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This topic has been archived - replies are not allowed.
A precocious teenage gymnast who won the Junior Nationals, Sophie saw her dreams of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team fall apart when the bike she was riding rammed into the side of a car. Though she first shows up, in a cast, for Paul to validate her sanity on an insurance document, he coaxes her into returning after catching a glimpse at her complicated family relationships and general malaise.
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(546 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 10:57 PM
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I was really ready to despise Zach, but then I realized that he's just a big kid without a clue. He convinced me that he does love his child, but actions speak louder than words. Sophie didn't have many good, clear recent memories of her dad showing that love. There she was, left alone with her depressed mom, hanging onto hope that dad would come back and rescue her. I think when she finally gave up on Zach, she started to see Cy as the next best thing. Obviously, THAT went wrong, Mom's still depressed and Dad is off somewhere chasing bimbos. And, Zach's first wrong move was shutting the door in her face and leaving her alone with his Big Secret. At least, in the end, Sophie is still willing for him to prove he can be a hero. Every girl wants to look up to her dad, IMO.
In what I saw as a contrast to Zach and Sophie sitting out on the lawn talking intently, was Rosie's presence next to Paul. She is still worried about her parents. She commented that Zach seemed "cool". Was that because he was sitting in the grass talking to his daughter? Would it have been too corny for Paul to at least put his arm around Rosie?
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"Did you get your end near the lady, my brother?" Linc, "JFC"
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Mar 28, 2008 9:18 PM
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>>> Also, while what Sophie was exposed to with her father and his girlfriend(s) wasn't sexual abuse, I believe this could be regarded as highly problematic, including impacting Sophie's sexuality and feelings about her body. Maybe you're wondering why this didn't seem to loom larger in the end?
Not to dismiss those contributing factors, I was pretty convinced that something worse had occurred. What exactly it was, I didn't know, but I feel the writers definitely wanted us to think that.
Mia's amazing performance notwithstanding, I think they wimped out at the end by not following through. Surely more children are seriously damaged by sexual abuse than for having divorced parents.
I don't know, something about using this disturbing issue as a plot device doesn't sit well with me., but perhaps I'm nit-picking.
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(544 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 8:32 PM
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Host Angela,
Just to be clear, mvmermaid posted that Businessweek Article. I feel like I'm in college again with the whole citation thing.
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LET'S HUG IT OUT BITCH!
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(543 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 8:02 PM
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> http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_13/b40
> 77050393595.htm
>
> I read some of the article and it was a bit
> surprising.
>
> All's I have to say is that if HBO is so concerned
> with their ratings they NEED TO BRING THE BOYS
> BACK!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE MY BOYS? E, TURTLE, VINCE,
> ARI GOLD, AND JJJJOOOOOOHHHHHHNNNNNNIIIIIIEEEEEE
> DRAMA! Hell, while you're at it you could throw in
> Amanda too.
>
> The article never mentioned ENTOURAGE!!!!!!!! What's
> up with that. They're dissing my boys.
>
> Entourage is the best show in the history of
> television, no, I take that back. In the history of
> entertainment!
>
> HBO, BRING THE BOYS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> --
> LET'S HUG IT OUT BITCH!
I'm saving the article to read in a little while. Thank you for sharing!
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Angela
HBO Forums Host
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(542 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 7:59 PM
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http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_13/b4077050393595.htm
I read some of the article and it was a bit surprising.
All's I have to say is that if HBO is so concerned with their ratings they NEED TO BRING THE BOYS BACK!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE MY BOYS? E, TURTLE, VINCE, ARI GOLD, AND JJJJOOOOOOHHHHHHNNNNNNIIIIIIEEEEEE DRAMA! Hell, while you're at it you could throw in Amanda too.
The article never mentioned ENTOURAGE!!!!!!!! What's up with that. They're dissing my boys.
Entourage is the best show in the history of television, no, I take that back. In the history of entertainment!
HBO, BRING THE BOYS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!
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LET'S HUG IT OUT BITCH!
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(541 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 7:57 PM
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Like many others on this forum, I am blown away by Mia's acting ability. Give this girl an Emmy or at least a leading role in a Hollywood film. She is remarkable.
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(540 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 7:53 PM
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Yeah, but do you think he's capable of changing his way? I'm not so sure - but for Sophie's sake, I hope she doesn't feed into all his B.S. But her eyes are now opened and if he wants her respect, he's going to have to change. He's everything you say - immature, self-absorbed and manipulative. I'd even go so far as to say he's your classic narcissist. Solipsism being his home state.
In this case I think Sophie is the parent and her father Zach is the child. It's gonna take about a pint of Jack Daniels and a gun to my temple to convince me that Zach is more mature than his daughter.
And just as with any child discipline and direction will be necessary. No, I don't think that Zach can change his ways on his own. Although, I think with some prodding by his daughter he will clean up his act real quick. It only took a couple weeks of cold shoulder to put a knot in his stomach and his ass in a plane seat to come back to her on hand and knee. Sophie is now speaking softly with a big stick. I think they'll both be fine.
Just for the sake of clarification, I'm pretty sure you are not saying that Sophie having consensual sex with another child her age is molestation. By definition, it can't be. I believe you are referring to the statement of how she was with the other boy which implied she was molested by an adult.
I'll bet you anything Sophie's dad does not get along with men at all - b/c he can't manipulate them. They're on to him which is why he chases skirt - well, at least that's one reason. The other is b/c he's a slack-jawed mouth breather with a club.
You know what, you're dead on balls accurate here. I didn't get that b/c his movie Sideout has kind of ingrained into my head that he's a real man's man. That's the problem with being typecasted and too closely associated with a particular role. Obviously you never saw Sideout. I'm not recommending the movie because it is really bad, but at the time I really loved the movie. Actually, scratch that, that's a lie, I still like the movie when I don't take my retard pills in the morning.
