u/Super_Peppermint4013

Leonard and Norma were one of my favorite random side plots. I wish the show brought them back.

Their whole homemade sex tape storyline was so random, and exactly why it was still so funny then and again rewatching. The scene where Leonard shows Tom and Lynette the “production room” and casually says you could scream your lungs out in there and nobody would hear you still makes me laugh. 😂

Norma was hilarious too because she always looked so embarrassed by Leonard, especially when he wouldn’t stop talking about the porn or when their little menace kids beat up the Scavo boys. Honestly, they were like the only kids who could hold their own against Lynette’s children.

I wish they had randomly popped up again, even if it was just Lynette running into them at the grocery store or another neighbor accidentally finding out their secret. Some of the show’s throwaway storylines ended up being the funniest.

Byron and Ella were honestly kind of terrible parents, and every rewatch makes me question them more.

First of all... the obvious whole Ezra situation? I don't care if your teenage daughter is mad at you. You're the parent. Your job is to protect her, not be her friend. They started off acting like they were against it, but then they just...gave up? Aria is very obviously dating a grown man while she's still in high school, and they know it. Instead of putting an end to it, they basically throw their hands up and go, "Well, I guess this is happening." No! She's a teenager being groomed by her teacher. Why are you acting like she's a grown woman making an adult relationship decision?

Then Byron putting Aria in the middle of his affair was just awful. Imagine cheating on your wife and then making your teenage daughter keep your secret. That's such an unfair thing to dump on your kid. And then, after everything, he brings Meredith back into their lives and basically expects his kids to just get over it because he's happy now. Excuse me? That's the woman who helped blow up your family. And then she literally ends up drugging Aria! Like...what? She was never a good person, so why was Byron so determined to force everyone to accept her?

And then poor Mike? Byron and Ella were constantly so wrapped up in their own drama that Mike's issues felt like they were always on the back burner. Ella had slightly better intentions than Byron most of the time, but neither of them seemed all that tuned in to what was actually going on with their son.

People always say the Montgomery house feels so cozy, but honestly the energy has always felt weirdly cold to me. The show keeps telling us they're this close, intellectual family, especially after the whole year in Iceland, but I never actually feel that. They barely have meaningful conversations. Everyone is always doing their own thing, and they seem emotionally disconnected from each other. It's like they have the aesthetic of a close family without actually being one.

And don't even get me started on how they handled Aria. Their daughter spends years being groomed by an adult, and instead of getting her real help or doing everything they can to get her away from him, they eventually just accept it. Then she marries her groomer and everyone's just like, "Aww, congratulations!" What??

They also let Mike date Mona. I know some time had passed, but this is still the girl who psychologically tormented your daughter for years. Why would you be okay with that?

Then Ella gets engaged to Zack even though she already had concerns that he might be inappropriate around teenage girls...and she still had him around Aria. That whole situation made me side eye her a bit.

I feel like the show wanted us to see Byron and Ella as these mature, deep, progressive parents. But the more I watch, the more they just seem emotionally immature. They were so focused on their own relationships and happiness that their kids' actual needs kept getting pushed aside. Aria and Mike both had some really serious things going on, and Byron and Ella dropped the ball over and over again.

We all know the Applewhite storyline has faced criticism for years, both because of its racist undertones and because the mystery itself seemed to drag at times. The imagery of a Black man being chained in a basement, the police shooting Matthew as the resolution, and some of the smaller microaggressions throughout the season have understandably left a bad taste for a lot of viewers. On top of that, the mystery never really lived up to the hype.

It also feels like Alfre Woodard's incredible talent was completely underused. She was apparently brought in because the producers felt they needed a really strong actress to carry the mystery, and she absolutely was, but Betty ended up with surprisingly little to do outside of reacting to the secret.

What's interesting is that we now know this wasn't even the original storyline. Executive producer Michael Edelstein has confirmed that the first version was completely different. Originally, one of the Applewhite sons got a girl pregnant, and Betty was secretly keeping the pregnant girl hidden in the basement because she wanted to have an abortion, which Betty opposed on religious grounds. Apparently ABC got nervous about tackling abortion as the central mystery, so the storyline was scrapped relatively late and replaced with the version we got.

