Seeking Season Two
Welcome to "Seeking Season Two," the podcast where TV nostalgia meets the quest for what could have been. Join hosts Andrew and Catherine, passionate advocates of television's most memorable one-season wonders, as they dive deep into the all-too-brief lives of beloved shows that were canceled after just one season.
Each season on "Seeking Season Two," Andrew and Catherine will take you on a detailed journey through every episode of a different show, exploring the highs, the lows, and everything in between. They’ll dissect plot lines, character development, and those cliffhangers that left audiences yearning for more. From the critically acclaimed to the cult favorites, no stone is left unturned in our exploration of what made these shows great and what potential future seasons might have held.
But "Seeking Season Two" is more than just a retrospective look—it's a what-if exploration into the future that never was. The hosts will speculate on possible story arcs and character evolutions that could have enriched the narrative if the show had continued. Listeners are invited to join in the conversation, sharing their own theories and mourning the loss of potential alongside fellow fans.
Tune in to revel in the nostalgia, critique the closures, and maybe even find closure yourself. Whether you're a die-hard fan of a particular one-hit wonder or just love television storytelling at its best, "Seeking Season Two" is your sanctuary for celebrating shows that left us too soon. Join Andrew and Catherine as they seek to keep the spirit of these shows alive, one episode at a time.
Seeking Season Two
Wonderfalls e1 - Wax Lion
Ever felt like the universe was sending you messages? For Jaye Tyler, a cynical gift shop clerk at Niagara Falls, those messages come from the most unexpected sources—animal figurines that suddenly start talking to her.
Jaye isn't exactly living her best life. At 24, the Brown University graduate finds herself reporting to a high school student who's been promoted over her, living in an Airstream trailer, and disappointing her successful family at every turn. Her attorney sister, mysteriously employed brother (played by the charismatic Lee Pace), and physician father can't understand why she seems stuck in a perpetual state of underachievement.
When a deformed wax lion figure begins speaking to her, Jaye's first instinct is to ignore it. But as more animal tchotchkes join the conversation—including a bookend monkey and a barrel-holding bear—she reluctantly becomes an unwitting agent of fate. Following their cryptic instructions leads to surprising connections: her sister finds romance with the delivery guy's ex-wife, while the lonely delivery guy meets his match in a hospital nurse after an allergic reaction.
The show beautifully weaves the Niagara Falls mythology of "surrendering to destiny" throughout its narrative, as Jaye begins to accept her unexpected role as cosmic matchmaker. Created by Bryan Fuller (later known for "Pushing Daisies" and "Hannibal"), this 2004 dramedy balances quirky humor with genuine emotional depth, particularly in the evolving relationship between Jaye and her sister.
Despite having thirteen episodes produced, only four ever aired on television—robbing audiences of fully experiencing this charming, whimsical series that was truly ahead of its time. If you love stories where the mundane becomes magical and reluctant heroes find purpose in the strangest circumstances, Wonder Falls deserves a place at the top of your watchlist.
Welcome to episode one.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Of Seeking Season Two the reboot of Seeking Season Two. The reboot of Seeking Season 2.
Speaker 2:Seeking Season 2, take two.
Speaker 1:Take two Seeking Season 2. We are going to be talking about the one season wonder of.
Speaker 2:Wonder Falls.
Speaker 1:Wonder Falls, not Oneeter Falls, the Oneeters, the Oneeters. No, we're going to talk about season one or episode. It's only one season, episode one of Wonder Falls. So this is the what the wax lion.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes, he's a fun little dude.
Speaker 1:He's a fun little dude. So we're introduced to Jay Yep, our protagonist in season one. I keep saying season one, episode one. There's only one season, andrew.
Speaker 2:That's the whole point of the podcast.
Speaker 1:See, I should listen to this podcast. So anyway, jay is a brown university graduate she's 24.
Speaker 2:The sister mentions that toward the end of the episode nice, nice pickup.
Speaker 1:Thank you, um fascinating it is, I think. I think it's very it's early because this is 2004.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:And this is like early millennial, as they say, quarter-life crisis. Yeah, this now would be an elder millennial.
Speaker 2:Yes, Whereas one thing I saw recently, referred to it as geriatric millennial, which seems real mean, yeah Right, wow, that was a presentation at work.
Speaker 1:That was fighting words.
Speaker 2:We're solidly Gen X, we don't have to worry, no, we don't give a fuck about anything. I think I'm dating an elder millennial.
Speaker 1:Wow, congratulations.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1:Um so so Jay is not as successful as I think she had hoped to be.
