Did one of KL's most surreal scenes work or feel contrived to you?

[A Nightmare on Jimmy Todd Street]

I was rewatching the scene in which Jill is alone with an unconscious Val who is in the hospital after Jill tried to "suicide" her. I loved the whole plot and Jill has this great internal monologs as she hovers over her prey. Billie Bird plays a mentally unstable patient sharing the room with "poor Val." At the end of the scene the patient says to Jill, "I heard every word you said." This implies she read Jill's mind, or, of course, it's just her mental illness. I loved the scene because it's realistic in the sense that weird things happen in "real" life.
Anyone have an opinion of that scene? A perfect for Knots or imcongruous for a show ostensibly about "us."

 

[Spells & Karma]

It's a long time since I watched this scene, but as it came back to me from reading your description it struck me that it's very character-driven in its psychology. It's all about Jill's conscience and guilt and fear of being found out and, in that regard, is almost Hitchcockian: like Janet Leigh's conversation with the police officer in Psycho. Her guilt informs how she perceives or reacts to the situation and it takes us right along with her because we know what she's done and so are in a form of collusion with her.

Not all of us have drugged someone to obtain an alibi while we break into our lover's ex's home wearing Marigolds to force them at gunpoint into overdosing. Many more of us, though, will know how it feels to misinterpret or overthink a benign comment or situation based on where we're at emotionally. So I think there's no reason this wouldn't speak to us in a way that's relatable.

 

[James from London]

I was just about to say what Mel did only less articulately. If Billie Burke had then gone on to solve the case using crazy old lady precognition then I might have had a problem, but as it was it worked fine, as if Jill's guilt and paranoia were being reflected back at her.

 

[Spells & Karma]

I was just about to say what Mel did only less articulately.

I only believe half this sentence.

 

[A Nightmare on Jimmy Todd Street]

I agree with @James from London. It was perfect that Billie Bird was there just for that scene only.
@Mel O'Drama 's very well written post hit the nail on the head regarding the nuances of the scene and the psychology of guilt.
The expression on Jill's face at the very end of the scene was perfectly understated.
There will never be another show that hit me the way KL did. There's excellent shows, but KL at it's best was in another league.

 

[shaqattaq32]

I was rewatching the scene in which Jill is alone with an unconscious Val who is in the hospital after Jill tried to "suicide" her. I loved the whole plot and Jill has this great internal monologs as she hovers over her prey. Billie Bird plays a mentally unstable patient sharing the room with "poor Val." At the end of the scene the patient says to Jill, "I heard every word you said." This implies she read Jill's mind, or, of course, it's just her mental illness. I loved the scene because it's realistic in the sense that weird things happen in "real" life.
Anyone have an opinion of that scene? A perfect for Knots or imcongruous for a show ostensibly about "us."

I love just about every moment of this storyline including this one. It was a genuinely hilarious moment while at the same time tapping into Jill’s insecurity and paranoia.

Sometimes Knots’ attempts at humor in the later seasons can be a little too broad and/or cutesy for my tastes. But this was a very funny moment and I still can’t help grinning every time I see this scene.

 

[Daniel Avery]

It would likely have been difficult to plot out, but it would have been a nice twist if we learn a bit later that Billie Bird's character had been a figment of Jill's imagination the whole time.

 

[Top Jimmy]

"And I know what I know."

 

[Piggyrella Sanderson]

Despite its huge audience and the popularity between us, the Season 6 Finale with the slow-motion and the Sheila screaming of "Harrrryyyyy...!" seems tremendously tacky to me. Though I like it, I just can´t love it (unlike the previous 3 Finales). Its direction is contrived and very un-Knotsy (nothing to do with the perfectly staged Season 5 Finale), and seems to want to expand the episode for a few minutes more just because. There, I said it (oops, that´s another thread).

Also, Val giving birth... with that Rosemary´s Baby music... and distorted image!!

 

[Werewillie Oleson]

Jill has this great internal monologs as she hovers over her prey. Billie Bird plays a mentally unstable patient sharing the room with "poor Val." At the end of the scene the patient says to Jill, "I heard every word you said." This implies she read Jill's mind, or, of course, it's just her mental illness

The crazy patient had already decided, quite randomly, that Jill wasn't welcome.
"Valene does not want that woman in here" she says when Jill and Gary embrace (before that inner monologue).

I don't think it matters what she heard, if she heard anything. She wouldn't understand the gravity of the situation anyway.
The accusation isn't a real accusation, she just wants Jill to know that she was right about mistrusting her (even if she isn't really mistrusting Jill). It's a moment of nonsensical victory.

Jill had decided that she was going to get away with it regardless of what Valene would say.
The comment "heard every word you said" was just unfortunate timing that almost snapped Jill out of her self-reassurance.
Haven't we all had that moment when we thought "did I say that out loud? / oops, I hope not!".
But no matter how it should be interpreted, I don't feel the scene ends with a strong sense of urgency or panic.

 

[Chris2]

I was just about to say what Mel did only less articulately. If Billie Burke had then gone on to solve the case using crazy old lady precognition then I might have had a problem, but as it was it worked fine, as if Jill's guilt and paranoia were being reflected back at her.

There’s no place like home!