I honestly find it fascinating that this was ever the plan, considering how much Desperate Housewives leaned into Christian and conservative themes at times, and how Marc Cherry himself has spoken about having fairly traditional and similar values despite being a gay man.

So I'm curious which storyline do you think would have made for a better Season 2 mystery?

The original abortion storyline, which probably would've been more character-driven and morally complex?

Or the mystery we actually got, despite all of its issues?

Personally, I think the original premise sounds like it had the potential to be maybe more interesting, even if it would've been incredibly controversial for network TV in 2005.

Rex is objectively the worst in so many ways. He's deceptive, can be cruel, and is honestly a pretty poor husband for much of the time we know him. That said... I still wish he had been on the show longer.

I genuinely enjoyed his character, even when he was frustrating. I also think Rex was the love of Bree's life, or at least her first great love. You can see that she carries his memory with her throughout later seasons, despite everything that happened between them. Their marriage wasn't healthy, but it was incredibly compelling to watch.

At the same time, I think Bree may have found even greater love after Rex. I absolutely loved Bree and Orson, especially during their good years. They felt like two people who couldn't have been more perfectly matched. Their chemistry, shared interests, and understanding of each other made them one of my favorite couples on the show, until they obviously went sour. Ultimately, I'm glad Bree ended up having that relationship because I wouldn't necessarily trade Orson's early seasons for more Rex either. 

Still, I hate that we lose Rex so early. I understand why the writers did it. His death is such an important part of Bree's character development. Losing him forced her to stand on her own, change her priorities, and eventually become a very layered character in the series.

That said, I actually think Bree's growth had already started before Rex died. As their marriage began falling apart in Season 1, she was already being forced to look beyond appearances and question parts of herself she had ignored for years. Had Rex lived, I think she still would have grown, just much more slowly.

I also weirdly love Rex and Bree together, despite all their dysfunction. They power balanced each other in a way that none of Bree's other relationships did. Maybe it wasn't the healthiest balance, but it made for fantastic television. Their dynamic was entertaining, layered, and very complex. I can't help but wish we'd gotten at least another season of their marriage before his story ended.

I only realized this recently, but as a fandom we’ve been repeating incorrect information about Kristin Davis and Chris Noth for years.

The long-running rumor that Kristin and Chris dated in real life apparently isn’t true. What many of us have been using as “proof” all these years were mostly tabloid stories and a handful of red carpet photos that got blown way out of proportion.

Looking back, those infamous photos don’t really prove much of anything. They honestly remind me of how actors today will play up chemistry during press tours, premieres, and promotional events. We constantly see co-stars acting extra flirty, playful, or affectionate on red carpets because they’re promoting a project and giving photographers something to capture.

Kristin has now addressed this multiple times and has stated that she and Chris never dated. She even kind of discussed it on her current podcast, and then confirmed on Instagram that the dating rumors were just rumors that basically took on a life of their own.

It’s kind of weird to realize because so many of us accepted it as fact for years. But when you think about the entertainment media landscape at the time, it’s easy to see how a few friendly photos could be turned into a relationship narrative and then repeated so often that everyone eventually believed it.

Was anyone else surprised to learn this, or am I the only one who thought they had actually dated all these years?

Doing a rewatch and it got me thinking about how distinct all of the girls’ styles were. If you had to pick a favorite, who would it be?

Lauren: Lauren’s style is very California-girl casual mixed with girl-next-door charm, a little femininity, and touches of high-end fashion. Overall, her look feels attainable while still being trendy and fashion-conscious. She always seemed polished without looking like she was trying too hard.

Audrina: Audrina’s style is pure rocker California girl. She almost has a Megan Fox vibe at times throughout the show. A lot of her wardrobe revolves around black pieces, but she makes the rocker/grunge aesthetic look polished and intentional. She’s effortlessly chic and somehow makes every outfit look cool.

Heidi: Heidi’s style leans heavily into the bombshell aesthetic. Many of her looks are the definition of Beverly Hills starlet fashion. She wears a lot of designer pieces and honestly has a style that feels similar to what a lot of Real Housewives wear today. While some of her fashion choices were definitely show stoppers, she also put together some genuinely gorgeous high-end looks.