Speaker 2:Or anyone around her had hoped she would be.
Speaker 1:Or I guess you would assume, with the family. She comes from a very well-to-do and I think everybody has got pretty well-paying jobs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they certainly seem to. I mean, they all show up at the trailer park where she lives wearing suits and stuff randomly.
Speaker 1:Well, we know the sister's an attorney.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the sister's an attorney. What does the brother do?
Speaker 1:Lee Pace Speaking again. Fantastic actor Ha-cha-cha Lee.
Speaker 2:Pace.
Speaker 1:We don't know. He's a man of mystery at this point. He's mean, though. His family's pretty sassy, I think the mother refers to the kids as snarky. She's like why are you so snarky? You came out of me. Why are you so snarky? I think is the actual line.
Speaker 2:I believe that is correct, yeah.
Speaker 1:So two very snarky children. I think all three are very snarky, yes, but anyway.
Speaker 2:And the father played by Bill Sadler.
Speaker 1:Yes, so where else have you seen him, roswell, roswell.
Speaker 2:He played the sheriff on Roswell.
Speaker 1:And I remember him from Shawshank Redemption Right. Yes, so he's a man of many faces. He is, yes, so that's kind of the family. She lives in a, a trailer park, a trailer park, her trailer's pretty cool though. It's like one of those Airstream, like silver.
Speaker 2:That's what I would go with if I had to choose a trailer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, very, very nice. So that that's where she's living. So she's living in a trailer park, working at wonder falls, at Niagara falls.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the gift shop, the gift shop.
Speaker 1:Niagara falls makes sense. Yes, absolutely, and that that's kind of where. Where this story kicks off, is her being at this gift shop and kind of just the angsty life of a millennial in the early 2000s.
Speaker 2:Who gets to report to a high school student, who gets made assistant manager?
Speaker 1:over her. The mouth breather, the mouth breather Alec.
Speaker 2:Yeah, who takes his job very seriously, once he gets promoted Very seriously, starts to time her two-minute phone call.
Speaker 1:Your mom is on the phone.
Speaker 2:Get two minutes for personal calls.
Speaker 1:Exactly two minutes for personal calls.
Speaker 2:Starts the timer and then, when she passes out, stops the timer.
Speaker 1:Well, that's one of the things that happens to her, so it leads off by one of her, I guess, high school friends.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Someone that she knew in high school, comes in to the gift shop and is going on about her wonderful life. Right, how she snagged this fantastic man. Yeah, and she's converted to Judaism and again just starts rattling off various Yiddish phrases Tchotchkes, tchotchkes.
Speaker 2:Plots yes, didn't plots come into that.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I said earlier when we were watching the episode, I said it reminds me of Seinfeld when the dentisterry jerry accuses the dentist of converting to judaism, just for the jokes, yep, um. So I I figure like it's like now, now she's got this whole new vocabulary, um. And so the friend says, well, at least you're the manager, right? So so it cuts to a scene with the store manager talking to Jay and Alec talking about why she chose, who she chose for assistant manager has to deal with the trials and tribulations and has to have good customer service skills. And so she announces that Alec, the high school mouth breather, is now the assistant manager, and Jay just doesn't know how to deal with this.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, they didn't really, I think, because he doesn't seem like he's any more qualified to be the assistant manager than she is.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:What skills does he have? They were watching the Maid of the Mist movie on VHS right before they cut back to that scene yes, I surrender to destiny yes they've put it on bathrobes.
Speaker 1:I love it so okay. So so that, so that that leads up to the part where she's out having her lunch. Yep, at the maid of the mist water fountain. Yes, wishing well, whatever you want to call it A little PB&J.
Speaker 1:Having a little PB&J and starts choking on her sandwich and is desperate to have somebody save her. So this brings up a question that I had, for that I had what is. Is this what caused her to um start to be able to hear the voices or hear, see these inanimate objects speak to her, because it kind of reminds me of ghosts right when, when they have their near-death experience yeah, and now suddenly they can see ghosts.
Speaker 1:So is this like sort of like a near-death experience, or is it? When she picks up the quarter, throws the quarter, it hits the, the maid maid of the mist in the face, bounces back, hits her jay in the head and then goes into the water, yeah, um yeah so is that the mystical moment that causes this? Like what is the actual? They don't really. They don't really say what.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:What kind of causes this thing to happen to her?
Speaker 2:My feeling is that it's the coin just for the sheer number of times in the episode that it goes back to the fountain Right, it's frequently see a penny pick it up Right, even though it's frequently see a penny pick it up.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Even though everybody's apparently throwing quarters into this fountain.
