S02.E05: Sport

[Lady Calypso]

Quote

“Sport” – Will is pumped to become the coach of Sophie’s soccer team in order to spend more time with his daughter, especially since she has been distant recently. However, his intentions to focus on Sophie and teach the team that you don’t need to win to have fun slowly shift once he realizes he has a secret weapon on his team – Rory – but allowing him on the team means Will must keep a certain secret about Rory. Meanwhile, Douglas and Angie attempt to navigate what their friendship looks like now that they are roommates for the foreseeable future on an all-new episode of “Single Parents,” WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23 (9:31-10:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Didn't they retcon all the kids' ages? (I see why they did it for Rory, since he's so much bigger than the others.) I think that last season, the kids were in 2nd grade, which made them 7 years old, and we were complaining they acted much older.  So instead of now being in 3rd grade and 8 years old (which would also have made a full summer of sleep away camp pretty ridiculous), they are now 9 years old (or 10 for Rory) and beginning 4th grade?  That does make more sense. 

Edited October 24, 2019 by ItCouldBeWorse

[kazza]

This show continues to crack me up. They're all functional disasters but ok with it.

The "You're the Best" montage was just awesome.

Between yesterday's Mixed-ish's "St. Elmo's Fire" montage, and Dex's mixed tape in Stumptown, the 80s are alive and well on ABC this season. And I love it!!

[Irlandesa]

I loved Will's "If you're going to come at a weatherman, you better come correct.  Next up, traffic"--or whatever his specific line was--after Poppy claimed Rory's birth certificate was lost in a hurricane from the 70s.

I liked the sentiment in the Graham/Douglas story but I think Graham should learn that sometimes showing love is with alone time.  Maybe they can negotiate a JAG session for some bonding time.

[Empress1]

10 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I loved Will's "If you're going to come at a weatherman, you better come correct.  Next up, traffic"--or whatever his specific line was--after Poppy claimed Rory's birth certificate was lost in a hurricane from the 70s.

I liked the sentiment in the Graham/Douglas story but I think Graham should learn that sometimes showing love is with alone time.  Maybe they can negotiate a JAG session for some bonding time.

"You come at a weatherman, you best not miss." Paraphrased version of this (slightly violent content).

Graham does need to learn some boundaries - like, don't be poking around peoples' closets, damn.

I thought the surprise 10th birthday for Rory was really sweet. (I still cannot stand those twins. I don't think I'll ever like them.)

[anna0852]

The kids are supposed to be in 2nd grade. Rory's age is utterly ridiculous, he's at least 3 years behind now where he needs to be. No wonder he's so much taller than the rest of them! First grade is when kids turn from 6 to 7. If Rory is turning 10 he should be in 4th grade, not 2nd. I get that this is sitcom world but there are significant social issues that are going to crop up with Rory being so far behind his actual age group.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

I assume the kids are not playing soccer anymore because Will and Rory, at least, are banned from the league.

[joanne3482]

47 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

Graham does need to learn some boundaries - like, don't be poking around peoples' closets, damn.

Graham bugged me because I too am a person who needs alone/quiet time after work. Don't come at me right when I get in the door. Loving someone is appreciating them for who they are and not trying to force your version of love onto them. I had to explain to an adult friend once that just because it is what YOU find thoughtful doesn't mean it is what the recipient finds thoughtful and you have to roll with that. 

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

Loving someone is appreciating them for who they are and not trying to force your version of love onto them. I had to explain to an adult friend once that just because it is what YOU find thoughtful doesn't mean it is what the recipient finds thoughtful and you have to roll with that. 

Yeah, when Angie yelled that Douglas should just give in to Graham I was like " ... No, he shouldn't. At least not all the time."

[ItCouldBeWorse]

4 hours ago, anna0852 said:

The kids are supposed to be in 2nd grade. Rory's age is utterly ridiculous, he's at least 3 years behind now where he needs to be. No wonder he's so much taller than the rest of them! First grade is when kids turn from 6 to 7. If Rory is turning 10 he should be in 4th grade, not 2nd. I get that this is sitcom world but there are significant social issues that are going to crop up with Rory being so far behind his actual age group.

Since they just strongly implied that all the kids except Rory are around 9 (implied because he is in their class, is actually 10 and his age was only lowered by one year), the show must now have retconned them as being in 4th grade, not 2nd or 3rd.  In addition, what 7 (or even 8-year-olds) would go to sleepaway camp for an entire summer?  It really makes much more sense for these kids to be 9.  Except, perhaps for Graham, who is emotionally quite young, but, of course, talks like a much older kid.

[SoMuchTV]

38 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Since they just strongly implied that all the kids except Rory are around 9 (implied because he is in their class, is actually 10 and his age was only lowered by one year), the show must now have retconned them as being in 4th grade, not 2nd or 3rd.  In addition, what 7 (or even 8-year-olds) would go to sleepaway camp for an entire summer?  It really makes much more sense for these kids to be 9.  Except, perhaps for Graham, who is emotionally quite young, but, of course, talks like a much older kid.