Whitney: Whitney has the most romantic and fashion-forward style to me. She’s very trend-aware and often looks the most modelesque of the group. Her style balances girly and chic really well, and she can go from casual to editorial-looking with ease.

Lo: Lo probably has the most conservative style of the main girls. At times, her style overlaps quite a bit with Lauren’s, but Lo leans more into sweet, polished, and buttoned-up looks. She still has that California-girl vibe, but her styling often felt more youthful and preppy. The bouffant hairstyle was definitely a staple of her look.

So who had the best style in your opinion? And whose wardrobe would you actually wear today?

Troian (Spencer) and Sasha (Alison) absolutely carried Pretty Little Liars for me.

This isn’t shade toward the other main actresses at all because I genuinely think they all did a great job. The show was fun, entertaining, and successful because of the entire cast. But when I rewatch, Troian and Sasha are the two performances that just consistently stand out.

There are points in the series where you realize one of them has basically carried an entire episode, and there are even stretches where it feels like Troian is carrying an entire season. She’s such a strong actress that it’s impossible not to notice how committed she is to every storyline she’s given. Even when the writing gets ridiculous, she’s fully invested, and as a viewer you’re completely pulled in.

Spencer’s breakdown storyline is probably the best example. Troian’s acting during that arc was top notch. The only part I wasn’t a fan of was the British twin twist lol.

Honestly, Spencer’s entire family was incredibly well cast. Every actor in that family brought something strong to the screen, and it really shows on rewatches.

Sasha deserves just as much praise. Ali always had this presence that immediately pulled you in whenever she was on screen. And every time I remember that Sasha was only 13 years old when we first met Alison, her performance becomes even more impressive. I wasn’t a fan of what the writers did with Alison in the later seasons, especially after her weight gain when they seemed completely unsure what to do with the character, but that’s a writing problem, not an acting problem. Sasha was still giving great performances.

And of course, honorable mention to Janel Parrish (Mona). Her acting throughout the series was phenomenal. She always brought so much energy and intensity to every scene. Since she’s not one of the main Liars, she didn’t immediately come to mind when I started writing this post, but she absolutely deserves to be mentioned alongside them.

All three actresses brought so much life to their characters and elevated the material whenever they were on screen.

I absolutely love this movie. It’s peak Disney Channel, peak early 2000s, and I will watch it every time it’s on. But every rewatch leaves me with questions.

1. Ms. Ungermeyer really thought she was assigning homework on vacation?

Ma’am, let’s be serious for a second. My family and I paid to go on this Italian vacation. I am not writing a book report because I spent one day of MY vacation “sick in bed.”

And wasn’t she just the principal Lizzie was going to have next year in high school? This is summer break. This is not school. This is Italy. Put the assignment away.

2. How old is Paolo really?

Yes, I know we’re supposed to believe he’s like 16 or something, but why is this “teenager” living like a fully independent adult?

This man has no parents, no manager breathing down his neck, no supervision whatsoever. He’s just driving around Rome, scheming, dating tourists, and plotting revenge against Isabella.

Speaking of Isabella… where are HER parents?

Both of them have bodyguards, but otherwise they’re just roaming Europe like they’re 28 years old.

3. Did Lizzie seriously never realize Gordo liked her?

I know that’s kind of the whole point, but come on.

Gordo spent approximately 90% of the series looking at Lizzie like she personally hung the moon.

I love that they finally get their kiss at the end, but I honestly wish we got a little more of the Lizzie/Gordo storyline throughout the movie. I also love and understand why they went with the romantic Italian adventure angle because it’s fun, but my boy Gordo was fighting for his life in the friend zone.

4. Ms. Ungermeyer was on a power trip.

You’re sending Gordo home?

HOME?

FROM ITALY?

Who’s paying for that, exactly?

Because I know it isn’t me.

Did Ms. Ungermeyer suddenly decide she was buying a brand new international plane ticket for my child because he snuck out one night?

This isn’t summer camp where parents can drive over and pick him up. He’s in another country.

Ground him. Make him sit in his room. Make him wear a giant “I broke the rules” sign if you want.

But we’re not spending thousands of dollars to send Gordon home early because a bunch of middle schoolers did exactly what middle schoolers do on trips.

5. What kind of money did the McGuires have? 😂

I love how the family basically goes:

“We miss Lizzie.”