Speaker 1:But whatever, I don't know Exactly. So the she's having this kind of, as, as they say, a quarter life crisis, yeah, and so she goes back into the gift shop after having this sort of near-death experience.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And tossing the quarter into the fountain and she comes back in. There's the woman that comes up to the counter and a typical Karen who Before there was even the term Karen. Yes, this is pre-Karen Karen. Yeah, so fascinating, it was fascinating, so they have this machine. I have never seen one of these machines before.
Speaker 2:No, I hadn't either.
Speaker 1:I mean, I know the machines where you put the penny in and it flattens. It flattens the penny and puts like an image on it, but this was like some machine where it was like, I don't know, it was wax or yeah it looks like melted wax, and then it goes into a form yeah, and you get this.
Speaker 1:You get this little form tchotchke, uh yes, of your, of your memory, of of niagara, falls in the shape of a lion yeah and so the woman comes up and and the the wax figure that she received is a little bit deformed, yeah, and he's got a wonky head so the karen brings it up, brings up the, the malformed lion and he's got a mushed side of his head.
Speaker 2:I actually would have liked him.
Speaker 1:I know he's cute it's got a little bit of character to it yeah um plus he can talk and he can talk.
Speaker 1:So she, she demands her money back, but the jay explains that the machine is not theirs. You know that there's. It's whatever that you have to call the manufacturer. And and that is never acceptable to a karen, never. And and karen also demands her 10 discount because the hotel she's staying at gives, because she's a guest of a particular hotel, they've got discounts in the area. Yeah, and she's supposed to get a 10% discount on anything she buys at the gift shop, in which Jay says, well, you need to provide that at the time of purchase. And so again triggering words to a Karen, again triggering words to a Karen. So Karen is now just bonkers, so, fortunately. Well, she says one of my favorite things is because Jay says we need to present it at the time of purchase and Karen says my ass.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right. Did you say my ass? Yeah's right. Did you say my ass?
Speaker 1:yeah, so. So she says my ass, and this triggers alec, alec. Alec perks up when, when he hears jay go, did you say my ass.
Speaker 2:And so alec comes over and and smooths it over gives, gives her her $3.86 or whatever.
Speaker 1:it is Diffuses the situation yeah, and this is the first time when Jay hears the lion speak to her. Yeah, and says don't give her her money. And it's like you see the look on her face like wait, what just happened? And so she's pulling the money out of the till and the guys don't do it. The lion keeps talking to her and she's freaking out. She's having, as they later call it, a soad.
Speaker 2:That's what Alec calls it. That's what Alec called it.
Speaker 1:Alec called it a soad. She's having a little bit of an episode, so she hands the money back to the woman.
Speaker 2:No, the woman whips the money out of her hand.
Speaker 1:Well, that's because, jay is she's freaking out. Jay is frozen there standing there because this lion is talking to her. So she's got the $4 in her hand and she's just frozen. And so the woman yet whips the, rips the money out of her hand and storms out of the out of the store. And just as she walks out of the store, some guy comes running by and grabs her purse and and takes off with it. Yep, now if this were King of the Hill.
Speaker 2:I don't know you. That's my purse.
Speaker 1:Exactly so. Had Bobby Hill been here that's my purse this would not have happened. But that's a story for another day. And the lion proceeds to say told you To Jay, and then, which is always very helpful.
Speaker 2:Everybody loves an I told you so from an inanimate object. Everyone does.
Speaker 1:So this is when Jay or when Alec comes up and says her mom is Jay's mom is on the phone in the two-minute personal call.
Speaker 2:We missed the whole part with the UPS driver. I'm sorry, the EPS driver.
Speaker 1:The EPS driver. Okay, so before Jay passes out prior to this, so the lovely EPS driver comes in. Yeah, and Actually is it before or after?
Speaker 2:That was before right, lovely EPS driver comes in. Yeah, and the. Actually, is it before or after, I don't know. That was before right the ring was before the. Karen right.
Speaker 1:No, no, because that's the first time that the lion talks to her you're right, okay.
Speaker 2:So basically, the lion tells her to ask the EPS driver why he's not wearing his wedding ring.
Speaker 1:Well, that all happens the next day. Okay, never mind. Then, because she passes out? Yeah, because the mom calls, she passes out.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:They have the intervention for her Yep and it's the whole next day when that happens.
Speaker 2:Got it.
