Watched it last night. It wasn’t bad but I was hoping for/expecting more. I felt they wasted a lot of time during the episode that could have been used to push the story forward or show relationships between characters. I did like how unlike many dramas it wasn’t full of forced and over the top cliff hangers. How about you?

I thought it was good, but a bit anticlimactic. I felt like there needed to be some kind of punishment for Nate, I was really hoping Fez would actually kill him. If you remember when Nate had Jules report Tyler she had to add that he hooked up with Maddie, which means he's going to get the statutory rape charge anyway, so his life is fucking ruined. I was annoyed that Ethan didn't tell Kat that she misinterpreted the situation at the carnival, since it was a lesson she needed to learn. I'm glad Cassie learned to chill out and hopefully Maddie Is actually going to try to move on, and I thought Rue letting Jules go and thinking about her family was the right way to go.

I’m with you. At first I wasn’t sure if Fez was going after Nate or Spider- and then cane the robbery. I’m sure that sets up drama for later- will spider figure out Fez robbed a guy and somehow use it to leverage him to sell harder? Does Spider know the guy and will pin Fez? Will the Dr’s friends come looking for Fez? But....

I was expecting SOMETHING to happen at the dance. We have all these dangling threads from earlier in the season and even this episode. Nate’s dirty business with everyone, tons of possible confrontations, Maddie seeing the disk.... none came out. I also am disappointed there was no attempt to explain the carnival situation- and Nate’s response to the threats from Rue seemed weak. Yeah he took some digs at her- but the manipulator we’ve seen up till now I just feel he would have taken things another direction.

He started talking about Jules bright future but never really hinted strongly or said that if Rue talked he’d hurt Jules. He told Rue Jules didn’t tell her everything (I’m thinking he means the setting and pics and fact she was in danger of child pornography charges-) but Rue didn’t ask and that whole conversation went nowhere for the episode.

I suppose it’s good and bad. I mean- it’s relatable realistic. No super soap opera drama. Like real high school the big “drama” is a couple students deciding to run away together on a short train ride one backs out of and the other goes on- not a big deal for a girl who called in sick for school 2 weeks anyway. I also think Rue made a good choice- and the whole time I was hoping she’d back out.

Overall there was a strong degree of realism to it. The big relationships of the season lasting for months only much like many high school “love stories,” an uncomfortably honest trip to the abortion clinic without false melodrama, and Nate having a breakdown over all the pressure he faces and his conflicts with himself and his dad.

I’m glad they didn’t pull all the cheap soap opera crap- but at the same time we weren’t really given a climax or a finale but just a bunch of hanging threads that hopefully we can see play out next season. Where Nate goes from here- Maddie and he broken up again, Jules at least temporarily gone, Rue alone and relapsed, Fez’s situation- who what how and if Nate or his dad will be outed by Maddie or maybe even a fed up Nate himself?

We don’t see or really hear from McKay at all- and honestly asides his presence as a semi major character and focal point of the season- do we care? His whole “Jock with daddy issues and social pressure”and performance anxiety mimic Nate and as a character he’s just a “nice guy” floating through the story and giving us a reason to pay attention to anything going on with Cassie. But we got a sort of throwaway about Cassie saying she wasn’t in love with anyone- is McKay maybe coming back next season to try and “make things right,” or do we even care?

I feel like McKay is just done plot wise, no need for him anymore. Honestly, for the second season, I wouldn't be surprised if they started over with a whole new group of students. Given how long HBO takes to make new seasons these days if they do use Rue again it'll be her starting college, and they probably won't bring back most of the people from the first season, which might be good. Nate needs to be fucking hospitalized for real though, that fit he threw after trying to fight his dad was amazing and horrifying at the same time.

For real. I want to see that kid either get what’s coming or at least some hard knocks that might teach him some lessons. As much as I hate him- he is a kid, and we all gotta learn. He’s done bad stuff he and take back- but life has a way of changing people and at least some good coming out of the bad would be nice. Although- watching him get destroyed would be very satisfying since it is fiction. I feel like McKay has been a waste of time. He donated some sperm. Nothing else meaningful- and even that is more a moment than a movement. But maybe they have somewhere to go with him yet...

The odd thing is I hope in the second season someone comes forward and speaks out in Tyler's defense, Nate really fucked that guy over