u/This-Evening2278

My god! It’s been too long since we’ve seen her out in public. I also can’t wait to see her Kelly Clarkson interview tomorrow! So psyched!!!

They were so real and raw and emotional, and we can see them, especially Emily, go through their stages of grief throughout AYITL. This is something AYITL did well. Nice tribute to Edward Herrmann.

- My love for Susie has gone way up! I mean, she handled Harry Drake’s two guys very well with her street smarts. Also, now I get her bitterness. I mean, she has a horrible brother and brother-in-law. Her sister is nice though. She’s a great manager to Midge. Supportive. With tough love. Even with Midge’s high maintenance and self-absorbance at times. Now, I don’t know if she’ll take that offer from Sophie Lennon. But then again, she’s very supportive of Midge. But I won’t be sure until I start season 3. And of course, her dry humor still kills!!

- I love Midge too, but she can be too self-involved at times. But I get it. Not all main characters are written to be fully likeable. In fact, I like characters with flaws. And I guess for Midge, it would totally make sense. Joel left her and cheated on her. Her dad is so narcissistic, science-oriented and fact-obsessed, and lacks empathy. Her mother is also pretty callous and just goes along with the gender norms. I get that’s where Midge’s behavior comes from, but at some point, she needs to take accountability. But still, I admire her ambition and courage. And still, her stand up kills! I also love her and Benjamin. Certainly better than Joel. Now, I don’t know if she’ll still go on that 6-month tour with Shy Baldwin or stick with her relationship with Benjamin, so I’m interested in how that plays out. What I was surprised about was the last scene of the season where she shares a kiss with Joel, but I’ll get into that when I discuss Joel. Anyway, still love Midge and root for her despite her flaws.

- I feel like Rose and Abe are fantastic characters, but I wouldn’t stand them in real life. I mean, after all, they truly are products of their time. Rose goes along with gender norms with just being a wife and mother and without a job. Abe is also very science-oriented and loves facts and lacks empathy. I did love their Paris storyline, and Abe has learned slowly empathy for Rose during that, and it shows when he didn’t want Midge to mention her stand up to Rose until the right time. Also, I do have to feel for Abe because of everything changing all of a sudden, with Midge being on stage doing stand-up at the Catskills (another storyline I loved), with Noah being in the CIA, him losing everything at Bell Labs, and so on. Even though Rose and Abe have annoyed me to no end at times, they’re still fantastically written characters.

- With Joel, I’m on the fence about. Of course, I hated him in season 1 for cheating on Midge and basically being a spoiled and entitled brat. In this season, he did show some redeeming qualities, like overworking and improving stuff at his father’s clothing business. He also has a conscience and feels miserable for himself and has regrets at least. Then again, in the season 2 finale, I don’t know how to feel about him because he was mad at Midge for showing his kids to Benjamin, but Midge said that that was accidental and Benjamin just showed up. And he also said that she left him even though it was the other way around. Also, Joel also kisses Midge at the end. I don’t know if Midge came there intentionally wanting to kiss and get together with Joel, but either way, she did cheat on Benjamin. But I don’t know if the kiss was 2-sided because from the looks of it, it did seem like Joel physically pulled her in for a kiss without her intending to. I feel like Midge just wanted to be with a friend and that Joel exploited that, but I won’t be sure until I start season 3. So, I don’t know how to feel about Joel, but I am mostly on the verge of still disliking him.

- Lenny Bruce NEEDS MORE SCREEN TIME!!!!!!!!

Favorite storylines and moments this season:

Paris

The Catskills

Susie befriending those two guys

Midge seeing Abe in the audience and still performing anxiously

Susie threatening Sophie Lennon

Abe in that romper (or whatever it was called)

Midge on that telethon

Abe approving Benjamin

*Basically any scene with Susie, Midge, and Abe*

Anyway, loving the show and can’t wait for season 3.

She was truly dedicated to her craft and knows so much about the role despite how divisive/hated her character is. There was some stuff here I had no idea about! Linnea Berthelsen deserves more love!

Here’s the link:

https://1883magazine.com/linnea-berthelsen-kali-stranger-things-finale/

And David Harbour always handles them very well! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

I love the moments where Lorelai finally puts Christopher in his place like this scene. I always roll my eyes when she feels empathetic and feels sorry for him.

For me, season 1 = 2 > 4 > 5 > 3

Hopper has always been one of my favorites, a protective father figure, strong, tough, resilient, has traumatic backstory, sometimes a bit overprotective and toxic, but always had great intentions.

Which season was your favorite Hopper? Least favorite?

Erika Sloane won the last round of good person hated by fans with 30 upvotes on top comment. Remember, the winner of the round is the comment with the most upvotes 🥇

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This is my first time watching the show. Loving it and everything and just finished season 2 episode 4 when they went to Catskills. Character-wise, Rose I think is my least favorite, at least so far. I mean, she has pretty unlikable qualities. She’s been very callous and lacking empathy since the first episode when Midge told her and Abe about the affair and separation. She’s constantly been criticizing everything Midge has done to change her life, like when she first announced her getting a job at B. Altman. And to top it off, she gets increasingly petty by running away to Paris because she feels invisible in the eyes of Midge and Abe for not listening to her. I mean, Midge has been on the short end of the stick from Rose’s constant criticism. Why would she explain more things to Rose? To get criticized again? Also, if Rose was more mature, she would have a conversation, without any yelling or anything, with Midge and Abe about how she feels, and instead, she runs away to Paris. And also, even in season 2, I don’t think she’s gotten better. Even after getting back from Paris, she brought down the excitement of all those girls when she was auditing those art classes. Even though she was probably right, she didn’t have to bring the room down. They should’ve found their own paths with their issues themselves. Also, in season 2 episode 4, she’s still very annoying and nagging at Midge for her dating life and hooking her up with that Benjamin guy. Like, why?! This is literally why Midge has kept secrets from her in the previous season.

When it comes to other characters, they are at least more likable and/or redeemable. For example, in season 1, I hated Joel so much, but in season 2, he did show some redeeming qualities, like at the clothing factory and wanting to improve everything, handling his family’s finances and those treasure maps, and also just having an overall conscience and wanting to improve his life. With Abe, he did start out very callous at the beginning, but he did show care for Midge as the show progressed, and he did work on improving his marriage with Rose when in Paris. Even Midge herself has flaws and made some horrible mistakes so far, but overall, she’s very likable and charming and funny and has her own goals on comedy and has a job at B. Altman, making me still root for her all the time. And Susie, how can you not love her?

Basically, Rose is my least favorite so far. I just wanted to vent. And please, no spoilers after season 2 episode 4.

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