Speaker 1:Okay, so, yeah, so we will get to that. So she has an interaction with the EPS driver who was there that day as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because.
Speaker 1:He did show up. Yeah, and because Jay and Alec are watching the Maid of the Mist video, I Surrender to Destiny.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And he comes up and that was not the same day, though that was earlier on, before Alec got promoted.
Speaker 1:That was before alec got promoted. Yes, I know they play around with the timeline. With the timeline a little bit um, and so we'll wait because our memories are so good that's right, and considering we literally just watched the episode, uh what, um, so anyway. So yeah so they, they stay. So jay passes out.
Speaker 2:Um, and that's when alex stops the timer.
Speaker 1:That's when alex stops the time in a personal call personal call and they they cut to jay in her bedroom in the trailer.
Speaker 2:Yep locked in.
Speaker 1:Locked in and the whole family is now sitting outside Mother, father, sister and brother, yep, and they're trying to. Well, the mother got them all there on the premise that it was an intervention Right, and so they're trying to talk her into being happy.
Speaker 2:The father is some kind of doctor because she's like can't you just prescribe Right? And he is very inappropriate with his daughter.
Speaker 1:Yes, because he asks her when was the last time you've had an orgasm, as though that will cure everything.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's the fix for depression. Absolutely One orgasm and you're cured forever.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. That's how it works. Thousands of people have orgasms every day. It's perfectly normal. I think this only just further shuts her down. So yeah, so they're all trying to help her and it just does not go well, right.
Speaker 2:One thing I wanted to note, because I really like it as a transitional piece is the viewfinder, because that is very specific to a certain age. Yes, it is.
Speaker 1:I loved a viewfinder because that is very specific to a certain age yes, it is, I loved a viewfinder as did I. I I've, I've had many of you find her over over the years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, a fun toy and I thought a nice way to kind of transition yes it, it's a great transition, something very typical, because you would get that in a gift shop. You would get that in a gift shop.
Speaker 1:So yeah, it's a nice Using the viewfinder. For those of you that don't know what a viewfinder is, google it. But a viewfinder would have been something you would have gotten at a.
Speaker 2:You would have gotten at a like, the like the little, you would have gotten the little like the desk yeah, with the with the images on it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, um, yeah, but yeah. So they've got their whole little spiel. So then it's the next day, I think is when the EPS driver thing comes about. So tell me about that.
Speaker 2:So he comes in, he's doing his thing. Jay is very dismissive of him and he seems like a very nice guy who's just looking for a friend.
Speaker 1:Well, he's lonely because his wife left him.
Speaker 2:Yes, and that's where the lion is asking her to ask him where the ring is, and of course he starts crying Um. And that is when she refers to him as poor bitch, and that is a recurrent. Oh man, that made me laugh when when the lion is trying to get her to to do something and he's singing about her sister and poor bitch sitting in a tree yes, yes, yes, so good. Poor bitch. Do we ever find that guy's name out, or is he just poor bitch the whole time?
Speaker 1:No, I think because she calls him by name when he comes into the restaurant later with the sister. Oh, Because she says there's so-and-so. I don't remember his name. Well, you keep talking about that incident. I will IMDB his name Poor bitch.
Speaker 2:So basically the lion asks her to make a match. So she assumes because poor bitch was outside talking to her sister and thinks that her sister is hot that the lion wants her to set up her sister and the EPS guy Poor bitch. So she arranges a dinner, gets both of them there under false pretenses and it's a disaster, as one would expect. We actually also should probably backtrack to her at the bar with her friend, right?
Speaker 1:Tracy Toms. That's the one. Yes, do tell, please backtrack.
Speaker 2:I mean, she's telling her friend Tracy Toms about what's happening and the friend is remarkably unrattled and just keeps getting her more drinks. And that's where she meets cute bartender. And my assumption is she's eventually going to end up with cute bartender. So I'm just going to throw that out there as a as a guess right now what makes you think that? Um well, at the end of the episode he pops back up. He's clearly into her.
Speaker 1:Thomas.
Speaker 2:That's the EPS driver. Yes, who's the cute bartender?
Speaker 1:Who is the cute bartender? That is Eric.
Speaker 2:Okay, eric Gotts. And what is Tracy Tom's?
Speaker 1:character name Mahondra.
Speaker 2:Mahondra, mahondra.
Speaker 1:McGinty, okay.
Speaker 2:Got all that I do. I'm looking at it now too.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, I'm glad we're both looking at that.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, we're a hundred years old. The guy who played Alec is 44 now.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:I was, just I was, I literally was.
