I want to take Jane Espenson's turn of a phrase out for a night on the town. If it's not too forward--maybe even away for a long weekend, somewhere special...with a jacuzzi. We'll have some champagne. Maybe it will be the start of something.

I've only seen New Girl in Town, and last night's Something Nice, so I know I'm likely missing some character development. Rebecca became much more accessible to me in this episode. Has that been a steady build? I felt for her as she made her awkward attempts to connect to her co-workers on the way in. I don't think Nichols hit a false note, all the way through.

And sure, going after a 10 year old in the way she did, regardless of the fact that the 10 year old was a sociopath, was really rather nutty, but she (Rebecca) finally seemed alive. I like that Rebecca is rather reckless. That helps (to my mind, anyhow) keep her from being a damsel. The boogey man got her long ago, so what would she fear?

I actually didn't expect to watch last night. I figured I'd read the thread today, see what was the what, and make my decision. I'm glad I didn't, and that I got to see it, without being spoiled. I was out 'til a little after 10 o'clock. When I got home, dh said he'd already watched it, and that it was funny. Tim, I think you've roped him in good, and he's working me. The first time he asked if I wanted to watch, I cocked an eyebrow at him. "What was it about?"

"Well, this kid..."

"This kid...what?"

"Um. It was really funny. You should just see it. Do you want to watch? I'll watch, again."

"It was funny?"

"I was going to wait and see if you wanted to watch it, but I went into the living room just as the TiVo tuned into it. Then I saw this kid...I didn't know if maybe the episodes got shuffled, and this was the one I get killed in, so I watched it. I'm tellin' ya, it was funny. I'll watch it again, if you want to see it right now."

"This kid, what?"

"It was really funny, but...well, this kid gets killed. I don't want to spoil you, but it was really funny. I know that's sick, but it was. Do you want to watch it? I'll watch it again."

"You're a sick, sick man."

"No, really. You're gonna laugh, too. Do you want to watch it?"

So, yeah. I did. And it was. Something Nice was a wonderful homage to The Bad Seed. The moment the little girl was first shown on screen, I knew she was the killer, but that's not a bad thing. Some of it was just in her face. Some of what tipped me was how long it took to reveal her (first the dad was shown, then the mom, then finally the kid). Some of it was the expression on Nichols' face, when she saw her.

Wow, I don't know who played Madison, but whoever she is, I think she could eat Dakota Fanning, Davleigh Chase and Patti McCormack in one sitting and ask for seconds.

Nobody puts Baby Patty McCormack in a corner...of a plate. Jennette McCurdy plays Madison and she was great (but step off Patty). She managed to evoke that same sociopathy McCormack's Rhoda Penmark does. It seems to me that most actors playing evil little kids have a hard time disconnecting from their own cuteness. Kudos to McCurdy.

Madison swinging her feet and really enjoying that soda once the coast was clear was a great touch. I know the gang seeing her switch off the crocodile tears, and start enjoying herself was integral to the plot, but the scene was worth it, in and of itself, too. I *knew* the little witch was going to throw herself out of the treehouse. I was afraid she'd miscalculated and was going to die, and leave Rebecca in a real mess.

Is it just me, or physically, does McCurdy sort of resemble Julie Dawn Cole as a child (the actor who played Veruca Salt in the Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)? I'm trying to Google an image of Cole, but the internets are ferwonky this morning, and giving me no love. The page keeps hanging.

Zeljko Ivanek's (that's his name? Wow. (continued...)

( continues...) He looks much more like an Ed Danvers) Teddy Bunch managed both to evoke Henry's Jones's LeRoy, from The Bad Seed, and be infinitely more likable and sympathetic. I suppose that's because Rebecca, and Mrs. Olsen took on LeRoy's "I know what you did" duties in this one.

I was pleasantly surprised that Mrs. Olsen took matters into her own hands, and went after Madison. Despite knowing Madison was the killer immediately, I did not realize Mrs. Olsen was going to get it until pretty far into those last scenes.

For a good long time, I thought Nora was a sure goner, and that that's how Madison would trip herself up. That shot of the bicycle safety flag appearing behind the fence, while Rebecca questioned Nora was really creepy. I wish Nora had been a little more involved in breaking the case for Rebecca.

Good job all around, Tim. Jane needs to write more episodes.

I don't think accusing a ten-year-old of murder to her face is awesome. I think it's...psychotic.

Oh, I think in that scene Rebecca was hip-deep in in reality about the little girl and what she had done, so not psychotic at all. The only thing that was going to throw that child off-kilter was realizing she didn't have everyone fooled, and Rebecca knew that. A ten-year old who has gutted a little boy like a fish and then waited around to watch his mother find him? Yeah, no sympathy for some scare tactics and yelling there. And part of what I'm supposed to buy, I think, about Rebecca is that she gets evilbad in a way that most other humans just don't - she knew the girl had done it.

What she didn't plan for - the jump out of the tree house - that's her not seeing enough steps ahead yet. Same with cluing the mother in about her actual suspicions in the kitchen. Though, whereas I kind of knew the girl was going to jump, I had no clue about what the mother was going to do. That was tricksy twisty, which I enjoyed. (ETA: or maybe not so surprising, had I remembered the thing about consequences and the kitchen scene.)

Enjoyed last night's ep, for the most part.(Mel was indeed a good part of that)However....did anyone else find that end scene a bit anvilly?(At least the part with Paul looking at the sonogram)

In that it was some sort of heavy foreshadowing of what his child may be? Not really.

I think the conversation (which is one I would have if I were a fictional FBI agent after working a case like that), naturally led Paul to think about his own child, and hope against hope that he turns out okay, and that he's able to do his job as a father. Nothing more.

Plus, he'd had Rebecca's words about how you can't really protect children from the world in his head all ep, so obviously he's afraid he won't be able to pull off the parenting thing.

I like Paul. I may not always agree with his view, but I respect it.

I think the conversation (which is one I would have if I were a fictional FBI agent after working a case like that), naturally led Paul to think about his own child, and hope against hope that he turns out okay, and that he's able to do his job as a father. Nothing more.

Not Sheryl, but I read her anvil comment as being about that.

Why's that an anvil?

Is it just me, or physically, does McCurdy sort of resemble Julie Dawn Cole as a child (the actor who played Veruca Salt in the Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)?

NOT just you. She looked familiar but I knew I'd never seen her before, and you just put your finger on why.

I loved that when Ellen took Madison, I was worried about Ellen. I was actually worried that she'd kill Madison and go to jail forever and ever, but she was the one I was worried about.

I had forgotten all about Paul's impending fatherhood by the end, so I guess I needed the anvil.

I figured Madison was going to turn it around somehow and gut her. I didn't see the mom getting into it.