GRChereck

Much as I loved that Halloween episode (with the return of Lee), I'm gonna have to agree -- I saw it as the show taking a much-needed breather between two major-holiday eps (Thanksgiving in "Celebrity Suite" and Christmas in this Friday's "Jingle-Thon") to address some dropped / neglected story-lines (Ray's charity, JJ getting serious about preparing for college after having been given a whole extra year of high school to do so, Kenneth starting to figure out his own plans of what to do with himself after JJ graduates, and especially Jimmy and Maya's relationship as a couple). :)

It's possible Kenneth wanted him to start with something more challenging, so he would be able to handle anything on his own. :\ *** What a sweet episode -- it was everything I love about this show and these characters: 1) JJ/Kenneth -- while "London (Part 2)" found JJ wondering whether he and Kenneth would still be able to stay friends no matter where life after high school took them, this ep dealt head-on with the question of Kenneth's future (since JJ at least has college and possibly filmmaking / film-industry work to aim for). JJ giving an inspirational speech was great, and I like the idea of Kenneth working toward a coaching career. :) 2) Ray/Dylan -- totally called it on "JJ's Dream" being brought back, yo! :D Some funny stuff here (such as Dylan singing a 'Rocky'-like theme while Ray gets redirected to various offices and fills out endless forms, and Dylan casually lying to Ray about a "misplaced form" after having raised hell with the Assistant Zoning Commissioner, who had denied Ray's playground-building permit because "my sister uses this area to play frolf"); but I also had to appreciate that she ended up letting him have full credit for making the playground happen, especially after she'd seen him so depressed over having followed all the rules and proper procedures for nothing. 3) Jimya -- last time we saw or heard anything about JJ's man-cave (in 2x17 "One Angry Maya"), Jimmy and Dylan were supposedly working on it together but got sidetracked by ping-pong and fixing up the old car for Ray; and of course, shortly after that, the family got evicted and then moved back in, which would've undone whatever setting-up they had started in the garage. Here, it serves as a reminder to Jimmy of his parental responsibilities while Maya fears that she's "dropped the ball" by neglecting their marriage. Thankfully, instead of the show being content to let the pair's lovely reconnecting and '90s nostalgia be undercut by the reveal of the carbon-monoxide leak (well, at least JJ dodged a bullet by going without his man-cave for so long), the characters get to make the effort to come through for each other as quickly as possible -- she by surprising him with a picnic on the beach, and he by finally finishing the catchy little ditty he had partially written / recorded for her when they had first met 21 years ago ("Hey, roommate, can you spare a wife...?" -- nice callback to the fact that Maya had been his roomie's fiancee, as revealed in 1x14 "Valentine's Day"). <3

FanFest: 3x6 highlights "F-O--Follow T-H-R--Through" (3x7, Dec. 7) (press release) -- I think I might be more excited for this one than the Christmas one... :) "J-I--Jingle T-H--Thon" (3x8, Dec. 14) (full press release)

When Futon Critic first leaked the title ("Follow Through") late last week, my first instinct was to wonder if it could possibly refer to picking up Ray's inclusive-playground charity idea (from 2x3 "J-J's D-R-- Dream") again; throughout the rest of s.2, he was never really shown taking any steps toward making it happen. I could see him finally getting called out -- even though it had started as a lie just to impress Taylor, he saw how far his family had gone to keep up the ruse and ended up saying he would make the charity a real thing -- only to maybe hit some sort of snag with local government when he actually tries to find a location for the playground or whatever, and relying on Dylan to channel their mother's righteous anger (similar to how she did with JJ at the movie theater in 2x15 "U-N-- Unforgettable P-A-- Pain").