Speaker 1:I was literally looking at him as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:He was in episodes of warehouse 13.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a great show.
Speaker 1:He was in Eureka.
Speaker 2:I never watched Eureka.
Speaker 1:Neither did I. He was in, oh, he was in the Magicians, oh, which explains why he looks so familiar he's got that kind of look too.
Speaker 2:He was in iZombie nice, one of your favorites, that is a favorite oh, he was in Daredevil.
Speaker 1:Huh the tv series the original yeah, well, the netflix, netflix series, anyway. Yeah, he was also in psych. You heard about pluto messed up, so anyway. So where did you leave off with Thomas the EPS?
Speaker 2:So we talked about. They were set up on the date. We did not get too far into what happened on the date, because then I was also talking about Tracy Thomas. So it's a disaster date, yes, of course, during which her sister Sharon that's her name, right, I believe. So, yes, um, finally just tells the guy that she's a lesbian and he of course thinks that she's making it up right, um, because she, she uses the whole.
Speaker 1:It's not you, it's me right thing and he says you can't use, it's not you, it's me I invented.
Speaker 2:It's not you, it's me so then she tells him she's a lesbian yeah he's like oh, so you're really just doing everything now exactly and it's interesting in 2025, uh, to see how different the portrayal of a person saying they're gay on tv was in 2004 I yeah, it's 21 years ago, but it's just so interesting to see, kind of, how far that's come in 20 years. So of course this is also when Jay comes back to the table and finds what's his name.
Speaker 1:Thomas.
Speaker 2:Eric Thomas, Pete, Okay, Thomas.
Speaker 1:Thomas, thomas. Yes, the tank engine Like the English muffin. Exactly, thomas Thomas.
Speaker 2:Thomas, yes, the tank engine Like the English muffin, exactly.
Speaker 1:He's got so many nooks and crannies.
Speaker 2:Well, he's eaten something with peanuts and he's going into anaphylactic shock. Well, because she comes back and goes, is that going to roll? Which just shows you how little attention she pays to him.
Speaker 1:Right, exactly, and she sees him daily. Exactly so. Again, it just reinforces the fact that that she's she's not. She's very I don't want to say self-absorbed.
Speaker 2:No, I think she's honestly probably depressed. Yeah, and I think what I mean and again, we've only watched the first episode have and I think what I mean and again, we've only watched the first episode.
Speaker 1:Have you watched more? I have not. My assumption I'm trying to keep it fresh Is that this is the seeing of the talking. Right.
Speaker 2:Various things and we have to get into the other things that she sees Right, but my assumption is that this is going to give her purpose and, you know, improve her life, sure.
Speaker 1:It's yeah, there's so much to this episode. I mean, we've already gone, geez, almost half an hour.
Speaker 2:Good Lord, we're not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's a lot more I mean because it's basically an hour-long episode with commercials. Yep, there's so much. Yeah, because she. So I was just going to say there's. There's reminiscent pieces of other TV shows that that come to mind after watching this one person of interest.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because the machine just gives out, basically like a social security number, right, and they've they've got to figure out is is it, is it a victim, is it a perpetrator? Like right, what, what is, what are they supposed to be doing? So I see similarities here with this show. You know, she gets very little detail about, yeah, what to do, like what. She has no idea why.
Speaker 2:Well, in most cases she's just the instigator. So so I mean, if we go through the rest of the story with her sister and Thomas, they decide to drink him with a pen in the car, With a big pen. So then, as he arrives at the hospital, they yell out stabbing victim.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:But what ends up happening then is Sharon meets Thomas's ex-wife, who is still his emergency contact, right, and they for sure hit it off. Yes, and Thomas meets a lovely nurse, correct? So she didn't know that was the match that the wax lion was asking her to make but she put it into motion.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she just assumed that, yeah, that was her sister. And Thomas Well assumed that, yeah, that was her sister, and she didn't know her sister was a lesbian.
Speaker 2:No, she knew that her, that Thomas thought her sister was hot.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And she wanted the lion to shut up. Right, the lion was singing Sharon and poor bitch sitting in a tree. Yeah, so I mean, that's true, I don't think it was an incorrect assumption it's not a far leap that she was supposed to set the two of them up, which is what she ends up doing that's why, because what again?
Speaker 1:what, like I was saying? What the line is saying is somewhat cryptic. Right, because he's not, he doesn't spell it out, he's.
Speaker 2:He says do this, but he doesn't say why yeah, make me a match exactly and by making the match between those two, they end up meeting the people that they're supposed to meet. But that leads me to other, entirely different questions, like Are these talking animals psychic? Where are these orders coming from?
