fraykis

I love JuJu and like Cracker, but I am happy that Shea won. With that said, I'd like to take my first post in this Forum to talk about the season and AS in general. I think this series really fell off the cliff with AS3 because (A) I didn't like past winners or previous AS contestants being allowed to compete again (how many chances do you get?) and (B) the lip sync winner getting to vote out the bottom queen gimmick should have been retired after AS2 (contestants should advance on merit...the basis of AS is top-tier competitors achieving the title because they earn it, not because they were friendly/clever/sneaky enough to not get the chop from the others). AS1 came after S4 and AS2 came after S8. Just imagine what could have been if this had been AS3 after S12. For example, we could have had this lineup: Shangela BenDeLaCreme Kennedy Davenport Trixie Mattel Naomi Smalls Valentina Shea Coulee Trinity The Tuck Miz Cracker Monet X Change Imagine what an amazing contest that would have been...all killer, no filler. Ah, well. TPTB are in it to make money, and we keep watching these things, so why not put one out every year or so with mid-level queens and a few superlative queens sprinkled in. No matter that it dilutes the concept of "All-Stars" and runs the risk of oversaturation. Just my $0.02. Hope everyone is staying safe! 🙂

Just watched this and the previous episode back to back...wow. A couple of thoughts: 1. Seeing Darlene try to physically manhandle her way through Odessa into the apartment was both hilarious and affecting. I think she's so used to dominating through sheer force of her personality that she forgets how tiny she actually is. Being physically large is simply an undeniable advantage in some situations, although if she had been able to force her way in, that would have opened up another set of problems. 2. It was fascinating to see DJ's non-participation during the big fight scene. I think this is a reflection of Becky and Darlene using up all the oxygen in their formative years. Growing up, DJ also saw Roseanne as the active one, and that seemed to repeat in his own marriage with his wife calling the shots. With Gina overseas, however, he and Dan are both somewhat passive men on their own. It's a refreshing reminder that men can't be stereotyped into one fixed role in family dynamics. One major complaint I've had about the reboots is DJ barely registering on the radar. There have been glimmers of plotlines (PTSD as a vet, raising a mixed daughter), but nothing has been fleshed out. 3. For the longtime fan, the omission of Andy is such a gaping hole. To retcon a character out of existence who was present for four years...that's longer than most TV series last! I am fanwanking that the reason Darlene didn't mention Andy in her epic battle with Jackie is that she understood it to be the one taboo topic. When you're very close to someone, you come to understand the things that will cause the deepest wound, so even in the midst of a heated throwdown, I imagine that Darlene wouldn't throw Andy's absence in her face. Jackie's situation with Roseanne has been openly discussed and Darlene knew that would hurt, but she still loves her aunt and intuited that bringing up Andy would be crossing the line. At least that's my theory. :) 4. In Roseanne, and especially The Conners, the show has struggled to balance its want to showcase realistic scenarios for a lower-middle class family with its need to adhere to sitcom basics. The reboot's bleak outlook has done a good job of depicting the cycle of near-poverty. I feel like a lot of the humor has been sacrificed...I don't usually LOL the way I did at the original...but I love the reboot and don't need it to be a laugh riot. The challenge is in frustrating the viewing audience with the characters' poor choices or repeated mistakes; they are usually true to life, but in a sitcom, they don't make for tidy TV. This restaurant situation is the perfect example. IRL, their restaurant idea would probably fail (especially with the severe mold problem); as a sitcom, the restaurant will almost need to succeed. Do we want to see 40-something Becky with a new baby living in poverty? Is that entertaining/interesting? Probably. Is it funny? Not really. Did not mean to write that much! Whichever way they go, I'm glad that this series is running and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

LOL! I totally put sugar on my grits. Lived in NJ my whole life and don't really remember ever having them. When I moved to GA a few years ago and grits were plopped in front of me, I was like, "Uh, ok...what do I do with these..." I stirred in some sugar (horrifying everyone around me) and found it delicious. :) DWP is right in my wheelhouse and I loved the first season, but for me, this show is definitely way too intense to binge. Maybe my brain is slowing with age, but I think the show moves at a dizzying pace. That's totally fine, but I need time to ruminate on each ep before advancing to the next one!

So did the rest of the cast, which made it even funnier! Completely agree! I laughed my head off at this throwing of the phone and brownie...for some reason, Roseanne throwing things always made me laugh hysterically. Examples that come to mind are when she tossed a biscuit after discovering Bev's low expectations of her ("so light and airy...they just FLY across the room!"), or when she hid a lit cigarette from Jackie behind her back and chucked her purse at her ("bring back some ice...bring back some COLD ice"). Golden moments! This definitely had hallmarks of an old-school Roseanne episode. Even if it's not as clever as it could be, subtlety has never been a typical feature of sitcoms, even ones that aim higher than most. I know very liberal and very conservative folks who are all enjoying this revival, and getting so many Americans from all over the political spectrum to watch the same thing and find it funny is pretty remarkable, IMHO.