All very true which says you have a very keen insight into Sophie's character. If I were writing Sophie, I think I wouldn't have over-dramatized the sexual abuse thing to the extent the writers took it. As you can see, many of us were left scratching our heads saying, "Is that it?" Then again, I don't want to be the person who says, "Jaysus! Is that all? For that she wanted to kill herself?" The writers could have been a bit more subtle - but I'm probably being too harsh; perhaps too critical. Then again, I do have a certain standard of "excellence" I must live up to. Great post, JD - love it!
Another poster wondered aloud about Sophie going to Denver to train and if it were going to be sponsored by Cy. It seems to me it wouldn't. The training camp she's going to is probably similar to some sort of Reggie Jackson Baseball training camp where they teach kids the fundamentals of baseball like fielding, learning new pitches, tracking balls, stealing bases, hitting, etc. It wouldn't make much sense for Cy to goto Denver to sponsor an event elsewhere. It seems to me it has to be someone else's gig. And if she won nationals, I'm just bullshit guessing here, it might even be free for her since I believe she won nationals? I don't know the first thing about gymnastics, but that's what I'm thinking. So I don't see any future problems with Coach Pedophile.
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LET'S HUG IT OUT BITCH!
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(539 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 7:45 PM
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> I'm interested in hearing theories about the writer's
> purpose in leading the audience to believe early
> sexual abuse was the root of Sophie's problem.
I haven't read back through the thread, but for what it's worth, I never figured Sophie was sexually abused before Sy. That was plenty bad enough -- leading Sophie to try to kill herself.
As was David's preying on Laura.
Also, while what Sophie was exposed to with her father and his girlfriend(s) wasn't sexual abuse, I believe this could be regarded as highly problematic, including impacting Sophie's sexuality and feelings about her body. Maybe you're wondering why this didn't seem to loom larger in the end?
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(538 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 7:14 PM
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I'm interested in hearing theories about the writer's purpose in leading the audience to believe early sexual abuse was the root of Sophie's problem.
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(537 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 6:37 PM
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Yes that girl is quite amazing. Flawless American accent too for an Aussie...
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Mar 28, 2008 2:12 AM
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> > Sophie's scene was so real, it was like living
> it all
> > over again.
> > And that's OK, because my Dad and I are all
> "better"
> > now.
>
> Wow.
Wow, indeed!
All the more thilling hearing an account attesting to the realism, at least in some profound respects, of what we saw unfold with Sophie.
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(535 of 561)
Mar 28, 2008 1:15 AM
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> Just watched final Sophie epi and was astonished
> beyond belief at Mia's acting, AGAIN!
I know. I can never get over her.
>
> Near the end, when Paul reminded Sophie that she
> could call him anytime, she replied, "I know the
> drill, Doctor."
> That's the first time I remember hearing her call
> Paul by his title vs. his first name.
> I believe Sophie told Paul how much she RESPECTED him
> - that's quite a gift from anyone, but coming from a
> teenager, that's HUGE!
> I love how Paul coaxed her along, to arrive at the
> realization about her father coming in and out of her
> life when HE chose to and Sophie's stunning verbal
> swat at her father when she said, "Do you think you
> can just go in and out of my life like a f***ing
> train station?"
> It was all the more poignant for me as my Dad and I
> had an unbelievably similar exchange a long
> time ago. I unleashed all my pent-up fury and
> bitterness at him -and he took it without saying a
> word.
> We never spoke of it but grew closer over time.
> It was a turning point for both of us. He knew he had
> a young woman for a daughter and I had a
> flawed, but loving, man as a father.
> Sophie's scene was so real, it was like living it all
> over again.
> And that's OK, because my Dad and I are all "better"
> now.
Wow.
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Guest
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(534 of 561)
Mar 27, 2008 10:38 PM
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yes. Sophie's issue all along dealt with taking on the adult role and protecting her father. It was great to see her take her rightful place as a person and still allow a relationship with her father. I loved seeing them at least trying to work things out in the grass at the end of the episode.
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(533 of 561)
Mar 27, 2008 10:01 PM
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Just watched final Sophie epi and was astonished beyond belief at Mia's acting, AGAIN!
Near the end, when Paul reminded Sophie that she could call him anytime, she replied, "I know the drill, Doctor."
That's the first time I remember hearing her call Paul by his title vs. his first name.
I believe Sophie told Paul how much she RESPECTED him - that's quite a gift from anyone, but coming from a teenager, that's HUGE!
I love how Paul coaxed her along, to arrive at the realization about her father coming in and out of her life when HE chose to and Sophie's stunning verbal swat at her father when she said, "Do you think you can just go in and out of my life like a f***ing train station?"
It was all the more poignant for me as my Dad and I had an unbelievably similar exchange a long time ago. I unleashed all my pent-up fury and bitterness at him -and he took it without saying a word.
We never spoke of it but grew closer over time.
It was a turning point for both of us. He knew he had a young woman for a daughter and I had a flawed, but loving, man as a father.
Sophie's scene was so real, it was like living it all over again.
And that's OK, because my Dad and I are all "better" now.
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Guest
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(532 of 561)
Mar 27, 2008 9:58 PM
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I just watched and I thought it was brilliant. Sophie stood up to her father, loved him anyway and became an adult. She's got lots of time to make her way but she overcame the indulgence of her parents and began to overcome the obstacles. I don't know of a better way to end this session - Sophie on the grass talking to her father and Rosie in the room talking to hers -- very satisfying - to me anyway....
Couple of days left --- looking forward with relish....nice work already.
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