GRChereck

ABC announces its slate of upcoming Valentine's Day programming Programming note: Go freaking figure -- The Feb. 8 TGIF slot will be used for a re-airing of Peanuts specials ('Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown' and 'A Charlie Brown Valentine'), so the V-day episodes of FOTB (5x14, "Cupid's Crossbow") and 'Speechless' (3x14, "J-I-- Jimmy V-A-L-- Valentine") won't air until the day after the holiday. :p (1/30 Update: The eps of 'The Kids Are Alright', 'Black-ish' and 'Splitting Up Together' originally scheduled for Feb. 5 have been pushed back to Feb. 12, due to the rescheduled SOTU address.) *** "J-I-- Jimmy V-A-L-- Valentine" (3x14, Feb. 15) (full press release) -- according to the official ABC/Disney episode numbers, it looks like this one (#312) and the one airing this Friday (#313, 3x13) got switched around; it'll be interesting to see what sort of continuity issues that may raise... :\ On the plus side, more JJ/Izzy and a Jimya pairing. <3 <3 FanFest: 3x12 (#311) highlights :)

Well, in the one scene, M&M presumably wanted him there as a test audience for their investors-pitch practice; beyond that, I'm not quite sure... As for Kenneth, I guess his not having much of a life outside of Maya and her family means fewer opportunities to meet women, so he takes what he can get (though if his open flirtations make the family uncomfortable, he could stand to tone it down a bit and at least be more professional around the kids). :)

I found it a little odd at first that he wasn't sitting in Film class with JJ (thank goodness for Aaron); but as the episode went on, while it wasn't stated explicitly, I got the feeling that could've been part of why Kenneth unloads on Maya later for making everything about herself ("Maya-land"): He probably didn't mind his world having to revolve around hers as long as it primarily revolved around JJ, since he cares about the kid too; but now that she has this whole other thing going on yet still wants to seek his input / use him for her purposes (not to mention how he gets a bit snippy when she just automatically ropes him into picking up Melanie's son from school), with no apparent regard for anything else he could or should be doing at the moment, I suspect he would've reached a breaking point sooner or later anyway. :\

I'm assuming this isn't it for Maya and Melanie's business -- according to the latest ABC/Disney press release (3x13 "F-A-- Fashion 4 A-- All," Feb. 1), they're supposed to take it to an Abilities Expo... Also, I thought Mel and Kenneth made a cute pair, and I hope we see more of them together. :) The growing attraction between JJ and Izzy was sweet to see. I loved her suggestion that he make the leading man less heroic, more "real" -- a guy who's scared to put himself out there but does so anyway. It was kinda neat how those two plots briefly tied together, too, with Ray and JJ advising their mom how to win back Melanie to her side (Ray, of course, suggesting the typical rom-com "don't take no for an answer" approach, while JJ points out the "toxic message" of that trope -- as he says Izzy had pointed out to him). Once again, Jimmy gets saddled with the silliest plot, though it was good to see his band again (including Kyle Gass of Tenacious D) after their little cameo at the end of "L-O-N-- London (Part 2);" I hope this wasn't it for them, either*... And yeah, I kinda cringed when they first took credit for writing the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" because Dylan liked their performance so much; but I agree, it was sweet, and actually pretty typical of her relationship with her dad that she didn't really get upset over finding out his band had been playing covers, or that he didn't really learn anything from this experience as long as the stakes were so low (nobody got hurt, no major humiliation or losses). * I was especially excited for this plot because I've been hoping the show would use one of JRB's own songs from his days with the '90s NY pop-punk band Egghead (such as "Jane Airhead" or "Books"). :D

"F-A-- Fashion 4 A-- All" (3x13, Feb. 1) (press release/promo pix) -- Maya and Melanie attend an Abilities Expo; also, Ray joins JJ on a campus visit, while Dylan takes a "journey within." (But whither Jimmy and Kenneth, I wonder?) And a couple pieces about the making of the Abilities Expo scenes (not too spoilery, now that we know about Maya's adaptive-clothing line): https://www.abilities.com/community/speechless-expo.html (article with comments from various Hollywood-area vendors who took part in filming) http://www.hmenews.com/article/hit-tv-show-recreates-abilities-expo (Q&A with one of the vendors, Lisa Wells of Cure Medical) *** FanFest: 3x11 highlights :D

'Speechless' writer Zach Anner is starting a podcast for the series! Featuring cast and crew chat, BTS tidbits and more. :) A 2-minute preview was posted today: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-speechless-podcast-with-zach-anner/id1449050521?linkId=62387457

Aaron (whom we should see next in this Friday's episode). :) I'm guessing he must have felt pretty burned after the Claire arc in s.1 -- we haven't really seen him in any sort of similar plots since then (though in s.2, he got kissed a couple times, took a girl out to see The Last Jedi, and tried online dating) -- but yeah, it would be nice to see JJ try to have a little fun outside of preparing for HS graduation and college.