See, that still would've been funny (while being a little embarrassing for Ray); as it was, though, I think it stepped just a bit too far into cringe-humor. o_O After his gambling losses (s.1) and losing his family (s.2), and now he appears to be in declining health, I imagine his job (or his own practice) will probably be next if the series gets a 4th season / Thanksgiving ep. :\ (Even so, as an 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' fan, I think it's kinda funny to see an otherwise sweet family show like this have a sort of a Rickety Cricket figure, albeit nowhere near as extreme... :D ) *** EDIT: I don't normally share press releases outside the Media topic, but I think the premise for the next new episode (airing Dec. 7) sounds promising: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20181119abc16/ So much for Kenneth/JJ taking a break (they also have a plot in the Dec. 14 Christmas episode involving Kenneth's sisters), but go Jimya! <3

Now that a transcript for this episode is up, a few things I must have missed: -- Maya only just found out about the VIP / celebrity room; -- Its occupant is a "big donor" to the hospital (all the more reason his "juice" would override that of the DiMeos or Melanie's family) -- MAYA: I have this whole place wired. The nurses love me, the doctors fear me, and I buttered up the weird morgue attendant because I wanted toe tags for my luggage. MELANIE: Well, I've got all the heating and A/C guys, and I'm tight with the alarm tech 'cause Logan's a fire alarm-puller... MAYA: Security lets me play with their guns, and I've got all the gossip on the desk-jockeys, and they hate -- BOTH: Being called desk-jockeys. https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=speechless-2016&episode=s03e06 :)

My first thought was, maybe something to manage chronic pain or whatever; but since he spends most of his day basically sitting in the same position, it's possible he's on something to help prevent blood clots (especially in his legs). :\

Considering the room was already occupied (hence Maya and Melanie's scheme to get rid of the guy), I guess Jimmy's "juice" only goes so far. :\ Plus, I would imagine Melanie (with her special-needs son) probably also had juice to some extent, as it seemed to me both she and the DiMeos were getting away with an awful lot of crap that would likely not be tolerated coming from most other families. I agree that Maya's regression here was definitely disappointing -- especially after that great jury-duty episode, not to mention how she ended up taking the high road in the s.2 Christmas ep -- but I was sort-of glad at least she was ultimately the one to call the truce (even it meant being pushed to a breaking point by Melanie somehow screwing with the room's A/C, alarm and lights while she was locked out). As for Kenneth, I've more-or-less accepted him as not only JJ's aide, but also his best bud and a close family friend -- I actually enjoyed him getting involved in Jimmy's relationship with his brother this time, especially since his sympathetic outsider's perspective finally allowed for Jimmy to open up a bit about what he and Billy were like growing up and how he misses what they used to have -- but he really seems to be dropping the ball lately. (First with last week's "job" offer; now, he sees a prescription bottle sitting out and automatically assumes it must be JJ's medication.) Perhaps he needs to take a little break from JJ, for at least an episode or two, and work on himself a bit.

Stray observations: -- Uncle Billy's decline continues (glasses, heart medication, dating a girl probably young enough to be his daughter, not even a mention of Audrey and the kids this time); good on Jimmy for wanting to try to get along with him better, and I suppose it's only fitting that they're able to find common ground by poking fun at Kenneth's attempt to encourage deeper, more mature brotherly bonding (Billy might have fun playing with Kenneth like a new toy, but he and Jimmy have a lifetime of in-jokes that Kenneth couldn't even begin to get -- although I kinda liked Kenneth getting his revenge by mocking Jimmy's heart-to-heart with Ray, and Jimmy admitting he had it coming) :) -- Ray had said he wanted to work on himself before pursuing Taylor again (or another relationship), but I guess all it took was growing his first chest hair to boost his confidence give him the sign of maturity he needed; his befriending a pregnant girl was sweet (nice "Unforgettable Pain" callback, too! :D ) -- and gave him much-needed hope after learning from Logan that Taylor is on a ski trip with a boyfriend -- but this sweetness was undercut by both his method of calming her baby boy (perhaps his creepiest move yet) and discovering he was talking to the wrong baby at the end :p -- Still nothing on the root of JJ and Logan's feud? So it's basically going to be a 'Calvin & Hobbes' "Noodle Incident" -- deliberately left up to the reader / viewer to imagine the most outrageous explanation possible -- Maya and Melanie working together to get the VIP suite away from that hypochondriac / attention-seeking "Famous Amos Anus(?)" were great (like their prolonging their jury-duty mini-vacation in "One Angry Maya"), too bad they had to relapse into trying to "screw [each other] over" -- something I thought at least Maya was above :\ -- Nurse: "They need to be out in 5 minutes -- James Van Der Beek sprained his toe." xD -- Choice cue: Bing Crosby, "I've Got Plenty to Be Thankful For" (1942, from Holiday Inn)

