About a Monster....

[M.A.Y.]

About a Monster....

Oh where to begin....Okay let's start with Nick & Kim....You would think that after what happened to Nick in the "Indian Summer" episode that he would learn that it's not the best choice to sleep with a woman you've just met and know nothing about...but hey Nick suffers from chronic bad judgement and if he didn't have this flaw then I guess we'd have no show.
Well, Nick has finally found someone with judgement as bad as his own. I was thinking that Kim should have lost that custody case. The only good thing I can say about Nick & Kim is that it will surely drive Lulu (who was looking exceptionally good in this episode) crazy! Her sunken expression (actually, she looked like she was going to vomit!) when Kim told her that she had a "two-night-stand" with a "probationer" was priceless! For a happily married woman she certainly seemed bothered...but of course she deserves to feel bad! I'm just wondering how long Hollander wants this Nick & Kim thing to last. Their conversation in bed after night two of the "two-night-stand" was interesting because we got to see Nick be human, but who cares if he shares it with Kim?! She cannot be a serious love interest for Nick, because we have no reason to hope for them to get together...they've already done everything!

Fallin & Straka?! All I can say is that Nick is no Burton and I don't really see him as a leader of a firm. There has to be a reason that Burton never made his son a partner at F&A. Nick also doesn't like, trust or even respect Jake, so I don't see how F&S can work in the long-term. The dynamic between Nick, Jake and James could be interesting, but I hope their venture fails. Here's what I'd like to see happen: 1) Burton, for whatever reason, is unable to take his seat on the bench (the mess with Caldwell and Mitchell has to count for something!), 2) Fallin & Straka is dissolved,, 3) James goes back to LSoP (after years of representing the indigent, I can't see how he'd be very satisfied doing corporate work...I'm a corporate lawyer myself and I don't think I could go the other way), 4) Nick and Burton kick Caldwell and his lackey out of their offices and reconstruct F&A! Think how much fun that would be to watch Burton and Nick fighting together!

Having Burton on the bench limits the scope of the relationship between Nick and Burton. As a judge, Burton would be unable to advise Nick on any cases due to the potential that any legal action involving Nick's firm could end up before him as a judge, and Nick cannot appear as counsel before his father. The tension between them as boss and employee was great and served to (enjoyably) complicate the father/son aspect of the relationship.

Now....back to that monster....the interaction between Nick and Ronnie was underutilized. The whole episode I was wanting to know more about the kid. Nick seemed unaffected by what this kid did, and until the final scene with Laurie where he says "..maybe the kid deserves what he gets...what he did to someone who showed him love...only a monster would do that" only hints at what could have been. Hollander needs to take the reins off of Simon and let him sink his teeth into a meatier script. That will mean paring down the number of storylines per episode, but the show is called the Guardian!!

Overall, my least favourtie episode ever.

[Jennifer]

M.A.Y, love your assessment of Monster. I agree; this is also my least favorite episode so far. As for Kim, I didn't see any screen chemistry between her and Nick, IMO. I sincerely hope that Lulu gets jealous even more when they see them in public in next week's episode. Here's hoping Lulu comes to her senses and dump her no good hubby.

Jennifer

[EllenArden]

I, too, came out of "Monster" feeling disappointed. Kim annoyed me, and the "relationship" between her and Nick (such as it is) felt wrong, wrong, wrong to me. Like she'll be doing him a favour to condescend to *be* with him, let alone to be seen with him. Could she refer to Nick as "probationer" any more often? I don't think so. It struck me as her way of keeping someone in their place, which in this case means she sees herself as (I've mentioned this elsewhere) being a "cut above" Nick.

I also wasn't able to get into the case of the week, either. Laurie's predicament left me unmoved, and it's true; the times Nick was with Ronnie, it felt half-hearted, for some reason. Stuff left un-tapped. One of those rare episodes that seemed without layers to peel back. The episode title could have been simply:"Nick Gets Laid" as that seemed to be all that was accomplished.

[cloud9]

*******SPOILERS**********

8****

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Hated this ep.....Felt like throwing up myself when the first sweaty clinch between Nick and Kim showed up! Not so much because of the bad judgment thing but just because it was all so soul-less---- or heartless----or something......Like you I did like the the pillow talk part, tho.

Boy, our Nick was really into the self-gratification and career goal mode during the ep. Actually, between his afternoon sessions with Kim, his hanging Lorie out to dry, his superior attitude with his 'partners' (especially Jake) and the fact that he left them to get the office organized while he partied, and his calm acceptance of his client's fate, I was left wondering just who TPTB meant by the ep title: "Monster"!