He's midway through his Junior year; his Sophomore year, he was mostly preoccupied with Taylor. :) Still, this was yet another in a long series of Ray-pretends-to-be-something-he-isn't-to-impress-girls plots -- they had one not too long ago in the s.3 premiere, but I thought at least watching him struggle to maintain the "California dude" image was funny (especially considering how he said he was looking forward to getting away from that culture during the London trip), whereas this was just creepy (getting to listen to these girls share deeply personal and private feelings while not exactly being forthright about himself). :p His antics this week were especially disappointing in light of his beautiful gift for his dad last week -- though I did find it kinda sweet that he got another opportunity to help Jimmy a bit (albeit played purely for laughs rather than emotional impact). Yeah, as much as she seems to dislike other people being patronizing or overprotective to JJ (such as when his Junior-year teachers let him slack off, or Jimmy wouldn't let him play hockey because he was afraid of him getting hurt), the reveal that she's been outright lying to him -- even if simply to inspire him and help him believe in himself -- over the years kinda bugged me. :\ (Saying or implying "you can't" may be bad, but feeling like you have to base your "you can"s on completely made-up stuff isn't much better -- even if you think it's OK as long as the person you're trying to encourage doesn't know the truth.)

No mention of Maya's new business this week -- but then I'm guessing this was the 14th episode filmed this season, according to the number on the official press release (#314). #310 and #311 are set to air Jan. 18 and 25, while the Feb. 1 episode (partially set at an Abilities Expo) is #313 and was apparently filmed the week before this one; I think tonight's ep worked as a cute stand-alone "filler" story (not necessarily a bad thing, if network scheduling calls for an episode they can just plug in somewhere without screwing up any on-going story-lines), though even if it was indeed originally intended to air a few episodes later, I didn't really pick up on any hints that the business could've already gone bust and Maya could be pushing the mentoring stuff on JJ just to give herself something else to do or whatever... On to some of the highlights: -- The first time we've seen Jimmy at work all season! (Though a couple times, he referred to the vacation / travel vouchers he receives among his perks...) Also, loving the fake TV-show titles -- first When Clowns Fall Down, and now World's Best Garbage Fights. xD (I'd count Britain's Most Embarrassing Weddings as well, but that sounds too much like a real thing...) -- Ray was kind of an ass in this episode, and how weird that Dylan would end up being the conscience / voice of reason (but then back in s.1 she also once called him out on his whining about lack of privacy...); still, I loved him quickly realizing he messed up with her, helping his dad (who was losing control of his life, by first letting his new TV make him feel inferior and then trying to make himself feel superior to it) by quoting Dr. Phil, and taking her back to the support group. While I wasn't a fan of this plot, it was worth it just to have the scene where, as they're being encouraged to seek help elsewhere (in light of their earlier dishonesty with the group), the siblings end up having a series of breakthroughs regarding their particular family dynamic. -- Maya's antics aside, this was a nice plot for JJ to reflect on how things got better for him as he grew up, made friends, and found his passion; and his scenes with Owen were sweet. :)

FanFest: 3x9 highlights :) "O-- Our M-A-G-- Mageddon" (3x12, Jan. 25) (press release) -- the JJ/Ray drama continues, but I'm more excited for a rare Maya/Dylan plot (this one sounds especially good, supposedly dealing with how Dylan takes after her mother) and anything involving Jimmy and Kenneth. :D Strange title, though (too bad 'Last Man on Earth' never got around to using it -- it sounds like it could've been a Tandy pun or a Carol malaprop); I wonder whether it has to do with the film project JJ's working on, or it could be hinting at tensions coming to a head or a falling-out between characters... *** FanFest: 3x10 highlights

Good point. :) Now that I think about it, though, I wonder if Maya would've been willing to go through with the idea if Melanie hadn't said something about both being in the same boat (Logan will soon be graduating, with Taylor "not far behind") and having studied business -- as it was, they saw an opportunity to help each other out (as both special-needs moms and soon-to-be empty-nesters).