That's why I said, his wanting a job seemed to come out of nowhere. :\ I suppose it was probably meant to be the next step for him after having lost the poker game last week -- like after having done something stupid and risky just to prove he could do it (because Kenneth said "you can't"), I could see him wanting to prove himself in a more responsible way. But I agree, a little more build-up to a story like this would've been nice. And yeah, I hope JJ gets to have some pairings with his siblings -- he's sort-of had one each with his dad ("London pt.1") and his mom ("Into the Woods," though that one also had him paired with Lee for much of it), but it would be sweet to see the show get into how Ray and Dylan feel about their big brother possibly leaving them to go out on his own (especially considering how concerned they were about his future in s.1, as revealed in "Cheater"). Good points. :) I think the thing that stuck in my craw the most about the JJ/Kenneth plot was that I would think Kenneth really should've known better than to treat JJ as a pity hire -- especially after his parents directly expressed their concern that he was just doing a "favor for a disabled kid," rather than trusting JJ with a real responsibility that he actually believed the boy could handle -- and a little more insight into what the hell he was thinking would've been welcome (hence, why I thought this plot especially needed some more room to breathe; I can't say the Maya or Jimmy plots had anything I would cut, but I certainly agree the rivalry-and-vandalism stuff with JJ and "Quincy" was a bit much).

:D

First of all, PEPPER! :) Also, nice to see Jimmy's friend Dane (from 1x22 "May-Jay") again, though it's a shame he turned out to be kind of a dick in this episode -- using Ray to rat out his daughter and other Lafayette students (and encouraging Jimmy's more selfish side by plying him with seafood -- nice callback to his shrimp allergy, by the way...). Loved how Jimmy and Dylan ended up turning the tables on Dane and the other concerned parents without exposing Ray as the "mole" to the other students; and loved the use of Harry Nilsson's "Jump Into the Fire" (1971) (another 'Goodfellas' reference, I'm guessing...) while Ray was doing Dane's bidding. xD The Maya and JJ/Kenneth plots touched on some interesting ideas, but I felt like both could've used more room to breathe -- especially the latter, as discrimination against disability in employment is certainly a worthy subject, but JJ feeling ready for a job kinda came out of nowhere (he'd supposedly applied at and been rejected by 20 other places before Kenneth's announcement that his supermarket had hired him for an unspecified position) and his rivalry with Quincy the cardboard cutout just seemed silly. Even so, I liked that JJ eventually got a chance to show what he could really do (even if it was simply by virtue of having read the store manual that everyone else ignores, so he's the only one who knows the error codes for the self-checkouts and how to address them). After last week's episode, in which Maya went overboard with mothering Ray (to fill the hole in her life vacated by the increasingly autonomous JJ) and realized she needed to "find something else" to fill her time, this was another necessary step in which she had to learn to start seeing herself differently from the nurturing role she's prided herself on for so long -- regardless of how others (especially her own kids) see her, she must back off a bit from constantly acting on her maternal instincts and trust them to figure out how to take care of themselves more often. Also, we finally get a bit of Maya's education / career background -- she "did tons of plays in college." (Bonus: Mr. Powers and Joyce the Physical Therapist -- two of the funnier side characters -- finally got some scenes together!)