Speaker 1:Well, so this brings me to a very good point that I wanted to discuss. So this brings me to a very good point that I wanted to discuss, because I think the whole plot, not subplot, but the whole concept of I surrender to destiny, oh, oh, that comes into play. So is this because they play that really heavy in the beginning?
Speaker 2:the whole. I surrender to destiny right. The maid of the mist goes over the waterfall because she surrenders to destiny.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yes. So so is this destiny working through jay? Right to make these things happen, right? So that's that's what that's how I interpreted it is the whole. I surrender to destiny. Was Jay surrendering to destiny to help make these things happen?
Speaker 2:Right, okay, yeah, that makes sense. So should we talk about the next one, the next talking animal which shows up at the psychiatrist's office?
Speaker 1:What.
Speaker 2:Okay, so she's in talking to her mother's therapist, yes, and he's asking all kinds of weird questions that I don't think an actual psychiatrist would ever ask at least mine never has well, it's very, it's very funny because it's the mother.
Speaker 1:Did you mention? It was the mother's like okay, so it's the mother psychiatrist, so um because he said well, because she he asked her a question. She makes some comment about oh, um, oh, what is? He saying Like he asked about something, about her being depressed or something, and she's like why? What did my mother tell you?
Speaker 2:No, Is it like a do you have a like difficult family life or something? And she's like why did she say I do?
Speaker 1:Cause she first says he says tell me about your family. She says I don't like to gossip, um, and then he says something and she goes why? What did my mother tell you right? And then he says we're not here to talk about your mother. And then he asked something else and about like the like, like do you have a difficult relationship with your mother? And she goes I thought we weren't talking about my mother. It's like this, back and forth.
Speaker 2:And then and then the monkey is he a bookend?
Speaker 1:He's a bookend, he's a bookend, he's a bookend.
Speaker 2:What does he say? They talk about I love yous, and that's not something that happened in our family. And then the monkey says I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you. Well, the monkey.
Speaker 1:well, the the first thing you catch is the monkey, cause the monkey is holding a book on the bookend. So the first thing you catch is the monkey flipping through the pages of the book and and Jay sees this and puts the, puts her, her purse in front of him.
Speaker 2:And so he actually leans around the purse to say he loves her.
Speaker 1:I love you and then, and then it cuts to her at the bar. After all that, with the monkey sitting on the bar, and so there's whole conversations about talking to the monkey, and with Tracy Toms and with the bartender Right, there's that whole thing which I thought was very interesting. I just thought it was funny. I mean, it's just another, but the monkey doesn't really tell her to do anything.
Speaker 2:No, but when she comes back from. Is it when she comes back from the hospital that she finds that her sister climbed through the window of the trailer and then she's sitting on the the edge of the bed with her and they're talking and they're clearly bonding for the first time possibly ever. And that's when the monkey who leans over and says I love you Cause he wants her to tell her sister, and they do, and they're obviously uncomfortable with it. But it's also a moment where they finally have a connection that they've never had before.
Speaker 1:I agree it's a really touching, kind of a sweet moment at the end of the, at the end of the episode. It's a nice way to kind of like tie the whole thing up that even even though she's gone through so much difficulty, she's she's had a different, she hasn't had a difficult life, but she's I don't think she's fit in very well. Yeah, she doesn't know what her purpose is in life. Um, she kind of tormented her older sister yeah when they were growing up.
Speaker 1:So it's just a nice, a nice kind of sweet moment between the two of them so I think the only other major piece of it is the um.
Speaker 2:See a penny pick it up when she goes into the fountain and gets a very specific quarter that then gets away from her and lands in somebody's lunch bag well he then throws in the trash right and she finds the karen's stolen handbag right, yeah, that, that, that.
Speaker 2:That's a whole kind of mid-story subplot yeah um kind of it sort of brings her to the. It's the start of the connection to her sister again right right because she knocks on 71 doors before she finds the karen and then the karen's all pissed off that none of her stuff is in the bag.
Speaker 1:That jay took the time to return well, because she, because she seemed morally safer, right, and she knows how these things work, so you and your friend obviously set me up on identity identity theft I've seen this before and, uh, she punches Jay in the face Right. Because Jay's like I've been knocking on. I knocked on 71 doors. Look at my knuckles, they're bleeding and she puts her. She puts her like her fist out.