“Should we wait another week and a half for her to come home?”

“Nah.”

And then they just casually buy round-trip tickets to Italy for the entire family.

Hilarious.

6. Lizzie was WAY too comfortable running around Italy with Paolo.

At the absolute oldest she was like 13 or 14.

Meanwhile she’s hopping on scooters, sneaking around Rome, hanging out with random celebrities, preparing for an international pop concert, and basically living the plot of a romantic comedy.

Honestly? Respect.

The confidence is unmatched.

Overall, I love every ridiculous second of this movie. The insanity is part of the charm. It makes me nostalgic for school trips, summer adventures, and just the whole early-2000s Disney Channel era. None of it makes sense, but somehow that’s exactly why it’s so fun.

Every time I rewatch this scene I absolutely lose it.

Why would Susan take Mike’s money and gun out to begin with? 😂 What was the plan here? Was counting the money somehow going to reveal all of his secrets?

And then she takes it upstairs, starts jumping around the construction site, and literally falls through the floor. The whole sequence is such peak Susan behavior. When Mike walks in and finds her, I get the worst secondhand embarrassment imaginable. I have to look away from the screen every time.

The funniest part is that I don’t even think having cash and a gun in your house is automatically some shocking, earth-shattering discovery. Plenty of people keep valuables or protection at home. The bigger issue is that Mike is such a mysterious and secretive guy at this point that Susan immediately assumes the worst.

Still, the combination of snooping through his stuff, carrying it all upstairs for some reason, and then crashing through the floorboards makes me cringe so bad. Susan really could turn a simple question into a full-blown disaster. 😭🤣

I’ve been rewatching little bits and pieces of Life with Derek for the first time since it aired in the 2000s, and I have to ask: were we all crazy, or was there genuinely a vibe the show was creating between Casey and Derek?

I know the show originally aired on the Canadian channel Family Channel before being picked up by Disney Channel, but it was still very much a kids/ younger teen show. Yet rewatching it as an adult, I keep noticing moments that feel like they were written to make viewers ship them.

The way the interactions were played with flirtier teasing, kind of weird lingering looks, the jealousy storylines, the “they bicker because they secretly care about each other” dynamic it sometimes feels like the writers were setting them up like a classic TV romance. Then you remember they’re step-siblings and suddenly you’re wondering what exactly the show was doing. 😂

Yes, they’re not biologically related, but I still feel like the show was being a little naughty by creating that dynamic, especially for a younger audience. It almost feels like they knew exactly what they were doing and then just stopped short of ever acknowledging it.

Am I reading too much into it, or did everyone else watch this show and come away feeling like the writers were low-key trying to get all of us to ship Casey and Derek? Lmao.

When will we get one in America?? I’m so happy for them but so sad for us lmao

I always bust out laughing when I see either of these two episodes 😂 I feel like they’re mirroring each other in both of these scenes.

Doing a rewatch and one thing I noticed is how different Dave acted with Karen compared to literally everyone else. With the other neighbors, whenever his mask slipped, he’d usually recover pretty quickly, play it off, or go right back into “friendly normal guy” mode because he obviously needed to keep his image intact long enough to get to Mike and Susan.

But with Karen it almost feels like the opposite happened.

Their very first interaction already had weird energy when he tried to pressure her into apologizing to Edie, and I honestly think both of them immediately clocked that something was “off” about the other. Karen didn’t fully know what, but she clearly sensed something wasn’t right with him. Then almost immediately after that he starts messing with her by stealing her cat, which only makes her more suspicious that he’s capable of something darker.

What’s interesting is that instead of backing off once Karen became suspicious, he almost doubled down. It genuinely felt like he enjoyed taunting her. Around everyone else he was calculated and careful, but around Karen he seemed to take pleasure in dropping the act just enough for her to notice. Like he was basically saying, “Yeah, I’m up to something, and you can’t prove it.”

I know part of it is that Karen was older and probably easier for him to dismiss as “crazy” if she accused him of anything, but I also think he liked the game of it. Karen was one of the few people who instinctively saw through him early on, and instead of avoiding her, he seemed entertained by pushing her buttons and letting his darker side peek through.

It almost came across like he enjoyed finally having someone he didn’t have to fully perform for all the time. Anyone else notice this?