfied, no matter what. Even if Henry hasn't been wait-listed, something else probably would've set her off against Marla.

Oh I'm absolutely sure you're right abaout that. If producing the grandson didn't turn her, nothing would... ever. She thought her son married beneath him, adn that somehow justified her horrible treatment of the girl.

QUOTE (TheGoddessDivine @ Jul 9 2008, 10:41 PM)

My own experience....I'm certainly not afraid to stand up to MIL, have done it many times in the past!--but hubby refuses to have my back and stand up for ME and for what's right

I have no doubt you do! But I agree it sucks not to have backup. I'm sorry you have to put up with that... but you are doing right by your kids when you stand up for youself and what's right. If Marla had done that for Henry everyone would have been better off.

Great minds think alike!!
Although right now the one that needs the V8 bonk to the head is the milksop husband...never did get his name. And that should be done, just on principle. IMO, of course.
Tell you what....we'll take turns holding him down while the other smacks him upside the head, know what I mean? Just sayin. :-)

Just sayin

Well, here's the thing--I'm not always involved in every quarrel that breaks out around here (honest!)--but I have a *thing* about a certain subject and sometimes someone says something that sets me off, and we're all in the fray. Usually it goes on for a couple pages and then we retreat to our respective corners, mostly because we all have other things to do and are able to come back and move on from it. You shouldn't worry about the fights, they come and go just equally quickly. Everyone has strong opinions here. We do pretty well, especially for an unmoderated board.

GoddessDivine, excellent post, although, while I agree that Marla's problem was not postpartum, it was depression, and depression is not always anger turned inward. I think her case was situational--she was lonely, she was bored, her husband was hardly ever around, she had the responsibility of a toddler and a constantly disapproving mother in law who forever insulted her. On the other hand, I agree--her depression might have driven her to her desperate actions, but it's a reason, not an excuse. Meds and therapy were an alternative...you're right, it's just a tragic situation all around, but most of all for the victims she killed and the children that were left without mommy or daddy.

You can have a witch of a m-i-l, but if your husband isn't on your side- get out! Marla was "tethered" to a woosie man. She also had symptoms of a battered wife (not necessarily due to her husband)- the inability to think for herself because of her overwhelming fears of reprisal. ITA that she murdered those people to get the approval of her m-i-l, who abused everyone it seems.

I really wish it had been the MIL instead of Marla. If for no other reason, I would have loved to see Bobby bring her down and put her in her place. Especially if it had been our old Goren. What a sight that would have been
Angela

So I've got this on again following the season premier of Burn Notice (which was great!) and something different popped out at me. It was interesting how the first victim turned out to be the last one identified and they never got to check out the crime scene. I've heard about that sort of thing happening in real life, cases being connected long after the crimes occured, and it's neat how they worked that in to the script.

I don't remember them ever doing anything like that before... anyone else?

This was a good episode. I liked it a lot better then the last one. As for the last victim being the last one found, I don't think they've done that before. But if the only reason she got in was economic diversity, personally that's not a preschool that I want to attend. I also agree that Marla was probably suffering from a lot of loneliness and trying to get the approval of a perfectionist, which was almost impossible. I loved the Bigfoot reference and that Eames/Goren seemed to get along well.

Could you have imange the mother-in-law being forced to go to JAIL? And be held in RIKERS? That scence would have been really funny to see.

With her public bathroom phobia, how long do you think before she'd explode and make a mess of herself? LOL

That whole thing was reminiscent of the movie "Silence Of The Lambs." The killer weighted down his first victim so she wouldn't float & be discovered right away, so she was the third one found instead of the first. This screwed up the investigation big time.

That's how I felt, Bobby always had a thing against Parents or grandparents gone bad.

I was actually thinking, why is Goren looking at her legs?

Because she was soooooo obvious to him that she had to go.....
("When ya gotta go, ya gotta go" -Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park! How's that for a coincidence?)

And.....

When someone's doing something (moving their arms or legs), usually people's attention is drawn to the movement.....

I love this screencap of Bobby from "Please Note". Kev9 must have thought he really hit the jackpot. I'd have trouble not to jump his bones right there in the restaurant. How can a 6' 4" heavyset man manage to look so charmingly "innocent" as VDO does here. Those eyes!!!! OMG!!!!

this epi reminds me of Joe, which is the only reason I'm keeping it on my tape.

I really can't remember spefics but I remember them doing something like this. Overall it was pretty good. Betrayl was better though. (But it ruins the shippyness!) Overall the B/A epis after purgatory were a million times better than Purgatory itself.

Actually you spell kevnine like this. KEVNINE. They spelled out the number not using the actually number.

Bobby looks way better in this epi, even a little bit cute.

Nice use of Jeff Goldblum line for coincidence, LOCI#1Fan!

Makes me think of that commerical, Gotta go right now, I watch toooo much tv, oops I do have to go right now! Dam I am old.

No kiddin' huh? They don't call him the chameleon for nuthin'. That is a good pic. It was also very nice to see him smiling in this episode.


yes and I see that they are airing Jurassic Park on USA.

I am sorry to say this, but that wasn’t Jeff Goldblum’s line in Jurassic Park. It was thieving partner of Dennis Nerdy ( Wayne Knight’s character ) who said that line. They were in a hurry to leave, because Dennis was already behind the schedule.

Can they cast him in the new role instead of Goldblum?

Whenever Goren or Eames are mad, they could just say, "Nnnnnnnnnnnewman!"

Thanks!