Speaker 2:And the woman pops her in the face and then Jay just tackles her right into the, into the hotel room. No one could blame her. But then she calls her sister, because she's a lawyer, into the hotel room. No one could blame? Her, but then she calls her sister because she's a lawyer, right?
Speaker 1:And she was the only one home. Right, Well, yeah, that too she was how many people did you call before me? Five no sex.
Speaker 2:And then, uh, at the end she's after another coin, right, but now she's being instructed by don't squeeze the Charmin. It's a bear holding a Niagara Falls barrel right. Yeah, yeah. So when she grabs him and he shrieks, yes, so good. So at the end of the episode she's chasing a woman who has toilet paper stuck to her shoe which is the don't squeeze the Charmin.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And yelling after her. I think I'm supposed to help you.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And you've got toilet paper on your shoe.
Speaker 1:Right, exactly so. She is really surrendered to destiny at this point. That this is this is kind of well. Well, she gets at. First she gets upset at the bear.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I mean.
Speaker 1:Because she told the lion that was it. Yeah, she was one and done.
Speaker 2:But that lion doesn't make deals. No, she also hadn't returned to that monkey and her mother had come in and told her that the psychiatrist was refusing to see her again until the monkey was returned. So I don't know what's going to happen with the monkey. I don't know if that's going to show up in. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Maybe now that she's told her sister she loves her. She'll take the monkey back to the psychiatrist. Yeah, I don't, I don't know, I really don't know. But again and I just want to point this out because I I mentioned this when we were watching the episode yeah, one of my personal favorite comments about Jay should have realized that her sister was a lesbian Because, remember, this is 2004. She goes because she drives an SUV, and I just found it like a very funny, dated kind of comment.
Speaker 2:The modern equivalent would be she drives a Subaru.
Speaker 1:She drives a Subaru. So it was just a very funny comment, because I mean I don't remember 2004. 2004.
Speaker 2:2004. Yeah, we'd been dating for a year at that point 2004.
Speaker 1:Two years.
Speaker 2:Didn't we meet in 2002? Oh, that's why we're divorced. Wow, why did I think we met in 2003?
Speaker 1:For sure it was 2002.
Speaker 2:No, you're right, it was 2002. 2002.
Speaker 1:Yeah so so again 2004. I mean we're. I don't think suvs were really a big no suvs were not a big thing back then my dad had a ford explorer that was one of like the first. I feel like those were the first, yeah, the first suvs, because we used to pack that thing up to go down to college yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but our other cars were all smaller. Right, right, right, we had four of those.
Speaker 1:Exactly so. Suvs weren't a big thing, so apparently they were big in the lesbian community.
Speaker 2:I guess. So I mean, I don't know that, never would have occurred to me, but okay.
Speaker 1:I know exactly so. Today it would have been a Subaru. What else stood out to you just in? I know exactly so, so today it would have been a Subaru, um, anything, what else? What else stood out to you just in general, on the episode that that you can think of?
Speaker 2:I'm interested to see where it goes with the bartender, Cause I do think that he's clearly he's being set up as a as a romantic interest.
Speaker 1:I don't know if it's going to be romantic, but some sort of close relationship there.
Speaker 2:And I do, I'm interested in. I had written down in my notes like what is her connection to the princess who is the maid of the mist? Because I get the whole like I like your whole, I surrender to destiny. But like how is she just there to be a parallel or is there some kind of like actual connection?
Speaker 1:What do you mean Like?
Speaker 2:personality-wise, or in some, because Jay does not strike me as the kind of person who is going to, you know, happily surrender to destiny. She's a little too cynical and disaffected.
Speaker 1:Well, no, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't think that it's, I don't think they're drawing a parallel between the two, because, clearly, how do you know? I'm just saying I don't know, I don't know yet, because we've only watched one episode but what I? Think yeah what I think is. It's more just the surrendering to destiny concept. Yeah, they're just going about it two different ways, gotcha, because the maid of the maid of the mist it was her father that that put her in the canoe and and then changed his mind changed his mind, mind and she's like no, no, no no, I'm going over.
Speaker 1:I surrender to destiny in a barrel.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:So I think it's just that whole concept of, of I surrender to destiny, um, just in just, in different, in different ways, right, I think?
Speaker 2:that'll be interesting to say yeah, that'll be interesting to see, yeah, what about you? Anything else here?
Speaker 1:Well, no, I, I just I just I find the backdrop of Niagara Falls really interesting, um.
Speaker 2:I haven't been there for years and years, but yeah.
Speaker 1:I've never been, you've never been to Niagara. Falls. I've never been to Niagara Falls.
