30 Helens

OK, I stand corrected. I really thought Oscar had a bench. But now that you mention it, a rock is much more appropriate. I guess that means that Dex will get his plaque on a fallen tree? A piece of driftwood? Really, anything stiff and arboreal would suffice.

So does Dex get a bench now? Or will they just scratch out Oscar’s name and update the existing one.

Oooh! How exciting! Can you at least tell us which podium you’re at so we know who to root for (or against)? Either way, please come back and share your experience. It’s always fun to get an insider’s perspective. And congratulations for making the show! That’s no small feat.

Well, it was Geography, so you know I had little to no hope. All I saw were a bunch of words I didn’t recognize, and that they were looking for a pair of mountains. Fingers crossed that tomorrow’s FJ is about Maya Angelou, or Margaret Mead. (😉 @possibilities) For some reason, when the contestants were introduced, Matt struck me as someone who looked like he could be a multi-day champion. Then he said “yeti cat” and it was all over.

1/5 Last week I was saved by Morticia, this week it was Marie. So I will bring some chocolate mousse— it’s to die for! (not really. It’s 100% radium-free.)

Mr. Helens thought of Hitchhiker’s Guide, but didn’t know the author. I’ve never read it, so all of your jokes are flying over my head. I guessed Kurt Vonnegut, just to say something. Or maybe they were in the marathon, too? It could be Antarctica’s version of running with the bulls. 😉

I think you’re probably right, as I haven’t seen Jeannie in syndication in a very long time, and I haven’t run across it on any streaming service, either. The concept of a woman being so subservient to her “master” and living in constant fear of displeasing him is probably a little problematic for current times. Still, I am old enough to remember the show, but it never occurred to me. I am surprised to learn that the bottle was actually a whiskey decanter— based on its looks, I always assumed something more girly, like a perfume bottle. But if the clue had been about controversy over a 1960’s character’s bared midriff, I would have aced it! (They made Barbara Eden hike up those harem pants to a more respectable level.) The Dick Van Dyke Show had its wardrobe controversies, too— Mary Tyler Moore and those racy capri pants! I’m sure June Cleaver was clutching her pearls over all of it.

Yeah, I wasn’t familiar with the quote but it seemed like the obvious quip. I waffled briefly between Pierre and Marie before settling on Marie. But given the show’s recent track record, I wondered if they would have accepted just “Curie”.

Welcome to General Oedipus Complex! Ewwwwwww…. but far more entertaining than the Incest Lite spectacle between Sasha and Cody. What the hell, I’d watch.

The Warriors theme was so fun, and a callback to my high school days when we loved and made fun of that movie in equal measures. I’m only disappointed that nobody starting clinking beer bottles together with their fingers.

Perfectionist that she is, I can’t imagine she wouldn’t prefer to do it herself anyway. She would certainly micromanage every step. It’s bad enough that this tedious meet not-cute is still dragging on, do they have to turn Trina into an insufferable scold in the process? And her elitist prioritizing of her career goals over Football Guy’s only makes her more unlikeable. We know they will end up together, Show, so let’s get on with it before you ruin Trina’s character completely.

1/5. You can find me at the popular Saved By Morticia table. Can I interest anyone in a slice of Cousin Itt cake? (Don’t leave me in the Lurch.)

I’m expecting a Dante/ Lulu/ Cody triangle. That little roadside rescue was not for nothing.

It’s nice to see the ABC Afterschool Special is alive and well on GH. Now that we’ve all learned our lesson, maybe we can have some cookies and watch something, you know, fun?

For all of our obsession with Sue’s skin and its possible causes, I actually think is the most likely explanation. In her real life, I suspect her appearance is very important to her (see: duck lips, fake boobs), but here it’s probably more about proving she can get down and dirty, dig through the mud and work just as hard as the rest of the young ’uns (who are barely younger than she is, let’s not forget). In this sense, she probably wears the dirt as a badge of honor. Well, this is disappointing. Are these people really so starved for attention that they have to invent sideline drama in a sad attempt to stay relevant? Never mind, silly question. Of course they are. Although to his credit, Kyle the Pup didn’t look pissed so much as just sad. Poor Kyle. Someone give him a belly rub. Next Wednesday, pizza. Wednesday after that, wings. Boom, done! I’m actually grateful that they split it up. Three hours is too long for a finale. It somehow ends up feeling like a slog and rushed at the same time. I think this is the most sensible thing Jeff has done in a while. Which makes me fairly confident it wasn’t his decision.

An easy (for me) FJ saved me from a week of bagels. I was rooting for Zach by default, because Erin with her need to smile and nod at Ken after every correct response, and Dave with his very deliberate clue selecting, were slowing things down just enough to annoy me. I was surprised that they managed to clear the boards. Am I the only one who developed an earworm infestation after the “Gitchee Gumee” / “Superior” clue?

Crayola got a trademark in 2024?? I’m guessing that was a renewal? Otherwise, someone was really late to the post office with the application. I didn’t notice anything unusual about Ken’s pronunciation of “crayons”. Maybe I’m in the same geographic crayon belt.

I got hacksaw, although I cannot imagine the strength it would take to saw through a car with one. I said Play-Doh for FJ— a desperation guess because, like @ams1001, I realized it didn’t quite work when the clue called for a plural response. But it was the only thing I could think of. Crayons would never occur to me because I never thought of them as having such a distinctive smell. I certainly never thought they smelled like soap, although in retrospect I guess I can understand the clay part. Oh! I had one of those, too. I have memories of sitting at the table for literally hours, because she was as stubborn as I was. (Or vise versa.) Eventually, she would usually relent with “just take one bite and you can go”. But to this day, there are a number of foods that I simply will not eat, even though my adult taste buds may have a different opinion, because the trauma is so ingrained. I would not recommend this as a way to get kids to try different foods.