Let's hope for a nicer Nick next time, guys...... ----Q

[surfgirl]

Well guys - re Kim, Nick Fallin is all about bad judgement, dontcha think? We're talking about a guy who is the epitome of "repressed" and who finds self-expression in recreational drugs. A guy this buttoned down has got to have an outlet somewhere, and a two-night stand seems very in-character to me. If it goes anywhere, I'll be surprised (casual sex is Nick. Finding it next to impossible to express his deep feelings for Lulu is Nick). I certainly hope he ditches Kim or she ditches him.

Contrary to popular opinion wrt the "monster" kid, from his first interaction with Ronnie, I thought Nick was a virtual poster-boy for barely- hidden revulsion. As was Ronnie's perception, Nick did hate him. By representing him, he was merely doing his job - and doing it very well despite his obvious (but well-controlled) disgust and horror.

I actually didn't mind this episode. Nice to see Lulu in a tizzy.

[M.A.Y.]

The latest TV Guide reports that Caldwell will commit suicide, thus threatening Burton's ascent to the bench. This will leave the former F&A without a leader, so hopefully Burotn can take his firm back and bring his boy Nick back into the fold! Hollander said it would take three or four episodes to "reconstitute" the show and I hope this is what he meant!

[fourbeccaone]

M.A.Y.,
Just read in simonsphere-Links-Episode guide, that in two weeks the episode: "The Next Life," Burton will form "Fallin and Fallin."
Any ideas why he gives up the appointment to judgeship?
In the previews, what's the secret he buried with Anne?
Does this have something to do with turning down the appointment?
Does Nick find out something about Anne that Burton won't reveal?

There are a lot of loose ends from last season that DH needs to tie up. I hope he addresses all of them.

[Ginne]

Hi Trisha!

Actually, it isn't Anne that the secret is supposedly buried with. Another site (I don't remember which one) says that Nick is representing a developer who wants to have the graves in a cemetery disinterred and moved so that he can develop the land. When all this hits the news, a woman whose sister is buried in that cemetery and who opposes the development comes forward and announces that her sister (who died some 30 years before) died as a result of an abortion, and that Burton was the father of the baby she aborted.

Hope this makes sense!

Gin

[fourbeccaone]

Gin,
Wow!!

This is definately not going to sit well with our boy Nick.
I guess this will probably put father and son relationship back to square one.

[fourbeccaone]

For shame Burton!

I wonder if he gave the woman the money to have the abortion. Abortion was probably not legal at the time. Doesn't that put his law licence in jeopardy?

Will this really prove to Nick that daddy truly didn't want any children around-- sending Nicky off to boarding school and just getting rid of the other.
Reputation and money go a long way for a Fallin.

[Ginne]

Who knows what will happen, Trisha!

It's entirely possible that Burton is completely innocent (I'll have to re-watch the preview to see what I really think on that one).

But yes, abortion was illegal at the time, so this could be why Burton appears to not take his seat on the bench.

[Hales]

Poor old Burton... don't you just hate having secrets like that

I'm hoping that Burton isn't the father of the aborted child and its just a false accusation (or whatever the word is that I'm looking for). :nyah:

Either way I doubt Nick is going to be happy but me thinks that he'll find some evidence to prove that the woman is wrong and voila... poor old Burton... you know I just had to say that again. :smirk:

[M.A.Y.]

I still think that Burton's troubles taking the bench will have more to do with Caldwell's death than the secret revealed in the cemetery. Remember that Mitchel has already told Nick that he could make trouble for his father, and it's likely that with Caldwell dead, Mitchel will feel desperate and try to bring Burton down with the information he has. We've already had many references to the trouble that he can cause. In The Beginning, Burton sort of foreshadows this in his revelations to Nick on the doorstep while Mandy was unconscious on the floor. And in the preview Nick is heard saying "Are you trying to blackmail my father?!"
Whatever happens it should be a great episode!

[simonsbabe]

I didn't like Kim either and didn't think she was Nick's type. She thought she was above him and looked down her nose at Nick. However I think the relationship might continue for a few episodes for LuLu's benefit. I liked seeing her get so flustered over the whole affair. Served her right, happily married???!

[iconicsoup]

Interesting to read all this stuff about Monster. I have almost never looked forward to an episode more. It all sounds rather like Nick being Nick to me. Can't wait... will have to wait...