She may still do stuff like that on the side -- in this week's episode coming up, she supposedly takes a special-needs dad with a young boy under her wing -- but I noticed when she got to talking with Melanie about the clothing line, she said something about "making a buck." I agree that advocacy would be more directly in her wheelhouse (having been such a large part of her raising JJ), while starting a product line would mean having to rely on others with more business expertise; but I wouldn't surprise me if she found the latter more attractive because she stands a better chance of making some good money at it. :\

That was what I figured. :)

Yup... though I did love how he was able to communicate his disapproval of Dylan's behavior -- and help both her and Kenneth realize what they had done wrong -- with just his stare. Being a good big brother in his own way. :) (Speaking of JJ plots with his siblings, I read where he's supposed to have one with Ray* in the Jan. 18 episode "H-- Hey, You," which I'm super-excited about...) EDIT: Which apparently continues in "O-- Our M-A-G-- Mageddon" (Jan. 25).

Stray observations: -- I guess they've done away with the "annual DiMeo road trip" altogether (or else it happened and we just didn't see it or hear about it, or the parents could be putting it off for another time as a way to truly surprise the kids)... Though I suppose Jimmy and Ray hopping a flight to Wyoming (using travel vouchers from Jimmy's workplace) so Ray can have his first legal-if-accompanied-by-a-parent beer (well, his first taste, anyway... :p ) could count as their spontaneous and relatively cheap post-New Year's mini-vacation... -- Since Dylan first bonded with Kenneth upon learning of his star-athlete past in "Runaway" (1x20), I've been somewhat disappointed that the show never really revisited this development -- until now: She got him back in touch with his b-ball background, which would eventually come in handy for his new coaching job; and while they once also bonded over trash-talk, here Dylan's obsession with winning causes her to take things a little too far (dragging the rest of the team and their coach down with her), and (per JJ's advice) he must teach her better teamwork and sportsmanship. -- Speaking of 1x20, this may be the first good one-on-one Jimmy/Ray plot since then; the pair shared some of my favorite s.1 moments (including the "bulletproof" speech in 1x3 "Bonfire," and the reveals of both Jimmy's architecture background and Ray's concern for JJ's future in 1x19 "Cheater"), but then hardly anything in s.2 (unless you count the "birds and bees" talk in the cold open of 2x4 "Training Day" -- in both 2x6 "Shipping" and 2x14 "Eighteen," they shared their plots with Maya and Taylor, while 2x16 "One Angry Maya" found Ray vying with Dylan for their dad's attention). We also get a little more insight into Jimmy's upbringing, as he briefly talks about how his dad would call him dumb; I guess that would explain a lot of why he seems so down on himself. -- Ray's video for his dad almost made me cry. Just as I was beginning to wonder why this episode was making Jimmy look like such a lousy father when we know he can do and has done better, I was so glad to see it (and Ray) acknowledge that while he may be barely competent in the sort of practical "little things" he hadn't gotten around to teaching his son over the years, his heart-to-heart talks have indeed managed to teach Ray "what matters." :) -- Good to see Maya's special-needs-mom support group again; I think this is their first appearance since 1x16 "Oscar Party." And nice to see that Melanie Hertzal has been invited to join them! -- So that explains the title: Maya gets the idea to start an adaptive-clothing line from watching a stripper named Hot Hot Javier rip his pants off... which reminds me a bit of JJ discovering his knack for filmmaking while working on the set of a raunchy campus romp (2x8, "Bikini University"). :D

FanFest: 3x8 highlights Press releases / promo pix for the next 3 episodes: "J-A--Javier's P-A--Pants" (3x9, Jan. 4) -- no idea what the title is referring to, but there's a Jimmy/Ray plot, Kenneth coaching Dylan, and Melanie Hertzal is back for what may be an ongoing story-line with Maya (see 3x11). "R-O--Roll M-O--Model" (3x10, Jan. 11) -- according to the official Disney/ABC press site and the Futon Critic listings, this one is actually #314 while 3x11 is #310, which has me a little concerned that ABC is starting to shuffle episodes of this series way out of order (I've seen them switch eps around a few times before, but not in such a way that they would noticeably cause confusion or screw up any story-lines, unless you count some dodgy continuity involving a cast on Dylan's arm in s.1); it's possible that the numbers simply reflect the order in which they where filmed (like if this really was intended to air after 3x9 but, for some reason, the shoot may have been delayed a few weeks or so), but we'll have to wait and see... (Also, I hope Jimmy's plot doesn't turn out to be a rip-off 'The Simpsons' s.22 ep "Homer the Father". :p ) "H--Hey, You" (3x11, Jan. 18) -- most excited for this one, including a JJ/Ray plot and the return of Jimmy's punk band. :D *** xD