Ken seemed a little annoyed with all the fooling around. I think he was about 10 seconds away from threatening to turn this car around, right now. And I smiled at the Yoda voice as well. Ken is a strict dad, but he’s also a fun dad. I am loving Jeopardy: Travel Edition.

Teeny, Teeny, Teeny. Who hurt you?? Methinks some buried issues are surfacing that have nothing to do with Sam, specifically. A two-part finale airing over the next two weeks? Isn’t that just, um, two more episodes? (I must say, I’ve really been enjoying this 14-part season.) I want to know what goes into an Italian margarita. Possible smart move by Andy, but mostly just a flex move. He’ll have to be very careful after this, because he’s blown a lot of trust on both sides. And about Andy’s emergence as a power player: As I’ve said before, his transformation fascinates me. But the kind of confidence (and borderline narcissism) he’s showing cannot be developed over one month on a game show. I’m now thinking his first-day freakout and subsequent meek behavior may have been a calculated ruse, designed to make everyone underestimate him. And if so… brilliant strategist or psychopath? You decide. Meanwhile, Sue continues to disintegrate in her weeks-long audition for the reboot of an old HBO show. Good luck, Sue! (Seriously, good luck. And go see somebody, quick.)

That actually flitted through my mind, too. But not a poem. And Daniel Boone is a poem? I hope you swatted that disdain right back over the net. Yep. From another room, all I heard was “Walt Whitman” and “collection”, and I shouted “Leaves of Grass!” No more information necessary. Me too. But at least you’re having much more fun in the process!

Interesting discussion. I think there is a complex set of emotions that lead to this situation. One, the active senior knows their friend has begun the slow slide towards death and there’s nothing they can do about it. By closing off their emotions, they can shield themselves from some of the impending pain and grief. Two, they know this person represents their potential future. Facing death is scary enough, but losing your mental faculties in the process is terrifying. It’s not that they think the condition is contagious, but seeing someone who used to be just like them succumbing to such a horrible disease reminds them of their own vulnerability. It’s a classic case of out of sight, out of mind. And while stepping back from the friendship is obviously unkind, I don’t think it’s malicious. As I get closer to the point where death becomes more than a distant concept, I can empathize with those who may not handle it well. But I also know that closing your eyes to it is foolish and won’t change a thing. I am very sorry for any unkindness you have experienced. I think a lot of people feel uncomfortable around those with disabilities because they’re unfamiliar with the situation and are afraid of doing/ saying the wrong thing. So they just avoid any interaction. This is not to excuse their behavior, because just like the elderly person who turns their back on a declining friend, they’re only shielding themself. It’s not a malicious act, but it’s certainly a selfish one… even if they don’t realize it. TV could certainly do a lot to change this. In its unique pervasive way, it sets examples for behavior and offers familiarity with people and situations that are outside a viewer’s usual realm. I agree that people with disabilities have been greatly underrepresented on TV, to the detriment of everyone. But as streaming channels open up new opportunities for new voices and diverse stories, I hope that will change. Just as Mike Schur tried to present a different view of aging with this show. To quote him:

I agree that a lot of hand waving was needed, enough to possibly cause a mild case of carpel tunnel syndrome. But that didn’t bother me in the least. I don’t expect documentary-level accuracy in a show like this. I just want emotional truth, and for the framework to provide enough realism that I don’t feel my intelligence is being insulted. I thought it succeeded on both counts. If the setting were more like a typical retirement home, it would be an entirely different show— one that is much more grim and far less entertaining.

It was not my intent to watch this entire show in two evenings, but once I started I didn’t want to stop. This was a really beautiful meditation on life, loss, and friendship. It did not have the volume of laughs that I would expect from Mike Schur, but it definitely had the heart and humanity I would expect from Mike Schur. Honestly, the man cannot make a bad show. Like others in this thread, I was very moved by the presentation of Alzheimer’s. It was heart wrenching without ever becoming maudlin, and somehow managed to hit all the key points without seeming cliche. I sadly identified with Charles’ desperate (and wrongheaded) attempts to give Gladys a link to her past, and her comment about missing her old personality summed up many conversations I had with my late mother in one melancholy nutshell. Really beautifully done. I’m looking forward to a second season, which I assume will happen based on the final scene. I’m just sad I’ll have to wait so long for it. In the meantime, I’ll content myself with a rewatch of The Good Place (also to get that Danson fix!), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (hello, Rosa!) and The Office. (I don’t care what anyone says, Mose will always be my favorite character.) I leave out Parks and Rec only because I recently saw it. By the way, regarding that “Eleanor” glimpse in the final episode, it seems that was not just a reference, but an actual Kristen Bell cameo! See this article for details: https://tvline.com/news/kristen-bell-a-man-on-the-inside-episode-8-cameo-explained-1235383085/

Damn, they shot Old Yeller. Once they dragged Caroline (Who?) out from under the shelter and into the spotlight, I figured she would be this week’s casualty. If they’re trying to make me care about her, it’s a little too late. I understand Andy’s probability theory, but calculating the odds of a 4-game streak is pointless. The only thing that matters is the odds in each individual challenge, and that not only resets each time, it varies based on type of challenge and number of competitors. I don’t think even Andy’s superior mega-brain has the wattage for those advanced calculations. But it’s all moot now, because THEY SHOT OLD YELLER. I’ll miss that big gangly pup.