FanFest: 3x4 highlights EDIT: 3x5 highlights :) TV Guide: Casting news -- Niecy Nash and Lisa Leslie to guest as Kenneth's sisters (in the upcoming Christmas episode, according to an IG message from Cedric) *** ABC announces its slate of upcoming Christmas / Holiday programming TGIF comedy notes: 11/23 -- a rerun of the Christmas special 'Santa Claus is Comin' to Town' 11/30 -- reruns of FOTB's "Do You Hear What I Hear?" (4x10) and 'Speechless's "S-I--Silent N-I--Night" (2x10) :( 12/7 -- new eps of FOTB (5x7, "Where Have All the Cattlemen Gone?") and 'Speechless' (3x7, "F-O-- Follow T-H-R-- Through") 12/14 -- "Cousin Eddie" (5x8) and "J-I--Jingle T-H--Thon" (3x8) (Maya's plot in the latter kinda sounds like an homage to 'The Simpsons' s.9 ep "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace"...) 12/21 -- special: 'I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!' 12/28 -- FOTB and SL reruns (?)

After that Halloween episode, I found her regression here (even with a different character besides JJ) a little annoying; but judging from the premise of the next episode (this Friday's "S-T--Stage Mom," in which she supposedly wants to prove to the kids that her life doesn't have to revolve around them by pursuing an interest outside the home), it sounds like this was maybe a necessary step to get where she's going (now that Ray has challenged her to "find something else" and JJ has offered to help her draw up an "Individualized Mom Plan"). I seem to recall that when Maya talked about setting up a meeting with the principal and the Driver's Ed instructor to discuss the problems Ray was having in that class, they both may have likened the idea to an IEP meeting, but I don't think she was seriously considering pursuing a formal, full-on IEP for him. (Also, that part definitely wasn't in the dream -- the dream was when she tried to physically make him more like JJ, with the wheeled desk and taping his mouth shut. o_O ) (Another thought, re: Pepper -- now that the DiMeos own their home instead of leasing / renting it, I wonder if they've mostly been keeping the dog in the back yard since they no longer have to worry about the landlord coming around and seeing him...)

Aw, me too -- what a smile on him. :D

"You're pretty magic yourself." x Aww, Jimmy and Dylan are always such a sweet pairing... :) Maya was a little nuts in this episode, but it should be interesting to see where she goes next (with JJ's growing independence, and Ray having had his fill of her attention for the time being) -- there's still Dylan (and I hope we see a pairing of the ladies soon), as well as her marriage to tend to (I still 'ship Jimya <3 ), and we still don't know what she what sort of education / career she may have been pursuing or job(s) she may have had before she had JJ... (Also, I was glad Ray at least mentioned Pepper this week -- because I don't remember having seen that dog since the DiMeos were staying at Kenneth's place, before the London trip!) JJ being able to do up his jacket zipper may have given him a major boost of confidence in his own abilities (similar to how his pajama-top button became the determining factor of whether or not he could handle going away to summer camp), but Kenneth was great reminding him that 1) not everything is going to happen for him at once, and 2) when it comes to pushing your limits to see what you can do, there's a difference between building useful skills and acting on stupidity (unnecessarily putting yourself in risky situations -- just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should).

ABC announces its slate of upcoming Thanksgiving programming (including eps of 'Station 19' and 'Speechless') "C-E--Celebrity S-U--Suite" (3x6, Nov. 16) (full press release) And interview clips: Cedric on 'GMA Day' (Oct. 29) (7:06) -- love his Tracy Morgan impression... xD Minnie & John on 'AM Northwest' (5:28) -- includes clips from this Friday's episode, "N-E--New JJ"

According to a tweet from JRB, Tony winner Julie White: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_White She was a regular on Grace Under Fire (and apparently also on one of Silveri's previous shows, the short-lived Go On). :)

