Mystic, I did just that the other day. I checked out the Off-Topic thread. It is all over the map. That one is a "just jump in" format, right?

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Along with a number of in-jokes, but they become obvious over time. Nice bunch who frequently disagree about some hot-topic issues, but has a lot of frivolity too.

I am right there with ya, SR! We actually weren't preempted, but it was shown at 2 am, and it was a day off, so everyone else was seeing it and talking about it a day before I could watch. It wasn't worth the effort to keep up so I took a break. I don't miss the show one bit but I do miss the boards- so I guess I will get back into it. I am guessing it won't take too much guess work to figure things out.. LOL

No, it's not weird at all.. This show has become a soap opera and obviously, we can't do much about it except get on these wonderful boards and express our opinions. I watch now with one eye on the show and one eye on whatever else I'm doing.
And with any luck at all, I don't look like the wandering eye person!!LOL
Actually, If it weren't for these boards, I'd have given up on SO a LOOONNNGGGG time ago!

I don't think so. I used to be such a die hard fan. From the first season on. I just had my son. I was addicted to watching that show. Now I put it on out of habit while I eat lunch and my son naps.

It used to be very uplifting to watch that show. I used to cry everyday when Susan from Season 1 was looking for her Dad. Rain was trying to get off wellfare. Josie having a baby. They were real life changing things. Not this "living large while going bankrupt" nonsense that's on now.

I keep hearing rumors that they might not get picked up next season but frankly from what it's become, I don't care. There is only so many times you can watch someone fake cry and vomit before your viewers grab the remote and swtich the channel.

well said eirie_heart74.

Unfortunately for me this show and my errr weekly ummmmm reading material are my addictions. As for the show I feel the only way my addiction will be broken is if it does not go into season 4.

That will leave me with Monk and American Idol.

Geesh, I need to get a life. roflmao

Did you catch their new commercial yesterday about SO being "addictive"? They wish.

Yep, they've run SO commercials two days back to back this week. My response was/is a big eyeroll. I watch each episode twice. I complain here on the boards. For all of its shortcomings it is still cheaper than therapy. The last guy I saw a few months ago was so dry and seemed so disinterested, I refused to go back. At $240 an hour, I want a lap dance, dammit. Something. Their prices are exorbitant and the service is minimal. Got to be better ways to spend $240 than 45 minutes with some monolith. Grrrrrrr.

If all they have to offer is the likes of Lisa and Allison, then they've dug their own grave and I can't cry if the show gets cancelled. Better no tv than bad tv. They've ceased to give us follow up info on the women in the 'Where Are They Now' pages. No 'official' closure for the viewing audience on any of these women.

To me the show seems long. Seems like half an hour would be enough.

I don't think so at all, for MANY reasons.

-I have to say that I'm really grateful for these message boards. They really opened up my eyes to Allison-I still felt some compassion for her at the beginning of the season, but something about her really started to bother the crap out of me. It wasn't until I checked out the message boards that I was able to put my finger on it, and it was a big reason for my losing interest.

-The lack of cohesion among the houseguests this year coupled with the constant backbiting/catfights really started to grate on me. It was pretty clear to me that the show's intentions were getting lost.

-Also, there was the so-called "Board of Review," in which the supposed "sacredness" and integrity of the house was constantly being compromised by a refusal to eject housemates who violated either of these ideals. (Do I even need to mention names here?)

-And, I have to say-maybe I have ADD-but the fact that weeks, then months would go by, and the same women were STILL ON. Why? Because only one of them, namely Jessica, was making, in my opinion, actual consistent progress.

-Additionally, I am frustrated that the Starting Over website people have been fired. Because I'm usually gone in the mornings, I can't always watch when it comes on here, but I could at least keep up with it through their detailed daily summaries. Now, I don't even have that anymore-to be honest, I don't even know most of the details on why the hg's after Kim are even there!

-And finally, the fact that so many women are graduating now and, IMHO, haven't even come close to actually achieving their goals (Allison, Jill, Lisa, just to name a few) makes me take this show a LOT less seriously than I used to.
So, in summation, I can't blame anyone else for losing interest in the show.

Great post alliswan! Good thread to revive! It's been almost a month since people weighed in.

It was nice to remember people like Susan and Rain again. No illusions of stardom - just decent, ordinary women dealing with what life handed them. I liked both of those ladies alot. I thought Rain was particularly courageous - and Susan? Her story broke my heart. I miss those stories.

So what do you guys think? Is the new and improved SO still going down the tubes?

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Yep, straight down the toilet in a big swirly.

I find myself choosing to watch the show sometimes only to be able to keep up with the message boards. I've been relieved when there will be a repeat so I can skip that day and do something other than watch tv.

I wasn't a watcher in the early days but I'm losing interest now because I can't tell what they consider to be progress and because I think too much is filler for drama or just entertainment. I'd rather be a fly on the wall to see progress for the people in the house.

BOR's and showing up the steps would help me know what's going on. It helped to see Kelly getting her steps even though I'm not quite sure how she earned one of them. As someone else stated on the boards somewhere, the LCs seem to be ignoring all her angry outbursts that happen with HMs.

I wish they'd just drop showing all the gossip if the coaches don't use it for the treatment. I keep waiting for it to be a topic, like when the whole house got called on the carpet for the bad energy at a BOR. Part of it was that people weren't working with their accountability partners.

Oh yeah, they haven't even mentioned accountability in awhile. When I tuned in to the show I didn't really understand what those were and what they were supposed to say/do. I kept hearing it used in the context "I'm your AP and you were supposed to ..." usually in a huff. When they referred to accountablity partner I was trying to follow but the words "trigger" "mirror" were being used so often and I started to realize I really don't know what they mean. Alas, I guess the concept is gone with Jill.

Thanks, Seasoned! I always enjoy your posts, too.

Twinkles, you were right on about the accountability thing. I seem to remember an instance where whoever was Kim's accountability partner (I want to say it was Lisa1) pretty much used that position to verbally attack her, or at least that's how it came off to Kim, because she had no idea what was going on. I believe it had to do with kitchen cleanup or something.

Anyway, I think the housemates are pretty much clueless as to what, exactly, an accountability partner's duties are. And for that, I blame IV and Rhonda. And I bet at this point (or, any point), that if you were to ask one of them, point blank, exactly what an AP is or does, you couldn't beat a straight answer out of either of them.

Also, Seasoned, I agree-I miss people like Rain and Susan, and my all-time favorites included Amy and Lori from Season 1. And, if I may confess (blushes), I was a fan of Andi when she was an HM....

I agree--I was watching a rerun on TVOne---Rachael (lost both parents to Cancer) was there without the hope of stardom---I really enjoy those old ones---people really trying to help themselves.

While we don't carry episode summaries, there are other sites that do. See our Links Compilation Thread for some of those.

Thanks, Cygnus, oh wise and mighty moderator! :-D
The site http://startingover.betaparticle.com/ was particularly helpful on that front. However, that still doesn't make up for all my other frustrations with the show

20 minutes into todays show it was pre empted.. the president was in town making a speech so they bootes SO for that( not sure which was worse..LOL) and it didn't even bother me. last season i would have been soooooooo mad!

However, that still doesn't make up for all my other frustrations with the show

That I can't help you with. Except to give you a place to bash the show, perhaps!

Welcome to the boards.