Maybe space camp sent them through a 1 or 2 year time warp/worm hole...?

[ItCouldBeWorse]

41 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Maybe space camp sent them through a 1 or 2 year time warp/worm hole...?

Except the twins (and Rory) didn't attend.  But I like your creativity!

[tennisgurl]

2 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

Maybe space camp sent them through a 1 or 2 year time warp/worm hole...?

Lance Bass is still wandering through time and space...

"You see her right?" The weird little girl is still one of my favorite reoccurring jokes/characters on the show. 

Rory being 10 is pushing it, but his surprise party was cute, especially with him getting over Nicole Kidman. 

[anna0852]

The second episode of this season had Rory with a 'second grade president' seal in his so-called office. Which is a whole 'nother rant!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

29 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

The second episode of this season had Rory with a 'second grade president' seal in his so-called office. Which is a whole 'nother rant!

Yeah, it makes no sense.  If a whole bunch of 9 year-olds are in 2nd grade, something very strange is going on.

[Kktjones]

Has there ever been a more unlikable TV show kid than Rory? I don't always love kids on TV, but I like all the others on this show (or at least find them amusing). Rory is so obnoxious, and acts like a judgy bully not only to the other kids, but to the adults as well. Really wish they acknowledge how horrible he is rather than having Poppy practically worship him and his terrible behavior. (Ok, sorry - rant over). I did enjoy the story with Graham and Douglas :).

[bros402]

On 10/24/2019 at 5:53 PM, tennisgurl said:

"You see her right?" The weird little girl is still one of my favorite reoccurring jokes/characters on the show. 

I *believe* that weird little girl is the kid of Michael Schur (Creator of The Good Place) and J.J. Philbin (co-creator of Single Parents & daughter of Regis Philbin)

[SnarkySheep]

On 11/1/2019 at 4:51 PM, Kktjones said:

Has there ever been a more unlikable TV show kid than Rory? I don't always love kids on TV, but I like all the others on this show (or at least find them amusing). Rory is so obnoxious, and acts like a judgy bully not only to the other kids, but to the adults as well. Really wish they acknowledge how horrible he is rather than having Poppy practically worship him and his terrible behavior. (Ok, sorry - rant over). I did enjoy the story with Graham and Douglas :).

ITA - and have since essentially Day 1 of this show. I didn't really care much for any of the kids at first but gradually warmed to them as we got to know them better and see them in various situations. But Rory just doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities IMO. It makes me wonder if the other kids would even talk to him, were it not for their parents all being friends and essentially getting to be as used to one another as siblings.

[love2lovebadtv]

On 11/1/2019 at 4:51 PM, Kktjones said:

Has there ever been a more unlikable TV show kid than Rory? I don't always love kids on TV, but I like all the others on this show (or at least find them amusing). Rory is so obnoxious, and acts like a judgy bully not only to the other kids, but to the adults as well. Really wish they acknowledge how horrible he is rather than having Poppy practically worship him and his terrible behavior. (Ok, sorry - rant over). I did enjoy the story with Graham and Douglas :).

I can't stand Rory. I disliked his character from the first episode and he's gotten worse. He's downright mean. 

On 10/24/2019 at 10:58 AM, anna0852 said:

The kids are supposed to be in 2nd grade. Rory's age is utterly ridiculous, he's at least 3 years behind now where he needs to be. No wonder he's so much taller than the rest of them! First grade is when kids turn from 6 to 7. If Rory is turning 10 he should be in 4th grade, not 2nd. I get that this is sitcom world but there are significant social issues that are going to crop up with Rory being so far behind his actual age group.

I wonder why the show made these kids first graders. They all could have passed for third graders. Kids still need childcare at that age but they're more likely to have sleepovers and do sleep away camp when they're a little older - not going to into second grade. 

On 10/23/2019 at 11:03 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Didn't they retcon all the kids' ages? (I see why they did it for Rory, since he's so much bigger than the others.) I think that last season, the kids were in 2nd grade, which made them 7 years old, and we were complaining they acted much older.  So instead of now being in 3rd grade and 8 years old (which would also have made a full summer of sleep away camp pretty ridiculous), they are now 9 years old (or 10 for Rory) and beginning 4th grade?  That does make more sense. 

I think it was a retcon. I Maybe the writers retconned their ages to make it slightly less unrealistic. 

On 10/24/2019 at 6:29 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Yeah, it makes no sense.  If a whole bunch of 9 year-olds are in 2nd grade, something very strange is going on.

I feel like the show always made them a little older than they would normally veil in their grade. Some kids start 1st grade at age 7 but not a whole bunch of them. So if So even if Rory is 10, that is still a big age difference.