I'm glad this Halloween ep was more in line with the s.1 one (still one of my favorites of the series, though after a recent re-watch of both seasons on DVD, I would probably put "Ray-Cation" and "Hero" above it) than the Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" homage they did for s.2. While plot-wise it bears some superficial similarities to "Halloween" -- one of the parents (Jimmy / Maya) struggles to deal with the kids growing up (in Maya's case, particularly JJ), JJ goes to some sort of party (beer party with high-school mates and Kenneth / rave in the woods with "wheelchair badass / future JJ" Lee from 1x20, "Runaway"), Ray and Dylan team up, a pair of main characters (Ray-Dylan / Jimmy-Kenneth) works together on a haunted mansion / house, and there's also a brilliantly edited cross-cutting montage at the climax -- in some ways it goes deeper to show how all the characters have grown and their lives have changed since then: 1) Since the DiMeos became homeowners after their London trip, the house's "state of disrepair" is an embarrassment for Maya, but Jimmy -- who has always prided himself on caring more about his family and being a good provider than about appearances, and has never been much of a handyman anyway -- would rather take advantage of the situation by making the place (plagued by faulty wiring and constant power outages) into the scariest possible haunted house for the neighborhood kids. His friendship with Kenneth (first formed by the end of 1x17 "Surprise," and further developed in episodes like 2x10 "Silent Night" and 2x15 "Unforgettable Pain") also comes into play here -- competitive and teasing at times, but respectful and willing to help each other too. After Kenneth reassures him that it's okay to care about things beyond just the stuff that matters most to him, Jimmy (with Kenneth's help) figures out at least how to address the power problem by fixing the wiring in the fuse box. :) 2) As JJ tries to make more space for himself (including making films with Aaron and other schoolmates), it's understandable that he would be frustrated with his mother constantly keeping tabs on him, but it's good to see that he still knows to call on her when he does need her help; and while it's understandable for Maya to be worried when she can't always know what her son (around whom she's built her life) is up to, it's great to see her realizing (after an encounter with Lee's mom, even more of a "helicopter" parent despite her son being 32) that she needs to just trust JJ to find his own way or otherwise let her know if and when he needs her. 3) With JJ growing up and possibly leaving home after this school year, Ray realizes he and Dylan will only have each other for a while (until Ray goes off to college himself a year after that, I would assume); he not only offers to aid in her latest scheme (stealing back the king-sized candies that the student council had bought for school H'ween dance but the administrative staff confiscated and had replaced with celery) using his smarts and skills, he's also willing to take the heat when Mr. Powers catches them (something Dylan can't help but appreciate -- and of course, Ray's reveal of his candy-celery switcheroo had to have earned some respect from her as well). :D

Agreed, I'm enjoying it so far. :) And I hope you're right -- especially if it continues to get a decent Live+7 lift (see percentage-gains among both Adults 18-49 and total viewers): https://programminginsider.com/live7-weekly-ratings-long-running-stalwarts-the-big-bang-theory-and-modern-family-lead-all-network-comedies-in-adults-18-49-gains/ :\ *** Ahead of Friday's Halloween ep: FanFest: Top 5 "hashtag-worthy" moments from "L-O-N--London (Part 2)" "N-E--New JJ" (3x4) (press release / promo pix for the next new ep, airing Nov. 2) *** FanFest: 3x3 highlights -- I love this gal's write-ups! :) "S-T--Stage Mom" (3x5) (press release and pix; Nov. 9)

Another thing... I thought I was gonna be so disappointed that the DiMeos simply got to move back into their house -- rather than (as I had hoped) finding a similarly cheap crap-hole house in the same school district -- since it would've been too similar to what 'Fresh Off the Boat' did for its s.3 finale / s.4 premiere. But honestly, I was okay with this; unlike the FOTB plot, which ultimately seemed to have so little impact on the characters that it might as well have not even happened, the 'Speechless' plot was a sweet and fun way to develop Maya and her relationship with her father (who I hope we'll eventually see again -- perhaps at JJ's high-school graduation?), and to get Jimmy to reconnect with his old bandmates (whom I'd been wanting to know more about since the 'Star Wars' ep in the middle of s.2, when Maya first mentioned something about Jimmy having had a band). :) Also, still no mention of where Pepper was during the London trip, unless I missed something; but I assume he could've stayed with Mr. Powers, who (as I recall) was in on JJ's plan to surprise his family with the dog at Christmas as part of his film-project gift to them...