So for Kenneth and JJ, we get an immediate follow-up to JJ's coaching idea -- JJ told Principal Miller, and then had her tell Kenneth about the new opening for girls' basketball coach at Lafayette. :) For all the mean jokes from Kendall (the sister referenced in 1x7) and Kiki, this was a rather sweet plot -- from JJ wanting Kenneth to make peace with his sisters so he can move on with his life and take the job, to JJ encouraging him and admitting he worries about him, to the girls' b-ball team (who come in to practice when Kenneth and Kendall's game is still going on) being inspired by Kenneth's persistence in the face of failure and even defending him when Kiki makes one more nasty comment about her brother's playing. As for the rest of it, when I first saw the press-release synopsis I was a little concerned that it would be a straight rip-off of the classic 'Simpsons' episode "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace"; but besides the fact that at least one of the main writers / producers on this show (Danny Chun) actually worked on 'The Simpsons' for several years (not to mention that last season's Halloween ep was intended as a stylistic homage to the "Treehouse of Horror" specials, according to a tweet from one of the other writers), I think there was enough variation here that it stands up as its own story. Unlike Bart, who lied to his family about the tree and all the presents being stolen (when they were actually burned and then buried in the snow because he'd gotten up early to open his gifts and ended up causing a fire), Maya lies to the kids about what presents they were getting -- I'm guessing she just wanted to see them happy because she (like Jimmy) sometimes feels bad about not being able to give them everything they want due to money being tight, but she hadn't counted on Dylan spilling the beans about the (bogus) burned-up gifts on the TV news. It's nice to see Jimya show some healthy conscience when they decide to "work off" the replacement gifts that the local chapter of Santa's Purpose gave them by volunteering at the charity's "Jingle-Thon" fundraiser, and I found it a funny little twist that the pair's confession of fraud ended up being the best thing for the charity -- that disgust turned out to be a more powerful motivator than love when it came to people's giving. Also, I thought the side-plot with Ray and Dylan was hilarious -- especially the news people misnaming Ray "Dolph" and editing his interview to make it sound like he was giving full credit to Pepper for saving the family (the dog's barking had woken him up, but Ray was the one who got the rest of the family's attention by claiming a show called "When Clowns Fall Down" was on after yelling "fire" didn't work), and Dylan gleefully rubbing his face in it (even faking him out at one point by making him think she was going to reveal him as the hero at school, only to bring out Pepper) -- but turned out kinda sweet when, inspired by JJ reassuring their mother that the presents didn't matter nearly so much as the fact they've all still got each other, Dylan sincerely acknowledged Ray's hero status and Ray admitted he doesn't care so much what people think anymore. As Christmas episodes for this series go, "S-I-- Silent N-I-- Night" (2x10) is still my favorite (and one of my all-time fave eps), but I found this one much funnier and sweeter than "C-H-O-- Choir" (1x10).

If JJ is anything like me, coffee is the first thing he'll need to start every day. :D (And it would come in handy for pulling those all-nighters, too!) Seriously, though, I do recall Kenneth saying something like "Let's start with something simple small" before hitting the bigger items on the list (ETA: technically, he said it in response to JJ having picked the task first) -- I guess he had no idea of just how complicated the whole coffee-making process would be for JJ or how things could conceivably go wrong for him. :\ And yeah, when I first read the press-release synopsis for the episode, I kinda assumed their college-preparation would involve either Kenneth helping JJ with his studies (and perhaps realizing his own complicity in how the boy fell behind on some of his assignments last year) or looking into scholarships and stuff like that.

FanFest: 3x7 highlights :) TV Insider: First look at this Friday's Christmas episode AssignmentX: Cedric interview (from the Summer 2018 TCA press tour) The Verge: 20 Best TV Series of 2018 Spoiler for an upcoming ep that just filmed last week: Also, according to Futon Critic, the Dec. 28 rerun is supposed to be "N-E-- New Y-- Year's E-- Eve" (2x11). *** ESPN.com -- Q&A with WNBA AllStar Lisa Leslie (about her 'Speechless' guest role and more)

Judging from what he was saying during his breakdown, it sounded like he was primarily talking about working with JJ -- how well he'd gotten to know him and learn to deal with his particular needs -- rather than being an aide in general: Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=speechless-2016&episode=s03e07 (And I suppose I could understand that, as I find it hard to imagine Kenneth wanting to start all over again with a different special-needs student at the school -- especially since that kid would also eventually graduate, anyway -- nor any other parents letting him get close to their kids to the same extent that Maya and Jimmy have trusted him with JJ...) I think that's why coaching seems such an attractive option -- they didn't specify yet what sort of coach, but I'm guessing either JJ's professional "life coach" (if the college JJ ends up at won't pay for an aide like his high school did, Kenneth can continue to make a living while spending a lot of time with him and helping him), or a basketball coach at whatever school JJ attends (so they can at least still be close) could be possibilities. :)