Speaker 2:You should, it's cool. I think, I think I might.
Speaker 1:I might have to Make sure your passport's up to date because there's a very cute little Canadian community called Niagara on the Lake.
Speaker 2:You'd like it there. Oh yeah, yeah, little shops and everything it was very cute Very nice. Stumbled on it by accident, but it was a fun day.
Speaker 1:I'll keep that in mind. I think it's just an interesting backdrop for the show. Yeah, I mean it's. It's a very romantic place.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I'm I'm curious if that's going to. I'm curious, like, what aspects of Niagara Falls are going to play into the show. Um, again, I mean we've seen multiple relationships kind of begin in this first episode, yep, so I don't know, again, I don't know how that's all going to play into it.
Speaker 2:Well, we don't know who are recurring characters yet, or anything like that.
Speaker 1:Right, and we don't know who else is going to pop up as guest stars. We shall see.
Speaker 2:I think we're going to find out?
Speaker 1:Yes, but interestingly enough. So let's talk about the stars. We shall see. I think we're going to find out. Yes, but interestingly enough. So let's talk about kind of the main cast. So, was it Caroline? How do you pronounce her last name, daverna?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it was Davernas, I don't know if you pronounced the S or not, I have no idea.
Speaker 1:Either way. She pops up as Dr Alana Bloom in Hannibal, which is another Brian Fuller, the creator of this show. It's another one of his shows. And then we all know that Lee Pace shows up in Pushing Daisies, which is another Brian Fuller show, that Lee Pace shows up in Pushing Daisies, which is another Brian Fuller show, but don't forget his best role as a vampire in the Twilight Saga. Oh, let's not remember that.
Speaker 2:He really brought up a very terrible movie series. I love him.
Speaker 1:He's hot.
Speaker 2:He is.
Speaker 1:He makes a good vampire. I'm sure he does. He was in the Marvel movies he played the one bad guy. I can't remember his character's name.
Speaker 2:Oh gosh, I know Purple guy.
Speaker 1:Purple or blue Was he blue. Was he one of the blue? I can't remember.
Speaker 2:I think you're right. I think it was.
Speaker 1:I don't recall, but anyway, so there's.
Speaker 2:so there's some well-known, some some, you know, Brian Fuller brings around his Ronan. Ronan Ronan, the accuser.
Speaker 1:So he, brian Fuller, keeps his actors and actresses around for other shows.
Speaker 2:He's another one of those guys yeah, there's a lot of those guys now yeah, but again I think it was a great opening episode. I mean, obviously they have to lay the groundwork for what's to come yeah, pilots are always tough because there's a lot of backstory that you've got to pack for what's to come.
Speaker 1:Yeah, pilots are always tough because there's a lot of backstory that you've got to pack into what's essentially 44 minutes Right. You've got to really lay it all out there. You've got to grab people, which I think this did. I think it really got your attention, really drew you into the story, while still laying enough of the background to it to to make you want to watch, want to watch more. So. So we'll have to check it out in the in the next episode.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:All right, Anything. Any final parting thoughts?
Speaker 2:I don't think so. No, I'm good, I feel good. I feel good about this episode.
Speaker 1:Me too. This was, this was it was. I've watched what three or four times now in preparation for this, and you pick up something a little different each each time.
Speaker 2:So it's a surprisingly funny show for what it is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, poignant, very funny, sweet. Yeah, somewhat poignant at times, which is really nice. It's not just a straight kind of comedy. Would you throw it as a dramedy?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I probably would.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, if they can keep putting the bear in the comedy category for the Golden Globes, I think we could say this is definitely a dramedy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would agree with that, all right. Well, everybody, thank you for hanging out with us for our discussion of the first episode of Wonder Falls, the show that I really feel, so far, I think.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just from the first episode. I would have been happy to watch another season of it.
Speaker 1:Well, let's point this out, I think. What was it? Only four episodes actually aired.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's correct.
Speaker 1:So, believe it or not, there's 13 episodes in the season one, but only four of those actually aired in the US, so that's really disappointing. I feel like it should have been given much more of a shot than it did receive.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I totally agree.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't even remember what it was up against in.
Speaker 2:In 2004. In 2004.
Speaker 1:I don't even remember, but apparently it didn't hang on there too well. So we will talk through all 13 episodes and hang out with us next time when we talk about episode two.
Speaker 2:Awesome.
Speaker 1:Great, thanks so much everyone. Bye. Bye next time when we talk about episode two. Awesome, great thanks so much everyone. Bye.
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